Friday, September 27, 2013
FCS schedule features five Top 25 matchups
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The signs point to the scoreboard
operator getting a workout, but Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin would be
content with a 2-0 win on Saturday if his squad can get one at Sam Houston
State.
The matchup of No. 2 EWU at No. 4 Sam Houston State is the FCS non-conference
game of the season, coming on a Saturday when there are five games involving Top
25 teams.
"I don't care how good your offense is, I don't care how good you think your
offense is, you go through the course of a season, you're involved in different
types of games," Baldwin said. "The same teams are involved in 45-42 that get
involved in a 17-14 game, it's the way football works. We just have to be able
to handle our business play to play and make sure no matter what type of game
we're involved in that we're looking to do everything that we can to come out on
top, which is going to be incredibly tough."
The two national powers have played to a 45-42 score, with Sam Houston
winning that memorable game at Eastern Washington in the FCS national semifinals
last season. It was, as Baldwin said, "a strange battle in terms of a tale of
two halves, but it ended up being a battle" after Sam Houston State built a 35-0
halftime lead and then had to hold off a rally by the Eagles in the second half.
Sam Houston (2-1) has opened the season by averaging an FCS-best 52.3 points
per game behind quarterback Brian Bell and running back Timothy Flanders. EWU
(3-1) is averaging 37.7 points with quarterback Vernon Adams, including a 49-46
win at nationally ranked Oregon State.
Either EWU and Sam Houston has appeared in the last three FCS championship
games. EWU won the 2010 national title and Sam Houston lost to North Dakota
State in the last two championship games.
North Dakota State, the top-ranked team in the FCS, will play in the other
biggest game of the week Saturday. The Bison (3-0) will visit No. 6 South Dakota
State (3-1) in the Dakota Marker Game - also the Missouri Valley Conference
opener for both programs.
Coach Craig Bohl's national champions eliminated South Dakota State, 28-3, in
the playoffs a year ago.
Also in the Top 25, No. 7 Montana (3-0) and No. 24 Northern Arizona (2-1)
will open Big Sky Conference play in Flagstaff, Ariz., while No. 9 McNeese State
(4-0) will visit No. 5 Northern Iowa (3-0) and No. 10 New Hampshire (1-1) will
be at No. 21 Lehigh (3-0) in non-conference action.
In the FCS Huddle: Week 5 Preview
By Brandon Lawrence, FCS Associate
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - University of South Dakota coach Joe
Glenn said it best during Tuesday's Missouri Valley Football Conference weekly
conference call.
"We really find out who we are in our league when we start fighting each
other," he said.
Well, wait no longer. Let the brawl begin.
Week 5 of the FCS season is a hotbed for conference matchups, some bigger
than any in recent memory.
Between the five Top-25 matchups Saturday, there may be none more intriguing
than top-ranked North Dakota State traveling to Brookings, S.D., for a clash
with the sixth-ranked South Dakota State Jackrabbits - a Missouri Valley
Conference showdown.
It may seem odd, though, that such an eye-catching contest would be played so
early on in the conference schedule. North Dakota State, the two-time defending
national champion, narrowly took down the Jackrabbits in Fargo last November,
20-17, before winning by a more decided score in the playoffs, 28-3.
Maybe it's a good thing to get such a huge game out of the way early, and in
SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier's eyes, this is a pretty good time for the No. 1
team in the country to come to Brookings.
"Why (this game with NDSU) has been at the end of the year, well, that wasn't
by choice, I guess," Stiegelmeier said. "Maybe some people prefer that based on
where we're both at at the end of the year. For us, this is a great matchup, to
be honest with you, because we get our tails whipped at Nebraska (last Saturday)
and we can't go out on that with the No. 1 team in America coming to town. It's
just the way it's supposed to be. Let's get ready and become the best football
team in the league come Saturday."
South Dakota State's main weapon is certainly no secret, and Stiegelmeier
doesn't care that everyone in the league knows what running back Zach Zenner can
do. No team has been able to stop him yet.
In fact, the last team to actually grind Zenner to a halt was North Dakota
State in the second round of the 2012 playoffs. And the Bison did it twice last
year.
In the first matchup in November, Zenner was limited to 43 yards on 14
carries. Then when the teams met in the playoffs on Dec. 1, Zenner was slowed to
46 yards on 15 carries. Whatever the secret is, the Bison have recently shown
they possess it.
Zenner, a junior, has yet to be slowed this season, even by a BCS team. At
Nebraska, he carried the ball 21 times for 202 yards and two touchdowns. But can
the Jackrabbits risk not having their star player produce at the level he's been
accustomed to? Eleven of the Jackrabbits' 19 touchdowns scored on offense this
season are credited to Zenner.
North Dakota State returns one of the most productive defenses in the nation
though, so does coach Craig Bohl think his team can stop Zenner a third straight
time?
"It's a tall order," Bohl said. "I think South Dakota State's offensive line
is doing a great job opening up holes, and Zenner is doing a great job finding
those holes, and he's got excellent speed. So he makes you pay the price if
you're not in the right position.
"We've got to make sure we're assignment-sound, and I think the other thing
is make sure we do a great job with the pursuit angles, and trying to limit some
of those plays, and to shorter gains."
Stiegelmeier said a football program builds a reputation. In the last few
years, North Dakota State has undoubtedly reconstructed its reputation as the
dominant force in the FCS. And lately Stiegelmeier has fielded questions about
being in the shadow of the Bison, especially in the conference.
Now South Dakota State has a golden opportunity on Saturday to take a step
out of the Bison's shadow and into the spotlight.
"It has nothing to do with facilities, it ain't nothing to do with the
coaches, understand?" Stiegelmeier said. "You've got to beat them on the field,
and you've got to do that a number of years to be looked at as the same type of
program.
"We all want what Nebraska has. We all want what North Dakota State has, what
Montana has, what Appalachian State had. I'm not envious; that's the goal.
There's a target next to getting to Frisco" for the FCS championship game in
Texas.
The following is a game-by-game breakdown for The Sports Network FCS Top 25
and other select games (all times ET):
Thursday, Sept. 26
No. 18 Cal Poly (1-2, 0-0 Big Sky) at Portland State (3-1, 0-0)
Kickoff: 10:15 p.m. (ROOT-NW)
What to know: Here we go, into the dark and unpredictable tunnel that is in-
conference matchups. And what a week we have to kick off a large chunk of these
games.
Cal Poly plays in its first Thursday night game since it won its season
opener in 2002 over Toledo, 44-16. And in games coming off a bye week, the
Mustangs are 4-0 under coach Tim Walsh.
But this isn't a deadbeat Portland State team. The Vikings average 42.8
points per game and 612 yards offensively per contest. That's no joke.
In last weekend's victory over UC Davis, the Vikings were once again led by
quarterback Kieran McDonagh and running back D.J. Adams, who scampered for 208
yards and two touchdowns. But over the last nine seasons, Cal Poly boasts a
23-11 record against Big Sky teams. Should Portland State win, the chances of
moving into the nation's Top 25 after being picked to finish 10th in the Big Sky
preseason coaches' poll looks pretty strong, especially with a win over a ranked
opponent.
Prediction: Portland State 37, Cal Poly 30
Saturday, Sept. 28
Butler (2-2, 0-0 Pioneer) at Jacksonville (2-2, 1-0)
Kickoff: noon
What to know: Last season's Pioneer Football League tri-champion Butler will
get its first crack at a conference opponent Saturday as the Bulldogs travel to
face Jacksonville. The Dolphins have already defeated PFL's Morehead State and
are 1-0 in league games.
And this is by no means an easy intro to conference play this season for
Butler.
The Dolphins are 12th in the nation in total offense, averaging 492.3 yards
per game, and even more impressive is the team's scoring offense, which is tied
for fourth in the nation with 46.5 points per game.
Even if sophomore quarterback Kade Bell isn't healthy, backup Steven Hughes
has proven himself capable of running the offense with his 269-yard, two-
touchdown performance against Warner Southern. The Dolphins are a legitimate
contender for this year's PFL automatic bid, while Butler's two wins have come
against Division III opponents this season.
