eGriz
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Joined: 27 Mar 2002
Posts: 3620
Location: Missoula, Montana
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Segars a highlight in waiting (Missoulian).
UM GameDay: Bye-ing time (Billings Gazette).
---
MSU vs. SDSU: Cats seek revenge vs. West (Great Falls Tribune).
NAU vs. PSU: NAU needs victory today to jumpstart rest of season (Arizona
Daily Sun).
PSU: Big Sky Suspends PSU’s Weaver (BSC Media Relations).
EWU at WSU: Eagles Try Once More to Reverse Fortunes (EWU).
CSU at ISU: Game plan - Sacramento State at Idaho State (Sacramento Bee).
---
Top 25 Quick Who - Where - What (I-AA.org).
The I-AA College Football Weekly Preview (Gemunder).
The Cult of I-AA: The Tribe has Spoken; incl. story of UM-GSU (Garner,
I-AA.org).
***
Segars a highlight in waiting
UM's prolific kick returner climbs I-AA record book
By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/10/23/sports/sports02. txt
Levander Segars quietly broke a Division I-AA record last Saturday at
Woodward Field in Cheney, Wash.
He took a punt in perfect position at the Eastern Washington 38-yard line,
and made a move on the one Eagles player who had an early shot at him. Then
his cleats went out from underneath him.
"That's pretty funny," the 170-pound senior said of his record 124th career
punt return. "I break a record by falling on my face, for 1 yard."
Segars has made a career out of keeping his feet. Listed at 5-foot-9, the
Colorado Springs, Colo., product has been a mainstay on special teams for
four years, and in the Montana Grizzlies' offense for three. It might've
been four there, too, but he was recruited to play defense.
"When I came in as a freshman, I was a cornerback," he said. "I was always
going to (head coach Joe) Glenn or his staff and going, 'C'mon, let me get a
reverse or a flea flicker or something.' Next thing I know they were saying,
'Man, we've got to get you the ball.' It was like that."
Ninety-six catches and 1,270 receiving yards later, he's a mainstay on
offense. As for special teams, well, another record for punt return yardage
could fall before he's through.
Segars had five kickoff returns as a freshman in 2001, and 25 punt returns
for a 10.3-yard average. He was named Montana's Freshman of the Year for his
efforts, and honorable mention in the Big Sky Conference at returner. The
following fall he switched to offense, which was fine for the do-everything
player out of Rampart High School.
"I played everything," he said. "Quarterback, running back, receiver,
kicker, punter. My coach (Mike Sirko) said I did everything but sell peanuts
at halftime."
By the middle of his sophomore year, he was starting at receiver for the
Grizzlies, and ended up leading the team in receptions with 51 for 628 yards
and two touchdowns.
He hasn't looked back since. He has looked up (for the ball) and south
toward Colorado Springs (for his family), but not back.
Count your blessings
"I do a lot of praying," said Linda Segars, Levander's mom. "And I say,
'Lord, just don't let no one hurt my baby.' I told him, 'If they get some
300-pounders out there, and they get ahold of you, they're going to think
you're a little sandwich.
"But we've been pretty blessed."
Levander has had a mostly injury-free stay at Montana, aside from a
hamstring injury near the end of the '01 season that kept him out of the
national championship game. In Cheney he bruised a hip while making a
spectacular, rally-to-the-ball catch of a desperation pass from Craig Ochs.
The 25-yard gain kept a scoring drive alive for the Griz, and is only one
example of Segars' gifts.
Hardly anyone, even early on, called him Levander. He goes by "LV." In fact,
he's almost never been Levander. Back in Colorado Springs he was simply,
"Dew."
"My mom, he just reminded her of a do-little," Linda Segars said. "He's
forever doing something, so he's a little 'Dew.'"
The little Dew started out his freshman year as a redshirt, but was taken
off that in the Grizzlies' third game. He called his family - Linda, dad
Howard and younger sister Josalynn - and they quickly organized a trip to
watch the Eastern Washington game.
"At first, I was a little leery about him coming to Montana," Linda said.
"Until they started to chant, 'LV Š LV' Š that was too cool. That was just
really, really cool when we came out."
His family didn't make every home game when Segars first got to Montana. His
dad was suffering from back problems, and has now had his third back surgery
since Levander hit campus. The second surgery came near the end of the 2002
season, after which Glenn and his staff moved to Laramie, Wyo., to take over
the Wyoming Cowboys' football program.
Segars thought, however briefly, about transferring with them. His family
would be nine hours closer (it's a 13-hour trip from Colorado Springs to
Missoula) if he was in Laramie. But by then Segars had a girlfriend in
Missoula, and an established role on the Grizzlies. He'd dug in.
"I figured this was where I needed to be," he said. "I maybe kind of wanted
to get closer to my family, and people just took that and blew it out of
proportion."
New system
Segars stuck around and saw his receptions drop from 51 to 18 in head coach
Bobby Hauck's first season at the helm. Part of that can be blamed on
Montana's health problems at quarterback. With Craig Ochs and Jeff Disney
injured, the Grizzlies relied heavily on the running of Justin Green. They
threw their fewest passes in 19 seasons. There were also adjustments to be
made to new schemes set out by Hauck and offensive coordinator Rob Phenecie.
"I think everybody, when you have a change in staffs, has to learn a new
system," Hauck said. "The guys that learn it the fastest are going to get on
the field the fastest."
Segars started every game last year on offense, and was his usual self - and
then some in Montana's 59-21 win at Northern Arizona - on special teams.
Against NAU he had four punt returns for 139 yards, including touchdowns of
60 and 54 yards.
Those were the second and third punt returns for TDs of his career; he had a
66-yarder against Albany the year before. Last year he also reached the end
zone on a kickoff return, going 91 yards for a TD in Montana's season-opener
against Maine.
Finally, the word is out. Segars has 14 kickoff returns this season, for an
average of 20.7 yards. But he has just 11 punt returns for a total of 80
yards. At that rate he'd need another 17 returns to eclipse the I-AA record
in return yardage of 1,448 yards. Segars has 1,325 right now.
"Unfortunately he fell down Saturday, when we had everyone blocked," Hauck
remarked. "He would've got a nice chunk of that on that play. But punt
returns are like that.
"We have had a lot of great return balls, and the punters we've played have
done a good job of keeping it away from him to a degree. A lot of punts
we've fielded have been in our safe look, where they're in a 'fake zone,' so
we haven't had our punt return team on. He's been hampered a little bit by
the circumstances we've been in."
Full speed ahead
The good news is that at any time, he could break another one. The bad news
is that he's closing out a stellar career.
"I was talking to my girlfriend earlier about that," Segars said. "Not long
ago it was, 'Man, I can't wait to get this season started.' Š. And now it's
almost over.
"It's going to be interesting to see what happens after that. How I'm going
to handle not going to practice every day, not juggling school and football,
and all that."
Segars has two semesters after this to finish up his sociology degree. He
wants to be a counselor for troubled or under-privileged children. Until
then, he's going full speed ahead.
And not looking back.
"It's a little bit different," he said of Montana, which he chose over
Northern Colorado, Colorado State and Southern Miss mainly because the Griz
offered him a full-ride scholarship. "It's more outdoorsy. I'm not too much
of a fly-fisherman or anything like that."
But there is football.
"The road trips are fun," he said. "A bunch of guys fooling around, acting
like kids. And definitely the national championship (in 2001) was a
highlight. There are the season openers, getting out there and seeing all
the fans, and just remembering how crazy they actually are."
The highlights are plenty, from Saturday's comebacker against EWU to the
75-yard, twisting, turning TD on a short pass from Ochs against Hofstra
earlier this season.
More to come
Linda and Harold Segars have an older son, Myron, who stands 6-2 and was a
football player of some renown. But it was "Dew" who went out and got the
college scholarship.
