The FCS Wedge

MVFC Preview 2015.10

MVFC Week 10 Preview

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | November 05, 2015

JT Says-

Missouri State vs Youngstown State
Youngstown will make it 2 wins in a row after losing 3 straight Valley games. Youngstown has been far from good this season but certainly not nearly as terrible as Missouri State. Mo State has given up 246 points in 5 conference games. Youngstown, has been plagued by inconsistency but a glorified scrimmage against the woeful Bears is just what the doctor ordered. Youngstown will not be a playoff team this year but could certainly contend in future seasons. Youngstown trailed only briefly in last week’s 23-21 win over Western Illinois while putting up 356 yards. They will put up at least 400 this week and win this game 42-7.

Illinois State vs South Dakota State
Illinois State looks to remain undefeated. I would say this is the game of the week but last time I said that about a Jackrabbit game they got dominated by the Bison. We can’t judge anything about the last week’s Jackrabbit game because they played against the junior varsity team known as Missouri State. Illinois State got all it could handle having to come in back late in the 3rd and finally in the 4th quarter against Indiana State. They needed a 2 point conversion and barely stopped the Sycamores on 4th down, stopping them just a yard short. With the exception of Southern Illinois, Illinois State has the best offense in the Valley. The Jackrabbits defense has only allowed 53 points in 5 conference games. it will be a battle but Illinois State is just better on both sides of the ball. They continue to stay undefeated and win a defensive battle 17-14.

Indiana State vs Northern Iowa
The Panthers look to continue their winning ways in the UNI Dome. The Sycamores have not been the the UNI Dome since 2011 and have not won there in over a decade. Indiana State has lost 2 in a row while UNI has won 2 in a row. The UNI defense is for real and the offense finally showed signs of life with 200 passing yards against South Dakota. The UNI defense has given up only 7 points in the past 2 games. Coincidentally the Sycamores only put up 7 against the Jackrabbits whose defense is very similar to the Panthers. Aaron Bailey is starting to get a groove in the passing game and UNI will take another step forward. They win this one 35 – 7.

Chad says-

Southern Illinois @ South Dakota
The Coyotes, while improving, still have a ways to go to catch the rest of the league. They have a few nice players but have a complete dearth of talent top to bottom, compared to the rest of the league. Last week they managed just 187 yards of offense, and just 61 yards in the last three quarters of the game, though UNI’s defense is quite stingy. Southern Illinois isn’t known for their defense, and gave up 395 yards to NDSU last week. While USD doesn’t have the Bison run game, their team’s strength is the run game. Up until this week I would have taken SIU running away, literally and figuratively, from USD. However, Dale Lennon dismissed defensive end Adam Brandt, who had 17 career starts, and suspended running back Daquan Isom, who leads the team with 1,149 yards for some legal issues. I think Iannotti is good enough to carry SIU to a win today, but don’t be shocked to see the Coyotes pull out a W.

Western Illinois @ North Dakota State
Fun stat about this series – the home team has never won a game, though the two have played just six times and the last time WIU played in Fargo was 2010, also known as the last time the Bison didn’t win the title. Thanks to falling short against Youngstown State last week the Leathernecks have their back against the wall, facing likely playoff elimination with 4 losses on their record. That will do one of two things for them: 1. Create an intense sense of urgency that will lead them to the win OR 2. create an intense sense of urgency that leads to costly mistakes that NDSU turns into points. If I’m a betting man I’d go with the latter of the two options. Quarterback Easton Stick has looked brilliant for NDSU, and I don’t think that changes this week. I’m going to go with NDSU by 14.

Big Sky Preview 2015.10

BSC Week 10 Preview

Kris Kallem & Lance Berndt, BSC Contributors | November 05, 2015

Kris Says-

Portland State @ Northern Colorado
Portland State is the most complete team in the conference if not the entire nation. The Vikings are averaging 38 points on offense and giving up just 19 on defense. Keep in mind that’s a defense that’s faced high powered offenses in Washington State, Montana State, and Montana. They are well past the point of sneaking up on someone, and now get to experience life with a target on their backs. Northern Colorado has played better football this season and at 4-4, a winning record is still in sight.

Southern Utah @ Montana State
The Southern Utah defense came back down to earth last week a little against a potent Cal Poly rushing attack. They face another solid test this week against the Big Sky’s #1 scoring offense. Dakota Prukop is having a Payton award winning season and can dominate a game. The much maligned Bobcat defense is actually middle of the road in scoring for the Big Sky Conference, but their stats have been skewed by several weak offenses on the schedule. The Tbird’s offense appears to be clicking on all cylinders and I see them winning comfortably in a high scoring game.

Northern Arizona @ Eastern Washington
These are two very similar teams statistically, ranking 12th and 13th in the conference in total defense and 11th and 12th in scoring defense. Two stats that do stand out are the Jack’s last place ranking in sacks against and red zone defense. The Jack’s trio of Cookus, Butler, and Jahn can put up points in bunches but the defense is suspect. Eastern’s defense on the other hand has been playing better of late. I expect a good old fashioned Big Sky shootout in this one. Player to watch: NAU’s Emmanuel Butler is leading the conference in yards per catch at 22.4. He’s a legit deep threat.

Lance says-

UC-Davis @ Weber State
After a brutal 5 game stretch, Weber State returns home for the final 2 games of the season. Their playoff hopes are most likely dashed, but they do have a shot at winning out to record their first winning season since 2010. UC-Davis continues to face these types of games year after year, but this will be another shot to gain some momentum heading into next season. The Aggies lead the conference in time of possession, but I think that’s more of a result from their poor defense. Both teams struggle with taking care of the ball, so turnovers could be a big factor in deciding the winner. I think Weber State has posted a much better resume this season and should be at least a 10 point favorite to win this game.