Prediction: Jacksonville 40, Butler 24
No. 16 Fordham (4-0) at Saint Francis (Pa.) (1-2)
Kickoff: noon
What to know: Fordham is on an absolute roll, moving up another five spots in
the national poll after last weekend's hefty 52-7 beatdown of Columbia. But this
week versus Saint Francis (Pa.), it's possible the Rams may have a focus issue.
One week from this Saturday, the Rams will host Lehigh in a matchup of likely
the two best Patriot League teams, although Fordham is not eligible for the
league championship. But a victory over the ranked Mountain Hawks would
seriously help the Rams' chances of receiving an at-large bid to the FCS
playoffs.
But that's not the agenda for this week. The Red Flash have returned one of
the top running backs in the nation this season in Kyle Harbridge, who rushed
for 230 yards and four touchdowns in the team's win over Lincoln (Pa.) a week
ago. Shut down Harbridge, though, and you can effectively cancel out the Red
Flash's production (subtract Harbridge's 230 rushing yards and the Red Flash
would have accumulated just 107 against its Division II opponent). The Fordham
offense, led by Michael Nebrich and Carlton Koonce, will then be waiting to
pounce.
Prediction: Fordham 43, Saint Francis (Pa.) 20
No. 10 New Hampshire (1-1) at No. 21 Lehigh (3-0)
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.
What to know: Here we have the weekend's first of five matchups featuring two
Top 25 teams, and it's a doozy.
New Hampshire, coming off a bye week, leads the all-time series against the
Mountain Hawks, 11-2. The last time these two teams met, however, didn't
necessarily reflect that lopsided series tally.
The Wildcats won an overtime thriller, 48-41. Since that game in 2011, Lehigh
has lost a total of two games, and just one in the regular season. But the
Mountain Hawks have struggled to pull off a decisive victory this season against
a formidable opponent. And New Hampshire easily disposed of Lehigh's fellow
Patriot Leaguer Colgate just two weeks ago, 53-23.
New Hampshire's running attack will have to be present, which shouldn't be an
issue. The Mountain Hawks have allowed a 100-plus yard runner in each of their
first three games.
Prediction: New Hampshire 35, Lehigh 27
No. 12 Coastal Carolina (4-0) at Elon (1-3)
Kickoff: 1:30 p.m.
What to know: One would think with Liberty dropping a game to Richmond last
weekend Coastal has established itself as the class of the Big South Conference.
But check the rearview again because here comes Gardner-Webb and Charleston
Southern.
None of these teams has played a conference game yet, though a hot start does
bear importance when vying for a playoff spot. And Gardner-Webb is nipping at
Coastal's heals as the Runnin' Bulldogs cracked the Top 25 this week. Charleston
Southern is 4-0, but hasn't registered impressive wins like GWU.
But again, the Chanticleers have another on-the-lighter-side matchup this
weekend with Elon, a Southern Conference team that was pounded by Georgia Tech
early in the year, and suffered double-digit losses to both North Carolina
A&T and Appalachian State.
Elon's 599 yards of offense surrendered to Appalachian State looks pretty
good to Coastal's offense, which is ranked 11th in the nation in rushing
offense, 18th in total offense and 15th in scoring offense.
Prediction: Coastal Carolina 34, Elon 20
Eastern Kentucky (2-2, 0-0 OVC) at No. 8 Eastern Illinois (3-1, 0-0)
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. (espn3.com)
What to know: This conference matchup just smells like an instant classic.
There's certainly a lot of history between the two Ohio Valley Conference
teams - Eastern Kentucky holds the series lead, 12-8. Both programs also rank in
the top 10 all-time in playoff appearances (Eastern Kentucky with 20 and Eastern
Illinois with 14).
But the past doesn't mean a lot for the outcome of this game. Eastern
Illinois has been playing phenomenal offensively behind quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo, and narrowly missed out on the team's second win over an FBS opponent
last weekend against Northern Illinois.
Eastern Kentucky is up there in the OVC, but hasn't supplied anything as
impressive this season as EIU. The Colonels are coming off a 56-34 victory over
former OVC member Morehead State, where freshman running back J.J. Jude gained
195 yards on the ground with four touchdowns.
With a record in sight, though, Garoppolo should take this game over for the
Panthers, and he will become the program's and conference's all-time leader in
career touchdown passes (he's tied with former EIU great Tony Romo at 85).
Prediction: Eastern Illinois 45, Eastern Kentucky 31
No. 1 North Dakota State (3-0, 0-0 MVFC) at No. 6 South Dakota State (3-1,
0-0)
Kickoff: 3 p.m. (NBC North Dakota, Midco SN)
What to know: Not only is this one of the most highly anticipated conference
games of the year, it's quickly becoming one of the nation's top rivalries.
Any time two teams meet with such a grand standing in the national polls,
more than a few heads will turn to observe the battle. And it will be a battle.
The biggest question for North Dakota State will be this: Can the defense
replicate its success from last season against one of the top FCS running backs
in Zach Zenner? In 2012, the Bison held Zenner to 43 yards and 46 yards rushing
in respective games (the latter being in a playoff matchup).
This season, Zenner's lowest rushing total is 117 yards in Week 1 against
Butler. He's amassed 200 yards in a game twice in 2013. A large part of the
game's outcome will hinge on his success for the Jackrabbits.
On the other hand, North Dakota State has a pretty spectacular offense of its
own, and the third-best scoring defense in the nation (currently holding
opponents to 10.3 points per game).
With much anticipation, this game could easily live up to its hype.
Prediction: North Dakota State 31, South Dakota State 28
No. 2 Eastern Washington (2-1) at No. 4 Sam Houston State (3-1)
Kickoff: 3 p.m. (CSN-HOU, NW)
What to know: He's played in three games this season, two of them against FBS
opponents, yet Eastern Washington's Vernon Adams still ranks second in the FCS
with 12 passing touchdowns.
Sam Houston State can expect to see plenty of Adams airing it out Saturday,
just like EWU can expect running back Timothy Flanders to be a significant part
of the Bearkats offense.
Over the past three years, there has been so much meat to the story of these
two teams. Although this is the first time the Bearkats and Eagles will meet in
the regular season, we can simply look back to the playoffs from last year as a
prime example of why this is such a highly regarded game. Eastern Washington
almost overcame a 35-0 halftime deficit to win, but fell just short to the
Bearkats, 45-42, in the national semifinals.
Can the Eagles snap the Bearkats' 17-game home winning streak, currently the
longest in the FCS? We'll find out in what is the non-conference game of the
year.
Prediction: Eastern Washington 42, Sam Houston State 35
No. 11 Montana State (2-2, 0-0 Big Sky) at North Dakota (1-2, 0-0)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
What to know: It was a tough outing last Saturday for the Bobcats, who lost
to Stephen F. Austin in the team's first FCS test without DeNarius McGhee under
center. And it was a rough outing for Jake Bleskin, the sophomore backup.
Bleskin connected on 21-of-41 passing for 308 yards and two touchdowns, but
he also tossed four interceptions. That doesn't necessarily explain away the 52
points allowed by the defense, although giving the ball up four times is bound
to yield some points off turnovers.
Now the Bobcats get to face Big Sky opponent North Dakota, which is coming
off a bye week, but dropped two straight contests to nationally ranked
competition in South Dakota State and Montana prior to the week off. If
turnovers are now a common theme with the Bobcats, expect a few more tough games
until McGhee's separated shoulder is fully healed. Although UND holds a slight
series lead over the Bobcats in Grand Forks, 7-6-1, Montana State should be able
to rebound and escape with a win.
Prediction: Montana State 30, North Dakota 21
Charleston Southern (4-0) at Appalachian State (1-2)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
What to know: Charleston Southern has played well through four weeks of the
regular season, and is the second of two unbeaten teams in the Big South
Conference. But take a glance at the Buccaneers' schedule and it seems fairly
obvious why.
The last three wins for CSU have come against opponents like Shorter
(Division II), Campbell and Norfolk State. The Buccaneers did pull out an
impressive, 32-29 win over The Citadel in Week 1. Not to say this team is a
fluke, but when taking a look down the schedule, things don't seem as rosey for
CSU.
