MVFC: Week 6 Preview

MVFC LogoOne week into the MVFC and Missouri State already has conference win…how crazy is that? So now we’re on to Week 6 of the FCS college football season and Week 2 of the MVFC.

I want to start by pointing out that if you’re looking for something to fill your audio gap between episodes of the FCS Wedge Podcast (a great podcast for any fan of FCS football…and this is something I would have said well before I was at all affiliated with this site), the MVFC has their own podcast now that (so far) involves interviews with people affiliated with various MVFC teams: broadcasters for various teams, as well as current K-State Associate Director for Football, Jerry Kill (former SIU, NIU, and Minnesota Head Coach). If you’re interested in checking those out, you can listen and subscribe to those at the Valley Football First and Goal website.

Here are the matchups for this Saturday (all times listed in Central and all rankings from the AGS Weekly Poll):

#13 Youngstown State at #25 Illinois State – 2 PM
#1 North Dakota State at #33 Missouri State – 2 PM
#11 Northern Iowa at South Dakota – 2 PM
#31 Indiana State at #16 Western Illinois – 3 PM
#12 South Dakota State at Southern Illinois – 6 PM

All games available on ESPN3/WatchESPN.com

#13 Youngstown State at #25 Illinois State – 2 PM

Youngstown State is now 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in the MVFC following a fairly solid 30-20 win at home against South Dakota, where the score ended up being closer than most of the game seemed. Illinois State’s season, however, has figuratively fallen off a cliff, now having lost three straight games after their win at Northwestern. They are 2-3 overall, and 0-2 in the conference having lost their most recent game at the Fargodome against NDSU, 31-10. The Redbirds will begin to attempt to salvage their conference season with their Homecoming Game against the Penguins.

Youngstown State comes into this weekend not really blowing anyone out of the water with their stats, but quietly putting together a solid season with their defense’s ability to keep the opponents scoring to a minimum. The Penguin defense is currently allowing 18.5 points per game, good for 7th in the FCS. Primarily, it’s the (FCS 10th ranked) run defense that’s only allowing 92.3 yards per game, but some of it also falls on the efficiency of the offense. YSU nabs just over 16 ½ yards per completion (6th in the FCS) and puts up over 262 yards per game on the ground. What this tells me is that they are primarily a running team (led by RB Martin Ruiz with 91.8 yards per game and 6 TDs) that occasionally passes to help spread out the defense (no players have over 44 yards per game receiving), and when they pass, they are fairly good at it, with their QB Ricky Davis currently 19th in the FCS in passing efficiency rating. This play calling style lends itself well to long sustained drives, which is why the Penguins are currently #2 in the FCS in time of possession, holding onto the ball for an average of just under 35 minutes per game. Another thing that stands out to me is that this style of gameplay…not flashy, but efficient…is very similar to a very successful MVFC team in the far north. I’m not saying YSU is on the level of NDSU at this point (not many teams are), but they’re definitely taking a page from the Bison playbook in terms of their areas of focus, and it seems to be working well for them so far.

Illinois State on the other hand, has had a rough go of things over the last three games. Now, to be fair, two of the games (one especially) are kinda “rivalry games” where the opponent always seems to play them tough no matter how good or bad they’re supposed to be that year, and the other was against the Bison…who, if they’re on point, can make just about anyone look like a bad team. There’s not actually a ton that stands out to me about the Redbirds stat-wise. They are pretty good and not beating themselves with penalties (12th fewest in FCS) although it seems like the ones they do get are kinda high-yardage ones (34th in penalty yards per game). In general, their defense is pretty decent, holding teams to 313 yards and 21.8 points per game (15th and 22nd in the FCS respectively) but their offense is significantly down from what we’ve gotten used to from them over the last few years. QB Jake Kolbe is currently 6th in the FCS in completion percentage, mostly throwing to WR Anthony Warrum (97 yards per game and 2 TDs) but more recently has been including WR Anthony Fowler in the gameplan, who picked up 119 yards and a TD receiving last week against NDSU.

Overall, I feel like YSU is “trending up” while ISU is heading in the opposite direction. If the Redbirds aren’t able to right the ship against the Penguins at Homecoming, then it could end up being a very long season for the “Normal Boys”. I think that the matchups between the various offenses and defenses points me in the direction of a low scoring, somewhat close YSU victory.

TL:DR – Youngstown State by 6

#1 North Dakota State at #33 Missouri State

The Bison hit the road for only the second time this season after having dismantled the ISU Redbirds last weekend in the dome to the tune of 31-10, and are currently 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in the conference. Missouri State is, so far, been something of a surprise this season, having won last week at Indiana State 45-24. That win brought them to 3-1 for the season, 1-0 in the conference and allowed them to surpass their entire points total from last season.

North Dakota State rolls into Springfield, MO this Saturday with the a team that (as mentioned in the previous game’s section) isn’t flashy, but just flat-out works. The Bison’s “bread and butter” is the ground game, where they are good on both sides of the ball…16th in the FCS in rushing offense, 6th in the FCS in rushing defense, and 1st in the FCS in time of possession. Through the air though, they’ve had a few issues, although part of that could be because they were playing some pretty good passing teams. Still, they’ve allowed 261 yards per game through the air, which is 96th in the FCS. Essentially, it looks like the way to beat the Bison, if it happens this year, is to have a very good passing offense to take advantage of one of their few weaknesses.

The Missouri State Bears also have a very good rushing defense (5th in the FCS) although the rushing offense isn’t quite as good (35th in the FCS). Their offense in general is fairly “middle of the road” in terms of where they’re ranked in the FCS, although they did put up 473 yards and 45 points at Indiana State last weekend, led by WR Malik Earl’s 161 yards and 2 TDs receiving and RB Calan Crowder’s 131 yards and 3 TDs rushing. Their defense is led by LB Dylan Cole, who had 13 tackles against ISU and is currently averaging 8.75 tackles per game. Cole also had 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 interception returned for 13 years, which all combined to net him both the MVFC and the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Week awards for last weekend’s performance.

So, overall, MSU looks to be a good bit improved over what we’ve seen the last few years. Improved enough to beat NDSU?….unlikely. Will it be better for them than last year’s 55-0 walloping at the Fargodome?…I’d say probably. I think it’ll be a win for the Bison, but the Bears will keep things a little closer than the blowout that you saw last year.

TL:DR – North Dakota State by 28

#11 Northern Iowa at South Dakota

Up next, a battle of two “domed” teams, with the Northern Iowa Panthers boarding their busses outside of the UNIDome in Cedar Falls, then heading 4 hours down Route 20 across the state of Iowa, and just across the border to South Dakota, where they’ll roll up in Vermillion at the DakotaDome (I assume they’re taking a bus and not flying, since it’s only a 4 hour drive). UNI is 2-2 overall and 1-0 in MVFC play after doubling up Southern Illinois last weekend, 42-21, in a win that they desperately needed after 2 straight losses to good FCS teams. The South Dakota Coyotes are 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the MVFC after traveling to Youngstown State and falling 30-20 to the Penguins.

Like a good number of MVFC teams, the visiting Panthers are a pretty run-heavy team, led by QB Aaron Bailey, who isn’t the greatest throwing QB in the conference, but he might be the best running QB in the conference. He has an average of 172.3 yards per game and 5 TDs through the air, but also has contributed 80.3 yards per game and 4 TDs on the ground. He is also very good at making smart decisions (in large part probably since he knows he can run it pretty effectively if he needs to), leading the FCS (tied with Wofford) for number of passes intercepted with 0 through their 4 games. The other primary rusher is RB Tyvis Smith with 80.75 yards per game and 2 TDs. Defensively, UNI is very strong against the run, allowing only 68 yards per game (4th in the FCS) although they’ve allowed 255.3 yards per game through the air (92nd in the FCS)…like some of the other MVFC teams though, this stat is probably somewhat skewed by the fact that they played a couple of very good Big Sky teams in their OOC schedule…a conference generally known for high-powered aerial offenses. Their defense has a couple of standouts on the squad: LB Jared Farley leads the team in tackles with 31, 2 for loss, along with 1 interception, and DL Karter Schult who has put up 26 tackles, with an incredible (and FCS leading) 13 for loss including 7.5 sacks. Schult also has 1 interception for 20 yards and 1 forced fumble.

