December 11th, 2007 12:00am
The saying in boxing is that the only way to beat the champ is to knock them out.
If that analogy holds true in football, then Xavier Omon's 98-yard touchdown run last week was the roundhouse punch that Grand Valley State never saw coming.
Omon's performance will go down as one of the greatest in D-II playoff history. His 292 rushing yards and four touchdowns almost single-handedly put an end to one of the great runs in the history of this division.
The Bearcats' win not only put an end to their own frustration against the Lakers, but you also get the feeling that the rest of the division was living vicariously through the Northwest Missouri on Saturday night. Everyone wants to see the champ dethroned, it seems.
There were two things that really struck me about this game. Number one was the confidence with which Northwest Missouri played. Despite a few early mistakes, you just had the sense that the Bearcats were not going to be denied this time.
The second thing that really stood out to me was the absolute class Chuck Martin and the Lakers showed in defeat. Most people regard Grand Valley as the villain in Division II because they are the big school that wins all the time. But the reason they win is the same reason they were gracious in defeat on Saturday-- because they are a classy bunch that do things the right way.
Grand Valley will be hit fairly hard by graduation this year, but this program isn't going anywhere. The Lakers will continue to be right in the mix for the national championship year after year.
The "Other" Semifinal
Valdosta State's 28-24 win over California has taken a bit of a backseat due to the prominence of the other semifinal game. But this game was an entertaining nail-biter that basically came down to the fact that VSU made one more play than the Vulcans did.
I think the best thing to come from this game is that, even in defeat, California proved that it has what it takes to compete with any team in the country. This is exciting for a Northeast Region that hasn't been nationally competitive since Grand Valley was moved out four years ago.
I've gotten plenty of feedback from people this year wondering why I'm such a fan of California and why I've talked so much about them in my column. The answer to this question is pretty simple:
California is an example of a program that was nothing five years ago, basically indiscernible from the dozens of other D-II programs that flounder around through losing seasons and limited scholarship money. But through hard work fundraising and a vision of success that the administration and coaching staff shared, this program is now becoming a national power. Instead of trying to drag down others to their level through scholarship reductions, California took the opposite approach and decided to make their program better. Just think how much fun D-II football would be if we had another 50 schools out there like California that were really trying to compete.
Harlon Hill Award
As I mentioned last week, Chadron State running back Danny Woodhead, Abilene Christian running back Bernard Scott, and Delta State linebacker Michael Eubanks are the three finalists for the award, which will be announced in Florence on Friday night.
All three of these guys are fine players but the problem is that the best player in the country, Northwest Missouri's Xavier Omon, somehow didn't make the cut. In my eyes the award loses a great deal of its luster when the best players aren't even among the finalists.
Anyway, I think the award should go to Eubanks, if for no other reason than at least he's the best player at his position. Plus, it would be neat to see a defensive player win the award. The last time a defensive player won the award was North Alabama linebacker Ronal McKinnon in 1995. Eubanks' credentials are outstanding: he's the all-time D-II sack leader and the two-time Gulf South Conference defensive player of the year.
National Championship Game
Valdosta State (12-1) vs Northwest Missouri State (12-1)
TV: Saturday at 12 P.M. Eastern on ESPN
These two programs are championship game veterans. The Bearcats, of course, are making their third straight appearance while the Blazers are making their third appearance in the last six years. There are a few Blazer seniors with national championship rings from winning it all in 2004.
Valdosta State was a big underdog in both of its previous championship game appearances and that appears to be the case once again. But VSU took Grand Valley right to the wire in 2002 and pulled off the upset against unbeaten Pittsburg State in 2004 so don't expect this team to be one bit intimidated coming into the game.
Valdosta State by the numbers:
Offensive averages: 39.6 points, 422 total yards
Defensive averages: 17.4 points, 333 total yards
Offensive players to watch: #8 WR Cedric Jones, #27 RB Michael Perry, #56 OL Gerald Davis
Defensive players to watch: #48 LB William Montford, #10 S Sherard Reynolds, #47 DE Travis Harrison
Northwest Missouri by the numbers:
Offensive averages: 38.7 points, 457 yards
Defensive averages: 18.4 points, 316 yards
Offensive players to watch: #2 RB Xavier Omon, #89 TE Mike Peterson, #71 OL Reid Kirby
Defensive players to watch: #46 LB Jerrad Ersparmer, #98 DT Terry Bilbro, #15 S Miles Burnsides
Valdosta State keys to the game:
-Obviously, slow down Xavier Omon. GVSU lost to the Bearcats last week because they couldn't contain Omon and the Blazers will suffer the same fate if he goes wild in this game. I define "slow down" as anything less than 150 rushing yards.
-Protect Willie Copeland. Like most quarterbacks, Copeland is much better when he has time to throw the football. But Copeland seems especially prone to making big mistakes when under pressure. The Blazer offensive line must give him time in the pocket. A successful running game would also make Copeland more effective when he does throw.
-Dominate on special teams. I think Northwest is a bit more talented both offensively and defensively. The best way for the Blazers to combat that advantage is to once again play well on special teams. Some big kickoff or punt returns would really help the cause.
Northwest Missouri keys to the game:
-Refocus. The Bearcats have plenty going on, from the natural letdown after beating Grand Valley, to the fact that an ice storm ravaged the town and campus this week, forcing school to be cancelled and taking players out of their normal routine. Northwest must be 100% focused on the task at hand from the opening kickoff.
-Shut down VSU's running game. The Blazers struggled in the first half last week because they had no running game. But once they found a way to move the ball on the ground in the second half, they moved the ball very well. Northwest must make the Blazers one dimensional and force Copeland to win the game on his own.
-Like the last two weeks, ride Omon to victory. It is his final college game so there is no sense saving him. If I'm the Bearcats, I have Omon touching the ball 35 or 40 times in this game.
Prediction: Valdosta State is a very good team that is more than capable of winning this football game. But something tells me that this is Northwest Missouri State's year and no matter what it takes, the Bearcats will find a way to win. Northwest Missouri State 28 Valdosta State 20.
Wrapping it up
I plan on being back next week with one final column to look back at the championship game, get to a few unanswered mailbag questions, and briefly look ahead to next year.
Contact Me
Have a question, comment, or criticism? Want to have your question answered in the weekly Mailbag? Have a suggestion for a podcasting subject? Email Bob.