App State is sort of on the opposite end of the spectrum. The Mountaineers
began the season severely underwhelming their opponents and started off 0-2. But
after a win over Elon on Saturday, the ship appears to be righting itself. Both
Mountaineers quarterbacks, Jamal Londry-Jackson and Kameron Bryant, were
effective, but true freshman Marcus Cox was the story, gaining 308 all-purpose
yards and scoring three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing).
It didn't hurt App State to get Sean Price back from a suspension, either, as
he contributed a touchdown receiving.
A one-game winning "streak" is certainly not considered getting on a roll,
but it could be the start.
Prediction: Appalachian State 32, Charlestown Southern 21
Maine (3-1, 0-0 CAA) at No. 22 Richmond (2-2, 0-0)
Kickoff: 4 p.m. (CSN-NE and MA, TCN-PHI, CSS)
What to know: Maine's perfect season hopes came to an end against
Northwestern Saturday, which certainly isn't the end of the world because next
to no one had Maine tabbed as a perfect team in 2013.
But the Black Bears will get a second test in a row this weekend when they
open their CAA Football schedule with Richmond. The Spiders bounced back from
their dismal effort against Gardner-Webb two weeks ago by beating Liberty,
30-21. Richmond's top playmakers were in form against the Flames, as receiver
Ben Edwards caught nine passes for over 100 yards, while Jacobi Green handled
the bulk of the running attack, racking up 181 yards.
Two turnovers really stung Liberty last weekend, as three turnovers did the
same to Maine. Black Bears quarterback Marcus Wasilewski had two passes picked
off and returned for scores against Northwestern. If Richmond can continue to
force turnovers, or if Maine simply provides them, the Spiders will be able to
come away with a victory.
Prediction: Richmond 24, Maine 17
Penn (1-0) at No. 19 Villanova (1-2)
Kickoff: 5 p.m.
What to know: Villanova got at least turned in the right direction last
Saturday with a 35-6 win over Stony Brook, the Wildcats' first win of the
season.
It looks like the bye week Villanova had served its purpose. Now the Wildcats
will welcome fellow Philadelphia program Penn this weekend. Penn opened its
season against a struggling Lafayette team and won, 27-21. The Ivy League's
preseason favorite to repeat as champion will have to get a strong performance
from fifth-year senior quarterback Billy Ragone in order to upset Villanova.
'Nova's win over Stony Brook dropped the Seawolves completely out of the Top
25 rankings, and now the Wildcats look to climb back up the rankings after their
fall from the fifth spot to open the season. Health is still a concern for some
of Andy Talley's players, but as long as John Robertson is under center, the
Wildcats will have a chance against almost any team.
Prediction: Villanova 31, Penn 17
No. 9 McNeese State (4-0) at No. 5 Northern Iowa (3-0)
Kickoff: 5 p.m.
What to know: As far as non-conference matchups go, this one is still
overshadowed by Eastern Washington-Sam Houston State. But there's no contest for
the second-best non-conference game of the week, it's this one.
This is the first time the Cowboys are 4-0 to start the season since 2007,
when the team finished the regular season 11-0. And the team is ranked second in
the country in points per game, averaging 49.5 (last weekend's total of 43
against Weber State was the fewest points scored by the Cowboys this season).
This is the 11th time McNeese State and Northern Iowa have met up in the
regular season (UNI holds a 6-4 series lead), and the game is at the UNI Dome in
Cedar Falls. Like McNeese State, the Panthers haven't started a season 4-0 since
2007, and with a win they can reach that mark. The Cowboys will look to starting
quarterback Cody Stroud to lead them offensively, while the Panthers hope they
can put running back David Johnson to work. Let's see if McNeese State can
handle an actual defensive threat.
Prediction: Northern Iowa 32, McNeese State 25
No. 3 Towson (4-0, 0-0 CAA) at Stony Brook (1-2, 1-1)
Kickoff: 6 p.m.
What to know: Towson let North Carolina Central hang around until the second
half started, then the running game took over (per usual).
Terrance West added another 149 yards and two touchdowns to his already
gushing resume, while freshman Darius Victor buried the ball in the end zone
twice. Quarterback Peter Athens is doing just enough under center to sustain a
relatively healthy balance in the offensive play calling, but we have yet to see
what happens if Towson's run game is unproductive.
Enter Stony Brook, which dropped from the Top 25 rankings after the team's
second straight loss, most recently to Villanova. The new CAA team will be
without running back Marcus Coker for the rest of the season due to injury,
which is devastating for the Seawolves. This game could have featured one of the
great running back matchups of the season had he stayed healthy.
With that said, the Stony Brook run game wasn't productive at all against a
wounded Villanova defense, and against Towson likely won't look much better.
Unless something changes soon, the weight of the team will fall squarely on
quarterback Lyle Negron's shoulders, which could make Stony Brook's first season
in the CAA an obsolete one.
Prediction: Towson 34, Stony Brook 17
Point (2-1) at No. 25 Gardner-Webb (3-1)
Kickoff: 6 p.m.
What to know: Gardner-Webb got so good at beating teams in the Top 25 in the
first few weeks, it seems only appropriate for the Runnin' Bulldogs to join
them.
In consecutive weeks, kicker Jordan Day provided the only points for Gardner-
Webb in wins over Richmond and Wofford. Now facing Point University, an NAIA
program, the Runnin' Bulldogs will look to keep the winning streak alive. But
does the offense have something to contribute?
Gardner-Webb's defense certainly looked strong, holding the Wofford offense
to 149 total yards, including five passing. Wofford was also a mere 3-14 on
third-down attempts. Keep in mind this game, in which GWU won, 3-0, was played
in a driving rainstorm.
Point University shouldn't provide much of a challenge, but when the Runnin'
Bulldogs get back on track with Charlotte and then launch into Big South
competition, we'll need to see another way of accumulating points, rather than
just three at a time.
Prediction: Gardner-Webb 24, Point 10
Chattanooga (2-1, 0-0 SoCon) at No. 15 Georgia Southern (2-1, 0-1)
Kickoff: 6 p.m.
What to know: Both Chattanooga and Georgia Southern are coming off bye weeks,
but it's Chattanooga with more to play for in this Southern Conference matchup
than the Eagles.
Chattanooga was considered one of the favorites for the SoCon crown this
season because Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are ineligible as they
transition to the FBS. But an early season loss for the Mocs set them back a
bit.
Prior to the bye week though, it was Georgia Southern that dropped a game -
its fist SoCon matchup - to Wofford. In that loss, the Eagles still managed 342
rushing yards.
This should be a tantalizing matchup for Chattanooga, which boasts a very
strong defense led by defensive end Davis Tull and linebacker Wes Dothard. Keep
an eye on those two players in an attempt to limit the Eagles' stable of ball
carriers.
Prediction: Georgia Southern 28, Chattanooga 21
No. 14 James Madison (3-1, 0-0 CAA) at Delaware (3-1, 0-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
What to know: James Madison and Delaware are both 3-1 to this point in the
season, yet James Madison is ranked, despite facing below-average teams. But
this first CAA test of the season for either squad should integrate them into
the tougher portion of their schedules nicely.
The game is at Delaware Stadium, a very friendly home environment for the
Blue Hens, who have won all three of their games there this season, posting a
47.3 points-per-game average in those contests. Delaware plays seven home games
this season and just five road games, some very good news for the Hens.
But JMU provides a powerful offense as well, led by senior running back
Dae'Quan Scott, the nation's No. 2 running back in terms of yards gained.
Expect an offensive shootout. We'll learn a lot from this game about which
team is better equipped to handle a difficult CAA schedule.
Prediction: Delaware 34, James Madison 28
No. 23 UT Martin (2-1, 0-0 OVC) at Southeast Missouri State (0-3, 0-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
What to know: UT Martin is another Top 25 team coming off a bye week, but
unlike Georgia Southern, the Skyhawks were rolling before the break. A win over
Chattanooga to start the season and a one-point victory over Central Arkansas
lifted UT Martin into the Top 25 in the first place.
The Skyhawks travel to Southeast Missouri State on Saturday to face an
underperforming Redhawks team that recently lost to Southern Illinois at Busch
Stadium in St. Louis. SEMO did not establish anything of a run game, generating
just 53 yards, making its offense pretty one-dimensional.
