The FCS Wedge – 2016-1116 – LISTEN UP! PART 1

You should notice this podcast is titled Part 1.  Part 2 will be coming tomorrow as Lance & Kris were so involved in talking football and playoffs this week they apparently forgot to even glance at a clock.  Thing is, it is all very entertaining and a good listen for you.

Looking back at these games this week:
North Dakota 38 Northern Arizona 31
Charleston Southern 48 Liberty 26
James Madison 20 Villanova 7
Wofford 36 Chattanooga 28
Central Arkansas 31 Nicholls State 24

The talk turns to the AGS Poll and even though they didn’t know it at the time the top 10 and the order in the AGS Poll was strikingly similar to the later released Selection Committee top 10.

These games all have a great deal to do with the post season so they are the ones the crew of two take on this go around.

Central Arkansas @ Sam Houston State
New Hampshire @ Maine
North Carolina A&T  @ North Carolina Central
South Dakota State @ Northern Iowa
Tennessee Martin @ Jacksonville State
Northern Colorado @ Cal Poly

If you don’t listen to the end this week you will miss a good chuckle.  I ended Part 1 here and Part 2 will pick up with the playoff discussions for this final week of the season.

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BIG SOUTH: Week 12 Preview

(6-4) Liberty @ (8-2) Coastal Carolina – Thursday, November 17th 7:00pm (ESPNews)

Liberty closes out the regular season by paying a Thursday night visit to old Big South rival Coastal Carolina.

With Coastal’s departure for the green-ish pastures of the Sun Belt Conference, this game takes on an unfamiliar vibe.  For 13 years, this game has carried major implications in the Big South race so for the event to now be essentially meaningless in itself is a bit of an adjustment for fans of both schools.  Liberty currently holds an edge in the all-time series 7-6 and have won the last two but these games have tended to be pretty close.  The last three meetings have been decided by a combined seven points with both the 2013 and 2014 games decided by walk-off blocked field goals.

Liberty comes into this game after failing to wrap up the outright Big South title at home against Charleston Southern and must rebound fast on a short week.  Against CSU, Liberty’s inexperience on offense was on full display as inconsistency plagued the Flames just as it had in “big” games earlier in the season.   Defensively, LU gave up big play after big play but still managed to gather three interceptions on the night.  That penchant for takeaways will come in handy this week as Coastal has turned the ball over six times in their last two games (Monmouth & Bryant).

As an important aside, Liberty will travel down to Conway without the services of head coach Turner Gill.  Gill will sit out this game as a penalty incurred for an NCAA Level III recruiting violation when an assistant texted a scholarship offer to a recruit before the allowed date.  In his place, defensive coordinator Robert Wimberly will assume the head coaching duties for the day.  This marks the second time this season that a Big South head coach has had to miss a game for an a Level III violation as CSU’s Jamey Chadwell sat out the Bucknell game for virtually the same reason.  *(OPINION:  There are only four levels of NCAA violations and a Level III is considered pretty minor.  As such, the NCAA needs to re-visit suspension of coaches as a penalty for this as it pertains to football.  The current punishment makes sense to a point in a sport like, for example, basketball where a team plays 30 games a year and the absence of the head coach for one contest won’t make that much of a difference in the season.  However, it’s inequitable to apply the same penalty to a sport where there are only 11-12 guaranteed games in an entire season.  END OF TIRADE)*

What Liberty has to do against Coastal:  Execute on offense.  That may seem like an obvious oversimplification but lack of offensive execution against good teams has been an ongoing theme this season.  Depending on who you ask, this game does or doesn’t have at-large implications for Liberty but, ultimately, none of that really matters.  The Flames need to play well because they need to play well.

(8-2) Kennesaw State @ (6-3) Charleston Southern – Saturday, November 19th 11:45am (ESPN3)

Welcome to the next Big South Championship game.  By defeating Liberty last week, Charleston Southern not only kept their own conference title hopes alive, they resuscitated Kennesaw State’s as well.  Both teams come into the game with identical 3-1 conference records and the winner of the game will split the conference championship with Liberty.

For KSU, a win would secure a conference title in just their second year of existence – no small thing in itself – and announce their presence on the national stage.  While a Kennesaw victory would hand the conference autobid to Liberty, finally getting a quality win over a ranked opponent would also go a very long way toward the Owls’ argument for inclusion in the FCS playoffs as an at-large team.

For CSU, it’s autobid or bust.  The Bucs have carried a high ranking all season long but one of their wins came against D2 Kentucky State and one of their three losses was to sub-.500 Gardner-Webb.

Kennesaw comes into this game on an absolute roll.  Since losing to Liberty on October 15th, the Owls have won four straight with an average margin of victory of 49-17.  Granted, KSU hasn’t exactly been playing the cream of the crop – those four wins have come against Gardner-Webb, Monmouth, D2 Clark Atlanta and Presbyterian – but a young team winning like that is a team building confidence for the games that matter and, boy, does this one matter.  The Owls are playing three quarterbacks that have played and won games for them and human pogo stick receiver Justin Sumpter has returned from injury.

CSU, meanwhile, is also playing three quarterbacks but not necessarily because they can.  Last week’s game at Liberty was a great win for the Bucs but it was a physical contest and both teams limped to the locker room at the end.  Starting QB Shane Bucenell left the game in the 3rd quarter with what, through the computer screen, looked like a concussion and at least two linebackers had to be helped off the field.  The importance of Bucenell to CSU is obvious; their other two quarterbacks, Robert Mitchell and London Johnson, have performed well in spot duty but have not been particularly effective over extended periods.  Further, having a healthy linebacker corps against a triple-option offense is imperative.

What Kennesaw has to do against CSU:  Go all out.  KSU plays aggressively anyway but this is the week to let Owls’ freak flag fly.  If there’s a trick play or nine in head coach Brian Bohannon’s back pocket, this is the week to pull them out.

What CSU has to do against Kennesaw:  If Bucenell is playing, play-action all night.  The weakness of the KSU defense is their safeties’ inability to adjust with speed and CSU can get them going the wrong way. If another QB is back there for the Bucs, ball control through the ground game.  Both Mitchell and Johnson are elusive runners but are not outstanding passers.

(4-6) Monmouth @ (4-6) Gardner-Webb – Saturday, November 19th 1:30pm (Big South Network)

This game is interesting…well, “interesting” isn’t the word for it.  This game is unusual in that both teams played ten games straight leading up to last week and then had November 12th off so this is more or less like a bowl game for two 4-6 teams that have nothing on the line and which will not impact the conference standings in any way.  This is the Why-Are-We-Still-Doing-This? Bowl brought to you by the good people at Prozac and Jim Beam who remind you not to get them in the same room together.

