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Don't call me a Bearcat fan, but let's go
Northwest.
There's a lot to talk about this week besides
the Bearcats, including 2 new head coaches and 2 bowl games, but I need to
talk about all the reasons why I'll be rooting against Grand Valley when I'm in
Florence on Saturday.
I don't doubt some (or all) Northwest Missouri
fans share my animosity toward the Lakers, the only team to have won more games
than the Bearcats since 2000 ? they also won 4 national titles in the 5-year
span between 2002 and 2006, 2 of which came at the hands of NW Missouri in the
National Championship game.
But my disdain for Grand Valley isn't rooted in
any budding rivalries the Lakers have attained in the last few years. You see,
I'm a 2006 graduate of Saginaw Valley State University, and while I was a
student there, our football team won a GLIAC championship, earned a No. 1
overall rating and hosted several playoff games.
But the Cardinals always had one hurdle they
couldn't get over. And that hurdle wore 2 shades of blue.
I'll never forget when the 4th-ranked Cardinals
beat No. 1 Grand Valley in 2003 and earned the top spot in the region and
country heading into the playoffs, only to fall to No. 4 Grand Valley 10-3 in
the Regional Final at home in one of the most disappointing games I have ever
witnessed.
Every time we met Grand Valley from 2001 to
2005, an 8-game stretch, both of us were ranked. Five of those games, we were
both ranked in the Top 5. (Saginaw Valley was 2-6 in those 8 games, including
0-3 in playoff tilts against Grand Valley).
So as you can see, I'm a little grumpy with
Grand Valley. I don't in any way dispute or discount any of their
accomplishments, I'm just not very happy about them because a lot of them came
at the hands of Saginaw Valley.
I have all the respect in the world for what
they've done in the past 8 years, but I just really can't stand to watch them
win.
It kinda sounds like the Pitt State/Northwest
rivalry, but I'm a newcomer there, and I'm not even trying to pick sides in that
discussion.
But as a Cardinal, I've picked sides.
While it might lack the history of the
Bearcat-Gorilla tiff, there is no question that at least while I was there (SVSU
has not been AS good since I've been gone), that rivalry was good enough to
argue for tops in all of D2.
I could go on and on about the GVSU/SVSU
rivalry, but let's get back to business.
Another reason I'll be rooting for the Bearcats
this Saturday is NOT because I've let the green bleed in and have all of the
sudden become a die-hard Northwest Missouri fan. I haven't.
But NW is the only MIAA team to make the
playoffs and I'm the MIAA columnist. While I did my best to stay completely
neutral when previewing MIAA conference games, I don't feel like I need to do
that when an MIAA team plays a non-con game, especially in the playoffs,
especially in the National Championship game, especially against Grand Valley.
So for those of you heading to Florence on
Saturday, or to those of you who will watch the game on EPSN2, you'll see me
roaming the sidelines like usual ? not decked out in Bearcat green, or even
wearing one of my several Saginaw Valley t-shirts ? but know this: I will be
pulling not so much for Northwest, but against Grand Valley.
Alright, I've been waiting a LONG time to get
that out. I feel better. Let's talk championship football.
How We Got Here
It's pretty obvious this Bearcat team is
special. And that special team has used special teams to get where they are this
postseason.
A week after Tyler Roach's blocked extra-point
sealed a victory at Central Washington, Northwest used 2 special teams
touchdowns to gain momentum back from a California team that tried everything it
could to hang around.
You might think a 56-31 victory is great, but
think about what might have happened if Billy Creason doesn't return a blocked
punt for a touchdown on the final play of the first half to make it 21-10 and if
Jordan Simmons doesn't return a kickoff for a touchdown after a Vulcan score to
make it 35-17.
I'm not too worried about the ifs, ands or
butts about this game. It was clear, and Cal coach John Luckhardt admitted it
after the game, the Vulcans were just outmatched. Like they have now since a
season-opening loss, the Bearcats found ways to win.
Head coach Mel Tjeerdsma admits his defense
can't be too terribly happy about giving up 31 points, but that was a really
good Cal offense, and NW did a good job at containing their big playmakers.
I don't want anyone thinking Northwest Missouri
has the only test trying to get out of their region. Grand Valley is not the
only good team in SR2.
Grand Valley has had to beat Hillsdale (the
team that beat them earlier this year), Minnesota-Duluth (who beat them in last
year's Regional Final) and a very good Carson-Newman team.
Who Are the Lakers?
Without sharing my aforementioned thoughts on
Grand Valley, I talked this week to head coach Chuck Martin (74-6 in 6 seasons
at GVSU) and assistant athletic director Tim Notts.
While both had great things to say about the
players you'll see on the field Saturday, they both stressed the impact of the
players you won't see getting any reps.
Eleven players from Grand Valley's 2-deep
roster at the beginning of this season won't be playing Saturday. Seven of them
are injured, and 4 more (including starting running back and GV career rushing
leader James Berezik) were suspended for violating an undisclosed team rule
before last week's semi-final game and will not play this week.
An Mlive.com article I found on the
D2Football.com News Page cites sources as indicating Berezik and the others
failed NCAA-mandated drug tests, but Nott declined to comment on the situation.
So the Lakers come in a beaten and bloody mess?
Not so fast.
Quarterback Brad Iciek (eye-check) is healthy,
and is one of the most efficient quarterbacks you'll ever see. He's thrown 33
touchdowns and only 2 interceptions, both of which came in the same game on what
Nott calls ?just bad throws.?
