September 11th, 2007 12:00am
If last week’s convincing 31-13 victory over Bloomsburg doesn’t convert more people into believers in the California Vulcans, maybe this quote from Husky head coach Danny Hale will:
“Their talent level, especially defensively, is as good as we've faced--and that includes the Northwest Missouris.”
That’s what Hale told the Press-Enterprise after his team got beat by the Vulcans last Saturday.
Now everyone knows that coaches tend to put their current opponents on a higher pedestal than they really reside-- that’s all a part of the “coach-speak” that goes on during game week. So my advice to you: take that quote with a grain of salt.
But Hale’s comments do back up one thing I’ve been saying for two seasons now: the Vulcans are not your typical PSAC team. They have the team speed and an overall talent level not seen from this league since some of the IUP teams in the 90’s.
I know that I will hear from detractors of the Vulcans that will be quick to point out I was saying some of these same things last year and yet Cal managed to lose three games and not qualify for the playoffs. It is also true that this program has never made the post-season and there are no guarantees that this will be the year that CUP finally breaks through.
But despite the past, the reason I’m so high on the Vulcans is this: this program has the characteristics of a budding national power in Division II football, which is something the PSAC, Northeast Region, and Division II as a whole desperately needs.
When CUP hired John Luckhardt away from D-III power Washington and Jefferson in 2002, they made a commitment to changing the entire nature of the football program. Luckhardt brought a history of success with him from W & J, and the one thing he has consistently said over the years is that he wants his team competing at a national level. There is no “settling” on just being competitive in Luckhardt’s book.
The program also has backing from the administration as evidenced by the fact that CUP has been the only team in the conference that offered the max number of scholarships (24) allowed by PSAC’s rules. That number is sure to go up in the future as the conference eliminated its equivalency restriction over the summer.
California also does all the little ancillary things that it takes to build a successful program: everything from getting a game or two televised every year by a local cable network to putting together quality media guides and getting them out on time.
One of the common complaints I hear about Division II football is that it is watered down, meaning that there are too many schools out there that just don’t care that much about being good. To a certain extent, that probably is true. So I will jump on the bandwagon of any program that does everything in its power to succeed. If there were 50 schools out there in D-II trying as hard as California is to be good, just think how much fun football at this level would be.
Random Thoughts
I have some opinions on several things going on around Division II so far this year, so hear are some quick thoughts on a bunch of different subjects:
-Maybe it’s just me, but there seems to be a plethora of talented quarterbacks this season in Division II. Every week so far we’ve had players throwing for over 400 yards and guys throwing five and six touchdown passes. If you like lots of offense, this would appear to be the year to follow D-II football.
-The South Division in the Lone Star Conference is shaping up to be quite a battle again this year with Abilene Christian, Midwestern State, West Texas A&M, and Tarleton State all looking like potential playoff teams. There is only room in the playoffs for two or three of these clubs, so expect some major battles for postseason positioning as the year goes on.
-Lightning continues to plague D-II football. The Grand Valley/ Ashland game was cancelled last week with the Lakers leading the Eagles 14-6 in the second quarter and the game will not count in the standings. If Ashland goes on to win quite a few games this year (and I suspect the Eagles will), not playing this game could come back to really hurt GVSU come playoff seeding time because the Lakers’ strength of schedule will take a hit. Just something to keep in mind as the season unfolds.
-Randy Tribble resigning his head coaching position at Harding (effective immediately) is certainly a shock, especially when you consider that Tribble is an HU alum that has held the job since 1994. Something tells me that there is more to Tribble’s sudden departure than what we currently know. Coaches don’t just suddenly up and leave two weeks into a season unless there is a problem. Hopefully everything is OK with Coach Tribble and this all works out for everyone in the long run.
-Valdosta State looks awesome. The have outscored their first two opponents 110-3 and have been dominant in all phases of the game. If you had a chance to watch the Blazers against Albany State, you saw a team that seemed to be able to run and pass at will. When VSU was on defense, they swarmed to the football so quickly that it often appeared that there were 15 defenders on the field. The Blazers are a legit national title contender this year.
Game of the Week
Central Washington (1-0) @ North Dakota (2-0)
There is a very good reason why we (D2Football.com) chose CWU’s Mike Reilly as our pre-season All-American at quarterback: he is the best pure passer in all of Division II. The reason you haven’t heard more about Reilly in the past is that he has played on some young Wildcat teams that just didn’t have the experience or depth to compete week after week in the NCC.
But it’s a different story this year for the Wildcats. This is now a veteran ball club that has also added a sprinkle of D-I transfers to its roster to shore up some weaknesses and add depth. Reilly has plenty of weapons on offense to distribute the football to and CWU should be better defensively than it has been in the past. I consider the Wildcats to be a legit threat to win the NCC title and reach the playoffs this season.
UND, of course, has been a power for years and the Fighting Sioux should once again be in the national championship picture this fall. But this UND team is much different than the typical Sioux teams of the past. Those teams played dominating defense and relied on a ball control offense to win games. This UND team is all about offense. In fact, with All-America speedsters like receiver Weston Dressler and running back Ryan Chappel, the Sioux probably have more skill position talent than any other team in D-II.
