AGS Poll: Top 25 Week 3 Results

Week 3 saw a pretty significant re-shuffling amongst the teams in the AGS Top 25. North Dakota State put a stranglehold on the #1 spot garnering 87 of 88 first place votes after their stunning road upset of previously ranked FBS foe Iowa. Jacksonville State received the final first place vote to settle in at #2 and Eastern Washington used an impressive home victory against UNI to vault themselves up 5 spots to #3. Montana and Sam Houston State rounded out the top 5.

Richmond and South Dakota State were a couple of the biggest drops of the week with Richmond dropping 8 spots to #10 after they were pounded by Stony Brook and South Dakota State dropping 10 spots to #15 after Cal Poly dropped the Jackrabbits in Brookings.  Among the biggest risers were four teams that found their way into the top 25 this week. After their previously mentioned win over SDSU, Cal Poly debuted at #17, a 10 spot jump from last week. Stony Brook used their upset of Richmond to rise all the way to #21 from outside of the top 40 last week. Other teams that were impressive enough to make their way into the top 25 were Eastern Illinois, who rose 10 spots to #19, and Harvard, who rose 5 spots to #25, after their first game (and win) of the year.

The CAA and the MVFC led the way with 6 teams each placed into the top 25. The Big Sky was next with 4 and the SOCON followed them with 3.

Full results shown below:

WEEK 3 – 09/19/2016

Rank Team: Total Points First Place Votes Previous Wk.
1 North Dakota State Bison 2199 87 1
2 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 2003 1 3
3 Eastern Washington Eagles 1948 8
4 Montana Grizzlies 1849 7
5 Sam Houston State Bearkats 1842 4
6 Chattanooga Mocs 1784 9
7 James Madison Dukes 1400 10
8 Western Illinois Leathernecks 1376 12
9 The Citadel Bulldogs 1291 13
10 Richmond Spiders 1258 2
11 William & Mary Tribe 1123 15
12 Illinois State Redbirds 1101 6
13 Northern Iowa Panthers 999 11
14 Charleston Southern Buccaneers 983 14
15 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 959 5
16 Youngstown State Penguins 860 17
17 Cal Poly Mustangs 809 27
18 Albany Great Danes 755 19
19 Eastern Illinois Panthers 708 29
20 Villanova Wildcats 689 20
21 Stony Brook Seawolves 632 NR
22 Samford Bulldogs 444 21
23 Colgate Raiders 372 22
24 Portland State Vikings 192 18
25 Harvard Crimson 147 30

 

Most Significant Win:    North Dakota State Bison

Most Significant Loss:    Richmond Spiders

ORV:
26 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 142 24
27 North Carolina A&T Aggies 140 23
28 McNeese State Cowboys 102 16
29 Southern Utah Thunderbirds 97 26
30 Dartmouth Big Green 48 NR
31 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 43 NR
32 Fordham Rams 41 32
33 Southern Illinois Salukis 41 40
34 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 25 31
35 Nicholls State Colonels 25 38
36 Tennessee State Tigers 18 NR
37 Western Carolina Catamounts 17 NR
38 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 16 33
39 South Carolina State Bulldogs 15 NR
40 Mercer Bears 14 39

 

Fell Out Of Poll:
Towson Tigers
New Hampshire Wildcats
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Liberty Flames
Furman Paladins
Pennsylvania Quakers

 

 

SOCON: Week 3 Review and Power Rankings

The SOCON picked up 2 OOC FCS wins and the conference games did not disappoint as ETSU pulled off a huge upset over Western Carolina in the Battle at Bristol and the UTC at Furman game proved to be an entertaining defensive struggle for much of the game.

#9 Chattanooga 21 at Furman 14 (recap)

The Mocs started the season by playing 8 straight quarters of football without allowing a score. While not quite as perfect, Furman’s defense has been impressive.  As a result. the fact that the first half was an all out defensive struggle was no surprise.  Of the 12 first half possessions by both teams, there were 9 punts, 1 interception, one missed FG and 1 TD, scored by UTC late in the second quarter.  The teams combined for only 205 first half yards and a stingy score of 7-0.

The second half saw the fortunes of both teams change. UTC put up 14 more points in the third on their first 2 possessions which went for 70 and 77 yard drives.  While UTC made some improvements after the half, Furman’s situation appeared to worsen fast as their starting QB P.J. Blazejowski went out of the game with an injury at the start of the third.  On again, off again starter Reese Hannon came in at that point and after a few disappointing drives to get warmed up, he actually began a Furman rally in the 4th quarter.  Furman scored with 8 minutes to go in the game after a 55 yard 2 minute drive to make it 21-7.  After the Paladins held the Mocs on their ensuing drive, Furman again scored on an 11 play 94 yard drive to make it 21-14.  However, that left just 1 minute to go, and Furman’s on-side kick was not successful in any event, and the Mocs preserved the win to go 3-0, 1-0 in SOCON.

The Mocs finished with 288 total offensive yards (142 rush/146 pass). UTC QB Alejandro Bennifield went 11-14 with 1 interception, 1 passing TD and 1 rushing TD. Overall, Furman gained 281 yards with only 85 on the ground. Hannon finished 14-20 for 174 yards passing.

Furman finishes out their brutal September schedule with a trip to Coastal Carolina next week while UTC hosts Samford in what could be a pivotal SOCON game. Furman drops to 0-3, but may very well be the best winless team in FCS.

#13 The Citadel 31 at Gardner-Webb 24 (recap)

The good news for The Citadel is they won again. The not as good news is they had to accomplish a come from behind 4th quarter scoring drive for the third week in a row.  But a win is a win and their 3-0 start must be a great feeling for first year head coach Brent Thompson.  Gardner-Webb has upset a couple top 25 teams the last few years and they almost got another one on Saturday.  The Runnin’ Bulldogs led 4 different times during the ballgame.  The Bulldogs of The Citadel came back each time while racking up 419 yards on the ground and returning a punt for 81 yards and a score.  That was the first punt returned for a TD by The Citadel since 2008 when Andre Roberts scored against UTC.

Both Bulldogs scored on their opening drives. After that it got a little tougher.  The Citadel drives, as expected, were long, laborious affairs.  They held the TOP margin at halftime by about 18 to 12 minutes.  But the G-W scoring drives also covered lots of ground going for 86 and 70 yards.  An inopportune penalty by The Citadel erased a score, and a turnover wasted a long drive for The Citadel in the first half.  Still, it looked as though The Citadel Bulldogs had taken control of the game by pounding out 298 yards on the ground before half.  This surpassed their average per game output which has been on the lean side so far, and it was good enough to take a 14-10 lead into halftime.

The 3rd quarter saw the Runnin’ Bulldogs come roaring back on both sides of the ball. They held The Citadel to a meager 53 yards in the 3rd quarter which resulted in 4 punts and a turn over on downs.  The Gardner-Webb offense ground out a 61 yard scoring drive capped off by a 28 yard scamper up the middle to make it 17-14 with 4:05 to go in the 3rd.  As the quarter came to a close, and Gardner-Webb was forced to punt, DeAndre Schoultz returned the punt for 81 yards for a go ahead score to make it 21-17.