In any event, Gardner-Webb comes into their home finale fresh – kind of fresh anyway – from knocking off 8th-ranked Charleston Southern on the road.  Prior to that, G-W had lost three straight with their previous win being on October 8th.

Monmouth, on the other hand, has now lost four straight and their previous win was also on October 8th.  This game represents Monmouth’s eighth and, thankfully, final road game of the 2016 season.  Gardner-Webb has the obvious motivation of Senior Day here but this game just seems like all kinds of anti-climactic for both teams.  G-W got a highlight win in a season full of close disappointments and Monmouth is a team more familiar with airline miles than Jennifer Garner is at this point.

What Monmouth has to do against Gardner-Webb:  Score points in the second half.   Scoring late wasn’t Monmouth’s problem for much of the season but, in each of their last two games, the Hawks have put 17 points in the first half only to be completely blanked in the latter half.

What Gardner-Webb has to do against Monmouth:  Run the ball.  In just their last four games alone, Monmouth has given up over 1,200 yards rushing.  That just happens to be G-W’s forte so it could be a long day for the visitors and a fun day for the Gardner-Webb seniors.

(2-8) Presbyterian @ (4-5) South Alabama – Saturday, November 19th, 7:00pm (ESPN3)

This game for Presbyterian was originally scheduled to be played on this day against SEC East-leading Florida.  But, as part of their public standoff with LSU over re-scheduling a game lost to Hurricane Matthew, UF bought Presby out and the Blue Hose instead found a matchup with LSU’s castoff opponent, the Jaguars of South Alabama.

Presbyterian comes into this game enduring one of the least productive years in school history.  The Blue Hose have been shut out twice, held to a field goal or less five times and held to a single touchdown eight times.  PC is mired in a four-game losing streak and none of their eight losses on the year have been remotely close games.   This game represents their last chance at displaying something that resembles offensive competency.

For South Alabama, this game was originally going to be a chance to play on the biggest of stages at LSU but is now merely a wide spot in the road between Monroe, Louisiana and Moscow, Idaho.  USA has already faced and beaten an FCS team this year (a 41-40 OT win over Nicholls State) so this game doesn’t even help the Jags toward bowl eligibility.  Not that bowl eligibility is really a concern, though. Despite massive wins over Mississippi State and a ranked San Diego State team, South Alabama currently sits at 4-5 overall and 1-5 in Sun Belt Conference play.  The objective for the home team here is just to play the game and notch the win.

What Presbyterian needs to do against South Alabama:  Score nine points.  Nine points would get PC to 100 total points on the season and, while that’s a paltry goal, it would spare the current Blue Hose team from being the first squad to score less than a hundred since the Kennedy administration.

 

 

 

Big Sky Review + Power Rankings: Week 11

Big Sky

Another exciting week of Big Sky football is in the books and we’re now just a few short days away from playoff announcements. The playoff race in the Big Sky isn’t exactly the clearest picture. Right now all we can definitely say is that Eastern Washington and North Dakota are the only definite teams in. After that there is a race between Cal Poly, Weber State, Montana, and Northern Colorado. All of those teams are sitting with six wins. The odd team out in that scenario is Montana who have lost to Poly and Northern Colorado. This weekend Northern Colorado and Poly will lock up to see who gets the seventh win.

Weber State can get to seven wins if they beat Idaho State on the road, a task they should be able to complete. Montana can get to seven wins with a win over Montana State in Missoula this weekend. The above scenario will leave the playoff committee weighing Montana, Cal Poly/Northern Colorado, and Weber State and their playoff resumes. Northern Colorado could be odd man out with only six division one wins. The other three teams played scheduled made up of only division one teams.

That’s not to discredit the job that Ernest Collins has done at Northern Colorado, he’s been phenomenal for the Bears thus far. This will once again record another winning season during his tenure. They will also finish with a  .500 record or better in conference play for the first time since 2012.

If you’re Montana you need to be hitting the panic button right now. The Griz will finish the season, at best, 4-4 in Big Sky conference play. The loss to Northern Colorado was killer. Despite the Griz’s woes this season their season is still alive. Cal Poly fans have to be sweating a little bit as well, after a loss to Weber State this past weekend. Sunday is going to be heartbreaking for a couple of fan bases in the Big Sky.

In other Big Sky news, North Dakota overcame a 21 point deficit at home to come back and beat Northern Arizona. Deion Harris intercepted a Blake Kemp and took it back 40 yards to seal the win for the Fighting Hawks. The Fighting Hawks will share a piece of the Big Sky championship for the first time since joining the conference.

BYU handily took care of business against Southern Utah in Provo this past weekend. Montana State took down UC-Davis. Eastern Washington continued their march towards the top of the FCS rankings by beating Idaho State. Sacramento State made a play to climb up the power poll and beat Portland State.

Onto rivalry week!

Scores

Montana 25
Northern Colorado 28

Northern Arizona 31
North Dakota 38

Cal Poly 15
Weber State 22

Southern Utah 7
BYU 37

UC Davis 13
Montana 27

Idaho State 17
Eastern Washington 48

Portland State 35
Sacramento State 42

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky player of the week is Sacramento State running back Jordan Robinson. Robinson rushed for 262 yards and four touchdowns in their win vs Portland State.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Gage Gabrud, QB, Eastern Washington. 16/27, 212 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington. 7 catches, 70 yards.
Joe Protheroe, RB, Cal Poly. 18 carries, 62 yards and 1 touchdown.

Big Sky Power Rankings

1. Eastern Washington
2. North Dakota
3. Weber State
4. Cal Poly
5. Northern Arizona
6. Northern Colorado
7. Montana
8. Southern Utah
9. Portland State
10. Idaho State
11. Sacramento State
12. Montana State
13. UC Davis

Looking Ahead to Week 12

The Big Sky football week kicks off with Eastern Washington headed to Portland to take on the Vikings. Montana State will travel across the Continental Divide to take on Montana in the Brawl of the Wild. Sacramento State is headed to across the causeway to take on UC-Davis. Weber State will travel up I-15 to take on Idaho State. Southern Utah is going south to take on Northern Arizona. In the night cap Northern Colorado takes on Cal Poly in a game that could have some playoff implication.

Final Thoughts and Hot Takes

– Four teams headed into the final week of the regular season fighting for one or two playoff spots. Something will have to give between Montana, Cal Poly, Weber State, and Northern Colorado.