The host Coyotes have struggled this season, only putting up 368.5 total yards per game, while giving up 457.3 yards per game. They do have a couple of bright spots on their team, with the run game putting up 198.8 yards per game (22nd in the FCS). They are actually in a similar situation as UNI is currently, with a strong running QB (Chris Streveler) putting up just about the same number of yards on the ground as their other leading RB…in this case Trevor Bouma. Streveler has 90.5 yards per game on the ground and 4 TDs, Bouma has 89.8 yards on the ground and 1 TD. Passing, Streveler puts up 162 yards per game and has 11 TDs vs 5 interceptions. The “top” receiver for the team, Shamar Jackson, has hauled in 34.2 yards per game and has 4 TDs. Another area of interest for USD is their kicking game. USD kicker/punter Miles Bergner is a perfect 6-6 on field goals, including a 45-yarder against YSU and a 50-yarder in a loss at non-conference rival North Dakota. Bergner also handles punting and kickoff duties, averaging 62 yards per kickoff and 47.0 yards per punt, including a long of 64 and 8 of his 23 punts being 50 or more yards.

Comparing the two teams, they both have a similar style…running QB, pass when needed, but not a huge amount, better at stopping the run than they are at stopping the pass, but I think UNI is quite a bit better at most of those facets than USD is at the moment. I’m going to have to go with a UNI win in this game.

TL:DR – Northern Iowa by 13

#31 Indiana State at #16 Western Illinois

Indiana State heads across the Land of Lincoln to take on Western Illinois for the Leathernecks’ Homecoming Game. ISU brings a somewhat confusing record, having beaten Butler (expected), losing to Minnesota (expected), beating a SEMO team that beat Eastern IL (not entirely unexpected), then beating Illinois State (rather unexpected) and then losing by quite a bit at home to Missouri State (wat?!?!?). Kinda feels like nearly halfway into the season and we haven’t really figured out much of anything about the Sycamores. Western on the other hand, started off hot, winning their first 3 including a win over FBS Northern Illinois, and then followed it up with what has apparently become our annual shellacking at the hands of an XDSU squad (this time a 38-point loss to SDSU).

Digging into the details on the Sycamores, we find a halfway decent passing offense (298 yards per game) and a pretty “meh” rushing offense (125.2 yards per game). QB Isaac Harker has been doing pretty well though, ranking 15th in the FCS in passing yards per game 287 and 9th in passing TDs (11 total). He’s much more of your typical passing QB than some of the other ones I’ve mentioned (like at UNI and USD), having essentially no rushing yards credited to him. His primary target is WR Robert Tonyan, who accounts for 73.2 yards per game and 5 receiving TDs. Also, WR Bob Pugh, who was out last game with a sprained ankle, is expected to play in this game…he’s been putting together 61.5 yards per game receiving, a few yards on the ground, as well as handling punt and kick return duties, adding up to team-leading 120.5 all-purpose yards per game. ISU has the 97th ranked defense in the FCS, allowing 445.6 yards per game, and the 102nd ranked scoring defense at 36.6 points per game. LB Jameer Thurman is currently #2 in the conference for total tackles with 46, including 7 for loss, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. DB Tsali Lough also contributes significantly with 35 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and recovery.

The Leathernecks are more of a run-oriented team, despite having a couple of pretty good receivers in Lance Lenoir (averaging 103.3 yards per game) and Joey Borsellino (56 yards per game). RB Steve McShane is, despite being held to only 56 yards in the game at SDSU, is still 5th in the FCS for rushing yards per game with 124.5. QB Sean McGuire has thrown for 218.25 yards per game and has 6 TDs and 2 interceptions (both against SDSU last week). Those two interceptions are actually the only turnovers the Leathernecks have had this season, otherwise holding onto the ball fairly well…they’re still #2 in the FCS for lost turnovers. The other thing that the Leathernecks are really good at is red zone defense (1st in the FCS). Essentially, if a team gets into the red zone, the Leathernecks are very good at stopping them. This is largely due to the abilities of LB Brett Taylor (39 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1 interception) as well as a few talented defensive line guys who have stepped up this year. The problem, however, is that the DBs are young and frequently get burned by long pass plays (115th in passing yards allowed)…which often are from outside the 20 yard line. For example, last weekend against SDSU, the Jackrabbits put up 52 points on Western, yet only made it inside the red zone once (and then, only just barely, scoring from the 17 yard line). The average offensive TD reception that WIU gave up was from 32 yards out.

So, a Leathernecks team, heading home for Homecoming, following a pretty substantial loss that they were expected to compete closely in…I think they’ll be pretty angry about that. The Leathernecks offense is good enough that they should be able to put a decent amount of points on ISU’s defense, and I think that, other than an occasional long pass to Tonyan or Pugh, they should be able to contain the ISU offense, especially if the front line is able to get pressure on their QB Harker. This should be made easier for the Leathernecks due to a significant number of ISU O-linemen being out due to injury (I’ve heard 3 of the starters, but I’ll have to double check that number). I think that Western will come out angry and pound the ball all afternoon, resulting in a fairly solid Leatherneck Homecoming victory.

TL:DR – Western Illinois by 14

#12 South Dakota State at Southern Illinois

The Jackrabbits are headed down to Carbondale, IL to take on the Salukis this Saturday. SDSU is 2-2 on the season following a 38-point utter obliteration of Western Illinois last weekend, and are now 1-0 in the conference. SIU meanwhile, is coming back from being doubled up by the UNI Panthers to the tune of 42-21. Southern is also 2-2 overall, but is 0-1 in the conference.

SDSU boasts one of the most impressive passing attacks in all of the FCS, possibly second only to Eastern Washington (if everyone is healthy). QB Taryn Christion currently leads the FCS in passing efficiency, is third in passing TDs and is 11th for passing yards per game with 292.5. His primary receiving targets are probably the 2nd best WR in the FCS (behind EWU’s Cooper Kupp) in Jake Wieneke (currently #1 in receiving TDs in the FCS and 13th in receiving yards per game with 107.8) and very possibly the best receiving TE in the FCS currently (I could be wrong, but I haven’t heard much from anyone else, and on the receiving TDs list, he’s double the next TE) with Dallas Goedert, who is currently at 3rd on the receiving TDs list (that’s correct…SDSU has the #1 and #3 TD receivers in the country) and 8th in receiving yards per game with 113.3. A large part of Goedert’s numbers are boosted by his performance against Western last weekend, where he caught 204 yards and 4 TDs. On the SDSU Defense, they have two players at 34 total tackles, LB Christian Rozeboom (who also has 1.5 sacks and a 37-yard interception returned for TD) and LB Jesse Bobbit (who also has an interception). DB Dallas Brown is the team leader in “tackles for loss” with 4.5 (and an interception returned for a TD).

SIU also has a pretty good offense (although not on the level of SDSU) with the FCS 8th ranked passing offense led by Senior DII transfer QB Josh Straughan. Straughan is currently 5th in the FCS in passing yards per game with 307 and 17th in passing TDs with 9. The receiving yardage is pretty spread out amongst a few players, with nobody getting more than 61 yards per game receiving, but 3 guys getting around 50-60…so…it’s kinda like WR-by-committee (you know, like RB-by-committee, but with receivers). Their top RB is Daquan Isom, who’s currently averaging 75 yards per game, but only has 1 TD. They also have a pretty dangerous kick return guy in RB DJ Davis who has averaged 32 yards per kick return (4th in the FCS) and has 1 return for a TD so far this season. LB Chase Allen leads the team in tackles with 30 including a sack as well as 1 forced fumble. DE Deondre Barnett has 5 tackles for loss, including 4 sacks and is currently SIU’s sack leader. One area that SIU does not do well in is penalties; they’re currently averaging 9 penalties per game for 84 yards.

As for who’s likely to come out on top of this matchup? I’d say if SDSU’s offense has anything like the game they had last weekend, they’ll be putting up a ton of points. There’s not many defenses out there that are geared to be able to shut down SDSU’s weapons…maybe someone like Chattanooga…maybe NDSU, but they’re better equipped to stop the run game? Will SIU’s passing attack be able to keep up with the Jackrabbits? I doubt it. I think it’ll be a fairly high scoring game overall…maybe something like 70 total points or so, but SDSU should come away with a win by a pretty decent margin.

TL:DR – South Dakota State by 10

Big South: Week 6 Preview

(2-3) Liberty OPEN

Liberty has a week off in really the ideal spot for an open date, the middle of the season and just before the start of conference play.

What Liberty has to do in the bye week:  Get any injuries healed up and get new starting QB Buckshot Calvert – I’m not even calling him ‘Steven’ anymore; ‘Buckshot’ is more fun – more first-team reps in practice.

Best case scenario for Liberty – Liberty uses the bye week to prepare for the unconventional offense of their first conference opponent, Kennesaw State.

Worst case scenario – Realistically, there isn’t one.  Liberty hasn’t generated a lot of momentum to lose nor are they in a slump.  The Flames have lost to the teams they should have lost to and beaten the ones they should’ve beaten.  Essentially, this open date is more or less a reset going into Big South play.

