MVFC Preview 2015.5

MVFC Week 5 Preview

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC  Contributors | September , 2015

JT Says-

Northern Iowa @ Illinois State

UNI beat Illinois State soundly in the regular season last year in the UNI Dome 42-28. UNI traveled to Normal in the playoffs and lost 41-21 in a game that was not even close. Ill State went on to nearly win a FCS title but falling to NDSU. UNI and Illinois State looked lost against Iowa State and Iowa to start the season but have things figured out. Both teams have their eye on a Valley title and this is a huge game for both. UNI QB Aaron Bailey will need to continue to improve if UNI has a shot at winning. UNI needs to contain dual threat QB Tre Roberson or it will be a long day for the Panthers. This one comes down to the wire or goes OT like it did in 2011. Redbirds win a tight one.

Youngstown State @ South Dakota

South Dakota has played 3 teams, won 2 and lost the first. The jury is still out as to how they will fair in the MVFC. They were spanked by K-State 34-0 then beat Drake 55-0 in their last game. SD QB Ryan Seager has got it done by land and by air throwing for 499 yards and 3 touchdowns while rushing for 112 yards. That being said, Youngstown will contain him and the Yotes. Youngstown looks to stay as an upper echelon team in the Missouri Valley using a balance of run and pass. They lock down defense of the Penguins is only allowing 53 passing yards per game. They ride the defense to a road win.

North Dakota State @ South Dakota State

Biggest game in the MVFC this weekend, maybe all year. North Dakota State has owned the Valley for 4 years but there time is up, the Jackrabbits time is now. Zach Lujan already has 1002 yards passing 8 touchdowns and 2 picks. He’s averaging 334 yards per game passing. NDSU lost several linebackers from last year’s squad and Zach will exploit this. SDSU is averaging 43 points per game but NDSU will cut that in half. NDSU will rely on QB Carson Wentz efficient throwing. Carson is 53-84 for 741 yards 9 td’s and no pics to go with 3 rushing TD’s and 150 yards. It will be a battle of the quarterbacks but SDSU uses it’s home field advantage and front runner Player of the Year candidate Lujan to win a close one, 34-31.

Chad says-

ISUB/MSU

Typically when a new staff comes in there are some growing pains. I’m not sure I’d call what MSU is going through “growing pains”. The Bears are last in the conference in every single offense category. They are scoring just 11 points per game and giving up 49. Indiana State appears to be close to figuring things out to be competitive for a playoff spot, but they need to find a running game other than quarterback Matt Adam. This could be a game to experiment with that as the Bears are giving up 292 yards rushing per game. If the Sycamores struggle to get a ground game going this week I’m really going to question their ability to do so at any point.

SIU/WIU

. I’ve long referred to Western Illinois as the most Jeckyll and Hyde team in the conference. The Salukis may be making a push for that crown. Both teams have the ability to be a top 15 team but both lack the consistency getting production from all areas of the game at once. The Salukis lead the conference in total offense, second in passing offense, and average 35 points per game. The Leatherneck’s have similar talent top to bottom but have struggled to put much together for even an entire game, let a long multiple games in a row. Because of that I don’t know that I can trust WIU to get a win. I’m going with the Salukis in this one.

Big Sky Review 2015.4

BSC  Week 4 Review

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

Kris Says-

North Dakota 31 UC Davis 24

Both defenses played well holding the opposing team to under 300 yards. Davis quarterback Ben Scott had another efficient performance managing 3 touchdowns on just 14-20 passing and 174 yards. North Dakota’s rushing attack was the difference with freshman John Santiago chipping in 152 of the 240 total yards gained on the ground against the Aggies.

Weber State 38 Northern Colorado 17

The game was never close as the Wildcats led 31-0 halfway through the third quarter. Weber racked up 254 yards rushing led by sophomore running back Eric Wilkes with 122.

Portland State 31 Western Oregon 0

The Viking defense dominated the Division II Wolves holding Western Oregon to just 27 yards rushing and 10 first downs. Portland State junior Xavier Coleman led the way with two interceptions. It’s early but the Viking’s are currently ranked 15th in FCS in total defense giving up just 293 yards on average and only 4 touchdowns this season through 3 games.

UNLV 80 Idaho State 8

The Rebels had 5 different players rush for touchdowns and scored a total of 11 on the night as UNLV blows the doors off any chance of Idaho State recovering last season’s success. Very disappointing performance by the Bengals.

Lance says-

Montana State 45 Cal Poly 28

The Bobcats dominated this highly anticipated game by jumping out to an early 21-0 lead and never letting Cal Poly diminish the lead to less than double digits. Dakota Prukop was once again lights out for the Cats, but this time mainly through the air. Beau Sandland caught the largest portion hauling in 5 receptions for 156 yards and 2 TDs. Chad Newell also had a solid game on the ground with 111 yards and 3 TDs on just 19 carries. Montana State’s defense was also able to shut down QB Chris Brown’s rushing effort, forcing Cal Poly to giving the option to Protheroe and Garcia. The two did combine 265 yards and 3 TDs on 45 carries, but holding Brown intact proved to be very effective.

