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D2Football.com Columnists Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

December 11th, 2007

Northwest Missouri State 34, Grand Valley State 16

The Story: Two titans collided in Maryville on the 8th. While the result was not favorable for those of us in GLIAC-Country, I don't think anyone can dispute the fact that team that was better on that particular night was victorious. Congratulations to Northwest Missouri State for their impressive win and for earning their third straight trip to Florence.

The storylines were plentiful in this one, as battles such as this between great teams/programs are likely to provide. The weather was a big one, as was the game being played in Maryville. Xavier Omon made himself the biggest story of all, however, by thrashing the Laker defense for 292 yards and three TD's on 31 carries. The senior RB added a fourth TD on an 11-yard catch in the fourth quarter that put the Bearcats up by a pair of scores. He posted the now infamous "backbreaker" a few minutes later - a 98-yard run with about nine minutes to go that sealed the deal.

QB Joel Osburn was great for NW as well, finding open receivers when he need to with timely, accurate passes. He finished 20-25 for 238 yards and a score. TE Mike Peterson led the receivers with six grabs for 93 yards. They were both very good, but their performances have been overshadowed a bit by what Omon did. He didn't do all of it alone, as the line-play was solid. However, more than half of his carries in the game were for two yards or less. GV's defense was not terrible in this one, it's just that when Omon got any space at all he made the Lakers pay - and dearly. One could speculate how things may have been different away from NW's campus or on a dry field, but those points are really moot. It was Omon's night and he was fantastic.

The Lakers actually went into halftime with an edge on both the scoreboard (13-10) and in total offense (244-230). It seemed as though GV was able to do a lot of what they wanted on offense throughout the better part of three quarters, as they were able to make red zone trips five separate times. Unfortunately, they simply had trouble making plays from there. As I have said all year, good teams make plays when they need to and the Lakers were just not themselves in this one - they didn't make plays. Untimely penalties and an inability to finish drives were the bugs that Grand Valley could not avoid that night, despite having mastered them throughout the balance of the year. Make no mistake, Northwest had plenty to do with that and I don't mean to insinuate otherwise.

QB Brad Iciek finished a terrific first season as the starter by hitting on 23 of 43 for 273 yards, a TD and an INT. As a whole, he probably didn't look quite as sharp as he might have liked in this one. With that said, he was still rather effective at certain points. Brandon Horn was a great addition to the receiving corps in his lone Laker campaign, and he caught seven balls for 89 yards in his final Grand Valley appearance.

Jimmy Berezik caught Iciek's TD pass, and also led the ground attack with 49 yards on ten carries. Those yards pushed him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season, making him the first true-freshman in school history to reach that milestone. I think Laker fans everywhere are excited about what he's going to be able to accomplish over the next three years.

Miles Burnsides led the Bearcat defense with eight tackles. Safety Jacob McGuckin finished up a great sophomore season with 12 stops, as well as forcing and recovering a fumble. Anthony Adams concluded both an All-America senior season and an outstanding Laker career in this game with 10 tackles, including four TFL.

T's Take: For whatever reason, the closer it got to gametime the more and more I felt like this was NW's night. I'm not sure what it was - all of the circumstances aligning just right (at Maryville, Omon's last title chase, their frustration at losing the last two to GV) is what I think I started to feel. At any rate, my gut ended up being right. I don't think I'm fooling anyone by not admitting that I was disappointed. I mean, I am a GV alum as I'm sure most of you have figured out by now. I'd be lying if I said this one didn't have some sting to it. But hey, you can't win them all. Right? 40 in a row certainly isn't anything to sob about, that's for sure.

To me, the bottom line in this game was that the Lakers' displayed an inability to score TD's when they made trips into the red zone. Each of the first four times they did so, they had a first-and-goal. Those four possessions netted one TD and three FG's. If any of those FG's (let alone all) are TD's, the entire complexion of the game changes. Both teams would have had a different demeanor, play-calling would have been altered, etc. Even if everything else works out EXACTLY the same (which I don't think it would have), with GV cashing in for TD's on those drives Omon's 98-yard jaunt would have only put the Lakers down six (or possibly seven had NW gotten two) with almost 10 minutes to go. Hardly insurmountable. In fact, it would have made these three games look more like an on-going script of seesaw football than three individual contests.