 

(2-3)  Albany State  @ (3-2) Charleston Southern – Thursday, Oct 6th,7:00pm (Big South Network)  POSTPONED

With Hurricane Matthew approaching the east coast, the administrators at CSU and Albany State agreed on short notice to move up their game and play it Thursday evening made the decision to close campus effective immediately. The CSU-Albany State football game has been postponed without word as to when the game will be made up.  The two teams do not share an open date this season so the makeup date will likely be in 2017 or beyond.

Given the predicted track of the hurricane, closing the school and cancelling events seems like a prudent decision.  CSU’s next scheduled game is October 22nd against Presbyterian.

What Charleston Southern has to do against Hurricane Matthew:  Hunker down, board up the windows and stay safe, Bucs.  We’ll see you on the other side.

 

(3-2) Monmouth @ (1-4) Howard  – Saturday, Oct. 8th, 1:00pm

After their huge win against Fordham last weekend, Monmouth heads down I-95 to the nation’s capital to visit the Howard Bison of the MEAC conference.  This game should be entirely unaffected by weather.

Howard comes into the game fresh off their first win of the season against Norfolk State.  Howard initially spotted NSU a 21-6 lead after one quarter but methodically chipped away at the deficit over the second and third before pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 33-28 win.  Prior to that, HU had been generally non-competitive in most of their other games.  Statistically, it appears that Howard puts an emphasis on running the ball and rushing defense but, despite the focus on them, those aren’t things that the Bison do particularly well.

Coming off the big win last week and with a short week to prepare for a conference foe next week as well as going on the road against a team that’s not at all deep but has athletes at the skill positions, this has all the classic markings of a trap game for Monmouth.  However, I just don’t think Howard is good enough to make that happen.  If the RB/WR combination of Ed Royds and Reggie White, Jr. continues to emerge, Monmouth should jump out to a pretty good lead early.  Hawk fans can expect to see lots of action for backup quarterback and Baltimore native, Kenji Bahar.

What Monmouth has to do against Howard:  Dominate up front.  Howard’s OL is big but not athletic overall while their DL isn’t even that.  If Monmouth controls the line of scrimmage, they can control the game.

Best case scenario for Monmouth against Howard – Get in, score lots of points early and build a lead.  Don’t let Howard hang around.

Worst case scenario for Gardner-Webb – They let Howard hang around.  The Bison have already played Maryland and Rutgers this year so they won’t be wowed by the Monmouth Hawks.  The longer they stay in the game, the better the chance they make Monmouth regret it.

 

(3-2) Missouri S&T @ (3-1) Kennesaw State – Saturday, Oct 8st  1:00pm EST (Big South Network)

A week removed from hammering a struggling Furman team, Kennesaw returns home to face the Miners of Missouri S&T.  Missouri S&T hail from Rolla, Missouri and the Great Lakes Valley Conference in Division 2, aka., the Pioneer League’s non-conference opponents of choice.

MoST currently sit at 3-2 having, to this point, faced a full slate of D2 opponents.  The Miners are currently rated just 73rd out of 171 teams but, offensively, are moving the ball through the air pretty well.  Defensively, they’re taking the ball away pretty well and the effect is a scoring average of 38 points a game.  While they come from a lower-division and a fairly weak conference overall, MoST is probably an upgrade from the Point team KSU played a month ago.

That being said, the Miners still should not present a significant challenge to the Owls of Kennesaw State.  The KSU offense was on full display against Furman as they put up 49 first half points on their SoCon opponent.  It’s probably not realistic to assume that level of efficiency and ferocity is the new norm for KSU but, now, we definitely know that it’s possible.  At the same time, the KSU defense is rounding into shape as well.  DB Dante Blackmon now has four interceptions in his last two games and the Owl defense as a unit has eight takeaways in that same span.

What Kennesaw has to do against Furman – Same as before, protect the football and protect the quarterback.  Kennesaw did the former well against Furman with zero turnovers and almost accomplished the latter.  Chandler Burks again took some heavy shots against Furman was knocked out of the game midway through fourth quarter but he returned on the following drive.  With starting quarterback Trey White’s health still unknown, it’s imperative that Burks remain upright.

Best case scenario for Kennesaw against Missouri S&T – Keep doing what they’ve been doing and maintain their positive momentum.  Nothing breeds winning like more winning.

Worst case scenario for Kennesaw against Furman – Injuries.  The key to running the option offense effectively is timing and injuries disrupt that in a big way.  With conference play starting next week, consistency and maintaining the offensive efficiency is massively important. Backup QB Daniel David has filled in very capably for KSU thus far but it’s obvious that Burks provides something to the offense that David doesn’t at this point.

 

(1-3)    Presbyterian @   (2-3)   Gardner-Webb – Saturday, October 8th, 6:00pm (ESPN3, Big South Network)

At last check of Matthew-related cancellations, this game is still on.  Located an hour due west of Charlotte, NC, Gardner-Webb is not expected to face anything close to the full force of the storm but it will likely be in extremely soggy conditions.

A year ago, these two teams were both equally stalwart on defense and just lousy on offense.  This season, both teams have slipped a bit defensively but Gardner-Webb has managed to mold their offense into something that better fits the skills of QB Tyrell Maxwell.  Presbyterian, on the other hand, doesn’t know exactly who their quarterback is.  Starter Ben Cheek hasn’t played since being injured at Chattanooga on September 10th and, Will Brock, the guy who replaced him, left PC’s most recent game with a leg injury of his own.  Unless Cheek returns, that means the Blue Hose will turn to either John Walker – who has only one quarter’s playing time in his career – or yet another untested, unnamed player at the position.  The Presbyterian roster lists seven names at quarterback so it’s not as if PC head coach Harold Nichols doesn’t have options.

So, what can we expect from this game?  If nothing changes between now and kickoff time, the weather will dictate everything.  Gardner-Webb’s Spangler Stadium has an artificial playing surface so the game won’t be played in a mud-pit but the field, the ball and the players will all be very, very, very wet.  Both offenses rely heavily on the running game so we should expect to see heavy doses of RB’s Darrell Bridges and Khalil Lewis but, thanks to the conditions, well, a lot more Bridges and Lewis.  Bridges is a pounding every-down back who carried the ball 32 times against Campbell while Lewis will probably split some carries with Maxwell.

In this kind of game, special teams is everything and the players with the most individual impact on the game will probably be riding the bench for most of it.  G-W’s kicker Paul Schumacher probably has a slight edge in field goals while Presby’s Brett Norton has a slight edge in punting.  Of course, under adverse conditions, one slippery snap or one shanked kick could make all the difference.

What Presbyterian needs to do against Gardner-Webb:  Play field position and hold the ball.  The worse the weather, the better the situation for Presbyterian.  Defensively, PC has been shaky against the pass recently and, while G-W’s Maxwell has improved in that area, the storm could take that aspect away.  Gardner-Webb likes to run the ball to the edges out of spread formations while Presby prefers to do it up the middle and off tackle out of power looks.  In a game where every inch of north-south movement is prized, that works to Presbyterian’s advantage.

What Gardner-Webb needs to do against Presbyterian:  See above.  Strike that.  Reverse it.  Presbyterian’s passing game hasn’t been particularly effective under the best of conditions.  In this situation, Gardner-Webb can probably put eight or nine players in the box to defend Bridges.

Best case scenario for either team – Get to 13 points.  The first team to win that race and get 13 points out of any phase of the game probably wins it.

FCS TV/Streaming Guide: Week 6

Provided by FargoBison on AGS again this week.  ALL TIMES CENTRAL.

 

TV Guide:
10/6
Norfolk State at North Carolina A&T 6:30 p.m. ESPNU: 208 WatchESPN
10/8
Rhode Island at Villanova 11 a.m. NESN: 628 / SNY: 639 / (CSMA: 642 / CSCA: 698)
Cornell at Harvard noon OWS: 623
Alabama State at Prairie View 2 p.m. Root Sports SW: 674
North Dakota State at Missouri State 2 p.m. NBC ND/ESPN3
Youngstown State at ISU 2 p.m. CSNC: 665
Stephen F. Austin at Nicholls 2:30 p.m. CSBA: 696
William & Mary at JMU 2:30 p.m. SNY: 639 / (CSCA: 698 / CSMA: 642)
Mississippi Valley State @ Montana | 3:30pm | Altitude / DirectTV 681
NAU at Montana State 6 p.m. RSNW: 687 / RSRM: 683 / RSSW: 674 *1 / AUD: 601
Stony Brook at Towson 6 p.m. CSNE: 630 / SNY: 639 / / (CSMA: 642 / CSCA: 698)
Wofford at Western Carolina 6 p.m. MASN2: 640-1

ESPN3
Samford at Furman noon
Dartmouth at Yale noon
ETSU at VMI 12:30 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Jacksonville State 1 p.m.
Drake at Valpo 1 p.m.
Northern Iowa at South Dakota 2 p.m.
Youngstown State at Illinois State 2 p.m.
Saint Francis at Robert Morris 2 p.m.
North Dakota State at Missouri State 2 p.m.
Texas State at Georgia State 2:30 p.m.
Indiana State at Western Illinois 3 p.m.
Presbyterian at Gardner Webb 5 p.m.
McNeese State at Southeastern Louisiana 6 p.m.
SDSU at SIU 6 p.m.
Sam Houston State at Incarnate Word 6 p.m.

