The FCS Wedge

The FCSTV Guide For Week 6

Once again our friends FargoBison & RootinFerDukes at AnyGivenSaturday.com bring us a list of televised FCS games.
AGS Top 25 Watch Guide – Week 6
Thursday, October 8th

Tennessee Tech at (18) Eastern Kentucky 7pm OVC Video

After a disappointing loss/almost win vs Kentucky, EKU will look to take out their frustrations against TN Tech.

Saturday, October 10th

(9) Northern Iowa at (1) North Dakota State 2pm CSNC/ESPN3/NBC ND

NDSU continues to show they’re still the top team in the land and will be tested for the second straight week vs a Top 10 opponent.

(3) James Madison at Towson 3pm SNY/CSCA/CSN (cable)/CAA Video

JMU is 5-0 for the first time in program history. They look for an easy road win at Towson.

Presbyterian at (4) Coastal Carolina 2pm ESPN3

Coastal looks to remain undefeated in an easy game against PC.

(5) Illinois State at (11) Youngstown State 7pm ESPN3

In what may end up being the AGS GOTW, IL State beat UNI last week and wants another statement win against Bo Pelini’s Penguins.

(ORV-26) Furman at (6) Chattanooga 1pm ESPN3

Chattanooga is slowly creeping back up to the top and wants a win against a quality opponent in Furman. FU wants to enter the Top 25 and this game will do that for them.

(ORV-29) Cal Poly at (7) Eastern Washington 4pm FSAZ/SWX TV

Cal Poly wants to avoid fading away against a top opponent in EWU.

(16) Indiana State at (8) South Dakota State 7pm ESPN3

A top matchup for the week in this MVFC game. SDSU had a disappointing 8th consecutive loss to NDSU. They look to prove they’re a top 10 team by beating IN State.

Weber State at (10) Montana 4pm Cowles Media (cable)/(ABC/FOX) MT/Big Sky Video

Montana is in the top 10 and should have an easy Big Sky opponent this week in Weber State.

(12) Fordham at Pennsylvania 1pm

Fordham lurks near the top 10, but look out Penn beat Villanova and wants to take down Fordham too.

(13) Liberty at Gardner-Webb 7pm ASN

Liberty beat “FBS in name only” Georgia State last week, whom they were favored to beat. They now begin Big South play against bottom dweller GW.

(14) Southeastern Louisiana at (17) McNeese State 7pm ESPN Extra/ESPN3/CST

This may be the biggest SL conference game of the season so far. Both teams want to secure their spots in the top 15 nationally with a statement win.

Incarnate Word at (15) Sam Houston State 7pm FCS (cable)

SHSU is slowly rebuilding after the Lamar upset. They shouldn’t have too much of a test against IWU.

(19) Portland State at North Texas 5pm http://www.conferenceusa.com/college…/?media=500422

Portland State could and just might go into Denton TX and come out with a win. This is a very bad UNT team that is just a glorified FCS team.

(24) William & Mary at (20) Villanova 12pm SNY/CSCA/CSN (cable)/CAA Video

After losing to a last second Blue Hens field goal, WM needs a statement win badly against VU. Meanwhile, VU wants to remain undefeated in CAA play and prove they’re a capable team without Robertson for the rest of the season.

Elon at (21) Richmond 3:30pm

Richmond looked impressive against Maine, but Maine also didn’t look very good. The Spiders will roll easily against bottom-third CAA team Elon.

(22) Harvard at Cornell 12pm CSNE/CSBA/ALT2/ASN

Harvard continues to win and win and win. Their SOS isn’t anything to write home about, but win they will continue to do.

Sacramento State at (23) Montana State 7pm RSRM/RSNW/RSSW

MSU was upset by NAU last week and badly needs to get back to winning or they can say goodbye to the Top 25.

Bye Week:
(2) Jacksonville State
(25) New Hampshire

Others Receiving Votes (26-30):
Idaho State at (27) North Dakota 2pm Midco
South Dakota at (28) Western Illinois 4pm ESPN3/MVFC TV
(30) Northern Arizona at California-Davis 7pm

Some additional information on TV:
Another big week in the FCS, lots of great games available on TV and streaming platforms….As usual check back for future updates and as always all games are in central time.

TV Guide
10/8
SC State at Bethune-Cookman 6:30 p.m. ESPNU
10/10
Harvard at Cornell 11:00 a.m. Comcast NE/BA, Altitude 2, ASN Affiliates
William and Mary at Villanova 11:00 a.m. SNY, Comcast CA/Mid-Atlantic
Yale at Dartmouth 12:30 p.m. Fox College Sports
UNI at NDSU 1:00 p.m. Comcast Chicago, NBC ND
Idaho State at North Dakota 1:00 p.m. Midco
JMU at Towson 2:00 p.m. SNY, Comcast CA/Mid-Atlantic
UCA at Houston Baptist 2:30 p.m. Altitude 2(not confirmed), ASN Affiliates
Tenn State at UT Martin MASN, ASN Affiliates
Incarnate Word at SHSU 6:00 p.m Fox College Sports
Indiana State at SDSU 6:00 p.m. Midco
Sac State at Montana State 6:00 p.m. Root Sports RM/NW/SW, Direct TV 101

FCS on ESPN3
10/10
Sacred Heart at Robert Morris 11:00 a.m.
Furman at Chattanooga noon
Samford at VMI 12:30 p.m.
Wofford at The Citadel 1:00 p.m.
SEMO at EIU 1:00 p.m.
UNI at NDSU 1:00 p.m.
Nicholls State at SFA 3:00 p.m.
USD at WIU 3:00 p.m.
Stetson at Jacksonville 5:00 p.m.
Illinois State at YSU 6:00 p.m.
Indiana State at SDSU 6:00 p.m.
Southeastern LA at McNeese State 6:00 p.m.
Abilene Christian at Lamar 7:00 p.m.