"Levander probably got his height from me because I'm not very, very tall,"
said Linda, who's 5-3 (Harold is 5-10). But you would think he was seven
feet, eight feet, 10 feet tall out there on the football field."
He felt so during the 2001 season, which ended with a 13-6 championship game
win over Furman in Chattanooga, Tenn. "He said, 'Mom, I've never seen
anything like it,' " Linda Segars said. " 'All this hard work, it was so
worth it, because that was just the greatest feeling.' "
There's a chance for more of the same.
Says LV, "We still have some good stuff coming. Everything is falling into
place."
***
UM GameDay
Greg Rachac, Billings Gazette
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=2&display=rednews/ 2004/10/23/build/sports/41-um-gameday.inc
Grizzlies: Open date
Bye-ing time: The Montana Grizzlies, fresh off a second-consecutive win by
way of a blocked field goal, have a bye week. The Grizzlies (6-1, 3-0) are
preparing for a road matchup with Big Sky Conference rival Portland State a
week from today.
Making it happen: Last week, in a crucial conference game, Montana upended
Eastern Washington 31-28 when Shane McIntyre blocked a last-second field
goal attempt by the Eagles. That thrilling road win came on the heels of
Jonny Varona's block of an Idaho State field goal attempt in the final
seconds to preserve a 24-22 victory two weeks ago in Missoula.
Player of the week: Because of his performance against Eastern Washington,
linebacker Shane McIntyre was named the Big Sky's Defensive player of the
week. McIntyre, a 6-3, 222-pound junior from Helena, registered a
career-high 10 tackles - three for loss - with a pass breakup last week, in
addition to his blocked field goal.
Shining Ochs: Griz quarterback Craig Ochs continues to have an impressive
season. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound University of Colorado transfer completed
36-of-59 passes for 525 yards and three touchdowns the last two weeks. Ochs,
experiencing a healthy start to his season, has an efficiency rating of
146.9, is averaging over 230 passing yards per game and has 12 TD passes
with just four interceptions. "Craig is a leader and a winner and an
all-around good person," said UM coach Bobby Hauck. "He's right on track. He
had a great spring. Everything he's done has been right on the money. He
looks to be on his way for an excellent senior season which, of course, will
be huge for our football team."
Elsewhere in UM Sports: The Montana men's basketball team will hold its
annual Maroon-Silver scrimmage on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at Dahlberg
Arena. Montana returns two starters and eight lettermen from a 10-18 team
that was 6-8 in the Big Sky Conference. Sophomore Mike Chavez of Heart Butte
hopes to begin playing again for the Grizzlies in December, academic success
pending
…UM soccer players Tara Schwager and Jamie Rizzuto were named Big Sky
Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week. Schwager and Rizzuto
played key roles in a pair of league victories last weekend, a 2-1 win over
Weber State and a 2-0 conquest of preseason favorite Idaho State. Schwager,
a senior forward from Boise, Idaho, scored the game-winning goal against
Weber State on a breakaway in the 78th minute of play. Rizzuto, a senior
goalkeeper from Chattaroy, Wash., recorded two saves and held Weber State
scoreless until the 90th minute of play
…By defeating Idaho State in four games on Friday night at UM's West
Auxiliary Gym, the Grizzlies' volleyball team picked up its first conference
victory of the season. Last week, sophomore Claudia Houle recorded 26 kills
in a four-game loss at Portland State. Houle ranks second in the Big Sky in
kills percentage, while Audrey Jensen ranks third in blocks.
*** ***
Cats seek revenge vs. West
By SCOTT MANSCH, Great Falls Tribune
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20 041023/SPORTS/410230318/1006
BOZEMAN — How great is the Great West?
It's not a favorite topic of Mike Kramer's, whose Montana State Bobcats meet
the South Dakota State Jackrabbits of the fledgling Great West Conference
this afternoon at 1:05 in a nonconference football game (Omega TV, KLSK-FM,
100.3).
The Jackrabbits, 2-1 in the spanking new league and 4-2 overall, have made
it clear they hope to one day join the Bobcats in the Big Sky Conference.
Several members of the Great West, which includes North Dakota State,
Southern Utah, Northern Colorado, UC Davis and Cal Poly, have similar
aspirations.
"The way our teams have played against theirs this year, I'm surprised Big
Sky teams aren't trying to get into the Great West," cracked Montana State
head coach Mike Kramer. "South Dakota State certainly has our full
attention."
Although the Big Sky is just 3-5 against the Great West this season, the
Bobcats, 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the league following three consecutive
narrow Big Sky victories, appear to have several advantages today. Montana
State has 25 more scholarships and should have about 10,000 more fans today
than SDSU, which is in its first transitional season after switching from
NCAA Division II to I-AA.
But the Jackrabbits have a strong football tradition, with alumni including
NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Langer and Super Bowl kicking hero Adam Vinatieri, and
are coming off recent victories over Southern (La.) University and North
Dakota State. The 24-21 victory over NDSU was two weeks ago in SDSU's last
game.
The week before South Dakota State lost 14-7 to Cal Poly, the same club that
defeated the Bobcats 27-14 in Bozeman on Sept. 18.
"When you look at our team, we're all a bunch of undersized tough guys,"
said Jackrabbit head coach John Stiegelmeier. "We're not a track team — we
just go out and battle."
The Jacks use a spread offense much like Montana State's and will probably
throw it often today.
"You do what you're blessed with," said Stiegelmeier. "We've got some very
good receivers and Brad Nelson's a record-setting guy. Our offensive line is
young, and it's a little easier to hang on (pass block) than it is to blast
them off the ball."
Nelson threw for a school-record 3,141 yards and 27 touchdown last year.
"He's got a quick release and a strong arm," said Kramer. "And at 6-5 and
210 he's a pro prospect."
Anthony Watson rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last year as a freshman and is
having another fine season, averaging 96 yards per game and 5.2 yards per
carry.
"He's not going to outrun you," Stiegelmeier said of the 220-pound Watson.
"But he'll bounce off, roll and fight for yards. He's a tough kid."
Said Kramer: "They've got all the components of a very, very good football
team — and they're playing like it."
The Bobcats have achieved several amazing victories since junior quarterback
Travis Lulay became the starter two years ago, but none was more stirring
than the 31-24 overtime triumph over Portland State last week. Lulay, nearly
knocked unconscious by a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half,
rallied the Cats from deficits of 14-0 and 21-10 by passing for a
career-high 375 yards.
Junior halfback Justin Domineck rushed for three touchdowns, including the
game-winner in overtime.
Today against an expected staunch SDSU defense, Kramer is looking for even
more production from Lulay. And that doesn't mean additional scrambling.
"As well as he's played, and literally as much of a messiah as he's become
for us, there's a lot of improvement he can make to help this program reach
the level it can be," Kramer said. "What we're trying to help Travis add is
a third dimension, so that when you run, you stay in the pocket, and now
when defenses begin to break down you make a play. There are huge plays
looming for him out there."
The MSU defense is tough up front, but green in the secondary. Three
starting cornerbacks are injured, so freshman Andre Fuller and converted
safety Ryan Force will start on the edge.
"We're stretched about as thin as we can get in the secondary playing
against a team that likes to throw the ball," Kramer said. "And that means
the rest of this team has a huge challenge to play a degree better."
Translation?
"We cannot go sack-less," Kramer said. "Last week against Portland State we
could not get to the quarterback and it exposed us in the secondary. That
can't happen again."
The Bobcat offense has prospered recently in come-from-behind situations,
often using a no-huddle attack that Kramer says is here to stay.
"We don't call it a hurry-up offense, we call it a spread offense from the
line of scrimmage," Kramer said. "It's not a true no-huddle; we line up and
call the plays once we see what the defense is in. ... I'd like to see us
stay in this format."
