Griz special teams aim to rebound (Missoulian).
Bobcats lead pack down the stretch (Independent Record).
Griz, NAU looking to avenge losses (Kaimin).
UM's Segars a special talent (Arizona Daily Sun).
---
Top 25 Quick Who - Where - What (I-AA.org).
The I-AA Way: The Rites of Fall (Coulson, I-AA.org).
The Cult of I-AA: Getting Your I-AA GPA Up (Garner, Cult of I-AA, I-AA.org).
---
Bobcat History Lesson: TD Tony in Sacto (MSU).
PSU Hosts Idaho St (PSU).
Now Ranked 21st, EWU Hosts No. 11 Cal Poly (EWU).

***

Vote for Monte as Mascot of the Year!

http://r.espn.go.com/espn/contests/capitalone04/index

You can vote once per day.

***


Griz special teams aim to rebound

By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004 ... orts02.txt

If there's one area for Mr. and Mrs. Stadiumblanket to watch Saturday, when the Montana Grizzlies host Northern Arizona Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, it is special teams.

The visiting Lumberjacks boast Division I-AA's top punter in Paul Ernster, who averages 48.4 yards a kick. NAU also leads I-AA in net punting, with a mark of 44.8. While opponents have returned 19 punts, nobody's broken one, and the average return is 7.7 yards. NAU is among the Big Sky Conference leaders in kickoff coverage as well, at 17.6 yards per opponent's return.

Montana, meanwhile, is coming off a poor special teams game that figured heavily in last week's 35-32 loss to Portland State. Punter Tyson Johnson averaged 25.8 yards per attempt, and the return game was stymied time and again by penalties.




"That's an area we never let slide, but we didn't perform," said Montana coach Bobby Hauck, who guides the special teams. "In my opinion the whole game was predicated on our special teams not doing a good job. The turnovers at our own end (there were two) and our special teams hurt us."

Jefferson Heidelberger, who ranks second in the Big Sky with an average of 23.9 yards per kick return, took one kickoff some 40 yards only to have an illegal block bring the ball back to Montana's 19-yard line. An illegal block on a fourth-quarter punt return by Levander Segars pushed Montana back to its 16.

Then there was the opening kickoff, which Montana's Pete Sloan booted into the end zone for a touch back. One problem: The Grizzlies were offside. Portland State's Ryan Fuqua fielded the re-kick at the goal line and took it 43 yards. The offside was in fact a 23-yard penalty, and although the Griz forced a punt, they stayed stuck in their own territory for most of the game.

"They had between 25 and 50 yards to go all day," Hauck said of the Vikings. "And we had 80 and 90 yards to go all day. If you're going to win that game, you're going to have to out-gain them double. It was not good by our kicking game, and that's a strength for us generally."

It could be again Saturday. It was a year ago at Northern Arizona that Segars took two punts for touchdowns in Montana's 59-21 win - and NAU's punter last year, Mark Gould, also led I-AA statistically.

This year the Lumberjacks have allowed just nine kickoff returns, and it's safe to say none came at home, where the elevation is 7,200 feet and games are inside the Walkup Skydome. Ernster, the erstwhile place kicker for NAU, has averaged 50.7 yards a punt in five home games; he's a more mortal 44.0 away from home, including a 38.9 average at Stephen F. Austin.

"He's kicking outside, in the cold, now," said Hauck (the temperature should be in the 40s Saturday). "He's not kicking inside at 7,200 feet. We'll see what happens."

Montana is in the middle of the Big Sky in net punting and Johnson, a sophomore, is still averaging 41.2 yards a punt after his rough outing.

"He hasn't (had a bad game), and he really only hit the ball once out of five times," Hauck said. "But he'll punt well this weekend."

One trend that may be disconcerting to Griz fans is Montana's offensive performance in the first quarter. Through the first eight games Montana has been outscored 39-31 in the opening frame. That's a reversal from the previous four years, starting with an 85-45 advantage in 2000. The Griz ruled the first quarter 139-54 in 2001, 128-29 in 2002 and 101-41 last season, their first under Hauck and offensive coordinator Rob Phenicie.

The first quarter was the Grizzlies' best in 2001, when they won the school's second I-AA football championship and coach Joe Glenn and staff were scripting the first several plays. Phenicie scripts plays as well - he estimated around 75 were on his list Thursday - but not in particular order.

"A lot of what Rob's script does is it tells us how they're going to play us against certain groups," Hauck said. "And then we figure out what we like best. That's why we spend a lot of time in the first quarter, when you're multiple on offense, figuring out how they're going to play us.

"That's why I think we adjust well at halftime, come out and do a lot of good things, because we know what they're going to do."

Montana, 6-2 on the year, has outscored its opposition 75-49 in the third quarter, and 86-61 in the fourth. But three offensive touchdowns in the first quarter isn't the status quo. A fourth touchdown came on Kevin Edwards' interception return against Hofstra. The Grizzlies drove for two first-quarter TDs against Idaho State, only to follow that up with a rough second quarter, in which their best offensive play was Johnson's season-high 67-yard punt from deep in Griz territory.

So things have been a little uneven, including last week. The two fumbles against PSU didn't do the offense any favors.

"We can't turn it over," Hauck said. "That's the number one thing. That allows us to continue our game plan. When you get down by 14 it changes. You've got to be patient, and make sure you execute as best as you can, which starts with no turnovers."

As it was, the Griz met their season average of 31.6 points.

"Giving up 35, obviously we didn't play great defense," Hauck said. "But again, considering the positions we put ourselves in, it wasn't horrible.

"It goes back to the kicking game. We're going to play better. We're going to play better S It's been a strength for us in 20-plus games. We've been beat in the kicking game twice. Last weekend was one of those."

Northern Arizona running back Roger Robinson has more receptions (29) than Montana running backs Lex Hilliard, JR Waller and Justin Green and tight end Willie Walden put together (25). He also is the Lumberjacks' primary kick returner.

"He's definitely the most explosive guy in the league," Hauck said.

So it's a given he'll get extra attention from the Grizzly defense, just as he did from the Lumberjacks' last four opponents - Eastern Washington, Western New Mexico, Portland State and Montana State.

"Eastern had two (players on Robinson)," Hauck said. "Their scheme's a little different from ours, but they got after him on every play, and S we need to take some things from what Eastern did. They're different than us, but I like the way they attacked him."

***


Bobcats lead pack down the stretch

By TOM STUBER, Helena Independent Record

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/1 ... 504_01.txt

It's that time of year when college conference football titles start peaking over the horizon. The Big Sky is no different.

Three teams - Eastern Washington, Montana and Montana State - are all in the thick of the race, while one team, Northern Arizona, hasn't been mathematically eliminated, at least not yet.

This weekend's games may go a long way in deciding the eventual winner, but then again they may just muddy the water. Two key games figure to clear the picture.

Montana, 6-2 overall, 3-1 Big Sky, hosts NAU (4-4, 3-2), while No. 18 MSU (6-2, 4-0) travels to Sacramento State (2-6, 1-4). Even though No. 21 Eastern Washington (6-3, 5-1) plays a non-conference foe when it hosts No. 11 Cal Poly, that game has heavy playoff meanings for both teams.

With a win over the Lumberjacks, the No. 9 Grizzlies, who still dictate their own future despite last week's loss, would eliminate NAU and create a three-way sprint to the finish. A win by NAU would keep the Lumberjacks in the hunt for a tie at best.


Couple a UM loss with a win by MSU and both the Grizzlies and Axers would be out of the title chase and next week's EWU at MSU game would decide who wins the league's automatic berth into the NCAA I-AA playoffs. Should the Grizzlies win and Bobcats lose, then it will take at least another week to narrow down the possibilities.