Montana 23 Northern Arizona 14

The Grizzlies controlled both sides of the ball in the first half, but were once again ineffective in the red zone settling for 3 first half field goals. The usual suspects Case Cookus and Emmanuel Butler fueled a Lumberjack comeback in the second half with back to back touchdowns, but Montana’s defense toughened up and shut out NAU the rest of the way. The Grizzly defense combined for 8 sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery, and 12 tackles for loss. Chad Chalich filled in pretty well at QB passing for 279 yards and a TD. Jamaal Jones led the receiving corps with yet another 100+ yard receiving day.

Southern Utah 55 D-II Brevard 7

Brevard’s defense kept Southern Utah scoreless through 14 minutes, but the Thunderbirds ran away with the game from that point on. Most impressively for Southern Utah was their rushing attack with 365 yards and 5 TDs.

SWAC Review 2015.4

SWAC Week 4 Review:

Charles Wells, SWAC Contributor | September 29, 2015

Saturday, September 26

Georgia 48, Southern 6

Southern University dropped its second game of the season falling to No. 7 Georgia 48-6 Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium.  It was the first ever meeting between the two schools and only the fifth time that a Southeastern Conference opponent has faced a school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Jags were competitive for a half but couldn’t generate points.

Lenard Tillery’s 16-yard scoring run for the Jaguars (2-2) would be Southern’s only score of the day. He went on to lead the team’s ground attack with 82 yards on 19 carries. The Bulldogs’ only points in the second quarter came on a field goal.  Georgia quickly stretched the 20-6 halftime lead with four third-quarter touchdowns.

Roshaud Turner led Southern on defense with eight tackles. Daniel Brown and Mikale Jenkins each earned a sack each.  Southern play makers Austin Howard and Willie Quinn were both held in check.  Howard was 8-of-19 for 68 yards while Quinn caught only three passes for 20 yards.

Nick Chubb ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a TD pass for Georgia.  His 12 consecutive 100-yard rushing games tied him with Herschel Walker. Southern surrendered scores to Chubb from runs of nine and 49 yards in the third quarter. He scored on a 24-yard pass from Greyson Lambert in the first quarter. Even with this result the Jags will remain a contender in the SWAC West.

Alabama A&M 28, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 9

Tevin McKenzie scored three touchdowns and Alabama A&M beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 28-9 on Saturday at Louis Crews Stadium. The Bulldogs got off to a sluggish start, trailing 9-0, McKenzie scored on a 29-yard run in the second quarter and caught third-quarter scoring passes of 14 and 34 yards from De’Angelo Ballard.

Ballard’s third touchdown pass, a nine yarder to O’Darius Williams, capped the scoring. Ballard completed 20 of 30 attempts for 353 yards. McKenzie hauled in six catches for 91 yards, plus his one rushing attempt for a score. Harvey Harris led the Bulldogs with 131 yards rushing on 14 carries while DeVon Johnson finished with 105 yards receiving on two catches.

The Golden Lions took their early lead on Marcus Terrell’s 16-yard pass to Brian Handley and a 23-yard field goal by Jamie Gillan. The two teams combined for 947 yards offense, 545 by AAMU. The Golden Lions continue to struggle to find their way, meanwhile the Bulldogs are shaping up to be a dark horse challenger in the SWAC East.

Alcorn State 47, Concordia 7

John Gibbs, Jr. threw two touchdowns as Alcorn State defeated Concordia-Selma 40-7 on Saturday at Jack Spinks Stadium. The Braves got the easy victory they were looking for and now can head into the full SWAC schedule with a 3 game winning streak.

Gibbs threw for 198 yards for the Braves (3-1). Darryan Ragsdale rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown and Jordan Payne caught a pair of scoring passes. Marquis Warford ran for a touchdown in the first quarter and caught a 62-yard pass from Gibbs for another score just before the break and the Braves led 13-0 at halftime.

Ragsdale’s score came on the Brave’s first possession of the second half on an 85-yard run. Then Gibbs hit Payne from 69 yards for another touchdown and the Braves led 26-0 with 8:45 left in the third quarter. Alcorn State posted eight sacks during the game and kept Concordia, of the USCAA, from scoring until late in the fourth quarter when Jarvis Chambers threw a 32-yard touchdown.

Grambling State 70, Prairie View 54

Even though I predicted a high scoring affair, even I was surprised at the point total. Defense was nowhere to be found in the Big D. Johnathan Williams threw six touchdown passes and ran in another to lead Grambling State to a 70-54 win over Prairie View at the Cotton Bowl in the annual State Fair Classic.

Martez Carter returned two kicks for touchdowns and had a 10-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to cement the win for Grambling State (2-2, 2-0). Williams completed 20 of 33 passes for 429 yards and had two interceptions. Chad Williams racked up 193 yards on seven catches and two touchdowns, including an 83-yard grab in the first quarter. Chester Rogers had 114 yards with three catches – two for touchdowns. Lovett Gibson also hauled in a touchdown pass.

Prairie View (2-2, 2-1) tied the game early in the first quarter at 7-7 when Nick Pitre snagged an 8-yard touchdown throw from Trey Green, who completed 29 of 55 passes for 414 yards, four TDs and an interception. But the Tigers quickly retook control with 21 unanswered points. PVU slips behind Southern and Grambling in the standings but the Panthers will be dangerous for any SWAC team this season. The G-Men have found their offensive stride but the D will have to improve.

