The FCS Wedge

MVFC Preview 2015.12

MVFC Week 12 Preview

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | November 19, 2015

JT Says-

South Dakota @ Illinois State
South Dakota has already upset North Dakota State this season. I got a hunch they do it again this week against Illinois State. Illinois State’s defense has looked suspect recently. They gave up over 500 yards to Southern Illinois, 465 yards to South Dakota State, and 353 yards to Indiana State. The running game has been great for the Redbirds but the Coyote defense will be a much tougher test than the Saluki’s were last week. South Dakota led into the 4th quarter against the Jackrabbits last week. Ryan Seager has been overlooked in South Dakota but he has put up 15 touchdowns and 2311 yards thru the air and on the ground. He’s been solid all season and will have a career day as the Coyotes find a way to knock off the Redbirds.

South Dakota State @ Western Illinois
Better late than never for both teams last week. The Jackrabbits scored 20 points in the 4th quarter including a pick 6 so come from behind against South Dakota. Western Illinois needed overtime to beat Indiana State which ended a 3 game skid. That win will be short-lived though, as South Dakota State is a vastly superior team to both Indiana State and Western Illinois. SDSU has won 3 straight including knocking off Illinois State who was #2 in the nation at the time. Taryn Christion has filled in nicely for Zach Lujan, throwing for over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns combined in the air and on the ground. The premiere player for the Jackrabbits is wide out Jake Wieneke who has 10 touchdowns on 1226 yards receiving on 57 receptions. Nobody has stopped Jake at this point, and I just don’t see the Leathernecks being the defensive squad to do it. The Leathernecks hang around but fade late and SDSU picks up the win.

Southern Illinois @ Northern Iowa
The high power offense against the toughest defense in the Valley. Southern Illinois and Mark Iannotti have put up some video game numbers this season but that will come to an end as will the Saluki season. The Panther defense is the best in the conference and with another win here, should be enough for the playoffs. The UNI running game is firing on all cylinders right now and SIU’s defense allowed Illinois State 372 rushing yards last week. UNI will match that and could put up another 400 yards. Mark Iannotti will get to 3000 yards in this game. His stats are sick 2931 yards passing on 248-376 for 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, a 66% completion percentage, and averaging 293.1 yards per game. He’s also added 9 touchdowns on the ground. However, Tim Kilfoy and Deiondre’ Hall will be ready and continue the string of UNI interceptions. And the Panthers should roll at home in the UNI dome.

Chad says-

Youngstown State @ Indiana State
How do to the Penguins recover from last week’s collapse? They may still feel as though that pass interference was a bad call, no matter what the photo and video evidence shows. Pelini has never had a team playing for nothing going into the last week of the season. How does he handle it? I’m not sure that this Penguin team, or any team following Pelini’s lead, has the mental makeup to overcome the perceived slight. I’m not sure Indiana State will have much “go get em” this week either, with how they lost last week. I think the Sycamores come out with more fire and take this one, in ugly fashion.

Missouri State @ North Dakota State
The Bears have given up over 5,300 yards this season, which is over 400 more than anyone else in the nation. They’ve also given up 3,000 yards on the ground. Their average score this year is 48-10. There’s nothing I can say to make this game sound any better than a scrimmage. UNI ran for over 400 yards last week, running dive play after dive play. This will be a name your score game for the Bison. The starters will be pulled real early and be well rested for the playoffs.

TIME (CT)	MATCHUP	TV
12.00	South Dakota @ Illinois State	ESPN3
12.05	Youngstown State @ Indiana State	ESPN3
1.00	South Dakota State @ Western Illinois	ESPN3
2.30	Missouri State @ North Dakota State	ESPN3
4.00	Southern Illinois @ Northern Iowa	ESPN3

Big Sky Preview 2015.12

BSC Week 12 Preview

Kris Kallem & Lance Berndt, BSC Contributors | November 19, 2015

Lance says-

#19 Montana @ Montana State
For a while it was looking like the 115th Brawl of the Wild was going to only have implications on the rivalry itself and nothing beyond that. The Griz have picked up two key wins, though, and a win against the Cats would give them a very good chance at being selected into the playoffs, while also having an outside chance at being a conference champion. For most of the season, it was looking like this was setting up to be a very high scoring game. Both teams have picked up their defense lately, and the defenses almost always step up in the Brawl. Mac Bignell has become one of the cornerstones of the Bobcat defense and being from Drummond, Montana, this rivalry means more to him than many others who will be playing. Bignell comes from a family of Bobcat football alumnae and from a football powerhouse school that has produced stars for both Montana and Montana State. On the Griz side, I have to mention Brady Gustafson, but first and foremost, Connor Lebsock comes to mind. With three older brothers and a father who all played for the Griz, the Lebsock family has proudly stamped itself in Montana football lore. Now with Brady Gustafson, being the starting quarterback in the Brawl of the Wild has been a title for many graduates from the city of Billings. Gustafson will become the next man in line for that job after spending 3 seasons on the sidelines and 18 years before that dreaming of playing in this game. All three players and many more on both rosters represent the kind of history that this game is all about. On the field, this should be yet another exciting game. The Montana task will be stopping Dakota Prukop, especially considering his mobility. Montana has struggled defending mobile quarterbacks. The Bobcats have struggled against the run, so players like John Nguyen, Jeremy Calhoun, and Joey Counts could factor greatly into the Grizzly offense. With Gustafson back, the crazy Stitt offensive scheme will also be in full force.

