TSOTN Week 14 (Playoffs-2nd Round)

National Notes Week 14

Kevin Marshall, National Contributor | December 03, 2015

The State of the Nation

The first round of the national playoffs is in the books and what an exciting weekend it was! I expect a few more surprises this week in round two.

The Reviews

Chattanooga 50 Fordham 20
The Chattanooga Mocs, Co-Champions of the Southern Conference, easily handled the Patriot Leagues at large team the Fordham Rams. The Mocs led 31-0 at halftime. Chattanooga completely dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage and it was apparent to all who saw the game that Fordham was over-matched. UTC had 560 yards of total offense with 360 of them on the ground. Chattanooga faces the #1 seed this week the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in Alabama.

The Citadel 41 Coastal Carolina 38
Cadet Eric Goins kicked a 43 yard field goal as time expired to propel The Citadel to the second round. The Cadets had a school record four players rush for over 100 yards in the victory. Sophomore Quarterback Dominique Allen led the way with 174 yards and two touchdowns. Junior B-Back Tyler Renew followed up his herculean effort at South Carolina last week with 129 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore A-Back Cam Jackson added 113 yards and a touchdown while senior A-Back Vinny Miller posted a cool 100 yards on the ground. The Citadel defense forced four turnovers and made the plays when they had to. Coastal Carolina moves on to the Sun Belt with a loss in their last FCS game. The Citadel travels 17 miles up Interstate 26 for a rematch with the #8 seed Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Saturday in the second round.

Colgate 27 New Hampshire 20
The Red Raiders won their sixth consecutive game by outlasting New Hampshire of the CAA. Colgate was the definition of balance on offense gaining 189 yards on the ground and 188 through the air. Colgate tackled extremely well and is one of the more fundamentally sound football teams I have seen all year. They are obviously a well coached team. James Holland rushed for four touchdowns, one in each quarter, and hit paydirt after the Red Raiders had drives of 5, 11, 10, and 17 plays. Those long drives really took the starch out of New Hampshire. Colgate will play at the #5 seed James Madison on Saturday in Virginia.

Sam Houston State 42 Southern Utah 39
Bearkat quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe came off the bench hot and led Sam Houston State to a comeback victory over the Big Sky Conference Champion Southern Utah Thunderbirds. Briscoe, who entered the game due to an injury to the starter, was just what the Bearkats and Coach KC Keeler needed. Sam Houston had two 100 yard rushers in the contest. Ridgeway Frank posted a career high 137 yards and two touchdowns and Remus Bulmer had 116. Southern Utah quarterback Ammon Olsen completed 33 of his 58 attempts for 379 yards and four touchdowns. Olsen’s favorite target was Mike Sharp. Sharp caught eight balls for 141 yards and three touchdowns. Sam Houston State will travel to Louisiana on Saturday for a matchup with the #4 seed McNeese State.

Montana 24 South Dakota State 17
It was a great first half for Montana. In the opening thirty minutes the Griz looked like they could whip anyone in this playoff field. Montana led 24-0 at the intermission but had to hold on to defeat the Jackrabbits. The Griz offense, led by quarterback Brady Gustafson and his 295 yards passing, looked very impressive at times. The Montana defense looked impressive all the time. National Defensive Player of the Year candidate Tyrone Holmes had three sacks and three tackles for loss. Montana plays at the #3 seed North Dakota State Bison on Saturday in Fargo.

Northern Iowa 53 Eastern Illinois 17
UNI was clearly the better team in this one. Quarterback Aaron Bailey was efficient in the passing game finishing 7 of 11 for 162 yards and three touchdowns. Tyvis Smith rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown. The UNI defense played perhaps their best game of the season. EIU was just outclassed in this game. Northern Iowa is on the road at the #6 seed Portland State in round two.

William & Mary 52 Duquesne 49
The Tribe may have overlooked the Dukes and they almost got scalped. Duquesne outgained and outplayed the Tribe but William and Mary survived. The Tribe defense, which I was bragging on just a couple of weeks ago got torched for 540 total yards. The NEC Champions jumped out to a 14-0 lead and William and Mary was able to tie the score with about 4:00 to go in the first half. DeVonte Dedmon was huge for the Tribe. Dedmon hauled in three touchdown receptions. Tribe running back Kendell Anderson bounced back with 137 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns. William and Mary is at the #7 seed Richmond Spiders in a rematch of The Oldest Rivalry in the South.

Western Illinois 24 Dayton 7
Nikko Watson rushed for 152 yards and Pete Swenson had four sacks to lead the Leathernecks to the victory over the Pioneer League champion Dayton Flyers. The Flyers scored the first touchdown but after that it was all Leathernecks. Quarterback Sean McGuire led the Leathernecks on four scoring drives longer than 40 yards and Western Illinois did just enough to come away a winner.