ORV Montana @ Idaho State
When I saw this game at the start of the season, I thought it could be a crucial decision towards gaining a playoff berth. Things have definitely changed since then, but that’s what makes college football at the FCS level fun to watch. Montana comes into this game needing to win out to still have a shot at the playoffs, which is a tall task with three very strong offenses on the schedule. Idaho State is by far the weakest remaining opponent for the Griz, but they still need to play well to win. The Bengals rank last in the country in turnover margin and the Griz feed off turnovers so they will need to improve on that statistic in this game. Player to watch for Montana will be Tyrone Holmes. It’s likely Idaho State will be passing a lot, so his pass rush ability should come to be very useful for the Griz defense. For the Bengals, I’m going to say running backs Xavier Finney and Jakori Ford. Montana has struggled against the run the past few weeks, so if they can get the ground game going, ISU could pull out a rare win against Montana.

Sacramento State @ Cal Poly
On the surface, Cal Poly should be the clear favorite, but like Cal Poly, Sacramento State has not been as bad this season as their record shows. They only have one loss to a team with a losing record, and only have one FCS loss by more than 22 points. The Mustangs have been waiting for this game for a month though after facing the three teams contending for the conference title the last three games. As is the theme for most games, turnovers has been quite a problem for Cal Poly in their last two losses. Their triple option offense has clearly been effective this season, boasting the nation’s top rushing offense averaging 406.2 yards per game. They have lost 9 fumbles the last two games though and you can’t win if you can’t hang on to the ball. Still, I think Cal Poly should do pretty well against the Hornet defense and win by at least 20 points.

SWAC Review 2015.9

SWAC Week 9 Review:

Charles Wells, SWAC Contributor | November 04, 2015

Alabama State 35, Alabama A&M 20
Daniel Duhart ran for three touchdowns and threw for two to lead Alabama State to a 35-20 win over Alabama A&M in the 74th Magic City Classic on Saturday afternoon at Legion Field. Duhart scored on 15 and one yard runs in the first quarter and a one yard TD in the third to close the scoring for the Hornets Brandon Eldemire notched two touchdowns for the Bulldogs to tie the game at 14 early in the second quarter before Duhart connected with Brandon Barnes for 60 yards and Josh Davis for 18 in the second quarter for a 28-14 lead at the half. Khalid Thomas rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries for ASU while Duhart completed 12 of 22 passes for 228 yards. De’Angelo Ballard completed 16 of 42 for 194 yards and Rashad Anderson threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to O’Darius Williams on a trick play for A&M to round out their scoring.

Prairie View 54, Arkansas Pine Bluff 29
Prairie View A&M fell behind early but a strong defensive effort spearheaded a 40-point swing as the Panthers claimed a 54-29 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Waller ISD Stadium. Trey Green was 21-for-28 passing for 261 yards and had a career-high five total touchdowns for PVAMU UAPB jumped out to an early 14-0 lead when Brandon Duncan threw a 5-yard scoring pass to John Hawkins, and Daunte McDonald ran for a 1-yard score. The Panthers got on the board when wide receiver Christian Rousseau completed an 8-yard scoring pass to John Allen on fourth-and-4. Later, Green threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Demarquo Lastrappe to tie it at 14 before halftime. Prairie View broke the game open by scoring 26 straight points after halftime. Green had scoring runs of 1 and 25 yards during the spurt. Duncan finished with 308 yards passing, three touchdowns and an interception for Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Hawkins caught three passes for 101 yards.

Alcorn State 48, Southern 7
Alcorn State made four in row with a 48-7 victory over Southern Saturday in heavy pelting rain at A.W. Mumford Stadium Saturday afternoon. The defending SWAC champion and East Division-leading Braves stung the Jaguars with a 78-yard touchdown run on their first play from scrimmage. The Braves lost senior quarterback John Gibbs Jr., the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year who had orchestrated the four previous wins against Southern, to a leg injury after two offensive plays and but didn’t miss a beat. Sophomore Lenorris Footman checked in at QB and rushed for 274 yards and four touchdowns and tossed two more touchdown passes. The Jaguars lost its second consecutive home game for the first time in three years. They now trail both Grambling and Prairie View, which holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Southern fell behind 21-0 after less than 15 minutes but got within 21-7 at halftime and was threatening to make it a one-score deficit on its first possession of the third quarter. A 43-yard run by Lenard Tillery, who finished with 132 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, helped the Jaguars reach the Alcorn 10, but on fourth-and-2 Stacey Garner stopped Tillery for no gain. That led to a four-touchdown blitz that contributed to Southern’s worst home loss since a 54-7 defeat against Texas Southern in 2010.

The four touchdowns came in a seven-minute span, thanks in part to the Braves forcing two fumbled snaps. Footman ran 17 yards for a touchdown, passed 38 yards to Brandon Campbell for a score, then raced to the end zone from 30 and 60 yards. That left the Braves, who beat Southern 56-16 last season in Lorman, Mississippi, with a 48-7 lead with 13:53 remaining. Alcorn, which was minus-7 in turnovers coming into the game, finished plus-2 as Southern lost four fumbles.

Jackson State 26, Mississippi Valley State 16
Jackson State survived a scare on the road against rival Mississippi Valley State Saturday afternoon escaping with a 26-16 win from Rice-Totten Stadium. JSU jumped on the board first with a 36 and 33 yard field goal respectively early in the first quarter. The Delta Devils responded with a 32-yard touchdown interception return by Farrean Toney . After an unsuccessful PAT, the score remained tied at 6-6 at halftime. With 7:57 left to play in the third, Ruben Piraquive split the uprights from 27-yards out to take MVSU’s first lead 9-6.. Later in the quarter, Slade Jarman scampered into the end zone from two-yards out; Piraquive’s extra point made it 16-6. Jackson State’s Ryan Deising placed a 24-yard field goal, to bring the score to 16-9. An eight yard touchdown run by Jordan Williams, a 24 yards passing touchdown to Dan Williams and another 33 yard field goal from Deising completed the rally for the Tigers. Javancy Jones led all tacklers with nine for the Tigers. Defensively, Charles Moore tallied eleven total tackles to lead MVSU.