#16 Northern Arizona @ #13 Southern Utah
The Grand Canyon rivalry is a relatively new one, but the game has had playoff implications for the last several seasons. This year, the Big Sky championship is on the line. If Southern Utah wins, they will be the sole champions. If Northern Arizona wins, they will share it at least with the T-Birds, and also possibly with Portland State or Eastern Washington, and Montana if they can win. Also, with both teams having a pretty weak D2 opponent on their respective schedules, they both need this game to have a much better chance to reach the playoffs. You couldn’t have more of a difference in age at the QB position between the two starters. Case Cookus is just a freshman and a 2014 HS graduate. Ammon Olsen graduated high school back in 2009, and to put that into perspective, when he started his senior season, George Bush was still President. On the field, Cookus plays like a veteran, though. Just recently he broke a freshman record previously held by Ricky Santos. For FCS fans, that’s quite an achievement to outperform the former New Hampshire legend. Ammon Olsen has been able to hold his own as well this season and has been an intricate part in the T-Birds success this season. While NAU may have the advantage on offense, Southern Utah likely has the better defense. Up front they have Buck Buchanan candidate James Cowser and also solid stronghold Taylor Nelson. In the middle are stars Mike Needham and Miles Killebrew, while Matt Holley controls the back end. The T-Bird defense has held their Big Sky conference opponents an average of 16 points under their season points per game average. Southern Utah does have the home field advantage, but in this rivalry, that hasn’t mattered since Northern Arizona won at home in 2009. It should be a great game in Cedar City.

UC-Davis @ Sacramento State
Sure it’s a battle for last place in the conference, but the Causeway Classic is still a rivalry game with a long history. This will be the 63rd matchup in the series with UC-Davis winning 18 of the last 23. The Hornets have faced a very tough schedule this season, but have competed better than expected considering they lost so much of their offense from last year. Since taking over the reins of the QB position midway through the season, freshman Nate Ketteringham has done pretty well. Shane Harrison has become his favorite target, and they will have one more game to play together. For UC-Davis, it may very well be redshirt freshman CJ Spencer, who held his own passing for 300 yards against Cal Poly last weekend. The two teams are 12th and 13th in scoring offense, so defensive players could be the big playmakers in this game. Hornet senior Darnell Sankey should be the leading contender to make a difference. He leads the conference with 136 tackles and also has 3.5 sacks on the year.

Kris Says-

Abilene Christian @ Northern Colorado
Despite the 3-7 record, Abilene Christian nearly knocked off top 5 McNeese and is coming off of a nice win last week against Southeastern Louisiana. The Bears have a chance for their first winning season since moving up to Division I. Both teams are near the bottom of the FCS in total defense, so expect a high scoring affair.

Idaho State @ Weber State
After three straight, two-win seasons, it’s good to see the Wildcats bounce back this year. With quality victories against North Dakota and Montana, they are probably just a missed field goal at Eastern Washington away from making the playoffs. Idaho State on the other hand has had a miserable season and has been looking to next year for quite some time now. The Wildcats should roll.

Portland State @ Eastern Washington
In just two weeks, Eastern has gone from talk of being a potential seed to desperately needing a win just to have a shot at making the field of 24. Portland State IS still playing for a potential seed and perhaps a top 4 at that. Portland State’s rushing attack creates a huge mismatch for the Eagles who are to second to last in the Big Sky in stopping the run. But Eastern’s bigger problems might lie with an offense that is scoring less than 20 points per game over the last three.

North Dakota @ Cal Poly
This is a strength on strength matchup as the nation’s leading rushing attack in the Mustangs faces the #7 rushing D in North Dakota. If North Dakota wins, they have a very real shot at receiving an at-large bid. Cal Poly is way better than their record indicates and would love to prove it by spoiling North Dakota’s playoff ambitions. This has the makings of a really great game.

TIME (ET)	MATCHUP	TV
2:00 PM	Abilene Christian @ Northern Colorado	Big Sky Conference
2:00 PM	Montana @ Montana State	Root Sports
3:00 PM	Idaho State @ Weber State	Fox Sports Arizona
5:00 PM	Northern Arizona @ Southern Utah	Big Sky Conference
5:05 PM	Portland State @ Eastern Washington	SWX Spokane
5:30 PM	UC Davis @ Sacramento State	Comcast Sportsnet CA
9:05 PM	North Dakota @ Cal Poly	Big Sky Conference

MVFC Review 2015.11

MVFC Week 11 Review

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | November 17, 2015

JT Says-

Western Illinois 37 vs Indiana State 30 OT
Where the defense? The teams combined for 67 points, 49 first downs, 163 plays, and 940 yards of offense. But one big defensive play was a blocked extra point in the 4th quarter that set up overtime. Western Illinois running back Nikko Watson scored on a 1 yard run in overtime to seal the deal for the Leathernecks. He finished with 153 yards on 30 carries and 3 touchdowns. 30 carries and his longest run was only 22 yards. His workload was equaled by his quarterback, Sean McGuire who was 29-44 for 332 yards a touchdown and 2 interceptions. He also ran 6 times for 27 yards and another score. Joey Borsellino had 187 yards on 10 catches and a touchdown as well. Sycamore quarterback Matt Adam also had 44 pass attempts connecting on 25 of them for 261 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He added a score on the ground on 7 attempts for 9 yards. Western Illinois is now given up 236 points, the 4th most in conference play. Every game has been close except for the the North Dakota State blow out loss and a win in the South Dakota route.