EWU, which is statistically the best team in the league, has to win both of its remaining games to assure itself a spot in the playoffs. The Eagles have torched five league opponents, but lost to Montana at home and suffered a huge blow on opening day when they lost to Nicholls State.

The only day game Saturday is the Northern Arizona at Montana tilt, which begins at 12:05. The Lumberjacks are coming off a humiliating 60-14 loss to MSU in a game where they found themselves down 53-0 at halftime. Last year, facing a somewhat similar circumstance, NAU won its final two games of the regular season to grab an at-large bid for the playoffs, then downed No. 1-ranked McNeese State 35-3 to become the only Big Sky team to win a playoff game.

Whether they can get past that first step in front of 23,000 screaming UM fans is yet to be seen. NAU has never won in Washington-Grizzly Stadium and only two teams - Eastern Washington (1997) and Montana State (2002) - have won conference games there since 1993. The Grizzlies wrap up the season with three straight home games and will win the league's automatic berth by winning them all.

Although MSU finds itself alone in first place, the Bobcats won't find the confines so comfortable as they play two road games and face EWU in their final home game next week. They will need to not look past Sacramento State on Saturday night at 5:05 in order to set themselves up with a little wiggle room in the final two games. MSU could lose one game and still make the playoffs. Even if they lose tonight but win the final two games, the Bobcats will garner the league's automatic bid.

The Cal Poly-Eastern Washington game kicks off at 3:05 and both teams stand to gain big points with the selection committee with wins. The Mustangs are one of only nine teams with records of 7-1 or better, but will probably need to grab an at-large spot after losing to league foe Cal-Davis last week 36-33. They aren't as backed up as the Eagles, however, as wins over Northern Colorado at home and at Sacramento State would probably put them in the playoffs at 9-2.

By winning their final two games EWU would grab at least a share of the league title and at 8-3 likely a playoff appearance. The Eagles have put up some gaudy numbers in league games and are on top in several statistical categories. They lead in scoring offense (36.7), pass defense (189.3), rushing offense (192.8), total offense (449.9), total defense (321.7), punt returns (18.8), pass efficiency (156.9), pass defense efficiency (105.4) and first downs (208). Despite all that they have needed to be perfect since losing to UM on Oct. 16.

In other games involving Big Sky teams Idaho State is at improving Portland State and Weber State hosts North Dakota State.

***


Griz, NAU looking to avenge losses

Peter Bulger, Montana Kaimin

http://www.kaimin.org/viewarticle.php?id=3089

Rebounding is generally thought of as a basketball thing. But when the Grizzly football team plays Northern Arizona tomorrow, the team that rebounds better will get the win. Both the Grizzlies and the Lumberjacks suffered disappointing losses last week. Montana fell 35-32 in a squeaker at Portland State. NAU saw its worst Big Sky loss ever, a 60-14 thrashing by Montana State. A rebound win Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium would be key for either team. Montana (6-2) is looking to stay alive in the playoff picture, while NAU hopes to get their 4-4 record tilted toward the win column. "Certainly the team that gets back on the horse quicker will have the advantage," said Jerome Souers, NAU head coach and a former Grizzly assistant coach. The Lumberjacks might have more difficulty doing so because of their youth, especially on offense. On offense, the number's only three. Only four of their defensive starters from last season will start against Montana. Fortunately for NAU, two of those three returners on offense are last year's Big Sky Offensive MVP and the conference's current leader in all-purpose yards. Sophomore quarterback Jason Murrietta won the conference's highest offensive award as a freshman, averaging 267 passing yards per game. That number dropped to just under 200 this year because of a nearly brand-new offensive line and receiving corps. Although Murrietta's completed only 55.2 percent of his throws this season for 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, the Grizzlies remember how good he can be. "He's an awfully good player," said Montana head coach Bobby Hauck. "But our biggest concern is the running back (Roger Robinson). I think he's the most explosive player in the league." Robinson, a senior, leads the Big Sky in all-purpose yards. He averages 81.1 rushing yards and 29.5 receiving yards per game. He also returns kicks for an average of 21.1 yards per try. Along with Murrietta, Robinson gives NAU an excellent one-two punch. "They've got the ability to put points up, make people miss and make plays," Hauck said of NAU's offense. "Historically they've always had great skill players." The Lumberjacks' offense will face an almost equally youthful Montana defense that allows the most yards of any Big Sky team. However, the Grizzlies rank fourth in the conference in points allowed. "It'll be a challenge," Souers said of facing the Grizzly defense. "They're dealing with new guys, also." Montana's defense and NAU's offense are "two sides of the ball that could tilt the outcome of the game," he said. Last week, Montana struggled with a strong PSU running attack, but its average of 120 rushing yards allowed per game ranks third among Big Sky teams. Junior linebacker Shane MacIntyre led the team with seven tackles last week, while junior safety Tyler Thomas had Montana's only interception. Montana's offense, directed by senior quarterback Craig Ochs, differs from NAU's in experience, but not explosiveness. The Grizzlies have a glut of veteran skill players and an offensive line that's come into its own this season. Ochs had a solid game last week, completing 19 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He threw six balls for 96 yards and a touchdown to senior Jefferson Heidelberger, the team's leading receiver. Junior receiver Jon Talmage caught five passes for 91 yards and a score for the Grizzlies. In the Montana backfield, sophomore running back Lex Hilliard has shined lately, leading the team with 16 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown against PSU. Senior running back Justin Green is Montana's top-rusher on the season, averaging 53.1 yards per game. Looking to stop the Grizzlies will be the conference's fourth-ranked defense. NAU allows an average of 389.4 yards and 26.4 points per game, but the Lumberjacks are fresh off of a game in which they allowed 541 yards and 53 first half points. "Early in the year, our defense was our heart and soul," Souers said. "Now we have to rely on better play from our offense and kicking game." The Lumberjacks run a double-flex defense that includes five defensive backs, led by senior Jeremy Thornburg. He has 59 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles this year. Senior Vince Henman anchors the linebacking corps with 53 tackles and six sacks. "Their defense is hard to figure out," Hauck said. "They run that bizarre-looking double flex defense and it's hard to find their guys." Saturday's game kicks off at 12:05 p.m. and is the first of three home games to close out the season for the Grizzlies. All season one of Montana's goals has been reaching the playoffs and Hauck knows it's time to perform. "We're into November, when you play for championships and we're right in the hunt," Hauck said.

***


UM's Segars a special talent

By ED ODEVEN, Arizona Daily Sun

http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_i ... ryID=97362

University of Montana football fans have witnessed the gridiron exploits of Levander Segars for four years. To the rest of the Big Sky Conference, it probably seems like Segars has been playing for the Grizzlies for eight years.
As the Missoulian proclaimed in a recent headline, "Segars a highlight in waiting."

There have been dozens of highlights in Segars' collegiate career, many of which have occurred on special teams. He is the Division I-AA record-holder in punt returns with 127, and is 120 yards shy of the national record for punt return yards (1,448) set by James Madison's Delvin Joyce in 2000.

Each of those returns and every one of those yards matter to Segars. To him, you cannot overstate the importance of special teams.

"(Special teams) can be a huge momentum swing for either team," said Segars, a Colorado Springs, Colo., product. "It can go either way: It can get the team fired up or it can take the wind right out of a team. It's a huge part."

