September 5th, 2006 12:00am
When you have the heavy favorite on the ropes, you'd better knock him out.
Ashland and Central Washington learned that lesson the hard way last weekend. AU led 2nd-ranked Saginaw Valley 9-0 midway through the second quarter, but couldn't maintain the momentum as they dropped a 27-16 decision to the Cardinals. CWU jumped out to a 14-0 lead on 7th-ranked North Dakota, but the Fighting Sioux took control in the second quarter and rolled to a 28-14 win.
Even though SVSU and UND avoided it, the one thing I love about the early season is the upsets. Not that there aren't upsets all throughout the year, but the ones that tend to happen in the first game or two always seem especially surprising because of preconceptions people have about the strength of different teams.
Two such jaw droppers occurred last week. First was Texas A&M Kingsville's 23-17 overtime loss to Southwest Oklahoma State. TAMUK is, of course, a perennial top 10 team and playoff participant. The Bulldogs, on the other hand, went 1-10 in Ryan Held's first year at the helm last year and were once again picked to bring up the rear in the LSC North this fall. To call the result of this game a major shock to the D-II football world might be an understatement.
The second stunner was East Stroudsburg's 9-7 loss to Bentley. The unbelievable part of this game wasn't so much the fact that Bentley won, as the way it happened. Harlon Hill winning quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger completed just 10-21 passes for a career low 83 yards. The Warriors went from scoring 72 points in beating Bentley last year to just seven this year. Yes, the weather wasn't the best and it limited what both teams could do offensively, but going from 72 points to seven is a major drop in one year.
Playing Up
Bloomsburg and Tarleton State both lost their games last week, but they certainly gained the respect of the college football world. BU led the 8th-ranked team in I-AA, James Madison, 3-0 midway through the fourth quarter before finally succumbing, 14-3. Even more remarkable is that the Huskies nearly pulled off the upset despite all-everything running back Jamar Brittingham being out of the lineup with an injury.
Tarleton State also pushed defending I-AA semifinalist Texas State to the limit, going toe to toe with the Bobcats for four quarters before losing 27-23.
Some notable I-AA/ D-II games to keep an eye on this week: West Georgia takes on Furman, North Dakota visits Northern Iowa, and Delta State goes to Stephen F. Austin.
Game of the Week
Nebraska-Omaha (1-0) @ Northwest Missouri State (1-0)
UNO doesn't have the national reputation that NWMSU does, but this has been a very heated, very even rivalry over the past several years. The two teams have played six times since 1998, with each team winning three (UNO won 28-23 in Omaha last season). Plus this is a backyard brawl of sorts with the two schools recruiting many of the same athletes. So this game definitely holds more importance than a typical non-conference match up would.
Both teams have very good defenses that are experienced and can get to the football. But where this game will be won is on the offensive side of the ball and this is where the Bearcats have the advantage. UNO has injury problems on the offensive line and wide receiver positions and has yet to settle on a quarterback. NWMSU is young offensively, but has some playmakers that the Mavericks are lacking and the Bearcats were much more consistent last week. The Maverick defense will keep them in the game, but I think NWMSU pulls away in the fourth quarter for a 27-17 win.
Other Top Games
St. Cloud State (1-0) @ Missouri Western (1-0)
Part two of the NCC/MIAA showdown takes place Saturday evening under the lights at MWSU's Spratt Stadium. These two teams also have a history, as SCSU beat the Griffons in an exciting 31-28 game last year in St. Cloud.
Like the UNO/ NWMSU game, I expect defense to dictate the flow and it will likely come down to which team does the best job of holding on to the football and making a few key plays at critical times. I am going to go with SCSU in this game because I'm a bit more confident in the Huskies' ability to move the football and protect the quarterback. Plus, SCSU didn't have to work nearly as hard as the Griffons did last week and it will be more difficult for the MWSU coaches to game plan potential weaknesses based on watching film. St. Cloud State 26 Missouri Western 21
California (1-0) @ Bloomsburg (0-1)
Will Jamar Brittingham play or not? As I mentioned earlier, the Bloomsburg star missed the season opener with an injury. Both teams have very solid defenses so the absence of a player of Brittingham's caliber could sway the game in Cal's favor. But, even though I picked Cal in the pre-season as the team to beat in the region, I like the Bloomsburg to win this game. The Huskies can't afford to start the year 0-2, especially with another tough game looming at Edinboro on September 9th. BU finds a way to get it done, 16-13.
Ashland (0-1) @ Grand Valley (1-0)
Just can't escape it this week- it seems every top game features teams with top defenses and this is yet another game that fits that mold. GVSU has the best defense in the country and Ashland is right up there with them. Neither team played real well offensively last week. Especially surprising was the Lakers putting up just 13 points against Findlay.
But when it comes right down to it, I have faith in guys like Finnerty, Martin, and Fowler to get it done for the Laker offense when it really counts. Plus, the Lakers are just flat out more talented top to bottom. It will be a good game for three quarters, but GVSU pulls away for a 20-7 win.
Southeastern Oklahoma State (1-0) @ Tarleton State (0-1)
Some SOSU fans have already pointed out to me this fall that their team doesn't get the respect it deserves in the LSC or on a national level. But even though the Savage Storm have gone 30-11 over the past four seasons, most of the wins have come against the weaker LSC North. When SOSU has gone up against the big boys in the conference, it hasn't faired as well-- three of the 11 losses have come at the hands of Tarleton State.
So this week I have this to say to SOSU: prove it. The Savage Storm have a big-time quarterback in sophomore Justin Pitrucha, but I feel the Texans are a bit deeper and more talented overall, and have the home field. I'm going with Tarleton State to win this game, 30-24. But if the Savage Storm can finally pick up that elusive "statement" win by beating TSU, I'll be more than ready to give them their due.
Mailbag
[Q] When will Chris Hatcher be moving up to the next level of coaching and what will he have to do to be able to move up to the next level in your opinion?
Keith
[A] I must preface this by saying I don't know Chris Hatcher personally so my comments are just based purely on personal speculation.
As far what Hatcher has to do to be able to move up to the next level, I think he's already done it. His track record as a player and coach are impeccable and he's had incredible success with just about everything he's done in the game of football. I'm sure Hatcher has had numerous opportunities to move on to other coaching positions at higher levels of football.
The "when" part of the equation is something only Hatcher can answer. Maybe he's happy with the security of coaching at his alma mater and plans on staying for years to come. Or maybe he's got his eye on one or two coaching jobs out there and would only leave VSU if offered those positions. It's very difficult (not to mention unfair) for me to try to speculate on something that only Coach Hatcher is qualified to talk about.
[Q] Why don't you guys have a notebook writer for the GLFC this year?
Tom
[A] The short (and confusing) answer: because the GLFC doesn't count as an official conference.
Explanation: The NCAA only recognizes a conference if it has six or more members. Right now, the GLFC only has five full members (St. Joseph's, Tiffin, Missouri-Rolla, Kentucky Wesleyan, and Lincoln) that all play each other this year. Central State is apparently considering joining the league in 2007, but the Marauders don't play all of the other teams in the league this fall. Hence, no official conference in 2006.
So, Brandon Misener made the executive decision to not go with a columnist for the GLFC this year since the teams are still technically independent. If the GLFC is an official conference in 2007, I'm sure Brandon will have a writer to cover the league.
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