– My prediction for the playoffs: Eastern Washington, North Dakota, Montana, Cal Poly are in.

– Rivalry week in the Big Sky is a week, even if your team isn’t good.

– If you’re North Dakota how do you score a bye week for the last week of the regular season plus that schedule. The Fighting Hawks have basically two weeks to rest up and get ready for a playoff push. Could be a dangerous team with fresh legs heading into the first rounds.

– I’ll go out on a short limb here and say the Cooper Kupp will be the Big Sky MVP this season. His teammate Gage Gabrud will be the runner-up.

The CAA Report Week 11

We have a new show this week.  Andrew Lawrence (@TheDailyDelly &  www.dailydelly.com) comes on board with Rob Weiss this week to churn out a great CAA podcast for us.  They go over last week’s games and look for ward to the final week of the season.  Of course that also means we get a good portion of playoff talk about the CAA.

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MVFC: Week 11 Review

Second to last week of the regular season, and the second to last game for some of the MVFC teams (although for two, the last game of the regular season and possibly the end of the season).

MVFC Logo
First up, the scores from this last weekend:

Southern Illinois – 14
Youngstown State – 21

Missouri State – 0
Illinois State – 37

Northern Iowa – 30
Western Illinois – 23

South Dakota – 21
South Dakota State – 28

Indiana State – 17
North Dakota State – 41

Southern Illinois at Youngstown State

SIU came into this game hoping to play the spoiler and get some experience for their younger players, having been eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago. YSU on the other hand, came in looking like a near-lock for the playoffs, having already won 6 DI games and needing just one more in the final 2 games to reach the 7-win mark that should put them in the playoffs. Something interesting about this game…both teams were starting QB’s that had not started for most of the season. SIU having put sophomore Sam Straub in the starting spot a couple of games ago to replace the senior transfer who had been starting, since they were pretty much out of playoff contention at that point, and YSU convincing junior Hunter Wells, the starter from the previous two years, to come back (he had been sitting out the season with the plan to maybe transfer after this season) and play the last few games and help finish out the season and get them into the playoffs, after not having a great deal of offensive success with their other QBs.

It took a little while for the scoring to get going…SIU’s offense having difficulties against the YSU defense and YSU having not much of an offense to speak of…but, with 21 seconds left in the first quarter, the Penguins put the first points on the board with a 1-yard TD run by RB Tevin McCaster. Their next drive, early in the 2nd quarter, they scored another on a 10-yard TD pass to WR Alvin Bailey. The rest of the drives in the half ended in punts other than the one at the end of the half, a 44-yard missed FG for Youngstown State, which made the score 14-0, YSU, at halftime. The second half started similarly, but SIU was finally able to get their first points on a 3 yard TD run by RB Jonathan Mixon. On their next possession, a 9-yard TD pass to WR Connor Iwema (highlighted by a 73-yard pass to WR Israel Lamprakes) helped the Salukis tie up the game at 14-all early in the 4th quarter. Eventually, YSU was able to put together another TD drive finishing with a 10-yard TD pass to WR Darien Townsend to go ahead by 7. The next drive, SIU was able to get down to 4th and goal from the YSU 6 yard line, but YSU was able to make the stop and force the turnover on downs. YSU was held to a punt on the next drive, but then SIU, despite moving 75-yards down the field, ran out of time, coming up just 5 yards short of a potential game-tying TD.

YSU QB Hunter Wells finished with 124 passing yards and 2 TDs. RB Jody Webb picked up the majority of the yardage for the offense, with 167 rushing yards and RB Martin Ruiz had 83 yards. YSU receivers Alvin Bailey and Darien Townsend each finished with 38 receiving yards and 1 TD. LB Armand Dellovade led the team with 8 tackles, 1 for loss and 2 QB hurries.

SIU QB Sam Straub had 366 passing yards and 1 TD as well as 3 sacks. WR Israel Lamprakes caught 156 yards including a 73-yarder, and WR Billy Reed had 96 yards. SIU didn’t do much on the ground, with their top rusher being RB Cameron Walter with all of 25 yards. RB Jonathan Mixon (their short-down/goal-line back) picked up the rushing TD but had a total of 3 yards in the game. LB Chase Allen finished with 9 total tackles including 1 for loss, and S Jeremy Chinn also had 9 tackles.

Youngstown State is now 3rd in the MVFC at 5-2, and 7-3 overall. They’ll head down to Springfield, MO to take on Missouri State in the final regular season game for the Penguins. They should be in the playoffs either way, but a win would cement their inclusion.

Southern Illinois is now last (10th) in the MVFC at 1-6 with a 3-7 overall record. They’ll return home to try to again play spoiler to a potential playoff team when they host the Western Illinois Leathernecks next weekend.

Missouri State at Illinois State

Like SIU, Missouri State came into this game having been eliminated from playoff contention a couple of weeks ago. Illinois State, however, was hoping to make a statement to the playoff committee by beating the Bears to complete a late-season turnaround involving three straight wins, with two over ranked teams (SDSU and WIU the previous two weeks). A win would put them at 6-5, and while a 6-5 team has only ever made the playoffs once before as an at-large, ISU would be in a good position to be the second if everything fell their way. Due to Illinois State playing Indiana State a week earlier than the rest of the conference season started, the ISU’s both have their bye week at the end of the regular season, so this game would be the Redbirds final regular season game.

The first half started out pretty slow, with ISU hitting a 42-yard FG on their first drive, but then missing on a 34-yarder later. The second quarter, however, the Redbirds found another gear and started off with a drive ending in a 38-yard TD reception by WR Anthony Warrum. MSU was held on a 4th and 1 turning the ball over on their own 35-yard line. One 35-yard pass to WR Christian Gibbs later and ISU would have themselves their second TD within ~2 minutes. Later on in the half, MSU would throw an interception that ISU would use 7 plays to turn into a 22-yard FG to go up 20-0, which would be the score going into halftime.

A couple of possessions into the second half, ISU RB Jamal Towns would run 50 yards for a TD, putting ISU up by 27. Their next drive kicked off with a 22 yard pass and 34 yard pass and ended in a 1-yard TD pass to FB Jake Hendershot. Early in the 4th quarter, ISU QB Jake Kolbe would throw an interception, but MSU was unable to do anything with it, and on ISU’s next possession they were able to get close enough to hit a 20-yard FG, running the score up to 37-0. This would prove to be the final score as time would run out on the Bears in a pretty lopsided game where MSU would only find their way to the ISU side of the 50-yard line twice in the entire game, at one point getting as close as the ISU 36 yard line before having to punt the ball.