ESPN Extra:
Northern Iowa at South Dakota 2 p.m.
Youngstown State at Illinois State 2 p.m.

Hyperlinks to other FCS games (FREE) online:

Big Sky Conference

Big South Conference

Colonial Athletic Association

Northeast Conference

OVC Conference

Patriot League

SoCon Digital Network

Guide to all games on TV or online webcasts

The FCS Wedge – 2016-10-05- LISTEN UP!

Wow, this is a good show so jump in to the groove of this week’s FCS topics with Lance & Kris.  They go over the large number of Top 25 AGS ranked teams taking a tumble down the list this week due to some head scratching losses.  They hit the AGS Top 25 list like usual and they do so with the eloquence of a 1970’s Casey Kasem.

The fellas like to prep us minions for the bigger games of the week and they hit the Richmond/Albany affair along with several others that I’ll let them surprise you with.  Lastly this week, defense, you can’t win dumb sign contests without it so the boys go over some of the possible ICYMI defensive standouts so far this season.  You should listen, it’s fun.  Consider this our long distance dedication to you.

You’re welcome.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

CAA Conference: Week 5 Review and Power Rankings

As we wrap up week five of FCS play, we are left with a few takeaways; James Madison has cemented itself as the top team in the CAA, and everything else is pure mayhem. If anyone could have bet during the preseason that by week five we would see a win over William and Mary by Elon, or that Richmond who was the preseason pick to win the conference would take a loss to Stony Brook they would be very rich. One thing is for sure, with the meat grinder the is the CAA, no team is safe.

Rhode Island 28, Brown 13

The Rhode Island Rams did just enough against Brown to get the job done on Saturday and pick up their second win of the season. Rhode Island had a total of 264 yards with the majority of those coming on the ground finishing the day with 180 yards of total rushing. RB Harold Cooper of the Rams was their leading rusher of the day coming in at 135 yards off of 18 carries and two touchdowns.

James Madison 43, Delaware 20

James Madison has cemented itself as the current number one in the conference at the moment, and they showed us why during their 43 to 20 drubbing of Delaware on Saturday. The Dukes outgained the Blue Hens by a margin of 607 total yards to the Blue Hens 437 total yards. QB Bryan Schor led the Dukes in passing yards throwing for 209 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, RB Abdullah pounded the ball rushing 159 yards on ten carries and reaching the end zone twice for the Dukes.

Villanova 42, Elon 7

This week was the chance for Elon to show the CAA that their win against William and Mary during week four would help to propel them forward and emerge as contenders for the conference title. Unfortunately for the Phoenix, Villanova had other plans as QB Zack Bednarczyk passed the ball for 270 yards and three touchdowns. In all, Elon only gained 130 total yards compared to Villanova’s 557 total yards. That coupled with the T.O.P mismatch of Villanova’s 40:54 compared to Elon’s 19:06, helped to seal the deal for Villanova and dash the hopes of the Phoenix in week 5.

Maine 35, Bryant 31

The Black Bears were in the fight of their lives on Saturday as they overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the Bulldogs of Bryant. The Bulldogs led until the mid-second quarter when Maine was finally able to get some points on the board off of a three-yard touchdown pass from Micah Wright to Dan Collins. The Black Bears would eventually battle back in the third quarter and take the lead in the fourth, squeaking out their first win of the season.

New Hampshire 21, William and Mary 12

The Tribe of William and Mary were hoping to bounce back after their week four loss to Elon, but the UNH Wildcats had other plans. Early in the first quarter, the Tribe took the lead from a 36 yard run by Kendall Andersen, but the PAT would miss its mark to keep the Tribe at six points. The Wildcats would capitalize off of the missed PAT early in the second when they would go up 7-6 on the Tribe off of a 28-yard TD run from Trevor Knight. The Cats would go on to score two more touchdowns while the Tribe would only secure one more score to come away with a 21-12 Homecoming win.

Richmond 31, Towson 28

The Spiders of Richmond barely escaped alive Saturday night against the Tigers of Towson. Towson would lead into the fourth quarter until David Broadus of Richmond would find the end zone on a two-yard run to take the lead for the Spiders and squeak away with a 31-28 victory over the Tigers.

 

Power Rankings:

  1. James Madison
  2. Villanova
  3. Richmond
  4. Albany
  5. New Hampshire
  6. Stony Brook
  7. Towson
  8. Maine
  9. Delaware
  10. William and Mary
  11. Elon
  12. Rhode Island

Must Watch Week 6

Week 6 presents some unique challenges in picking the twelve best games to watch. Without further ado, here are the Must Watch games for Week 6 and a breakdown of why you need to be watching.

Saturday, October 8th Time(CST) TV
Colgate @ Lehigh 11:30am  STREAM
Cornell @ Harvard 12:00pm STREAM
Tennessee Tech @ Jacksonville State 1:00pm ESPN3
North Dakota State @ Missouri State 2:00pm ESPN3
Youngstown State @ Illinois State 2:00pm ESPN3
Richmond @ Albany 2:30pm STREAM
William and Mary  @ James Madison 2:30pm STREAM
Indiana State @ Western Illinois 3:00pm ESPN3
Northern Colorado @ Eastern Washington 3:00pm STREAM
Mercer @ Chattanooga 3:00pm STREAM
Tennessee State @ Eastern Illinois 6:00pm STREAM
Stony Brook @ Towson 6:00pm Comcast Sports/ STREAM
  • Colgate entered 2016 as the clear-cut favorite to repeat as the Patriot League champions. The Raiders are coming off of a quarterfinal appearance in 2015 and they returned quite a bit of their squad. Their season is off to a rough 1-3 start, including last weeks 1 point loss to Cornell.  Lehigh was picked 3rd in the preseason PL poll. After losing their first two games to Monmouth and Villanova, by a total of 7 points the Mountain Hawks picked up 3 straight wins over the Ivy League. This is both teams first PL game of the 2016 season and it could be the deciding factor in who gets the league’s 2016 auto-bid.
  • Cornell and Harvard are both off to a 3-0 start. The Big Red picked up a one point win over Colgate last weekend which gives the impression that they might be able compete with Harvard and Penn for the Ivy League title. Cornell was picked last in the league’s preseason poll. We will find out where they stand on Saturday.
  • Jacksonville State is the returning runner-up in FCS football and they are undefeated against FCS opponents in 2016 (their only loss came to LSU). Tennessee Tech is coming off of an overtime upset over Eastern Kentucky. Can the Golden Eagles keep the magic coming?
  • When I woke up on Saturday morning I would have never thought this game would be on my list for Week 6. Then the unexpected happened: Missouri State beat Indiana State (who beat Illinois State, who beat Northwestern). The only thing that really demonstrates is that the Bears have a pulse. I would be shocked if this was a game, but it seems worth checking out what the Bears can do against the Bison. Worst case scenario you are watching the #1 team in the country.
  • Illinois State is on a 3 game losing streak to FCS opponents since their Week 2 win over Northwestern (FBS/Big Ten). Youngstown State is off to a 3-1 start with their only loss on the road to West Virginia (FBS/Big 12). Youngstown State has been notorious for fast starts and falling off as the season moves on, but the Redbirds really need a win here with their backs up against the wall. Should be a good one.
  • Early in the season Richmond was seen as a team with the best chance to dethrone North Dakota State. Then they got blown out by Stony Brook and voters weren’t sure what to make of them. They have bounced back and now it’s time to see what Albany is made of. The Great Danes are off to a 4-0 start with a FBS win under their belt, but there are a lot of non-believers. With a win this weekend Albany would have to completely fall apart to miss the playoffs.
  • William and Mary went from the Top 10 to out of the polls after back-to-back losses to Elon and New Hampshire. Things don’t get easier as they take on their in-state rival, James Madison who has yet to be challenged by and FCS opponent. They have won their four FCS games by an average of 35 points. Will James Madison roll the Tribe on their way to the top of the CAA?
  • Western Illinois is looking to get back on track after a beat down in Brookings against South Dakota State. Indiana State fell to Missouri State, giving the Bears their first MVFC win since Oct 2014. Which team bounces back and fights for a playoff spot?
  • Northern Colorado is 3-1 after picking up a surprising win over a Northern Arizona squad that many expected to be at the top of the Big Sky. This week they head to Eastern Washington where the Eagles are the clear pick to win the Big Sky at this point in the season. Are the Bears up for the challenge?
  • This game would be huge if Mercer hadn’t lost to the Citadel by one point in Week 1 of the season. Chattanooga hasn’t been challenged outside of their Week 3 game against Furman. Can the Bears (3rd game involving Bears in a row? That has to be a new record.) liven up the SoCon race ?
  • Tennessee State is off to a 4-0 start including a win in their first OVC game of the season. Eastern Illinois is riding a roller coaster of highs and lows, winning three straight after their season opening loss to Western Illinois, but then losing a head scratcher to Southeastern Missouri State. Will the Tigers continue their undefeated season or will the Panthers get back on track for a playoff spot?
  • Stony Brook has been hard to read in 2016. They have alternated wins and losses every week for a 2-2 start. The Seawolves shocked the country with a 42-14 win over Richmond and then turned around the next week and lost 38-10 to Sacred Heart. Towson’s season is on life support. They are already 0-2 in the CAA and can’t afford another loss if they want this to be a meaningful season.