The Interviews

This week I was privileged to sit down with Mr. Mark Wilson, the AD at Tennessee Tech, and the Chairman of the 2015 FCS Playoff Selection Committee. Mr. Wilson will clear up many of the questions FCS fans may have about the process of selection for the playoffs. Mr. Dan Hunt, Head Coach of the Colgate Red Raiders, also stops by to discuss his team.

The Previews

Chattanooga @ Jacksonville State
The games in this series have been incredibly close. Playoff football is a different thing though. I think the Gamecocks playoff troubles continue. Chattanooga in the upset 28-27.

Western Illinois @ Illinois State
All Redbirds in this one. Coprich carries the load and leads Illinois State to victory. ISU 31-17.

Montana @ North Dakota State
Rematch of the thrilling game in August. The Bison have the home field this time and 12 weeks of film on Coach Bob Stitt and the Griz. Bison 28-17.

Sam Houston State @ McNeese State
Can the Bearkats put together another run like last season? I don’t think so. Cowboys 38-35.

Colgate @ James Madison
Colgate is a very good football team. JMU may be looking ahead. Red Raiders shock the FCS. Colgate 27-24.

Northern Iowa @ Portland State
The Vikings are built to defeat a team like UNI. I don’t think the Panthers offense can keep up. PSU 31-24.

William & Mary @ Richmond
The Spiders controlled the line of scrimmage in the regular season game between these two. The Tribe get their revenge. Tribe 20-17.

The Citadel @ Charleston Southern
The Bulldogs have been hoping for a rematch with CSU. They have their wish and will not squander the opportunity. The Citadel 27-24.

TSOTN Week 13 (Playoffs 1st Round)

National Notes Week 13

Kevin Marshall, National Contributor | November 27, 2015

The State of the Nation

The deliberations and debates are over and we have a field for the 2015 FCS Playoffs! Some fans are happy and others are livid with the selection committee. This is no different from any other year. If your team was on the bubble and didn’t make it then they should have won one more game and removed themselves from it.

The Reviews

The Citadel Bulldogs shocked everyone but themselves by beating the University of South Carolina 23-22 in front of 77,000 plus fans in Columbia, SC. This victory by The Military College of South Carolina was no fluke. The Cadets ran for 350 yards on an SEC defense and the Bulldog defense held them when they had to. Cadet Tyler Renew led the ‘Dogs with 174 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Southern Utah won the Big Sky Conference by beating Northern Arizona 49-41. Thunderbird quarterback Ammon Olsen was the difference. Olsen threw for 430 yards and five touchdowns in the victory over the Lumberjacks. Olsen’s favorite target was Mike Sharp who had 169 yards on eight receptions with three touchdowns. Congratulations to the Thunderbirds and Coach Ed Lamb.

Portland State closed the book on the Eastern Washington Eagles 2015 season with a 34-31 win on the road in Cheney, Washington. The Vikings were an impressive 13-17 on third down. The Eagle defense just couldn’t get off of the field. PSU running back David Jones was huge for them. Jones ran for 150 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Montana beat the Bobcats of Montana State 54-35 in The Brawl of the Wild in Bozeman, Montana. The Griz led at the half 37-14 and never really let the Bobcats back into the contest. The defense was good again for Montana and is the reason they have been winning lately.

Richmond claimed the CAA automatic bid by beating the William and Mary Tribe 20-9. Spider running back Jacobi Green was the difference for Richmond. Green ran for 218 yards. The Richmond defense really played well. That unit held the Tribe without a touchdown.

Western Illinois played themselves into the playoffs by defeating South Dakota State 30-24 in two overtimes. Nikko Watson carried the ball for 163 yards for the Leathernecks and Sean McGuire passed for 282 yards and a touchdown.

McNeese State did something that very few have been able to accomplish. The Cowboy defense held Lamar running back Kade Harrington to just 70 yards on 17 carries and made him a non factor in the game. Three Cowboys rushed for over 100 yards in the 20-14 win over the Cardinals. McNeese Head Coach Matt Viator tied the record for the most wins by a Coach at McNeese State. Congratulations to Coach Viator.

The Bearkats of Sam Houston State destroyed Central Arkansas 42-13. Bearkat quarterback Jared Johnson passed for 279 yards and halfback Cory Avery ran for 100 yards for the fourth consecutive week. Central Arkansas allowed 550 yards of total offense. Coach KC Keeler seems to have his boys poised for a deep run in these playoffs.