ISU QB Jake Kolbe threw for 246 yards and 3 TDs with 1 interception and 2 sacks. WR Anthony Warrum caught 133 of those yards and 1 of the TDs. RB Jamal Towns racked up 134 yards and a TD, and RB DeMarco Corbin finished with 102 yards. LB Brent Spack led the team with 10 total tackles and DL Dalton Keene and S Mitchell Brees each had an interception.

MSU QB Brodie Lambert finished with 77 yards and 2 interceptions passing, as well as 44 yards and 1 sack running the ball (he was both the passing and rushing leader for the team this game). The top receiver was WR Zach Hoover who caught 22 yards on 2 receptions. Defensively, LB Dylan Cole led the team with 13 tackles (9 solo) and CB Matt Rush had an interception.

Missouri State falls to 2-5 in the conference and 4-6 overall and will host Youngstown State next weekend. Illinois State moves up to 4-4 in the conference and 6-5 overall. With wins over SDSU and WIU, as well as the Big 10’s Northwestern, and a demolishing of MSU for their finale, it still remains to be seen if they’ll be able to slip into the playoffs at 6-5. It’ll probably depend greatly on what happens next weekend with WIU (currently 6-5) and UNI (could reach 6-5 with a win) as well as other playoff “bubble” teams, but at least they know that when their backs were against the wall and they absolutely had to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, they did, and did so against some pretty good teams.

Northern Iowa at Western Illinois

This was one of the more interesting games going on in the MVFC this last week, and I’m not just saying that because it involved “my” Leathernecks. UNI, in a similar situation to Illinois State, had had a rough go of things in the first half of the season and many had written them off as not really having a chance to get to the playoffs this year. But then, after swapping out their RB who occasionally throws for an actual passing QB, they had suddenly started playing more like the UNI that many of us remember and keeping their slim playoff chances still alive. Western Illinois had something of the opposite kind of season., starting the first half 5-1 with only a loss to playoff-bound SDSU, but then losing a couple of close games that they could have had but were just unable to finish a drive or two. They came into this game with 6 wins, still needing one more to really solidify their playoff chances.

UNI got the scoring started early, driving 78 yards down the field and finishing with a 2-yard TD run by RB Michael Malloy. Both defenses stepped up at that point, holding each other to punts over the next 5 possessions, before UNI was able to pick up another TD on a 9-yard TD pass to WR Logan Cunningham. WIU finally got their first points of the game on a 29-yard FG late in the first half, which made the halftime score 13-3. Early in the second half, UNI would pick up another TD on a 3-yard pass to WR Daurice Fountain, but the highlight of the drive was a 51-yard pass to WR Jalen Rima that would have been a TD but the receiver was chased down by WIU DB Xavier Rowe and caught at the 3 yard line. WIU worked down the field on their next drive, taking just over 8 minutes to finish with a 2-yard TD pass to WR Isaiah Lesure to make it 20-9 Panthers. UNI would be held to a 3-and-out, but WIU would fumble the ball two plays later. Thankfully for the Leathernecks, 6 plays after that, UNI threw an interception in the end zone, resulting in a touchback. WIU would then fumble the ball back to UNI on the next drive, and this one they would turn into points with a 6-yard TD run by Michael Malloy. WIU would come roaring down the field covering 80 yards in ~1 ⅓ minutes for a Td on a 9-yard pass to WR Lance Lenoir to pull within 11 with about 6 minutes left in the game. UNI tried to take as much time off the clock as possible, eventually getting a 21-yard FG with less than 2 minutes left. Again WIU was able to move downfield quickly and get more points on a 14-yard TD pass to Isaiah Lesure to pull within 7 points with less than 30 seconds left. The WIU onside kick was unsuccessful however, and UNI would hold on to win, 30-23.

UNI QB Eli Dunne passed for 209 yards and 2 TDs with an interception and a sack. WR Jalen Rima had 79 yards receiving, and WR Daurice Fountain and WR Logan Cunningham each had TD receptions. RB Michael Malloy had 92 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. LB Duncan Ferch led the team with 11 tackles and DL Karter Schult added to his (#1 in the FCS) sack total with 3 as well as a forced fumble.

WIU QB Sean McGuire threw for 237 yards and 3 TDs in the air, and ran for 48 yards on the ground. WR Isaiah Lesure caught 68 yards and 2 TDs, and WR Lance Lenoir had 35 yards and 1 TD. LB Brett Taylor led the team with 18 total tackles including 13 solo tackles. He is currently #3 on the FCS tackles list and #1 on the solo tackles list, averaging 8.7 per game.

Northern Iowa is now 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the MVFC and are looking to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a home game against a good South Dakota State team to finish out the regular season. Western Illinois is now 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the MVFC and will head down to Southern Illinois next weekend. If WIU wants to make the playoffs this year, they really need to finish out the season with a win, otherwise, they will most likely be spending Thanksgiving break watching football from their couches.

South Dakota at South Dakota State

South Dakota came into this rivalry game with only 4 wins and some questionable losses, so even with a couple of wins to finish out the season, would likely be on the outside looking in with regards to the playoffs. South Dakota State was sitting at 6 wins, and would need to win at least one over their last two to cement their playoff position. A couple of solid wins and they might just compete for a low seed depending on how other things played out. But first, they’d need to beat their in-state rivals.

This game was one of those “back-and-forth” kind of games, where it stays close the entire time. SDSU got the only points of the first quarter with a 3-yard Kyle Paris TD run. SDSU would get a few more chances for points in the first half, but would come away empty-handed with FG misses from 43 and 52 yards out. USD would then get their first points on a 16-yard TD pass to WR Brandt Van Roekel tying the game up at 7-all going into halftime. Nearly halfway through the third quarter, SDSU notched their second TD on a 47-yard Isaac Wallace run, but USD would respond on the next possession using a 42-yard pass to set up a 8-yard TD pass to WR Dakarai Allen, again tying the game up…14-14. SDSU would come right back with another TD on a 20-yard TD run by QB Taryn Christion to retake the lead. Early in the 4th quarter, USD would drive down the field, finishing with a 3-yard TD run by their QB Chris Streveler to once more tie the game…21-all. SDSU threw an interception on the second play of their next possession setting up a 32-yard FG attempt for USD’s Miles Bergner that he would miss. This is very uncharacteristic of him, since it’s the first attempt under 40 yards that he’s missed this season, so I don’t know if it was partially blocked or really windy or what. On their next drive, SDSU found the end zone again on another QB TD run, this one from 7-yards out, to take the lead for good, with the final score being 28-21, South Dakota State.