FCS on ESPN College Extra
10/10 TBA

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

SoCon Digital Network

SWAC Review 2015.5

SWAC Week 5 Review:

Charles Wells, SWAC Contributor | October 06, 2015

Thursday, October 1
Alabama State 41, Texas Southern 23

The Hornets got another much needed win over the reeling TSU Tigers. Ellis Richardson threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead Alabama State to a 41-23 victory. TSU took a 23-20 lead late in the third quarter when Averion Hurts found Derrick Griffin in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. Alex Anderson returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to give ASU a 27-23 lead. In the fourth quarter, Richardson had a short touchdown pass to a wide open Brandon Barnes and, less than three minutes later, Khalid Thomas broke a short screen pass for a 46 yard score.

Richardson finished with 162 yards passing and 135 yards rushing for the Hornets (2-3, 2-2). Alex Anderson rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown, and Thomas also notched 73 yards receiving and a pair of scores. Brad Woodard rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown for TSU. Hurts completed 16 of his 23 passing attempts for 147 yards and one touchdown.
After another TSU touchdown ASU went into the second quarter trailing 14-7, but on the first play of the second quarter, Richardson hit Khalid Thomas who tip-toed down the sideline for 21 yards and evened the score at 14. ASU took the lead with less than four minutes left before halftime as Stanley Robinson scored from a yard out. The extra point was missed, but the Hornets had their 20-17 halftime lead. Kourtney Berry was able to reach the double digit mark for the fifth time this season finishing with 11 stops for ASU. TSU’s Zacch Bamijoko finished with a game high 14 tackles.

Saturday, October 3

Grambling State 59, Jackson State 27

The JSU hot seat continues to grow as the Tigers lost to Grambling at home in back to back seasons. Jonathan Williams passed for 327 yards and five touchdowns as Grambling State defeated Jackson State 59-27 on Saturday night at Veteran Stadium. GSU led 28-20 at halftime, but scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter after JSU closed to 38-27.
Williams threw scoring passes to Brandon Byrdsong, Chris Bazile, Ka’Jandre Domino and Chester Rogers. Martez Carter rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown. Jestin Kelly and Dre’ Fusilier also scored. Marc Orozco added a 29-yard field goal for Grambling. La Montiez Ivy completed 40-of-58 passes for 490 yards and three touchdowns for Jackson State (1-4, 1-2), which stayed close into the third quarter. Ivy also rushed for 93 yards and one touchdown on the ground. JSU’s three drives ended in a punt, a missed field goal, and an interception.

Alcorn State 61, Arkansas Pine Bluff 14

The Braves continue to roll as they won their 4th straight game by double digits. Joe Price and Darryan Ragsdale spearheaded a dominant rushing attack, leading Alcorn State to a 61-14 neutral site win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Little Rock. Price and Ragsdale each went over the 100-yard mark and scored on runs of 50 and 65 yards, respectively. Both touchdowns came in the first quarter as the Braves (4-1, 3-0) built a 28-7 lead. John Gibbs, Jr. rushed for three scores and passed for two more, hitting 7 of 10 passes for 103 yards. The Braves rushed 50 times for 418 yards and six scores.

The Golden Lions (1-4, 0-3) tied the game at 7-7 when Marcus Terrell found Kyle Coleman for a 10-yard touchdown. But it was all Alcorn from there, with the Braves scoring 53 of the game’s next 60 points. Terrell finished 8 of 15 for 74 yards and two interceptions.

Jacksonville State 49, Mississippi Valley State 0

Mississippi Valley State lost their 5th straight game by double digits falling to Jacksonville State 49-7.MVSU surrendered rushing touchdowns to Troymaine Pope and Eli Jenkins each and could never overcome JSU’s defense en route to their ninth straight loss dating back to the 2014 season.

The Delta Devils struggled to move the ball, totaling 194 yards and turning it over four times. Ruban Thurston Jr. scored the lone touchdown, a 29-yard run early in the second quarter to make the score 14-7. But the Gamecocks ran off 35 straight points to put the game out of reach.
Pope carried the ball seven times for 100 yards all in the first half. Jenkins had 48 yards and Josh Clemons and Bo Billups each added touchdown runs for the Gamecocks, who totaled 328 yards on the ground. Jenkins also threw for a score, completing 7 of 10 attempts for 127 yards and an interception.

Coastal Carolina 55, Alabama A&M 0

Alabama A&M suffered its third loss of the season at the hands Coastal Carolina 55-0. De’Angelo Henderson scored three touchdowns for CCU and rushed for 100 yards in the first half for the AAMU gained 311 yards of total offense, while the Coastal’s offense racked up 547 yards of its own. The bight spot for the Bulldogs was Johnathan Dorsey, who hauled in three catches for 75 yards. DeAngelo Ballard was held to 160 on 7-of-17 passing.