It's a good thing for the Skyhawks the Redhawks offense is struggling because
UT Martin is allowing an average of 35.7 points per game to opponents. Don't
discredit Dylan Favre as a big-game quarterback. The junior most recently threw
for 146 yards and three touchdowns to help his team beat Central Arkansas.
Prediction: UT Martin 24, Southeast Missouri State 13
Jackson State (2-2, 2-0 SWAC) at Southern (2-2, 2-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
What to know: It's been a jumbled year in the SWAC, and in all likelihood
that will continue.
This game features the current East Division co-leader in Jackson State
versus the West Division leader Southern. Neither one has impressed immensely
this year, and it seems that week in and week out, SWAC teams just beat each
other up.
Southern's most recent victory came against Mississippi Valley State, a team
that had one of the best SWAC defenses a year ago, but hasn't found its stride
in 2013. The Jaguars managed to scrape out the victory despite a net value of
zero rushing yards. That's right, zero rushing yards.
But what the run game lacks, quarterback Dray Joseph picks up through the
air. The senior has provided the greatest spark for the Jaguars on offense.
Jackson State, on the other hand, has impressed with a solid run game. In the
team's win over Texas Southern, the Tigers strung together 214 yards and four
touchdowns on the ground. Jackson State could put an end to Southern's
conference win streak.
Prediction: Jackson State 27, Southern 21
Youngstown State (3-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at Southern Illinois (2-2, 0-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
What to know: The Penguins have been teetering on the edge of the Top 25,
well, all season, and have only dropped a contest to Michigan State. Now the
team looks to start off Missouri Valley play on a high note with a difficult
schedule on the horizon.
The Penguins hold a slim 12-11-1 series lead between the two MVFC schools,
but lost last year's matchup in Ohio. This time the game is in Carbondale, Ill.,
where Youngstown State won in 2011.
Senior quarterback Kurt Hess is close to the program's record for career
passing yardage, and needs 264 yards to break it. That seems in reach for Hess,
who threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns against the Northeast Conference's
Duquesne a week ago.
Looking ahead, the Penguins can potentially crack the Top 25 with conference
wins early, but once Northern Iowa, North Dakota State and South Dakota State
are up, things look a little bleak for Youngstown's playoff chances.
Prediction: Youngstown State 27, Southern Illinois 18
Brown (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) at Harvard (1-0, 0-0)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
What to know: Both of these Ivy teams exploded onto the scene in their first
game of the season, with Brown easily tossing Georgetown aside, 45-7, and
Harvard dismissing San Diego, 42-20.
Harvard was picked second in the Ivy League's preseason poll behind defending
champion Penn, but realistically either Harvard or Brown can make a great case
for the top spot.
Harvard lost key pieces from the team's 2012 offense, but quarterback Conner
Hempel, a junior, stepped in and threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns against
San Diego.
Former track star John Spooney was the focal point of Brown's offense,
rushing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a third score on a
24-yard reception.
Harvard leads the all-time series, 80-30-2, and has won 11 of the last 13
games against the Bears. Although the stats are a bit lopsided in Harvard's
favor, expect this game to be a battle to the finish.
Prediction: Harvard 31, Brown 27
No. 7 Montana (3-0, 0-0 Big Sky) at No. 24 Northern Arizona (2-1, 0-0)
Kickoff: 9 p.m.
What to know: Last year in Missoula, Mont., Zach Bauman broke a 75-yard run
for a touchdown 10 seconds into Northern Arizona's game with Montana. That was
just the beginning for Bauman and the Lumberjacks.
Bauman rushed for 253 yards and three touchdowns in the contest, providing
the spark Northern Arizona needed to upset the (what would turn out to be)
disappointing Grizzlies. Now, with the game in Flagstaff, the Griz aren't about
to let the Lumberjacks do it again.
Bauman finally broke his first 100-yard game this past weekend against South
Dakota - it's been a slightly disappointing year for the senior Walter Payton
Award candidate. Who knows, maybe he was awakened last weekend.
Montana's defense is pretty stingy, and currently ranks 17th in the country
in run defense and eighth in turnover margin with a plus-five. It makes for a
perfect matchup.
You can be sure the revenge factor will at least be in the background of the
Montana players' minds.
Prediction: Montana 37, Northern Arizona 21
Idle teams:
No. 13 Central Arkansas (2-2)
No. 17 Wofford (2-2)
No. 20 Bethune-Cookman (3-1)
Last Week's Record: 20-4 (.833)
Season Record: 69-28 (.711)
Griz Nation Pulse Newsletter: 9-27-13
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Greetings Grizzlies,
 Griz earn No. 12 Mountain Region ranking - Montana returns two-plus starters & nine lettermen/begins practice Oct. 1 - Grizzlies coming off of back-to-back Big Sky championships, NCAA berths & 25-win seasons Griz embarking on first Big Sky road trip - Montana to play Portland State on Friday, Eastern Washington on Saturday Griz finish ninth at Cougar Cup - Montana shoots rounds of 323, 311 and 319 2013-14 Montana women's basketball photo day - Men's tennis opens fall schedule at Eastern Washington - Griz voted to two spots on Big Sky's 50 Greatest Moments list - UM's epic 1974-75 NCAA hoops game against UCLA, David Morris' 1993 3000-meter title recognized Kicker Ben Worst named Big Sky's Special Teams Player of the Week - True freshman from Twin Falls, Idaho made field goals of 50, 41, and 41 yards in OPSU win | | 
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GRIZ EARN TWO SPOTS IN BIG SKY’S 50 GREATEST MOMENTS INITIAL LIST
EDITOR’S NOTE: After 50 years of competition, the Big Sky Conference has begun a year-long journey celebrating the league's success both on and off the playing field by honoring 50 years of men's athletics and 25 years of women's athletics.
The 50th anniversary will celebrate the all-time individuals, teams and moments in the Big Sky's history, including the selection of the league Top 50 male student-athletes and the top 25 female student-athletes. Along with the lists, the league will unveil the most memorable moments for both men's and women's
The 50th anniversary will celebrate the all-time individuals, teams and moments in the Big Sky's history, including the selection of the league Top 50 male student-athletes and the top 25 female student-athletes. Along with the lists, the league will unveil the most memorable moments for both men's and women's
competition.
This week we reveal numbers 50 through 45 on both lists. The University of Montana had two of the Top 50 Men's Moments in the initial list – the Grizzlies’ NCAA playoff game against UCLA in the 1974-75 season and David Morris’ victory in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Indoor championships in the 3,000 meters in 1993. Those two stories are listed below.
This week we reveal numbers 50 through 45 on both lists. The University of Montana had two of the Top 50 Men's Moments in the initial list – the Grizzlies’ NCAA playoff game against UCLA in the 1974-75 season and David Morris’ victory in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Indoor championships in the 3,000 meters in 1993. Those two stories are listed below.
THE 1974-75 GRIZZLY BASKETBALL TEAM: #49 ON “50 GREATEST MOMENTS” LIST
(copy by Jon Kasper of the Big Sky Conference)
GRIZ-UCLA BB GAME VIDEO LINK: http://www.bigskyconf.com/
Nearly four decades have past since that night in Portland’s Memorial Coliseum. Yet at least once a month, someone asks Eric Hays about it.
It was the night that Jud Heathcote’s Montana Grizzlies of the Big Sky Conference almost took down John Wooden and his mighty UCLA Bruins in the 1975 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. It was the night Hays, who wasn’t known much for his scoring, poured in 32 points on 13-of-16 shooting from the floor and a 6-of-7 effort from the free-throw line. He also had seven rebounds and six assists. Montana lost 67-64.
The game ranks 49th on the Big Sky’s list of “50 Greatest Moments.” But for Eric Hays, it’s a moment that left an indelible mark on his life.
“Had I played a normal game or we got blown out, a lot of things probably never would have happened,” said Hays, who currently works in the financial world after a highly-decorated tenure as a basketball coach at Missoula Hellgate High School. “It was the best game of my life by far. It was a great feeling.”
The 1974-1975 Montana Grizzlies won the Big Sky Conference with a 13-1 record, finishing 21-8 overall. Hays, a 6-foot-3 guard, was a First Team All-Big Sky player, as was Canadian born center Ken McKenzie, the unquestioned leader of the Grizzlies. The team also featured a young point guard named Micheal Ray Richardson, who was drafted in the first round by the New York Knicks in 1978.