Taking a page from The Citadel playbook, Gardner-Webb answered back with a 91 yard drive in 15 plays in the 4th quarter. They chewed up 6:41 on the clock and went ahead 24-21.  The Citadel answered yet again with a 10 play 72 yard scoring drive.  The key play of this drive being a 41 yard dash by Dominique Allen to the G-W 3 on a 3rd and seven.  Allen punched it in two plays later to make it 28-24.  With 2:45 to go Gardner-Webb had a chance since they appeared to be moving the ball well in the second half.  However, The Citadel defense cranked up the heat and sacked the G-W QB Tyrell Maxwell twice for a loss of 15 yards and forced a punt from the G-W 2 with less than minute to go.  The Citadel added a field goal a few plays later to make it 31-24 for a final.

The Citadel had two 100 yard rushers (Reggie Williams-112 and Dominique Allen-108) and it appears that they finally got some traction in their option attack. They tallied 419 yards on the day, even with G-W doing an outstanding job stuffing The Citadel FBs between the tackles.  As a result, The Citadel ran outside, more than normal, for much of the game and resulted in the FBs gaining only 37 yards on the day.  The Citadel also had a token 12 yards through the air.

At 3-0 and 2-0 in the SOCON, The Citadel takes a breather next week before meeting WCU on 1 October.

ETSU 34 Western Carolina 31 (recap)

It could have been a movie script. The Bucs were playing their first conference game following ETSU’s return to the Southern Conference.  They pulled off a stunning upset two weeks ago against Kennesaw State who had humiliated them last year.  They were also playing in the venue that recorded the largest college football attendance ever last week and while they would not come close to filling it, they were still there, at the Bristol Motor Speedway.  ETSU would have the hardest part in that all they had to do, was win the game.  All they had to do is beat a decent Catamount team that missed the FCS playoffs last year by a couple whiskers.

Towards the end of the first half, with WCU up 21-3, it looked like ETSU would not hold up their end of this Cinderella story. But them something happened to turn the tide.  WCU fumbled and the Bucs swaggered their way down the field in 8 plays for 71 yards to score as the first half ended.  Down 21-10 at half, they had the momentum and they would also get the ball first to start the second half.

In the first half, ETSU had punted 4 times, fumbled, and got a FG on their first 6 possessions. They only had 4 possessions in the entire second half, but they scored on every one of them.  They opened the third quarter with a 10 play 75 yard drive to make it 21-17.  Their defense must have been inspired and they forced a three and out on Western.  The Bucs then proceeded to drive 76 yards in 16 pays for another score to take the lead 24-21.  That drive was assisted by 3 WCU penalties including a personal foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct.  The frustration must have been mounting by this time.  That drive took 7:26.  That is serious ball control.

After forcing WCU to punt yet again, the WCU defense stirred a bit and held the Bucs to a FG this time to make it 27-21. WCU answer back with a FG of their own to keep it within 3 points at 27-24.

The Bucs then proceeded to go on a 13 play 75 yard drive for 6:37 to make it 34-24 with little over a minute to go in the game. The Cats would answer back in under a minute, but it was too little, too late and ETSU had pulled out a beautiful upset victory to mark its return to the Southern Conference.  Take that Cinderella.

ETSU totaled 474 yards of balance offense and lost one fumble. Bucs QB Austin Herink went 24/37 for 269 yards and 3 TDS.  Most important of all, they held the ball for 38 minutes!  It’s pretty hard to win if you only have the ball for 22 minutes.  More to the point, in the second half WCU had the ball for less than 7 minutes!  Western needs to get their defense in gear.  Their offense can score, that is, if they ever get the ball.  Western put up 443 yards including 343 through the air.  Tyrie Adams went 26/39, 2 TD and no picks in a losing effort.  WCU’s Detrez Newsome had only 32 yards, but also 2 TDs on 11 carriers.

Western Carolina gets a week off to work on ball control and defense. They will need to with The Citadel up next on 1 Oct.  ETSU travels to Spartanburg next week to face Wofford to see if they can continue their Cinderella story.

Mercer 34 Tennessee Tech 27 (recap)

Mercer occasionally has a habit of putting itself in a hole early. Giving up a 100 yard kickoff return to start Saturday’s game against Tennessee Tech was a prime example.  But while that can be a back breaker, it can also be a great motivator.  Mercer did answer on their ensuing drive, but they were stymied deep in Tech territory by a holding penalty and forced to kick a FG to make it 7-3.

After trading 4 punts between them, Mercer caught a break and recovered a fumble at their own 22. Striking fast, Mercer QB John Russ tossed a 45 yard pass to quickly flip the field.  Three plays later, Russ ran it in from 15 yards out to make it 10-7 Mercer.  Not to be outdone, the Golden Eagles answered right back with a 6 play, 62 yard scoring drive, aided by a Mercer unsportsmanlike penalty, to make it 14-10 going into the half.

The third quarter saw an explosion of scoring and more than just a bit of controversy.  After forcing a Mercer 3 and out on their first possession, the Golden Eagles flew 71 yards in 7 plays to go up 21-10. Mercer answered back on a 9 play 87 yard drive that ended with a 22 yard toss by Russ to Sam Walker.  This was the first of two second half TDs for this combo.  After forcing a fumble on TTUs next possession, Mercer seemed to be taking charge.  They pawed their way down the field for 66 yards on 10 plays and Russ tossed it to Walker again, this time from 9 yards to make it 24-21.

After the Mercer defense forced a 3 and out, the momentum had certainly shifted in their favor. Starting from their own 1 after the punt, Mercer faced a long drive ahead of them.  After an off-sides penalty on TTU, Mercer attempted a pass and it was incomplete, or so they thought.  A TTU player ran over a picked up the ball thinking it might be a lateral that got away and walked into the end zone.  The Line Judge made the call of a TD for TTU after apparently ruling it was a catch and fumble.  The Mercer players, coaches, and fans, were obviously incredulous.  The Mercer receiver never even had any sort of control.  It actually looks like the ball may have never even touched the receiver’s hands but hit his forearms.  Also, there was never any bean bag throw by any official to mark a fumble.  Regardless, the call stood and TTU went up 27-24 after Mercer blocked the XP.

This situation may have lit a fire under the Mercer Bears. In the three 4th quarter possessions by TTU, they got a cumulative total of 1 yard.  Mercer also grabbed an interception.  After the dust settled, the Bears scored another TD and FG to seal the win 34-27.

Mercer’s John Russ went 23/35 passing for 259 yards and 2 TDs. He tacked on 2 TDs running as well. Overall, the Bears totaled 401 yard on offense.  Mercer gave up 257 yards including only 18 on the ground.  Mercer also won the turnover battle benefiting form 3 lost fumbles and 1 interception tossed by TTU.

Mercer gets a week off before returning to SOCON play 1 Oct at VMI.

Wofford 59 JC Smith 0 (recap)

It took Wofford a little while to get going against the Div II Golden Bulls of JC Smith. Holding a lackluster 17-0 lead at half, Wofford would explode in the second half with 42 points including 21 defense points.   On the day Wofford racked up 482 yards and held JC Smith to 102.  Wofford played 72 different players during the game including 12 different ball carriers. Lorenzo Long gained 127 yards and 3 TDs on 13 carries.