Northern Arizona, the 10th-ranked Grizzlies' foe Saturday in Missoula, certainly won't argue with that assessment. Segars returned a pair of punts for touchdowns in the first half of last year's 59-21 Montana win at the Skydome. The first score covered 60 yards, coming after NAU's game-opening possession. He added a 54-yard TD with 24 ticks to go in the first half.

"He's so fast," Lumberjacks coach Jerome Souers said. "He has great vision on the whole field. He's just a really gifted athlete. You've got to deal with him on offense and you've got to deal with him on all return teams.

"He's got to be up there (with the best), setting records. That kid's amazing."

In addition to his special teams duties, Segars is one of UM's top receivers, with 30 catches for 405 yards and two TDs. Though he enjoys playing wideout, Segars' passion for football is best exhibited on special teams.

"My No. 1 favorite thing to do is return kicks and punts," he said. "I'm glad I get to do that. ... I've been catching punts since I was a little guy," he said

When he was playing at Rampart High School, Segars was eager to be on the field as often as possible. ("My coach said I did everything but sell peanuts at halftime," he told the Missoulian.) This attitude gave him a chance to develop his skills at punt returner.

"In high school, it always seemed like it was the job nobody wanted to do," he said.

That's fine with him. Segars has always been confident in his ability to make an impact with the ball in his hands.

"I make pretty good judgment calls, I think," he said of punt returns. "Most of the time, all I need is a step or two to get away from those guys, and I think I'm good at making the first (guys) few miss."

Making guys miss requires a different strategy on kick returns and punt returns. Segars, who has mastered both, explained the difference this way:

"On kickoffs, you have more time to catch the ball, gather yourself, find your feet on the wedge if there is a wedge.

"On punt returns, it's just kind of a scramble, because you can never plan where guys are going to end up, where the ball's going to be and how close guys are to you. It's definitely an adrenaline rush, and sometimes you can make the wrong decision and you'll definitely pay for it, or you can make the right decision and it'll turn into good field position or a touchdown."

Segars teams up with fellow senior receiver Jefferson Heidelberger to give the Grizzlies' a dynamic duo on kick returns, with Heidelberger picking up 23.9 yards per kick to Segars' 19.6.

"He and Jefferson Heidelberger are a lot alike," Grizzlies coach Bobby Hauck said. "They both can hurt you when they've got the football in their hands and that goes both on offense and in the kicking game."

Opponents, naturally, try to limit the big-play returns of Segars and Heidelberger by mixing up the manner in which they send kickoffs in their direction. Some are squib kicks, others are shorter kicks that end up near the front of the end zone.

Segars doesn't take it personally.

"It's good that teams respect you enough not to kick you the ball because they know you are going to do good things with it," he said.

Well, that's usually the case. During the Oct. 15 game at Eastern Washington, Segars moved a measly three feet for his record-setting return.

"That's pretty funny," he told the Missoulian. "I break a record by falling on my face for one yard."

More times than not, though, Segars gets the last laugh for doing what he does -- making big plays. He's a special player on special teams.


*** ***



Top 25 Quick Who - Where - What

I-AA.org

http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=63113

(Poll: Sports Network. Notes are by I-AA Conferences and Schools)

Between Ranked I-AA:
2. Georgia Southern (8-1) at #3 Furman (6-2)
6. Delaware (6-2) at #7 James Madison (7-1)
11. Cal Poly (7-1) at #21 Eastern Washington (6-3)
13. William & Mary (6-2) vs. #19 Villanova (6-3)

Ranked I-AA vs. I-A:
None.

Ranked I-AA Idle:
23. UC Davis (6-2)

Ranked I-AA Capsules:

1. Southern Illinois (8-1) at Illinois State (4-4)
1:30 p.m., Normal, Ill. Hancock Stadium.
Series: SIU leads, 33-30-3
Last Year: SIU, 45-17
Series Note: Illinois State has won three in a row at home vs. SIU and four of the past six overall.

2. Georgia Southern (8-1) at #3 Furman (6-2)
2:00 p.m., Paladin Stadium (16,000), Greenville, SC.
TV: C-SET
THE GAME: Georgia Southern holds an 11-4 lead in the series that started in 1985 ... Georgia Southern has won two straight and three in a row in regular season games ... Furman's last win was a 24-17 decision in the national semifinals in Statesboro in 2001 ... The two teams first met in the 1985 Division I-AA national championship game in Tacoma with the Eagles pulling out a 44-42 win ... Furman responded in 1988 by winning the national championship with a 17-12 win over GSU in Pocatello, ID ... The Eagles own a 4-2 lead in games played in Paladin Stadium ... Four of the last six games have been decided by 10 points or less ... GSU head coach Mike Sewak is 2-0 vs. the Paladins while Furman's Bobby Lamb is 0-2 vs. the Eagles ...
THE COACHES: Georgia Southern head coach Mike Sewak (Virginia '81) is in his third season with the Eagles and has a record of 26-8 ... Sewak led the Eagles to the SoCon championship in 2002 and a trip to the Division I-AA national semifinals ... Furman head coach Bobby Lamb (Furman '86) is in his third season as the Paladins' head coach and has a record of 20-11 ... Lamb, a former All-Southern Conference quarterback, spent 16 years as an assistant coach at Furman before taking over as head coach ...
GAME NOTES: Georgia Southern can complete an undefeated conference season with a win at Furman on Nov. 6 ... The Eagles are averaging 51.8 PPG this season and bring an eight-game winning streak to Paladin Stadium ... This is Homecoming weekend at Furman and the Paladins are coming off an open date ... Furman has won two straight games and is 3-0 at home this year ... The Eagles have won three straight on the road ... This game marks just the fifth time that two top five ranked teams have met in Paladin Stadium ... GSU is the national leader with 367.2 rushing yards per game, 51.8 points per game and a 196.52 passing efficiency rating ... Furman is second in the SoCon and 22nd nationally in stopping the run, allowing 116.0 YPG ... With a number three national ranking in both total defense, allowing 240.9 YPG, and total offense (495.6 YPG), Georgia Southern is the only team in the country to rank in the top five in both categories ... GSU QB Chaz Williams is second in the nation in scoring at 11.6 PPG ... He has scored nine touchdowns in the last three games ... Paladin QB Ingle Martin is 11th nationally in passing efficiency with a 146.8 rating ... Furman ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense, yielding just 14.8 PPG and fifth in total offense (471.8 YPG) ... Furman is third in the SoCon in passing offense at 237.0 YPG while GSU leads the SoCon in pass defense, surrendering 134.8 YPG ... If this game comes down to kicking, GSU's Jonathan Dudley has been perfect on all seven field goal attempts and has converted 46 of 51 PAT attempts ... Furman freshman Scott Beckler has made eight of 12 field goal tries and is 32 of 34 on extra points.

3. Furman (6-2) - See #2 Georgia Southern

4. Sam Houston State (7-1) vs. McNeese State (3-5)
2:00 p.m., Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas.
Series: McNeese State leads 18-6-1
Last Meeting: McNeese State 56, Sam Houston State 37 in 2003
Last Week: Texas State 54, McNeese 27; SHSU 31, Stephen F. Austin 28
Coaches: McN's Tommy Tate: 42-16 (5th year at McNeese)
SHSU's Ron Randleman: 128-122-3 (23rd year at SHSU), 215-164-6 (36th year overall)
Notes: SHSU is ranked No. 4 in this week's Sports Network poll, up four spots from last week. The tables are turned as Sam Houston State enters the contest 2-0 in Southland Conference play while McNeese State is 0-2. McNeese has won the last four in the series, scoring at least 31 points in each of the four meetings. The Cowboys have won 16 of the last 18 meetings with the Bearkats. SHSU enters with seven wins after combining for a 6-16 record the past two seasons. McNeese is the three-time defending Southland Conference champion. Sam Houston State is looking for its second title in four years after sharing the crown with McNeese in 2001. McNeese has won 10 SLC championships in its storied history while SHSU has two trophies. SHSU has won six in a row. Its only loss this season was a two-point game at Southwest Missouri State on Sept. 11. The Bearkats have scored at least 31 points in all but one game this season, leading the league in scoring average with 38.8 points per game.