Week 9 players of the week

Offensive Player of the Week

Lenorris Footman, Alcorn State, Quarterback

Filling in for senior quarterback John Gibbs, Jr., Footman accounted for six total touchdowns to lead the defending SWAC champions to a 48-7 road victory over Southern. Footman rushed for 274 yards on 16 carries, scoring four touchdowns on the day. He was also 3-for-7 for 71 yards and two more scores. His rushing scores covered 44, 17, 30, and 60 yards, and he helped to power a rushing attack that rolled up 484 yards on the ground against the Jaguars.

Defensive Player of the Week

Kourtney Berry, Alabama State, Linebacker

Berry racked up 13 total stops in helping the Hornets win the 74th Annual Magic City Classic to the tune of 35-20 over Alabama A&M. He also made a tackle for loss and recovered a fumble that halted a potential scoring drive for the Bulldogs. Berry is now up to 101 total tackles this season, a figure leads the conference by more than 20.

Special Teams Player of the Week

Booker Chambers, Mississippi Valley State, WR/Return Specialist

Chambers was a bright spot for the Delta Devils in their 26-16 loss to Jackson State, as he amassed 168 total return yards during the contest. He returned three punts for 32 yards, with a long of 19. His five kickoff returns netted him 136 total yards, with a 57-yarder being his longest of the game. Thanks to his efforts in special teams, he led all players in all-purpose yardage during the contest.

Newcomer of the Week

KhaDarel Hodge, Prairie View A&M, Wide Receiver

Hodge hauled in a season-high six grabs for 104 yards and a touchdown in Prairie View A&M’s 54-29 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Hodge was particularly effective on the drive that ultimately resulted in the Panthers – who had fallen behind 14-0 before scoring 40 unanswered points – taking their first lead of the game, as he made three catches for 70 yards during the possession. Later in the contest, he got his hands on a 10-yard touchdown from Trey Green.

Big Sky Review 2015.9

BSC Week 9 Review

Lance Berndt & Kris Kallem, BSC Contributors | November 03, 2015

Kris Says-

Eastern Washington 14, Weber State 13
Sustained 30 mph winds and rain turned this game into a low possession, battle of field position. In fact, Eastern had just two drives the entire game where they were going with the wind. The Wildcats more than doubled up Eastern in first downs (27-10) and total yardage (412-189), and held the ball for 23 more minutes. Weber lost the game missing two late field goals with the wind. Eastern may have won the game on the leg of 3rd string quarterback Gage Gubrud who’s rugby style punts away from Weber’s returners were able to flip the field against the wind. Eastern’s defense kept an opposing offense out of the endzone for the first time this season.

Northern Arizona 63, Northern Colorado 21
The Lumberjacks jump all over Northern Colorado going up 42-7 at half. Case Cookus threw 4 touchdowns to Emmanuel Butler alone and Casey Jahn chipped in 171 yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. Since their loss at Montana, NAU is now averaging 47 points per game. The Northern Arizona defense did its part holding an opponent to it’s lowest point total of the year.

Lance says-

North Dakota 44, Montana State 38
UND puts up its highest scoring total in their Big Sky conference play history running all over the Bobcats en route to this big home win. The Bobcats were able to tie the game 5 separate times, but they never took the lead. It was a very sloppy fourth quarter with three straight drives ending in lost fumbles, but North Dakota finally scored what would be the game-winning touchdown with just over a minute remaining on a John Santiago TD run. North Dakota rushed for an astounding 426 yards. John Santiago and Brady Oliveira found holes in the MSU defense all day combining for 397 yards and 4 TDs on 42 carries. Probably the strangest statistic to take away from the game is that even though there were 82 combined points scored, there were 7 turnovers in the game.

Southern Utah 54, Cal Poly 37
Sure, Cal Poly is just 2-6, but this is a statement win for Southern Utah because of the margin of victory. Cal Poly very nearly beat the other top teams in the conference, but made too many errors in this one and lost by 17 points. It’s a continuing trend for the Thunderbirds. Yes, they have played an arguably weak schedule, but they have beaten their opponents much more impressively than others have done. The big stat for Southern Utah in this one comes from the defense who tallied 3 fumble recoveries returned for a touchdown. Mike Needham had two of those and James Cowser had the other. After Southern Utah took an early 17-3 lead on Needham’s first TD, Cal Poly never again got within 9 points of the T-birds lead. Turnovers were once again the struggle for Cal Poly. They were able to gain 155 more yards, but Southern Utah forced them into 6 turnovers. For the game, Mike Needham posted 12 solo tackles, 20 total tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and the two aforementioned fumble recoveries that were both returned for TDs. James Cowser almost posted a solid line with 8 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries returning one for a touchdown and took the other one a noteworthy 45 yards which was quickly followed by an offensive TD. Look out, because Southern Utah is solidifying itself as a conference title contender.

Portland State 35, Montana 16
Yet another big win for the Vikings as their defense frustrated Montana quarterback Makena Simis all night. It is Portland State’s biggest win and just their third win over Montana since 1988. The Viking offense once again had a good rushing performance with 368 yards on the ground. RB David Jones and QB Alex Kuresa combined for 284 of those yards and 3 TDs on 40 carries. The PSU defense was lead by Patrick Onwuasor who had 3 interceptions and 8 total tackles. All 3 of those interceptions came in the first quarter. The defense also recorded 5 sacks with Michael Doman tallying 2.5 of those. With games against both Southern Utah and Eastern Washington going forward, Portland State is still in control of its conference championship destiny.