Bryan Brower and Anthony Lanier led the Bulldogs with 10 tackles apiece. Justin Brown finished with three stops and an interception. Over half of Coastal’s yardage came on the ground, thanks to Henderson, who set the Big South record for by scoring at least one touchdown in his 19th consecutive game. Henderson’s other pair of scores came through the air as he caught four passes for 44 yards to bring his all purpose yardage on the day to 146.

Coastal’s offense sputtered through the rest of the first quarter but came back to score on each of its first five drives starting with the second quarter into the third. Getting CCU started was a 12-yard run by Ross, Henderson had a 17-yard run, followed by a 25-yard reception for a TD. Ross then connected with Bruce Mapp to convert the two-point try for a 14-0 lead. Ross rolled to his right and completed a pass to Henderson, who made one defender miss before reaching the end zone for his third score of the game. Ryan Granger added the point after for a 21-0 lead. Granger split the uprights from 34 yards out to put Coastal on top 24-0 with 4:44 left. Coastal would score two more times inside the final four minutes.

Prairie View A&M 42, University of Faith 0

Prairie View A&M earned a 42-0 victory over the University of Faith Saturday afternoon at Waller ISD Stadium. The Panthers scored on its first possession as De’Auntre Smiley capped off of a six-play, 49-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to KhaDarel Hodge. Two drives later, the Panthers went up 14-0 as Johnta’ Hebert rushed in from 49 yards out.
Thanks to a sack and fumble recovery by Steven Guillory on the ensuing defensive possession, PVAMU moved on top 21-0 early in the second quarter as Trey Green found Nick Pitre on a 21-yard touchdown pass.
In the second half,Green found Pitre for the second time on the team’s opening drive growing the lead to 28-0 with 12:38 left. UOF turned the ball over on downs on its next drive and PVAMU moved ahead 35-0 as Green connected with Hebert for a seven-yard touchdown pass.
Smiley scored from one-yard in to open the fourth quarter to cap off the scoring as the Panthers returned to the winner’s column for the first time in two weeks. PVAMU finished with 500 total yards while only yielding 203 yards. Green passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns on 15-of-22 attempts while Pitre caught six passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Medina and Jalen Thibodeaux both had eight tackles and a sack. Thibodeaux also broke up a pair of passes and forced a fumble.
Due to a summer ruling by the NCAA which defined a varsity intercollegiate team, Saturday’s game was labeled an exhibition and will not count towards the SWAC and NCAA official statistics.

Football Players of the Week: October 5

Offensive Player of the Week
Ellis Richardson, Alabama State, Quarterback

The dual-threat signal-caller did it with his arms and legs against Texas Southern, accounted for 297 total yards of offense (162 pass, 135 rush) and accounting for four touchdowns in the Hornets’ 41-23 win at Texas Southern. Richardson threw for three scores and rushed for another versus the Tigers, and over the past two contests – both wins for Alabama State – he has been responsible for nine offensive touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Week
Darien Anderson, Alcorn State, Linebacker

Anderson spear-headed the defensive effort for the Braves, racking up a game-high 11 total stops in Alcorn State’s 61-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Anderson was the only player to reach double-digits in tackles from either side, and he also had 1.5 tackles for loss for the Braves.

Special Teams Player of the Week
Haiden McCraney, Alcorn State, Kicker/Punter

The Braves’ junior specialist averaged 44.5 yards per punt (four punts for 178 yards) against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, pinning the Golden Lions’ offense inside its own 20-yard line on three of his attempts. In addition, he converted seven point-after attempts for Alcorn State.

Newcomer of the Week
Alex Anderson, Alabama State, Running back

Anderson was a considerable part of the Hornets’ run game against Texas Southern, as he rushed for 134 of the team’s 374 yards on the ground – in just 14 carries – and a touchdown in Alabama State’s 41-23 win. The freshman nearly averaged a first down per rush, and also caught one pass for four yards. Anderson’s score came on a 75-yard dash that put the Hornets ahead for good in the game, as it kicked off a run of 21 unanswered points for ASU.

Big Sky Review 2015.5

BSC Week 5 Review

Lance Berndt & Kris Kallem, BSC Contributors | October 06, 2015

Kris Says-
North Dakota 19 Portland State 17

In a battle of top Big Sky defenses it was North Dakota who came out on top holding Portland State to just 247 yards of total offense. North Dakota running back John Santiago goes over 100 yards for the third time this season and quarterback Keaton Studsrud chipped in with 107 rushing yards of his own. Portland State has three dual threat QB’s who can run but when you get only 13 yards out of the running back position you’re going to have a tough time keeping up with most Big Sky offenses.

Northern Colorado 27 Sacramento State 20

Sacramento State dominated the game in nearly every category, out-gaining Northern Colorado 438-179. So how do you get just 48 yards rushing, 131 passing, and still manage to win the game? The Bears returned two Hornet fumbles for touchdowns in the second half to go along with a game opening kickoff return for a touchdown by Hakeem Deggs.

Lance says-

Montana 27 UC Davis 13

The Montana offense looked shaky most of the afternoon, and the Aggies capitalized early with 13 points before two minutes had passed in the second quarter. After that point, though, the Griz defense stepped up to play shutting out UC-Davis in the final 43 minutes of the game. The Grizzlies stormed the Aggies backfield for 8 tackles for loss, including 5 sacks. They also posted two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. One positive note for QB Chad Chalich was that he did not throw any interceptions while getting 3 TD passes and 29 completions on 49 attempts. The running game still looked rather poor and will need to improve as the conference schedule will continue to get tougher.