Alabama State 45, Mississippi Valley State 15

As I stated in my preview, Valley is the cure for what ails ya, and the Hornets got the easy victory. Ellis Richardson rushed for three touchdowns and passed for two more to lead Alabama State to its first victory, 45-15 over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night at Rice-Totten Stadium.

The Hornets (1-3, 1-2) rolled up 444 yards offense in picking up their sixth consecutive victory over the Delta Devils (0-4, 0-3). Richardson was 11-of-18 passing for 127 yards with touchdown throws to Joshua Davis and Wyndell Archie. He was intercepted twice. Richardson rushed for 98 yards on 17 carries, including a 41-yard score early in the fourth quarter for a 38-9 lead.

Richardson scored on a three yard run then threw a nine yard scoring pass to Davis in the first quarter. David Albert added a field goal for a 17-3 halftime lead. The Hornets’ Alex Anderson rushed for a nine yard score in the third quarter. Booker Chambers reached the endzone twice with a touchdown run and reception for the Delta Devils. This will be a long season for the Delta Devils as they have yet to get into a flow on either side of the ball.

Jackson State 34, Texas Southern 30

This was a do or die Tiger battle, neither team could afford to come up short. Jackson State faced the possibility of a long losing streak if they didn’t get the win. TSU’s schedule would get tougher after this one. La Montiez Ivy completed 22 of 27 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns, and Teddrick Terrell had a sack in the closing seconds to help Jackson State beat Texas Southern 34-30 on Saturday night.

Devin Fosselman and Dan Williams each had six receptions and a touchdown. Fosselman finished with 129 yards receiving and Williams added 124 for Jackson State. Ivy connected with Fosselman on a 30-yard touchdown pass, on third-and-10, to give JSU a 34-24 lead with 4:17 left.

Texas Southern (2-2, 1-2) answered with a five-play, 57-yard drive during which Averion Hurts either passed or ran on every play – that was capped by a 10-yard scoring pass to Derrick Griffin with 2:40 to play, but the PAT attempt by Eric Medina was blocked by Brandon Maiden. JSU went three-and-out, but TSU had just 32 seconds and no time outs and Terrell’s sack sealed it.

Week 4 Football Players of the Week

Offensive Player of the Week
Johnathan Williams
Grambling State
Quarterback
It was a banner day for Grambling’s senior quarterback, as he tossed for 429 yards on 20-of-33 passing and six touchdowns in leading the Tigers to a 70-54 shootout victory over Prairie View A&M during the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic. Williams also ran for another score, accounting for seven total touchdowns in the contest.

Defensive Player of the Week
Teddrick Terrell
Jackson State
Defensive End
Terrell stuffed the stat sheet for Jackson State, racking up seven stops, including two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in Jackson State’s 34-30 win over Texas Southern. Terrell’s second sack came on the last play of the game, snuffing out Texas Southern’s comeback attempt in the final seconds.

Special Teams Player of the Week
Nick Carden
Alabama A&M
Punter
Carden averaged 41.3 yards per punt attempt in the Bulldogs’ 28-9 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Carden twice pinned the Golden Lions’ offense inside the 20-yard line, also unleashing a 54-yard punt during the contest.

Newcomer of the Week
De’Angelo Ballard
Alabama A&M
Quarterback
Ballard claims his second-straight SWAC Newcomer of the Week award after another 300-yard, three-touchdown outing. Ballard threw for 353 yards on 20-of-30 passing to lead the Bulldogs to victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He also chipped in 30 yards rushing in the contest.

SLC Review 2015.4

SLC Week 4 Review:

UCABEAR (AnyGivenSaturday.com), SLC Contributor | September 28, 2015

Saturday’s scores:
Abilene Christian 35, Stephen F. Austin 32
Central Arkansas 49, Northwestern State 21
Sam Houston State 63, Houston Baptist 14
McNeese State 37, Mississippi College 0
Texas- El Paso 27, UIW 17
Colorado 48, Nicholls 0

Abilene Christian 35
SFA 32

It took a fourth quarter rally and some impressive running by ACU running back De’Andre Brown (132 yards and 3 TDs) for ACU to top SFA at home Saturday. SFA was very effective on offense racking up 577 yards of offense. ACU also amassed 425 yards of offense. ACU went 2 for 3 on fourth down conversions showing the Wildcats weren’t afraid to gamble. A blocked kick by the Wildcats in the first quarter proved to be the difference in the score and in the end the game.

SFA plays Sam Houston in the annual Battle of the Piney Woods on Saturday at 3 p.m.

ACU travels to UCA to take on the Bears at 6 p.m. in Conway.

UCA 49
NWST 21

For the fourth week in a row and its third road game without a home game UCA traveled to Natchitoches, LA to take on the Demons of Northwestern State. UCA is 2-2 at Turpin stadium since joining the Southland. UCA racked up 521 yards of offense and didn’t punt until 6 minutes left in the second quarter but even that was muffed and UCA recovered it. The game proved to be one sided throughout as UCA coach Campbell gave second team players game time early in the second quarter. The Demons were led by wide receiver Ed Eagan (108 yards 2 touchdowns) who caught a great pass at the UCA 6 yard line, faked right and cruised left to the end zone leaving the Bear defender falling backwards. The Demons racked up 346 yards of offense with 275 coming in the air.