North Dakota State Bison 27 vs Youngstown State 24
The days of Bison dominance have past. The days of Bison victories and conference titles, have not. Youngstown led 24-10 as the 3rd quarter expired. But the Bison came back in true Bison fashion scoring a touchdown with 35 seconds to play. Easton Stick continues to shine rushing 15 times for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He threw 18 times connecting 9 times with no touchdowns or interceptions. Youngstown was lead by Jody Webb with a 132 yards on just 5 carries and 2 scores to go with 3 receptions for 57 yards. Youngstown committed 2 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on their final drive to negate any chance of forcing overtime. Even a pass interference penalty of 4th and 36 wasn’t enough for the Penguins and the Bison survive, again.

Northern Iowa 41 vs Missouri State 0
Another week, another Missouri State loss. UNI’s defense notched it’s first shutout of the season with a 41-0 victory. Missouri State did actually get to the red zone but instead of settling for a chip shot field goal, they went for it on 4th and 1 and failed. UNI held Missouri State to 43 rushing yards, 96 passing yards, 139 total yards and only 6 first downs. Meanwhile UNI rushed for 439 yards, passed for 73, 512 total yards and 25 first downs. Tyvis Smith rushed 56 yards for the first touchdown of the day. He finished with 146 yards on 16 carries.Panther quarterback Aaron Bailey ran 19 times for 176 yards and 4 straight touchdowns. Eli Dunne relieved him in mop up duty and ran for a touchdown. No touchdowns for the Panther defense this week but Deiondre Hall with yet another interception. Isaac Ales also recorded 2 sacks. Missouri State has been outscored 127-7 in their last 3 games.

Chad says-

South Dakota State 30 South Dakota 23
The Coyotes came out the aggressors and lead at the end 3 of the 4 quarters, unfortunately for the Yotes it was the 4th quarter that they didn’t lead at the end of. The Jackrabbits continue to run two quarterbacks onto the field to play the “hot hand”. That hot had was Zach Lujan in the 4th quarter. Christion was just 9-19 with a pick through the first three quarters. Lujan came in an on the first play he hit Jake Wieneke for a 34 yard gain, setting up a 2 yard score to bring SDSU to within a score. The very next drive Lujan once again hit Wieneke for a pair of passes totaling 47 yards. Those also set up a 2 yard score to give the Jacks the lead. Just 73 seconds later Nick Farina picked off Ryan Seager and returned it for the deciding touchdown. I must say, this game lived up to the pregame rivalry hype.

Illinois State 42 Southern Illinois 21
The two best offenses in the league managed to score a total of 0 points in the first quarter. They then scored 35 points in the second, with SIU taking a 21-14 half time lead. At that point Illinois State kept scoring and SIU, once again, seemed to quick. The Redbirds scored 21 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half and broke the Salukis. The Redbirds rode Coprich’ 254 yards to the win. Concerning though, is the continued struggles of Tre Roberson. He was just 4-13 for 88 yards. The only Saluki that didn’t quit last weekend? Mark Iannotti. He threw 63 passes, completed 42 of them, for 329 yards and 3 scores. He also carried the ball 24 times for 94 yards. That’s impressive, no matter how you want to look at it. If he repeats that kind of game play next week in the UNIDome, I fear for his safety.

Players of the Week

Offense
RB Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State, 5-9, 205, Sr., Victorville (Calif.) Oak Hills High

Senior running back Marshaun Coprich has put up stellar performances all season, but he saved his best performance of the year for when it counted the most. The Victorville, Calif., rushed for a season-high 254 yards and three touchdowns against the Salukis, as the Redbirds scored six times total on the ground and amassed a season-high 372 rushing yards in the 42-21 victory. The 254 yards were four short of his career best, set last season in the FCS playoffs at Eastern Washington, and rank No. 4 on the ISU single-game list. His 254 yards also led the entire country (both FBS and FCS) on Saturday and the 100-plus yard rushing performance was his eighth of the season and 21st in the last 25 games overall.

Defense
FS Nick Farina, South Dakota State, 5-11, 185, So., Phoenix (Ariz.) Desert Vista High

Farina tallied a career-high 10 tackles and returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown in South Dakota State’s 30-23 win at South Dakota on Nov. 14. Farina’s interception return capped a 20-point fourth quarter for the Jackrabbits and proved to be the decisive score in the South Dakota Showdown Series game. Farina broke up another pass as the Jackrabbits remained undefeated on the road this season.

Newcomer
QB Aaron Bailey, UNI, 6-2, 226, Jr., Bolingbrook (Ill.) High/Illinois

For the second consecutive week, Bailey punched in four rushing touchdowns, leading UNI to a 41-0 shutout win over Missouri State. He finished the game with 19 carries for 161 rushing yards, adding 61 yards through the air. He now has 14 rushing touchdowns on the season, one shy of tying the school record for rushing scores in a season by a quarterback (Tirrell Rennie, 15 in 2010). His 26-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter was his third longest of the season. His eight rushing TDs in the past two weeks leads all of Division I.