The Interviews – Playoff Spectacular

Brand Lawrence and I discuss some of the upcoming national awards for players and so forth at the FCS level and then Brandon , Chad Lenz, and I will break down each game in Segment Four. You can get your printable bracket for the playoffs here.

The Previews

Picking these first round games was really tough. Emory and I disagreed more than usual. Tune in to get Mr. Hunt’s upset picks.

Southern Utah @ Sam Houston State
This game features two very good offenses and some of the best defensive players in the country. Southern Utah has faced tougher opponents this season than the Bearkats have and are more battle tested. Two excellent coaches lead these two programs. I think Ed Lamb and the Thunderbirds best KC Keeler and his Bearkats in Texas. SUU 31-27.

South Dakota State @ Montana
If history is any indicator then the Griz will spot the Jackrabbits a big lead and then come roaring back to win. I don’t think this one is going to play out that way. SDSU has to get pressure on Griz quarterback Brady Gustafson and make him throw it underneath and come up and make the tackle. Tackling is something the Jackrabbits have not done well this season. Give me the Griz in a cold and loud Washington-Grizzly Stadium 38-35.

Eastern Illinois @ Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa should win this battle of the Panthers. EIU may just be happy to be here while UNI thinks they can win the whole thing. Aaron Bailey will be the difference for Northern Iowa. UNI 35-13.

Duquesne @ William & Mary
The Tribe will be on the warpath after losing the Capital Cup and the CAA last week. Kendall Anderson gets back on track and the Tribe defense is tough! William and Mary 42-17.

Western Illinois @ Dayton
I’ll be shocked if the Flyers win this one. I do think this will be the most competitive team the Pioneer League has had since they received the automatic bid. Leathernecks 38-20.

Fordham @ Chattanooga
The Key in this one is Fordham running back Chase Edmonds. If the Ram offensive line can make some spaces for him to run through this could be on e of the better first round matchups. I think Jacob Huesman and the Mocs will be up to the challenge. Mocs 38-21.

Colgate @ New Hampshire
The past two seasons a Patriot League team has gone to Durham, New Hampshire and lost. Colgate is a good team and this is not the same UNH team that FCS fans are used to seeing in the playoffs. The Wildcats are tough to beat at home though. UNH 28-17

The Citadel @ Coastal Carolina
This should really be a good one. The Chanticleers come limping into the postseason off of a loss while the Cadets are sky high after defeating South Carolina. Can The Citadel offense sustain drives and keep their defense off the field? If they can’t Alex Ross and company will pick the ‘Dogs apart with their passing game. This one is really tough to pick. Coastal at home 31-28.

MVFC Review 2015.12

MVFC Week 12 Review

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC  Contributors | November 27, 2015

JT Says-

South Dakota 0   Illinois State 46
My prediction of a South Dakota upset was as wrong as you can get. South Dakota held Illinois State to a 33 yard field goal in the end of the 1st quarter…and then…they gave up 43 unanswered points. South Dakota managed 33 passing yards and 122 rushing yards in an uninspired effort. Though the Redbirds only passed for 40 yards and a touchdown, they ran for 390 yards and 5 touchdowns. Marshaun Coprich 30 carries 251 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tre Roberson chipped in 121 yards, and a touchdown on 11 carries to go with 2-8 passing for 40 yards and a touchdown. I said Ryan Saeger would have to have the game of his life for the Coyotes to pull off the upset. He had one of the worst games of his career instead, 3-19 for 24 yards. South Dakota falls to 3-5 despite an early conference upset of North Dakota State. Illinois State ties North Dakota State with a 7-1 record but NDSU wins the automatic qualifier.

South Dakota State 24  Western Illinois 30
Welcome to the playoffs Western Illinois. The game only took 2 overtimes before Sean McGuire ran 7 yards for a Leatherneck Touchdown. Western Illinois was leading in the 4th quarter 17-10 before Kyle Paris scored a 2 yard touchdown run with 1:35 left in the game. He rushed 21 times and only got 48 yards. Brady Mengarelli rushed 20 times for 187 yards and a score for the Jackrabbits. Zach Lujan had 3 picks on 21-37 passes for 246 yards and 1 touchdown. Nikko Watson just another day in the office, 28 carries, 163 yards, and touchdown. Sean McGuire was 19-39 for 282 yards with an interception and a touchdown but it was his 29 yards on 12 rushing attempts that were pivotal in their playoff clinching home win.