Brad Butler and Brandon Goodson shared QB duties with Butler going 10-12 through the air for 124 yards. Goodson added 28 more yards on 2 completions.  While this is a pretty good showing for Wofford, it was obviously against lesser competition.  Last year they averaged 69 yards passing a game.

Racking up 9 penalties for 80 yards, and dropping 4 fumbles and losing one of those, Wofford will need to clean up its execution before it hits SOCON play. Originally hoping to ease into SOCON play, Wofford faces off against a feisty ETSU next week who is fresh off its upset of WCU.

Power Ranking

  1. UTC
  2. The Citadel
  3. Samford
  4. Wofford
  5. Mercer
  6. ETSU
  7. VMI
  8. WCU
  9. Furman

Week 3 AGS GOTW | Northern Iowa at Eastern Washington

We are 3 weeks into the 2016 season and the AnyGivenSaturday community is 3-for-3 on picking some great games for the FCS Game of the Week. Each of these games has provided a close battle with last minute theatrics. This week’s game in Cheney, WA was decided in the last minute.

Eastern Washington’s second half theatrics were capped off by brilliantly executed fake FG for the game winning touchdown with 43 seconds left on the clock. The pass came from Eagle backup QB Reilly Hennessey (Reilly had already entered the game in relief of Gabe Gubrud, the starter for the first 3 games). Hennessey connected with Beau Byus, a fourth string tight end, who was wide open as the Panthers sold out to block what they thought would be a game winning field goal attempt. Northern Iowa still had one more chance to take back the win, but QB Aaron Bailey got pressured and lateraled the ball to an offensive lineman while trying to avoid the sack. The OL fumbled the ball and their chance was lost when EWU recovered.

Eastern Washington took their first lead of the game 30 seconds into the fourth quarter after digging themselves into a 24-7 halftime deficit.  The Eagles would hold onto that lead until the 4:13 mark when UNI kicker Matt Easley connected from 49 yards for his third successful FG attempt of the day.

Second Half Momentum:

Eastern Washington had a rough first half with 187 yards of offense, an interception and two series’ that ended with a turnover on downs. This led to a 17 point hole coming out of halftime, but the Eagles worked towards erasing it very quickly. Antoine Custer Jr. would take the opening kickoff of the third quarter 93 yards to the endzone to cut their deficit to 10 points. On the third series of the second half Hennessey replaced Gubrud and brought some new life to the EWU offense. That drive would end with a 37 yard TD pass to Kendrick Bourne which cut the Northern Iowa lead to 3. Hennessey finished the day with 21-29 for 226 yards and 3 TDs with all of those stats coming in the seconds half.

Where do they go from here?:

Northern Iowa heads into a bye week coming off of two straight losses. The Panthers have struggled to find an offensive identity in 2016 and if they do not make some changes before Southern Illinois comes to the UNI-Dome on October 1st then Coach Farley’s team could find themselves in the same familiar hole of fighting for their playoff lives early in the season.

Eastern Washington heads to Flagstaff, AZ to start the Big Sky slate against a Northern Arizona team that is looking to make some noise. It will be interesting to see who takes the field at QB to start the game for the Eagles. EWU is back in the driver’s seat for a playoff seed after a 2-1 start with wins over an FBS opponent, a Top 25 team and an OT loss to North Dakota State (who is #27 in the FBS AP Poll after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes).

CAA : Week 3 Preview

Week three of college football is upon us, and the CAA has an exciting array of FCS, FBS, and conference match ups for the all CAA fans to enjoy.

 

Friday Sept 16th

Rhode Island at Harvard 7 pm EST, (ASN)

Harvard will open its season on Friday night when the Rhode Island Rams travel to Harvard Stadium. The Rams are coming off of two losses to begin the season one loss at FBS Kansas, and one loss at home to CAA conference opponent Albany. Rhode Island will have its hands full when it travels to Harvard who is favored to win this match up. Rhode Island will have to use their experience from the last two games to make some adjustments and hopefully use that to their advantage against a Harvard team that has yet to play a game this season.

 

Saturday Sept 17th

# 25 Towson at #20 Villanova 3:30 pm EST, (CSN)

Our First CAA matchup of the day will happen between two ranked opponents, when #25 Towson travels to 20th ranked Villanova. Both teams are coming into week three at 1-1 with each suffering and FBS loss, and each gaining and FCS win. In week two Towson survived a scare from the Red Flash of St Francis (PA) While Villanova hard a hard-fought win against the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh. Both teams will be looking to make adjustments on defense, while these two high scoring, fast offenses will surely put a strain on those units.

#10 James Madison at North Carolina 3:30 pm EST, (ACC Network)

After Two decisive victories in week one and week two, James Madison will face its toughest test yet when the Dukes Travel to Chapel Hill to take on the FBS Tar heels of North Carolina. The Tar Heels are coming into this match up at 1-1 with a loss against FBS Georgia, and a win against FBS Illinois. The Dukes defense will have their hands full covering UNC QB Mitch Trubisky who has averaged 67% completions and has thrown for 424 yards on the season.

Norfolk State at #15 William and Mary 6 pm EST, (Tribe Athletics TV)

Norfolk State will have its hands full when it travels to Williamsburg Virginia to take on the Tribe. Each team is coming into the game 1-1, with The tribe taking a loss at FBS North Carolina State, and the Spartans of Norfolk State taking a loss at CAA Richmond. The Tribe will hope to do what they do best on Saturday which is play their heavy hitting offense, and rush the ball as much as possible to overwhelm the Spartans offense. RB Kendall Anderson should see plenty of carries, while WR DeVonte Dedmon will be looking for another great game through the air as he had when he had seven receptions for 168 yards.

Fayetteville State at Elon 6 pm EST, (Phoenix All Access)

After a rough start to the season that saw the Phoenix drop their first two games, Elon will look to regroup at home against Division II Fayetteville State. Elon will need to use this game to fix some mistakes that they made in their first two games, and pull out a win in front of the home crowd to gain some momentum for the rest of the season.

Delaware at Wake Forest 6:30 pm EST, (ACC Network)

When Delaware travels to FBS Wake Forest on Saturday they will be going into Winston-Salem riding a 2-0 start. Delaware’s first win came against interstate rival Delaware state, while their second win came off of a win against Lafayette that was very close until Delaware pulled away in the third quarter. Delaware will need to play 60 minutes of mistake free football if they are going to pull off an upset against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. Wake forest is coming into the game with wins against FBS Tulane, and FBS Duke. They are currently sitting at first place in the ACC Coastal Division of the FBS.

New Hampshire at Dartmouth 7 pm EST, (Fox Sports Go)

In our 2nd Ivy league match up between CAA and Ivy League teams, New Hampshire helps Dartmouth kick off the 2016 season when the Wildcats travel to Hanover, NH to take on the Big Green. New Hampshire is entering the game 1-1 after a loss to FBS San Diego State University, and a win at home against Holy Cross. Dartmouth is entering the game after an outstanding season that saw them go 9-1, with their only loss coming from Ivy League rival Harvard. UNH will need to continue giving their young roster exposure, and continue to utilize the talents of RB Dalton Crossan, while their young QB Trevor Knight continues to improve.