Newcomer
QB Sean McGuire, Western Illinois, 6-3, 220, Fr., Franklin (Wis.) High

McGuire made his first collegiate start a memorable one, throwing for 332 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 28 yards and another score, in the overtime win. McGuire threw a team season-long 78-yard pass to Joey Borsellino as he finished 29-of-44 passing. Western trailed by 17 points early in the second half before he led the Leathernecks to the second-biggest comeback in program history. It is believed to be the biggest passing yardage debut for a freshman making their first WIU start. McGuire returned to practice last week after missing the last three weeks battling a case of Mononucleosis and he found out Friday afternoon he was going to get the start after hearing news on Trenton’s appendix.

Big Sky Review 2015.11

BSC Week 11 Review

Lance Berndt & Kris Kallem, BSC Contributors | November 17, 2015

Kris Says-

North Dakota 45 Northern Colorado 14
North Dakota churned out 408 yards rushing including John Santiago’s 180 to lead 45-0 at half. Iwarri Smith and Kyle Norberg chipped in with scores of their own and the North Dakota defense did their part holding the Bears to just 275 yards of total offense. With quality wins over FBS Wyoming and Portland State, North Dakota has built a solid resume for an at-large bid.

Northern Arizona 49 Sacramento State 35
Lumberjack quarterback Case Cookus continues his impressive season passing for 408 yards and 6 touchdowns against the Hornets. Sacramento State had some success as well with Nate Ketteringham throwing for 4 touchdowns and the Hornets gaining a total of 472 yards in total offense.

Cal Poly 55 UC Davis 38
Cal Poly rolls up an impressive 669 yards of total offense as quarterback Chris Brown throws for 3 scores, rushes for one, and catches a touchdown pass for another. With one of the toughest schedules in the FCS, Cal Poly might be the best 4-6 team in the country.

Lance says-

Montana 57 Eastern Washington 16
The last time Eastern Washington lost by more than 40 points to an FCS team was 20 years ago in a 63-7 loss to, you guessed it, Montana. It’s rare to see such a blowout loss for the Eagles, but that’s what happened last Saturday. The Grizzlies jumped on Eastern early and often, getting off to a 27-3 lead before 20 minutes had passed in the game. Griz RB Jeremy Calhoun scored the first three TDs of the game on short runs. A steady combination of backfield pressure from the Montana defense and QB Brady Gustafson, who played his game in nearly two months, helped Montana step on the gas pedal rather than let Eastern back into the game. It was a sloppy game when it came to turnovers. Both teams lost 3 fumbles, but the Eagles also threw 3 interceptions. JR Nelson hand one of those interceptions and returned it for a touchdown for the second straight game. Herbert Gamboa also had a fumble recovery return for a touchdown. Of all the people happy that Gustafson was back, Jamaal Jones had to be right up there as he hauled in 6 receptions for 156 yards and 1 TD.

Montana State 44 Idaho State 20
Is Montana State’s defense finally figuring out what to do to stop the other team? It sure looked like they had things figured out for most of the game holding the Bengals scoreless through the first 34 minutes. It was a very efficient game on both sides of the ball for the Bobcats. Dakota Prukop passed for 4 touchdowns to 4 different receivers. Chad Newell ran for 110 yards on 18 carries. Mac Bignell led the defense with 9 total tackles, 4 of those for a loss, and one sack. Xavier Finney had a good running game for the Bengals tallying 145 yards on just 15 carries. Back to Montana State, kicker Luke Daly had arguably the best game an FCS kicker has had this season. He was 3 for 3 on field goals from distances of 57, 53, and 29 yards. He also was a perfect 5 for 5 on extra points. The 57 yard field goal is tied for the longest an FCS kicker has had this season.

Portland State 24 Southern Utah 23
It was set up to be the game of the week, and the matchup did not disappoint the fans. Neither team led by more than a touchdown in this back and forth battle. Southern Utah did seem to be more successful on offense, doubling Portland State in first downs and out-gaining them by 173 yards. The Viking defense held strong once the T-Birds reached their end of the field, though. The Portland State defense made big plays all game. As a team they racked up 4 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 9 tackles for loss. DB Patrick Onwuasor had one of those INTs and leads the FCS with 9 on the season. For Southern Utah, QB Ammon Olsen had a pretty good game passing for 384 yards and 2 TDs. He had those 3 INTs, but still a chance to take the lead with just over a minute to play on a two point conversion attempt. He had a wide open receiver in the middle of the field, but he fired a 98 mph fastball at his feet and the Vikings held on for the big win. WR Mike Sharp had a big game for the Thunderbirds hauling in 10 passes for 197 yards and 2 TDs.

Players of the Week:

Offense

For the offense it is once again freshman QB Case Cookus from Northern Arizona. He was 25 of 33 for 407 yards and 6 TDs pushing his season total to 33, which is an FCS Freshman Record. He also ran for a TD. It’s safe to say, the rest of the Big Sky is hoping he gets a call up to a big FBS school.

Defense
On defense we have a shared title. First is Xavier Coleman from Portland State. The Viking DB made two key interceptions, both near the PSU goal line, in the big win over Southern Utah.

The other winner is Montana Defensive Lineman Tyrone Holmes. He swarmed the backfield all game and racked up 3 sacks adding up to 14 on the season, which leads the FCS.

Special Teams
On special teams, it is of course the aforementioned Luke Daly of MSU. His 57 yard field goal was the longest ever kicked by a visitor at Idaho State. Daly is also the only FCS kicker this season to record two 50 plus yard field goals in one game. He’s just a sophomore, but he’s 8 for 9 on the season and 50 for 50 on extra points.