So the Lakers are a pass-happy offense, much
like a lot of teams in the MIAA? Try again.
Unlike the Bearcats, who accumulate nearly
64-percent of their offense through the air, Grand Valley shares the offensive
load evenly, having rushed this season for 3,322 and passed for 3,049.
So with Berezik out for the Lakers, there's no
worries for the Bearcats, right? You probably get my theme by now.
While Berezik racked up an outstanding 1,280 of
those yards this season, backups P.T. Gates and Justin Sherrod have each seen
plenty of time, carrying for 976 and 676 yards, respectively.
So with both teams evenly matched on both sides
of the ball, special teams might just be the difference for the Bearcats for the
third straight game? Ding ding ding.
When I talked to Coach Martin this week, he
sounded supremely confident in every aspect of the game, except special teams.
The Lakers kickoff coverage has allowed a
touchdown in each of the last two games, and that's the kind of streak you don't
want to see in the playoffs. I expect a big play from Northwest's special teams
this week that could change the outlook of the game.
Players to Watch for Grand Valley
We all know what to look for from Northwest
Missouri, but here's a quick look at what the Lakers have to offer.
QB Brad Iciek (Sr) #13 ? He's ?only? thrown for
2,904 yards, not whole lot, but like I said, he's efficient. Notts tells me
running the ball hasn't been an option for Iciek in hopes of keeping him
healthy, but this might be the last time he'll ever play football. Look for this
proven winner to do everything he can to win this game.
RBs P.T. Gates (Sr) #3 and Justin Sherrod (So)
#19 ? The 2nd and 3rd stringers have rushed for a combined 1,652 yards and 14
TDs.
WR Blake Smolen (Sr) #11 ? Has 847 receiving
yards and 10 touchdowns, plus averages 6.7 yards per carry and has scored 4
times on 40 rushing attempts this year.
DL Danny Richard (Jr) #23 ? 13 sacks, 2 pass
break-ups, 2 forced fumbles and 3 blocked kicks and a partridge in a pear tree.
LB Justin Victor (Jr) #43 ? 101 tackles, 6.5
sacks, 2 INTs a forced fumble
SS Jacob McGurkin (Sr) #10 ? 91 tackles, 4
interceptions, 6 pass break-ups and a recovered fumble.
P/K Justin Trumble (Sr) #48 ? 18 for 20 is a
good number, but is only 1 for 3 from 40+. Could be a factor either way.
Prediction
I haven't had this tough of a time picking a
game since the Bearcats' Week 1 game at Abilene.
I like so many things about both of these teams
and I literally can not wait to be a part of this game. I think Northwest has
Grand Valley pretty much covered on the passing game and the defense is a coin
flip.
But something about watching Grand Valley win
games they weren't really supposed to (in my eyes at least) has me thinking.
When this team gets on a roll, is there ANY stopping them?
Sometimes you gotta go with history. And in
this game, history tells me Grand Valley will come out victorious, like they
always seem to, and I'm gonna go home crying.
If Northwest can get maybe a 2nd special teams
play to go their way, I could be wrong, but I'm gonna go with another Grand
Valley State celebration.
Grand Valley 31 Northwest Missouri 28
New Coaches Announced this Week
Pittsburg State didn't waste any time
converting Tim Beck's job title from acting head coach to head coach.
Beck, who served the last 16 years as the
team's offensive coordinator and the last 2 as assistant head coach, seemed the
likely pick. He obviously knows the program.
It was also announced this week that Central
Missouri defensive coordinator Greg Nesbitt, a former Truman State football
player, will return to his alma-mater to become the team's next head coach.
The long-time high school coach was not only a
player for Truman in the 70s, but also holds 2 degrees from there and was the
team's defensive coordinator for 3 seasons in the 90s.
And don't forget his 13 successful seasons as a
high school football coach, where he won a 2004 State Title and Missouri High
School Coach of the Year honors at Columbia's Hickman High School.
Bowl Games
Mineral Water Bowl
Missouri Western 38
Augustana 21
Attendance: 1,800
Drew Newhart threw for 213 yards and 3 TDs, 2
of them to Adam Clausen. I arrived to the game at halftime, after missing the
1st 30 minutes, which included the Griffons jumping out to a 21-0 lead. Missouri
Western didn't really put the Vikings away until the 4th quarter in what
was a competitive game - and fun to watch.
That attendance number can only be accurate
though if at least 1,000 people left at halftime before I got there. The stands
at Excelsior Springs High School were bare.
Congratulations coach Jerry Partridge and the
rest of the Griffons. It's ALWAYS nice to go out with a win.
Kanza Bowl
West Texas A&M 31
Nebraska-Omaha 25
Despite 4 field goals on 5 attempts from junior
kicker Greg Zuerlin, or maybe because of them (and not UNO touchdowns) the
Mavericks could not keep pace with the hottest non-playoff team in the country
Saturday.
Nebraska-Omaha was a few plays away from big
things this year, and I'm disappointed I went the entire season without seeing
them on the field. I look forward to next year for the Mavericks, and they
should too.
Mail Bag
I've got 2 good questions to answer, but I'm
gonna save them for next week's season wrap column. Send me your ideas for what
else to include, plus your comments, questions or criticisms to 
and I might throw what you have to say in!
Man, I hope my prediction is wrong.
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