South Dakota State QB Taryn Christion threw 215 passing yards but had 1 interception. He also ran for 79 yards and 2 TDs and was sacked once. RB Brady Mengarelli led the team in both rushing (161) and receiving (55) yards…a very uncharacteristic result since SDSU has two of the best receivers in the FCS with WR Jake Wieneke (only getting 45 yards this game) and TE Dallas Goedert (22 yards). RB Isaac Wallace also picked up 102 yards and a TD on the ground, and RB Kyle Paris had 74 and a TD. Again…215 yards in the air, but 415 yards on the ground…which is definitely not what we’re used to from the Jackrabbits. LB Christian Rozeboom finished with 13 tackles in the game and DB Dallas Brown had an interception.

For South Dakota, QB Chris Streveler led the team in both passing and rushing with 217 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception through the air and 66 yards, 1 TD and 2 sacks on the ground. WR Riley Donovan caught for 53 yards, and both WR Brandt Van Roekel and WR Dakarai Allen caught TD passes. LB Jet Moreland led the team with 14 tackles and LB Alex Gray had 8 tackles and an interception.

South Dakota State is now 7-3 overall and will finish up their regular season next weekend with a game at Northern Iowa and are looking for a win to possibly get into the discussion for a top-8 seed for the playoffs. South Dakota falls to 4-6 overall and heads back home to play North Dakota State with not really much on the line outside of bragging rights (even a win for USD won’t knock NDSU out of the playoffs at this point, and it won’t get USD into the playoffs either).

Indiana State at North Dakota State

Indiana State took their 4-6 record to the Fargodome to finish out their 2016 season. Even a win wouldn’t get them into the playoff conversation (they’d only be at 5 wins), so this was really just a hope for them to finish out the season with a win. North Dakota State on the other hand, is solidly in the playoffs but want to continue their winning ways to finish out the season strong and likely nab one of the coveted top 2 playoff seeds (ensures home field throughout the playoffs until the championship game…which, regardless of who’s technically the “home team”, always feels like a Bison home game).

This was one of those games that, for the losing team, went downhill quickly and never really recovered. NDSU scored 3 TDs on their first 2 possessions…wait, what? Yea…well, kinda. The first time NDSU touched the ball was an ISU punt that was returned for a TD…do we consider that a possession?…maybe, but nevertheless, punt returned for a TD, 16-yard and 42-yard TD runs by QB Easton Stick and the Bison were up 21-0 after one quarter. They’d pick up 3 more on a 29-yard FG and another TD run, this time 2-yards by RB King Frazier to make it 31-0 before ISU would finally get some points themselves on a Kelvin Cook TD run. A 45-yard NDSU FG at the end of the first half would make it 31-7 at the midpoint.

The first drive in the second half, NDSU would get another TD on a 14-yard run by RB Lance Dunn to go up 41-7. At this point, NDSU essentially just started running the ball to kill time. ISU was able to pick up a 41-yard FG early in the 4th quarter and then an TD on a 2-yard run by RB Roland Genesy to reach 17 points with less than 5 minutes remaining. NDSU then essentially ran out the clock to take the 41-17 win.

Despite the high score for NDSU, nobody really had any huge numbers in this game. NDSU QB Easton Stick passed for 65 yards and ran for 85 yards and 2 TDs. RBs Lance Dunn and King Frazier each had a TD. WR Darrius Shepherd led the team with 40 receiving yards. LB Pierre Gee-Tucker led the team with 12 tackles, 2 for loss including a sack. DE Greg Menard had a sack and a fumble recovery, and CB Jalen Allison nabbed an interception and ½ sack.

ISU QB Aaron Young threw for 90 yards and was sacked 3 times. WR Miles Thompson led the team with 27 receiving yards. RB Roland Genesy actually had the biggest numbers of the day, running for 108 yards and 1 TD, and WR Kelvin Cook also had a receiving TD. LB Jameer Thurman led the team with 11 tackles.

Indiana State finished their season with a 4-7 overall record and 2-6 in the conference. Since next week is their bye week and they will not be in the playoffs, the book of the 2016 season for the Sycamores is now closed. NDSU meanwhile will head down to South Dakota next weekend to look to improve their record and reach 10 regular season wins again after only winning 9 last year.

My Predictions

What’d I say, and how’d I do? In my preview last week, I said…

YSU over SIU by 6 – actual result, YSU by 7…that’s a win for me.
ISUr over MSU by 11 – ISUr by 37…kinda underestimated how good ISU was playing…still a win
WIU over UNI by 4 – I really should start picking with my head instead of my heart. I was really hoping WIU could pull out the win, even though the odds weren’t in their favor. I was thinking UNI by 7 originally, but changed it later to WIU winning. Still I picked WIU and they lost…that’s a loss for me.
SDSU over UDS by 10 – SDSU by 7…another win.
NDSU over ISUb by 26 – NDSU by 24, a win. This one actually kinda “weirded” me out. I actually said in my prediction last week “NDSU put up 24 points against probably the best defense in the conference (YSU) last weekend, so I think they could easily reach 40. Meanwhile, they’ve been holding some pretty good offenses to the 13-20 point range. I don’t see ISU getting past 14 points probably.” The actual score was 41-17 and if it weren’t for that darn FG in the 4th for the Sycamores, I’d have been dead-on with ISU and within 1 point for NDSU.

So, I did pretty well this week, going 4-1, which added to my previous 21-12 record, means I’m at 25-13 for the season.

Later this week I will preview the final slate of MVFC games. With the ISU’s having their bye week at the end of the season, there’s only 4 games going in the last weekend before the playoffs. We’ll have Youngstown State at Missouri State, North Dakota State at South Dakota, Western Illinois at Southern Illinois, and South Dakota State at Northern Iowa.