ICYMI: Week 11

TSOTN Week 11

National Notes Week 11

Kevin Marshall, National Contributor | November 13, 2015

The State of the Nation

The Reviews

Living on the edge finally caught up to a couple of top teams and upsets abounded last week in the FCS!

Jacksonville State solidified their hold on the top spot in the Anygivensaturday.com Top 25 poll by beating their second straight opponent who entered the contest undefeated in the Ohio Valley Conference. Eastern Illinois was the victim last week losing 24-3 to the Gamecocks. Eli Jenkins and the Gamecock offense get a lot of press but their defense is really playing well. That defense has given up three points in the last eight quarters.

Illinois State was one of the upset victims. South Dakota State used an improving offensive attack led by Freshman Quarterback Taryn Christion to beat the Redbirds. Christion gives the Jackrabbits an extra dimension with his ability to move around in the pocket and run with the football. When he is in there the defense must account for him and that leaves a a lot of man to man opportunities for his receivers down the field. Jackrabbit wideout Jake Wieneke is having another exemplary campaign. Last week he became just the second Jackrabbit to post consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. Christion and Wieneke could lead SDSU a long way in the future.

Chattanooga finally ran out of mojo on the road in front of a packed house at Mercer. The Bears forced 4 turnovers, including an interception while protecting the 17-14 lead with about 4 minutes remaining in the game, and beat the Mocs. Mercer is going to be tough in 2016. The loss by Chattanooga makes the game on Saturday against The Citadel a must win if the Mocs are to make the playoffs.

It’s a mess in the Colonial Athletic Association. Six teams are in position to be in the postseason. Richmond, who looked to be in the catbird seat, lost to New Hampshire 30-25. Wildcat Senior Quarterback Sean Goldrich proved again how important he is to UNH. Goldrich threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Goldrich is more than just his stat line. UNH looks like a different team since he has come back from injury. His leadership just may lead the Wildcats to the postseason. Towson beat Maine 10-7 in an old school CAA game that featured defense, hard hits, and guts. Towson keeps winning and are solidly in the discussion for an at-large bid to the national playoffs.

North Dakota State racked up over 500 yards of total offense for the second consecutive week. Quarterback Easton Stick threw touchdowns to four different receivers in his home debut as the Bison signal caller. NDSU seems to be playing their best football at the right time of the year once again.

McNeese State clinched the Southland Conference Title and punched their ticket to the playoffs by defeating Sam Houston State 27-10. The key to this one was the ability of the Cowboy defense to get off of the field on third down. McNeese held the Bearkats to just 4-15 on the penultimate down. Cowboy quarterback Daniel Sams had 332 total yards in the victory.

Eastern Washington and Portland State were both upset in Big Sky Conference action. Portland State was shocked by Northern Colorado and Eastern was blown out by Northern Arizona. The UNC Bears went 88 yards in just five plays and scored the game winning touchdown with 23 seconds remaining to win 35-32. The Eagles ran into a Lumberjack offense that has really been putting on a show lately. NAU put up 52 points and the ‘Jacks defense limited EWU to 30. This is the third straight week Northern Arizona has scored 50 points.

Charleston, South Carolina is now the home of two conference champions. The Charleston Southern Buccaneers and The Citadel Bulldogs both earned at least a share of their conference crown last week. CSU beat Kennesaw State 29-14 and The Citadel retained possession of the coveted Silver Shako by whipping military rival Virginia Military Institute 35-14. The Citadel’s victory, coupled with Chattanooga’s loss to Mercer, gave the Cadets just their third Southern Conference Championship in school history. Both Head Coaches should be on all the ballots for the Eddie Robinson Award.

The Interviews

In the Voices of the FCS segment this week Mr. Tyler Merriam, Voice of the SDSU Jackrabbits, joins us to talk about his craft and the Jackrabbits. Mr. Brandon Lawrence, of Thefcswedge.com, stops by to discuss the CAA playoff picture and a few other leagues too. Tune in and hear what these gentlemen have to say.

The Previews

Towson at William and Mary
Towson has shown a lot of heart and have proven how tough they are. William and Mary is just too good up front and running back Kendell Anderson will have holes to run through. Tribe 21-13.

Richmond at Villanova
Villanova, like Towson, has really played themselves back into playoff consideration if they can win out. Richmond needs to rebound after a very disappointing loss to New Hampshire one week ago. The Spiders get back on track this week. Richmond 23-17.

Illinois State @ Southern Illinois
I fear the Salukis are headed for the Old Yeller treatment in this one. After the Redbird loss last week I wouldn’t want to play them this week. Brock Spack will have his boys fired up and ready to go. ISU 31-17.

North Dakota State @ Youngstown State
The Penguins got well against Missouri State last week but this Bison team is finally playing up to their potential. NDSU will win on the road 31-20.

South Dakota State @ South Dakota
The Coyotes can play with anyone but the Jackrabbits are rolling into the postseason. SDSU 34-13.

Lehigh @ Colgate
The Colgate defense has been playing very well lately. They rush the passer well and are stout against the run. Lehigh will have trouble moving the ball and Colgate will not. Colgate 28-20.

