Simply stunned.

Those are the only words I can use to describe how I felt after finding out on Tuesday that Concord quarterback Zack Grossi had "severe injuries" stemming from an automobile accident, one that (according to reports) would seem to be caused by someone else.

I try to keep my writing focused on football, though sometimes, events in life just take a higher priority. This is just another one of those moments that forces you to remember that no matter what, life is what really matters. It's great to cheer on our teams, it's okay to be down when they don't play to the levels that we like. But in the end, what happens on a 120 yard field for 60 minutes doesn't matter compared to everything else. Zack Grossi and his family are the ones that are experiencing yet another of the random curveballs that life often throws at us. May we all take some time to think about what they're all going through right now; it could just as easily be any one of us in his place.

Sorry about missing out on writing anything on Glenville State at Tennessee-Chattanooga (Seriously Pioneers, ANOTHER Thursday night game? Next week I'll be happy to welcome you back to the REST of the college football world!), though honestly, I didn't have much to say other than that UTC is simply too big and too strong for most anyone in Divison II, though I at least thought Glenville State would put some points on the board (I had UTC winning 38-20; at least I was close on one score!). For tomorrow's games, I'll try to keep it short (though I've been very bad about doing that), though I may be looking at doing this a little differently, so watch this space for something new I might be trying:

West Virginia State (1-1) at Elon (FCS)

Sorry, but there's not much to say here. Elon held former Division II member North Carolina Central to 110 yards of offense last week in a 34-14 victory on the shoulders of QB Thomas Wilson and three runningbacks, including Karl Bostick. Meanwhile, against a lesser North Carolina A&T team, the Yellow Jackets managed just two first downs, both thanks to the running of Aubura Taylor, in a school record 77-0 embarrassment (the less said about this game, the better). This one we'll be just as ugly; the only question is if West Virginia State can stay within 50.

Prediction: Elon 56, West Virginia State 7


West Virginia Wesleyan (0-2) at West Liberty (1-1)

Things are not looking good at West Virginia Wesleyan, especially if your name is Nate Montana (then again, if you're Nate Montana, you may be used to this). There's a quarterback shuffle going on in Buckhannon, as backup QB Jeremy Musselman saw plenty of time in the second half of last week's loss to Bentley on an absolutely horrific natural grass field following the passing of a massive storm (which I was on the receiving end of about 4-5 hours later). Malcolm Yowk is doing all he can in the ground game, but the offensive line just isn't doing enough, plus the defensive backs are getting the job done either, as provend by 256 yards in the air by Bentley last week, including 196 from wide receiver Jeff Hill.

West Liberty's defense is leading the Hilltoppers, and that's a good thing given the 17 points they've scored in two games thus far. RB Kenjay Trueblood is getting stronger each game, and QB L.D. Crow actually played last week and did okay. West Liberty did better holding onto the football, which would have made a huge difference in 2011.

West Liberty was, simply put, an unmitigated disaster last season. West Virginia Wesleyan isn't there yet, but after seeing Millersville get waxed last week along with the quarterback carousel starting to get powered up, they could be on their way there. Maybe all West Liberty has to do, once again, is hold onto the football and let the defense win two in a row for them.

Prediction: West Liberty 21, West Virginia Wesleyan 13

Fairmont State (0-2) at Bowie State (2-0)

I get to enjoy the shortest possible Division II football road trip this weekend: 20 miles each way from my house to Bowie State (which may be just shorter than my daily commute to work!). But after how Fairmont State's offense has looked in the first couple weeks, I'm not sure how good of a game this will be. Daniel Monroe has been very disappointing in these first two games, not even managing 100 yards combined on the ground. QB Bobby Vega look nothing like Logan Moore did last season, and that even was on a sophomore slump year for Moore. The defense gave up 527 yards to Glenville State while the offense only managed 196 as they just couldn't stop the Pioneers from doing just about anything they wanted through the first three quarters.