Holy Cross at #19 Albany 7 pm EST

The Crusaders of Holy Cross will be looking to put their first loss of the season which came against UNH last week behind them; when they travel to Bob Ford Field to take on the Great Danes of Albany. Albany is riding high after their week one upset of FBS Buffalo, and their decisive win last week against conference opponent Rhode Island. Holy Cross will look to improve on some mistakes from week two that led to them blowing an early lead in the second half of the game. Look for Albany to capitalize on their momentum from their 2-0 start.

 

Patriot League: Week 3 Preview

 

The third week of September traditionally means one thing, the start of Ivy League football. While some fans of other conferences can’t quite figure out Ancient Eight football, Patriot League followers have a great appreciation for these yearly battles. This week features games against teams that were picked 2nd, 4th, 5th and 8th in the Ivy League preseason poll. The only game outside of the Ivy League is a great one, Holy Cross vs #19 Albany. Fordham and Georgetown have the week off.

 #22 Colgate @ Yale – 17 Sept. 1:30 P.M. Yale Bowl New Haven, CT

(Ivy League Digital Network)

Coming off an early season bye, the Raiders (0-1) travel to New Haven, CT to face Yale (0-0) on Saturday afternoon. Colgate will hope the experience gained from the season opener against Syracuse and the additional week to prepare will help them get past the Eli. Yale defeated Colgate 29-28 in 2015 on their way to a 6-4 record. The Eli were picked 4th in the preseason Ivy League poll.

One major key for Colgate heading into this game will be stopping the run and getting their own rushing attack going.

Yale returns an experienced and talented stable of running backs that’s led by first team All-Ivy Leaguer DeShawn Salter (5’10 212). The junior running back will receive plenty of help from seniors Candler Rich and Dale Harris. All three backs produced at least one monster game last year (Salter 233 yards vs Lehigh, Rich 202 yards vs Columbia, Harris 177 yards vs Princeton).

Colgate will need to significantly improve upon their 45 yard output against Syracuse in the opener if they want to escape the Yale Bowl with a win. If the Raiders are to get their ground attack going they need to do a good job neutralizing defensive end Marty Moesta (6’6 254) and linebacker Matthew Oplinger (6’3 229). Colgate does catch a break in that Yale with be without two preseason All-League defensive players. Copache Tyler is taking the year off from school while Spencer Rymiszewski is still recovering from shoulder surgery.

Of Note: Yale leads the all-time series 28-11-3. The Eli are currently riding a three game winning streak in the series. Colgate’s last three wins over Yale have come in 2012, 2003 and 1998. The Raiders made the FCS/1-AA playoffs each of those years.

Lafayette @ Princeton – 17 Sept. 5:00 P.M. Princeton Stadium Princeton, NJ

(Ivy League Digital Network)

The Leopards (1-1) will look to get back on track this weekend as they take the short bus ride to face their old nemesis from the Ancient Eight, Princeton (0-0). The Tigers figure to once again present a very stern test for Lafayette. While Princeton was picked 5th in the Ivy league preseason poll they were only four points behind 3rd place Dartmouth. The Tigers landed four players on the first team All-Ivy League preseason team. Talented senior QB Chad Kanoff was on the second team. Princeton hammered Lafayette 40-7 last year in Easton to notch their 8th straight victory in the series.

In order for Lafayette to leave Old Nassau with a victory they will need to get the offense going. The Leopards have once against struggled to put up points out of the gate. They slugged out 24 against Central Connecticut State to open the year but were limited to two field goals last weekend in a 24-6 loss to Delaware. Getting going against Princeton might be easier said than done. The Tigers defense features a very experienced group (9 seniors, 2 juniors). The Lafayette offensive line must be able to assert itself against the veteran Tiger front early and often in order to take pressure off of quarterback Drew Reed.

The Leopard defense continues to play well despite being burdened with a lackluster offense to start the year. They will need to get after Kanoff early and often in order to disrupt the Tiger’s up-tempo offense. If the Leopards can force a few quick 3 and outs and win the time of possession battle they have a chance to pull the upset.

Of Note: There may not be a more lopsided out of conference series (Princeton leads 41-4-3) in all of college football than Lafayette-Princeton. Lafayette’s last win at Princeton came in 1982 when the Tiger still played at Palmer Stadium.

Lehigh @ Pennsylvania -17 Sept. 5 P.M. Franklin Field Philadelphia, PA

(Ivy League Digital Network)

For the second straight Saturday the Mountain Hawks (0-2) will face a Big 5 school on the gridiron. Instead of stopping along the posh Main Line, Lehigh will instead be venturing into the depths of Philadelphia to take on the Penn Quakers at Franklin Field.

Hopes are higher than the flying toast in Quaker land. Penn is coming off a seven win season and co-Ivy League Championship. The Quakers were picked to finish second in the league behind only Harvard whom they defeated 35-25 in Cambridge last season. Penn did receive more first place votes than the Crimson.

The Quakers are led by Ivy League preseason offensive player of the year Kyle Torgersen (6’3 225). The senior QB passed for 1,996 yards and 19 TD’s in 2015. It will be imperative for Lehigh’s front 7 to get pressure on Torgersen. Otherwise he will effectively be able to get the ball into his talented wide receivers hands. The most gifted of which is junior Justin Watson (6’3 210). He will be the biggest test for the Lehigh secondary to date. Torgersen will also have two dangerous running backs, Tre Solomon and Brian Schoenauer, at his disposal. The duo led a rushing attack the averaged 169 yards a game in 2015.

Lehigh’s chances of winning will likely come down to the offense finally breaking out. After averaging over 30 points in 2015 the unit has put up 21 in both games to start this season. Facing the Penn defense might what Mountain Hawks need to get going. The Quakers “D” struggled at times last year giving up 40 points on three occasions (Lehigh, Dartmouth, Fordham). Given the number of new faces (six starters with 2 or less career starts) and Lehigh’s weapons on offense, the Penn defense might once again struggle out of the gate. Penn will look to first team all-league LB Donald Panciello to lead the way.

Of Note: In 2002 Penn ended Lehigh’s nation leading 26 game regular season winning streak. Lehigh entered the game ranked #2 in the TSN Poll. It was their highest regular season ranking to date in school history.

Cornell @ Bucknell – 17 Sept. 6 P.M. Christy Mathewson Stadium Lewisburg, PA

(Patriot League Network)

Bucknell (1-1) hosts the Cornell Big Red in their 2016 home opener. There will be few secrets between the ‘Nells since this will be the 15th straight year the two have played.

The Bison were thoroughly outplayed by Duquesne last week in Pittsburgh. Cornell’s struggles go well beyond the last seven days. It’s been over a decade since they’ve posted a winning season. To make matters worse the Big Red have finished 1-9 the last two years.

There’s little doubt fourth year head coach David Archer’s rebuilding job remains a work in progress. It should come as no surprise that Cornell was picked to finish last in the Ivy League and had only one player make the All-League preseason first team. Not so ironically it’s the punter, senior Chris Fraser.