The NCAA berth was the first for Montana. The Grizzlies earned the Big Sky’s automatic bid by winning the regular-season title. The league postseason tournament didn’t start until 1976. Montana opened the NCAA Tournament with a 69-63 win over Utah State in Pullman, Wash. Hays tied his career high against the Aggies with 25 points.
Next up was UCLA, which owned college basketball. Under Wooden, UCLA had won nine of the previous 11 NCAA Championships. The win over Montana catapulted UCLA to its 10th championship in 12 years. It also proved to be the final season for Wooden, who retired after 27 years in Westwood.
“I don’t think we were afraid of them,” Hays said. “I do remember the Wednesday before the game we got to Portland and the practice session. UCLA practiced before us. We got to the facility, and I distinctly remember dressing quickly so we could go out and watch them, and just see them in action. Normally, you didn’t have that kind of feeling, but this was UCLA.”
The Montana-UCLA game tipped off the night session at the Memorial Coliseum. Arizona State and UNLV were set to follow. The Grizzlies were more than prepared under the tutelage of Heathcote.
“Jud knew what they were going to do,” Hays said. “We just couldn’t stop them. We knew what we had to do offensively, and we played really, really well. We were a bit nervous and apprehensive early in the game, but as the game went on we knew we could play with them.”
UCLA led 34-33 at halftime. Montana didn’t lead in the second half, but never let the Bruins take command. McKenzie finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but connected on just 9-of-22 shots from the floor, and 2-of-6 from the free-throw line.
The UCLA team featured Marquis Johnson and Dave Meyers. Meyers scored 12 points, and Johnson was limited to seven. Richard Washington and Pete Trogovich led the Bruins with 16 points each.
“I think they were frustrated with some of the things we did,” Hays said of UCLA. “We slowed down the pace offensively. We executed well offensively. We took good shots. We torched their press. As time went on, they got more and more frustrated.”
Hays, who grew up in Junction City, Ore., had many friends and relatives in attendance at the Coliseum. He didn’t disappoint them with his near-perfect performance.
“Everyone who plays basketball has a night where they make every shot,” Hays said. “For some it’s in a high school game, or an intramural game. The UCLA game was that night for me. I knew after I put up a couple of shots that nothing was going to stop me. I could throw anything up, and it went in.”
Hays won’t forget that night. Turns out Wooden, who died in 2010 at the age of 99, never did either. Years after the game, Hays and Wooden crossed paths at a coaching clinic and talked about the game. Years after that, Wooden wrote a letter that was read and presented the night Hays was honored upon retiring as Hellgate’s head coach.
About 10 years ago his wife, son, and two of his daughters, took Wooden up on an invitation to visit if they were ever in California. They thought the visit would last a few minutes. It turned into a five-hour stay. Wooden rode shotgun in Hays’ car as all six went to lunch at coach’s favorite restaurant. Hays said Wooden read poetry, told stories, and served them lemon custard in his apartment.
“It was an incredible experience,” Hays said. “I didn’t think my kids would want to listen to a 93-year-old man. My kids were totally memorized. They sat on the edges of their seats.”
Hays has bits and pieces of the game on video, but has never been able to find a start-to-finish copy. Occasionally, he’ll dust it off and watch it. For those who watched on TV back in Montana, or were in the arena that night, it’s a game that lives on in memories.
“It was an incredible accomplishment at the time,” Hays said. “It’s amazing how it affected the residents of the state of Montana. It wasn’t a Montana or Montana State thing. Everyone was pulling for the University of Montana that night. Big Bobcat fans will still talk to me about that. Back then I didn’t realize it was that big of a deal. But it was another 16 years before Montana made it to the NCAAs again. Those things don’t happen every day.”
DAVID MORRIS WINS NCAA 3000-METER TITLE (Copy by Megan Lobdell of the Big Sky Conference)
The year was 1993. It was a good year for Montana track and field athlete David Morris.
That year, Morris became the first Big Sky Conference runner to win the NCAA Indoor Championship in the 3,000 meters. The championship ranks 50th on the Big Sky’s list of “50 Greatest Moments.’’
“I guess it was kind of surreal,” said Morris, who currently serves as an assistant coach at Carroll College in Helena, Mont. “I felt like if I ran that race 100 times, I’d win 10 or 20. Everything just kind of came together. Before the race my coach told me that because of the short straightaways on the 200-meter track that I would have to kick on the backstretch with two laps to go.”
“I’m not comfortable running in a group, so I was in last a lot of the race,” added Morris. “The first mile was pretty slow. Every time someone would drop off the pace, I’d go around them. I found myself about third with two laps to go and then made my move on the backstretch. I had been finishing races very well all season and I was able to hold on. A teammate told me if I won I had to do something cool. I didn’t want to hold the finger up like everyone does so I leaped across the line. The picture was in the program and there is a plaque with it in the UM Hall of Fame. It looks like I’m triple jumping or something.”
Morris started the adventure, by finishing second in the 3,000 meters at the Big Sky Championship with a time of 8:34.69. His teammate at the time, Clint Morrison, won the race with a time of 8 minutes, 34.39 seconds.
But that wasn’t the only event that Morris raced at the conference championship. He won the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:55.29, and won the mile with a time of 4:12.33. After the championship, Morris was named Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet.
Morris qualified for the NCAA Championship by running a time of 8:06.11 earlier in the season.
After the Big Sky Championship, Morris headed to the now demolished Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Ind., to compete at the NCAA Championship on March 12th and 13th.
Morris had the race of his life, clocking a time of 8:04.17 to become the Grizzlies’ only NCAA indoor champion.
“It is pretty cool to be the only indoor champion, but at the same time I would like to think that others at Montana would be able to compete on the national level,” said Morris, who attended high school in Eagle River, Alaska. “I always wanted to compete at the national level. I felt that competing at the highest level should be a goal of every program.”
“It was great to win the 3,000-meter,” added Morris. “Most of the time you don’t win, especially at the higher levels, so it was nice to finish first. A lot of people were super happy for me and the whole state supports Montana so I was glad to get the win for the program. A lot of great athletes never won an individual NCAA title, so it’s incredible to be in that group.”
A Big Sky athlete didn’t win an indoor title again until 2007.
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Wednesday, September 25, 2013
In the FCS Huddle: EWU-Sam Houston too much of an exception
By Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director/Senior Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - FCS power programs aren't adverse to
playing FBS opponents. Some play two in a season.
What you don't see are enough top teams from FCS power conferences playing
each other.
Saturday's matchup of No. 2 Eastern Washington at No. 4 Sam Houston State is
an exception to the rule. It's the FCS non-conference game of the season - a
rematch of Sam Houston's 45-42 escape in the national semifinals last season
after EWU nearly came all the way back from a 35-0 halftime deficit.
Actually, this is the best weekend of the season for non-conference matchups
in the FCS Top 25. In addition to EWU-Sam Houston, No. 5 Northern Iowa hosts No.
9 McNeese State and No. 10 New Hampshire visits No. 21 Lehigh.
Those three games are one more than what occurred in the season's first four
weeks combined. The Appalachian State-Montana and Eastern Illinois-Illinois
State games were the only ones matching Top 25 teams from different conferences.
Ironically, when many FCS teams in the early part of the season are off
playing FBS opponents, they stand a much greater chance of losing those games
than if they played another top FCS team, whose scholarship level more resembles
their own.
The two-year home-and-home series between Eastern Washington and Sam Houston
was announced in June 2012. This was before their epic playoff match last
December, and neither knew they would both be among the top four-ranked teams
for this year's first-ever regular-season meeting. But they knew they would have
terrific teams and that playing the game would be risky for them.
"When you get to talking (with another school), one thing I've learned when
you get a team that's interested, you get a nibble and they get a nibble, you
better jump on it," Sam Houston coach Willie Fritz said, "instead of sitting
back worrying about trying to craft the perfect schedule."
Coaches blame scheduling for the lack of FCS powers playing each other. Their
schools want to play an FBS opponent because it offers them a bigger payday,
allows their student-athletes to play in front of a larger crowd and gives them
a chance for increased exposure, as Eastern Washington, Northern Iowa and
McNeese State gained with upset wins this season.