So, if you’re thinking shoot out, you could be on the right track. But I think UND has to be the favorite in this game based on a few different factors. Number one, with its noisy domed stadium, UND has a huge home field advantage that is especially difficult for passing offenses to contend with. There have been many great D-II quarterbacks (including Cullen Finnerty) that have failed to win in the Alerus Center.
Number two, UND has a better offensive line than the Wildcats and the Fighting Sioux stand a good chance of running the ball effectively and keeping the Wildcat offense on the sidelines. And number three, UND has outstanding special teams with Dressler and Chappel returning kicks and kicker Brandon Hellevang, who kicked a 56-yard field goal last week. CWU will hang right in this game, but Sioux will be just a bit too much to overcome in the end. North Dakota 34 Central Washington 24.
Other Games of Note
Henderson State (1-1) @ Delta State (1-0)
A 16-13 overtime win over the Statesmen last year catapulted the Reddies to an 8-3 season, their first winning record in 11 years. For the HSU program to continue to grow, playing well in games like this one is critical.
Defense was the strength of both of these teams last year and with two-time GSC offensive player of the year Scott Eyster out of eligibility at DSU, scoring points might once again be at a premium in this game.
I like DSU in this game for a couple of reasons. First, the Statesmen have the home field and the Reddies struggled some away from home last season. The second reason I like DSU is because they are slightly more talented just about everywhere on the field. Once junior college transfer Dedrick Wilson gets a few more games under his belt at quarterback, this DSU team will become a factor in the playoff race. Delta State 24 Henderson State 13.
Ashland (1-0) @ Hillsdale (2-0)
Despite being picked ninth in the pre-season GLIAC coaches’ poll, the Chargers have used the arm of Mark Nicolet (602 passing yards and 8 TD passes) to jump out to a 2-0 start. The Eagles, of course, were probably saved from a loss by lightning last week against Grand Valley, but AU was impressive in beating Saginaw Valley in the season opener.
The strength of both of these teams would appear to be offense, and I’m going to give the Chargers a slight edge in this game because Nicolet has been terrific so far this year. Hillsdale 31 Ashland 28.
Pittsburg State (2-0) @ Missouri Southern (2-0)
These two schools are located just 25 minutes apart, so this is a backyard brawl type rivalry. The Gorillas have dominated the series over the years, but MSSU is improving under second year coach Bart Tatum.
I think MSSU has a chance in the game for this reason: The past few years the Gorilla offense has simply dominated the Lion defense which gave MSSU little chance of staying in the game. But MSSU has improved its talent level defensively and the Gorillas are lacking the big time playmakers on offense this year that they have had in the past. Plus, the Lion offense is pretty good with quarterback Adam Hinspeter and running back Alley Broussard (an LSU transfer) leading the way. The Gorillas win, but it will be close. Pittsburg State 28 Missouri Southern 23.
Northwest Missouri State (0-1) @ Missouri Western (2-0)
It’s gut check time for the Bearcats after last week’s loss to Nebraska-Omaha. The Bearcats cannot afford to start the season 0-2 if a return trip to the national championship game is going to remain a good possibility. Plus, NWMSU came out of the game banged up, with quarterback Josh Matthews suffering a concussion (he should play this week, though) and injuries decimating the wide receiver corps. The young Griffons should come into this game full of confidence after a convincing road win over a solid Minnesota-Duluth team last week.
But the key to this game is experience. The Bearcats have plenty of it and the young Griffons do not. I fully expect NWMSU to give Matthews and the receivers a week off and go right after the MWSU defense with a steady diet of Xavier Omon behind that veteran offensive line. It will be up to the Griffons to stop it, and I don’t think they can… at least not for four quarters. Northwest Missouri State 31 Missouri Western 16.
Western Washington (1-0) @ Nebraska-Omaha (2-0)
Two years ago, UNO was coming off a huge win over Northwest Missouri and had a talented Central Washington team coming to town. The Mavericks came out flat and needed a late touchdown pass to escape with a win. It’s pretty easy to envision a similar result in this game.
I doubt, however, that Pat Behrns will allow his UNO team to overlook WWU for one very good reason: the Vikings were extremely impressive in beating FCS opponent (and former D-II power) California-Davis in their season opener.
But despite all of that, UNO should win this game. For one thing, NCC opponents rarely win at Caniglia Field. The Vikings smallish defensive front also doesn’t match up well with the Maverick’s bruising running game. It might take a while for the Mavericks to wear the Vikings down, but they should pull away late in the game. Nebraska-Omaha 30 Western Washington 20.
Michigan Tech (2-1) @ Northwood (2-0)
Despite losing their season opener to Winona State, the Huskies have been on a roll in conference play, winning eight straight dating back to last season. The key this year has been the running and passing of quarterback Steve Short.
Northwood has obviously won its first two games, but nothing has come easy so far this season. The return of fullback Torris Childs to the lineup gave the NU option running attack a boost last week and that will need to continue if this game ends up being a shoot out. But the bottom line on this game: I can’t see MTU winning against a balanced Northwood team because the Huskies have been somewhat porous on defense. Northwood 26 Michigan Tech 17.
Mailbag
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