OVC: Week 5 Review

Another week in the books and there’s only one thing that still certain: Austin Peay is still terrible.  Tennessee State is still undefeated after coming back from a 16 point deficit against UT-Martin, #16 EIU was upset by SEMO, and the Colonels are apparently allergic to wins against D-I opponents.

Austin Peay 17 Murray State 45

KD Humphries threw the ball 60 times as the Racers picked up their first win of the season over the Govs. KD Humphries proved to be too much for APSU’s secondary to handle as he racked up 455 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air, earning him OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The still winless Govs are now at 20 straight games without a win and Murray State was likely their best chance at a win this season.  Unfortunately for the Racers it still appears that KD Humphries is their entire offense. After only averaging .4 YPC on 26 attempts at SEMO last week the Racers had a below average 3.1 YPC on 35 attempts against arguably the worst defensive line in the OVC. Relying solely on KD Humphries won’t win Murray State very many more games this season.  Austin Peay, however, managed to move the ball rather effectively after gathering 184 yards on the ground (5.4 YPC) and 171 through the air.  The problem for the Govs is converting on third down.  They went 3-10 on third down and the 12 penalties for 92 yards didn’t help either. Their inability to convert on third down led to game getting so out of hand.

Austin Peay will host UT-Martin this weekend and Murray State will have a bye before hosting UT-Martin on the 15th.

Eastern Kentucky 30 Tennessee Tech 33

KD Humphries wasn’t the only quarterback putting up monster numbers last weekend.  EKU quarterback Bennie Coney had 32 completions on 49 attempts for 464 yards and 3 touchdowns. Despite a record-breaking performance Coney was not able lift the Colonels to victory in Cookeville.  TTU improved to 2-3 as the Colonels are still looking for their first win of the season against a Division-1 opponent their only win coming over NAIA Pikeville. The matchup between the Colonels and the Golden Eagles was back and forth all night with 6 different lead changes but the difference maker was an EKU interception that set up Tennessee Tech with a short field and allowed the Golden Eagles to score their first touchdown of the game and a personal foul call that set up Tennessee Tech to win it in overtime. Tennessee Tech quarterback Michael Birdsong had the best performance of his career as a Golden Eagle as he threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns and adding another touchdown on the ground.

Tennessee Tech will travel down to Jacksonville to take on the #2 ranked Gamecocks and EKU will host SEMO.

Tennessee State 34 Tennessee-Martin 30

After UT-Martin went up 16-0 only 8 minutes into the game it looked like this game was going to be a blowout early.  However, Tennessee State had other plans.  After giving up two touchdowns and a safety on the first three drives of the game the Tigers answered back by picking off Troy Cook on back to back UTM possessions and cut the lead to 16-10 by halftime. The Tigers came down the field and scored in a hurry, going 66 yards in four plays to move the score to 17-16 in favor of the Tigers.  The Tigers then forced a fumble and missed a 47 yard field goal attempt.  After exchanging touchdowns the Tigers forced another fumble and kicked a field goal to move the score to 27-23 in favor of the Tigers.  UT-Martin answered with an 11 play 57 yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter which chewed up 5:27. With 1:54 left on the clock and 74 yards to go quarterback Ronald Butler went to work putting together a 7 play touchdown drive with the scoring play coming with only 18 seconds left in regulation.  Terrell Bonds picked off Troy Cook on the very next play to ice the game for Tennessee State. The Skyhawks had 5 turnovers in the game which cost them the win.

UT-Martin will travel to Clarksville to take on Austin Peay this weekend Tennessee State will take on EIU in Charleston.

SEMO 21 Eastern Illinois 14

This game was arguably the surprise of the weekend in the OVC as the Redhawks upset the then 16th ranked Panthers in Cape Girardeau.  SEMO held EIU to just one offensive touchdown as one of EIU’s touchdown came off of a scoop and score after Tremane McCullough fumbled on his first carry of the second half. SEMO’s defense was really the biggest part of the Redhawks success as they held EIU to just 94 yards and no offensive points in the second half.  One thing that really helped the Redhawks was the penalties committed by the Panthers.  In several occasions it helped SEMO extend drives and control the game.  This marked the Redhawks fifth all-time win over a ranked FCS opponent and their third in the last three years under head coach Tom Matukewicz.

SEMO will travel to take on Eastern Kentucky this weekend and EIU will host Tennessee State.

Jacksonville State had a bye week.

Power Rankings

Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Tennessee State Tigers

Eastern Illinois Panthers

Southeast Missouri Redhawks

UT-Martin Skyhawks

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles

Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Murray State Racers

Austin Peay Governors

SOCON: Week 6 Preview

The Southern Conference has 4 conference match ups and 1 out of conference game with Div II North Greenville traveling to Charleston to meet the # 7 Bulldogs of The Citadel.  Furman is still looking for its first win of the season against #19 Samford, while Mercer travels to Chattanooga where it will try to repeat an upset performance against the #5 Mocs.  Chattanooga and The Citadel remain the only unbeatens in the conference, with Samford, Wofford, Mercer, and VMI each with 1 loss.  Those four will all be fighting to not go any deeper in the hole.  (SOCON Notes)

#19 Samford at Furman 1PM (ESPN3)

Furman is still looking for its first win.  They are sitting at 0-5.  As I mentioned in the Week 5 review, Furman has not had three consecutive losing season since Eisenhower was President.  They need to win out to prevent that.  Probably already a done deal, but they can at least salvage some semblance of honor if they win a few.  Beating the #19 Samford Bulldogs would go along way in restoring some hope for the Paladin faithful.

It may sound like a broken record, but Furman is the best winless team in the country.  Still doesn’t sound good, but anyone who sleeps on them will surely get stomped.  They have a rapidly improving offense now led by QB Reese Hannon.  They are now averaging 246 yards a game through the air.  But they are a bit one dimensional with just 83 yards on the ground.  Furman passers have only been sacked 7 times all year so they are getting time.  Furman biggest impediment to success is by far their repeated tendency to give the ball to the other team.  After 5 games they at -9 in turnover margin including 9 interceptions.  If they have a game where they go on the plus side in turnovers they may be able to actually win.  They are also leading the SOCON in fewest penalties per game and yardage with just 44 each game.

Samford is a bit one dimensional as well.  I have mentioned it before, but in their three Div I games they have totaled just 51 yards on the ground.  That is 17 yards a game.  If not for their conference leading 323 yards through the air, they would be in serious trouble.  Overall they have gone 126/172 for 1292 yards in 4 games.  More impressively they have 15 passing TDs and only 2 interceptions.  Not too shabby.

On defense Furman has been sporadic.  After having played four very good games defending, they broke down a bit last week against Kennesaw State.  But they did recover nicely in the second half, so the skill is there.  After allowing big numbers this past week they have fallen a bit and now are allowing an average of 379 yards a game, but they are still formidable.  Their pass defense stands at 149 yards a game.  That should cause Samford a little concern but considering that Furman has been playing balanced or run oriented teams, this will be a true test to how good their pass defense really is.

Samford’s defense has not done well limiting yards and has allowed 408 a game, even if they have been winning.  This was skewed  by a ridiculous 577 yards they gave up to Central Arkansas early in the season.  They have allowed only 195 through the air per game, so unless Furman gets something going on the ground, they may be able to limit them.