***
NAU needs victory today to jumpstart rest of season
By ED ODEVEN, Arizona Daily Sun
http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?story ID=96608
The stretch run begins now.
For the Northern Arizona football team, the next four games will determine
if it will be a Big Sky Conference championship contender in 2004.
"Each week that goes on, we're going to create our own opportunities,"
Lumberjacks coach Jerome Souers said.
Good opportunities or bad opportunities. As of today, NAU is 3-3 overall,
2-1 in the Big Sky. Eastern Washington (4-3, 3-1), Montana State (4-2, 3-0)
and Montana (6-1, 3-0) are all ahead of the Jacks in the conference
standings.
Today's opponent, Portland State, is 3-3, 1-2. Kickoff is set for 3:35 p.m.
for the Family Weekend contest at the Skydome.
Both teams have had roller coaster seasons to this point. The Jacks are 3-0
at home, 0-3 on the road. The Vikings have alternated wins and losses in
each of their first six games.
"It's midseason, we are still in it and we control a lot of our own destiny,
and from that standpoint that's how we are looking at it," Souers said of
this matchup. "Every week that we can improve and keep our minds focused on
the positive things that we are doing and work to correct mistakes, we are
in a good place."
The Vikings are coming off a stinging 31-24 overtime loss at Montana State.
The Vikings led 21-10 entering the fourth quarter.
"We had several opportunities to win the game, and we didn't take advantage
of any of them," Vikings coach Tim Walsh said. "It's our job to be ready to
play. We understand the significance of this game."
PSU plays its third straight road game today at a place it has not had much
success historically -- the Skydome, where the Vikings are 1-4.
Portland State's defense is keyed by the active, imposing presence of its
four-man defensive line: Ends Chuck Jones and Andrew Dorsey and tackles
Chris Berg and Tom Barger.
"Their defensive front is very physical, very active," Souers said. "Their
d-line is huge. ... Their d-tackles are like 290, 300 (pounds), and those
are the biggest defensive front kids we'll have seen."
In preparation for this week's game, Walsh pointed out that NAU's offense
has improved since the season began, but the team's defensive game plan has
not changed much. Essentially, two key components -- Jacks running back
Roger Robinson and quarterback Jason Murrietta -- will command non-stop
attention of the Viking defense, which is No. 1 in the conference in total
defense, rushing defense and scoring defense.
"Anytime you have that guy playing tailback and that guy playing
quarterback, you are capable of putting up amazing numbers," Walsh said."You
better be able to defend that quarterback and that running back."
The Vikings counter with quarterback Joe Wiser, who has "made great strides
in the last few weeks," Walsh said, and fourth-year starting tailback Ryan
Fuqua. Ryan Brown, the team's best receiver, has missed three games but is
its best option downfield on deep plays. Otherwise, the Vikings rely on a
lot of short screen passes and quick hitches.
Stopping Fuqua, Portland State's talented feature back, is always the No. 1
priority for the Lumberjack defense. The Jacks have had success in recent
years limiting his productivity, including holding him to six carries for
minus-2 yards last year in a 23-0 NAU victory.
"Last year we totally shut him down like we wanted to," NAU strong safety
Jeremy Thornburg said. "That was definitely the key to our shutout last
year. We are going to try to do the same thing this year."
Getting a win is just as vital this week.
"I think it'll kind of be something that'll get us on that winning roll and
get us moving," NAU linebacker Vince Henman said.
The senior captain talked about that other possibility, too.
"If we come up short and don't come out with a win, it could be a turning
point in the season," he added.
A good turn or a bad turn.
***
Big Sky Suspends PSU’s Weaver
BSC Media Relations
http://www.bigskyconf.com
Oct. 21, 2004 (Ogden, Utah) -- Portland State tight end Scott Weaver has
been suspended for the first three quarters of the Vikings ' game Saturday,
Oct.23, announced Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton.
A videotape review of Portland State ’s Oct.16 contest at Montana State
revealed that Weaver punched a Montana State player. The punch was not seen
by officials, thus Weaver was not ejected from the contest.
“I realize that a three-quarter suspension sounds odd,’’ Fullerton said.
“But I feel a three-quarter suspension most closely mirrors the principles
set forth in the rule book.’’
Had Weaver ’s actions been caught during the game, he would have had to sit
out the last 8 minutes and 4 seconds of the fourth quarter, as well as the
first half of this Saturday ’s game at Northern Arizona.
Weaver ’s actions were considered to be a fight as defined by the NCAA 2004
Rules of Football.
The Big Sky Conference reserves the right to take action in cases where
flagrant acts take place on the field and the officials do not penalize the
offender at the time.
“Scott ’s actions met all the elements of the three-part test I apply,’’
Fullerton said. “The act was intentional, it was not a football move, and it
was dangerous or injurious.’’
***
Eagles Try Once More to Reverse Fortunes
Eastern plays at Weber State after losing last year at home to the Wildcats
and Nick Chournos
http://www.ewu.edu/x15349.xml
Many of the names, faces and teams that haunted the Eastern Washington
University football team in the off-season have been handled fairly well
this season. But the Eagles have one more to go.
Eastern travels to Ogden, Utah, this week to take on a winless Weber State
team that handed Eastern a humbling 35-23 home loss a year ago. Kickoff this
week at Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart Stadium is 12:05 p.m. Pacific time.
In last year’s game, Nick Chournos rushed for 194 yards — including 174 in
the second half in the first of two-straight Big Sky Conference losses to
start the season for EWU. He was just one of several players the Eagles have
already faced in 2004 who had run roughshod against the Eagles in recent
seasons. But he is the latest on EWU’s list to stop in 2004 as he enters
this week’s game as Weber State’s all-time leading rusher with 3,252 yards
in his career.
But things have changed in 2004 . . . most notably, win-loss records. The
Wildcats are 0-7 this season overall and 0-4 in the Big Sky after an 8-4
finish a year ago (3-4 in the Big Sky). The latest loss for the Wildcats
came at the hands of Sacramento State 31-12 last week. Chournos rushed for
97 yards in that game, and is averaging 101.6 yards per game to rank third
in the Big Sky and 26th nationally.
And although the Eagles lost a heart-breaker at home to Montana 31-28,
Eastern still finds itself in a position to challenge for a conference title
in the coming weeks. Last week’s loss snapped Eastern’s four-game winning
streak and knocked it out of the Big Sky lead as the Eagles are now 3-1 in
the conference and 4-3 overall. Montana and Montana State lead the pack with
3-0 records, with the Grizzlies 6-1 overall. Both EWU and Montana must play
Montana State in November.
Weber State head coach Jerry Graybeal will take on his former school for the
seventh time this week. Graybeal spent 17 seasons at EWU from 1982-97,
including his last 10 as defensive coordinator. Four of his current
assistants (Rick Redden, J.D. Sollars, Steve Correa and Ray Williams) were
also previously coaches and/or players at EWU.
Graybeal’s Wildcats edged the Eagles 27-23 in his first game against Eastern
in 1998, but the Eagles won the next four meetings before Graybeal prevailed
in Cheney last season.
Eastern features the league’s top offense, averaging 457.4 yards per game
which ranks sixth in I-AA. Eastern is leading the league in scoring and is
20th nationally with an average of 33.4 points per game.
Junior quarterback Erik Meyer is second in the nation in passing efficiency
with a league-leading 175.02 rating. He is also sixth in I-AA and second in
the Big Sky in total offense, averaging 295.7 yards per game (274.1 per game
passing). He has already thrown 13 touchdown passes.