Bison quarterback R.J Nitti may return this week after being knocked out of the Duquesne game in the second quarter. If he’s able to go his presence alone should help the offense get back on track. If Matt Muh is once again pressed into action, Bucknell will hope RB Joey DeFloria can pick up some of the slack. The junior running back is averaging 121.5 (145 vs Marist, 98 vs Duq.) yards a game to begin the season. He should find success against a Big Red rush defense that allowed 189 yards per game in 2015. Another thing of note regarding the Cornell defense; only one starter will be a senior, OLB Jackson Weber (6’2 229).

This figures to be a fairly low scoring slugfest since both offenses are still a work in progress. Turnovers, special teams and field position will likely be the three areas where this game is won or lost.

Cornell is 7-3 against Bucknell over the last 10 years but the Bison have won the last two.

Of Note: Bucknell was shutout by Cornell in 18 of the first 27 meetings. That’s a stretch of games that spanned 90 years, 1888-1978. The Bison’s lone win during that time was ironically, a 4-0 blanking in 1891. Bucknell’s next win in the series? 10-0 in 1979

Holy Cross @ #19 Albany – 17 Sept. 7 P.M. Tom & Mary Casey Stadium Albany, NY

(Great Danes TV)

The Crusaders (1-1) will get another crack at a quality CAA team when they head to the Capitol District of New York to face the Danes (2-0) Saturday night. After falling to New Hampshire last week in a thrilling battle the Crusaders figure to be chomping at the bit to get back after it. They should have confidence heading into Saturday night’s game given their dominating 37-0 win over Albany last season in Worcester. That was the Crusader’s first win over a CAA member since a 42-21 victory over Northeastern in 2009.

Albany has gotten off to a surprising start. Their win over cellar dweller Rhode Island did not raise many eyebrows last weekend but taking down FBS Buffalo to begin the year certainly did. The Danes 2-0 start has been aided by a +6 turnover margin which is tied for tops in the country. Their offense has relied on the tough running of sophomore RB Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks (5’9 199). He’s averaging 141 yards a game and has 4 rushing touchdowns. The passing game has been slow out of the gates. Neven Sussman has passed for a grand total of 120 yards on 30 attempts.

If Holy Cross wants to head home victorious Peter Pujals must avoid the costly turnover(s). He had two fourth quarter interceptions last week against New Hampshire that went a long way in sealing the Crusaders fate. The stellar senior quarterback was otherwise great again. He’s averaging 374 total yards a game and has accounted 7 TD’s so far this season. Whoever wins the battle between Holy Cross’s high flying offense versus the Danes stingy defense (allowing11 ppg) will likely emerge victorious. Senior LB Abner Logan has led the Dane defense so far with 13 solo tackles and 1 TFL. The Maryland transfer missed all of last season due to injury.

Holy Cross wide receiver Brendan Flaherty might play after missing the New Hampshire game.

Of Note: Holy Cross’s 37 point win over Albany last year was their largest margin over victory over a current CAA member since 1988 when they blasted Rhode Island by 42 (49-7). Their legendary 1987 team beat William & Mary by 43 and Villanova by 33.

 

 

 

 

 

SOCON: Week 3 Preview

The SOCON slate for week 3 features a great conference matchup between Chattanooga and Furman, the return of ETSU to SOCON play, against WCU at Bristol Motor Speedway, OOC games against the Big South and OVC, and a Div II game. VMI and Samford are both idle. (SOCON Weekly Notes)

#9 Chattanooga at Furman 7pm (ESPN3) (UTC Game Notes)
UTC is coming off two dominating performances where they have totaled 100-0 on the scoreboard. Furman is still trying to gain a victory this season after playing Michigan St tough and losing a close one at The Citadel.  The Mocs defense has been awesome to say the least, even if it was against mediocre competition.  In 2 games they have allowed a combined total of 212 yards which is good enough for the top spot in FCS.  Furman has had trouble moving the ball averaging just 249 yards a game and converting under 30% on 3rd downs.  Furman QB P.J. Blazejowski needs a break out game. He is averaging just 53% completions, 162 yards a game passing with just 1 TD and 4 interceptions. On offense, the Mocs have moved the ball effortlessly gaining 468 yards a game with QB Alejandro Bennifield leading the way.  This week they face tougher competition in Furman and Bennifield will certainly be challenged.  Currently ranked second in the SOCON for total defense (behind UTC), Furman has allowed 330 yards a game including 181 on the ground.  But that was against a top tier FBS team and The Citadel’s option attack.  Mocs running back Derrick Craine has totaled 157 yards to date and Bennifield has tossed 414 yards and 8 TDs going a very respectable 19/26 on the year. Furman will have its hands full, but UTC will not run amok like they have been.  Look for special teams to have an impact. Currently, the Mocs punter is #2 in the nation with a ridiculously high 49.2 average. Talk about flipping the field.  For Furman this is a must win game. After going 4-10 in conference play over the last two years they need to turn it around and a victory over UTC would stop the bleeding. However, look for the Mocs to win a close one on the road in a hard fought battle.

#13 The Citadel at Gardner-Webb 6pm (Big South Network)  (The Citadel Game Notes)
It’s the Bulldogs against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.  The Citadel is off to a fast start going 2-0 in SOCON play to start the season.  G-W had a great opening when they dominated Elon on the road, but they faltered badly last week going down hard at Western Carolina 44-14.  Always a tough foe, the Runnin’ Bulldogs hope to pull off an upset in their home opener.  The Citadel has struggled on offense even if they got the wins so far.  Their veteran QB Dominique Allen served a one game suspension and was out for 4 weeks due to an injury to his hand.  He got some playing time last week and led a critical 4th quarter drive that proved to be the winning score.  On the day he went 3/3 through the air for 100 yards.  His arm must be ok even if he is a little rusty taking the snaps.  In the first 2 games the Citadel has averaged only 4.3 yards a carry which is well off their 5.9 average for 2015.  With new faces on the O-line, the coaching changes, and the QB situation, some turmoil was inevitable.  The Bulldogs hope that this is behind them and they can generate more offense to relieve their defense which has played some good ball in the first two games. The Citadel has grabbed 4 interceptions already and is on pace to exceed last year’s total of 20.  Allowing 332 yards a game (145 rushing/187 passing), the Bulldogs have only given up a respectable total of 4 TDs and 3 FGs in their first 2 games.  They know how to finish games as well allowing 0 points in the 4th quarter so far, and only giving up 53 total yards, combined for the final period of the first 2 games.  In addition to a sluggish offense, one other issue that has to be of concern to The Citadel is its kicking game.  A missed XP and 2 missed field goals of 42 and 44 by an FBS transfer grad student are troubling.  Gardner-Webb has totaled 598 yards on the ground in 2 games and moved the ball well against both Elon and WCU, even in a losing effort.  They had at least one long drive erased by a turnover last week.  G-W’s passing game is not explosive and the Bulldogs should be able to contain it.  Expect The Citadel to ramp up its option attack this week and win by a two to three scores on the road.