I keep picking Furman every week and they keep disappointing me.  They went on the road last year to beat Samford and have won 12 of the last 15 against Samford.  But I think the road to recovery will take a bit longer for the Paladins.  Samford should win in Greenville, but I think Furman makes a game of it.  Samford by 5.

ETSU at VMI 1:30 PM (ESPN3)

ETSU started the season like gangbusters beating Kennesaw State and Western Carolina, but they have faltered badly since then, losing to Wofford and UTC by wide margins.  VMI also started the season well winning two of three on the road.  After their heartbreaking loss this past week to Mercer in OT, they will try and bounce back.

VMI has been gaining a good 388 yards in offense with 273 of those through the air.  QB Al Cobb has been decent in 4 games going 107/164 with 3 interceptions and 5 TDs.  The 3 interceptions all came in the Bucknell game so he is being more careful this year.  VMI is also establishing a running game as well averaging 115 yards a game.  Not great, but at least they are not totally reliant on Cobb.

ETSU is currently last in the SOCON for total offense with just 250 yards a game.  They have faced two pretty tough defenses the last 2 weeks in UTC and Wofford.  QB Austin Herink has gone 67/104 for 603 yards with 1 interception and only three TDs.  They are averaging just under 100 yards a game in rushing.

Defensively VMI has been giving up a lot of real estate with 448 yards given up each game including 288 through the air.  They are averaging about 2 sacks a game.  However, they have been limiting opponents to a pretty decent 38% on third down tries.

ETSU has done ok on defense giving up 386 yards a game including 208 on the ground.  After doing fairly well controlling the clock their first two games, they are now in negative territory with only 28 minutes possession per game.  Both teams are at +2 in the turnover column.  The Bucs are, as expected for a 2nd year team, getting flagged quite a bit with 66 yards a game.  VMI is doing pretty good at 46 yards a game.

VMI is at home for the second time this season and they will be itching to claim a victory for the home crowd.  The Keydets get some outstanding support from their Corps.   VMI should be able to throw and run their way to at least a 2 score victory.

North Greenville at #7 The Citadel 2PM (ESPN3)

(Update) Due to Hurricane Matthew, the game location has been changed to North Greenville University,  Tigerville, SC and will be played at 7PM on Thursday, 6 Oct.  Parents Day festivities for The Citadel have been cancelled and will be rescheduled for The UTC game on 15 Oct.  Video of the game may be available per the North Greenville Athletic site.  (N Greenville Video link)

Whether this game goes off as scheduled is yet to be determined at the time of this writing.  Hurricane Matthew is meandering its way toward to the US and the Carolina coast and is expected to be offshore of Charleston pretty much at game time.  What the contingency plans are is anyone’s guess.  They have not been released.  But in case it goes off as planned or somewhere else or on Sunday, it should be another great performance by The Citadel Bulldogs.

The Citadel offense may finally be running on all cylinders.  It now leads FCS in rushing per game at 346 yards.  It is converting 49% of its third downs.  It is hogging the ball for 34 minutes a game.  Although its passing game is more than a little bit lean, it is averaging 19 yards a completion.  Overall the Bulldogs have gone 15/32 for 71 yards a game.  They have 1 interception and 2 TD throws.

On special teams the Dogs are leading the SOCON in kickoff and punt returns.  It is first in the SOCON  in turnover margin as well at +5.  The area that has hurt The Citadel is penalties.  It had about 60 yards in punt returns nullified last week due to flags for blocks in the back on the returns.  It is averaging about 63 yards a game.

The Bulldog defense has been hitting full stride as well.  It has allowed 284 yards a game and a stingy 29% of opponent 3rd down tries.  The Dogs have a conference leading 5 interceptions and 3.5 sacks per game.

As much as I want to say something about overlooking this opponent with Chattanooga 2 weeks out, I think the Dogs will roll big and pad their stats which are already pretty darn good.  Dogs by more than 35.

Mercer at #5 Chattanooga 4PM (SOCON Network)

Chattanooga was sitting pretty at #4 with a seed in the playoffs likely.  They had The Citadel the following week and all they had to do was beat Mercer in its sophomore year in the SOCON.  Mercer beat them.  That was last year.  This year Chattanooga is sitting pretty at #5 with a seed again as a possibility.  They have The Citadel again the following week and all they have to do beat a pesky Mercer who has visions of being a SOCON power in their third year in the conference.  Should make for a great game, but don’t expect the Mocs to be looking ahead this year.

Chattanooga’s trademark has been its defense.  They lead the FCS  in total defense giving up just 203 yards a game including just 62 a game on the ground.  They average 3 sacks a game.  They lead FCS in scoring defense as well at 8.4 points a game.  The Mocs have also held opponents to a scary 20% on third down tries.  That’s is good for #1 in FCS as well.  They are formidable.  Their schedule has not been terribly tough, but it did include Samford and a capable, if not consistent, Furman team.

On offense the Mocs have also had success.  They average 428 yards a game.  206 through the air and 222 on the ground; nice and balanced.  Alejandro Bennifield has settled in nicely as the starting QB going 65/100 tossing 11 TDs and just 4 interceptions.  They have a dangerous running back in Derrick Craine who averages 104 a game.

UTC averages over 33 minutes of possession a game and they are limiting penalties to 54 yards a game.  They are +3 in turnover on the year.  They are solid on special teams including making 4/5 field goals.  Their punters have averaged 42 yards a kick.

Mercer has done well on offense gaining 389 balanced yards a game.  Senior QB John Russ has gone 85/134 for 905 yards on the year including 5 TDs and only 1 interception.  Mercer has two capable running backs in Payton Usher and Alex Lakes, with both being able to get a 100 game pretty easily.

On defense Mercer has been decent allowing 357 yards a game, but they are allowing opponents to convert on third downs about 45% of the time.  They keep the ball about 29 minutes a game and are at +3 on the turnovers.  One area that is of concern is they lead the SOCON in penalties per game and yards racking up almost 78 yards a game.

If Mercer is to have a chance in this game it needs to control the ball and keep it out of the hands of the Mocs offense.  Mercer can probably stop the Mocs here and there, but it must overcome the UTC defense and execute sustained drives to have any shot of winning.  Discipline on special teams and penalties are a must in order to not give Chattanooga any freebies.  If UTC gets any cheap scores, they are toast.  Mercer is poised and will not wilt under adversity, but it is hard to come back on the Mocs.

Look for the Mocs to win by at least two TDs as they remember last year’s disappointing loss.

Wofford at Western Carolina 7PM (TV-ASN)

Western Carolina is looking to rebound after getting bounced by The Citadel last week.  Wofford is looking to bounce back as well after a close loss to Samford.  Wofford unfortunately will get a WCU defense that just saw the option attack.  Likewise, WCU will get a Wofford defense that just saw the prolific passing attack of Samford.  Should be a good game in the mountains.

WCU had no answer for The Citadel’s option attack this past week.  On the year the Cats are giving up 315 yards…on the ground per game.  Add 215 through the air as well per game, and WCU better score a lot to overcome giving up 530 yards each week.  They haven’t.

The Catamounts have gained 393 yards each week and they are scoring an average of 24 a game.  Redshirt freshman Tyrie Adams is #2 in the SOCON and has gone 84/125 with 4 interceptions and 7 TDs.  But against a determined defense last week, he was sacked 6 times and held to 91 yards.  Wofford is getting almost 3 sacks a game so the WCU offensive line has got to give him more time if the Cats are to have a shot this week.  On the ground, Western is gaining a modest 135 a game behind Detrez Newsome who averages 81 a game.

Wofford is a running machine gaining 310 yards a game on the ground.  That is good for #2 in the SOCON and #4 in FCS.  They have a meager passing attack of 78 yards a game and are averaging 12 yards a completion.  But their running pays off and the Terriers convert 3rd downs about 48% of the time and they have the ball about 35 minutes a game.  They have been averaging 57 yards a game in penalties.

There is no doubt that Adams may become a great QB for the Cats, but right now they seem to be sputtering on offense.  They only convert about 33% on 3rd downs and hold the ball for a dismal 23:45 a game.  This may play right into Wofford’s hands.

Western’s special teams are ok, with their punter being a bright spot with a 43 yard average.  Wofford has the worst kickoff return average in the SOCON at just 17 yards.  On turnovers, WCU is -2 and Wofford is +4.

Western Carolina better make some serious adjustments this week if they expect to stop Wofford.  Not sure they can, but expect the Cat’s offense to do better this week.  Wofford should win by no more than one or two scores up in Cullowhee.