The Citadel @ Chattanooga (AGS Game of the Week)
There has been a lot of chatter this week about Chattanooga being exposed in their loss last week to Mercer. I don’t think so. Like most other teams they turned the ball over and they got beat. The Citadel is playing for the outright SoCon title and the best the Mocs can hope to do is share it with the Cadets. Chattanooga must have this one to be playoff eligible. I think they get it. Chattanooga at home 23-21.

Liberty @ Charleston Southern
The Flames are out. Charleston Southern has the best defense in the FCS and they show it. Bucs 28-17.

Central Arkansas @ Nicholls State
The Bears are good and will be a solid playoff team if they can get there. Central Arkansas on the road 35-21.

Montana State @ Idaho State
The Bengals are down after suffering a bizarre and disappointing loss to Montana last week. The Bobcats are coming off of a loss to Southern Utah. Bobcats 34-31.

Southern Utah @ Portland State
This should really be a good one. The Vikings lost a lot of momentum last week and will be looking to regain it. Southern Utah keeps rolling behind a talented defense. Thunderbirds Are Go! 38-35.

Eastern Washington @ Montana
The Griz have new life after winning one last week they probably shouldn’t have. The Eagles are hurting after getting whipped by NAU. EWU Coach Beau Baldwin earns his pay this week. Eastern Washington 38-31.

Big Sky Preview 2015.11

BSC Week 11 Preview

Kris Kallem & Lance Berndt, BSC Contributors | November 12, 2015

Kris Says-

Northern Colorado @ North Dakota
Both teams have an outside shot at a playoff birth but Northern Colorado is the least likely with a Division II win on the schedule. North Dakota is 1st in the conference against the run and John Santiago is leading the conference in rushing yards per game. This doesn’t bode well for a Bears defense that is giving up an average of 208 yards on the ground. Northern Colorado does lead the nation in kickoff and punt returns and I think they’ll need to have success there and force a few takeaways against a turnover prone UND to pull out the win.

Montana State @ Idaho State
Montana State has really struggled on defense but Idaho State might even be worse, ranking dead last in the Big Sky against the run at 270 yards per game. The Bengals are also last in turnover margin at a whopping -18. One bright spot has been the secondary which has played well, but I don’t think that will be enough to keep up with the Bobcats.

Sacramento State @ Northern Arizona
An obvious trap game here with Southern Utah coming up for NAU. The Jack’s play great in the dome though and Sacramento has nothing left to play for. Keep an eye on Northern Arizona quarterback Case Cookus. He’s still leading the nation in passing efficiency and has thrown 27 touchdowns against only 3 picks. Cookus has a real shot at winning the Jerry Rice Award this year.

Lance says-

#16 Eastern Washington @ ORV Montana
This is usually a bigger game when it comes to rankings and records, but this will still go far in deciding both the conference champ and also potential at-large playoff bids. Eastern Washington has been on a slide as of late. A miracle field goal saved them from a loss against Northern Colorado, the wind saved them from a loss against Weber State, and this past weekend they got blown out by Northern Arizona. Montana has also struggled lately. Ever since their dominating win over North Dakota, it’s been clear that they don’t have the same passing pedigree that they had at the start of the season. In the last two games, Makena Simis has been just 38-75 with 4 interceptions while only amassing 303 yards and zero TDs. The Eagles have owned the Griz the last few seasons winning 5 out of the last 6 matchups. With both teams struggling to stay consistent on offense the last couple weeks, it’s tough to predict who is going to show up. We know they both have the potential to put things together and play great, but neither has shown that recently. I think Montana needs to look to RB Jeremy Calhoun and QB Simis to continue their recent rushing successes in order to keep the Eagles offense off the field. Otherwise, this could be a runaway win for Eastern Washington.

Cal Poly @ UC-Davis
It’s been a tough season for all three Big Sky teams from California. Including last week’s matchup between Cal Poly and Sacramento State, they all get to play each other to finish the season. The Mustangs have a chance to finish the California sweep with a win over the Aggies. Even though UC-Davis has struggled in comparison to Cal Poly the last few seasons, they have actually won 4 of the last 6 matchups. This includes last season’s surprising two touchdown win which ended a 7 game UC-Davis losing streak, while also being the loss that kept Cal Poly out of the playoffs. When it comes down to it, though, UC-Davis just doesn’t matchup very well with the Mustangs this season. Cal Poly should run away with this one by at least 24 points.

#11 Southern Utah @ #9 Portland State
The Big Sky conference has seen numerous late season games between two top 15 opponents, but no one could have predicted that these two teams would be playing in that matchup this season, or any season for that matter. Since starting the season with two losses to Utah State and South Dakota State, Southern Utah has been on a tear winning their last 7 games by an average of 42-11. Portland State had been looking to be at the elite level, but then a 32-35 loss to Northern Colorado brought them back down to earth. Both teams have a very tough schedule to finish the season, but both are in the heart of both the conference title race and a shot at a playoff bid. Southern Utah has been imposing their defense on teams, while Portland State has developed a very tough offense. Usually the defense wins in those battles, but the Vikings have the home field advantage and are coming off a tough road loss. Key for Southern Utah will be their run defense led by James Cowser, Mike Needham, and Miles Killebrew. For Portland State, it will be QB Alex Kuresa and their wide receiver corps. If the T-Birds can slow the Vikings up front, Kuresa will look to the air. All in all, it should be a great game in Portland.