5. Western Kentucky (6-2) at Southwest Missouri State (5-4)
1 p.m., Springfield, Mo., Plaster Field.
Series: WKU leads, 5-2
Last Year: WKU, 9-6
Series Note: Western has a five game series win streak, dating back to 1988. SMS won the first two in the series (1984-85).

6. Delaware (6-2) at #7 James Madison (7-1)
1:30 p.m., Harrisonburg, VA, Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field (13,559).
Radio: 94.7 FM (WRDX); 550 AM (WSVA)
Last Meeting: Delaware 23, James Madison 10 (10/12/02)
All-Time Series: Delaware leads, 9-4
Inside Slant: With a win this weeek and next, the winner of this matchup of A-10 unbeaten's can claim a share of the league title and the NCAA automatic bid...Delaware has won the last three meetings and seven of the past eight matchups, all by double digits...the Blue Hens have won 16 of their last 20 Atlantic 10 contests under head coach K.C. Keeler ...UD has won 15 straight games when leading at the half...Delaware junior wideout David Boler has 308 receiving yards in his last two games...JMU is 4-0 at home this season, where it has outscored its opponents, 162-45...four different Dukes have rushed for 100 yards this season, including Raymond Hines (111) and Antoinne Bolton (103) on Sat. versus VMI...James Madison has not yielded a point in the opening quarter this season and is allowing a league-low 2.3 yards per carry.

7. James Madison (7-1) - See #6 Delaware.

8. New Hampshire (6-2) at Rhode Island (4-4)
12:00 p.m., Meade Stadium, Kingston, R.I.
Radio: 1270 AM (WTSN); 920 AM (WHJJ)
Last Meeting: Rhode Island 55, New Hampshire 40 (9/20/03)
All-Time Series: New Hampshire leads, 46-26-5
Inside Slant: Rhode Island has won the last two matchups in the series, which began in 1903...URI rolled up 546 yards of total offense in last year's victory, with junior QB Jayson Davis rushing for 148 yards and RB Jason Ham adding 136...New Hampshire seeks to improve to 6-0 on the road for the first time since 1994...sophomore wideout David Ball's 67 receptions are four shy of tying the UNH single-season record, set by Jermaine Washington in 1999...the Wildcats have registered more sacks (20) than they did all of last season (18).

9. Lehigh (7-1) at Georgetown (2-6)
12:30 p.m., Harbin Field (2,400), Washington, DC.
ESPN Radio 1230, 1160, 1320 AM live
Lehigh trails in the all-time series between these two schools, 5-4. Lehigh has won the last three games after Georgetown won five of the first six matchups between 1901 and 1925. The teams didn't face off again until 2001. In Patriot League play, the Mountain Hawks have out-scored the Hoyas 155-38 (average score of 52-13).

10. Montana (6-2) vs. Northern Arizona (4-4)
12:05 p.m., Missoula, Mont., Washington-Grizzly Stadium (23,117 SprinTurf).
Televised by KPAX-KAJ
The series: Montana leads 26-11 and has won six straight.
Last meeting: Levander Segars returned two punts for touchdowns in the first half, and Montana scored 35 straight points in a 59-21 win over Northern Arizona on Oct. 29, 2003. It was NAU's worst loss in the Walkup Skydome.
The coaches: Jerome Souers, a former long-time Montana assistant coach, is 40-38 in his seventh season at NAU. He is 0-6 against the Grizzlies. Montana's Bobby Hauck is 15-6 in his second season with a 1-0 mark against NAU.
Notes: Northern Arizona has never won in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Jacks' last win in Missoula came in 1986, a few weeks before Washington- Grizzly opened...NAU is playing on the road for the first time since Oct. 9, while UM is at home for the first time since the same day...NAU's Paul Ernster continues to lead I-AA in punting at 48.4 yards per kick...Montana has not lost consecutive conference games since 1997...Montana has lost just two conference games in Washington-Grizzly Stadium since 1993 (EWU '97 and MSU '02)...UM continues to rank last in I-AA in pass defense at 313.5 yards per game...NAU's Roger Robinson rushed for 288 yards and four touchdowns in his first two league games this season. In his last three conference games, he's gained a total of just 83 rushing yards with no touchdowns...Montana ranks second in I-AA in average attendance at 23,283 per game. Southern is first at 23,685...Montana head coach Bobby Hauck was an assistant coach at Northern Arizona under Steve Axman in 1993 and 1994.

11. Cal Poly (7-1) at #21 Eastern Washington (6-3)
2:05 p.m., Cheney, Wash., Woodward Stadium (7,000 Natural Grass).
The series: Tied 1-1.
Last meeting: Eastern Washington closed out the 1995 season with a 52-35 loss to the Mustangs, who were in their second season as a I-AA program.
The coaches: Cal Poly's Rich Ellerson is 23-17 in his fourth season and 27-25 in five seasons as a head coach. Eastern Washington's Paul Wulff is 31-22 in his fifth season.
Notes: This is a non-conference game, but very important in terms of both teams' playoff hopes. The Eagles, with three losses, can ill-afford another unless is manages to win the Big Sky championship. Cal Poly is 7-1, but another loss could knock them out of the playoff picture...Cal Poly has beaten Idaho State and Montana State of the Big Sky this season...Eastern beat Cal Poly 61-7 in 1994 in Cheney...Eastern Washington has scored 96 points in its last two conference games, the most the program has scored in back-to-back league games ever. The Eagles have allowed just 17 points in those games, also a back-to-back record in conference...Cal Poly ranks 34th in the nation in total defense. Eastern Washington is 35th...The Mustangs rank 11th in the nation in scoring defense, while EWU is eighth in scoring offense...EWU is averaging 42.8 points per game in conference games...Cal Poly's Darrell Jones is fourth in the nation in all-purpose yards at 179.6 yards per game...Cal Poly allows 80.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in IAA.

12. Wofford (6-2) vs. Gardner-Webb (3-5)
1:30 p.m., Gibbs Stadium (13,000), Spartanbug, SC.
THE GAME: Wofford holds an 11-6 lead in the series with Gardner-Webb that dates back to the 1972 season ... This will be the first meeting between these two clubs since the Terriers posted a 20-14 win in Spartanburg in 1994 ... The teams have traded victories over the last six meetings with neither team able to win two straight between 1983-94 ... The Terriers posted four straight wins in the series between 1979-82 ... Wofford is 7-2 against Gardner-Webb in games played in Spartanburg.
THE COACHES: Wofford head coach Mike Ayers (Georgetown, KY '74) is in his 17th year with the Terriers and has a record of 108-79-1 ... Ayers is in his 20th year as a college head coach with a record of 119-100-2 ... He was the SoCon Coach of the Year in 2000, '02 and '03 and is the winningest coach in Wofford history ... Steve Patton (Furman '77) is in his eighth year with the Bulldogs and has a record of 54-29 ... Patton is in his 12th season as a college head coach and has a career mark of 84-52-1.
GAME NOTES: Wofford plays its final non-conference game of the season when it hosts Gardner-Webb on Saturday ... The two clubs have one common opponent as each has narrowly defeated Western Carolina ... G-W beat the Catamounts 26-20 in overtime on Sept. 25 while the Terriers slipped past WCU 15-12 on Oct. 16 ... Wofford has the nation's second-ranked rushing offense at 313.1 yards per game ... Terrier FB Kevious Johnson is tied for the SoCon rushing lead with 783 yards ... The Terriers have rushed for over 400 yards three times this season, most recently against The Citadel on Oct. 30 when they posted 476 yards on the Bulldogs ... Johnson also ranks seventh in the nation with a 28.0 kickoff return average ... Gardner-Webb is 107th of 117 teams in Division I-AA in stopping the run ... The Bulldogs allow 221.9 YPG ... The Terriers average 30.9 points per game while G-W scores at a 24.4 clip ... Wofford yields 22.6 PPG while G-W surrenders 31.5 PPG ... The Terriers lead the SoCon with a 34.8 net punting average and are second in turnover margin at +5 ... G-W is +1 in turnovers this year.