He is supported by the league’s leading receiver (Eric Kimble) and the
leading rusher (Darius Washington) based on yards per game. Kimble is
averaging 111.7 reception yards per game to rank fifth in I-AA in that
category, and Washington is averaging 108.1 rushing yards per game to rank
18th nationally. In addition, Kimble is leading the Big Sky and ranks 28th
in I-AA with an average of 7.7 points per game (nine total touchdowns), and
is first in the Big Sky and second in I-AA with an average of 17.9 yards per
punt return.
Weber State has the league’s top kickoff return unit, averaging 26.5 yards
per return to rank 18th in NCAA Division I-AA. Wiley King is leading the
league and ranks 29th nationally averaging 25.1 yards per return. Kicker Joe
Johnson is first in the Big Sky and fourth in I-AA in field goals per game
(1.57), with a total of 11 already this season in 12 attempts.
Offensively, the Wildcats are averaging 307.1 yards per game to rank seventh
in the league, but are averaging just 97.1 yards per game rushing despite
the presence of Chournos. That ranks them seventh in the league and 103rd
out of 119 I-AA teams in the nation. Defensively, the Wildcats are allowing
425.3 yards per game (sixth in the Big Sky, 108th in I-AA) and 35.0 points
per game (eighth in the Big Sky, 105th in I-AA).
The most lopsided statistic entering this week’s game is passing efficiency
rating. Eastern is sixth nationally with a 163.3 rating as the Eagles have
completed 66.4 percent of their passes, are averaging 276.0 yards per game,
and have thrown 17 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Defensively,
Weber State is 113th in pass efficiency defense with a 150.7 rating. The
Wildcats have allowed opponents to complete 63.0 percent of their passes,
average 230.6 yards per game and throw for 14 touchdowns with just six
interceptions.
The Wildcats do have one of the league’s top defensive players in Brady
Fosmark, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior defensive end. He was named the
co-Defensive Player of the Week by The Sports Network this week after he
registered 14 tackles in Weber State’s 31-12 loss to Sacramento State.
Fosmark had 11 solo tackles, seven tackles for loss and three quarterback
sacks. A Buck Buchanan Award hopeful, Fosmark has six sacks this season and
22.5 for his career. He needs just 2.5 more sacks to become the school’s
all-time leader.
Eagle Head Coach Paul Wulff on Montana Comeback and Rebounding This Week:
"I’m really proud. That showed tremendous character and is going to help us
these next four games. We’ll need it again. That comeback showed a lot about
the character of our football team."
Wulff on Title Chase: "The league championship is still open. We’ve already
played four league games while most everybody else has only played three.
We’re ahead of the schedule a little bit there, and we have three more
league games and a non-conference opponent that is a really good team (Cal
Poly)."
***
Game plan: Sacramento State at Idaho State
By Scott Howard-Cooper, Sacramento Bee
Site: Holt Arena
Time: 2:05 p.m.
Radio: KTKZ 1380
Records: Sac State 2-4, 1-2 Big Sky Conference; Idaho State 1-5, 0-3.
Outlook: Sac State needs to win any of its final five games to surpass last
season's victory total and any of the final four conference contests to
improve on its 2003 Big Sky mark. Idaho State has not won at home, although
with just two chances so far. The Bengals have lost three in a row overall,
most recently by two points at Montana and by four points to Montana State.
Sac State, meanwhile, has lost nine consecutive road games, a streak that is
at two years and counting since an Oct. 26, 2002, victory at Eastern
Washington.
Players to watch: WR Fred Amey has moved into the top 25 in Division I-AA
career receiving yardage with 3,350. Another 61 will jump him to 22nd, and
100 will move him all the way into the top 20. CB Ramon Payne had two
interceptions last week against Weber State, the major contribution to a
Hornets defense getting four picks after none the first five games.
Bottom line: The Hornets have a realistic chance to win consecutive
conference games for the first time since 2000.
*** ***
Top 25 Quick Who - Where - What
I-AA.org
http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=62406
(Poll: Sports Network. Notes are by I-AA Conferences and Schools)
Between Ranked I-AA:
#3 Delaware (5-1) vs. #14 William & Mary (5-1)
#5 Wofford (5-1) at #23 Appalachian State (4-3)
#17 Hampton (6-1) at #20 South Carolina State (5-1)
Ranked I-AA vs. I-A:
None.
Ranked I-AA Idle:
#4 Montana (6-1)
Ranked I-AA Capsules:
1. Southern Illinois (6-1) at Southwest Missouri State (5-2)
1:30 p.m. CT, Plaster Field (16,300), Springfield, MO.
The Series: SMS leads 16-10
Coaches: Jerry Kill (70-46 overall, 21-21 at SIU), Randy Ball (88-67
overall, 88-67 at SMS)
Television: WSIU-TV8, Radio: 95.1 FM
The Salukis have lost eight in a row at SMS. Their last win at Plaster Field
came in 1986. SMS has dominated the series against SIU, winning 14 of the
last 17 meetings.
2. Georgia Southern (6-1) at The Citadel (1-4)
2:00 p.m. EST, Johnson Hagood Stadium (21,000), Charleston, SC.
THE GAME: Georgia Southern holds a 10-3 advantage in the series that
originated in 1988 . . . The ‘88 and ‘90 games were both NCAA Division I-AA
playoff games that GSU won . . . The Citadel won last year’s game 28-24 in
Statesboro . . . Prior to that, the Eagles had won six straight . . . The
final score of each of the last two games was 28-24 . . . Each of the last
three games have been decided by eight points or fewer . . . Georgia
Southern holds a 3-2 advantage in games played in Charleston and has won
three straight from the Bulldogs at Johnson Hagood Stadium.
THE COACHES: Georgia Southern head coach Mike Sewak (Virginia ‘81) is in his
third season with the Eagles and has a record of 24-8. Citadel head coach
John Zernhelt (Maryland ‘77) begins his first year as head coach after
serving as offensive coordinator last season. Mike Sewak is 1-1 vs. The
Citadel while this will be John Zernhelt’s first meeting in the series. GAME
NOTES: Georgia Southern and The Citadel each have one common opponent in
Appalachian State . . . The Eagles posted a 54-7 win over the Mountaineers
on Oct. 16 while the Citadel dropped a 28-14 decision at ASU . . . The
Citadel is playing a ranked opponent for the second straight week after
losing at #8 Furman 33-14 last week . . . The Eagles lead the nation in
rushing offense (354.3 YPG), scoring offense (51.6 PPG) and punt returns
(19.1 average) . . . GSU is second nationally in total defense (235.6 YPG)
and in passing efficiency (183.3 rating) . . . The Citadel is averaging 14.0
points per game as a team . . . The Bulldogs are fourth in the SoCon in
scoring defense, allowing 24.4 PPG . . . The Citadel is second in the
conference in turnover margin at +4 on the year . . . GSU PK Jonathan Dudley
and Citadel PK Blake Vandiver have combined to make all 12 field goal
attempts this season . . . Georgia Southern leads the SoCon in fourth down
conversions, having been successful on 15 of 18 attempts . . . The Citadel
leads the league in fourth down defense, stopping opponents on all three
attempts this season . . . GSU is second in the SoCon in kickoff return
average at 23.8 . . . Citadel leads the SoCon in kickoff coverage, holding
opponents to an average of 13.6 yards per return . . . The Eagles have the
top red zone offense in the SoCon, converting on 38 of 39 trips inside the
20 . . . The Citadel has the SoCon’s best red zone defense, stopping
opponents on seven of 20 penetrations.
3. Delaware (5-1) vs. #14 William & Mary (5-1)
1:00 p.m. EST, Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium, Newark, DE (cap.
22,000, natural grass).
