October 15th, 2013 12:00am
I did not get a chance to watch the new PBS concussion documentary League of Denial last week, but have read many columns and reviews written on the show. From the sounds of it, the show provided some very powerful evidence of the brain damage that can be caused by playing football.
League of Denial is not the first or only entity out there speaking up about the dangers of head injuries in the sport. The last couple of years we have seemingly been inundated with new information regarding head injuries, in particular a condition known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
The game of football is changing quickly because of the new information regarding CTE. The NFL recently paid former players $750 million in a court settlement regarding concussions. In the college game there is the new "Targeting" foul that calls for an automatic ejection from the game of any player that targets the head area of a defenseless opponent.
I admit that I did not pay too close of attention to this issue until this summer. Up until that point I generally believed that CTE was something that really only affected NFL players that played the game at a high level for years and years.
That all changed for me when I heard the news this summer that former Grand Valley star quarterback Cullen Finnerty's autopsy showed that he had moderate levels of CTE. If Finnerty was just 30 years old when he died and had basically no career beyond college, how many other former college (or even high school) players could be suffering from the same condition?
I have read some people prognosticate that football in this country will go on a steep decline because of all of this new information regarding CTE. I do not agree with this. I think football may experience some decline but is too entrenched in American culture-- particularly with the popularity of the game at the NFL and major college levels-- to just wither away and die.
But what I do worry about is the future of the game at the small college level, which of course encompasses Division II. If there is less future youth participation in the sport (which I think will happen) that of course means less overall talent to choose from, which will undoubtedly affect the lower divisions of college football more than the major college level.
And just think of the ramifications if it ever gets to the point where a former player (or his family) that was affected by CTE sues his former school or coaches. That is something that would be likely to shut down an entire D2 program and cause other small schools to have to consider whether sponsoring football is something that they want to be involved with.
Alarming thoughts, I know. And I hate to be an alarmist in regard to this subject but in my mind a situation like what I described is probably imminent. Let us hope that something revolutionary can be done with regard to making football safer so that the sport remains healthy and so we do not see any more situations similar to the Cullen Finnerty tragedy.
A Weekend of Upsets
I said last week that I expected the season to get more interesting, but I did not expect it to happen in one weekend!
First was West Alabama's 49-30 win over top-ranked defending national champion Valdosta State last Thursday night. I expected UWA to have a great chance to win the game, but I did not think the Tigers would be able to dominate in all phases of the game. UWA looks like the best team in Super Region Two right now, but keep this in mind: they also posted a double digit win over VSU in the regular season last year only to be rolled by the Blazers in the playoff rematch. I definitely expect these two teams to clash again in the postseason.
In the PSAC, Slippery Rock (5-1) completely dominated 7th-ranked IUP 42-10. This was a complete shock. The Crimson Hawks were unable to get their running game going and were basically helpless to stop SRU quarterback Nigel Barksdale. The Rock rolled up 676 yards of offense against what was the top-ranked defense in the country in yards allowed! The PSAC West Division is now wide open with Gannon actually controlling its own destiny as far as reaching the PSAC title game. Barksdale (2,190 passing yards, 20 touchdowns) has come out of nowhere to start creeping into the Harlon Hill conversation.
And finally, in the LSC Tarleton State rallied from a 27-3 halftime deficit to shock West Texas A&M 31-27. I still have not quite figured this one out. The Buffalos scored touchdowns on four of their five first half possessions and then were unable to do anything in the second half. That should not happen with the talent this team has on offense. They also gave up 566 yards of offense, which is pretty shocking as well. The Texans (5-0) now control their own destiny in the LSC.
Other Observations from Around the Country
-Despite 600 yards passing by Chadron State quarterback Jonn McLain, CSU-Pueblo (6-0) was able to escape with a 51-42 win in what probably amounted to the RMAC title game. The Thunderwolves were also effective offensively, with over 500 yards of offense. But it was five CSC turnovers-- including one returned for a score and another that led to an easy score-- that did in the Eagles. Despite the big win I have to question if CSU-Pueblo has enough defensively to have much success in the postseason this year.
-We will find out a lot about 4th-ranked Missouri Western (6-0) over the next five weeks. The Griffons' last five opponents on their schedule have a combined record of 29-1. Incredible.
-Five years ago just two teams in all of D2 averaged more than 500 yards of total offense per game. In 2013, 18 teams average more than 500 yards per game. The game is clearly shifting more and more towards offense.
-Ferris State sophomore quarterback Jason Vander Laan rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 54-44 defeat of rival Grand Valley. In two career starts against the Lakers (both FSU wins) Vander Laan has run for 395 yards. In just 17 career games Vander Laan has 2,158 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns. He has also proven to be an effective passer. With his size (6-4, 236 pounds) and running ability he reminds me of former Pittsburg State standout Neal Philpot.