UCA finally gets a home game on Saturday at 6 p.m. as the ACU Wildcats come to Estes Stadium.

NWST travels to UIW to take on the Cardinals at 2 p.m.

Sam Houston 63
HBU 14

This game was close until the half (28-14) when starting the third quarter the Bearkats of SHSU scored 4 quick touchdowns aided by 3 picks from their defense to put the game away. They also assaulted the record book with 727 yards of total offense, went 5-5 in the red zone, threw for 472 yards passing, completed 15.2 yards per pass and amassed 32 first downs. HBU’s offense got 296 yards net with 208 rushing and 88 passing. SHSU also got 21 points off turnovers.

Sam Houston plays SFA in the Battle of the Piney Woods on Saturday at 3 p.m.

HBU hosts College of Faith on Saturday at home in Houston at 7 p.m.

McNeese 37
Mississippi College 0

It was a game of defense for the Cowboys of McNeese as they held the visiting team from Mississippi to just 114 yards overall. McNeese amassed 506 yards of offense and fumbled the ball 6 times and lost it four times. Even with those mistakes the Cowboys easily handled Mississippi College by half 20-0. Mississippi College played the run game to keep the ball out of the Cowboys hands but the defense was too much as McNeese went on to win 37-0.

McNeese travels to Nicholls State to take on the Colonels at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

UTEP 27
UIW 17

Three turnovers were the main difference in this game as the Cardinals of UIW played a strong game against their FBS opponent UTEP. The game was back and forth with the Miners finally coming out on top in the fourth quarter. UIW amassed 414 yards of offense with 285 passing yards. UIW QB Brittain threw 18 of 38 passes and ran for another 73 yards giving him 358 yard of offense. The defense also got 7 tackles for loss but it was UTEPs defense that made critical stops to hold off the Cardinals.

UIW hosts Northwestern State Saturday at 2 p.m.

Colorado 48
Nicholls 0

The Buffaloes of Colorado were just too much for the Colonels as this game was never in doubt. Colorado scored on its first 3 possessions to take a 21-0 lead and never looked back. Nicholls QB Figaro threw for just 40 yards and the team ran for 126 yards. The Colonels fall to 0-3 and will hope to rebound this week at home.

Nicholls hosts McNeese State this week for homecoming.

The Good: UIW proved it could hang with an FBS team showing the rest of the SLC they are a team to watch out for this year.

The Bad: Undefeated conference team ACU will not be eligible for a conference championship or post season play… reminds me of what happened to UCA in 2008.

The Ugly: Both NWST an SFA are 0-4 this year and have to win out to possibly make the post season consideration list.

MVFC Review 2015.4

MVFC Week 4 Review

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC  Contributors | September 28, 2015

A very short article this week as the MVFC was almost entirely off this week.  These two games was all there is.

Chad says-

Southern Illinois – 34
Liberty – 13

I mentioned last week that Liberty may be ripe for the picking with a let down after the win against Montana and that’s exactly what happened. The Salukis opened up their home schedule in dominating fashion over a top 10 ranked Liberty team in front of 11,886 fans. The first couple weeks the Salukis showed flashes of a good offense and flashes of a good defense, but never at the same time. The Saluki offense exploded in the season opener with 47 points, but the defense gave up 48. Then against SEMO the defense looked pretty good, but the offense had 7 turnovers. This past weekend we saw what SIU is capable of when all three phases of the game click at once. The Salukis racked up 482 yards of total offense, and the defense forced two strip-sacks and stopped two fourth down conversion attempts. We also saw the rise of the next potential start SIU running back as true freshmen Daquan Isom finished with 123 rushing yards on 10 carries and 29 yards receiving. The Flames averaged just 2.2 yards per carry and just 6 yards per passing attempt. Liberty put some yards up but this was a complete domination by Southern Illinois.

 

JT Says-

South Dakota State – 34
Robert Morris – 10

The Jackrabbits continue to roll with a 34-10 victory over Robert Morris. Zach Lujan continues to campaign for Missouri Valley MVP honors with a 395 yard passing 3 touchdown day. The 2 interceptions were surprising but certainly not a sign of things to come. SDSU’s passing defense had an incredible performance, only allowing 43 yards for the entire game on 4-17 passing. Not sure how Robbert Morris forced Youngstown to OT a few weeks ago but they were absolutely no match for SDSU. The Jackrabbits will use this game the final tune-up before facing NDSU this week.

ICYMI: Week 4

In Case You Missed It – Week 4

While almost the entire city of Philadelphia focused on getting ready for the Papal visit over the weekend, something else had been brewing up on the Villanova campus Thursday night – just a few miles from where Pope Francis would address hundreds of thousands of people.

An upset for the masses, so to speak.

UPenn and Villanova share the power struggle for FCS dominance in the City of Brotherly Love, and for the last century it’s been a pretty one-sided affair.

And while the global attention fell on the Pontiff, the Ivy league member Penn pulled out a 24-13 victory over the Colonial Athletic Association powerhouse for the first time in 14 meetings on Thursday.

It was Penn’s first victory over intra-city rival Villanova since Oct. 14, 1911.