But many schools guard against overscheduling. Many play a sub-Division I
opponent or a lower-tier FCS school at home, so coupled with an FBS game, they
find it hard to add a risky game against another top FCS program. The thought is
that a loss against another top FCS program does more damage to a team's playoff
resume than a loss to an FBS team because the latter is expected.
Eastern Washington, though, has found a way to make it work, scheduling two
FBS opponents (Oregon State and Toledo) and a Division II opponent at home
(Western Oregon) as well as the trip to Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas.
"To be involved in this, our kids are excited, I think it's great for FCS. I
hope in the future we can continue to try and play these type of home-and- homes
with other FCS schools," EWU coach Beau Baldwin said.
"A D-II win, I don't know if it does anything for you if you're thinking
about playoffs. So that's my first opinion on that. And I get it with playing
the FBS schools, but I like challenging yourself ... we're going to have to be
battle- tested to do well in our (Big Sky) conference."
With many fewer FCS schools in the western portion of the United States than
in the east, the Big Sky and Southland conferences have found scheduling games
to be somewhat of a necessity. CAA Football and the Missouri Valley and Southern
conferences aren't involved in top non-conference matchups as frequently, while
the Ohio Valley Conference perhaps does a better job in scheduling better FCS
opponents.
Many non-conference games are booked several years in advance. New Hampshire
hadn't played Lehigh in 24 years before they met in 2010 and likely didn't know
Lehigh was about to go on a run of Top 25 seasons. McNeese State and Northern
Iowa are meeting for the first time since 1999, and UNI likely didn't foresee
McNeese State, which has been a little down in recent seasons, being a Top 10
team for Saturday's matchup.
UNH's Sean McDonnell says coaches can't worry about potential FCS losses when
building a schedule, but have to consider the strength of conference opponents.
"For us, the eight (CAA) games, it's an awful lot of games getting beat up,"
McDonnell said. "To go out and play these games, it becomes very challenging.
The other thing is that you schedule some of these games, you know, three or
four years in advance, not knowing where everybody is going to be anyway (as a
program). Rarely do you schedule for the next year."
Money and TV exposure talk, of course, and it's possible both can entice more
cross-sectional matchups of top FCS teams. ESPN, CBS Sports Network and NBC
Sports Network would be possibilities of creating bigger early season matchups
(http://tinyurl.com/l7umtvk).
"I think from a competitive standpoint, it's extremely important, no question
about it. And I love doing it," McNeese State coach Matt Viator said. "I think
it's great having an opportunity to go play a school like Northern Iowa. I think
the challenges for all of us are scheduling.
"I think you can (gain from a loss against a strong FCS opponent) depending
on if you come out healthy and you come out with things that are correctable and
you can build some confidence off it, sure. I think they certainly can be
situations like that, no question. But I think this is great for us. This is
obviously a really good football team and any time you have an opportunity to go
play at a place that they sell out, it's a great atmosphere and all that, that's
great for your kids."
THE LAST TIME WE MET
Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams came off the bench to throw six
second-half touchdowns when the Eagles staged their memorable rally against Sam
Houston in last year's national semifinals.
For a Q&A with Adams before the FCS non-conference matchup of the season,
go to http://tinyurl.com/k6wq95m.
AROUND THE NATION
Big Sky: Northern Arizona senior Zach Bauman is 46 rushing yards shy of 4,000
in his career. He's rushed for 127, 148 and a career-best 253 yards in three
games against Montana, which he faces Saturday. The visiting Grizzlies (3-0)
lead the Big Sky in scoring defense (12.3 ppg) and total defense (286 ypg), and
have yet to allow a fourth-quarter point. However, they will play without junior
free safety Matt Hermanson, who was suspended for the game due to a violation of
the university's student-athlete code of conduct.
Big South: The Big South has two 4-0 teams for the first time in conference
history. Both put their unbeaten status on the line at Southern Conference
opponents Saturday, No. 11 Coastal Carolina at Elon and Charleston Southern at
Appalachian State. Big South teams have beaten four SoCon opponents for the
first time and are 12-3 against FCS opponents, one win shy of the conference-
record 13 wins in 2006.
CAA Football: Delaware quarterback Trent Hurley has completed nearly three-
quarters of his pass attempts (70-of-97, 72.2 percent) in the Blue Hens' 3-1
start, with 10 touchdowns and 944 yards and only three interceptions. The Blue
Hens face a pivotal home game Saturday against No. 14 James Madison, which leads
the CAA in pass defense. The winning team will set itself up nicely for a
playoff push. ... The CAA has five teams in the Top 25 - low for the
conference's usual standard - but Stony Brook, Maine, William & Mary and
Delaware are four of the first seven teams receiving votes just outside the
rankings.
Ivy: The potential All-Ivy defensive line can stack up with many all-
conference fronts across the FCS. Princeton defensive tackle Caraun Reid could
blossom into the top FCS draft prospect, while defensive ends Zach Hodges (two
fumble recoveries) of Harvard and Michael Yules (two sacks) of Brown are off to
big starts with getting into opposing backfields. Harvard defensive tackle
Nnamdi Obukwelu also clogs the middle against the run. ... Penn's visit to No.
19 Villanova is the fourth-ever FCS matchup of coaches with 220-plus career wins
- Penn's Al Bagnoli with 229 and Villanova's Andy Talley with 227.
Independents: Incarnate Word (2-2) has been using a rotation of three running
backs, with Junior Sessions starting, followed by Broderick Reeves and then John
Oglesby getting much of his action in the second half of games. Each has between
27 and 37 carries and 132 and 157 rushing yards. ... Abilene Christian
quarterback John David Baker has thrown 112 attempts for 16 touchdowns and no
interceptions.
MEAC: Some big foots have entered the conference. A pair of freshmen, Morgan
State's Lawrence Forbes and North Carolina A&T's Dominic Frescura, rank
fourth and sixth nationally with punting averages of 46.4 and 45.1 yards,
respectively. The MEAC's fourth-ranked punter, Florida A&M's Colby Blanton
(42.3), also is a freshman.
Missouri Valley: In South Dakota State's 13 games last season, national
rushing champion Zach Zenner's two lowest totals were at North Dakota State - 43
yards in the regular season and 46 yards in the playoffs, with zero touchdowns.
The No. 6 Jackrabbits get a conference-opening shot at No. 1 NDSU on Saturday in
Brookings, S.D. ... Youngstown State QB Kurt Hess heads to Southern Illinois
just 264 yards shy of surpassing Tom Zetts as the school's career record holder
for passing yards. Hess has 7,465 yards as a four-year starter.
Northeast: Bryant's visit to defending NEC champion Wagner jump-starts the
conference schedule. Wagner (1-3) has struggled to stop the pass (289.8 ypg,
106th in the FCS), which plays into the hands of Bryant wide receiver Jordan
Harris, who is the active leading receiver in the FCS with 3,082 career yards.
... Robert Morris' game at VMI will be Joe Walton's 200th as the only head coach
in Colonials history.
Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois QB Jimmy Garoppolo not only leads the FCS in
passing (432.8 ypg, 20 touchdowns), but he's about to face an Eastern Kentucky
defense that is allowing 294.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 109th in the
FCS. The Colonels (2-2) hope their secondary will stabilize with the return of
safety Brandon Stanley, who was injured and missed their first three games.
Patriot: While Lehigh wide receiver Lee Kurfis is grabbing so much attention
with his record-breaking start to the season, the Patriot League already has
eight players with at least 20 receptions. Three are from Fordham, Sam Ajala,
Tebucky Jones and Brian Wetzel. ... Holy Cross heads to Dartmouth with the
series deadlocked, 36-36-4.
Pioneer: The three most southern PFL members host the three defending
champions, with the big matchup being Butler at Jacksonville. New programs
Mercer and Stetson host Drake and San Diego, respectively. ... Stetson freshman
defensive end Donald Payne has won at least a share of PFL defensive player of
the week honors in each of his first three career games.