Must Watch Week 12

One last weekend of games that showcase some old rivalries and decide the playoff picture. Here are the ones you should be watching:

Saturday, November 19th Time(CST) TV
Kennesaw State @ Charleston Southern 10:45am ESPN3
Yale @ Harvard 11:30am CNBC
Lehigh @ Lafayette 11:30am STREAM
New Hampshire @ Maine 12:00pm STREAM
Stony Brook @ Albany 12:00pm STREAM
Villanova @ Delaware 12:00pm STREAM
Montana State @ Montana 1:00pm ROOT
North Carolina A&T @ North Carolina Central 1:00pm ESPN3
Tennessee-Martin @ Jacksonville State 1:00pm STREAM
The Citadel @ North Carolina 2:30pm ACCN
South Dakota State @ Northern Iowa 4:00pm ESPN3
Chattanooga @ Alabama 6:00pm ESPN2
Central Arkansas @ Sam Houston State 6:00pm ESPN3
Northern Colorado @ Cal Poly 8:05pm STREAM
  • Everyone is ready to hand the Big South to Charleston Southern, but Kennesaw State is standing in their way. A KSU win sends Liberty to the playoffs. The Buccaneers are in control of their own destiny.
  • This game doesn’t carry a lot of significance for the Ivy League title, but it is one of the oldest and most significant rivalries in the history of college football. Tune in for a bit and enjoy the spectacle.
  • Another game that doesn’t effect the playoff picture or league standings, but this historic rivalry is playing their 152nd game this weekend.
  • The Battle for the Brice-Cowell Musket adds an extra twist this year with both Maine and New Hampshire sitting at 6-4 with a playoff bid on the line. New Hampshire is coming off a rough loss to Albany. Should be a great game.
  • Albany picked up a big upset over New Hampshire last weekend after losing 4 out of their last 5. Stony Brook has lost 3 straight. Another potential CAA playoff bid on the line.
  • Villanova is hurting after a rough loss this weekend and needs a win over their rival Delaware to feel confident about their playoff odds. “The Battle of the Blue” has been very one-sided with Villanova winning 9 of the last 10.
  • The Brawl of the Wild was first played in 1897. Montana State hasn’t had much to cheer about this fall, but knocking the Grizzlies from the playoffs would be more than enough to leave them feeling warm and fuzzy this winter.

SOCON: Week 12 Preview

With the conference championship already decided and 3 FBS games on the slate, it will be fairly quiet in the SOCON this week. The only conference game of interest will be VMI at Wofford. Wofford needs to win it to remain a viable playoff candidate. The other game with possible playoff implications is The Citadel at UNC. A win could propel the Dogs to a higher seed. Chattanooga plays Alabama and while could have an impact, that is not likely. Western Carolina takes on South Carolina. Samford travels to ETSU. And Mercer hosts Furman.

VMI at # 18 Wofford 2PM (ESPN3)

VMI gave The Citadel some fits last week. The Keydets held the Dogs to 233 yards rushing and dusted off some trick plays to make it interesting. I expect they will play Wofford hard, but the motivation will not be as great as against the Dogs. Wofford just keeps playing lights out since they lost to the Citadel. They know this is also a must win game for their playoff hopes.

The Citadel aired it out a bit more against VMIs stiff rushing defense. They did pretty well passing, but I think Wofford has just a tad bit better passing game and they will use it even more if VMI holds them on the ground.

Expect Wofford to take care of business at home and win by 2-3 scores.

#5 The Citadel at North Carolina 3:30PM (TV – ACC Network/ESPN3)

Playing an FBS team is always tough. Playing one in the AP top 25 is even tougher. Playing one the year after a high profile win over another FBS team has to make The Citadel’s job even more difficult. North Carolina will be ready and waiting to make sure the Bulldogs don’t take another FBS scalp.

With UNC playing another FCS team, James Madison, earlier this year, it gives us a unique opportunity to see what we are up against. I am not sure that JMU has as good of a defense as The Citadel. On the other hand, I do not think that The Citadel’s offense is as explosive as JMUs. They scored 21 points by early in the second quarter against UNC. The Tar Heels hung with them score for score until they pulled away for a 56-28 final. Not a bad showing.

North Carolina has a very good passing attack. They are in the top tier of the ACC in passing with 306 yards a game. The Citadel has done fairly well against the pass allowing just 181 yards a game. And that includes the likes of Samford, WCU, VMI, Furman, and UTC. All of which have a pretty good passing games. The step up in competition will be more difficult and if anything, I can see the Dogs getting burned a few times. How do you combat it?  You don’t let them have the ball.  And the Dogs certainly need to blitz more.

The Citadel needs to have sustained, clock eating drives. If The Citadel can hold onto the ball for 38-40 minutes, it can be in this game. Anything less and they will likely lose. Can the Dogs sustain drives against UNC? Maybe. The Tar Heels are dead last in rush defense in the ACC. They allow 222 yards a game.

All this said, the Dogs need the ball to bounce their way a few times as well. A turnover or two would help. Low penalties and no turnovers for the Dogs is also a must.

When it is all said and done, the Dogs do not need this one, but I am sure they will give it their all and try and bring home another FBS scalp. Look for a 2-4 score UNC victory.

#11 Chattanooga at Alabama 7PM (TV – ESPN2)

I am not really going to go into depth in this one. Suffice it to say, if Chattanooga plays well, they will still be thumped. No harm, no foul against the #1 team in the nation. If they come out with no injuries and a big fat check, they win in the big scheme of things. If they happen to make some noise, all the better. I would love to see Derrick Craine have a 100 yard day though. Tide will win by as much as their feel necessary.

#12 Samford at ETSU 3:30PM (SOCON Network)

Samford has one of the best QBs in FCS. He is money. But I am still not sure why they play so many games close. Their defense is ok. I think the problem is that they score so quickly sometimes, that their defense is playing over time. They need to seriously get a running game that is reliable to, if nothing else, extend their drives by a minute or two. They have had some injuries on defense and it is no wonder. Samford has one of the lowest TOP in FCS. Their defense plays most of the game.

They will have no problem against ETSU. They can score all they want. They need to get back to a more balanced offensive scheme and give their defense a rest. It is nice scoring in 1-2 minutes every time, but not at the expense of your defense getting a breather. They are in the top of the FCS in plays per game as well. This works great when your defense gets stops and your offense goes on 4-6 minute drives, but they are not getting enough stops.

Samford will win by at least 35.

Western Carolina at South Carolina 4PM (TV – SEC Alternate/ESPN3)

I know some of the Catamount faithful were excited about this game earlier in the year. They thought it could be close. With their offensive weapons, it might have been. But Western Carolina has serious issues on defense. They give up over 500 yards a game to SOCON teams. South Carolina is licking its chops right now.

Western Carolina needs to dig deep into its soul and come up with a defensive plan for this game or it could be ugly. I think they can score a couple times on the Gamecocks. Their QB Tyrie Adams and running back Newsome are dangerous weapons. But if they can’t get some stops on defense, it will be over quickly. Look for the Gamecocks to score early and often. South Carolina by 5 scores.

Furman at Mercer 3PM (TV – Fox Sports SE)

The Bears can be like a nagging headache that just will not go away. Look at some of their games. The Citadel, UTC, and Samford all had nice leads on them and they just kept coming back. It’s the mark of a good team. And they are a good team. Now at 5-5 they are again trying for a winning season in their last game. Samford ruined their party last year. Furman might this year.