At different times in this game, I really thought that the Lakers were "ever so close" to really getting things rolling. Having watched NW in the title game this past weekend, I am now convinced of this fact. Valdosta State did a lot of the same things schematically (especially on defense) that GV did the week before and they succeeded in finishing off the Bearcats. Their biggest key was holding Omon to his lowest yardage total (63) of the season on the ground. They tackled extremely well (something GV had done all season), and NW looked tentative at times on offense (both teams did to me, actually). Neither of those things happened in the previous game. Again, give credit to NW. They played well and were MORE than deserving of the win. Moreover, when it counted, Grand Valley just "didn't have it", while Northwest came up huge at every turn. With all of that said, Lakerfans are going to wonder for a long time just how big an impact the "extenuating circumstances" had on this game. Just like the answer to the age-old question of "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootie-Roll center of a Tootsie-Pop?" - The world may never know.

After 40 straight games of always having/finding the answer when they needed it, this time GV (again) just didn't have it. Hats off to the Bearcats. I've said repeatedly over most of this season (as well as earlier in this post) that great teams make big plays when they need them, execute with discipline, and finish drives. Northwest was superior in all of those factors in this game, especially in the fourth quarter when that type of performance/output matters the most.

The End of an Era?

I've actually had a few people start talking along the lines of "well, it was a great run". The thing is, I don't think they were only talking about the win-streak. Let's be real, people. Anyone who thinks GV won't be in the thick of things again next year is likely not paying very close attention. I think that most DII fans label North Dakota State as the premier dynasty in DII history. I tend to agree. Their five titles are unmatched. However, let's remember that they won those five titles over an eight year span of dominance. In fact, in the ten year span between 1981 and 1990 the Bison won their five titles and finished second twice. So, the notion that GV will all of a sudden disappear is, in my opinion, jumping the gun a bit. The Lakers' present run of seven seasons (2001-2007) has produced the following results:

- Seven consecutive 10-plus win seasons
- Seven consecutive playoff berths
- Six Regional Championships
- Five GLIAC Championships
- Four National Championships
- One National Runner-Up
- Division II Record 40-game Winning Streak

I don't say this than for any other reason than to remind everyone (well, mostly Laker fans) that while many might consider this year's finishing short of a title a failure, in reality it is far from it. Very few teams went 12-1 this year, and NO team has come close to the consistent level of success that has been produced in Allendale over this stretch. NDSU kept it going for a long time, and with the talent coming back/up for the Lakers there is no reason to think that they won't be able to keep their run going as well. Will it end? Much like the streak that ended on Saturday, I think it's safe to say it has a likelihood. On the other hand, it certainly has few signs of slowing down soon and LakerNation has much to be proud of - not to mention hopeful for in the future. Grand Valley has been the gold standard in the GLIAC for some time, and the loss of one game in the playoffs should hardly tarnish that fact or diminish the brightness of the future.

Congratulations to Grand Valley, fellow playoff-qualifier Ashland, and the rest of the GLIAC for a great season. It's been quite a ride.

Another Coaching Change

In my last post I talked about Randy Awrey's departure from Saginaw Valley. Within a matter of days, Northwood Head Coach Pat Riepma announced that he would be stepping down from his post after 15 years at the helm. Riepma has been pulling double-duty for The Wood as both the football coach and the school's athletic director, and he will now be focusing his efforts exclusively to the role of A.D.

I wish Coach Riepma the best. I don't know him personally, but he has always struck me as a classy guy who runs a solid program. Northwood had not done much for several years prior to his arrival, and Riepma turned them into a perennial contendor for the conference crown. Charged with continuing that tradition is Mike Sullivan, who has been on the NU staff for the past eight seasons. He served most recently as Associate Head Coach, and had also worked with the offensive line. The Timberwolves bring a lot of talent back for next season, especially at the skill positions on offense. I'm sure that will help make Coach Sullivan's transition that much smoother.

Region Re-Alignment

As most of you know, the NCC is no longer and the NCAA has re-aligned the regions. We won't get into it here, but I think some of the changes continue to perpetuate the notion that many of us hold regarding the NCAA - and that is that it doesn't know what in the heck it is doing. Fortunately, the negative aspects of the updates really don't impact us here in the Northwest - and thank goodness! Again, I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say that we should all be grateful that the GLIAC isn't in the Northeast any longer.