Western Carolina at ETSU 1:30pm (WCU Radio) (WCU Game Notes)
Talk about a venue for ETSU’s return to the SOCON!  The Bucs meet Western Carolina at the Bristol Motor Speedway in the second game played at this unique location.  For anyone who saw the Va Tech/Tennessee game played last week, it was obviously a special event.  While these two teams are not going to draw the attendance figures of that record breaking game, it is still a special venue and those who attend it will likely never forget the experience.  Western Carolina got mauled by ECU the first week out only to recover nicely against Gardner-Webb last week at home.  The Catamounts needed to replace their QB this year and they have done just that.  RS Freshman Tyrie Adams has led his offense for an average of 505 yards a game so far.  Hitting 70% of his passes, Adams has averaged 300 yards a game through the air and has 5 TDs.  He also has 3 interceptions, tossing 2 last week against Gardner-Webb.  Running back Detrez Newsmen had a slow start in game 1 at ECU, but got in the groove for 148 yards last week.  Overall, Western ran for 263 last week.  On defense the Cats allowed 271 on the ground, but allowed just 86 through the air as Gardner-Webb only went 11/25 passing.  ETSU was idle last week and has been basking in the glory of avenging their 2015 loss to Kennesaw St by upsetting them 20-17 in double overtime in week one.  It was their first win over a Div I team since returning to football in 2015 after 11 years in hibernation.  Going 2-9 last year, ETSU will have an uphill battle for at least a couple more years as they rebuild their team from the ground up. Their team consists of Fr, RSF, So, and a few Jr transfers.  WCU will lap ETSU a few times inside the track at Bristol.

Tennessee Tech at Mercer 4pm (ESPN3) (Mercer Game Notes)
After suffering a close loss at home to The Citadel in week 1, the Mercer Bears traveled to ACC stalwart Georgia Tech last week. Far from a blowout, the Bears held their own and showed that they are a contender in the SOCON in only their fourth season of fielding a team since WWII.  Bear QB John Russ is averaging 199 yards through the air and 49 on the ground each game.  Mercer has averaged 356 yards a game overall.  Running backs Payton Usher and Alex Lakes are both dangerous.  On defense the Bears have given up 313 per game on the ground, but considering that their opponent included two of the best FCS and FBS running teams, this is notable.  Last year the Bears lost to Tenn Tech on the road when the Golden Eagles scored late in the 4th quarter. Tenn Tech lost their opener to Wofford at home 21-7 and crushed Austin Peay on the road 41-7 this past week.  The Golden Eagle offense has averaged 375 a game including 246 through the air, but Mercer’s defense should limit their output if they can shift gears from concentrating on the run for the first 2 weeks of the season. If the Bears can generate a respectable offensive output they should win by 10 at home.

JC Smith at Wofford  3pm (ESPN3) (Wofford Game Notes)
The Golden Bulls of JC Smith travel to Spartanburg this week to face the Wofford Terriers.  Wofford is coming off a road victory over Tenn Tech in week 1 and a respectable showing in Oxford, Mississippi this past week where they lost to Ole Miss 38-13. After a relatively disappointing 5-6 season in 2015, the Terriers are hoping to rediscover their winning ways.  Averaging 346 yards a game with 290 on the ground, Wofford appears to have settled in with a primary QB in Brad Butler.  Last week against Ole Miss they managed to eke out 233 yards rushing and 72 in the air.  On defense they are allowing 336 yards a game including 229 through the air.   They should pad their offensive and defensive stats quite a bit this week against the DII Golden Bulls.  After some good reps for their starters, expect Wofford will go deep into the roster during the game.  Wofford will roll by 40+.

SLC: Week 3 Preview

After an interesting Week 2 in which perennial Southland bottom dweller Nicholls State almost took out Georgia, McNeese hanging in with Louisiana-Lafayette, and SFA almost falling to D2 West Alabama, I imagine that week 3 will have plenty of drama for the fans. Last week I was atrociously incorrect in my predictions, so let’s see how this week goes.

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Incarnate Word at Nicholls State

So riddle me this: how does Incarnate Word go from losing to D2 Texas A&M-Kingsville at home and go to Turpin Stadium on the road and beat Northwestern State?  An improved defense and solid play from quarterback Trent Brittain.  The Cardinals travel to the swamp to take on the Colonels in Thibodoux. The Colonels, fresh off of what could have been the biggest upset in FCS history (had they won), are going to be carrying that momentum into this week’s game. I think Nicholls gets their first conference victory of the year 24-21.

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Northwestern State at Central Arkansas

The Demons come in 0-2 after the fore mentioned loss to Incarnate Word and they do not have any sort of positive momentum heading into this game. UCA couldn’t do enough on the stripes last week, losing a close one to Southern Conference foe Samford, but the Bears should right the ship and handle the Demons easily. I look for UCA to win big here, 42-21.

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Stephen F Austin at McNeese State

Oh SFA, how it kills me to root for you sometimes. I was right in my estimate that the Jacks would play down to West Alabama, and it took a last second defensive play in the end zone to save the game . The only highs from that game were defense and special teams, and if Zach Conque cannot improve from last week, it’s time to can the nepotism and have him hold the clipboard.  McNeese hung in with Louisiana-Lafayette but just didn’t have enough to get the W. Given the advantage that the Hole gives McNeese, I think they get up early on SFA and never look back. 35-17 McNeese.

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Sam Houston State at Lamar

This is truly the game of the week in the Southland.  Last year, Lamar went into Huntsville and shocked the Kats, and I imagine the Kats spent their bye week looking at how to stop Kade Harrington, who is, in my opinion, the best running back in the conference.  An interesting tidbit for this game is that Lamar banned the local media from their practices, and it makes me wonder what Lamar has up their sleeve.  Even though this is in Beaumont, Sam has too many weapons and takes this 49-17.

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Abilene Christian at Houston Baptist

There isn’t that much to discuss here. ACU lost a barnburner to Northern Colorado and HBU is just awful.  ACU wins big 55-7.

The FCS Wedge – 2016-0914 – Big Sky SotC Show

What the heck is “SotC”?

State of the Conference.  These are short 8 to 10 minute shows we will be doing every few weeks.  Should be a different conference each week if I got my guess right.  This week, it is the Big Sky.

Kris & Lance go off roading after the normal show and go over some BSC stuff.Interesting listen on the Big Sky if you are into that sort of thing.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

FCS TV/Streaming Guide: Week 3

Once again I (FargoBison on AGS) have added the channel for each game that is on Direct TV. Lots of FCS action this week starting Thursday night.