The loss for the Wildcats was especially hard, considering reigning FCS player of the year John Robertson wasn’t under center. Instead, Zach Bednarczyk made his first career start for Villanova, throwing for 185 yards, a touchdown and an interception. ‘Nova had just 96 rushing yards in the loss, a clear indicator that Robertson was missed.

Penn coach Ray Priore picked up his first victory with his new program, and now has additional time to get ready for an Ivy League clash against current conference titan Dartmouth.

The Penn victory Thursday was just the precursor for an exciting weekend of FCS football. In case you missed the action, here are some notable stats and headlines to remember:

In Pioneer Football League action, Butler narrowly took down Campbell thanks to a one-handed touchdown snare by Brandon Collins with 37 seconds remaining. Butler (3-1,1-0 PFL) defeated the Fighting Camels, 25-24.

Staying in the Pioneer League, Jacksonville quarterback Kade Bell attempted 63 passes Saturday against Marist, which is the second-highest single-game total for a quarterback this season behind Montana’s Brady Gustafson (64).

Bethune-Cookman hasn’t always been a well-rounded offensive unit, but the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Wildcats this season seem to be focusing a little more on the passing game than in years past. They have, however, always been a program that commits plenty of penalties. In the team’s 42-12 win over Savannah State Saturday, B-CU was flagged 23 times for 212 yards.

Perhaps an easy choice for offensive player of the week, Grambling State quarterback Johnathan Williams put on a show Saturday in his Tigers’ 70-54 victory over Prairie View A&M. Williams accounted for seven touchdowns (six passing, one rushing) and 449 total yards (429 passing) in the offensively dominated clash. Grambling State is 2-0 against Southwestern Athletic Conference competition.

The two teams combined for a whopping 56 first downs and 845 passing yards. Williams is tied for the FCS lead in points responsible for per game (24.0 ppg) with North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. The difference: Williams has played in four games, while Wentz has only played three.

Coastal Carolina running back De’Angelo Henderson has almost silently been helping his Chanticleers defeat their opponents. On Saturday, the junior ball carrier galloped for 136 yards and two touchdowns as his Chants took down Bryant, 31-17. Henderson is part of a six-way tie for most rushing touchdowns (six) in the FCS this season.

Henderson is also second in the nation with 133.0 rushing yards per game. He likely won’t be catching Dayton’s Connor Kacsor anytime soon, though.

Kacsor had another stellar outing Saturday following up his 2015 breakout performance last weekend. The senior back clearly doesn’t have a problem handling a hefty workload, considering he carried the ball 44 times in the Flyers’ 31-27 win over Kennesaw State. Kacsor rushed for 229 yards (fourth most in a single game in the FCS this season) and three touchdowns.

The Dayton running back has carried the ball 84 times in the last two games. His 44 and 40 totes over the last two weeks, respectively, are the two highest single-game totals in the FCS this year. Kacsor is averaging 181.7 rushing yards per outing.

Speaking of single game rushing performances, does James Madison’s Vad Lee know he’s technically listed as a quarterback? It sure didn’t seem like it Saturday when his Dukes took down FBS opponent SMU, 48-45.

Lee shattered Kacsor’s single-game rushing mark by springing loose for 276 yards on the ground, adding two touchdowns on 20 carries. Lee was responsible for five touchdowns and 565 total offensive yards in the contest, which is the highest single-game yardage total this season.

Lee leads the FCS with 424.5 total yards per game, is tied for second in points responsible for (90) and is tied for fourth in points responsible for per game (22.5). James Madison as an offensive unit tops the nation in total offense (671.3 ypg), rushing offense (356.3 ypg), and is second in scoring offense (50.3 ppg).

The Dukes’ win over SMU means the FCS now has six victories over FBS competition this season.

Murray State quarterback KD Humphries did everything he could for his Racers on Saturday, but his team still lost to Tennessee Tech, 31-29. Humphries accounted for four total touchdowns and tied Eastern Washington quarterback Jordan West for most single-game passing yards with 491. Humphries ranks fourth in the FCS this season with 377.8 total ypg.

Finally, your weekly Cooper Kupp update. Kupp caught two more touchdown passes and hauled in 133 receiving yards on 10 receptions in EWU’s 28-20 win over Sacramento State, giving Kupp 10 touchdown catches through four games to lead the nation.

But watch out for South Dakota State’s Jake Wieneke, who brought in two scoring grabs of his own on Saturday. Wieneke has six receiving touchdowns in only three games played.

SWAC Preview 2015.4

SWAC week 4 Preview

Charles Wells, SWAC Contributor | September 24, 2015

 

NO. 7 GEORGIA vs. SOUTHERN
Saturday  September 26  11:00 a.m. CST
Sanford Stadium (92,746)  Athens, Ga.
TV: SEC Network
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: None

The Jaguars have been explosive in their last two games scoring 50 points in each, they’ve done it with all three phases of the game. Strong running, big passing plays, turnovers by the defense, and special teams TDs. This week the challenge is much, much greater. The Bulldogs are on a role and are the favorites to win the SEC East. The Bulldogs will be led by Nick Chubb at running back and QB Grayson Lambert (who had an historical performance last week). As usual with FBS games my mentality is to use them as an opportunity to work on things that have shown up in previous games. Regardless of the outcome, Southern has shown they are a contender in the SWAC. So the key is to survive now and thrive later.