13. William & Mary (6-2) vs. #19 Villanova (6-3)
1:00 p.m., Zable Stadium (13,279), Williamsburg, Va.
Radio: 990 AM (WNTP); 740 AM (WMBG); 107.9 FM (WWBR)
Last Meeting: Villanova 41, William & Mary 20 (11/2/02)
All-Time Series: William & Mary leads, 13-7-1
Inside Slant: William & Mary has won three of the past four meetings and is 3-0 at home in 2004...Villanova head coach Andy Talley is 1- 6 all-time in Williamsburg, with the Wildcats' last road win in the series coming in 1997 (20-13)...'Nova is averaging 41.6 points in its last three games...VU senior DE Jamil Butler shares the league-lead in tackles for loss with 15.5...Tribe QB Lang Campbell has tossed nine touchdown passes in his last three games and has not thrown an interception since Oct. 2 versus Northeastern. For the season, Campbell as one interception in 231 attempts.

14. Hampton (7-1) vs. Bethune-Cookman (5-2)
1:30 p.m., Hampton, Va., Armstrong Stadium (17,000)
TV: ISM TV
Series: Hampton leads series, 5-4
Last Meeting: Nov. 8 - B-CC won 30-27 @ Bethune-Cookman
Radio: 1380 AM WELE (Daytona); WHOV 88.1 (Hampton);
Coaches: Alvin Wyatt (Bethune-Cookman, '79), At BCC 58-27/8th yr., Overall 58-27/8th yr.
Joe Taylor (Western Illinois, '72), at Hampton 106-40-1/13th yr., Overall 167-69-4/22nd yr.
Notes: It doesn't get any bigger than this for the MEAC on Saturday. This game won't decide the MEAC title totally, but the winner has the upper hand. The Pirates has a week to prepare for the Wildcats, who put up 45 points on N.C. A&T last week. Coach Alvin Wyatt is not sure who will play at QB this week, but freshman Jimmie Russell may get the nod after last week's performance. Hampton has played B-CC three times on homecoming, winning only once in 1996 (38-24). Only two games in this series have been decided by more than 3 points, both wins by Hampton (1996 and 2002, 37-7).
Players to Watch: BCC - Eric Weems (323 rushing yds, 6 TDs; 423 rec yds, 2 TDs (16.3 ypc, 60.4 ypg).. HAM - WR/KR Jerome Mathis (612 rec yards, 29.1 pc, 76.5 pg; 30.2 ypkr Leads MEAC)

15. Jacksonville State (6-1) vs. Samford (4-5)
4:00 p.m. CT, Paul Snow Stadium (15,000), Jacksonville, AL.
THE MATCHUP: Samford (4-5, 3-3) and Jacksonville State (6-1, 4-1) add another chapter to their long and storied history as the in-state rivals duke it out for the 42nd time...Saturday's contest has the potential to be a high-scoring affair as the league's top two offenses are averaging 400+ yards apiece while also boasting the OVC's highest point production...The Bulldogs won 14 of the first 15 clashes with the Gamecocks and hold a 21-18-2 edge in the series, which dates back to 1905, but Jax State has 11 of the last 14 meetings, including four straight... Samford enters the contest on a three-game win streak after last Saturday's 20-17 victory over Tennessee Tech, while league-leading JSU is coming off a bye week.

16. Harvard (7-0) vs. Columbia (6-1)
Noon, Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Mass.
Television / Radio: The YES Network
WWZN Radio (1510 AM), Boston, Mass.
WKCR Radio (89.9 FM), New York, N.Y.
THE GAME: Harvard and Columbia are meeting for the 63rd time with the Crimson holding a 47-14-1 series advantage ... These two teams met six times more than 100 years ago, with Harvard winning all six ... After that, they didn't square off again until 1948 ... Last year, Columbia won 16-13 as Prosper Nwokocha (Arlington, Texas) picked off two passes in the final moments -- one which set up a gamewinning TD and the other which secured the victory.
Best Columbia Win Streak: 6 games (1949-54)
Best Harvard Win Streak: 16 games (1979-94)
Current Streak: Columbia, 1 game (2003-active)
Most Columbia Points: 35, 1951
Most Harvard Points: 57, 1973
Most Aggregate Points: 78 (45-33, Harvard), 2001
At Harvard Stadium: Harvard, 21-6-1

17. Montana State (6-2) at Sacramento State (2-6)
4:05 p.m., Sacramento, Calif., Hornet Stadium (21,195 Natural Grass).
Televised by Omega TV Productions
The series: Montana State leads 7-5 and has won three straight.
Last meeting: Montana crushed Sacramento State 56-7 in Bozeman with the help of two Corey Smith touchdowns on punt returns.
The coaches: Montana State's Mike Kramer is 25-31 in his fifth season with the Bobcats. He is 8-1 against Sacramento State, which includes his time at EWU. Steve Mooshagian is 4-15 and 0-1 against the Bobcats in his second season with Sacramento State.
Notes: MSU is 6-2 for the first time since 1998...MSU is 4-0 in league, assuring them of a fourth straight winning conference season, the first time that's happened since 1972- 76...The Bobcats are on a five-game winning streak for the first time since their 1984 National Championship season...MSU's offense has averaged at least 5.0 yards per play each of the last six games...The minus-34 yards rushing by Sac State was a low for the program in their I-AA era...Sac senior WR Fred Amey set a school record with 15 catches last week...MSU ranks first in the league in rush defense at 105.5 yards per game...The Hornets ranks last in the Big Sky in scoring offense, scoring defense and total offense.

18. Stephen F. Austin (5-3) at Nicholls State (4-3)
6:30 p.m., Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, La.
Series: Stephen F. Austin leads 14-5
Last Meeting: Stephen F. Austin 28, Nicholls State 16 in 2003
Last Week: Sam Houston State 31, SFA 28; Nicholls State was idle
Coaches: SFA's Mike Santiago: 38-25 (7th year at SFA)
NICH's Jay Thomas: 4-3 (1st year at Nicholls)
Notes: Stephen F. Austin has won 11 of the last 12 meetings and five in a row over the Colonels. SFA is looking to snap a twogame losing streak and has lost three of its last four after starting the year 4-0. The Lumberjacks are 2-1 on the road this season. Nicholls is coming off a 40-14 thrashing of Northwestern State and has not played since Oct. 21, a Thursday night tilt. Nicholls is 2-1 at home this year. SFA has won five of its eight games in Thibodaux. Last year, Michael Williams completed 11-of-15 passes against Nicholls. He ended with 184 yards passing, including touchdown strikes of 16, 30 and 49 yards. The impressive passing numbers came in spite of bad weather conditions. Henry Johnson and Tommy Lee Brown of Nicholls State are tied for Southland leadership with four interceptions apiece. SFA's Williams ranks second in the league in passing average (202.9 yards per game) and total offense (236.1). Nicholls' Yale Vannoy (139.4) ranks second, just ahead of Williams (135.7), in pass efficiency. Vannoy has attempted just 63 passes from his option attack while Williams has thrown the ball 220 times. However, Vannoy completed 6-of-12 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Northwestern State.