TV Guide:
9/15
Arkansas Pine Bluff at Alcorn 6:30 p.m. ESPNU/WatchESPN 208
9/16
Rhode Island at Harvard 6 p.m. Comcast CA 665 and NESN+ 628-1
9/17
North Dakota State at Iowa 11 a.m. ESPN2
Richmond at Stony Brook 11 a.m. Comcast CA 698
SC State at Clemson 11 a.m. FSN: 628,631,646,654,662,683,686,687,693,694 / ECE: 788
Colgate at Yale 12:30 p.m. OWC 623
Eastern Illinois at Illinois State 2 pm. Comcast Chicago 665
JMU at North Carolina 2:30 p.m. FSN: 646,654,662,693, 642
Towson at Villanova 2:30 p.m. Comcast NE 630 and Comcast CA 698
Northern Colorado at CSU 3 p.m. Root Sports RM 683 and Root Sports SW 674
Western Oregon at Montana State 3 p.m. Altitude 681
South Dakota at North Dakota 4 p.m. FCS Pacific 608-1 and Midco
Cal Poly at SDSU 6 p.m. Midco
New Hampshire at Dartmouth 6 p.m. FCS Atlantic 608
SFA at McNeese State 6 p.m. MSG 634
NM Highlands at NAU 6 p.m. FSAZ+ 686-1
Northern Iowa at Eastern Washington 6 p.m. SWX
ACU at Houston Baptist 7 p.m. FCS Central 608-2

ESPN3
Dayton at Duquesne 11 a.m.
North Carolina A&T at Tulsa 1 p.m.
Eastern Illinois at Illinois State 2 p.m.
Eastern Kentucky at Ball State 2 p.m.
Johnson C. Smith at Wofford 2 p.m.
Monmouth at Kent State 2:30 p.m.
Robert Morris at Youngstown 3 p.m.
Tennessee Tech at Mercer 3 p.m.
Cal Poly at SDSU 6 p.m.
Murray State at Southern Illinois 6 p.m.
SFA at McNeese State 6 p.m.
Chattanooga at Furman 6 p.m.
Edward Waters at Jacksonville 6 p.m.
Grambling at Jackson State 6 p.m.
Liberty at SMU 6 p.m.
Sam Houston State at Lamar 7 p.m.

ESPN Extra:
Dayton at Duquesne 11 a.m. 789
Eastern Illinois at Illinois State 2 p.m. 792
JMU at North Carolina 2:30 p.m. 795
Robert Morris at Youngstown 3 p.m. 788
Cal Poly at SDSU 6 p.m. 789

Where to find other FCS games(FREE) online….
http://lsufootball.net/tvschedule.htm (Guide to all games on TV or online webcasts)
Big Sky Conference…http://eversport.tv/big-sky
Big South Conference…http://www.bigsouthsports.com/
Colonial Athletic Association…https://portal.stretchinternet.com/caa/
Northeast Conference…http://www.necfrontrow.com/
OVC Conference…http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/watch/
Patriot League…http://campusinsiders.com/network/patriot_league
SoCon Digital Network…http://www.socondigitalnetwork.com

Big South: Week 3 Preview (9/17)

(1-2)    Charleston Southern                         OPEN

There are not many teams in America who could use an open date more than Charleston Southern needs one right now.  A season that seemed to start off with such promise just three weeks ago has quickly spiraled downward.  Injuries, suspensions and – based on social media postings from the players and fans – a growing rift between the program and the CSU administration have all combined to turn the month of September into less of a campaign mode and more of a simple quest for survival.

What Charleston Southern needs to do in the bye week:  Heal up some injuries and catch their collective breath.  Thanks to NCAA issues, CSU may still be without some players the following week when they travel to Monmouth for a crucial Big South contest so getting everyone re-focused this week should be of highest priority.

Best case scenario for Charleston Southern – Silence.  No news is good news for CSU right now.

Worst case scenario – The opposite of that.

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(1-1) Kennesaw State   OPEN

KSU gets the weekend off before a big road test at Duquesne on September 24th.  Time to heal up starting QB Trey White and anyone else who’s injured.

What Kennesaw needs to do in the bye week – Rest.  Go to class.  Study film.  Stay away from the off-week parties.

Best case scenario for Kennesaw – Trey White comes out healthy from the week off.  Backup QB Chandler Burks did a perfectly good job against a bad NAIA program in Point but it’s possible that KSU could have had similar success in that game with a roasted hot dog playing the position.  Maybe the wiener would have bobbled a few snaps, sure, but its poise in the pocket would have been incredible.

Worst case scenario – Barring circumstances a little more Charleston Southern-esque, there isn’t a worst case scenario for KSU in the off week.

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(2-0)  Monmouth @ (1-1)  Kent State – Saturday, Sept 17th, 3:30pm (ESPN3)

The Monmouth Hawks take to the air this week to visit Kent State (I assume they’re taking to the air this week anyway; I can’t imagine they’re taking a 7-hour bus ride across the Great American Pothole Exposition, aka the Pennsylvania Turnpike).  After last year’s 31-10 loss at Central Michigan, this will be only Monmouth’s second ever meeting with an FBS opponent.

Kent State is 0-2 and reeling right now.  The Golden Flashes were picked to finish last in their division of the MAC to start the preseason.  After a 20-point loss at Penn State in which the offense never got in the end zone, Kent returned home and endured a game that featured a two-hour weather delay and four overtimes before the game after 1AM Sunday morning with a loss to FCS opponent, North Carolina A&T.  To top it off, the play that won the game for NCAT was only possible due to a completely phantom pass interference call on Kent – yes, I’m one of those people watching ESPN3 at 1:00 in the morning – made by the MAC officiating crew (yeah, those guys had a bad weekend).  That loss brings Kent’s record under 4th-year head coach Paul Haynes to 9-28.  Kent’s schedule also does them no favors as their next opponent after Monmouth is a trip to Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama.

Monmouth, on the other hand, is 2-0 after taking care of Lehigh and smacking Delaware State around for three quarters which was, apparently, enough.  Monmouth is dealing with an injury situation in their backfield as both starting running backs, Lavon Chaney and Zach Welch, went down with injuries in the Delaware State game and did not return.  MU head coach Kevin Callahan insists that both will be fully cleared to play at Kent State and that statement could be completely true or just be gamesmanship on his part.  This opponent is a significant step up in competition from Lehigh and Delaware State but, simply by virtue of the fact that they just lost to an FCS team, Kent is a winnable game for Monmouth.

What Monmouth has to do against Kent State – Offensively, MU needs to get the ball downfield.  This has not been their MO in the first two games, preferring a ground assault with Chaney and Welch and a short passing game from QB Cody Williams.  However, FBS depth aside, Kent appears to be weakest defensively in the secondary.  On defense, the Hawks have to play fast.  In their first two games, Kent hasn’t demonstrated the ability to do anything particularly well on offense.  Against NCAT, Kent put together 275 yards worth of offense which is not horrible until you realize that the game went four full overtimes.

Best case scenario for Monmouth against Kent State – Monmouth plays hard and fast in all phases.  Kent looked absolutely demoralized by the second OT against NCAT and will need a serious re-boot to find some success this year.  Monmouth has the chance to kick them while they’re down.

Worst case scenario for Monmouth – Chaney and/or Welch come back too soon and get re-injured.  Those two backs are must-have items for Monmouth this year.

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(0-2) Presbyterian @ (2-0) Campbell – Saturday, Sept 17th, 6:00pm (Big South Network)

Presbyterian College takes to the road for the third team in three weeks as they visit “the Creek” and Campbell University out of the Pioneer League. This will be only the second time the two teams have faced each other with PC taking the first game in the series last year, 23-13.

Comparing the results of the season to this point for each team is a study in opposites.  Campbell comes into the game 2-0 and in dominating fashion.  They’re averaging over 500 yards of offense and have outscored their first two opponents 106-21.  Now, granted, those first two opponents have been a couple of unfortunate D2 programs in Bluefield and Chowan.  Meanwhile, Presbyterian comes into the game 0-2, having been outscored 83-3 by Mike Gundy’s worst nightmare, FBS Central Michigan and SoCon power Chattanooga.  Campbell is a non-scholarship program on a roll and has the home field advantage.  Presby is a full-scholarship program but on the tail end of a three-game road swing to start the season.  Campbell has 13 transfer students from either FBS programs or FCS scholarship schools on the roster.  Presby has two.  Campbell has scored 13 touchdowns on the year spread over five players.  Presbyterian has scored 0 touchdowns on the year as an entire team.