The Big Sky/Root Sports Players of the week are:

Offense
For the offense it is Northern Arizona’s QB Case Cookus. The freshman passed from 7 touchdowns and completed 25 of 31 passes for 363 yards in just three quarters of play.

Defense
On defense, the honor goes to Patrick Onwuasor from Portland State. He tied a Portland State record with 3 interceptions, all coming in the first quarter of PSU’s win over Montana.

Special Teams
For the Special Teams it must have been a pretty boring week in the Big Sky. The honor goes to NAU kicker Ryan Hawkins who was a perfect 10 for 10 on kickoffs resulting in touchbacks.

MVFC Review 2015.9

MVFC Week 9 Review

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | November 02, 2015

JT Says-

Illinois State – 27, Indiana State -24
Illinois State remains undefeated in Missouri Valley play but one may wonder if they won the game or if it was Indiana State losing the game. The Sycamores led 24-9 after a field with 3:35 left in the third. Redbird all-world running back Michael Coprich scored on a 44 yard touchdown run just over a minute later. A 23 yard field goal in the 4th got the Redbirds within 5 points. Then with just under 3 minutes remaining Tre Roberson scored on a 5 yard touchdown run and Coprich added the 2 point conversion to put Illinois State up by 3. A 4th down attempt came up just a yard short for the Sycamores and the Redbirds survive 27-24. Tre Roberson is mister everything for the Redbirds throwing for 121 yards on 9-19 no touchdowns and a pick but also ran 12 times for 61 yards and 2 scores. Coprich ran for 165 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown. The run game from the Redbirds is the best in the Valley and the Redbirds could run all the way to a National Title.

Northern Iowa – 20, South Dakota – 7
South Dakota scored the first 7 points of the game on a nice long drive where Ryan Seager looked as good as he has the past couple weeks. Then the UNI defense looked as good as they had all season and shut the Coyotes out for the remaining 3 quarters. Shocker of the week, Aaron Bailey was the leading passer not the leading rusher. He put 231 passing yards, completing 16 of 27 attempts and a touchdown. He also ran for 44 yards and an additional score. Savon Huggins led the rushing attack with 66 yards on 9 carries. Sam Kuhter, UNI’s punter, pinned the Coyotes inside the 3 yard line and then their own 1 yard line on consecutive punts in the 4th Quarter. South Dakota managed only 187 yards on 57 plays while the Panthers flipped the script with 78 plays for 394 yards. Bailey will be the man going forward with Sawyer Kollmorgen’s career likely over due to concussions.

South Dakota State – 39, Missouri State -0
Missouri State’s painful rebuilding process continues. 89 passing yards, 122 rushing yards, and they never found the end zone or the uprights. The 39-0 shutout wasn’t even that close. Zach Lujan started the game under center for the Jackrabbits and threw 2 touchdowns on 15-19 passing for 208 yards. Taryn Christion came in mop up duty to go 9 for 11 for 97 yards and a touchdown. Brady Mengerelli led the Jackrabbit ground attack with 142 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. South Dakota State’s defense had an easy day and didn’t even let the Bears get into field goal range. On a positive note, the Bears defense did get 2 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. But…they gave up 439 yards of offense to the Jackrabbits.

Chad says-

Youngstown State – 23, Western Illinois – 21
The Penguins took on the mentality of Bo Pelini, even if only for a game, and used a staunch defensive effort to keep their playoff dreams alive, and put the Leathernecks on the brink of elimination. Youngstown State held the talented skill players from Western Illinois to just 260 total yards of offense and 13 first downs. After WIU took the lead with 5:37 to go in the third, YSU answered with the go ahead, and ultimately game winning field goal. The Penguin defense allowed just 71 yards after the last WIU score, and only 28 in the 4th quarter.

North Dakota State – 35, Southern Illinois – 29
Southern Illinois was so close to making me look smart, but their complete lack of defense ultimately did them in. The Bison racked up 397 rushing yards and held the ball for over 32 minutes, keeping the dangerous Mark Iannotti off the field. The Bison had just one play over 50 yards through the first 7 games, but had 4 of them against the porous Saluki defense. King Frazier busted runs of 41, 50, and 50 yards, and was joined in the long run club by quarterback Easton Stick, who added a 60-yarder of his own. NDSU’s defense held the Salukis to a season low 398 yards of offense, but needed a strong redzone effort to secure the win. The Salukis were forced to field goals on three trips inside the 20. Mark Iannotti still got his yards with 277 passing and 83 on the ground, and had his team in position for the upset. There was just no help from his defense.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offense
RB King Frazier, North Dakota State
Frazier carried the ball 16 times for a career-high 177 yards and a score. He scored on a 50-yard break away on the first play of the fourth quarter and added a 51-yard scamper to set up NDSU’s final score. He also added another long run of 41.

Defense
LB Nick DeLuca, North Dakota State
DeLuca made a career-high 20 tackles including four solo stops in North Dakota State’s 35-29 win at Southern Illinois. He was in on one tackle for loss and had one pass breakup as NDSU’s defense limited the league’s top-rated offense to a season-low 398 yards of total offense and 121 rushing yards.

Special Teams
PK Jay Carlson, South Dakota State
Carlson set a career high with four field goals in South Dakota State’s 39-0 win at Missouri State. Three of Carlson’s field goals were from 40-plus yards – two from 41 yards and a career-long 47-yarder – with his first field goal of the game coming from 34 yards.

Newcomer
LB Lee Wright, Youngstown State
Wright had a career-high 14 tackles, 13 of which were solo stops as the Penguins won at Western Illinois 23-21. He also added a sack for a three-yard loss.

