GSC Harlon Hill Nominees

Over 40 nominees for the Harlon Hill Trophy were announced this week with six representing Gulf South Conference institutions. I had mentioned four of them in recent weeks and happy to see two more from the GSC on the list. Congratulations to them!

Donta Armstrong (West Alabama) led the GSC with 91 total receptions and 8.3 receptions per game. He had four games with at least 10 receptions, while also leading the league in punt returns at 17.1 yards per return and two returns for touchdowns on the way to All-Gulf South Conference first team honors. He finished the season with 903 receiving yards and six touchdowns along with 288 yards on kick and punt returns including two touchdowns.

Dylan Donahue (West Georgia) was named the GSC Defensive Player of the Year this season and is a Gene Upshaw Award finalist for the second consecutive season. Donahue led the league with 12 sacks en route to a First Team All-Gulf South Conference selection. He tied the league record with 13.5 sacks. His 13.5 sacks ranked sixth in the nation, and his 20 tackles for loss ranked 12th nationally.

Marcel Newson (Mississippi College) was a First Team All-Gulf South Conference selection as a wide receiver and return specialist, leading the league in all-purpose yards per game (180.6) and receiving yards per game (94.8). He led the Choctaws with 57 catches for 853 yards and five touchdowns, also carrying the ball 16 times for 193 yards and two scores. Newson also returned 15 kickoffs for 409 yards and a touchdown with 11 punt returns for 170 yards and a score.

Kaleb Nobles (West Florida) threw for 3,040 yards in leading UWF to five victories in its first-ever season of football. He was 235-for-425 with 28 touchdowns passing and two on the ground. He is ranked 15th nationally in passing yards and 16th in passing touchdowns while his 180 points responsible for place him 20th overall. He was the only quarterback in the league to eclipse 3,000 yards passing this season and led the league in touchdowns.

Chris Robinson (Delta State) led all of NCAA DII in scoring with 24 touchdowns, 144 points and 14.4 points per game in the regular season. He topped the GSC in rushing, carrying the ball 186 times for 976 yards, averaging 97.6 yards per game, and 19 touchdowns. The dual-threat back also caught 37 passes for 551 yards and five scores, while tallying 1,544 all-purpose yards. He tied the DSU and GSC records for touchdowns in a game with six versus West Florida (five rush/one receiving) and eclipsed 100 all-purpose yards in eight of 10 games.

Jacob Tucker (North Alabama) was selected First Team All-GSC quarterback and GSC Offensive Player of the Year in voting by the league's head coaches. He has rushed for 666 yards and 12 touchdowns and thrown for 1,973 yards and 16 touchdowns, despite not playing in the fourth quarter of six games due to large leads by the Lions. He ranks as the fourth leading rusher in the GSC (74.0), third in scoring (8.0) and second in total offense (293.2).


UNC-Pembroke (10-1) at North Alabama (8-1) @ 12 PM CST

UNA Key Stats:

Avg. Points Scored: 40.44
Avg. Points Allowed: 14.44
Offensive Yards: 449.4
Yards Allowed: 324.6
Turnover Margin: +1
Avg. Penalties: 74.0 yards
Third Down Conversions: 43.36%
Red Zone Scores: 84.1%
Field Goals: 8-10 (80%)

UNCP Key Stats:

Avg. Points Scored: 34.55
Avg. Points Allowed: 22.18
Offensive Yards: 398.4
Yards Allowed: 329.8
Turnover Margin: -2
Avg. Penalties: 64.18 yards
Third Down Conversions: 41.56%
Red Zone Scores: 81.4%
Field Goals: 27-32 (84.4%)

UNCP surprised many of us last week when they went down to Valdosta and got the victory, which was their first-ever D2 playoff win. They used a combination of good offensive play, especially completions to wide receiver B.J. Bunn, and hard-nosed pressure from their defense. The Braves also have the top-ranked kicker in the country, although he uncharacteristically missed two field goals last week. They will certainly be a formidable opponent for the Lions and probably the toughest team UNA has played since mid-season.

The keys for a North Alabama victory will be to contain UNCP's offensive playmakers and limit any big plays. If they can do that, the stats are in their favor as the Braves have opted for field goals at least 17 times on red zone trips this year. Another factor will be how the UNCP defense adjusts to the dual-threat abilities of Jacob Tucker. As with any game, special teams, penalties, and turnovers could affect the outcome in favor of either team. This will be my first game to watch in Florence this season and I expect a good game. Good, competitive games are what the playoffs are all about.

My pick: Lions by 10


Tuskegee (9-2) at North Greenville (8-4) @ 12 PM EST

TU Key Stats:

Avg. Points Scored: 27.73
Avg. Points Allowed: 18.36
Offensive Yards: 353.5
Yards Allowed: 264.5
Turnover Margin: -17
Avg. Penalties: 83.07 yards
Third Down Conversions: 38.28%
Red Zone Scores: 87.5%
Field Goals: 4-8 (50%)

NGU Key Stats:

Avg. Points Scored: 32.2
Avg. Points Allowed: 23.8
Offensive Yards: 415.8
Yards Allowed: 389.7
Turnover Margin: +12
Avg. Penalties: 79.2 yards
Third Down Conversions: 43.1%
Red Zone Scores: 97.2%
Field Goals: 14-18 (77.7%)

My pick: Crusaders by 3