Southern Illinois 28   UNI 49
The Saluki’s made things interesting thanks to a pair of long Daquan Isom touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. But they never found the end zone again. The Panthers used a 14 play, 89 yard, 7:33 4th Quarter Touchdown drive to seal the deal. Aaron Bailey finished with 5 touchdowns, 131 rushing yards on 21 attempts, and 14 of 20 passing for 181 yards. He set the UNI record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback at 17. He tied and surpassed Tirrell Rennie with 15. Tyvis Smith added 166 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. Daquan Isom finished with 145 yards on 12 carries, 2 touchdowns on the ground and also 68 yards on 8 receptions and another touchdown. Mark Iannotti was 25-40 for 264 yards 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed 15 times for 60 yards. The teams combined for 143 plays, 962 yards, and 77 points. The game only took 3.5 hours after several unnecessary video reviews. Sadly this game was an afterthought after UNI’s basketball team knocked off #1 ranked North Carolina next door in the McLeod Center.

Chad says-

Indiana State – 27   Youngstown State – 24
Another week, another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a Pelini, and another late loss for Youngstown State. Sycamore kicker Eric Heidorn nailed a game winning field goal as time expired to give Indiana State the win on a snow senior day. The Sycamores were without starting quarterback Matt Adam for the final two drives of the game, but back up Isaac Harker lead two consecutive scoring drives that totaled 21 plays, 66 yards and took 7:28 off the clock, each ending with a Heidorn field goal. Watching the game it really felt like the team with the ball last was going to win, even starting in the first quarter because of the conditions, and that’s exactly what happened.

North Dakota State – 55   Missouri State – 0
We’ve beaten on Missouri State enough this year, so rather than sit here and talk about how dominate NDSU was I’m going to point out a positive for Missouri State. Coach Steck had missed the past few games after having emergency eye surgery. It was unclear if he’d coach again this year. Thankfully after missing a couple weeks he was able to get back onto the sideline for this game. Jokes about this being a game he would rather not have seen aside, in a round about way it shows me he has fight in him. It would have been easy for him to take another week to make sure he was fully healed and get ready for the off season. I think it shows a willingness to fight to get back for his players, no matter the odds they are facing. The reality is there is almost no where to go but up for MSU, and while I don’t know if Steck is the right X and O coach, I do think he has the right attitude to start building a foundation in Springfield

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offense
RB Marshaun Coprich, Illinois State, 5-9, 205, Sr., Victorville (Calif.) Oak Hills High
Marshaun followed his 254 yards last week wit 251 yards on 30 carries and tied a career-best with four rushing touchdowns. His first score was a 12-yard run midway through the second quarter, and he followed that up with a 45-yard scoring run just before halftime. He added another 12-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and capped off his day with a 74-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

Defense
LB T.J. Lally, South Dakota State, 6-0, 225, Sr., Chicago (Ill.) Marmion Academy
Lally recorded a season-high 17 tackles, including one-half tackle for loss, and added a fumble recovery and two pass breakups for South Dakota State in its 30-24 double-overtime loss. Lally, who started his 52nd consecutive game, registered double figures in tackles for the 12th time in his career.

Special Teams
TB Jody Webb, Youngstown State, 5-9, 180, Jr., Toledo (Ohio) Whitmer High
Webb tied an MVFC record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the snowy contest at Indiana State. Webb returned the opening kickoff 93 yards to give YSU a 7-0 lead 15 seconds into the contest. With 6:22 left in the second quarter, Webb had another 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. His first KO return for six was the first by a Penguin for a touchdown since 2007. Webb also had seven rushing attempts for 57 yards and a score. He accounted for three TDs in the game. Webb finished with 243 all-purpose yards for the contest.

Newcomer
RB Daquan Isom, Southern Illinois, 5-8, 172, Fr., Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips High
Daquan Isom had 275 all-purpose yards on Saturday at UNI and scored three total touchdowns. He had 145 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and 68 yards and another touchdown through the air. He added 62 return yards. Isom scored on back-to-back rushes in the third quarter from 61 and 72 yards out. Isom ends his freshman year ranked eighth nationally in all-purpose yards per game and second among freshmen.

 

 

 

Well, much like the Big Sky has come to a close so does our wekly coverage of the NVFC.  This is the final MVFC Review of the season.  I would like to personally thank our reporters Chad & JT for their fine work this 2015 football season.  It is much appreciated that you guys put forth the effort you do each week for FCS Football in general.  A tip of the cap to both of you.