TSOTN Week 9

National Notes Week 9

Kevin Marshall, National Contributor | October 29, 2015

The State of the Nation

The Reviews

The only constant in the FCS this season is change. There is a new number one team in the AnyGivenSaturday.com Top 25 Poll for the second straight week.The Illinois State Redbirds have claimed the top spot. The stage was set for James Madison to make a huge statement and put some distance between themselves and the teams who were chasing them for the number one ranking. ESPN College Gameday was in attendance and instead of the Dukes making the statement it was their opponent, the Richmond Spiders, who let their play on the field make a statement for them. The Spiders racked up a program record 720 yards of total offense in a 59-49 triumph over the Dukes. Jacobi Green ran for 276 yards and 5 touchdowns. It was an expensive loss for James Madison as Vad Lee was hurt and is out for the rest of the season.

The North Dakota State Bison got their stuff back into a pile last week. The Easton Stick Era is fairly begun in Fargo. Stick used his mobility and his strong arm to lead the Bison to a much needed victory over Indiana State 28-14. Northern Iowa saved their season for another week with the play of their defense beating the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State 10-7. Just imagine if the Panthers could get out of their own way on offense. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks continued to be impressive. The Cocks whipped Austin Peay 27-7 and outgained them 427-82 on offense.

Illinois State took sole possession of not only the number one spot in the AGS Poll but also the Missouri Valley Football Conference with their 48-28 victory over Western Illinois. Redbird receiver Anthony Warrum was the star of the game again this week. Warrum had 170 receiving yards and two touchdowns on just four receptions. The Eastern Washington Eagles lived on the edge once again. The Eagles kicked a field goal as time expired to defeat Northern Colorado. Cooper Kupp was amazing again with 20 catches for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Kupp passed Jerry Rice on the career touchdown list in the victory. Both of the Montana schools looked impressive in victories last week. The Griz, behind six touchdown passes from Makena Simis, whipped North Dakota.

The Bobcats manhandled an over matched East Tennessee State team 63-7. The Harvard Crimson threw for the third most yards in school history, 437, to rout Princeton 42-7. There is some very good football being played in Charleston, South Carolina right now. The Charleston Southern Buccaneers and their top ranked defense pitched a shutout against Gardner-Webb and won 34-0. The Citadel Bulldogs rolled over their hated rival the Furman Paladins 38-17. Both of these squads moved into the Top 25 for the first time this season. Western Carolina beat Samford 56-36 in Cullowhee, NC. The Chattanooga Mocs again relied on their talented placekicker Henrique Ribeiro to pull their chestnuts out of the fire. The Brazil native kicked another game winner to lead the Mocs to a 20-17 victory at Wofford.

The Interviews

Brandon Lawrence, of thefcswedge.com, joins us this week and we talk about the best position groups in the FCS so far this season. Brandon writes an excellent column each Sunday on thefcswedge.com called ICYMI (In Case You Missed It). Y’all should give it a read each week.

In our Coach Interview Segment Mr. Jerome Souers, of Northern Arizona, joins us. You will want to tune in to hear what these gentlemen have to say.

The Previews

Coastal Carolina @ Charleston Southern
The Buccaneers defense will be tested by the Chanticleers. I think this is the week that Coastal gets beat. CSU 24-23.

James Madison @ William and Mary
The Dukes will struggle without Vad Lee. The Tribe are playing great right now. William and Mary 27-24.

Western Carolina @ Chattanooga
Last season the Catamounts talked a lot of smack before the game with the Mocs. Nary a peep has come out of Cullowhee so far this week. I think living dangerously catches up to Chattanooga this week. WCU 42-38.

Eastern Kentucky @ Jacksonville State
Both of these squads should have victories over SEC opponents. Two very good teams matched up in this one. I just think Jacksonville State is better. JSU 27-17.

Youngstown State @ Western Illinois
Youngstown is fading, again, and the Leathernecks need to rebound from the disappointing loss last week. WIU 28-13.

South Dakota @ Northern Iowa
The Coyotes are proving they are better than they appeared to be early in the season. Northern Iowa is fighting for their playoff life. UNI 17-14.

Indiana State @ Illinois State
Tre Roberson and Anthony Warrum prove too much for the Sycamore defense. Redbirds 38-17.

NDSU @ Southern Illinois
Easton Stick was impressive last week and the Bison defense seems to be coming together. NDSU 28-17.

Cal Poly @ Southern Utah
Can the Thunderbirds defense continue to play so well? I think they can. SUU 31-17.

Montana State @ North Dakota
UND can and will stop the Bobcat offense. Can the NoDak offense keep up? I don’t think so. MSU 38-20.

Montana @ Portland State
When will people quit asking if the Vikings are for real? This is the week. PSU 38-31.

Big Sky Preview 2015.9

BSC Week 9 Preview

Kris Kallem & Lance Berndt, BSC Contributors | October 29, 2015

Kris Says-

Weber State @ Eastern Washington
The wildcats finish the season at home against UC Davis and Idaho State. If they were to pull off the upset in Cheney, they’d stand a really good chance of finishing 7-4, with quality road wins over Eastern, and Montana. In other words, Weber State is likely playing for a playoff birth this weekend, and will be highly motivated. Eastern Washington still needs to prove they can be consistent in all three phases of the game, and put opponents away. The weather forecast is for wind and rain which certainly favors Weber State.

Northern Colorado @ Northern Arizona
It’s a battle of 4-3 squads with two more Big Sky teams fighting for their playoff lives. This game showcases two young and talented freshman quarterbacks. I was very impressed with the composure of Northern Colorado’s Jacob Knipp last week, leading his team on two late scoring drives to take a lead. For the Lumberjacks, Case Cookus is leading the conference in passer rating, and is a legit contender for the Jerry Rice award. Northern Colorado has been dynamite on specials teams returning two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns this season. UNC is also 4th in the conference in 3rd down conversion percentage at 43.2 while the Lumberjacks are dead last, at 30.4. That’s an important stat and one that might find the Bears staying in this game until the end.