Northern Arizona 49 Montana State 41

The Lumberjacks dominated the running game on both sides of the ball and this game was not as close as the final score considering NAU held a 29 point lead late in the fourth quarter. They ran for 252 yards with Casey Jahn leading the attack with 175 yards and 2 TDs on 24 carries. Case Cookus passed for 4 TDs with Alex Holmes catching two of those TDs, while also passing for a TD of his own. NAU has a pretty favorable conference schedule going forward and could possibly end up playing in a “win and you’re in the playoff discussion” game in the season finale against Southern Utah.

Cal Poly 58 Idaho State 26

Idaho State just cannot catch a break with their very tough schedule to start the season and their defense is falling apart. Cal Poly is the third team to post their season high in points against the Bengals and they did it in a very impressive fashion. The Mustangs ran for 499 yards and 6 TDs on 81 carries. Kori Garcia and Chris Brown combined for 278 of those yards and 5 TDs. One positive note for Idaho State is that QB Michael Sanders seemed to find a little more of a rhythm this game, but it isn’t going to matter if the defense continues their horrendous play. If Cal Poly can finish the season strong with 5-6 wins, they should have a great chance at making the 24 team playoff.

Players of the week:
The offensive player of the week is RB Casey Jahn of Northern Arizona. As mentioned before, he tallied 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Lumberjacks big win over Montana State.

For the second week in a row, the defensive player of the week is a Grizzly. This time it is defensive tackle Caleb Kidder who racked up a fumble recovery, an interception, five solo tackles, and one sack.

North Dakota also goes back to back with the special teams award. Kicker Reid Taubenheim takes the honor after nailing four field goals in the road upset over Portland State.

MATCHUP

Montana 27, UC Davis 13

North Dakota 19, Portland State 17

Montana State 41, Northern Arizona 49

Northern Colorado 27, Sacramento State 20

Idaho State 26, Cal Poly 58

MVFC Review 2015.5

MVFC Week 5 Review

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

Chad says-

Indiana State 56 Missouri State 23

Missouri State showed signs of life, for about a quarter. Missouri State out-gained ISU 159-28 in the first quarter, and Bear running back Calan Crowder scored his second TD of the day 3 seconds into the second quarter to give MSU a 14-7 lead. At that point the Sycamores woke up and scored 28 unanswered to start the route. Indiana State has wanted to get a run game going all year, but hasn’t other than Matt Adam. They found their stride last week as rushers, other than Adam, totaled 250 yards on 31 carries which is an astonishing 8.1 yards per carry.

Western Illinois 37 Southern Illinois 36

This was one of the rare games that actually lived up to to the hype of two evenly matched teams. The game featured 7 lead changes, 5 of which game in the second half. The Salukis took a 36-34 lead with 5:38 left in the game. Leatherneck QB Trenton Norvell threw a pick, in SIU, territory with 2:43 left. The ‘necks forced a 3 and out and got the ball back with 1:42 left and 69 yards to go. Norvell and Lenoir hooked up for a big 44 yard pass and with 6 seconds left WIU trotted out Nathan Knuffman. Knuffman nailed the 20 yard field goal with just 2 second left. It was the first game winning kick for WIU since 2000.

JT Says-

Illinois State 21 Northern Iowa 13

Last week I mentioned that questions had been answered for both the Redbirds and the Panthers…well…that’s still true of the Redbirds. They won this game from the beginning and never let up. UNI made thinks interesting late but too many mistakes sank their chances of winning. Illinois State won, but did not look as solid as they had last season. Only getting 80 yards of passing will not get it done in the Missouri Valley. UNI might have the best defense in the MVFC certainly one of the best pass defenses but still, a team looking to knock off North Dakota State is going to need to produce more than that. UNI’s passing game is a joke. Far too many dropped passes and bad decisions by the quarterback. Something got to change or UNI will be out of the playoffs yet again.

North Dakota State 28 South Dakota State 7

North Dakota State looked primed to 5 pete in the FCS after a 28-7 beat down of SDSU. The battle of the quarterback was as expected. Both Carson Wentz for NDSU and Zach Lujan for SDSU completed 19 passes for 1 touchdown and no pics. However, Lujan was sack 3 times and completed only 19-38. Wentz far more consistent with 19-27. Sometimes less is more. But this game was won and lost on the ground. SDSU had -4 yards of rushing compared to 202 for the Bizon. Carson Wentz had 54 yards on 7 carries and a sore. The running back by committee is working to perfection for the Bizon. A great defense, a great running game, and a dual threat quarterback who is very efficient makes the Bizon the team to beat in the Valley.

Youngstown State 31 South Dakota 3

Youngstown State continues to improve week-to-week and looks to make noise in the Valley. A 31-3 victory over South Dakota on Saturday helped matters. Youngstown led the entire way and South Dakota avoided the shutout with a FG with about 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Penguin QB Hunter Wells threw for 158 yards, 2 scores and 2 pics. Martin Ruiz and Jody Webb split the load in the backfield and combined for 36 carries and 127 yards with 2 touchdowns for Ruiz. The Penguin defense will need to step things up a bit if they want to contend for a Valley title. A better offensive team will push them. 262 yards to a South Dakota team that is not nearly as good is more than you’d like to see as a Penguin supporter.