Troy

Big Sky Review 2015.12

BSC  Week 12 Review

Lance Berndt & Kris Kallem, BSC  Contributors | November 24, 2015

Lance says-

Montana 54 Montana State 35
Most of this game seemed a lot closer than the score turned out to be. Montana just happened to make more big plays, and Montana State made more big penalties. After the Bobcats took an early lead and the Griz had struggled their first couple drives, Brady Gustafson started to heat up. While Montana State’s run defense held strong all game, Gustafson kept being there to make the big play, especially in the first half. After those two opening punts, Montana scored on all 7 of its remaining offensive drives in the first half, jumping out to a 37-14 halftime lead. The Bobcats made a lot of noise the first 20 minutes of the second half, even cutting the lead down to 9 points. The Grizzlies held on after that scoring the final 10 points. One positive point for the Bobcats is that they played great defense for most of the game, something they hadn’t really done most of the season. Yes, they allowed 54 points, but that was essentially just on big plays. Gustafson was forced into 17 incompletions, and when you take away John Nguyen’s 48 yard run, Montana only ran the ball for 152 yards on 47 carries. That’s barely 3 yards per carry. It is impressive to think that the Griz could score 54 points with those relatively weak offensive numbers. A couple receivers had big games for the two teams. Jamaal Jones led the Griz with 132 yards and 3 TDs on 9 receptions. TE Beau Sandland racked up 163 yards and 2 TDs on 7 receptions. Although they had a lot of incompletions, both QBs threw for over 300 yards with Prukop passing for 3 TDs and Gustafson throwing 4 TDs. On defense, Mac Bignell had a solid day for the Cats with 10 solo tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry. Kendrick Van Ackeren once again led the Griz with 11 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 big momentum swinging interception.

Southern Utah 49 Northern Arizona 41
In a game where the favorite had seemed to choke away the victory the last few seasons, Southern Utah held tough and picked up the big win and their first Big Sky Football championship trophy. It was a very offensive game as both teams gained over 600 yards. With a shot at the conference trophy on the line, freshman Case Cookus didn’t waiver at the start passing for 3 first half TDs and led Northern Arizona to a 24-14 halftime lead. While they struggled for much of the game, Southern Utah’s defense stepped up for parts of the second half, forcing two big Lumberjack fumbles and holding NAU to just 10 points on their first 7 second half offensive drives. Ammon Olsen kept rolling during that period leading the Thunderbirds to 5 TDs in the final 30 minutes of play. In the stat book, a few names made quite the impact. For Northern Arizona, Corbin Jountti and Kendyl Taylor combined for 223 rushing yards and 1 TD on 38 carries. Case Cookus passed for 350 yards and 4 TDs, while receivers Emmanuel Butler and Dejzon Walker combined for 15 receptions for 184 yards and 2 TDs. On the T-Bird side, Ammon Olsen threw for 430 yards, 5 TDs, and no interceptions. WR Mike Sharp hauled in 8 receptions for 169 yards and 3 TDs and TE Steven Wroblewski caught 9 balls for 93 yards and a TD. With all of the offense, Southern Utah won the turnover battle 4 to 1, and with the 8 point win, that might have proved to be the key factor.

UC-Davis 35 Sacramento State 21
After losing their first 5 road games by an average of 18 points, UC-Davis looked great against their Causeway Classic rival. They had a 21-0 lead at halftime and held on for the 14 point win. It was a nice look to the future for the Aggies as well. Freshman C.J. Spencer handled the QB position with ease passing for 312 yards and 3 TDs. Junior Manusamoa Luuga ran for 117 yards, and junior Chris Martin had 115 receiving yards. Junior Brady Stibi led the defense with 10 total tackles, while sophomore Brandon Weaver had 2 sacks. The Hornets had solid performances from who have come to be the usual suspects in the last month of this season. Nate Ketteringham passed for 296 yards and 2 TDs, with Shane Harrison catching 9 of those passes for 99 yards and 1 TD. Darnell Sankey finished with 17 total tackles which left him just 1 shy of the Hornets single season record. Still, 152 tackles in an 11-game season is quite the feat. With their youth, especially from the Aggies, these two teams start to work towards the 2016 season. With solid freshman QBs, these two could very well make much more of an impact next season in the Big Sky.

Kris Says-

Northern Colorado 40 Abilene Christian 36
Congratulations to the Bears in completing their first winning season at the Division I level. Freshman quarterback Jacob Knipp and freshman running back Trae Riek were at it again for UNC with Knipp passing for 293 yards and 3 touchdowns and Riek adding a pair of scores while rushing for 153 yards and gaining another 90 receiving. Definitely some positives to look forward to next year in Greeley.

Weber State 35 Idaho State 14
Not much of a surprise here as Weber rolls up 306 yards on the ground and puts Idaho State away early. The Wildcats were led on the ground by the 112 yards of Eric Wilkes. After Idaho State’s breakout year in 2014 it was tough watching talented seniors like Madison Mangum, Xavier Finney, and Cody Sorensen end their careers on such a disappointing note.