Lance says-

#25 Montana State @ North Dakota
It’s now or never for the Bobcats as they likely need to win their last 4 games to have a shot at the playoffs. First up is a road game against a team they have had a lot of success against the last three years. Since UND joined the Big Sky, Montana State has won the three matchups by an average score of 49-16. Both teams come into this game having struggled on defense as of late. With Montana State’s electrifying offense, UND will have to consistently put points on the board to keep the game close. It’s very likely that Montana State will follow the formula set forth by both Idaho State and Montana to win against UND. Spreading things out and throwing the ball deep helps make UND’s solid defense look a lot weaker. Freshman sensation North Dakota running back John Santiago may need to have the game of his life. My guess is Montana State starts some momentum with a two touchdown win.

ORV Cal Poly @ #17 Southern Utah
The Thunderbirds have taken great advantage of a pretty weak October schedule with some dominating wins on both the offensive and defensive side. Now, they start a stretch run towards the conference championship and playoff berth with the always tough Cal Poly Mustangs. The big question for the Mustangs will be if Chris Brown will be back from injury at QB. If not, Khaleel Jackson showed last weekend that they are still in capable hands. Southern Utah has been nothing short of dominant in their first 4 Big Sky games allowing an average of less than 3 points per game. Cal Poly’s triple option offense is a completely different animal, though, spreading the field and forcing teams to guard both the middle and the outside every play. I think this game will come down to the matchup of Southern Utah’s offense against Cal Poly’s defense. QB Ammon Olsen has been great in recent games and found success last season against the Mustangs throwing for 403 yards and 3 TDs. If he can find that magic again, the T-Birds should come away with the big home win.

#20 Montana @ #5 Portland State
There are at least 4 great matchups in the conference this weekend, and this could be the best of them all. It has been a long long time since these two played where Portland State was the favorite to win. The Vikings have been firing on all cylinders since their loss to UND. They have proven to be able to win with their defense, their rushing offense, and their passing offense as well. Montana, on the other hand, has been back and forth all season. Even though they do have their third string quarterback playing because of injury, he did find great success against UND and will have a good amount of confidence coming into his first ever road game. I think Montana’s biggest need in this game is to be able to stop Portland State’s running game. They struggled in that category against both UND and Weber State. Portland State has proven to have a very strong rushing attack, and if the Griz can’t make stops, this should be a runaway win for the Vikings. Montana’s very balanced linebacker corps will need to have their best game of the season for the Griz to come away with the win.

TIME (ET)	MATCHUP
2:00:00 PM	Montana State @ North Dakota Lance
3:05:00 PM	Weber State @ Eastern Washington Kris
5:00:00 PM	Cal Poly @ Southern Utah Lance
5:00:00 PM	Montana @ Portland State Lance
5:00:00 PM	Northern Colorado @ Northern Arizona Kris

All TV Listings For Wk. 9 Here

The FCSTV Guide For Week 9

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

AGS Top 25 Watch Guide – Week 9

Friday, October 30th
#23 Dartmouth at #16 Harvard NBC Sports Network 7:30pm
The two undefeated Ivy League teams matchup in a huge conference game.

Saturday, October 31st
#24 Indiana State at #1 Illinois State ESPN3 1pm
Illinois State looks to solidify their position as #1 with a ranked win in conference.

#12 Eastern Kentucky at #2 Jacksonville State 2pm
In what is likely the AGS GOTW, JSU looks to remain dominant in the OVC but EKU wants to take that spot on top.

#3 Coastal Carolina at #21 Charleston Southern 7pm
In what is Coastal’s first tough game of the season, CSU would love to knock them off and take control of the Big South.

(ORV-29) Western Carolina at #4 Chattanooga ESPN3 2pm
Chattanooga continues to beat any and all SoCon opponents and hopes to do so against the Catamounts.

#20 Montana at #5 Portland State 5pm
A very inconsistent Montana team wants to beat the surprise top 10 team, Portland State. This is a huge Big Sky game.

#6 North Dakota State at Southern Illinois ESPN3 3pm
Despite two losses, NDSU is still among the top 10 and look to continue to win against SIU.

#7 James Madison at #13 William & Mary NBC Sports Network 4pm
JMU’s defense was bullied all game long and looked very unprepared. They lost star QB Vad Lee and break in back up QB Bryan Schor. Expect the good defensive tribe to pick on Schor all game and win somewhat easily.

Albany at #8 Richmond 3:30pm
UR’s offense executed with ease last week but their defense leaves much to be desired. They should cruise easily against a bad Albany team.

#9 McNeese State at Abilene Christian 3:30pm
McNeese looks to remain in the top 10 while they visit an easy ACU squad.

Weber State at #10 Eastern Washington 3pm
WSU has knocked off some opponents this season, but EWU should have too much offense for them to handle.

#11 South Dakota State at Missouri State ESPN3 3pm
SDSU travels to Missouri in what should be a routine MVFC win.

Texas A&M-Commerce (D2) at #14 Sam Houston State 7pm
SHSU hosts a D2 this week and look for a win to pad that column.

#15 Fordham at Colgate 1pm
Fordham continues to roll in the PL and should still do so against Colgate.

Cal Poly at #17 Southern Utah 5pm
Surprise ranked team SUU faces a feisty, but underperforming Cal Poly squad.

(ORV-26) South Dakota at #18 Northern Iowa ESPN3 2pm
UNI has to be careful as they face a USD squad that was able to upset NDSU.

(ORV-28) Youngstown State at #19 Western Illinois ESPN3 2pm
Western Illinois is another surprising team this season and they face YSU and Bo Pelini.

Mercer at #22 The Citadel ESPN3 2pm
The Citadel breaks the rankings and should have an easy win against Mercer this week.