TIME (ET)	MATCHUP	TV
2:00 PM	Northern Colorado @ North Dakota	MidCo Sports Network
3:05 PM	Eastern Washington @ Montana	Root Sports
3:35 PM	Montana State @ Idaho State	Cowles Company
5:00 PM	Cal Poly @ UC Davis	bigskyconf.com
5:00 PM	Sacramento State @ Northern Arizona	FOX Sports Arizona
5:05 PM	Southern Utah @ Portland State	bigskyconf.com

MVFC Preview 2015.11

MVFC Week 11 Preview

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | November 12, 2015

JT Says-
Western Illinois @ Indiana State
Both teams gave up 59 points last week. Both teams have lost 3 straight. Actually both teams are very similar. Western Illinois has scored 157 points while giving up 206 and Indiana State has given up 202 while scoring 153. The 59 point beat downs last week were not a true barometer of the two teams. Indiana State SHOULD have beat Illinois State 2 weeks ago. And 4 weeks ago, Western Illinois beat UNI in the UNI dome. Neither team will play for a playoff spot but both teams will be looking to get back in the win column. This is a close one but Indiana State played their worst game in a decade last week and won’t repeat this week. They beat Western Illinois 27-24 in overtime.

North Dakota State @ Youngstown State
The Bison are in the drivers seat for their fifth consecutive Missouri Valley Title. After hanging 59 points and nearly shutting out Western Illinois last week, they will have no problem with Youngstown State. Easton Stick will start his 4th game of the season and the offense has not lost a step when Carson Wentz was lost for the season. Easton has passed for 7 touchdowns on 33-57 passing for 461 yards and a pair of interceptions. On the ground he has rushed 45 times for 364 yards and 2 touchdowns to the tune of a 8.1 yards per carry average. He’ll lead the way by air and land as the Bison win this one 42-13.

Northern Iowa @ Missouri State
UNI’s get’s their second bye week of the year. If they can hang 59 on Indiana State, they could score 70 against the hapless Bears. But they won’t. They still win easy and the UNI offense will use this game to fine tune the machine for a hopeful playoff run. The UNI defense will have a field day against a Bears team that recorded only 107 yards and 5 first down. They will finally pitch the shutout that they have been so close to achieving. Aaron Bailey will not rush for 4 touchdowns but will start to get things figured out in the passing game. He has been just a bit off in the deep ball and this will be the week to get it figured out. For once, punter Sam Kuhter could remain on the sideline the entire game. The stable of UNI running backs will continue to improve and share the load. UNI wins this one 63-0.

Chad says-

South Dakota State @ South Dakota
This has a chance to be a dangerous game for the Jackrabbits. Normally I wouldn’t call a heated rivalry game a dangerous game for the reason I’m thinking this week. They are coming off an impressive victory over a top 5 team, in the final game at Coughlin–Alumni Stadium, and move within one game of the conference lead. That’s a tough week to come off of, but to come off that game and head on the road to one of your biggest rivals is a tall task. Couple that with USD showing signs of life, and a shot to get to the playoff bubble and we might actually see a hostile environment in the, otherwise, sterile environment that is the DakotaDome. The Jacks defense is too good to let that kind of let down happen. I’ll go 27-13 South Dakota State

Illinois State @ Southern Illinois
It’s going to sound weird to say that a top 10 team, tied for first in the toughest league in the nation, isn’t as good as their record but I’m leaning that way with Illinois State. That isn’t to say they aren’t a good team, they just seem to have flat-lined and aren’t impressing me like I thought they would be. The Redbirds have just 3 wins against teams over .500, and haven’t beaten a team, that’s over .500, by more than a touchdown all season, with 2 of those 3 wins by less than three points. Thankfully for the Redbirds Southern Illinois is in 8th place, seems to have given up on the season for the second season in a row, and appears to be in turmoil on top of it all. I think this game finishes closer than it should be, probably about 10 points, but Illinois State still pulls the victory out.

Times are Central:

1:05	Western Illinois @ Indiana State	ESPN3
2:00	South Dakota State @ South Dakota	ESPN3
2:00	North Dakota State @ Youngstown State	ESPN3
3:00	Illinois State @ Southern Illinois	ESPN3
3:00	Northern Iowa @ Missouri State	ESPN3

The FCSTV Guide For Week 11

Once again our friend FargoBison at AnyGivenSaturday.com brings us a list of televised FCS games.

Another great slate of FCS games available on TV and streaming networks this week. As always all games are in central time and be sure to check back for any future updates….

TV Guide
11/14 Penn at Harvard 11:00 a.m. Comcast NE/BA, Altitude2, SNY, ASN Affiliates
Elon at Maine 11:00 a.m. Fox College Sports
NDSU at YSU 1:00 p.m. NBC ND
SDSU at USD 1:00 p.m. Midco Sports Network
Northern Colorado at North Dakota Midco Sports 2
Eastern Washington at Montana 2:30 p.m. Root Sports NW/RM/SW, Direct TV 101
James Madison at Delaware 2:30 p.m. SNY, Comcast BA/N
Sacramento State at Northern Arizona 3:00 p.m. Fox Sports AZ
Montana State at Idaho State 3:30 p.m. Cowles Media(ABC/Fox MT)
Central Arkansas at Nicholls State 6:00 p.m. MASN, ASN Affiliates
New Hampshire at Albany 6:00 p.m. Comcast NE, SNY, ASN Affiliates
WCU at Texas A&M 6:00 p.m. ESPNU