Portland State 34 Eastern Washington 31
Eastern Washington started this game where they’d left off the previous two with a fumbled kickoff on the first play at the 11, resulting in a quick Portland State score. The Eagle defense was able to force the Vikings into 4 punts in the first half keeping the game close. That same defense forced zero punts in the second half including a 5 minute drive to run out the clock and preserve the win. Eastern turned the ball over an astonishing 14 times it’s last three games. I was really impressed with Portland State Quarterback Alex Kuresa. He’s a duel threat who throws it well enough, and makes great decisions with the ball.

North Dakota 45 Cal Poly 21
We finally get to use a nickname for North Dakota and it fits their performance here. The Fighting Hawks, did something few teams have been able to do…holding the nation’s #1 rushing attack to just 153 yards…that’s over 250 yards below the Mustangs average. The young tandem of quarterback Keaton Studsrud and John Santiago led a balanced North Dakota offense which put up 474 combined yards, in the rout. The Fighting Hawks deserved a an at-large playoff bid, and should definitely be in the mix for one next year.

Players of the Week

Ammon Olsen and John Santiago share the offensive honors. Olsen for his 430 yard 5 touchdown performance to seal the conference title against NAU. Santiago’s 112 yards against Cal Poly helped him become the first true freshman in the 53 year history of the Big Sky Conference to win the rushing title.

Portland State’s A.J. Schlatter gets the nod on defense. Schlatter notched 12 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and 2 sacks in the win at Eastern Washington

Montana kicker Daniel Sullivan is the Special Teams winner, going a perfect 4 for 4 on field goal attempts and 6 for 6 on PAT’s.

 

This is the final BSC Review of the season.  I would like to personally thank our reporters Lance & Kris for their fine work this 2015 football season.  It is much appreciated that you guys put forth the effort you do each week for FCS Football in general.  A tip of the cap to both of you.

Troy

 

ICYMI: Week 12

In Case You Missed It: Week 12

By the time this column is published, the 2015 FCS Playoff field will be set. We’ll know which teams made the cut and which teams were left off the exclusive list as the single-elimination fight for the national championship gets underway.

What a wild regular season it was. Wild and unpredictable. And, unlike in past seasons where North Dakota State was the clear favorite heading into postseason play, this season seemed a bit more congested at the top.

Sure, ever since Jacksonville State nearly took down then-No. 6 Auburn in overtime, the Gamecocks have been the perceived “favorite” in the nation. A couple of close calls, though, makes the seemingly immortal all of a sudden human – having the capacity to make mistakes.

But the congestion wasn’t limited to just the teams vying for the top spot in the national polls. It was a season filled with parity nearly everywhere we looked. Only one unbeaten team remained at season’s end: the McNeese State Cowboys. But the perfect record wasn’t enough to get those Cowboys up over the Gamecocks. McNeese State earned the fourth seed in the playoff field, and has a challenging road through which it must navigate to reach the championship.

There were records shattered and new ones set, upsets that swept the nation, and teams that had never tasted the playoff air before now getting set to suit up for a postseason clash.

Every year at Thanksgiving I think, “I can’t believe how fast the season flew by.” And every year I think the end comes sooner and sooner. They say time flies when you’re having fun (or in some cases are very busy), but as an FCS fan, time seems to slow down when the playoffs start. Enjoy it, everyone.

Who’s ready for some football?

In case you missed the action from the final weekend of the regular season, here are some facts and stats you should know from around the FCS:

Let’s start where I typically leave you each week – your Cooper Kupp update.

The junior pass catcher finished up the regular season with an eight-catch, 136-yard performance which included a 78-yard touchdown reception against Portland State. His eight catches put him at 114 for the season, which set a Big Sky Conference single-season record previously held by Idaho State’s Rodrick Rumble (112 catches in 2011). Yet another record that now belongs to one of the most storied receivers in FCS history. But there’s more.

Kupp remains in second in FCS history with 56 touchdown receptions – two behind former New Hampshire great David Ball. He also moved past Jerry Rice and into second place all-time with 4,764 career receiving yards, sitting only behind Elon’s Terrell Hudgins, who amassed 5,250 yards in his playing days.

The crazy part is, Kupp has another season of eligibility. If he desired, he could torch the record books and make those marks darn near impossible for any player to ever replicate. The sad part is, Kupp is NFL bound (OK not sad, but a FCS fans I’m sure we’d all like to see him back), and his Eastern Washington Eagles missed out on the playoffs. The FCS counts postseason stats, so Kupp at least had a shot to become the league’s all-time leader in touchdown grabs. EWU was downed by Portland State, 34-31, casting the likely end of Kupp’s career in the college ranks.