#25 Montana State at North Dakota 2pm
MSU has managed to just stay ranked and they face an inconsistent UND team this week.

Others Receiving Votes (26-30):
#27 North Carolina A&T at Florida A&M 5pm
Jacksonville at #30 Dayton 1pm

——-

An FCS NBCSN three pack of games highlights this weeks TV/Streaming coverage…As always check back for future updates and all games are in central time…

TV Guide
10/30 Dartmouth at Harvard 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
10/31 Elon at Stony Brook 11:00 a.m. SNY, ASN Affiliates
Columbia at Yale 11:30 a.m. Fox College Sports
Indiana State at Illinois State noon Comcast Chicago
Montana State at North Dakota Midco Sports, Cowles Media
NDSU at SIU 2:00 p.m. NBC ND
Weber State at Eastern Washington 2:00 p.m. Root Sports NW/RM, Direct TV 101
Cornell at Princeton 2:30 p.m. SNY, Altitude 2, ASN Affiliates
McNeese State at Abilene Christian 2:30 p.m. MASN, ASN Affiliates
JMU at William and Mary 3:00 p.m. NBCSN
UT-Martin at Arkansas 3:00 p.m. SEC Network
Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona 4:00 p.m. Fox Sports AZ
Coastal Carolina at Charleston Southern 6:00 p.m ASN Affiliates
Texas A&M Commerce at Sam Houston State 6:00 p.m. Fox College Sports
Maine at Villanova 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

FCS on ESPN3
10/31 RMU at CCSU 11:00 a.m.
Monmouth at Kennesaw State noon
Indiana State at Illinois State noon
San Diego at Stetson noon
Wofford at VMI 12:30 p.m.
Mercer at The Citadel 1:00 p.m.
WCU at Chattanooga 1:00 p.m.
South Dakota at UNI 1:00 p.m.
YSU at WIU 1:00 p.m.
College of Faith at Texas Southern 1:00 p.m. Root Sports SW
SDSU at Missouri State 2:00 p.m.
Furman at Samford 2:00 p.m.
NDSU at SIU 2:00 p.m.
Alabama A&M at Alabama State 2:30 p.m.
SE Louisiana at Central Arkansas 7:00 p.m.

FCS on ESPN College Extra
10/31 Indiana State at Illinois State noon
San Diego at Stetson noon
North Dakota State at Southern Illinois 2:00 p.m.
South Dakota State at Missouri State 2:00 p.m.
SE Louisiana at Central Arkansas 7:00 p.m.

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

SoCon Digital Network

MVFC Preview 2015.9

MVFC Week 9 Preview

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC Contributors | October 29, 2015

JT Says-

Indiana State @ Illinois State
Illinois State will remain undefeated. Indiana State has lost it’s last 2 conference road games and only managed 21 points combined against NDSU and SDSU. They scored 56 on Missouri State but allowed the Bears to score 28, their highest this season. South Dakota State and North Dakota state have lost so the Missouri Valley is now the Redbirds to lose. Other than the early against Eastern Illinois, the Redbirds have not trailed since they lost to the Iowa Hawkeye’s. They do not face NDSU in the regular season and with SDSU this could be a trap game but with a possible undefeated Missouri Valley season on the line, they will take care of business. Illinois State’s offense continues to put up points as they win 45-23.

South Dakota @ Northern Iowa
Raise your hand if you had South Dakota with 2 wins at this point? Exactly. Raise your hand if you had UNI with only 1 win at this point. Exactly. South Dakota had NO hangover after the upset win in Fargo. They put up a 40 spot on Missouri State and look to upset the Panthers in the UNI Dome. The Panthers lost 3 straight games, all of them winnable. They won the ugliest game in years for UNI football with a 10-7 win over. UNI STILL can’t throw the ball. At all. Aaron Bailey is a great runner but had to do solo work with Sawyer Kollmorgen not making the trip. UNI needs Sawyer to play. They need to pass the ball. Also, their running backs are getting blown out of the water by their quarterback. If they want any chance at the post season, the need to win this game and get the offense off of life supports. The UNI defense has been solid to spectacular all season. South Dakota will struggle to get points, even if they get yards UNI will find a way to win this one. 24-14.

South Dakota State @ Missouri State
The Jackrabbits get their turn at Missouri State. Missouri State is not good. They have been outscored 207-66 in Valley play. It’s quite amazing they put up 28 against Indiana State. South Dakota State only mustered 7 points against UNI but the 3rd string UNI defense would put up a better fight than Missouri State. Surprisingly, SDSU has only put up 88 points in conference play which puts them behind everyone but Missouri State and UNI. Neither team has lit it up but South Dakota State gets rolling early and often in this one. SDSU 45 Mo State 10

Chad says-

Youngstown State @ Western Illinois
This is a vital, dare I say must win, game for both of these programs. Youngstown State is looking to prove that the issues of past years October and November issues are, just that, the issues of past years. At 3-4, 1-3 in conference, they can’t afford another loss to even be on the bubble come selection Sunday. For WIU it sounds odd to say it is a must win, and maybe I’m a bit premature on it. They sit 3-1 in conference, tied for second place. The issue for the Leathernecks is their remaining schedule. After the Penguins they go on the road to NDSU and Indiana State, with SDSU to close the season. With 3 losses already on the books, and that kind of schedule, they have no room for error. The Leathernecks have their eyes still set square on the playoffs, which the Penguins are starting to see deja vu of past nightmares. I think the demons continue to haunt YSU. I’ve got WIU by 2 scores.