Illinois State 21 Northern Iowa 13

Indiana State 56 Missouri State 23

Youngstown State 31 South Dakota 3

Western Illinois 37 Southern Illinois 36

North Dakota State 28 South Dakota State 7

SLC Review 2015.5

SLC Week 5 Review:

UCABEAR (AnyGivenSaturday.com), SLC Contributor | October 05, 2015

Games played September 1st & 3rd.

Southeastern Louisiana 30 Lamar 27

Lamar’s strong play was almost enough to defeat last year’s co-champion Southeastern Louisiana but a last minute score by the Lions sealed the deal. Leading at halftime 14-13, the Cardinals and the lions went back and forth before the Lions senior running back Kody Sutton rolled over a defender to cross the ball over the goal line with a minute left in the game. Lamar would attempt to drive the ball but 3 incomplete passes and sideline tackle finished it for Southeastern Louisiana.

Southeastern travels to 15/23 McNeese on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Lamar hosts Abilene Christian on Saturday at 7 p.m.

UIW 45 Northwestern State 31

After falling behind 14-0, the Cardinals of UIW scored on their next 7 possessions to run away from the Demons of Northwestern State. It was a game of very little defense but enough for the Cardinals. UIW amassed 478 yards of offense while Northwestern State gained 477 yards. The Demons remain one of the four teams in the Southland to not win a game this year while UIW improves to 3-2, 2-1 on the year.

UIW travels to play Sam Houston next Saturday at 6 p.m.
Northwestern State has a bye.

Sam Houston 34 SFA 28

Special teams took the victory for Sam Houston in the annual Battle of the Piney Woods as Stephen F. Austin looked strong in a game where records can be thrown out. Three long punt returns, two of which went for touchdowns, allowed Sam Houston to make a comeback on the winless Lumberjacks. Both teams amassed 909 yards of offense with SFA gaining 336 on the ground and Sam Houston gaining 253 in the air. This marks the fifth year in a row that the Bearkats have defeated the Lumberjacks in this prized game.

SFA hosts Nicholls on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Sam Houston hosts UIW Saturday at 6 p.m.

UCA 42 ACU 14

This game wasn’t close from the kickoff. The Bears of UCA rolled up 469 yards of offense and led 32-7 at halftime while rotating second team players in the second quarter. The Bears used 5 running backs and a defense that only allowed 91 yards of rushing, 32 of which came on one play in the third quarter. ACU running back De’Andre Brown gained 90 yards rushing while on defense SLC standout Sam Denmark added to his amazing total 21 tackles.

UCA travels to Houston Baptist for a Saturday 2:30 game.
ACU travels to Lamar for a 7 p.m. game.

McNeese State 37 Nicholls 7

A 20 points second quarter propelled the Cowboys of McNeese State to victory on Saturday. Cowboy QB Daniel Sams rushed for 117 yards and passed for 140 yards in the win. Rushing for 56 plays ate the clock up for 39 minutes and allowed the Cowboys to dominate the game. The Cowboys also got 6 sacks to throw the Colonels offense off rhythm.

McNeese hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Nicholls travels to SFA for a 3 p.m. game.

ICYMI: Week 5

Big Sky Preview 2015.5

BSC Week 5 Preview

Kris Kallem & Lance Berndt, BSC Contributors | October 02, 2015

Kris Says-

North Dakota @ Portland State

The two Big Sky teams with an FBS win and the two teams playing the best defense square off in downtown Portland. Each unit is giving up less than 65 yards on the ground so far but the Vikings have generated much more offense, especially out of their rushing attack. Given their excellent start, It would be nice to see the folks in the Rose City come out and support Portland State a little this Saturday.

Northern Colorado @ Sacramento State

Sacramento State showed some fight last week and has some solid wide receivers in Harrison, Hennie, and Agude. Northern Colorado, despite their last two blow out losses, is surprisingly middle of the pack in the BSC for most offensive and defensive stats. Conference wins will be few and far to come by for both of these squads in 2015 and this will be one of their few chances to pick one up.

Players of the Week

On offense, Montana State’s Dakota Prukop threw for 399 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Bobcat win over Cal Poly

Tyrone Holmes of Montana took home the defensive award with a filthy 4 sack and 5 tackles for loss performance. Holmes already has 8 sacks on the season.

North Dakota punter Mitch Meindel gets the special teams nod with a 50.5 yard average against Davis. He now leads the FCS in punting average.

Lance says-

Southern Utah @ ORV Weber State

Sure on the surface this may just look like a game between two middle of the road Big Sky teams, but the winner should be well on their way to establishing their dark horse candidacy in the conference title race. Aside from tough road losses at SDSU and NDSU, both teams have looked quite respectable to start the season. Weber State comes in on a tear with two easy wins over conference opponents, and what has been most impressive for them is how balanced their offense has played in their wins. Southern Utah has flexed their defensive muscle in 3 of their first 4 games and will need that James Cowser led attack to be in full force to take down Weber in Ogden.

#12 Montana @ UC-Davis

UC-Davis has proved to be pretty predictable on the road the last few seasons, but you never know what you’re going to get when they’re playing at home. With veteran Ben Scott at the helm at QB, we could see a potential trap game for Montana in their hopes of going on a run to a conference title. The Grizzlies played very well last weekend on defense, though, and will look to build on their performance against the Aggies average offensive attack. The big question here will be how well UC-Davis can fare against Montana’s fast paced offense. This will be the first solid passing attack the Aggies have faced so far this season.