It wasn’t Portland State that won the Big Sky, however. Southern Utah clinched that distinction with a 49-41 victory over Northern Arizona Saturday behind a career day from quarterback Ammon Olsen. The signal caller set a career mark with five touchdown tosses – three to receiver Mike Sharp – guaranteeing his Thunderbirds their spot in the postseason.

McNeese State held on down the stretch to defeat Lamar, 20-14, to stay unbeaten. The Cowboys were able to limit the FCS’ rushing leader Kade Harrington to just 70 yards while a host of McNeese players set the turf ablaze. The Cowboys racked up 406 rushing yards thanks to Derrick Milton, Ryan Ross and Daniel Sams all eclipsing the 100-yard mark in the contest.

North Dakota State did nothing but absolutely dominate Missouri State Saturday, leaving the Bears with a sour 55-0 loss that capped their winless season in Missouri Valley play. The Bison held their opponents to just 13 first downs and 171 total yards of offense. Meanwhile, NDSU rattled off 601 yards with 412 coming from the ground game. The funny thing is, no Bison back carried the ball more than nine times.

Marshaun Coprich came on exceptionally strong toward the end of the regular season, and is hot heading into the playoffs. He stated his case for some more FCS Offensive Player of the Year votes by galloping for 251 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries in his Redbirds’ 46-0 trouncing of South Dakota on a snowy day in Normal.

Eastern Illinois earned a spot in the playoff field after a very selfish performance against Eastern Kentucky Saturday. The Panthers wanted to have the ball so bad, they forced seven Colonels turnovers (five interceptions, two fumbles) in their 21-7 victory.

Neither team was especially good on third-down conversions, however, totaling 4-of-35 on their combined attempts.

Liberty and Coastal Carolina provided a thrilling season finale on Thursday night. The Flames took down the Chanicleers, 24-21, thanks to a game-winning touchdown drive with 1:27 left on the clock. Liberty dominated the battle for control of the ball in the contest, owning a 40:52 to 19:08 edge in time of possession.

One of the best games of the weekend saw The Citadel overtake the SEC’s South Carolina by once again using a dominant ground attack to control the contest. The Bulldogs rushed for 350 yards and three touchdowns against the SEC defense as The Citadel picked up a 23-22 win that propelled the team into the playoffs.

Duquesne clinched its first-ever trip to the FCS postseason with a 30-20 victory over St. Francis (Pa.) Saturday. The Northeast Conference program won the league for the third time in history thanks to Rafiq Douglas matching a career high with three touchdown runs, adding 165 yards to his resume.

Finally (because it’s appropriate after the season we just witnessed to finish up by discussing parity), the Ivy League crown was split three ways Saturday between Harvard, Dartmouth and Penn (yes, you read that correctly) after all three teams picked up season-ending victories. During the regular season, Harvard beat Dartmouth 14-13, Dartmouth beat Penn 41-20, and Penn beat Harvard 35-25.

TSOTN Week 12

National Notes Week 12

Kevin Marshall, National Contributor | November 19, 2015

The State of the Nation

The Reviews

Last week saw a bit of clarity in the potential playoff participants but the scene is still quite muddy. The Selection Committee has its work cut out for them and I do not envy those in that room. There are many worthy teams but only 24 slots. Here’s to hoping you all get good news on Sunday!

Jacksonville State won their 16th consecutive Ohio Valley Conference game and junior receiver Josh Barge became the Gamecocks all time reception leader in JSU’s 56-28 victory over Southeast Missouri State. The Gamecock offense piled up 617 yards of total offense. This Jacksonville State team looks to be a tough out for anyone come playoff time.

North Dakota State continued to play well on the offensive side of the ball. The Bison offense tallied 500 yards of total offense for the third consecutive week. The Bison defense was solid as well holding Youngstown State to just 205 total yards with just 33 of those coming on the ground. NDSU won the game 27-24. Penguin Coach Bo Pelini really hurt his team, and any chance they had to go down the field and tie the game, with a sideline tirade against the officials. Pelini was reprimanded by the Missouri Valley Football Conference for his ungentlemanly outbursts.

South Dakota gave South Dakota State all they wanted and a whole lot more before falling late to the Jackrabbits. SDSU trailed by ten points in the final stanza but reserve quarterback Zach Lujan and receiver Jake Wieneke hooked up on some big plays and got them back into the game. Nick Farina tacked on a pick six to make the final 30-23 in favor of the Jackrabbits.