North Dakota State and Southern Illinois
The upset special of the week. Why am I crazy enough to say that? NDSU can’t seem to contain quarterbacks who can move. They’ve faced three in a row – Aaron Bailey, of Northern Iowa, ran for 157 on 12.1 yards per carry. Ryan Saeger, of South Dakota, picked up 92 at 5.8 yards per carry. Matt Adam picked up 88 on 6 carries, taking out sack yardage. This week they have to try to stop Mark Iannotti who averaged just under 5 yards per carry as part of the Saluki offense that averages 41 points per game and 110 yard MORE per game than the second best offense in the conference. There isn’t another, active player, in the conference within 120 yards of Iannotti when it comes to production. The good news for Bison fans? Southern Illinois doesn’t really like to play defense, giving up 32 points and 463 yards per game. If the Bison can do something no one else has, slow Iannotti, they should win with ease. If not? Well, the rumbling of NDSU slipping back to the pack will only grow.

12:00	Indiana State @ Illinois State	ESPN3
1:00	Youngstown State @ Western Illinois	ESPN3
1:00	South Dakota @ Northern Iowa	ESPN3/Panther Sports Network
2:00	North Dakota State @ Southern Illinois	ESPN3
2:00	South Dakota State @ Missouri State	ESPN3

SWAC Review 2015.8

SWAC Week 8 Review:

Charles Wells, SWAC Contributor | October 27, 2015

Saturday, October 24

Southern 40 Texas Southern 21
Lenard Tillery rushed for a career-high 198 yards with two touchdowns and Southern beat Texas Southern 40-21 in a game played earlier than scheduled due to heavy rain bands from Hurricane Patricia. Southern got off on the right foot, as Willie Quinn returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown which tied the all-time FCS record, for most kickoff return touchdowns in a career. TSU tied it after a fumble on a punt return set up a short field for Brad Woodard’s two yard yard run. Southern’s first offensive drive resulted in a three yard touchdown run by Tillery, and he added another a two yard plunge to put the Jaguars up 21-7 with 1:55 left in the first quarter.The Tigers responded, as Larry Clark III’s 54-yard touchdown catch and Malik Cross’ 18-yarder tied the game at 21 at halftime. In the third, the Jaguars added a short field goal by Gregg Pittman, and a blocked punt that resulted in a safety. Touchdown runs by Deonte Shorts and John West iced the win. The Tigers were held to 92 total yards, including -2 yards rushing.

Jackson State 37 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3
Jackson State quarterback Jarin Morikawa passed for 333 yards on 25-of-40 attempts and three touchdowns as the Tigers topped Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 37-3, on homecoming Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. It marked the second victory of the season for the Tigers while the Lions remained winless in the SWAC. Devin Fosselman caught all three touchdown passes from Morikawa, who was playing for injured starter LaMontiez Ivy. For the game, Fosselman hauled in six receptions for 175 yards. JSU running back Robert Johnson led all rushers with 100 yards on 18 carries. He also finished with a rushing touchdown. JSU opened the game with 24 unanswered points, taking a 24-0 lead at halftime. Fosselman got things going with a 48-yard pass reception, followed by a 20-yard field goal by Ryan Deising, a 42-yard run by Johnson and a 37-yard field goal by Deising. UAPB didn’t get on the scoreboard until Jamie Gillan kicked a 22-yard field goal in the third period, which would turn out to be the Lions’ only points. The JSU defense held UAPB to only 175 yards of total offense, 76 of which were on the ground.

Grambling State 49 Mississippi Valley State 14
Johnathan Williams completed 13 of 22 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns to help lead Grambling State to a 49-14 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday. Jestin Kelly added 159 yards on the ground on 18 carries for GSU. Chester Rogers finished with 118 yards receiving and Chad Williams had 80 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers. Grambling jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and took a 35-7 lead into the break after a 40-yard touchdown run by Martez Carter. A Dre’ Fusilier 14-yard run with 14:19 left in the game pushed the Tigers lead to 49-7. A Ruban Thurston Jr. 21-yard scoring strike to Tre Simms capped off the scoring for the Delta Devils (0-8, 0-6). Thurston Jr. finished with 180 yards passing with a touchdown and Thomas Stokes Jr. led MVSU on the ground with 118 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Week 8 Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week
Devin Fosselman, Jackson State, Wide Receiver
Fosselman had a career day in Jackson State’s 37-3 homecoming victory over the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Fosselman hauled in six grabs for 175 yards, scoring three touchdowns in the game as well. Fosselman’s 48-yard touchdown catch opened up the scoring for the Tigers, and the senior’s other scores came from 59 yards and 10 yards out.

Defensive Player of the Week
Daniel Brown, Southern, Linebacker
Brown was a menace for the Jaguars against Texas Southern, as the fifth-year senior made six tackles and four sacks in Southern’s 40-21 road victory against TSU. Brown was a driving force behind a strong pass rush for the Jaguars, as he accounted for half of the team’s sack total in the victory. Brown also forced a fumble that Southern recovered and turned into a field goal that gave the Jaguars a 24-21 advantage in the third quarter and set off a run of 16 unanswered points for them.

Special Teams Player of the Week
Willie Quinn, Southern, Wide Receiver/Return Specialist
Quinn accounted for 123 return yards in Southern’s 40-21 win at Texas Southern. The highlight for the senior speedster was a game-opening 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that not only put Southern on the board, but also tied Quinn with Hampton’s Jerome Mathis’ career record for the most kickoff return touchdowns by an FCS player. Quinn, who has earned the SWAC Specialist of the Week honor three times this year, is one kickoff return touchdown away from breaking the record and is one kick return score of any sort from tying a season record for most return TDs by an FCS player.

Newcomer of the Week
Jarin Morikawa, Jackson State, Quarterback
Filling in for the injured LaMontiez Ivy, Morikawa ensured that Jackson State’s passing attack didn’t miss a beat. The sophomore ended up throwing for 333 yards – on 25-of-40 passing – and three touchdowns in the Tigers’ 37-3 homecoming win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.