Prediction: UGA 65 Southern 14

ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF @ ALABAMA A&M
Saturday  September 26  1:00 p.m. CST
Louis Crews Stadium (21,000)  Normal, Ala.
TV: None
Series: Alabama A&M leads, 15-6
Last Meeting: November 22, 2014 – Pine Bluff, Ark.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20, Alabama A&M 19

This is a battle of two teams trying to find an identity, AAMU seems to be closer to finding it than UAPB. Last week AAMU played decent but couldn’t stop Prairie View, while UAPB could have beaten Texas Southern if they could have stayed out of their own way. AAMU may have found their QB, De’Angelo Ballard had a big game last week earning newcomer of the week honors. If that’s the case then this game will lean more towards the Bulldogs. I firmly believe they have the better running game. UAPB is showing the signs of a young team consistent inconsistency. Turnovers continue to plague them and until they get that fixed, I can’t confidently pick them. Brain Handley will have to get the running game going and while Marcus Terrell appears to be their QB he’ll have to be smart with the ball and manage the game. AAMU’s defense will apply plenty of pressure. Last year’s game was close, I don’t see it this year.

Prediction: AAMU 31 UAPB 12

ALCORN STATE VS CONCORDIA (AL)
Saturday  September 26  2:00 p.m. CST
Jack Spinks Stadium (22,500)  Lorman, Miss.
TV: None
Series: Alcorn State leads 1-0
Last Meeting: October 22, 2011 – Lorman, Miss
Alcorn State 58, Concordia 16

After a season opening loss to Georgia Tech, Alcorn has won two straight SWAC games to jump to the top of the East Division. The Braves will win this easily as Concordia has no answer for what the Braves are doing on offense. The Braves will run, run, run, and pass when necessary. John Gibbs, Jr. is settling in this season as he had a huge game against Valley last week. This one won’t be close as the Braves will get their big plays in and get ready for the rest of SWAC play.

Prediction: ASU 64 Concordia 3

ALABAMA STATE @ MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
Saturday  September 26  6:00 p.m. CST
Rice-Totten Stadium (10,000)  Itta Bena, Miss.
TV: None
Series: Alabama State leads, 25-16-1
Last Meeting: September 13, 2014 – Montgomery, Ala.
Alabama State 47, Mississippi Valley State 22

Valley is the cure for what ails ya, this week it’s Alabama State’s turn. It’s unfair to pick on Valley at this point as they are very young and have kids playing who shouldn’t be at this point. But it’s gone worse than even I thought. The defense is getting shredded weekly and they can’t generate pass rush or stop the run. And the offense has no flow, because they can’t decide on a QB or a RB. This week should be they week ASU finally gets over the hump, they’ve had injuries at the QB position and turnovers have cost them. Last week they did not look good against Grambling, I expect them to get the running game going early and take control. LB Kourtney Berry should have a field day.

Prediction: ASU 42 Valley 9

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M VS GRAMBLING STATE
Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic
Saturday  September 26  6:00 p.m. CST
Cotton Bowl (92,100)  Dallas, Texas
TV: None
Series: Grambling State leads, 49-18-1
Last Meeting: September 27, 2014 – Dallas, Texas
Grambling State 26, Prairie View A&M 20

This is the SWAC game of the week and it should be filled with offense. Both teams will look to put plenty of points on the board. I don’t envy the defensive coaches in this one. Grambling’s offense is led by QB Johnathan Williams and he will look to put the ball in the air frequently. He has multiple targets led by Chad Williams (19 catches on the year). Grambling isn’t consistent with the ground game yet which could be a factor. PVU on the other hand can run the ball as well as pass it. QB Trey Green has been a pleasant surprise for the Panthers and their two headed RB combo of Courtney Brown and Johnta Hebert can pile up the yards. This is a big game in the West Division, the loser will face the possibility of falling too far behind.

Prediction: PVU 38 GSU 31

JACKSON STATE VS TEXAS SOUTHERN
Saturday  September 26  6:00 p.m. CST
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (60,492)  Jackson, Miss.
TV: None
Series: Jackson State leads, 40-18-1
Last Meeting: October 25, 2014 – Houston, Texas
Jackson State 15, Texas Southern 10

Texas Southern is in search of momentum and Jackson State is in search of a victory. TSU has won two games (one an easy blowout and the other a sloppy closer than it needed to be affair) and we still don’t know what the Tigers are yet. The Blue Bengals of JSU have given up lots of points. The key to this game is defense, JSU has proven it can move the ball in the air and although they don’t run much they do have capable runners. TSU has to be ready to get pressure on QB LaMontiez Ivy and hope the secondary can cover Dan Williams and Jarious Moll. IF the D struggles then TSU is in for a long night. Texas Southern is still developing their offensive attack although Johnathan Bowen has stepped up at QB. The Maroon Tigers do have weapons, the key will be can they take care of the ball. This is a close to a must win as you can have at this point in the season. If JSU doesn’t win the coach’s seat will be on fire and they may not have another game they are favored in until October 24. TSU is already 1-1 in SWAC and they can’t afford losses to teams who may not contend.

Prediction: JSU 28 TSU 17

SLC Preview 2015.4

SLC Week 4 Preview – for September 26 Games

UCABEAR (AnyGivenSaturday.com), SLC Contributor | September 24, 2015

Before we go into the previews let’s look at the Southland teams and the leaders in the conference so far. Keep in mind these stats are not true indicators of a team’s status in conference.