#11 Montana State @ Northern Arizona

Speaking of trap games, last season Northern Arizona welcomed a high-powered Eastern Washington team to town and came away with a major upset. With Dakota Prukop and the Bobcat offense clicking on all cylinders, they need to stay focused against this sneaky NAU team. We know the Lumberjacks can put up offense through the air, but against Montana State, they will need to prove that they can make big stops on defense. Last weekend, they did pretty well against the Grizzlies in the red zone forcing 3 field goals. They will need that effectiveness once again to hang around with the Cats. I think the key members to focus on will be Montana State’s defensive backs. We know the offense can hang with anyone, but if the defense can shut down Case Cookus and Emmanuel Butler, this will be a very long day for Northern Arizona.

ORV Cal Poly @ Idaho State

Contrary to what Dennis Green is so famous for exclaiming, these two teams lately have not been who we thought they were. Idaho State looks like the circus joke they were before last season giving up endless points on defense and turning the ball over excessively on offense. Cal Poly made a statement win at Montana, but has reeled off 3 straight losses since then, all by double digit margins. The Mustangs defense seems to get worse each game, while the Bengals offense has been in a very similar decline. This is a must win game for both teams, but I don’t think Idaho State can get out of their slump. The offseason loss of QB Justin Arias and the preseason injury of star LB Mario Jenkins has proven to negatively effect their success much more than originally thought. I think Cal Poly’s option attack runs all over the Bengals defense to continue Idaho State’s embarrassing start to the season.

SWAC Preview 2015.5

SWAC week 5 Preview

Charles Wells, SWAC Contributor | October 02, 2015

ALABAMA STATE AT TEXAS SOUTHERN
Thursday October 1 6:30 p.m. CST
BBVA Compass Stadium (22,039) Houston, Texas
TV: ESPNU
Series: Alabama State leads, 16-12-2
Last Meeting: September 27, 2014 – Montgomery, Ala.
Alabama State 38, Texas Southern 3

To put it plain and simple this is an elimination game, the loser will have 3 conference losses and will have too much ground to make up. For Alabama State this season so far has to be somewhat of a disappointment. Injuries at the QB position and the lack of a dominate running game has stymied the offense. (9th in the league in total offense). Only a victory over hapless Valley separates the Hornets from a winless start. Even though this is a road game, this game is sort of a trap for the Hornets as Southern comes to town next week. This team isn’t made to look ahead. LB Kourtney Berry is a stud and should cause headache for the TSU offense. Texas Southern is bringing the #2 defense in the SWAC into this contest although that number is buoyed by a game against Bacone. Although they don’t have anyone in the top 10 rushing category the Tigers run the ball well, passing gets a bit dicey. They do have a potential weapon in Derrick Griffin. With the West race being a three team fight, the Tigers will be out if they lose. A win will help them keep pace with games still left against Grambling and Southern. This is a total toss up, plus it’s a short week for both teams. Prediction: ASU 27 TSU 21

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M VS. UNIVERSITY OF FAITH
Saturday October 3 1:00 p.m. CST
Waller ISD Stadium (10,000) Waller, Texas
TV: None
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A

Gonna keep this one short and sweet, PVU will have a field day on offense and the defense will look great against the Glory Eagles. I don’t think anybody knows what the University of Faith has but it will not be enough. This is a scrimmage for the Panthers, their first of two tune ups before they face Southern in a crucial West Division matchup. This game doesn’t count officially in the stats or standing so any numbers PVU puts up will vanish after the game. Trey Green, Johnta Hebert, Courtney Brown, and Nick Pitre will put on a show. The Glory Eagles get a trip to Texas. Prediction: PVU 70 University of Faith 3

JACKSONVILLE STATE VS. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
Saturday October 3 1:00 p.m. CST
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium (24,000) Jacksonville, Ala.
TV: None
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A

Valley’s march of death start of the season continues as they face the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State. Valley has had a tough go of it ranking last or next to last in almost every offensive category. They simply cannot move the ball either through the air or on the ground. Thomas Stokes and Booker Chambers are emerging as potential weapons in the future. But right now this team is just too young and can’t make plays. The defense isn’t all bad considering the play of the offense(5th in total defense). They play the run horribly which means teams don’t have to pass much. That plays directly into what JSU likes to do they want to and will run at will on Valley. Expect lots of big plays for their offense. The defense will contain anything that Valley will want to accomplish. Look for Troymain Pope and Eli Jenkins to both have big games. Last week was the first time Valley held an opponent under 50 points, that should change this week. This is a tough season for Valley, they don’t have an off week until November 14. Prediction: JSU 56 Valley 6

JACKSON STATE VS GRAMBLING STATE
Saturday October 3 6:00 p.m. CST
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (60,492) Jackson,
Miss.
TV: None
Series: Grambling State leads, 42-23-1
Last Meeting: September 20, 2014 – Jackson, Miss.
Grambling State 40, Jackson State 35

The battle of the I-20 Tigers, these teams appear to be heading in different directions. Grambling has found their offense and have won 2 straight. Jackson State got their first win last week, their defense is still a question mark. Both teams pass the ball really well, so expect to see footballs flying thru the air all night. The key in this one is who can run the ball, Grambling is 6th in rushing and Jackson is 9th. For Jackson to have any chance they have to commit and stay with the running game. If they get one dimensional they will lose for certain. Grambling put 70 points on PVU last week although they game up more than 50. The Ivy/Williams/Moll combo could be an issue for the G-Men. JSU’s defense is allowing 46 points a game. Look for the Williams(Johnathan and Chad) and Rogers trio to make plays. They are 7th and 8th respectively in total defense, so the team that allows the fewest big plays will win. This will be a high scoring game, that either team can afford to lose. Grambling has to keep pace in the West so a loss will knock them out of first but it won’t kill them. For JSU this could be their second SWAC loss and they can’t afford to take more losses with their coach on the hot seat. Prediction: GSU 49 JSU 38