Furman is a tale of two seasons. Starting 0-6, they have now won three of their last four. Their QB Reese Hannon is having some great games. But so is Mercer’s John Russ. This game may very well come down to which senior wants it more.

Unfortunately for Mercer, I think Furman rejuvenation is still blooming and the Paladins win by 1-2 scores.

AGS GOTW: Week 11 | James Madison at Villanova

James Madison played a part in the AnyGivenSaturday.com Game of the Week for the second week in a row. This was quite a different battle than last week’s shootout against Richmond.

The Dukes opened the game with a six-minute and forty second touchdown drive. JMU still held that 7-0 lead when quarterback Bryan Schor left the game, but Villanova would pull things even just a few minutes later on a 56 yard Zach Bednarczyk touchdown run. From there it was a defensive battle.

James Madison managed to grab a field goal in the 3rd and 4th quarters to build a 13-7 lead, but the game was too close for comfort for the Dukes. Luckily their defense forced 4 turnovers and held Villanova to 239 yards on the day. Following the second JMU field goal the Wildcats had the ball with 4:43 on the clock and a chance to take the lead. On the second play from scrimmage Bednarczyk threw an interception to Martez Stone which gave the Dukes the ball on the Villanova 7 yard line.  5 plays later James Madison took a 20-7 lead on Khalid Abdullah’s second touchdown run of the day. Another Villanova interception officially sealed the deal and James Madison can now celebrate a CAA championship.

For the Dukes, Schor had a great day before leaving the game. In 1 quarter of play he went 10 for 11 through the air for 108 yards. He added 20 yards on 4 rushing attempts. Backup quarterback Cole Johnson had a rough day.  He completed 5 passes on 12 attempts for 43 yards and threw 2 interceptions. With Schor going out early, Abdullah had to bear the load with 33 rushing attempts for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns.  The Dukes defense came up with 4 interceptions on the day by 4 different players.

For the Wildcats, Bednarczyk was 12 of 30 for 71 yards and 4 interceptions (ouch!).  He did run the ball 4 times for 62 yards and 1 touchdown. Aaron Forbes helped in the ground game with 65 yards rushing on 17 attempts.

Moving Forward:

James Madison is CAA champions and should be able to win easily against Elon next weekend. The biggest issue? Schor appears to be headed for surgery with what is being reported as a broken collar-bone on the non-throwing side. Optimistic view seem to think he could potentially return in 3 weeks, but I think 6-8 is more realistic. We will have to wait and see as the week progresses, but I think JMU needs him ASAP. They will get a bye and might be able to win the 2nd round without him, but a quarterfinal game without Schor could be an uphill battle.

Villanova looked pretty rough yesterday. They need to beat Delaware to feel confident heading into playoff selection Sunday. Delaware has won two of their last 3 games and anything can happen in a rivalry game.

AGS Poll: Top 25 Week 11 Results

The AGS Top 25 was more stable at the top in week 11 than it was last week but the bottom half had all sorts of movement. The top 6 teams all maintained their position except for The Citadel dropping a spot to #5 after James Madison broke the tie between the two teams at #4 following their big road win at Villanova. Eastern Washington, North Dakota State, and Jacksonville State maintained their spots in the top 3 in that order.

There were a lot of movement after that starting with Samford, Youngstown State, North Carolina A&T, Lehigh, and Charleston Southern all moving up 2 spots within the top 17 due to teams in front of them losing. Wofford and Grambling State both jumped up 4 spots to #18 and #20, respectively. Maine (#21), Illinois State (#23), and Northern Iowa (#25) all moved up 5 spots to break back into the top 25.

On the flip side, with all the teams moving up there had to be plenty moving down as well. That started with Chattanooga who dropped 4 spots to #11 after their upset loss to Wofford. Cal Poly and Montana both dropped 6 spots each to #19 and #22, respectively, following their losses to Weber State and Northern Colorado. New Hampshire, Harvard, and Liberty all dropped out of the top 25 this week.

The MVFC led the way putting 6 teams into the top 25. The Big Sky, CAA, and SOCON followed placing 4 each.

Full results below:

Rank Team: Total Points First Place Votes Previous Wk.
1 Eastern Washington Eagles 2013 46 1
2 North Dakota State Bison 1977 22 2
3 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 1869 7 3
4 James Madison Dukes 1808 3 4T
5 The Citadel Bulldogs 1767 1 4T
6 Sam Houston State Bearkats 1705 4 6
7 Richmond Spiders 1517 8
8 Central Arkansas Bears 1479 9
9 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 1397 10
10 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 1355 11
11 Chattanooga Mocs 1091 7
12 Samford Bulldogs 1052 14
13 Youngstown State Penguins 1028 15
14 Villanova Wildcats 989 12
15 North Carolina A&T Aggies 824 17
16 Lehigh Mountain Hawks 820 18
17 Charleston Southern Buccaneers 792 19
18 Wofford Terriers 777 22
19 Cal Poly Mustangs 545 13
20 Grambling State Tigers 354 24
21 Maine Black Bears 293 26
22 Montana Grizzlies 258 16
23 Illinois State Redbirds 210 28
24 Western Illinois Leathernecks 205 21
25 Northern Iowa Panthers 162 30
ORV:
26 New Hampshire Wildcats 120 20
27 Weber State Wildcats 115 37T
28 North Carolina Central Eagles 105 29
29 Saint Francis Red Flash 58 31
30T Albany Great Danes 56 36
30T Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 56 35
32 San Diego Toreros 45 33
33 Harvard Crimson 28 23
34 Princeton Tigers 23 39T
35 Northern Colorado Bears 22 NR
36 Fordham Rams 21 NR
37 Liberty Flames 13 25
38 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 8 27
39T Pennsylvania Quakers 7 NR
39T Western Carolina Catamounts 7 NR
41 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 4 NR
  Fell Out Of Poll:
Nicholls State Colonels
Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Stony Brook Seawolves
Tennessee State Tigers

Most Significant Win: Wofford Terriers
Most Significant Loss: Chattanooga Mocs

BIG SOUTH: Week 11 Review

(8-2) Kennesaw State 45,    (2-8) Presbyterian 10                              

Kennesaw avenged last year’s loss to Presbyterian in a big way.

Early on, it was the Chaston Bennett Show for KSU and that’s all the show they would need.  Bennett scored twice in the first seven minutes of the game, once on a 47-yard run and then on a 36-yard pass from Chandler Burks.  Those two touchdowns spotted the Owls a 14-0 lead against a Presbyterian offense that had been held to a touchdown or less in six of their nine games on the season.