William & Mary won their sixth consecutive game whipping the Towson Tigers 31-17. Jimmye Laycock and his boys clinched at least a share of the CAA title with the victory. The Tribe put up 31 points but their defense has been the story for me. That unit is giving up just 17.8 points per game.

Andy Talley has done the best coaching job of his illustrious career this season. Villanova, who is just decimated with injuries to their best players, is right in the thick of the race for the CAA championship. Homecoming weekend was a happy one for the Wildcats. Villanova scored on a fourth down play with under a minute remaining to rally past Richmond 21-20. James Madison must seem like it was a lifetime ago for the Spiders.

Portland State survived Southern Utah 24-23. The Thunderbirds played well but the Vikings were just a little better. PSU won the game with defense, which is how SUU usually wins, and the three interceptions of Olsen were huge momentum changers in the contest.

Congratulations to the Chattanooga Mocs for earning the automatic bid from the Southern Conference. The Mocs beat The Citadel 31-23 to punch their ticket. The Cadets had to play their best game of the season to beat Chattanooga and instead the Mocs did. Both teams have identical 6-1 records in the SoCon and The Citadel is at the mercy of the selection committee. Whatever they decide this has been an excellent season for the Bulldogs.

Eastern Washington turned the ball over seven times and got destroyed by the Montana Grizzlies. The return of Griz quarterback Brady Gustafson was huge for Montana. His steady presence in the huddle and in the pocket was obvious to all who saw the game. The Griz defense was outstanding again led by Tyrone Holmes. Griz kicker Dan Sullivan knocked three field goals through for Montana.

The Central Arkansas Bears used a dominant rushing attack to run out ahead of Nicholls State and survived a furious comeback attempt to defeat Nicholls 34-31. The Bears ground game was paced by Blake Veasley’s 141 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Hayden Hildebrand made the safe throws and managed the game well for UCA. Hildebrand was 12-18 for 109 yards and a touchdown. Nicholls State quarterback Landry Klann was 30-47 for 368 yards and four touchdowns.

The Patriot League crown belongs to Colgate. The Red Raiders ran all over Lehigh with Demetrius Russell and quarterback Jake Melville combining for 273 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

The Interviews

Mr. Bob Bonner, owner of the Torrey Pines Pub in Las Vegas, joins us to discuss the largest Griz-Cat gathering on the planet (outside of the actual game anyway) which takes place each year in his establishment.

Lance Berndt and I sit down and discuss the playoff situation as well. Tune in and be the smartest person at your tailgate this week.

The Previews

Portland State @ Eastern Washington
The Eagles find themselves having to win this one against the Vikings to make the field of 24. Eastern must not help the Vikings with turnovers, as they did for Montana last week, to have any chance in this one. The Vikings defense won it for them last week and I think they will do it again. PSU 31-27.

Northern Arizona @ Southern Utah
I really like this Thunderbird team and I think Ed Lamb is one of the better coaches in the FCS. I will be very impressed if the T-Birds can win at home over this high octane Lumberjack offense. I don’t think they will. NAU 38-31.

Villanova @ James Madison
What a matchup this could have been if Vad Lee and John Robertson were healthy. Both are gone for the season and this is a battle of the backup quarterbacks. The Dukes have the better athletes but Villanova has the edge when it comes to coaching. I think the athletes get it done. Dukes 24-20.

William & Mary @ Richmond “AGS Game of the Week”
This is the 125th meeting between these two fine academic schools located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This is the oldest rivalry in the South. The Richmond Spiders come into this one on seven legs and the Tribe are streaking. Tribe 31-17.

Southern Illinois @ Northern Iowa
The Panthers have found enough offense, behind Aaron Bailey at quarterback, to go along with a fine defense and should win this one. UNI needs this one to make the playoffs. I think they will get it. Panthers 28-20.

Sam Houston State @ Central Arkansas
The Bears running game will pound the Bearkats early and wear them out in the fourth quarter. I think this one will be close but Central Arkansas pulls away late. UCA 27-17.

McNeese State @ Lamar
Daniel Sams has done it all for McNeese in 2015. His strong leadership and a stout Cowboy defense will be the difference in this one. McNeese State 31-27.

Bucknell @ Colgate
Colgate finishes strong and awaits their first round playoff opponent. Red Raiders 21-10.

Montana @ Montana State “The Brawl of the Wild”
Both of these teams can get up and down the field and score. That is where the similarities end. The Bobcats have been unable to stop anyone all year, save Idaho State last week, and the Griz have one of the better defenses in the FCS. I think the Griz make enough plays on offense and get the stops of Dakota Prukop they have to have and will win. Griz 34-24.

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.