ALCORN STATE VS. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
Saturday October 3 4:00 p.m. CST
War Memorial Stadium (54,120) Little Rock, Ark.
TV: None
Series: Arkansas-Pine Bluff leads, 20-16-4
Last Meeting: November 15, 2014 – Lorman, Miss.
Alcorn State 56, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 6

This is a business trip for Alcorn these are the kinds of games that can cause issues for contenders. This is not to say that UAPB will win the game but it’s a game that requires focus as the Braves head into their off week before facing Grambling on October 17. The SWAC has a way of producing strange results especially on the road. But the reality of this game is that Alcorn is the better team and they should get the job done. John Gibbs continues to lead the Braves as a dual threat, his legs are more deadly, but if you fall asleep he’ll hit you over the top for a big pass. The Braves love to run and have multiple threats to carry the ball. Their top receiving target is Jordan Payne. Against a Pine Bluff defense that ranks in the top half of the league this could be an interesting matchup. But the offense has to play too and that’s where the problems will come for the Golden Lions. With an offense that ranks 8th in almost every category UAPB will struggle to move the ball. Turnovers have been the issue for both teams although Alcorn has the fire power to overcome these issues. Alcorn’s secondary has to be eager to get their first interception on the season against an offense that has thrown 10 in 4 games. Braves should get through this game. Prediction: ASU 41 UAPB 17

COASTAL CAROLINA vs. ALABAMA A&M
Saturday October 3 5:00 p.m. CST
Brooks Stadium (9,214) Conway, S.C.
TV: None
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A

After splitting their last two games the Bulldogs take a big step up in competition as they head to Conway to take on CCU. After having early questions the Bulldogs have found their answer at QB, De’Angelo Ballard is the back to back SWAC newcomer of the week. He’s fueled the Bulldogs Pistol attack. Harvey Harris and Bryan Brower are the two headed running back combo. Tevin McKenzie is the top receiving threat. The defense has been average, which is a huge issue facing a QB like Alex Ross. I feel like the Chanticleers will get whatever they want on offense. The defense will most likely be up to the Bulldogs’ challenge. Bulldogs should put up a fight but I don’t think they have enough to do damage. Prediction: CCU 45 AAMU 14

TSOTN Week 5

National Notes Week 5

Kevin Marshall, National Contributor | October 01, 2015

The State of the Nation

The Reviews

What an intriguing week in the FCS! James Madison went through the defense of FBS Southern Methodist like Sherman went through Georgia. The Dukes piled up 34 first downs and 729 yards of total offense. QB Vad Lee was tremendous in claiming another FBS scalp for our Subdivision.

The Penn Quakers jumped all over an injury riddled Villanova and never looked back. Princeton crushed Lehigh. Those two victories out of conference by the Ivy League were impressive and make me wish that the Ivy League would schedule more non league games against quality opponents and participate in the playoffs.

Jacksonville State almost stubbed their toe against Tennessee-Martin but the Cocks were able to hold on and win by 7 after a furious comeback by the Skyhawks cut a 28 point fourth quarter lead to the final margin.

William and Mary held Stacy Bedell, who entered the game as the nations leading rusher, to 25 yards on 7 carries and the Tribe defense shutout Stony Brook.

Coastal Carolina had trouble early on with the Bryant Bulldogs, of the Northeast Conference, but the Chanticleers came clucking back and won.

In the Southern Conference the Chattanooga Mocs and Furman Paladins won defensive battles against Presbyterian and the Virginia Military Institute.

The two Montana schools both won Big Sky games. The Grizzly continue to have big problems in the red zone and the Bobcats continue to have no problems scoring and their defense looked better than it has so far this season. Game balls to all of those who emerged victorious.

The Interviews

In the Voices of the FCS segment we will be joined by a good friend of the program Scott Miller. Scott is the radio voice of the North Dakota State Bison. Coach Withers, of the James Madison Dukes, is our coach interview. Thanks to both of those gentlemen for being with us this week!

The Previews

NDSU @ SDSU – AGS Game Of The Week

The Bison prove that they are once again the class of the Missouri Valley. NDSU 34-31.

Northern Iowa @ Illinois State

The Panthers have looked great lately. That trend continues. UNI 27-24.

Southern Illinois State @ Western Illinois

A matchup of two Jekyll and Hyde football teams. Both have looked great and terrible this season. Salukis 38-24.

S.C. State @ Furman

Paladin defense is stout and wins another one for the home team. Furman 24-10.

Wofford @ Mercer

The Bears had a week off to prepare for the Terrier option offense. It won’t be enough time. Wofford 24-17.

Lamar @ Southeastern Louisiana

SELA wants to play fast and Lamar will slow them down for a while.
Lions 31-27.

Dartmouth @ Penn

Quakers had a great win last week but Dartmouth keeps it from being a streak. Dartmouth 28-20.

William and Mary @ Delaware

The Tribe defense dominates another CAA opponent. Tribe 24-10.

Montana State @ Northern Arizona

Bobcats have an explosive offense and the Lumberjacks can’t keep up. ‘Cats 38-17.

