September 30th, 2014 12:00am
For the first two seasons of his college career, Ferris State quarterback Jason Vander Laan beat opposing defenses with his legs. He has been so good running the football that he set the D2 single season record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1607 last season.
But this season we have seen another side of Vander Laan, and the results so far should be terrifying to opposing defensive coordinators. Through just four games the junior quarterback has completed 71 of 100 passes for 874 yards and 14 touchdowns. As defenses have stacked the box to try to take away Vander Laan's running, he has made them pay through the air. Of course the running game (442 rushing yards, 6.6 yards per carry) is still there when needed.
I have had the pleasure of watching several talented dual threat quarterbacks in my years of covering D2 football. Vander Laan may be the best of all of them. He is a fast and shifty runner but can also use his 6'4", 240 pound frame to punish defenders between the tackles. His arm is strong and accurate and he can make all the throws.
Honestly, he looks like he should be playing in the Big 10.
At this point in the year Vander Laan has to be the frontrunner for the Harlon Hill Trophy. It will also be interesting to see if he can carry his team all the way to Kansas City in December.
Observations from around the Country
-North Alabama's (3-0) 31-29 win over rival Valdosta State (2-2) last Saturday is an early candidate for the game of the year in D2. The two teams traded scores five times in the fourth quarter, with a 54-yard field goal by UNA's Taylor Pontius winning it for the Lions on the game's final play. VSU had five trips inside the red zone but was only able to come up with two touchdowns and that played a major role in the outcome.
-What has happened to Washburn? The Ichabods have been a perennial contender in the MIAA for the last decade, but after losing to Missouri Southern 42-21 last week, Washburn is now 1-3 on the season and has lost six of its last seven games going back to last year.
-Add Upper Iowa to the list of schools with historically weak football programs that is making 2014 to be a turnaround season. The Peacocks are now 4-0 after winning 37-31 at St. Cloud State last Saturday. It was the Peacocks' first win over SCSU since joining the NSIC in 2006. Up next for UIU is Augustana. The Peacocks have lost all six games to the Vikings since becoming an NSIC member.
-Humboldt State (4-0) cracked our Top 25 this week. This is quite a turnaround after the Lumberjacks went 0-11 last season. With two good running backs and a very solid defense, I think HSU will be favored in every game they play the rest of the regular season. From 0-11 to a playoff berth would be a heck of a turnaround.
-Northwest Missouri State is so talented that they can go on the road against a solid Central Oklahoma team, not play well at all and still win by 23 points. The Bearcats have yet to get everything clicking offensively but when they do they will be next to unbeatable with how good their defense is. This is a team that should be hoisting the national championship trophy once again come December.
Top Games this Week
Delta State (3-0) at Florida Tech (3-1)
Florida Tech is off to a tremendous start in just their second season of fielding a football program. The Panthers' only loss this year is to an FCS team and they knocked off their first ranked D2 opponent when they beat Tarleton State. However, DSU is very explosive on offense and it will be difficult for the young Panther defense to contain them for four quarters. Delta State 40 Florida Tech 24
Findlay (3-1) at Ferris State (4-0)
As I mentioned earlier, the extremely high level that Ferris State quarterback Jason Vander Laan is playing at will make it difficult for any opponent. Findlay can score points, but their inability to stop the run (the Oilers allow 238 yards per game on the ground) does not bode well against the FSU offense. Ferris State 45 Findlay 28
Pittsburg State (3-1) at Missouri Western (3-1)
Both of these teams need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Gorillas have been tremendous defensively as their first team defense has yet to yield a point. However, the Griffons are also solid defensively so I expect this to be a tight game. Pittsburg State 20 Missouri Western 13
Augustana (3-1) at Upper Iowa (4-0)
As mentioned earlier, the Peacocks have had very little success over the years against Augustana and have never really come close to competing with the Vikings. I expect that to change Saturday, but I still think the Vikings are the better team. Augustana is very balanced offensively and if the Viking defense can contain UIU running back Chris Brown (690 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns) they should win the game. Augustana 31 Upper Iowa 23
Tarleton State (2-2) at Texas A&M-Commerce (3-1)
TSU was the preseason favorite in the LSC, but TAMUC has looked like the team to beat in the conference so far this season. The Lions are scoring over 54 points per game, led by the passing of quarterback Tyrik Rollison, who has thrown for 1299 yards already this season. The Texans don't match up very well in the sense that their defense hasn't been able to stop anyone. Texas A&M-Commerce 45 Tarleton State 38
West Alabama (3-1) at West Georgia (4-0)
Emotions should be riding high in this game as Coach Will Hall's former team (UWA) faces his new team for the first time. The Wolves have been dominant defensively so far this year as they haven't given up a point in over three games. However, that was against weaker competition and they will have to deal with a very strong UWA rushing attack. West Alabama 30 West Georgia 21
Mailbag
[Q] Do you ever think there will be a change to the playoffs so that the top teams and conferences get spread out?
Nick
[A] Unfortunately, no. I have long advocated for a playoff system closer to what D3 uses where the playoff selections are made and then the teams are placed into regions. This would allow the strong teams to be split up a bit more and also could allow for less early round match ups between conference opponents. The powers that be in D2 are very much married to the idea of strict regionalization. Since the best football in this division is played in the Midwest and Southeast, it will be continue to be a case where those regions are loaded while others aren't nearly as strong.
Contact
Feel free to contact me with any comments or criticisms or if you have a question you'd like answered in the Mailbag.