Radio: 740 AM (WMBG)/107.9 FM (WWBR); 94.7 FM (WRDX)
Last Meeting: Delaware 41, William & Mary 27 (10/4/03)
All-Time Series: Delaware leads, 16-11
Inside Slant: The two rivals have met every year since 1993 and have split
their last 10 meetings...both teams enter Sat. with five-game winning
streaks after dropping their season openers...William & Mary is 2- 6 in its
last eight visits to UD Stadium...Tribe senior QB Lang Campbell has thrown
just one interception in 172 pass attempts this season... the Blue Hens’ 67
fourth quarter points this season are tops in the Conference...Delaware
junior DT Tom Parks leads the team in tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks
(five) and has registered 22 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in his
last 22 games.
4. Montana (6-1) - Idle
5. Wofford (5-1) at #23 Appalachian State (4-3)
3:00 p.m. EST, Kidd Brewer Stadium (16,650), Boone, NC.
TV: C-SET
THE GAME: Appalachian State holds an 11-9 lead in the series that dates back
to 1960 . . . The Terriers have won the last two games from the
Mountaineers, 24-14 in Spartanburg in 2003 and 26-19 in Boone in 2002 . . .
Prior to that, Appalachian State had won eight straight from the Terriers .
. . Each of the last three games and five of the last seven have been
decided by 10 points or fewer . . . The Mountaineers own an 8-2 series lead
in games played in Boone and have won five of the last six in Kidd Brewer
Stadium . . . ASU head coach is 5-2 vs. Wofford while Wofford head coach
Mike Ayers is 2-8 all-time against ASU including an 0-3 record at ETSU.
THE COACHES: Wofford head coach Mike Ayers (Georgetown, KY ‘74) is in his
17th year with the Terriers and has a record of 107-78-1 . . . Ayers is in
his 20th year as a college head coach with a record of 113-98-2 . . . He was
the SoCon Coach of the Year in 2000, ‘02 and ‘03 and is the winningest coach
in Wofford history . . . Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore (Baylor
‘61) is in his 16th year as the head coach of the Mountaineers and is the
winningest coach in Southern Conference history with a 122-59 record . . .
Moore is the winningest head coach in ASU history and was the SoCon Coach of
the Year in 1991, ‘94, and ‘95 . . . He is in his 23rd year as a college
head coach and has a career mark of 153-110-2 . . . He also has served as
head coach at North Texas and Texas Tech.
GAME NOTES: Appalachian State has won 10 straight home regular season wins,
the longest streak in the SoCon . . . ASU has not lost a regular season game
at Kidd Brewer Stadium since suffering a 26-19 loss to Wofford on Oct. 26,
2002 . . . This will be Appalachian State’s third consecutive TV appearance
. . . The Mountaineers are 72-17 at home under head coach Jerry Moore . . .
Dating back to 1998, ASU is 16-3 in games played after a regular season loss
. . . ASU is 2-0 this season in that situation . . . Wofford and Appalachian
share one common opponent thus far in Georgia Southern with each team losing
in Statesboro . . . Wofford has a four-game winning streak on the line
Saturday . . . The Terriers are 2-1 in road games this season . . . This
will be Appalachian State’s fifth game against a ranked opponent in eight
outings this year . . . The Mountaineers played #2 Georgia Southern on Oct.
16 and defeated #2 Furman on Oct. 9 . . . ASU also has played #20 Eastern
Kentucky and #19 Northwestern State . . . Wofford is playing just its second
ranked opponent after facing #8 Georgia Southern on Sept. 18 . . . ASU has
the SoCon’s top pass offense, and ninth-best in the nation, at 274.4 YPG . .
. Wofford is 14th nationally in pass defense, allowing just 150.2 YPG . . .
Appalachian WR DaVon Fowlkes ranks fifth in the nation in receptions per
game at 7.7 and third in receiving yards per game at 120.6 . . . Wofford’s
Kevious Johnson is eighth in the country in kickoff return average at 28.9
YPR . . . The Terriers lead the SoCon in turnover margin at +9 while ASU is
sixth at -4 . . . Wofford is third in the nation in rushing offense at 300.8
YPG . . . ASU is seventh in the SoCon in rush defense, allowing 220.1 YPG.
6. Cal Poly (6-0) at North Dakota State (5-2)
1 p.m., (CT), Fargodome, Fargo, ND.
Radio: KXTY Radio (99.7 fm)
THE SERIES: Cal Poly and North Dakota State are meeting for the fourth time
and it will be the Mustangs' third straight trip to Fargo. The Bison won
both previous meetings in Fargo by scores of 47-0 in 1990 and 26-10 in 1992
while the Mustangs won the series opener in San Luis Obispo 35-28 in 1985.
The 1990 game in Fargo was a second-round NCAA Division II playoff contest.
7. Furman (5-2) at Elon (2-4)
7:00 p.m. EST, Rhodes Stadium (11,250), Elon, NC.
TV: CSS
THE GAME: Furman holds a 6-1 advantage since the series started in 1920 . .
. After Furman’s early 33-0 win, the two teams did not meet again until 1997
. . . All seven games in the series have been played in Greenville . . .
This will be Furman’s first-ever visit to Elon . . . The Phoenix have been
held to seven points in each of the last three meetings and in and to a
touchdown or less in five of seven games . . . Furman head coach Bobby Lamb
is 2-0 vs. the Phoenix while Elon head coach Paul Hamilton went 3-4 vs.
Furman while coaching at East Tennessee State.
THE COACHES: Furman head coach Bobby Lamb (Furman ‘86) is in his third
season as the Paladins’ head coach and has a record of 19-11 . . . Lamb, a
former All-Southern Conference quarterback, spent 16 years as an assistant
coach at Furman before taking over as head coach . . . Paul Hamilton is in
his first season as the head coach at Elon though he is certainly no
stranger to the Southern Conference . . . A 1981 graduate of Appalachian
State, Hamilton spent seven years at East Tennessee State and lead the Bucs
to three straight winning seasons from 1999-2001 . . . He is in his eighth
year as a college coach and has a career record 40-45 . . . Hamilton is a
former offensive coordinator at Air Force and Wofford.
GAME NOTES: Furman brings the nation’s third-ranked offensive unit into
Saturday’s game . . . The Paladins average 492.0 yards per game of total
offense and have amassed 500 or more yards of total offense in five of their
seven games this season . . . Elon’s defense is sixth in the SoCon in total
defense, allowing 396.3 yards per game . . . Furman is scoring at a 38.0
clip and Elon allows 27.8 PPG . . . Elon’s offense scores 23.5 PPG while
Furman’s defense yields a league-low 16.9 PPG . . . Furman leads the league
and is fifth nationally in kickoff return average at 24.5 . . . Elon is the
least penalized team in the SoCon this season . . . Elon’s John Taylor is
the SoCon rushing leader with 119.3 YPG . . . Furman has allowed just one
opponent to gain 100 yards in a game this season (108, Roger Kirkley,
Pittsburgh, Sept. 25) . . . The Phoenix is playing a Top 10 opponent for the
third time in the last four weeks after losing to #3 Georgia Southern on
Oct. 2 and #8 Wofford on Oct. 9 . . . Elon is 1-2 at home this year while
the Paladins are 2-2 on the road but have dropped each of their last two
road games (at Pittsburgh, Sept. 25; at Appalachian State, Oct. 9.
8. Stephen F. Austin (4-1) at Texas State (2-4)
6:00 p.m. CST, Bobcat Stadium, San Marcos, Texas.
Series: Texas State leads 48-27-1
Last Meeting: Stephen F. Austin 44, Texas State 27 in 2003
Last Week: SFA 22, UC-Davis 19; Cal-Poly 38, Texas State 21
Coaches: SFA’s Mike Santiago: 38-23 (7th year at SFA)
TXST’s David Bailiff: 2-4 (1st season as a head coach)
Notes: It’s homecoming weekend for Texas State. The Southland Conference
opener for both as Stephen F. Austin heads to Texas State with just one loss
and ranked No. 8 in the national poll. SFA has won the last three meetings,
including a 44-27 win last year. The Lumberjacks have defeated the Bobcats
in eight of the last 11 matchups. SFA is 2-0 on the road this year with wins
at then-No. 7 Northern Iowa and last weekend at then-No. 21 Cal-Davis. Texas
State is 2-1 at Bobcat Stadium this season. The Bobcats have lost their last
three homecoming contests and are 38-26-1 all-time in homecoming contests.