Something’s got to give here.

A year ago, Presbyterian found itself in just about this same position; 0-2 against FBS Miami (OH) and FBS Charlotte to start the year before facing Campbell in Week 3.  That win over Campbell turned out to be one of only two wins on the year for PC as they subsequently went on a 7-game losing streak.   The Blue Hose relied heavily on the legs of RB Darrell Bridges, their only real offensive weapon, to get that win and it looks like that’s what they’ll have to do again.  On the other side of it, Campbell has never beaten an FCS scholarship program since they re-instated football in 2008 and, barring playoffs, this will be their only opportunity in 2016.  This is a big opportunity for the Camels.

What Presbyterian has to do against Chattanooga:  PC has to demonstrate which team is the scholarship program.  (Warning: bad metaphor approaching!) In recent years, the Blue Hose defense has been like a toddler on a sugar rush; everywhere at once, bouncing off the walls, brimming with energy and roaring at the top of its lungs while the PC offense has been that same toddler’s teddy bear, quiet, non-aggressive, sitting over in the corner and just waiting for a good cuddle.  So far this season, however, it seems that the sugar has finally worn off, the toddler has crashed and is now asleep in the middle of the floor, by which I mean that the PC defense has been fairly absent since the second quarter against Central Michigan. Te offense, well, the offense is still that teddy bear waiting for the toddler to pick it up.   5dimes currently has PC as a 5-point favorite at non-schollie Campbell but that would be a silly bet in my opinion.  I think PC needs to score 28 points here to win, something they haven’t done since 2014.

Best case scenario for PC – The PC defense gathers its pride and strongly re-asserts itself.  The offense takes advantage in the drop-off in competition and asserts…something.

Worst case scenario – Losing to a non-scholarship program is a very real possibility here.  If that happens, then a loss to D2 Florida Tech – who, theoretically, has more scholarship players than Campbell does – the following week is not unlikely either.  I don’t know how you come back from that to save your season.

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(2-0) The Citadel @ (1-1) Gardner-Webb  – Saturday, Sept 17th, 6:00pm (Big South Network)

The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs finally get off the road and begin the home portion of their schedule hosting The Citadel.  Surprisingly, the two schools that have both been playing football for the last 70 years and are less than 250 miles apart have only met once before on the field.  In 2014, the Bulldogs of The Citadel beat the Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb 37-14 in Charleston.

The Citadel comes into this week at 2-0 with a pair of gut-check 4th-quarter comeback wins on the road at Mercer and at home to arch-rival Furman.   The Citadel played the first game of the season without their starting quarterback who had been suspended for I-really-don’t-care-what.  Mercer and Furman are, obviously, both SoCon member so, oddly, this will be The Citadel’s first non-conference game of 2016.  They already seem to be rounding into mid-season form.

Gardner-Webb comes into this game after matching up well at Western Carolina for one half and then completely disintegrating in the second.    This will be Gardner-Webb’s only home game in the month of September as they travel to FBS Ohio the following week.

Statistically, the two programs are a match offensively which is unusual considering their style.  The Citadel’s triple option has ground out more than 400 yards rushing on the year with less than 200 yards through the air.  Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb plays more of a spread-based attack but has rushed for nearly 600 yards but has passed for only 9 more yards than The Citadel thus far on the season (195-186).  Gardner-Webb had some measure of defensive success against the triple-option in 2015 against Kennesaw State.  They kept KSU out of the end zone completely though they gave up four field goals and lost the game, 12-7.

What Gardner-Webb has to do against The Citadel:  Make the halftime adjustment.  Against Western Carolina, the GWU defense never really stopped WCU’s offense in the first half but they did slow it down by getting timely turnovers.  G-W was also moving the ball at will in the first half but Western made adjustments at the half and the Bulldogs’ offensive charge turned into a slow crawl.  The result was a record night for the opponent.

Best case scenario for Gardner-Webb – The Runnin’ Bulldogs enter the 4th quarter with a two-score lead. The (other) Bulldogs have proven the last two weeks that they can come from behind if they only have to score once to win.  But, in an offense that prioritizes possession over explosiveness, that second score could be difficult.

Worst case scenario for Gardner-Webb – The (other) Bulldogs enter the 4th quarter with a two-score lead.  At that point, The Citadel’s ability to simply hold the ball becomes Gardner-Webb’s nemesis.

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 (1-1) Liberty @ (1-1)  SMU – Saturday, Sept 17th  7:00pm EST (ESPN3, LFSN)

This will be Liberty’s first ever trip to Southern Methodist and first ever game against a member of the American Athletic Conference (the Flames have played UConn, UCF, and USF when they were under different conference banners).  This will also be the first game that Liberty has played in the state of Texas since a 17-14 win at Southwest Texas State in 1993.  The contest has special significance to a number of LU players and coaches as head coach Turner Gill, several assistant coaches and a full 10% of the Flames roster are native Texans.

SMU comes into the game at 1-1.  They got off to a good start by handily defeating Portland State’s 2015 Personal Punching Bag, the University of North Texas by the score of 34-21.  Then they went out and hung with Big XII opponent Baylor for a half before falling, 40-13.  Unfortunately, it was revealed this week that SMU’s starting quarterback tore his ACL against UNT and will miss the remainder of the 2016 season.  SMU is in head coach Chad Morris’ second year of trying to reclaim what was referred to under his predecessor as the “worst college football program in America”.  Morris has recruited some outstanding young talent to SMU but, having lost to FCS James Madison in 2015, it’s hard to imagine that the Mustangs are overlooking the Flames in this game.

Liberty comes in also at 1-1 with a loss to FBS Virginia Tech and a dominating win over Jacksonville of the Pioneer League.

Defensively, LU is playing really fast right now but it will be interesting to see what Liberty’s plan is on offense for this game.  SMU advertises itself as an “up-tempo” team, as were Georgia State, Appalachian State and Old Dominion when the Flames played them.  In those games, Liberty appeared to make a conscious effort to slow the game down on offense, run the ball between the tackles and keep the other teams’ explosive offense on the sidelines.  That plan worked.  Liberty beat GSU and ASU and held a 10-point lead over ODU in the final minutes by pounding the ball inside and dominating time of possession.  Now, however, the Flames have moved to an up-tempo offense themselves.  If the last two weeks are any indication, Liberty still plans to run the ball but the question will be how much time rolls off the clock between carries.

What Liberty has to do against SMU –Continue to take the ball away on defense.  The LU D has picked up 8 turnovers in the first two games and continuing that trend will be paramount this week against a very talented but also very young SMU squad.

Best case scenario for Liberty against Virginia Tech – The Liberty offense sustains drives.  You can go up-tempo and still control the clock if you’re getting first downs.

Worst case scenario for Liberty – The make the same mistakes as they did against Virginia Tech.  SMU is a more winnable game than VT but a pile of procedure penalties and turnovers like they had against the Hokies will doom their efforts again.