Essentially, the new look of the Northwest comes from NCC being replaced by the RMAC which moves in from the Southwest Region. For those looking for a frame of reference, Chadron State is likely the most recognizable of the teams from that conference. Adams State, Mesa State and Nebraska-Kearney are some other RMAC names that GLIAC fans might recognize, especially from other sports.

At any rate, it will be interesting to see how the addition of the RMAC, the expansion of the NSIC (to include some former NCC members), and the move to the Southwest Region for a few other teams (primarily a few former NCC'ers) will impact the playoff dynamic in the region. Most of you are aware that the NCC has always been known as the region's "power conference". While the GLIAC is also in that "power" category, it has never been held in the same regard as the NCC (or the MIAA or Gulf South for that matter). Traditionally, the NSIC (in its old alignment) and the RMAC have not been regarded as top-tier leagues, so the GLIAC will likely be seen as the power conference of the region. I'm sure some of the old NCC teams that are now in the NSIC will have something to say about that, and their chances to do so are improved as the remaining NCC teams that did not join the NSIC or move to I-AA are all in the Southwest Region now as part of either the re-vamped GNAC or the MIAA (UNO).

With all of that completed, the playoff pairings in the Northwest should be almost entirely new to us in 2008. The typical regional opponents most GLIAC teams have faced in recent years (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Central Washington) are no longer there to be played. New teams will be seen and hopefully some interesting rivalries will develop as a result of these new match-ups.

Triva Quiz

In my last column, I tossed in a bonus question with a movie quote. I've done that few times this year, but this one (as I had suggested) was obviously the least obscure of the ones I have used as I had a bunch of people respond with answers. The phrase "Gorilla Math" comes from the movie Rounders (man, I LOVE that flick), and Shaun Skibinski was the first to drop the knowledge.

As for the football-related question, I asked for the Grand Valley single-game record-holder for rushing yardage. That distinction is held by John Mahan, who posted 256 yards in a 28-9 win over Manchester College in 1973. Manchester now plays in Division III, and is probably best known in recently as the place where Steve Alford got his start as a collegiate basketball head coach - but I digress. Congrats to Larry Dykhouse for correctly identifying the former Laker great Mahan, whose record continues to stand since he set it in the program's third campaign.

With the season wrapped-up, those are our final two winners for 2007. To all of the winners, thanks for reading and participating - and again, Congrats!

Thanks

It's been quite a season, I just wanted to thank all of you for reading every week, for your interest in the site, and for the overwhelming passion that so many of you have for the GLIAC. I have heard from a good number of you, and the amount of positive feedback I have received has not only been a pleasant surprise, but also greatly appreciated. I did have a few detractors out there, but they were few and far between. And, to be honest, most of the time we actually saw eye-to-eye on most things after we exchanged a few e-mails. You readers are the reason that we write these posts every week, so once again I want to say thank you to all of you.

I also want to extend my appreciation to the Athletic Departments, AD's, SID's and Coaches at all thirteen GLIAC institutions. You have all been very gracious and helpful to "the new guy", and I am eternally grateful. Along those same lines, a special thank you goes out to Jeff Ligney, Media Relations Director for the GLIAC. He's been a constant source of great information and assistance - not to mention the T-Shirts that you trivia winners are enjoying. Thanks, Jeff. You did a lot of things for me that you didn't have to and I appreciate it.

Not to be forgotten, thanks also to Brandon Misener who created and edits this sight. I was a reader and a fan before I became a contributor, and Brandon's tireless efforts make this far and away the best place to get information on our favorite D2 teams. Thanks for the opportunity to do something I've though about trying for a long time, Brandon. It means a lot.

Lastly, I'd like to thank my friends and family, especially my wife Becky for being so supportive of this undertaking. You all put up with a lot of of late nights of work/writing, forced reading, and excessive football talk (OK, I talk a lot anyway - just ask any of them, I pretty much never shut up). Some even did some secretarial work for me, and always with a pleasant and supportive smile (thanks, Mom). You all were always understanding and helpful, and to say I am blessed to have people like you in my life is the greatest of understatements.

Well, take care GLIAC Fans, and the most joyous of Holiday Seasons to each of you and your families. I'm looking forward to a fantastic 2008. Remember, it's only another four months or so until Spring Ball! I can hardly wait.

 

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