October 17th, 2006 12:00am
The conference races are really starting to heat up and the NCC, GSC and RMAC each have a huge game this week that will help determine conference titles and playoff possibilities. In the GSC, unbeaten Valdosta State travels to face Delta State while in the NCC, North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha hook up in their annual grudge match. In the RMAC, Chadron State visits Fort Lewis.
The first set of regional rankings was also released this week and there were some surprises, to say the least. I need to take some time to dive into the inner workings of how and why teams are ranked the way they are. But my advice until then: don't fret over rankings too much at this point. They are certain to change drastically between now and the end of the season.
Another Amazing Turnaround
In last week's column, I mentioned the stunning turnaround of the Lane Dragons this season. But I overlooked a reversal of fortune that may be even more impressive-- that of Johnson C. Smith. The Golden Bulls entered the year with Division 2's longest losing streak, 23 games. But after a 19-0 win over Livingston last week, the Golden Bulls are now a stunning 5-1 so far this season. Even more impressive is that all five wins have come on the road.
The Importance of Special Teams
Coaches constantly harp on the importance of special teams, but they often go overlooked by fans when analyzing games. Last week's game between Western Washington and St. Cloud State is a perfect example why special teams are so important. WWU blocked two Husky punts (one was returned for a touchdown and the other returned inside the 5-yard line to set up anther score) in the last four minutes of the game to turn a 17-3 deficit into a 24-17 win. I'm guessing that SCSU head coach Randy Hedberg will have his team working on punt protection this week in practice.
Quite a Rookie Performance
Pittsburg State looked like it might be in a bit of trouble against conference rival Washburn last Saturday. Starting quarterback Mark Smith was lost to a broken arm on the first offensive series and to top it off, the Ichabods marched right down the field on their first drive to take a 7-3 lead.
But freshman Geno Waters stepped right into the quarterback position and played like a seasoned veteran in leading PSU to a 29-14 victory. Waters completed 13 of 18 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns and added 55 yards on the ground. With Smith's injury likely sidelining him for the season, the Gorillas will need Waters to continue to play at a high level.
A Season Saving Drive?
Coming off a 24-0 loss to Central Arkansas last week and with some difficult games still remaining on the schedule, South Dakota could ill afford a loss at home to Central Washington last week.
But it wasn't looking good for the Coyotes-- they trailed the Wildcats 7-3 and needed to drive 87 yards in the last 1:36 seconds to avoid the loss. When you consider that South Dakota hadn't scored a touchdown in eight quarters, it was looking pretty bleak.
But USD drove the 87 yards in just eight plays with Noah Shepard's five yard touchdown pass to Brooks Little with just 15 seconds remaining capping the improbable comeback win.
If the Coyotes do finally end up making the playoffs this season, they will likely point to this game as a major factor.
Games of the Week
North Dakota (6-0) @ Nebraska-Omaha (5-1)
People reading this national column may not be aware of it, but folks around the NCC know-- despite UND's status as the top program in the conference over the past few years, UNO has given them fits. The Mavericks have beaten the Sioux five of the last six times the two teams have played. UNO has also not won in Omaha since 1995.
The match up of the Sioux offense against the UNO defense is where this game will be won or lost and trying to sort it all out is difficult. As I mentioned last week, UND starting quarterback Reed Manke has missed the last three and a half games with in an injury. With him in the lineup, the Sioux are a dynamic offense capable of putting points on the board against anyone. Without him, UND has been forced to win ugly.
It appears likely at this point that Manke will play, but with all of the difficulties UND has had against Omaha over the years, I'm picking the Mavericks. It will be another close game (they always are) but UNO will find a way to upset the Sioux. Nebraska-Omaha 23 North Dakota 20
Valdosta State (5-0) @ Delta State (5-1)
These teams have played a pair of barnburners over the past two seasons-- VSU beat DSU 24-23 last year and 51-48 in 2004. It would be a surprise is this game isn't equally as tight.
The two teams are capable of scoring points and like to throw the football. VSU's Willie Copeland and DSU's Scott Eyester both have quarterback ratings above 150 and are good at spreading the ball around to different targets. Defensively, both teams have just plain been shutting down the opposition so far this season.
It's very difficult for me to pick a favorite in this game because the teams are so similar. The conventional wisdom would be to give the Statesmen a slight advantage because of the home field, but the Blazers have also been far more successful in the big games over the past few seasons. Whatever the outcome, this should be a great college football game. Valdosta State 21 Delta State 20
Other Games to Watch
Northwest Missouri State (6-0) @ Washburn (4-2)
This game is intriguing because it's a match up of the MIAA's top team this year (Northwest) against the reigning champ from last year (Washburn). I wish I could predict that this will be a great game, but the Ichabods didn't look anything like a championship team in last week's loss to Pittsburg State while the Bearcats appear to be hitting their stride. Northwest Missouri State 34 Washburn 17
Chadron State (6-0) @ Fort Lewis (5-2)
Fort Lewis was the pre-season favorite in the RMAC and hasn't disappointed-- the Skyhawks are 4-0 in the league right now. But Chadron State has been the far more impressive team thus far and has to be the favorite going into this game. FLC will need senior quarterback Matt Gutierrez to have a big performance for the Skyhawks to stay in the game. But in the end, Danny Woodhead and the Eagles are just too good. Chadron State 29 Fort Lewis 20
Newberry (6-0) @ Mars Hill (4-2)
Newberry survived a gut check against Catawba last week, while Mars Hill suffered a heart-breaking loss at the hands of Carson-Newman. All signs would seemingly point to a Newberry win in this game. But, there is one factor that adds at least some uncertainty: Newberry hasn't had to go on the road yet this year. It could be interesting for a while, but the Indians are a too well rounded to lose to one-dimensional Mars Hill. Newberry 27 Mars Hill 17
Carson-Newman (5-1) @ Catawba (3-2)
As unbelievable as it might seem, Catawba is staring at a 0-3 conference start if they can't beat the Eagles this week. I do like the Indians to win this game though because I think their talent on defense will make it difficult for the young C-N offense to operate. It will be ugly though… Catawba 16 Carson-Newman 14
Slippery Rock (4-2) @ California (4-2)
Cal survived a must win situation in last week's 10-0 defeat of Edinboro and both teams need to keep winning to keep postseason hopes alive. The big key for SRU coming into this game is to hold onto the football-- five turnovers did in the Rock last week. I'm going with the Vulcans in this game. Cal is more talented top to bottom and having the home field doesn't hurt. California 27 Slippery Rock 17
Mailbag
[Q] What was the most dominating offensive performance in a Division 2 football championship game?
Chandra
[A] There have been a few great offensive performances, but I think the best would have to be by Delta State in the 2000 championship game (a 63-34 DSU win over Bloomsburg). The Statesmen scored touchdowns on eight of their first nine possessions and racked up 612 yards of total offense and 63 points. Quarterback Josh Bright accounted for 175 of DSU's 487 rushing yards.
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