19. Villanova (6-3) - See #13 William & Mary.

20. Penn (6-1) at Princeton (4-3)
1 p.m., Princeton Stadium, Princeton, N.J.
Television / Radio: College Sports Television (CSTV)
Moneytalk Radio (1350 AM), Princeton, N.J.
ESPN Radio (920 AM), Philadelphia, Pa.
THE GAME: Penn and Princeton are meeting for the 97th time with the Tigers holding a 62-33-1 series advantage ... Before 1891, they met 29 times with the Orange winning each ... After Penn won twice in three years, the series was discontinued until 1935 ... Without that, this rivalry would be challenging Lafayette-Lehigh with nearly 140 matchups.
Best Penn Win Streak: 6 games (1972-77 & '98-active)
Best Princeton Win Streak: 29 games (1876-91)
Current Streak: Penn, 6 games (1998-active)
Most Penn Points: 47, 1943
Most Princeton Points: 95, 1887
Most Aggregate Points: 95 (95-0, Princeton), 1887
At Princeton Stadium: Penn, 3-0

21. Eastern Washington (6-3) - See #11 Cal Poly.

22. Northwestern State (5-3) vs. Texas State (4-4)
4:00 p.m., Turpin Stadium, Natchitoches, La.
Series: Northwestern State leads 13-8
Last Meeting: Northwestern State 49, Texas State 19 in 2003
Last Week: TXST 54, McNeese St. 27; N. Dakota State 30, NWLa. 17
Coaches: TXST's David Bailiff: 4-4 (1st season as a head coach)
NWLa.'s Scott Stoker: 20-13 (3rd year at NWLa.)
Notes: Texas State is off to a 2-0 start in Southland Conference play under first-year head coach David Bailiff. It's the first-ever 2-0 start in Southland play for the Bobcats. The Bobcats are tied with Sam Houston State for first place in the league while Northwestern State is one game back at 1-1. The Demons have their next two at home against the two undefeated teams in league play. Northwestern State has won three in a row over Texas State, scoring at least 40 points in the last two matchups. The Demons scored 49 points against Texas State last year, tying an all-time high in the series and marking the third time (1988 and 1996) in the 21-game series for them to score 49 on the Bobcats. With the victory last week, Texas State snapped a 17-game road losing streak which dated back to a 20-13 win at Illinois State (Sept. 29, 2001). Northwestern State has lost two in a row after having won five in a row.

23. UC Davis (6-2) - IDLE.

24. Colgate (5-3) vs. Lafayette (6-2)
12:30 p.m., Andy Kerr Stadium (10,221), Hamilton, N.Y.
Last Meeting: Colgate 47, Lafayette 31, in Easton, PA., November 1, 2003.
Last Meeting in Hamilton: Colgate 31, Lafayette 24 (2002).
THE SERIES: Colgate holds a commanding 34-9-4 edge in the all-time series and has won the past eight meetings. Lafayette's last win was a 35-9 decision in Easton in 1995. The one neutral site match-up in the series resulted in a 7-7 tie in Philadelphia in 1925.

25. Alabama State (6-1) at Grambling (4-4)
1:30 p.m., Robinson Stadium (21,000), Grambling, LA
Series: - 19-7, Grambling State
Last Meeting: 37-34, Grambling State (2003)
Radio: WVAS-FM 90.7 (Montgomery), KOKA-980 AM (Shreveport), KRUS-1490 AM (Ruston) - KRJO-1680 AM (Monroe)
Internet: www.teamline.cc (GSU)
The Coaches: Alabama State - Charles Coe (Kansas State, '71), 13-6 (2 yrs) Overall, 13-6 (2nd yr) - Alabama State; Grambling State - Melvin Spears (Alcorn State, '83), 4-4 (1st yr) Overall, 4-4 (1st yr) Grambling State
Notes: Alabama State is fresh off an emotional win over rival Alabama A&M and Grambling State has won two straight games. The Tigers will also be playing in front of a Homecoming crowd. Alabama State leads the conference in Total Offense (428.4), Scoring Offense (36.9 ppg) and is second in Total Defense (295.7). Grambling State is fourth in Scoring Offense (27.0 ppg), third in Passing Offense (244.6) and third in Total Offense (374.6). Grambling also leads the conference in Kickoff Returns (25.7). The Grambling State offense is keyed by QB Brandon Landers who ranks third in Total Offense (229.6). Alabama State's top offensive weapons are QB Tavarius Jackson, ranked fourth in Total Offense (215.9) and RB Keldrick Williams, who leads the conference in rushing (114.6). Joining Williams among top SWAC rushers is Robert Randolph, ranked fifth (73.1). Defensively, Grambling State's Kenneth Pettway ranks third in sacks (7.0 / 46) and second in TFLs (11.5 / 53).

***


Don Hansen Predictions

35-21 Montana (6-2) [H] over NAU (4-4)
35-7 North Dakota St (6-3) over Weber St (1-8) [H]
34-21 Montana St (6-2) over Sacramento St (2-6) [H]
24-14 Eastern Wash (6-3) [H] over Cal Poly (7-1)
28-14 Portland St (4-4) [H] over Idaho St (2-6)

31-28 Hofstra (4-4) over Maine (4-4) [H]
21-14 Northern Colorado (1-7) [H] over Southern Utah (4-4)

42-14 Southern Ill (8-1) over Illinois St (4-4) [H]
28-17 Ga Southern (8-1) over Furman (6-2) [H]
35-23 Sam Houston St (7-1) [H] over McNeese St (3-5)
24-14 Western Ky (6-2) over SW Missouri St (5-4) [H]
23-21 Delaware (6-2) over James Madison (7-1) [H]
21-14 New Hampshire (7-2) over Rhode Island (4-4) [H]
42-0 Lehigh (7-1) over Georgetown DC (2-6) [H]
35-21 Montana (6-2) [H] over NAU (4-4)
24-14 Eastern Wash (6-3) [H] over Cal Poly (7-1)
31-7 Wofford (6-2) [H] over Gardner-Webb (3-5)
24-21 William & Mary (6-2) [H] over Villanova (6-3)
28-21 Hampton (7-1) [H] over Bethune-Cookman (5-2)
28-17 Jacksonville St (6-1) [H] over Samford (4-5)
28-0 Harvard (7-0) [H] over Columbia (1-6)
34-21 Montana St (6-2) over Sacramento St (2-6) [H]
28-21 Nicholls State (4-3) [H] over SF Austin (5-3)
28-17 Pennsylvania (6-1) over Princeton (4-3) [H]
34-31 Northwestern St (5-3) [H] over Texas St (4-4)
17-7 Colgate (5-3) [H] over Lafayette (6-2)
37-21 Alabama St (6-1) over Grambling St (4-4) [H]

***


The I-AA Way: The Rites of Fall

David Coulson, I-AA.org

http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=63110

Ah, the signs of fall are in the air. All of those pretty leaves have fallen off my trees -- creating a nice, big mess when you live in the middle of a forest -- and I've had to trade my shorts, T-shirts and sandals for warmer clothing.