Points per game- Lamar and Sam Houston are leading the conference with about 45 per game.

Scoring defense- McNeese is leading the way with just 10 points per game.

Yards per game- Sam Houston leads the conference at nearly 600 per game but allows nearly 600 per game also.

Total Defense- UIW, McNeese and HBU are only allowing around 315 per game but only get 300 per game.

Rushing offense is led by Sam Houston, Lamar, and SLU at about 252 YPG.

Rush Defense is led by SLU and McNeese at about 80 per game.

Passing leader is Sam Houston at 343 per game.

Passing defense leader is ACU at 145 per game.

Keep in mind these stats come from the SLC playing lower division schools, FCS opponents, and FBS schools. True conference numbers can’t be figured out until conference play begins for all teams.

This week’s games:

SFA (0-3) at ACU (1-1)
Stephen F. Austin is averaging 16 PPG and allowing 44 PPG.
ACU is averaging 31 PPG and allowing 27 PPG.

This is my toss up game of the week. I think with SFA’s defense struggling and giving up 44 PPG, this should be an ACU win by a small amount.

Rushing- ACU is only rushing 109 YPG and allowing 215 YPG.
Passing- ACU is passing for 227 YPG and allowing 145 YPG.

Rushing- SFA is rushing for 153 YPG and allowing 243 YPG.
Passing- SFA is passing for 188 YPG and allowing 281 YPG.

It appears from the stats that ACU will use the pass game to its advantage against SFA. With the home field advantage for ACU and SFA’s defense struggling I see ACU winning. While you can’t count either coach out, SFA’s coach Clint Conque just doesn’t have the weapons he’s had in the past.
ACU BY 3.

UCA (0-2) at NWST (0-3)
This appears to be the battle of the defeated. But it’s not. UCA has had massive struggles with the Demons at their place. However UCA had a bye week last week after a good performance against top 25 FBS school Oklahoma State.

UCA Rushing 105 YPG vs. NWST Rush Defense allowing 358 YPG. UCA has the edge.  NWST Rushing for 162 YPG vs. UCA Rush Defense allowing 164 YPG. TIE

UCA is passing for 235 YPG and NWST is allowing 191 YPG. TIE
NWST is passing for 133 YPG and UCA is allowing 393 YPG. NWST has the edge.

Game is at NWST. UCA allows too many YPG passing however NWST allows too many rushing yards. Toss up.

I will say UCA by the thinnest of margins only because of the UCA run game eating up the clock. UCA also had a week off for rest and game planning.

BEARS BY 7.

Mississippi College D2 (2-1) at McNeese (2-0)
McNeese is rushing for 240 YPG and only allows 85 YPG. They pass for 162 and allow 231 YPG. But I don’t think this will make much of a difference against Mississippi College. MC recently lost to North Alabama and McNeese is on a higher level than UNA. I dub this one the BLOODBATH game. No need to preview this shutout.

MCNEESE BY 35

HBU (1-2) at SHSU (0-2)
The perennial whipping child comes to Sammy land to get its yearly dose of smack-down. After the Bearkats fell to Lamar, the next victim, had better be ready to play.

Sam rushing 255 YPG vs. HBU rush defense 142 YPG. Sam has the edge.
HBU rushing 213 YPG vs. Sam rush defense 251 YPG. TIE

Sam passing 343 YPG vs. HBU pass defense 174 YPG. Sam has the edge.
HBU passing 160 YPG vs. Sam pass defense 330 YPG. HBU slight edge.

Comparing the rushes and passing tendencies of both teams leads me to believe that Sam’s rushing and passing game will be far too much for HBU.

SAM BY 35

UIW (2-1) at UTEP (FBS) (1-2)
Hard for me to pick UIW in this matchup against an FBS opponent. UTEP has played Arkansas and Texas Tech to start the season. UIW has slipped by Texas A&M-Kingsville and Nicholls State.
UTEP is just too much for UIW.

UTEP BY 21

Nicholls (0-2) at Colorado (FBS) (2-1)
Colorado is on a roll beating in state opponent Colorado State. Nicholls has lost to UIW and UL-Monroe and scored a total of 10 points all season. This one should not be close either.

Nicholls allows 182 YPG rushing and 261 YPG passing.
Colorado gains 300+ YPG rushing and nearly 200 YPG passing.
Colorado is just too strong for Nicholls.

COLORADO BY 28 or more.

Big Sky Preview 2015.4

BSC  Week 4 Preview

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

Kris Says-

Cal Poly @ Montana State
Cal Poly’s amazingly difficult opening schedule continues as they face a Bobcat team with one of the best duel threat quarterbacks in the country in Dakota Prukop. While Montana State will get its points, their new defense got pummeled last week in Cheney including giving up 259 rushing yards to EWU. This doesn’t bode well facing the #2 rushing offense in FCS. Expect a bit of a shootout here.

Western Oregon @ Portland State
The DII Wolves were tied with Portland State in the 4th quarter of last year’s game before losing by a touchdown. This appears to be a different Viking squad in 2015 but Western Oregon is a winning program and typically has some solid athletes. Don’t be surprised if the outcome is a little closer than expected.