Montana @ UC-Davis

All Griz in this one. Montana 34-14.

SLC Preview 2015.5

SLC PREVIEW for games 10-1 and 10-3.

UCABEAR (AnyGivenSaturday.com), SLC Contributor | September 30, 2015

10/1 – Game

Lamar (1-0) at Southeastern Louisiana (1-0)

One team will be undefeated in conference Thursday night as Lamar, who beat conference favorite Sam Houston, travels to take on the Lions of Southeastern. Let’s look at how the two teams compare:
Points per game: Lamar 49 SELA 25. Advantage Lamar.
Passing yards per game: Lamar 217 SELA 88. Advantage Lamar
Rushing yards per game: Lamar 255 SELA 251. TIE
Defense PPG: Lamar 39 SELA 24. Advantage SELA

Thoughts: Lamar appears to have a potent offense averaging 7 TDs per game but SELA has been strong on defense getting 13 sacks and 8 INTs so far this year. If Lamar can control the clock with the run game and avoid turning it over to the strong Lion defense they could come away with a win in Hammond. But a defense putting up those stats might be disruptive enough to do the damage they need for the win. Lamar seems balanced on offense in the run game and the O-line has given the QB enough time to pass the ball.

Prediction: Lamar 31 SELA 21

10/3- Games

Northwestern State (0-2) at UIW (1-1)

The Demons can get back into the conference race by defeating a UIW team that hung with a tough FBS UTEP team.
Team comparison:

Points per game: NWST 18 UIW 15. TIE
Passing YPG: NWST 169 UIW 200. TIE
Rushing YPG: NWST 139 UIW 128. TIE
Defense PPG: NWST 47 UIW 24. Advantage UIW

Thoughts: These teams seem eerily similar in their stats with the exception of defensive points per game allowed. The Demons are giving up way too many per game and have very little run defense and really no pass defense. UIW isn’t scoring many points per game but isn’t allowing opponents to score too much either. Because of this I’m going with:

Prediction: UIW 28 NWST 14

College of Faith (club team or D2/D3) at HBU (0-2)

I’ll make this one easy. Everyone is scoring on College of Faith. Stats don’t need to be put up for this one…but I will.

HBU rushing 212 per game. 142 passing YPG.

Thoughts: It won’t be a matter of WHO will win but rather the scoring margin. HBU in a route.

Prediction: HBU 49 CoF 7

McNeese (2-0) at Nicholls (0-1)

The undefeated Cowboys travel to play the Colonels who are struggling to get a win this year. Let’s look at the team stats for both. Keep in mind the Cowboys game vs. FBS LSU was rained out.

Points per game: McNeese 36 Nicholls 3. Advantage McNeese
Passing YPG: McNeese 193 Nicholls 92. Advantage McNeese
Rushing YPG: McNeese 244 Nicholls 138. Advantage McNeese
Defense PPG: McNeese 6 Nicholls 38. Advantage McNeese

Thoughts: Looking at the stats above this game should be a one sided event. Nicholls appears to have NO offense and can’t stop a team from scoring over 5 TDs a game. McNeese goes into beast mode on defense and scores at least 35 a game. This is a lopsided win for the Cowboys so I’m going with:

Prediction: McNeese 52 Nicholls 7

SFA (0-2) v. Sam Houston (1-1) – Neutral Site game. Battle of the Piney Woods.

Talk about one of those games where stats don’t matter and previous games don’t matter. However Sam Houston has won the last 4 games against the Lumberjacks. But again, the Lumberjacks are 0-4 and have absolutely NOTHING to lose and would love to ruin the Bearkats year.

Let’s look at team stats to compare them anyway.

Points per game: Sam 51 SFA 20. Advantage Sam
Passing YPG: Sam 383 SFA 209. Advantage Sam
Rushing YPG: Sam 252 SFA 193. Advantage Sam.
Defense PPG: Sam 41 SFA 42. TIE

Thoughts: Both teams are allowing over 40 points per game. Sam Houston however is scoring over 50 per game while SFA is having trouble scoring over 20. Even with those facts, this game is always a battle so I’ll go with:

Prediction: Sam Houston 42 SFA 28

ACU (2-0) at UCA (1-0)

Two undefeated teams will go toe to toe in Conway next Saturday. Last year UCA went down to the Wildcats easily to the surprise of everyone in the conference. UCA wins 85% of its games at home plus this one is the first home game of the year and the stadium should be packed!

Let’s look at how the two teams stack up against each other:

Points per game: ACU 32 UCA 24. Advantage ACU
Passing YPG: ACU 235 UCA 241. TIE
Rushing YPG: ACU 131 UCA 159. TIE
Defense PPG: ACU 29 UCA 32. TIE

Thoughts: UCA has played a top 25 FCS and top 25 FBS team and has had NO home games yet. ACU starts killer row with upcoming games against UCA, Lamar, and Sam Houston. Watching the Bears play the other night the defense has stepped up and the offense has found its rhythm. Both teams appear to be equal stat wise. This is one tough game to call but I’ll go with:

Prediction: UCA 28 ACU 24

Conference thoughts: McNeese appears to be rolling. UCA, if they finally have it together, can be conference spoilers for the top teams. SFA has really under-impressed and underachieved. Sam Houston may have problems winning the conference with two games on the road toward the end of the season. Lamar is making some serious noise. SLU is winning but doesn’t look as strong as last year. The conference is up for grabs this early in the year with 9 conference games that have to be played this year.