The Bobcats have hosted SFA nine times for homecoming with Texas State
winning eight of the nine, including seven in a row. SFA has not played in
San Marcos for homecoming since the 1984 season. Three of Texas State’s four
losses this season have been by seven points. The Bobcats are looking to
snap a three-game losing streak. SFA is the least penalized team in the SLC
with just 38 flags in six contests, averaging 63.8 yards per game.
9. Northwestern State (5-2) at Nicholls State (4-3)
Played Thursday: Nicholls State 40, Northwestern State 14.
10. Western Kentucky (4-2) vs. Indiana State (4-3)
4 p.m. (CST), L.T. Smith Stadium/Jimmy Feix Field (17,500), Bowling Green,
Ky.
The Coaches: David Elson, WKU (Butler ’94) / Overall Record: 13-6 (2nd year)
Record at WKU: 13-6 (2nd year) / Conference Record: 7-3 / vs. INS: 1-0
Tim McGuire, INS (Nebraska ’75) / Overall Record: 31-66 (9th year)
Record at INS: 24-51 (7th year) / Record vs. WKU: 0-6
The Series: WKU 10, INS 5, 1 tie
In Bowling Green: WKU 5, INS 2, 1 tie / In Terre Haute: WKU 5, INS 3
First Meeting: 7-7, Sept. 20, 1969 in Bowling Green
Last Meeting: WKU 59-14, Oct. 25, 2003 in Terre Haute / In BG: WKU 24-7,
Oct. 26, 2002
Last INS win: 27-6, Oct. 21, 1995 in Terre Haute / In BG: 28-16, Nov. 5,
1994
Current Series Streak: WKU — 8 (1996-03) / In Bowling Green: WKU — 4
(1997-02)
Notes: WKU has defeated Indiana State both times the Sycamores have served
as the Toppers’ Homecoming opponent, earning 27-20 (1996) and 24-7 (2002)
victories ... The Hilltoppers have won the last eight meetings between the
two schools beginning with the ’96 game, including four in a row in Bowling
Green ... Four of the last five contests between the two schools have been
decided by double figures.
11. Sam Houston State (5-1) vs. Northern Colorado (1-6)
2:00 p.m. CST, Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas.
Series: First meeting
Last Meeting: First meeting
Last Week: Fla. Atlantic 39, No. Colorado 24; SHSU 38, Nicholls St. 10
Coaches: UNC’s Kay Dalton: 33-21 (5th year at UNC) 66-33 (10th year overall)
SHSU’s Ron Randleman: 126-122-3 (23rd year at SHSU) 213-164-6 (36th year
overall)
Notes: Marcus Mikulec led the Bearkats with five solo tackles and four
assists, including a tackle for loss, as SHSU limited Nicholls State to 299
total yards last week. SHSU ranks No. 2 nationally in total offense with
505.8 yards per game, trailing future SLC member Southeastern La. (507.8) by
just two yards per game. The Bearkats, who have scored at least 31 points in
each game this year, are fourth nationally with 43.2 points per game. As a
team, SHSU ranks No. 1 nationally in pass efficiency with a 191.69 rating.
SHSU is 4-0 at home this season and has a total of seven games at Bowers
Stadium. Northern Colorado has lost five in a row after opening with a 15-13
win over North Dakota State.
12. Jacksonville State (6-0) at Tennessee Tech (4-2)
7:00 p.m. CT, Tucker Stadium (16,500), Cookeville, Tenn.
Tech Radio: Golden Eagle Radio Network/WHUB am 1400
Television: WCTE-TV
Series: JSU leads 4-3 Last Meeting: JSU 37, Tech 20 (2003)
Coaches: Tennessee Tech -- Mike Hennigan (46-47/Ninth season)
UT Chattanooga -- Jack Crowe (28-22/Fifth season)
THE MATCHUP: The league’s top-ranked offense and top-ranked defense square
off against each other as Jacksonville State travels to Tennessee Tech
...The two teams are playing for the seventh time with JSU having won the
last two meetings...League-leading Jax State, fresh off a 49-35 win over
Tennessee State, is undefeated this season and boast the nation’s longest
I-AA win streak at 12 games, while Tech has won two in a row and is coming
off a bye week following an Oct. 9 victory over Chattanooga...The Golden
Eagles are 2-0 at Tucker Stadium this season...JSU has won 10 straight OVC
outings, dating back to last season, and is 11-1 since joining the league a
year ago.
13. James Madison (5-1) at Richmond (2-4)
3:00 p.m. EST, UR Stadium (21,319), Richmond, Va.
Radio: 550 AM (WSVA); 910 AM (WRNL)
Last Meeting: James Madison 34, Richmond 14 (10/11/03)
All-Time Series: Richmond leads, 12-9
Inside Slant: James Madison’s last road win in the series was back in
1996...the Dukes have outscored their opponents, 31-0, in the opening
quarter this season...JMU has allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns (four)
in the Atlantic 10 as well as just 80.2 rushing yards in its five games
versus I-AA opponents...a league-high 13 different players have recorded at
least one sack for James Madison, led by senior DL Sid Evans and junior DB
Bruce Johnson with three apiece...Richmond sophomore LB Adam Goloboski leads
the team with 52 tackles, one more than he had all of last season...the
Spiders are 0-2 at home this season, with their two defeats coming by a
combined nine points...UR has won its last four Homecoming contests.
14. William & Mary (5-1) - See #3 Delaware
15. New Hampshire (4-2) vs. Hofstra (3-3)
12:00 p.m. EST, Cowell Stadium, Durham, NH.
Radio: 88.7 FM (WRHU); 1270 AM (WTSN)
Last Meeting: New Hampshire 38, Hofstra 17 (10/25/03)
All-Time Series: Hofstra leads, 5-2
Inside Slant: New Hampshire looks to snap its two-game home losing streak
while Hofstra has dropped its last five A-10 road contests...the two teams
combined for 821 yards and 25 penalties in last year’s matchup, which
featured four rushing touchdowns by Wildcats’ RB R.J. Harvey...UNH freshman
Ricky Santos is expected to start at QB after sharing time with senior Mike
Granieri on Sat. in a 38-21 loss to UMass...the Pride had won five straight
games in the series before last season’s defeat...Hofstra sophomore LB Gian
Villante leads the Conference in tackles (81) and tackles for loss (14).
16. Lehigh (5-1) vs. Bucknell (3-3)
1:07 p.m. EST, Goodman Stadium/16,000/Natural Grass, Bethlehem, PA.
Television: Service Electric 2 Sports live
Radio: ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 AM
Lehigh leads the all-time series between these two schools, 35-29-3. The
Mountain Hawks have had much success against the Bison of late, winning each
of the last six contests, by an average score of 35-12. Over the last 11
years, Lehigh has won seven times. At Goodman Stadium, the Mountain Hawks
have won the last three meetings between these two teams, but each squad has
beaten the other four times.
17. Hampton (6-1) at #20 South Carolina State (5-1)
1:30 p.m. EST, Dawson Bulldog Stadium (22,000), Orangeburg, S.C.
Series: HAM leads 9-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 25, 2003 (@Ham) - Ham won 32-12
Radio: WHOV 88.1 (Hampton); 93.9 FM WQKI (Orangeburg)
Joe Taylor (Western Illinois, ‘72) at Hampton 105-40-1/13th yr. Overall
166-69-4/22nd yr.