Southern: Chattanooga (2-1) hopes to put a bye week to good use when it comes
back to action Saturday at No. 15 Georgia Southern. The Mocs have raised their
offensive efficiency to support their talented defense. Last year's matchup went
to triple overtime before GSU prevailed, 39-31. ... Furman and The Citadel will
renew the SoCon's oldest rivalry with their 93rd meeting. Furman owns a
commanding 57-32-3 lead in the series that began in 1913.
Southland: No. 4 Sam Houston State's 17-game home winning streak, about to be
put to a stern test against No. 2 Eastern Washington, is the longest in the FCS.
... Central Arkansas defensive end Markeith Gaines has made the most of his 12
tackles: 6.5 for loss and 3.5 for sacks with two forced fumbles.
SWAC: There are five teams with two conference wins, and four are matched up
on Saturday. East Division co-leader Alcorn State (3-1, 2-0) will visit Alabama
State (2-2, 2-1), while the other East co-leader, Jackson State (2-2, 2-0), goes
to West Division leader Southern (2-2, 2-0). Prairie View A&M (2-2, 2-1) has
a non-conference game at Stephen F. Austin.
Extra Point: The sixth annual Coach to Cure MD will take place at college
football games this week. More than 11,000 football coaches at all levels
nationwide will attempt to raise awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the
most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood, by wearing a
Coach To Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines. Fans can make donations at games,
online at www.CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5
donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).
WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW
The Sports Network FCS Top 25 can be found at http://tinyurl.com/88q2k7t.
Also, once again this season, In the FCS Huddle is projecting the potential
FCS playoff field. The projections, updated most Sundays, are a long-range look
at the season - not based off current records or rankings - and can be found at
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/fcs/FCS_Bracket.pdf.
WEEK 5 PICKS
Week 4 Record: 59-10 (.855)
Season Record: 238-63 (.791)
Thursday, Sept. 26
Howard (1-2, 0-0 MEAC) at X-North Carolina A&T (2-0, 0-0), 7:30 p.m.
No. 18 Cal Poly (1-2, 0-0 Big Sky) at X-Portland State (3-1, 0-0), 10:15 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 28
X-Cornell (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) at Yale (1-0, 0-0), noon
Butler (2-2, 0-0 PFL) at X-Jacksonville (2-2, 1-0), noon
X-No. 16 Fordham (4-0) at Saint Francis (Pa.) (1-2), noon
X-Monmouth (1-3) at Columbia (0-1), 12:30 p.m.
X-No. 10 New Hampshire (1-1) at No. 21 Lehigh (3-0), 12:30 p.m.
Bryant (2-1, 0-0 NEC) at X-Wagner (1-3, 0-0), 1 p.m.
X-Norfolk State (0-3, 0-0 MEAC) at Morgan State (0-4, 0-0), 1 p.m.
Central Connecticut State (1-3) at X-Rhode Island (1-3), 1 p.m.
Davidson (0-3, 0-0 PFL) at X-Morehead State (0-4, 0-1), 1 p.m.
X-Drake (1-2, 0-0 PFL) at Mercer (3-0, 0-0), 1 p.m.
X-San Diego (1-2, 0-0 PFL) at Stetson (1-2, 0-0), 1 p.m.
Marist (1-2, 0-0 PFL) at X-Dayton (2-1, 0-0), 1 p.m.
X-No. 12 Coastal Carolina (4-0) at Elon (1-3), 1:30 p.m.
X-Robert Morris (1-2) at VMI (1-3), 1:30 p.m.
X-Princeton (0-1) at Georgetown (1-3), 2 p.m.
Hampton (0-4, 0-0 MEAC) at X-South Carolina State (2-2, 0-0), 2 p.m.
X-Illinois State (1-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at Missouri State (0-4, 0-0), 2
p.m.
Charlotte (2-2) at X-Presbyterian (1-2), 2 p.m.
Campbell (1-2, 0-0 PFL) at X-Valparaiso (0-3, 0-0), 2 p.m.
Eastern Kentucky (2-2, 0-0 OVC) at X-No. 8 Eastern Illinois (3-1, 0-0), 2:30
p.m.
Western Carolina (1-3, 0-1 SoCon) at X-Samford (2-2, 0-0), 3 p.m.
Central State (0-3) at X-Tennessee State (3-1), 3 p.m.
Co-Game of the Week: X-No. 1 North Dakota State (3-0, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at
No. 6 South Dakota State (3-1, 0-0), 3 p.m. The two-time defending national
champion Bison are 31-2 since the start of the 2011 season, but they're unbeaten
on the road during that time.
Co-Game of the Week: X-No. 2 Eastern Washington (2-1) at No. 4 Sam Houston
State (3-1), 3 p.m. Looking back to last year's national semifinal, here's
hoping the Sam Houston squad of the first half and the Eastern Washington squad
of the second half show up for the entire game.
X-No. 11 Montana State (2-2, 0-0 Big Sky) at North Dakota (1-2, 0-0), 3:30
p.m.
Charleston Southern (4-0) at X-Appalachian State (1-2), 3:30 p.m.
X-Southern Utah (3-1, 0-0 Big Sky) at Northern Colorado (1-3, 0-0), 3:35 p.m.
South Dakota (1-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at X-Western Illinois (2-2, 0-0), 4
p.m.
Maine (3-1, 0-0 CAA) at X-No. 22 Richmond (2-2, 0-0), 4 p.m.
Murray State (2-2, 0-0 OVC) at X-Jacksonville State (4-0, 0-0), 4 p.m.
Penn (1-0) at X-No. 19 Villanova (1-2), 5 p.m.
X-Abilene Christian (3-1) at Tarleton State (2-0), 5 p.m.
X-No. 9 McNeese State (4-0) at No. 5 Northern Iowa (3-0), 5 p.m.
X-No. 3 Towson (4-0, 0-0 CAA) at Stony Brook (1-2, 1-1), 6 p.m.
Point U. (2-1) at X-No. 25 Gardner-Webb (3-1), 6 p.m.
Chattanooga (2-1, 0-0 SoCon) at X-No. 15 Georgia Southern (2-1, 0-1), 6 p.m.
Alcorn State (3-1, 2-0 SWAC) at X-Alabama State (2-2, 2-1), 6 p.m.
Furman (1-2, 0-0 SoCon) at X-The Citadel (1-3, 1-1), 6 p.m.
X-Delaware State (0-3, 0-0 MEAC) at Savannah State (1-3, 0-0), 6 p.m.
Albany (1-3) at X-Old Dominion (2-2), 6 p.m.
X-Sacred Heart (4-0) at Bucknell (1-1), 6 p.m.
No. 14 James Madison (3-1, 0-0 CAA) at X-Delaware (3-1, 0-0), 7 p.m.
No. 23 UT Martin (2-1, 0-0 OVC) at X-Southeast Missouri State (0-3, 0-0), 7
p.m.
X-Jackson State (2-2, 2-0 SWAC) at Southern (2-2, 2-0), 7 p.m.
Eastern New Mexico (1-1) at X-Incarnate Word (2-2), 7 p.m.
Kentucky Wesleyan (0-3) at X-Liberty (2-2), 7 p.m.
Prairie View A&M (2-2) at X-Stephen F. Austin (2-2), 7 p.m.
Langston (0-3) at X-Northwestern State (2-2), 7 p.m.
Arkansas Tech (2-1) at X-Nicholls (2-2), 7 p.m.
X-Holy Cross (1-3) at Dartmouth (1-0), 7 p.m.
Texas Southern (0-3, 0-2 SWAC) at X-Alabama A&M (1-3, 1-1), 7 p.m.
X-Youngstown State (3-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley) at Southern Illinois (2-2,
0-0), 7 p.m.
X-Lamar (2-2) at Grambling State (0-4), 7 p.m.
Brown (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) at X-Harvard (1-0, 0-0), 7:30 p.m.
Sacramento State (1-3, 0-0 Big Sky) at X-Weber State (1-3, 0-0), 8 p.m.
X-Indiana State (1-2) at Tennessee Tech (2-2), 8 p.m.
Idaho State (2-1, 0-0 Big Sky) at X-UC Davis (0-4, 0-0), 9 p.m.