Big Sky Conference: Week 5 Review and Power Rankings

Big Sky

The Big Sky Conference week five football season is over, and if you’re a Montana State fan you’re probably looking forward to week six… because it couldn’t possibly get any worse, right? The Bobcats had a 38-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter and inexplicably let Sacramento State score 20 straight points to win the game by three. That’s just not a loss you can take, and a poor defensive, as well as offensive effort by the Bobcats. Sacramento State is a pretty poor team and if you’re wanting to turn a program around that can’t be one you take on the chin. But congrats to Sacramento State, there’s not going to be a goose egg in the win loss column this year!

In one of the Big Sky match-ups of the week Southern Utah traveled north to Montana to take on the Grizzlies. Right out of the gate Southern Utah was in trouble and the Griz never looked back. Montana racked up over 600 yards of offense to take down the Thunderbirds 43-20. Brady Gustafson accounted for 415 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Griz. Southern Utah did some good things with the ball when they had it, but couldn’t translate those possessions into points against a ferocious Montana defense.

The other match-up of the week, North Dakota at Cal Poly nearly lived up to its hype. North Dakota stole the win 31-24 on their home turf. Cal Poly looked like a team that had a shot to finish at the top of the conference, but ran into a pretty stiff North Dakota defense. The Mustangs, one of the top rushing teams in the country, were held to 202 yards rushing. Joe Protheroe did not accumulate any stats due to an injury. North Dakota will keep their post season hopes alive with that important win.

Scores

Cal Poly 24
North Dakota 31

Northern Arizona 18
Northern Colorado 21

UC Davis 30
Eastern Washington 63

Idaho State 20
Portland State 45

Southern Utah 20
Montana 43

Montana State 38
Sacramento State 41

Big Sky Player of the Week

Cooper Kupp of Eastern Washington is this week’s player of the week. Kupp made his presence known that he was ready to resume his reign atop the Big Sky’s receivers. He caught 12 balls for 274 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ victory over UC-Davis.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Gage Gabrud, QB, Eastern Washington. 33/46 for 486 yards, six touchdowns. 39 yards rushing, one touchdown.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington. 12 receptions for 274 yards and two touchdowns.
John Santiago, RB, North Dakota. Did not play.
Case Cookus, QB, Northern Arizona. Did not play.
Emmanuel Butler, WR, Northern Arizona. 8 receptions for 58 yards.
Joe Protheroe, RB, Cal Poly. Did not play.

Big Sky Power Rankings

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

Looking Ahead to Week 6

In the first game of the week the red hot (?) Northern Colorado Bears will travel to Cheney to take on Eastern Washington on the red carpet. Mississippi Valley State will make the cross-country trek to Missoula to take on Montana. Northern Arizona will limp into Bozeman to take on Montana State. UC Davis will be at Southern Utah. Portland State heads east to take on Weber State in what should be a fine matchup. North Dakota will travel halfway across the country to take on Sacramento State.

Final Thoughts and Hot Takes

Montana State laid a huge egg last week. That was a game they had to win on the road and they totally blew it in the fourth quarter. Unacceptable loss if you’re the Bobcats.

Sacramento State isn’t the worst team in FCS, but they’re pretty bad. Got away with one over the Cats. Judging by their schedule there may not be any wins left.

Northern Colorado is 3-1. That’s not a typo, they have actually won three games this season. They just defeated the preseason Big Sky champion. I guess that’s why we decide games on the field.

Meanwhile, without Case Cookus and Emmanuel Butler that NAU team looked pretty bad. It doesn’t look like Cookus will be back this week either. Could be another long week for the Jacks.

Surprised North Dakota took down Cal Poly. Poly looked like a pretty legit team, and really, should have been undefeated heading into Grand Forks. The Fighting Hawks took care of business to keep their post season alive.

UC-Davis might be 1-4, but they sure have put up a fight this year. Hasn’t quite translated to wins and losses, but they’re not a pushover.

Big South: Week 5 Review

As bad as last week was in the Big South, it was that good this week.

(1-3)  Presbyterian                           BYE

Presbyterian had the weekend off which means no one got hurt.  No news is good news.

 

(3-2) Monmouth 42,  (2-2) Fordham 41    OT

A week after getting humbled at home to Charleston Southern, Monmouth got one more chance at home to take on a playoff team from 2015 as they faced off against Fordham.  This same Fordham team had poured out 51 points onto Monmouth in their only previous meeting a year ago and returned the two primary culprits from that bath, QB Kevin Anderson and RB Chase Edmonds.

Early on, it looked Fordham was going to repeat last year’s performance.  Edmonds broke loose on the Rams’ second series and scored from 77 yards away.  After a quick Hawks turnover, Anderson engineered a quick three-minute drive that put Fordham up 13-0 halfway through the first quarter.  But, Monmouth wouldn’t go away.  MU QB Cody Williams put together two drives that ended with field goals before masterminding a 16-play, 89-yard drive that took nearly eight full minutes off the clock and tied the game at 13-all with a minute and a half left before halftime.  That, however, was more than enough time for Fordham.  Forty-five seconds later, Anderson threw a 54-yard strike to put the Rams back up a touchdown.  Twenty-seven seconds after that, and following a Monmouth fumble on their first play of the next series, Chase Edmonds punched the ball into the end zone again and Fordham took a 27-13 lead into halftime.

At that point, with the game firmly in hand, Fordham loaded the buses and left only Edmonds and Anderson to finish.  OK, that’s not completely accurate but it may as well have been.  The rest of the game belong entirely to Monmouth, specifically to WR Reggie White, Jr. and third-string RB Ed Royds.  In the third quarter, White took a screen pass on the far sideline and raced untouched for 72 yards to get Monmouth back within seven.  After Fordham failed to convert on 4th-and-3, Monmouth went down the field again and, again, Williams found White on the far sideline who broke two terrible attempts to tackle him and walked into the end zone to tie the game.  In between the highlights from White, Royds was finding gaping holes in the Fordham defense and, after the Monmouth D held again, Royds got the call and scored to give the Hawks their first lead of the day and Fordham was clearly on their heels.  They were not, however, done.  On the next Rams possession, Edmonds – being Edmonds – took a handoff just beyond midfield and wove through traffic on his way to his third touchdown of the day, tying the game back at 34 points apiece.

Thanks to a holding call, Monmouth found themselves in bad field position and gave Fordham the ball back with one last shot at ending the game in regulation.  Fordham very nearly converted on that chance but a 47-yard FG as time expired bent wide right and Monmouth headed to their first overtime game of the season.

Fordham made quick work of the first chance with the ball.  Edmonds was into the end zone again after four plays and, after kicking the PAT, gave Monmouth their own opportunity.  Monmouth just went back to Royds, back to White, back to Royds again, Royds one more time for score and then made the ballsy decision to go for two on the conversion.  Given the course of Monmouth’s offense in the second half, the ball was obviously going to go one of two places, to either Royds or White, and Fordham had to know that.  It’s, therefore, absolutely mystifying how in the world White found himself standing all alone in the end zone with no other player within ten yards of him, waiting patiently for a high, floating pass from Williams to simply land gently in his hands.

Which it did.  Ballgame.

What does this win mean for Monmouth? – It’s huge.  As in of mammoth proportions.  After losing two straight in poor fashion, this team badly needed to beat anyone.  For that win to come against a program that still retained the skill players from their pounding a year ago and to come at home in a year where those games are in small supply cannot be undersold.  This is the kind of win that can re-shape the Hawks’ season.

(2-3) Liberty 41,  (1-4) Robert Morris 7

Liberty needed to finally play someone whose roster didn’t consist of FBS players.  A Robert Morris team that lost their opener to a D2 school and registered negative total rushing yards at Youngstown would seem to fit that bill.  Liberty also made a change at quarterback for this game, starting true freshman Steven ‘Buckshot’ Calvert for the first time.

On the first couple series, however, Calvert looked unsettled, allowing RMU to hang around for a little bit and pull off a bit of substitution fakery that left a receiver near the visiting sideline completely unrecognized and uncovered.  He took a pass and sprinted downfield and, though he was eventually run down before he could score, the Colonials were in business in the red zone.  That turned into a touchdown three plays later and the home crowd held their collective breath.  They needn’t have bothered because that was it for the RMU scoring.

Calvert and the Flames went the length of the field on their next drive and Calvert found TE Zac Foutz from a yard out for the tying score.  That drive was helped along by a targeting penalty on RMU where, in an odd sequence, the defender came off his man to hit one LU receiver in the head while the LU receiver he was originally covering caught the ball and raced thirty yards downfield.  RMU’s next possession would end in an interception in the end zone and Liberty would work their way down the field once more, this time culminating in a touchdown pass to WR Antonio Gandy-Golden.  The Colonials would throw another INT in the first half and Calvert hit WR Dante Shells for 69 yards and a touchdown as Liberty was up 21-7 at half.