Buddy Pough (S.C. State ‘75) At SCSU 20-10 /3rd yr. Overall 20-10 /3rd yr.
Notes: Hampton, fresh off a 58-10 win over NSU, brings their top ranked MEAC
offense into Orangeburg to face the top ranked MEAC defense and only
remaining undefeated team in the MEAC standings. Hampton is averaging 43.3
ppg, while the Bulldogs defense is allowing only 14.2 ppg. The Pirates have
scored 106 points in the last two games. The Bulldogs have not given up more
than 24 points this season (Wofford). Coach Joe Taylor is 7-1 against S.C.
State and 1-1 vs. Oliver Pough. Coach Pough won his first ever meeting
against Hampton in a 47-41 shootout at S.C. State in 2002.
Players to Watch: HAM - WR Jerome Mathis - Has nine (9) touchdowns (5 rec, 2
rushing, 2 KR) SCSU - CB Ryan Hemby (2 INT-108 yds, 15 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 7
PD).
18. Colgate (4-2) vs. Holy Cross (1-5)
1 p.m. EST, Andy Kerr Stadium, Hamilton, N.Y.
Radio: WKXZ (93.9 FM & 99.3 FM)
This is the 67th meeting between Colgate and Holy Cross with the Crusaders
holding a 36-25-5 edge in the series. The Raiders, meanwhile, have won three
straight over the Crusaders, and taken six of the last seven meetings.
19. Maine (3-3) vs. Northeastern (3-3)
2:00 p.m. EST, Morse Field at Alfond Stadium, Orono, Maine.
TV: WABI-5
Radio: 740 AM (WJIB); 620 AM (WZON)
Last Meeting: Northeastern 20, Maine 14 (10/18/03)
All-Time Series: Maine leads, 19-16
Inside Slant: Northeastern’s win last season snapped Maine’s fourgame
winning streak in the series...seven of the past nine meetings have been
decided by seven points or less...Northeastern senior Quintin Mitchell
totaled 128 return yards in last year’s contest...Maine, which dropped a
24-20 decision to James Madison on Sat., has not lost two straight regular
season games since 2000...Black Bears sophomore QB Ron Whitcomb has thrown
at least one touchdown pass in all 17 career starts but has thrown at least
two interceptions in four of Maine’s six games this season.
20. South Carolina State (5-1) - See #17 Hampton.
21. Penn (4-1) at Yale (3-2)
1 p.m. EST, Yale Bowl, New Haven, Conn.
CN8 Television (available live at cn8.tv)
WELI Radio (960 AM), New Haven, Conn.
ESPN Radio (920 AM), Philadelphia, Pa.
THE GAME Penn and Yale are meeting for the 72nd time with the Bulldogs
holding a 43-27-1 series advantage ... The Elis have been very successful
against the Quakers outside of Philadelphia, going 28-11 versus the Red and
Blue in New Haven, New York and Hoboken ... Last year at Penn, Yale erased a
21-point deficit in the last nine minutes, but lost in overtime because of a
blocked field goal.
22. Harvard (5-0) at Princeton (4-1)
1 p.m. EST, Princeton Stadium, Princeton, N.J.
Patriot Media Television
Moneytalk Radio (1350 AM), Princeton, N.J.
WWZN Radio (1510 AM), Boston, Mass.
THE GAME Harvard and Princeton are meeting for the 97th time with the Tigers
holding a 50-39-7 series advantage ... But the Crimson have now won eight
straight matchups, the longest streak in the long series ... This is an
early battle of Ivy unbeatens ... Last year’s 43-40 overtime nailbiter ended
when Rodney Byrnes caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Schires
(Fairfax Station, Va.).
23. Appalachian State (4-3) - See #5 Wofford.
24. Villanova (4-3) vs. Towson (3-3)
3:00 p.m. EST, Villanova Stadium (12,000), Villanova, Pa.
Radio: 89.7 FM (WTMD); 990 AM (WNTP)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Inside Slant: After averaging 14.5 points and totaling two touchdown passes
in its first four games, Villanova has averaged 39.7 points and sophomore QB
MARVIN BURROUHGHS has tossed 10 scoring passes in the past three games...the
Wildcats will close out the season with three straight road contests
following Saturday’s home tilt...’Nova’s five interceptions, including three
by sophomore DB TERRANCE REAVES, are one shy of equaling last year’s total
for the season...Towson has limited its last two opponents to 0-for-11
passing with five interceptions, including two by senior DB BRYAN
FITZPATRICK...the Tigers have outscored their opponents by a 44-7 margin in
the first quarter...TU has held four of its six foes under 100 yards
passing...three different players have rushed for at least 200 yards,
including sophomore KERRY MILES with a team-high 281.
25. UC Davis (5-1) at Southern Utah (2-4)
6 p.m. (MT), Cedar City, Utah, Eccles Coliseum (8,500/Grass).
Radio: KSUU (91.1 FM), KSUB AM (590)
TV: Tape-delay basis by CTV-12 (Cedar City cable 12)
UC Davis and Southern Utah are meeting for the first time since 2000 when
the Aggies won 56-20 at Toomey Field... UC Davis owns a 6-2 advantage over
the Thunderbirds, a mark that includes a 2-2 mark in Cedar City... The
Aggies have won four straight in the series and have not been held to less
than 24 points in the eight-game history... UC Davis’ last trip to Southern
Utah resulted in a 24-9 win in 1999... The Thunderbirds’ last win came at
home in 1997, 37-27.
***
The I-AA College Football Weekly Preview
Volume XIII, Issue 9, Week of October 21-23, 2004
Eric Gemunder
http://www.columbia.edu/~ebg6/football/preview.html
It was a pretty predictable week for the Top 10, as only No. 7 New Hampshire
was upset, losing to Massachusetts by a 38-21 margin. (Western Kentucky,
formerly No. 4 also lost, but to No. 1 Southern Illinois). Georgia Souther
has continued it's assault on I-AA competition. If you consider a 'rout' to
be a winning margin of 21 points or more, the Eagles have routed their last
6 opponents since losing their opening game to (I-A) Georgia, 48-28. Since
then they've won their games by an average score of 56-12, and by a 50-14
margin not counting their one game against Johnson C. Smith. They put up
over 50 points three times against Southern Conference competition,
including a 54-7 demolition of Appalachian State last Saturday. They visit
The Citadel this weekend, and another win would clinch at least a tie for
the SoCon title with only a Nov. 6 game against Furman left on their SoCon
schedule. Right now the SoCon looks sure to receive three playoff berths as
GSU (2), Wofford (5) and Furman (7) are all ranked in the Top 10.
The A-10 has six teams in the Top 25, and could get as many as four teams in
the playoffs, with Delaware (3), James Madison (13), William & Mary (14) and
New Hampshire (15) all ranked in the Top 15. Northeastern, who got crushed
by Harvard 41-14 last week to fall all the way out of the rankings, is also
all alone in first place a (2-1) in the North Division of the conference. In
the South Division, Delaware and James Madison are both (4-0) while William
& Mary is also undefeated at (3-0) in the conference. The Big Sky is shaping
up to be another race between Montana and Montana State as both are tied at
(3-0) in the conference. Eastern Washington (3-1, with a loss last week to
Montana) and Northern Arizona (2-1, with a loss to EWU earlier this season)
are right behind them. Don't be surprised if this race goes down to the
final week of the season again. In the Gateway Football Conference, the race
seems to be Southern Illinois and everybody else. SIU crushed former-No. 4
Western Kentucky 38-10 last weekend, and they visit Southwest Missouri State
(2-1 GFC) this weekend for SMS's homecoming. The Great West Conference
doesn't have an automatic berth this year, but with Cal Poly (6-0) ranked in
the Top 10, an at-large berth seems likely if they don't falter down the
stretch.