X-No. 7 Montana (3-0, 0-0 Big Sky) at No. 24 Northern Arizona (2-1, 0-0), 9
p.m.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
UM’S BEN WORST NAMED BIG SKY’S SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
OGDEN, UTAH - University of Montana kicker Ben Worst has been selected the ROOT SPORTS football Special Teams Player of the Week, announced the Big Sky Conference today (Monday, Sept. 23).
Worst was recognized along with Portland State running back DJ Adams, who was the Offensive Player of the Week, and Northern Arizona cornerback Anders Battle who was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week.
Worst is a 5-11, 197-pound freshman from Twin Falls, Idaho, made all three of his field goal attempts, and both of extra points kicks in his first collegiate game, a 47-14 victory by Montana over Oklahoma Panhandle State.
Worst connected on a 50-yard field goal, tying him for the sixth longest in Griz history, and it is the longest made three-pointer in the Big Sky so far this season. Worst also made a pair of 41-yard field goals. This is Worst’s first career ROOT SPORTS Player of the Week honor.
Montana’s nominee for player of the week on offense was true freshman halfback John Nguyen, who rushed 22 times for 144 yards against OPSU. The Grizzlies nominee on defense was sophomore linebacker Addison Owen, who had 5 tackles, returned an interception 21 yards, and also recovered a fumble.
Adams, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior from Norcross, Georgia, rushed 14 times for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns in PSU’s 41-10 non-conference victory at UC Davis.
Battle, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior from Phoenix, Ariz., returned an interception 49 yards for a TD in NAU’s Arizona’s 22-16 non-conference victory over South Dakota.
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Monday, September 23, 2013
Gardner-Webb kicks its way into Top 25
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The slogan of the Gardner-Webb football
team this season is "Red Storm Rising."
The Runnin' Bulldogs reversed it this past Saturday night when they actually
rose through a storm. On Monday, they rose into The Sports Network FCS Top 25
for the first time in 11 years at No. 25.
Gardner-Webb's 3-0 win in a rainstorm at Wofford was its second straight over
a nationally ranked opponent and marked the highest-rated team to fall to the
Runnin' Bulldogs. Wofford was ranked No. 10 at the time.
As Gardner-Webb returned to the rankings, North Dakota State, the two-time
defending FCS champion, strengthened its hold on No. 1 by collecting 157 of the
158 first-place votes and 3,949 points. The Bison shut out Delaware State, 51-0,
this past Saturday.
Eastern Washington, which earned the other first-place vote, remained at No.
2, while Towson moved up one spot to No. 3 in the national poll selected weekly
by a panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters,
writers and other dignitaries.
Gardner-Webb's upset at Wofford came on the heels of its 12-10 win at
Richmond. Jordan Day provided all of the Runnin' Bulldogs' points in both wins
with field goals.
The Big South Conference member, located in Boiling Springs, N.C., has a 3-1
record under first-year head coach Carroll McCray. The Runnin' Bulldogs feature
running back Juanne Blount and wide receiver Kenny Cook on offense and a
standout front seven on defense, including leading tackler and linebacker Tanner
Burch. Nose tackle O.J. Mau was named The Sports Network FCS defensive player of
the week on Monday for his standout performance against Wofford.
Gardner-Webb's appearance in The Sports Network FCS Top 25 is its first since
the end of the 2002 season, when the Runnin' Bulldogs finished 9-1 in their
third year on the FCS level.
"When I first looked at this schedule, it was intimidating," McCray said.
"The first three teams (Furman, Marshall, Richmond) all have national
championships in their trophy case. Wofford is one of a small group of programs
that has been to the playoffs five times in the past six seasons. Obviously, we
are thrilled to have gotten off to a great start. There are areas we must
continue to try and correct. Those games are behind us now and we need to
continue to improve ourselves and play the next team up. Our conference has
gotten off to an impressive start as a group, and when those games begin in
October, it will be another very tough stretch."
The FCS schedule on Saturday will feature three matchups among the nine
highest-ranked teams. North Dakota State (3-0) will open its Missouri Valley
Football Conference schedule at No. 6 South Dakota State (3-1). Eastern
Washington (2-1) will visit No. 4 Sam Houston State (3-1) in a non-conference
game which also is a rematch of Sam Houston's 45-42 win at EWU in the 2012
national semifinals. In addition, No. 5 Northern Iowa (3-0) will host No. 9
McNeese State (4-0) in non-conference action.
The rest of the Top 10 included No. 3 Towson (4-0), No. 7 Montana (3-0), No.
8 Eastern Illinois (3-1) and No. 10 New Hampshire (1-1).
Next up was No. 11 Montana State (2-2), which fell eight spots after losing
to unranked Stephen F. Austin. The Bobcats were followed by No. 12 Coastal
Carolina (4-0), No. 13 Central Arkansas (2-2), No. 14 James Madison (3-1), No.
15 Georgia Southern (2-1), No. 16 Fordham (4-0), No. 17 Wofford (2-2), No. 18
Cal Poly (1-2), No. 19 Villanova (1-2) and No. 20 Bethune-Cookman (3-1).
Rounding out the Top 25 were No. 21 Lehigh (3-0), No. 22 Richmond (2-2), No.
23 UT Martin (2-1), No. 24 Northern Arizona (2-1) and Gardner-Webb.
Stony Brook fell from the Top 25 after losing to Villanova.
In the Top 25 voting, a first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place
vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
During the regular season, the Top 25 will be released every Monday
afternoon, except for the final weekend, when it will be released Sunday
morning, Nov. 17, prior to the selection of the FCS playoff field.
The final Top 25 will be released on the Monday after the FCS championship
game Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.
| Team (First-place votes) | 2013 Record | Points | Previous Rank | |
| 1. | North Dakota State Bison (157) | 3-0 | 3949 | 1 |
| 2. | Eastern Washington Eagles (1) | 2-1 | 3669 | 2 |
| 3. | Towson Tigers | 4-0 | 3580 | 4 |
| 4. | Sam Houston State Bearkats | 3-1 | 3415 | 5 |
| 5. | Northern Iowa Panthers | 3-0 | 3258 | 7 |
| 6. | South Dakota State Jackrabbits | 3-1 | 2884 | 6 |
| 7. | Montana Grizzlies | 3-0 | 2802 | 9 |
| 8. | Eastern Illinois Panthers | 3-1 | 2622 | 8 |
| 9. | McNeese State Cowboys | 4-0 | 2529 | 12 |
| 10. | New Hampshire Wildcats | 1-1 | 2428 | 11 |
| 11. | Montana State Bobcats | 2-2 | 2366 | 3 |
| 12. | Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | 4-0 | 1809 | 15 |
| 13. | Central Arkansas Bears | 2-2 | 1681 | 13 |
| 14. | James Madison Dukes | 3-1 | 1578 | 17 |
| 15. | Georgia Southern Eagles | 2-1 | 1531 | 14 |
| 16. | Fordham Rams | 4-0 | 1312 | 21 |
| 17. | Wofford Terriers | 2-2 | 1307 | 10 |
| 18. | Cal Poly Mustangs | 1-2 | 1124 | 18 |
| 19. | Villanova Wildcats | 1-2 | 966 | 20 |
| 20. | Bethune-Cookman Wildcats | 3-1 | 876 | 19 |
| 21. | Lehigh Mountain Hawks | 3-0 | 821 | 22 |
| 22. | Richmond Spiders | 2-2 | 673 | 23 |
| 23. | Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks | 2-1 | 596 | 24 |
| 24. | Northern Arizona Lumberjacks | 2-1 | 556 | 25 |
| 25. | Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs | 3-1 | 483 | NR |
| Others receiving votes: Youngstown State 452, Stony Brook 329, Maine 271, Illinois State 260, William & Mary 235, Jacksonville State 193, Delaware 162, Southern Utah 154, North Carolina A&T 99, Chattanooga 89, Stephen F. Austin 53, Samford 37, Southeastern Louisiana 34, Eastern Kentucky 32, South Carolina State 30, Harvard 25, Tennessee State 17, Penn 13, Charleston Southern 12, Southern Illinois 7, Western Illinois 6, Northwestern State 6, Jackson State 5, Indiana State 4, Portland State 4, Appalachian State 2, Liberty 2, Sacred Heart 1, Alcorn State 1. ... | ||||
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