Top Games this Week
Findlay (4-2) at Ohio Dominican (6-0)
National TV: CBS College Sports Thursday night at 8PM Eastern
ODU has just four games remaining in the regular season and Findlay is probably the last team with a legitimate shot at knocking off the Oilers. I expect Findlay to hang around in this game, but the Panthers have tremendous special teams and a knack for making the necessary plays at the right time to win games.
Ohio Dominican 27 Findlay 23
Ouachita Baptist (5-0) at Harding (4-1)
OBU will take its shot at trying to slow down Harding's incredible flexbone offense that averages 418 yards per game on the ground. I think the key to this game is turnovers: Harding's ground game is so effective that OBU will need to be at least plus two in turnover margin to have a good shot at winning.
Harding 31 Ouachita Baptist 24
Newberry (6-0) at Lenoir-Rhyne (5-1)
It is been six years since Newberry won more than six games in an entire season, so this fall's fast start has definitely been a surprise. With both teams undefeated in the SAC, this game is huge for obvious reasons. Both of these teams are very good defensively and I expect this to be a tight game that could go either way.
Lenoir-Rhyne 24 Newberry 23
Northwest Missouri State (6-0) vs Pittsburg State (6-0)
(at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City)
On paper, this match up could not get any closer. These two MIAA rivals have played three common opponents. The Gorillas have outscored those three teams by a 141 to 51 margin while the Bearcats have a 140 to 46 margin. That is pretty amazing.
I think PSU might have just a bit more firepower offensively, but I am going to go with the Bearcats in this game because I feel that they are more physical and a little more talented defensively.
Northwest Missouri State 34 Pittsburg State 30
Missouri Western (6-0) at Missouri Southern (5-1)
It is been a long time since MSSU got off to this type of start. The last time the Lions won five of their first six games was 1993, which also happens to be the last (and only) time MSSU has reached the D2 playoffs. The Lions should also come into this game with confidence knowing that they were the only team to knock off the Griffons in the regular season last year. I expect this to be quite a game.
Missouri Western 28 Missouri Southern 26
West Alabama (5-1) at Midwestern State (4-1)
Coming off the big win over top-ranked Valdosta State, this is the classic letdown game scenario for UWA. I do not think it will happen, however. The Tigers are too well coached and have too much veteran leadership for that to happen. I do think that MSU will make this a better game than many expect, largely because of the Mustangs' ability to run the football.
West Alabama 38 Midwestern State 28
Mailbag
[Q] How is it that three top ten teams lose and Winston-Salem State does not move up (in the D2football.com poll)? Is this bias or total disrespect for Black College Football? I noticed that every team moved up at least one spot except WSSU. There were even teams like Ohio Dominican that jumped us. I just find that to be very peculiar, considering our recent success. I do not believe strength of schedule is that much of a factor. Although we lost against UNCP, we were clearly better and it will be proven in the playoffs. You said it yourself; since we have made the QB change we will be a serious factor in the playoffs.
Lareal
[A] First off, I think it is completely ridiculous to suggest that there is any bias or disrespect for HBCU football involved with voting in our poll, so let us get that cleared up right away.
I think the reason WSSU is not moving up much while other teams are has a lot to do with the lackluster performance on national TV against UNCP. Even though the Rams are playing much better now, that performance in the opener is the thing that still sticks in the voter's minds. This is not like it is in D-1 where voters can get a chance to see all the teams play each week. So even though you and I know that WSSU has a new quarterback and has sorted some things out offensively, most voters are still going to revert back to what they saw earlier in the season.
[Q] Do you think Bloomsburg University running back Franklyn Quiteh has any chance to assault Danny Woodhead's D2 career rushing record?
Matt
[A] Quiteh left last week's game with what is being called a shoulder bruise after carrying the ball just eight times for 63 yards in his team's win over Millersville. The injury does not sound serious, but it could mean that the Huskies will use him sparingly in games where he is not needed to try to make sure he stays healthy.
Right now Quiteh sits at 6,430 yards for his career which is 1,532 yards behind Woodhead's record. There are just five regular season games remaining but with the Huskies sitting at 6-0 the chances are pretty good that they could make the playoffs. To have a realistic shot, I feel Quiteh would probably need to play in 8-9 more games which would mean his team would likely have to win the region and reach the semifinals and he would have to stay healthy the entire time. Never say never, but if I had to take a guess I would say that Quiteh will come up 300-400 yards short of Woodheads record.
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