The local weather forecast is calling for snow flurries and one last thing tells me that we are marching towards winter -- I-AA fans are starting to fill out their projected playoff brackets.

Every year, as October fades into November, I begin trying to figure out where my playoff travels might take me. Every Saturday night for the rest of the season, I take my best shot at figuring out who I think will be in the 16-team field and what the pairings might be.

It's a somewhat futile pursuit that will be destroyed on the final weekend of the regular season when the craziest of finishes will have even the NCAA selection committee pulling out its hair. But at this point of the season, it's still fun to see what you can figure out.

In the past, my weekly pairings have just been shared with fellow I-AA writer Tommy Bowman of the Winston-Salem Journal. But with my publisher, Ralph Wallace, pestering me with late-night phone calls and emails, I've finally cracked and decided to share my feeble predictions with the rest of the I-AA world.

Let's start with my 16 teams:

Automatic Bids (in descending order of confidence): Georgia Southern (Southern Conference), Southern Illinois (Gateway), Sam Houston State (Southland), Lehigh (Patriot), Hampton (Mid-Eastern Athletic), Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley), Delaware (Atlantic 10), and Montana State (Big Sky).

At-Large Bids (again, in descending order of confidence): Western Kentucky, Furman, Cal Poly, New Hampshire, Montana, James Madison, Stephen F. Austin and William & Mary.

Teams on the outside, looking in: Wofford, Eastern Washington, Northwestern State, Villanova, Northern Iowa, Appalachian State, Lafayette and Colgate. Pity all those good teams with four losses.

Top-Four Seeds: (1) Georgia Southern; (2) Southern Illinois; (3) Sam Houston State; (4) Delaware.

East Region Pairings: Jacksonville State at Georgia Southern, William & Mary at Furman, Hampton at James Madison, Lehigh at Delaware,

West Region Pairings: New Hampshire at Southern Illinois, Cal Poly at Montana, Stephen F. Austin at Western Kentucky, Montana State at Sam Houston State.

I hear the snickers from around the country, but you trying doing this. As a matter of fact, I challenge you to post your own brackets to Any Given Saturday.

Maybe Ralph can see that the most accurate prognosticator gets a I-AA T-shirt.

Now for my personal disclaimer.

Yes, I am picking four teams from the A-10 to make the field. If they have four teams with records of 8-3 or better, I don't see how you can leave any of them on the sidelines.

The Gateway managed to get four teams in last year and the A-10 is probably even better this year than the Gateway was last season.

A lot more sense will be able to be made of the A-10 after Saturday, when Delaware travels to James Madison for a first-place showdown and William & Mary hosts Villanova.

I am picking Delaware to beat a James Madison squad that has enjoyed a great, unexpected run, but has now run into injury problems with running backs. If the Blue Hens survive this one, they should be able to handle Richmond on the road and survive another war with Villanova at home.

James Madison closes the year with William & Mary at home and A-10 newbie Towson on the road. Even if the Dukes lose two of their last three, an 8-3 record should get JMU into the field.

New Hampshire has been a surprise from the opening night of the I-AA season when it upset 2003 national champion Delaware. As long as the Wildcats keep freshman quarterback Ricky Santos firing away, they should be able to close the year with wins over Rhode Island, Towson and disappointing Maine.

William & Mary and Villanova are two teams on the edge. After facing each other Saturday, the Tribe draws JMU and Richmond, while Villanova meets Delaware.

If the Tribe and its high-powered offense loses twice, it would be eliminated. Villanova has been one of the hottest squads in the country, but the Wildcats play two teams ranked in the top 13, with a loss in either one giving them that dreaded fourth loss.

Only by knocking each other off do I see the A-10 missing out on four bids.

Down in SoCon land, Georgia Southern faces its last real regular season test on Saturday when it travels to Furman.

The Paladins, despite a rash of injuries on defense, are probably two plays away from a perfect season, losing in overtime to I-A Pittsburgh and in the final minute to SoCon nemesis Appalachian State.

Georgia Southern, however, has dominated every team it has played, except for a season-opening loss to Georgia. I doubt that the Bulldogs would want to play the Eagles again.

The only thing I see getting in the way of a seventh flag-raising ceremony in Statesboro, Ga. is if the Eagles get caught up in a turnover-fest similar to their 1998 championship-game loss to Massachusetts.

But should quarterback Ingle Martin and Furman somehow find a way to beat Georgia Southern, they are probably deserving of a top-four seed.

Wofford still has a slim chance at a playoff berth. But the Terriers have such a weak schedule and have played so poorly in losses against ranked teams from Georgia Southern and Appalachian State that they probably would have to upset Furman next week to have a prayer of getting in.

The Southland is another conference that should become much clearer after Saturday. Surprising Texas State and Northwestern State will play a playoff-elimination game.

The following two weeks will feature Sam Houston State at Northwestern State and Northwestern State at Stephen F. Austin. Should Texas State stay in the race, it will probably play Sam Houston State with a championship on the line on the final Saturday of the regular season.

Probably the biggest non-conference game on Saturday is Cal Poly's trip to Eastern Washington.

Coming off its first loss of the season, the Mustangs can solidify their playoff credentials with another win over a Big Sky Conference team. Closing the year with games against weak Northern Colorado and Sacramento State teams, Cal Poly still is in contention for a top-four seed.

EWU already has three losses and still must play at Montana State next week. The Eagles still have a shot at sharing the Big Sky title, but they need to win both games to have any shot at the playoffs.

Montana State controls its own fate for winning the Big Sky automatic bid for a third straight year. The Bobcats seem to be peaking after last week's 60-7 victory over Northern Arizona on the brink of games against Sacramento State, EWU and Montana.

Montana needs help to earn the auto bid, but the Grizzlies should still make the playoffs if they can win two of their last three games.

Hampton can take another step towards the MEAC title with a win at home against Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. Bethune-Cookman would turn it into a three-team race between the Wildcats, Hampton and South Carolina State if B-CC can forge an upset.

Jacksonville State can win its second straight OVC title by winning its last three games against Samford, Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri. But a loss two weeks ago to Tennessee Tech killed the Gamecocks' slim chances of sneaking away with a top-four seed.

After beating PL rival Colgate last week, Lehigh is in the driver's seat to reclaim a conference title. Those Engineers, whoops, Mountain Hawks have two tests left against Fordham and Lafayette.

Don't count out Lafayette, however. The Leopards, who have won two games this year on fluky last plays, can capture the title outright with victories over Colgate, woeful Holy Cross and Lehigh.

Last year's national runner-up Colgate needs a win on Saturday against Lafayette and a Leopard victory against Lehigh to earn a share of the crown and a chance at the playoffs.

Probably no team has an easier route left than No. 1 ranked Southern Illinois. The Salukis close out the regular season at Illinois State and at home against Indiana State.

A win in either game would give SIU a share of the Gateway title and the auto bid.

Western Kentucky could still tie the Salukis for the league title with wins over Southwest Missouri State and Western Illinois and a SIU loss, but the Hilltoppers would have to win twice and have Southern Illinois lose twice to gain the auto bid. Still, WKU is solidly in the I-AA playoff field with a win on Saturday.

So there it is, for better or worse. We'll see how accurate my predictions are in a couple of weeks.

The People's Court

At the height of the Massachusetts-Northeastern coaching controversy last winter, I had a perverse idea -- take the coach in question, Don Brown, Northeastern athletic director Dave O'Brien and make them appear before the honorable Judge Joseph Wapner.

That's right, settle the case of the disloyal football coach in the People's Court.