After Bennett’s brace of touchdowns, the Blue Hose did manage to put together a drive that got as far as the KSU 8-yard line but had to settle for a field goal that cut the lead to 14-3.  From there on, however, it was all Kennesaw State.  Justin Thompson stroked a field goal of his own and Justin Sumpter hauled in a short TD pass to give the home Owls a 24-3 halftime lead.

After the break, the KSU defense forced a Presby punt and their offense went right back to work.  Burks hit Xavier Harper for a 46-yard score and the rout was on.  The only highlight for PC came late in the quarter when KSU coughed up the ball deep in their own territory and set the Blue Hose up on the 9-yard line.  Even so, the Owls almost held PC out of the end zone again but an unsportsmanlike conduct on KSU set Presby up with 1st-and-goal inside the KSU 1.  From there, Presbyterian QB Ben Cheek called his own number and dove into the end zone for PC’s only touchdown of the day and only their 10th on the season.

All three KSU quarterbacks got on the scoring sheet for the afternoon.  Trey White added another score for KSU in the 4th quarter and Daniel David threw a mop-up duty touchdown to TJ Reed to round out the final tally.

What does this win mean for Kennesaw? – Given the results of the Charleston Southern-Liberty game, KSU is now right back in the hunt for a share of the conference title.  It should be remarkable that a program in just their second year of existence could win the conference title, except that the last start-up program in the Big South – Coastal Carolina – did just that in their second year as well (2004).

What does this loss mean for Presbyterian? – Not much.  At this point, it’s just one more mile marker on the road to Thanksgiving.

 

(6-3) Charleston Southern 48, (6-4) Liberty 26   

What had shaped up to be a slug-fest at the top of the Big South standings turned out to be anything but.  For Charleston Southern, it was a return to the efficient form they hadn’t shown since defeating Coastal Carolina over a month ago.  For Liberty, it was the Jacksonville State game all over again.

It started off pretty promising for Liberty, however.  For the second week in a row, the Liberty defense forced a turnover on the second play of the game.  This time it was CB Chris Turner picking off an out route to WR Kam Brown.  Turner was headed for a game-opening pick-six when Brown got just enough of his ankle to make him lose his balance and Turner windmill-ed to the ground at the CSU 14.  That’s when the problems first started to show for the Flames.  Set up in prime field position, the LU offense simply did not execute.  They actually lost a yard on the possession and had to settle for a field goal.

Getting the ball back, CSU worked their way down the field and QB Shane Bucenell hit TE Travay Hatten for a short pass over the middle and he dragged a Liberty defender into the end zone to put CSU up 7-3.  Liberty came back down the field, mostly on the back of RB Carrington Mosely and added another field goal to cut the lead to 7-6 just before the 1st quarter whistle.  CSU, however, got a monster kickoff return from Darius Hammond and added a field goal of their own to start the second quarter.

This is where the wheels really fell off for Liberty.  The passing game for LU completely fell apart with QB Buckshot Calvert completely missing open receivers and those open receivers dropping passes when the pass was on target.  Calvert’s passing line for the 2nd quarter was 1-10 for 12 yards and with one interception.  That interception came when the ball bounced out of his intended receiver’s hands and into the arms of the defender who was laying on the ground behind him.  It was that kind of night.

On the CSU side, they had everything clicking – or mostly so – in the second quarter.   RB Ben Robinson scored on a run off right tackle and Bucenell found RB Mike Holloway in single coverage over the middle for another touchdown.  After the above-mentioned interception gave CSU the ball at Liberty’s 45-yard line – and with a 24-6 lead – Bucenell simply heaved the ball up in the air in the general direction of Kam Brown.  Brown and Chris Turner essentially fought for rebound position with Brown winning the battle and hauling in the touchdown pass giving the Bucs a 31-6 lead with five minutes remaining in the half.

CSU’s next two drives would end in interceptions as Turner picked off another Bucenell pass intended for Brown and Tyron Holloway intercepted CSU’s “other” QB Robert Mitchell in the end zone to close the half.  The damage, however, had been done.  Liberty’s offense again sputtered coming out of an extended halftime break and, given the ball, Bucenell put the game away for good.  The Flames’ defense gambled with a full blitz and Bucenell, keeping the ball himself, ran straight up the middle for 57 of his 65 rushing yards on the night and gave CSU a 38-6 lead.

Liberty would eventually – but too late – find some offensive footing.  TE Kendall Couamin got behind the CSU defense for a 65-yard touchdown pass up the home sideline from Calvert and the Flames would add two more scores through the air to WR’s BJ Farrow and Dante Shells.  CSU added another field goal and a 1-yard plunge from Mitchell to settle the scoring.

What does this win mean for CSU? – The Bucs absolutely had to win to keep their postseason hopes alive and they did.  It was their most complete game in over a month.

What does this loss mean for Liberty? – The Flames’ postseason hopes are now out of their hands.   Liberty is now 14-3 under Turner Gill in the month of November with all three losses coming against Charleston Southern.

Big South Standings:

Liberty                                                                           4-1                   6-4 overall

Charleston Southern                                                  3-1                   6-3 overall

Kennesaw State                                                           3-1                   8-2 overall

Gardner-Webb                                                            2-2                   4-6 overall

Presbyterian                                                                1-4                  2-8 overall

Monmouth                                                                  0-4                   4-6 overall

 

Implications of the week (playoffs included):

  • Liberty is guaranteed at least a piece of the Big South title but they will split it with either CSU or Kennesaw. If KSU beats CSU on Saturday, Liberty wins the autobid.  With six D1 wins, Liberty is eligible for an at-large bid to the playoffs but theirs is a resume with zero quality wins.
  • Charleston Southern can win a share of the title and the autobid by defeating Kennesaw State at home. Charleston Southern CANNOT win an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs.  The Bucs only have five D1 wins in hand and must win their last game just to be playoff-eligible.
  • Kennesaw State will be playing for a share of the Big South title this weekend but cannot win the autobid. Even at 8-2, Kennesaw’s at-large resume is pretty lacking.  Three of those wins are against sub-D1 programs and the other OOC wins are Duquesne (currently sitting in 2nd place in the limited-schollie NEC) and Furman (currently 3-7).  Beating CSU would add an absolutely necessary quality win to the Owls record but would that be enough to balance out a season-opening double OT loss to ETSU?
  • Presbyterian is gamely playing out the poker hand they were dealt. Unfortunately, that hand is just a bunch of red UNO cards.