The MEAC has Hampton (17) and South Carolina State (20) in the poll this
week, and they are currently tied for first place, along with
Bethune-Cookman. SC State still has both of those schools left on their
schedule, starting with Hampton this weekend. The Ohio Valley Conference has
Jacksonville State unbeaten this season (6-0) and ranked in the middle of
the poll (12), and only Tennessee Tech (4-2) is above .500 besides the
Gamecocks. In the Patriot League, conference games have just begun, with
four teams still unbeaten in the league. In the Southland, sinking McNeese
lost their first conference game since 2001as they fell to (2-4) in 2004.
Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Northwestern State appear to be the
class of the league so far.
There's five weeks left in the regular season, so we'll see much of the
above change, but for now, things are finally beginning to clear up a bit in
the playoff picture, at least in some of the conferences.
Portland State tight end Scott Weaver has been suspended for the first three
quarters of the Vikings' game on Saturday, Oct. 23, against Northern
Arizona, announced Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton. A
videotape review of Portland State's Oct. 16 contest at Montana State
revealed that Weaver punched a Montana State player. The punch was not seen
by officials, thus Weaver was not ejected from the contest. "I realize that
a three-quarter suspension sounds odd," Fullerton said. "But I feel a
three-quarter suspension most closely mirrors the principles set forth in
the rule book." Had Weaver's actions been caught during the game, he would
have had to sit out the last 8 minutes and 4 seconds of the fourth quarter,
as well as the first half of this Saturday's game at Northern Arizona.
Weaver's actions were considered to be a fight as defined by the NCAA 2004
Rules of Football. The Big Sky Conference reserves the right to take action
in cases where flagrant acts take place on the field and the officials do
not penalize the offender at the time. "Scott's actions met all the
elements of the three-part test I apply," Fullerton said. "The act was
intentional, it was not a football move, and it was dangerous or injurious."
THIS WEEK'S GAMES AMONG THE SPORTS NETWORK TOP 25:
#3 DELAWARE VS #14 WILLIAM & MARY
Both of these schools are unbeaten in the A-10 conference. Delaware (5-1,
4-0) is coming of a closer-than-expected 20-19 win over Hofstra last
weekend, while William & Mary (5-1, 4-0) edged Rhode Island 31-24 on
Saturday. The Blue Hens rallied from a 19-7 deficit entering the fourth
quarter and scored two TDs (one conversion failed), the last one coming with
just over 6 minutes left to seal the win. Hofstra had their chances against
their rivals, but an injury to starting QB Bobby Seck, and an ill-advised FG
from the UD 1-yard line sealed the home team's fate. UD is led by QB Sonny
Riccio (109-of-182, 1095 yards) and the rushing of Sean Bleiler (66 att, 333
yards, 2 TDs), but it's their defense (18.5 ppg, 3rd in A-10; 260 ypg
allowed, 2nd in A-10) that has them gunning for their second straight title.
Tribe QB Lang Cambell leads the William & Mary offense, and has thrown just
one INT in 172 attempts this year. William & Mary compares (statistically)
well with the Hens. The Tribe averages averages 380 ypg, compared to
Delaware's 359, and they average a touchdown more per game than Delaware
does. Defense though, favors the Hens, both in total defense and scoring
defense, though Turnover Margin againt favors William & Mary. These teams
have split the last ten games against each other, but most tellingly,
William & Mary is just (2-6) in their last eight games in Delaware. Defense
wins championships, and higher ranked home teams beat lower ranked visiting
teams more often than not. I'm going with history, and picking the Blue Hens
to stretch their winning streak to six.
#5 WOFFORD AT #23 APPALACHIAN STATE
54-7. Look at that and let it sink in for a while. That was the final score
of last week's Appalachian State loss to Georgia Southern. It's the
second-most points the Mountaineers have allowed in a SoCon game, and the 47
point margin is their fourth-worst margin in a SoCon game. A week after
earning national Player of the Week honors for his 40-of-45 passing day
against Furman, App State QB Richie Williams completed a Jonathan Quinn-like
7-of-16 passes for 60 yards against the Eagles. ASU is now (4-0) at home,
but (0-3) on the road, and has been outscored 102-7 in the first halves of
the three road games. Luckily for them, they're the home team against
Wofford this week. Unluckily for them, Wofford is (5-1), is riding a four
game winning streak and has a winning (2-1) record away from home, their
only loss coming to Georgia Southern. The Terriers needed a late touchdown
to hold off Western Carolina 15-12 last week. QB Jeff Zolman scored on a
one-yard run with 2:21 left in the game to erase a 12-7 deficit after
Wofford blocked a Catamount punt, recovering the ball at the WCU 29-yard
line. The Terriers are led by the rushing tandem of Kevious Johnson (98.3
ypg, 2nd in the SoCon) and Gabriel Johnson (9th in the SoCon), while App
State's Richie Williams is still the top-ranked QB in terms of passing yards
a game and passing efficiency in the SoCon, despite his bad game against
GSU. In virtually every important statistical category, Wofford is better
than Appalachian State -- scoring offense, scoring defense, turnover
margin...and while the Mountaineers are unbeaten at home this year,
including an upset of Furman a few weeks ago, I don't have confidence in the
home team just yet. I'm picking Wofford to continue their playoff drive, as
they'll knock Appalachian State out of the Top 25 with a win over the
Mountaineers.
#17 HAMPTON AT #20 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
SC State beat Bethune-Cookman last week, moving themselves into first place
at (2-0) with their playoff hopes hanging on this week's game against the
Pirates. Hampton, who beat Norfolk State 58-10 last week, has the top-ranked
offense (43.3 ppg) in the MEAC, while SC State has the top ranked defense
(14.2 ppg). (They're also No. 2 in scoring offense). Hampton has scored 106
points in their last two games, while the Bulldogs have allowed more than 20
points just once in 2004, their 24-22 loss to Wofford in Week 2. These
schools boast the top 2 rushers in the MEAC with Alonzo Coleman (Hampton,
103.1 ypg) and Coty Martin (SCSU, 99.2 ypg), while Hampton also has one of
the top passers in the league with Prince Shephers (179.4 ypg average).
SCSU's defense has only allowed four touchdown passes this season, while
they've picked off nine, but when Hampton's defense makes a stop, they have
one of the top punt returners in the country in Marquay McDaniel (17.7
yards/return, 4th in I-AA) to put them in good field position. I admit I
don't have as much familiarity with teams from the MEAC, as they're not one
of the conferences that often has two teams ranked in the Top 25, so I'll go
with my old standby in defense this week. SC State has the better defense,
and their offense scores almost as well as Hampton's. Hampton leads this
series (9-1) overall, and won last year's contest 32-12, but SC State is
much improved this year, and I'm going to pick them to defend their home
turf and pick up the mild upset over Hampton.
UPSET OF THE WEEK:
NORTH DAKOTA STATE OVER #6 CAL POLY
Why not...I don't think Cal Poly will go unbeaten this year, and North
Dakota State is unbeaten (4-0) at home. NDSU quarterback Tony Stauss threw
two touchdown passes and Craig Dahl had a pair of interceptions in the
school's 27-21 homecoming win over conference foe Southern Utah. NDSU has
the top-ranked defense in the Great West Football Conference (Cal Poly is
2nd) and they have the second-ranked Scoring Offense in the league as well.
Cal Poly has been impressive so far this year, and I think they'll make the
playoffs, but not unbeaten, as I said. North Dakota State moves to (5-0) in
Fargo.
***
The Cult of I-AA: The Tribe has Spoken
Scott Garner, Cult of I-AA columnist, I-AA.org
http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=62371
The two best college football games I’ve ever seen in person have had two
very different results.
In 2000, I was in my
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