For those of you with short-term memory loss, Brown was in the process of working out a contract extension when UMass lost coach Mark Whipple to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

UMass asked Northeastern for permission to interview Brown, a former Minutemen assistant, but was denied. When UMass went ahead and hired Brown anyway, Northeastern cried foul, saying they had a valid contract with the coach.

I can just imagine how Judge Wapner would have set these two parties in their place. No matter who won, everyone involved would have thought twice about pulling any shenanigans ever again.

On Saturday in Boston, a town known for its fiery differences of opinion from our founding fathers to the Red Sox faithful, UMass and Northeastern will finally settle their differences on the playing field.

Brown is sure to get a warm welcome from the fans at Parsons Field. It's a good thing they stopped using stocks and raw vegetables (well, at least they no longer use stocks) in this fair, old city.

Before the season started, many I-AA observers would have listed this contest as one of the key games of the season in the A-10. But with both schools experiencing disappointing years, it has devolved into a grudge match.

Here's hoping that Brown's old players will be at their best for their old coach and that Brown's new ones will also put on a good performance, with no extracurricular activities.

***


The Cult of I-AA: Getting Your I-AA GPA Up

Scott Garner, Cult of I-AA columnist, I-AA.org

http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=63051

Note: Sure, this column is a day late. But even the High Priest can eat a bad burrito now and again, so I spent Wednesday laid up in my living room watching the entire 12 hours of Band of Brothers. Other than the lower intestinal disaster, a good time.

Let's face it, just because someone goes to a school that plays I-AA football doesn't mean that person knows squat about the Cult.
This is a lesson I'm reminded of each Thursday night. That's when I do a show called "The Georgia Southern Thursday Night Tailgate" at a local bar/restaurant called Dos Primos. The principle is simple-stand on stage and tell the crowd about the upcoming game, ask some trivia questions related to Georgia Southern and I-AA football, give away prizes for correct answers, educate the masses, foster a love for I-AA football, make the world a better place. There is also some spirited chanting, free prizes for young ladies wearing undergarments in GSU's school colors and did I mention that there is a large amount of beer consumption?
Now in its ninth week, the show has become a cult within the Cult. But each week, I am stunned to learn just how little I-AA students know about I-AA football.

Here's what the average Georgia Southern student knows about Eagle football. Keep in mind that this is the most prestigious program in I-AA. These are actual quotes taken from past "TNT" shows.

"We're real good." Can you be a little more specific?

"We played Georgia this year." So did Marshall.

"We've won a bunch of championships in Division II." I had this punk thrown out of the bar.

"We hate Furman." Yes. But why?

And if you think that's bad, try asking these same students what they know about I-AA football. The average student at GSU (i.e., just someone off the pedestrium walking to class) can't tell you what conference the Eagles play in, can't name five other I-AA schools and don't know the site of the national title game. Luckily, the same "average" student at Georgia Southern will sit in the stands and cheer their heads off whether the Eagles are playing Notre Dame or Sister Mary of Blind, Deaf and Dumb. That, however, is not the point.

If you want to be a real fan of I-AA football, here is:

Professor Garner's quick-and-dirty class on Cult Football 101.

Origins of the Cult: The year was 1978. Laura Prepon's character Donna from That 70's Show was graduating from high school (see last week's column for relevance) and the NCAA was splitting Division I football into two groups.

In Division I-A were the biggest schools with the most bloated budgets. Conferences like the SEC, ACC, Big 10, Pac 10 and others would be left to play meaningless seasons that ended in Bowl Games and national championships determined by sportswriters. Sportswriters, as any of my friends can attest, are mostly morons hell-bent on making fans nuts by doing things like crowning split national champions.

Meanwhile, in I-AA, schools played in front of smaller crowds and in smaller venues for a much bigger prize-a national championship won in a playoff system. No polls, no random bowl games, no big money television deal. Just a trophy no one in the rest of I-AA could dispute you had earned. In 1978, Florida A&M won the first I-AA title and the ball was rolling.

What I-AA is and isn't: I-AA is a split in Division I sports for football only. There is no I-AA basketball or I-AA baseball. If a school plays I-AA football, then they play Division I in everything else. The difference is in the number of scholarships-I-A schools offer 85 scholarships and cannot split them. I-AA schools have 63 grants and can divide them between players.

What I-AA most certainly is NOT is Division II. If someone calls your I-AA school a D-2 school, punch them in the groin.

The big names in I-AA football: Nearly everyone knows Miami, Florida State, Southern Cal, Nebraska, Alabama and Ohio State. When looking for equivalent names in I-AA football, turn to schools like Delaware, Montana, Youngstown State, Georgia Southern, Villanova, Furman and McNeese State. In any given year other teams might float to the top (like Southern Illinois has done this season) and there are more upper-level programs not mentioned above, but those guys above are as close to household names as you can get in Cult football.

In terms of conferences, look to the Atlantic 10, Gateway, Big Sky, Southern and Southland as the mightiest conferences in I-AA.

What about the Ivy League? While technically I-AA football, the Ivy League doesn't participate in the playoffs. As far as the High Priest is concerned, they may as well be Division III. At least the Patriot League sends a playoff representative, and last year Colgate advanced to the national title game in Chattanooga, Tenn. All the guys from Haaaavaaard are getting for their perfect season is a chance to brag to other Ivy leaguers. Also, several HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) also eschew the playoffs in favor of their own post-season "classics." Since no HBCU has won the national title since FAMU in '78 and none since FAMU in 1999 has made it as far as the semifinals, playing alone in their own sandbox might be a good idea.

Current history: The reigning I-AA champion is Delaware, the current No. 1 team in the nation is Southern Illinois and the championship game will again be played this year in Chattanooga, Tenn.

There you go, kiddies. A quick lesson on I-AA football. For the novices. Now on to this week's other business.

The Curse of the High Priest

Just as the Red Sox were busy wiping away 86 years of bad history, another curse was beginning to form.

In case you're new to this whole "Cult of I-AA" thing, I post my Sports Network ballot each week for everyone to see. Having been a voting member of the SN poll for the last five years, I feel pretty solid about posting my thoughts on the rankings and for the most part I've received very little flak about my decisions. I've even admitted in print when I've overlooked someone or made a mistake in my rankings that I discovered only after submitting the ballot. But last week, I had no reservations about a move I made, dropping Appalachian State out of the Top 25 altogether.

This did not escape the attention of Mountaineer Nation. One Cult Member wrote:

"What is your problem with App. State? Who in your top 25 has played a tougher schedule? Wofford? Furman? Montana? I know two of our losses were horrible but the other was to a top ten team (until this week) at their place and we had a chance to win despite falling behind by 31 points. I guess the only way to get your attention is to play Johnson C. Smith or some other DII team you know you can beat. Hopefully you classify yourself as one of the misinformed, moronic I-AA FANS. Every year we play a schedule devoid of cupcakes but that means little to voters like you."

Clearly this did not come from an anger management instructor. Of course, being a graduate and a beat writer from Georgia Southern didn't escape the keen minds in the mountains. From another ASU supporter:

"Oh, now I see why ASU does not rank in your TOP 25. You are GSU graduate."

Damn! I've been figured out. On the ASU message boards:

"Georgia Southern graduate. That has got to be the ultimate oxymoron. I guess it means that he found his way out of the bathroom without help!"

The reply: "No, it just means that while he was in the bathroom, he didn't confuse toilet paper with his diploma."

Ouch! To paraphrase the late, great, Louis Grizzard: they say that if you drive through Statesboro with your window rolled down, Georgia Southern will throw a diploma in your car, but that's not true. You have to stop.

More love from