FCS on ESPN3
11/14 Presbyterian College at Monmouth 11:00 a.m.
Sacred Heart at Bryant 11:00 a.m.
Delaware State at North Carolina A&T noon p.m.
WIU at Indiana State 12:05 p.m.
Mercer at Furman 12:30 p.m.
Samford at Wofford 12:30 p.m.
Liberty at Charleston Southern 1:00 p.m.
SDSU at USD 1:00 p.m.
NDSU at YSU 1:00 p.m.
EIU at UT-Martin 2:00 p.m.
Illinois at SIU 2:00 p.m.
UNI at Missouri State 2:00 p.m.
Ave Maria at Stetson 2:00 p.m.
Northwestern St at SHSU 2:30 p.m.
Houston Baptist at SFA 3:00 p.m.
WCU at Texas A&M 6:00 p.m.

FCS on ESPN College Extra
11/14 Presbyterian College at Monmouth 11:00 a.m.
NDSU at YSU 1:00 p.m.
SDSU at USD 1:00 p.m.
Ave Maria at Stetson 2:00 p.m.
Houston Baptist at SFA 3:00 p.m.

Where to find other FCS games(FREE) online….

SoCon Digital Network

Big Sky Review 2015.10

BSC Week 10 Review

Lance Berndt & Kris Kallem, BSC Contributors | November 10, 2015

Lance says-

Weber State 23 UC-Davis 3
The Wildcats completely dominated the Aggies on both sides of the ball en route to a comfortable 20 point win. Weber State used the ground game to their full advantage rushing for 321 yards as a team. Treshawn Garrett led the way with 152 yards and 2 TDs on 19 carries. Kicker Brady Stuart had the one highlight for UC-Davis. His first quarter 52 yard field goal is tied for the 7th longest field goal of the season at the FCS level.

Montana 33 Idaho State 27 (OT)
In one of the wildest finishes you’ll ever see, Montana sneaks out a win against Idaho State. With Idaho State lining up for a game-winning field goal in overtime, the long snapper sent the ball over the holders head and it raced towards midfield. A Grizzly got his hands on the ball and out of desperation tossed the ball straight into the air. Luckily Eric Johnson was their to snag the ball and sprint into the end zone for the wacky win. Still, crazy finish aside, it was quite the sad sack performance for the Griz. Playing against one of the worst defenses in the country, Montana scored just 6 points in the second half. Makena Simis and Jeremy Calhoun combined for 203 rushing yards and a TD for the Griz, while Xavier Finney and Jakori Ford totaled 192 rushing yards and a TD for the Bengals. The Griz defense did play well with 6 sacks, 3 interceptions, and the game-winning fumble recovery.

Cal Poly 36 Sacramento State 14
The Hornets actually hung tough and moved the ball pretty well against the Mustang defense, but two early missed field goals allowed Cal Poly to take a quick 2 TD lead. The Mustangs added two more quick scores to start the second half and coasted to the easy win. The nation’s best rushing attack tallied 366 more yards on just 60 carries. Sacramento State was led by freshman QB Noah Ketteringham who was 33-42 for 335 yards and 1 TD. Senior WR Shane Harrison caught 12 receptions for 128 yards and 1 TD.

Kris Says-

Northern Colorado 35 Portland State 32
This was a great game with the Vikings getting their only lead on a Steven Long touchdown late in the 4th quarter. After trading possessions, the Bears get the ball on their own 11 with 44 seconds remaining. Jacob Knipp hits Alex Wesley on a 58 yard pass and two plays later, Trae Riek runs it in for the game winner from the two. Like we’ve been saying all season, every team in the conference has enough talent to go toe to toe with even the conference elites.

Southern Utah 34 Montana State 23
Southern Utah holds Dakota Prukop to just 163 yards passing and forces three interceptions as they remain unbeaten in conference play. Montana State led at half time 10-7 but the Tbirds rattled off 21 straight points on two touchdowns from Malik Brown and one by Levi Te’o, to put the game out of reach. Southern Utah has been out-gained the last two weeks but you can get away with that when you lead the nation in takeaways at 25.

Northern Arizona 52 Eastern Washington 30
Eastern out-gained the Lumberjacks, but 4 turnovers by the Eagles were the difference. The two most costly came on a Marcus Alford pick 6 of Jordan West in the 4th quarter followed by an Eastern fumble on the ensuing kickoff. The Jacks quickly scored again three plays later to go up by 24. NAU was 13-19 in 3rd down conversions and held the Eagles to just one score in three redzone attempts.

Jordan West appears to have regressed the last couple of games and has no help from an anemic rushing attack. NAU held Eastern to just 71 yards on the ground. Look for freshman quarterback Reilly Hennessey to share duties with West this upcoming week.

Players of the Week:

Offense
Northern Colorado running back Trae Riek grabs the honors on offense. He had a monster day against Portland State rushing for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also caught 5 passes for 57 yards.

Defense
Montana’s JR Nelson picks up the defensive award. Nelson had Montana’s first pick-6 of the season and accounted for 4 solo tackles from the cornerback position.

Special Teams
Kicker Ryan Hawkins of NAU was not only perfect on his PAT’s against Eastern Washington, he also ran down the field and recovered Simba Webster’s fumbled kickoff return early in the 4th quarter, giving him the Special Teams Player of the Week.