Idaho State @ UNLV
The Bengals could get nothing going last week against Boise State and the 0-3 Rebels might provide Idaho State with an opportunity to keep it close and at least gain some much needed confidence.

Eastern Washington @ Sacramento State
The Hornets will need to get something going on offense if they’re going to hang with the Eagles. Sacramento State as a team has one less touchdown (7) on the season than Eastern’s Cooper Kupp has on his own (8). Not to jinx the Eagles, but they’ve never lost in Sacramento and I don’t see much of a reason to believe that will change this season.

Lance says-

UC Davis @ North Dakota
I wonder if during the pregame coin toss, the two teams will just say “Ok, first team to score a touchdown wins.” All jokes aside, neither team has shown much of an impressive offense this season, and we could very well see each team’s defense put up more points than their respective offenses. Players to watch for UND will be lead LB Will Ratelle who has 20 total tackles and running back John Santiago. For UC-Davis look for veteran quarterback Ben Scott and a very balanced attack on defense. I might be wrong, but this should be a very low scoring game.

Weber State @ Northern Colorado
Sure, Northern Colorado has the better record here, but Weber State essentially started the season with two FBS level games, while Northern Colorado basically had two D-II opponents. I think Weber has to be the favorite here coming off an impressive performance last weekend. Led by a QB-WR combo of Jadrian Clark and Cam Livingston along with a balanced rushing attack, the Wildcats offense has been improving and their defense has also stepped it up so far. The Bears, on the other hand, started well on offense, but laid an egg against Southern Utah and will need their offense to perform well to have a chance against the Wildcats. I think Weber State runs away with this one.

ORV Northern Arizona @ #13 Montana
A matchup between two teams who started better than people thought they would, but are now looking more like they originally seemed. While usually a defensive battle, this one should be much more high scoring with both offenses having a lot of firepower and both defenses having given up a fair amount of points. The Griz need to improve inside the red zone. On the season they are scoring a touchdown just 33% of the time, while allowing a 71% touchdown rate to opponents. Key players for NAU will be the duo of Case Cookus and Emmanuel Butler. Montana has done pretty well against the run so far this season, so the Lumberjacks will likely need to rely on their passing ability, which has been their strength so far. For Montana it will be the quarterback position. With Gustafson out, Chad Chalich, who played the last three quarters last weekend will likely start, but Makena Simis might also see a few reps if Stitt gives him the green light. Montana’s offense will heavily rely on if they can smoothly transition to the next man up.

D-II Brevard @ Southern Utah
After posting an amazing 6-1 turnovers advantage in their win over Northern Colorado, Southern Utah gets their home opener against an over matched D-II school from North Carolina. Brevard barely goes out of state for most of their games, so I’m surprised this one even got scheduled. Anyways, this should be a fun game for the T-Birds to showcase their team in front of their fans before more Big Sky action. Southern Utah has a relatively favorable conference schedule, so look for them to potentially make noise the next few weeks.

 

TIME (ET) MATCHUP
2:00 PM UC Davis @ North Dakota
3:35 PM Cal Poly @ Montana State
3:35 PM Weber State @ Northern Colorado
4:00 PM Northern Arizona @ Montana
5:05 PM Western Oregon @ Portland State
8:00 PM Brevard College @ Southern Utah
9:00 PM Idaho State @ UNLV
9:05 PM Eastern Washington @ Sacramento State

MVFC Preview 2015.4

MVFC Week 4 Preview

Chad Lenz & JT Nutt, MVFC  Contributors | September 24, 2015

This is one of the shortest preview weeks we’ll probably ever have as there are only two games in the NVFC this week.

Chad says-

Liberty @ Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois is looking to prove that the loss to Southeast Missouri State was a one off event, and get the momentum from the Indiana game back. Liberty is coming off of a massive win, at home, over Montana. This may mean the Flames are a legitimate top FCS team. I could also leave them in a bit of a mental let down and allow the Salukis to take the game in Carbondale. Which Iannotti shows up this week? The one that set yardage records in week 1, or the one that threw 3 picks and lost a fumble? If it’s the one that makes smart reads I like the Salukis chances.

 

JT Says-

Robert Morris @ South Dakota State
South Dakota State remains my pick to win the Missouri Valley this year. They beat Kansas 41-38 and just dominated Southern Utah 55-10 last game. After Southern Utah scored the first TD, SDSU scored 48 unanswered. The Jackrabbits now get Robert Morris for the second game of a 4 game home stand. Zach Lujan has 607 yards passing with 5 TD’s and no INT’s to lead the SDSU aerial attack while Isaac Wallace and Brady Mengarelli lead on the ground, combining for 356 yards and 6 touchdowns. Robert Morris was a worthy opponent for Dayton, forced Youngstown into OT, and beat Notre Dame of Ohio 35-24. Though the Robert Morris defense held Notre Dame to only 82 yards rushing, they allowed 248 yards through the air. This will spell disaster this week against Zach Lujan who is making his case as one of the best quarterbacks in the MVFC. Robert Morris will make it interesting for a while but fall late, and SDSU will remain undefeated heading into conference play.

 All Times Central

5:00 PM Robert Morris @ South Dakota State Midco Sports Network and ESPN3
6:00 PM Liberty @ Southern Illinois ESPN3