That advantage went up after two plays in the second half as LU DB Solomon McGinty picked off a pass in the flat and trotted into the end zone for a defensive score.  On the whole, RMU – who, in fairness, was playing a converted safety at QB – threw 3 interceptions on the night and never got past mid-field the rest of the night.  Meanwhile, Liberty tacked on two field goals and another touchdown pass from Calvert for the final margin.

In his first career start, Calvert completed 62% of his passes for 340 yards and 4 touchdowns.  Not bad, freshman, not bad.

What does this win mean for Liberty? – It’s really big because the Flames just needed to beat someone.  They also needed Calvert to get some experience and confidence going in to conference play.

 

(3-1) Kennesaw State 52, (0-5) Furman 42

I admit it, Kennesaw proved me wrong.  They rolled into Greenville, SC and flat out dominated one of the historically strong programs in FCS football.

In the first half, Kennesaw could do no wrong and Furman could do no right.  KSU ran the ball around the edges, up the middle and then threw the ball over the top, all pretty much at will.   The score at halftime was 49-14 in favor of the visitors.  It’s worth noting that the Owls had as many points at the half against Furman as they had in an entire game against NAIA Point University three weeks ago.  Even when Furman held KSU in check or Furman moved the ball, an ill-timed penalty or turnover would move the Owls forward and the Paladins back.  The first half was a plain old butt-whoopin’ of the tradition-rich Furman program by the upstart Kennesaw State.

Look at these numbers:

  • KSU had 213 yards of offense in the first quarter.
  • Add on another 254 yards of offense in the second quarter and KSU had 467 yards of total offense at halftime
  • By the time Furman mounted a drive past Kennesaw’s 42-yard line, they were already down 35-0
  • At the half, KSU already had two touchdown drives of 90 yards or more

Then, Furman came out of the locker room with a vengeance and the second half happened.  As one-sided as the first half had been for KSU, the second half was nearly so for Furman.  Furman racked up more than 200 yards through the air and three touchdowns to claw back to within 49-35.  Everything that had worked offensively for KSU in the first half stalled completely and the Owls went into ball-hog mode, letting the play clock wind nearly all the way down between plays, keeping the ball on the ground and doing anything they could to keep the game clock working in their favor.  Kennesaw had just one scoring drive in the second half, squeezing a FG out of easily their longest possession of the day (6:30) but it that kick was huge as it pushed the Owls just out of Furman’s comeback range with the amount of time they had left.

In the end, Furman added another touchdown but had just dug themselves too deep a hole to climb out of.  To their credit, KSU used their offense to milk the clock for all it was worth to turn what could have been one of the more epic collapses in college football into a really solid win for their program.

What does this win mean for Kennesaw? – Not to be redundant, but it’s a big big win for the KSU program as a whole.  This is the first time that the Owls have ever faced a full-scholarship FCS team outside of the Big South conference.  Granted, Furman is a shadow of what they once were but for KSU, as a startup program, to be that dominating over a team that’s usually considered a regional power is just massive.  Realistically, this win isn’t not on par with third-year Coastal beating defending national champion JMU in 2005 – not even close, really –, but within the KSU program itself, the effect is the same.

 

(3-2) Charleston Southern 59, (3-2) Coastal Carolina 58   2OT

In probably the best game of the night that no one saw, CSU went up to perennial nemesis Coastal Carolina and handed the FBS transitional home team the loss in double overtime.

Full disclosure:  I didn’t watch this game.  Thanks to Coastal’s transition to FBS, they aren’t on the Big South’s video package nor are they yet on the Sun Belt’s.  Their home-grown streaming operation sits behind a paywall and has a history of varying degrees of reliability.  As such, this recap is drawn from released reports, stats sheets and photos.

It was a see-saw battle all night between the current Big South champ and the ex-Big South champ.  Coastal jumped out to a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a trio of touchdowns from RB DeAngelo Henderson.  CSU jumped right back in the second quarter, rattling off 16 straight points to take a 23-21 lead at the half.  The rest of the game would be a back-and-forth battle of offense as each team answered their opponents’ scores with touchdowns of their own and neither team would lead by more than five points the rest of the way.  Coastal started it off in the third frame with a strip sack and a fumble recovery in the end zone which CSU followed with a TD run from RB Darius Hammond which Coastal then followed with another long scoring run from Henderson.  After a short lull going into the fourth quarter, CSU backup QB Robert Mitchell got a touchdown on the ground which Coastal answered with a lob from WR Chris Jones to fellow WR Gary Bradshaw.  CSU answered that with another TD run from Mitchell that put CSU up 45-42 with just forty-two seconds remaining and, for a moment, it seemed like a lead would finally be safe.

Nope.  Henderson took the ball on three of the next four plays and Coastal K Ryan Granger booted through a 35-yard field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime.

Coastal took the ball first in OT and made quick work of the 25 yards between them and the end zone.  CSU responded by bringing starting QB Shane Bucenell back into the game to lob a touchdown pass into the end zone to tie the game once again.  In the second OT, Bucenell worked his magic again, hitting receiver Jared Scotland for the score and the Bucs kicked the PAT to go up 59-52.  On their turn, Coastal struggled slightly, forced to convert a 4th-and-5 to keep the drive going but, eventually, punched the ball into the end zone to pull within a point, pending the PAT.

A little back story here:  Coastal has recently found themselves with a bad history with game deciding kicks at the scoreboard end of Brooks Stadium.  In 2014, #1-ranked and undefeated Coastal Carolina lost to Liberty when LU blocked what should have been a walk-off-as-time-expired chip-shot FG from 24 yards out, roughly the same distance as an extra point.   Coastal’s K Ryan Granger didn’t take that kick but he was on the sidelines that day and it’s worth wondering if that moment was in his head at all.  Because, to a degree, history repeated itself Saturday night.  Charleston Southern blocked the extra point and won the game.

It’s no surprise that a run-heavy team like Charleston Southern and team on their 4th-string quarterback with an all-world running back like Coastal Carolina would run the ball.  It’s still a little surprising to see these highly-ranked teams surrender 500+ yards of rushing offense.  Coastal has been relatively weak against the run for the last several years and gave up nearly 300 yards on the ground.  Coastal’s hurry-up style of offense may have actually worked against them in this case.  Despite, gaining over 400 yards of offense and putting 45 on the board in just 59 plays during regulation, it allowed CSU to hold the ball for more than 42 minutes.  CSU got touchdowns from seven different players in this game.

CSU has now defeated Coastal two straight years for only the second occasion in the series’ history.  The previous time was from 2008-2009.

What does this win mean for CSU? – It’s a good team win and it’s a good win for the program.  There is obviously a familiarity between the two programs that hasn’t existed in the first several games of CSU’s season, Monmouth included.  Coastal is still, obviously, a good team and this can only help CSU’s resume come November.

 

(2-3) Gardner-Webb 45,  (3-2) Benedict 0

Gardner-Webb returned home to face Benedict out of Division 2.  Benedict is a defensive-minded but offensively-challenged team, much like Gardner-Webb has been for the last couple seasons.  In a battle between resistible force and slow-moving object, something would eventually give.  Just not in the first quarter.

G-W and Benedict traded punts for the first part of the game with neither being able to mount much of an offensive threat.  Eventually, in the second quarter, Benedict found themselves backed up deep and shanked a punt out of their own end zone.  The resulting field position at the 35-yard line gave GWU prime field position and, eight plays later, RB Khalil Lewis turned that into the game’s first touchdown.  This opened a floodgate of sorts.  The Bulldogs got the ball back on the next possession near midfield and turned that into another touchdown. G-W held Benedict to a punt yet again and then made it three straight touchdowns on their next possession, when a couple explosive plays brought Gardner-Webb in close to the goal line and QB Tyrell Maxwell then tossed a short touchdown to his most dependable receiver, TE Mike Estes.

The second half was much the same. Benedict never mounted a credible threat on offense and bad punts and turnovers gave G-W great field position for the rest of the night.  Khalil Lewis punched in two more short touchdowns and the defense got a scoop-n-score early in the fourth quarter.  All in all, it may have been the least eventful 45 points ever scored.

What does this loss mean for Gardner-Webb? – Meh.  G-W did what they were supposed to do.  That’s it.  Sure, they didn’t lose to the D2 on their schedule but literally everyone else in the conference got a win that was either important for them as a team or a program on Saturday. It’s almost not fair to downplay a 45-point win just because the defeated team was from a lower division but it was such a slow-moving affair that seemed to simply wear down the opponent – and the audience – rather than overwhelming them.

 

Biggest surprise of the week:  Kennesaw’s first-half destruction of Furman.

Biggest disappointment of the week:  None.  Everybody won.  Can’t argue with that.