Bowie State, meanwhile, has won one game thanks to the arm of QB Jared Johnston, who connected with Douglas McNeil in a come-from-behind, last-second victory over Assumption. The Bulldogs have won another on national television thanks to RBs Keith Brown and Corwin Acker carving up yards on the ground and pretty much taking a 28-0 lead on Benedict at halftime on their own before the team yielded in the second half, just not enough to give up the win.

Bowie State has shown they have a habit of letting up during games so far, though this year, they may be the best team in the CIAA North. Then again, that might not say much given how down Elizabeth City State seems to be (compared to 2011) and the rest of the competition. Still, Bowie State has shown signs of offense. Fairmont State showed 7 points in their first 7 quarters, at which point they were trailing Glenville State 41-7. Oh, and where did those 7 points come from? A special teams play by Matt Wilmer. Ick.

Prediction: Bowie State 27, Fairmont State 14

Shepherd (1-1) at Seton Hill (0-2)

Let's be honest for a moment. For a team that started the year ranked #24 in the country and was a heavy favorite to win the WVIAC, how does Shepherd really look? To quote Steve Spurrier in his Redskins-coaching days, "Not very good. Better than some, but not very good." Most of the big 34-7 win over American International last week came from the four turnovers that the defense created, which led to most of those 34 points thanks to incredible field position. Kenny Williams may not be the answer on the ground, and reports are that Jihad Rasheed may be getting the nod instead of Williams (which I think would be a good idea). Add in a possibly lengthy injury to Justin Ford, as well as the loss of Leons Kabongo on defense, and Shepherd's roster is starting to get a bit thin.

Seton Hill, meanwhile, nearly pulled off an incredible comeback at future Mountain East Conference member Urbana. That all came thanks to the arm of Ryan Morris, who repeatedly found Darvin Henderson and DJ Carter all day long in a quick, short passing game reminiscent of a west coast offense. The offensive line still just isn't opening holes up for the running game.

Let's be honest, though. Urbana isn't 2-0 because of its defense; these Blue Knights don't have top players like they did back when I covered them in their (and my) Division II independent days. Shepherd's defense is much stronger, and to be successful, Seton Hill will have to throw downfield: that's where the cornerbacks for the Rams are much more susceptible. Morris just isn't comfortable doing that, and the front seven for Shepherd are still just too much for this future PSAC foe. Shepherd is ready to stop messing around and get some momentum built up, especially with a road trip to Charleston and a home tilt against Concord coming up the next two weeks.

Prediction: Shepherd 52, Seton Hill 14

Game of the Week
Charleston (2-0) at Concord (1-1)

Even without Zack Grossi, this game still has huge implications in the conference race. Unless Glenville State can get into the conference title race (which I think is quite possible), this is the first of three straight weeks in which two of the top three teams in the conference battle it out. Yes, in some ways, the conference title could be largely decided by the end of September.

Charleston has shown incredible abilities to adapt. After giving up an early touchdown to Saint Joseph's last week, the defense buckled down and took over in the second half. When Maurice Leak left the game fairly early, backup quarterback John Knox stepped in nicely. RB Jordan Roberts didn't play most of the second half, but that didn't seem to be a problem. Role players exist all over this team, who really play like a team and not a collection of star individuals. Most impressive, at least to me, is the special teams, especially kicker Puma Nuredini. I told you at the beginning of the year he was the best kicker in the conference, and his make from 49 yards out is further proof of this.

Grossi's injury isn't the only one for the Mountain Lions, who aren't sure about DB Riyahd Richardson after he left last week's loss to Winston-Salem State fairly early. Once again, like against Lenoir-Rhyne, the offense was slow to get going, and the running game never happened at all. Ansel Ponder was a star once again at wide receiver, showing that he has speed that makes him a huge deep ball threat. The real problems were an interception that the Rams converted into a touchdown and a safety. Those two scores made the difference in the 30-22 loss. Freshman QB Albert Rose will have huge shoes to fill on Saturday under center for Concord, and that's a big problem for an offense that hasn't gotten the running game going yet under either Chris Rodriguez or Andrew Gondor.

I wouldn't be surprised if Charleston threw several blitz packages in on defense and routinely put eight men in the box. This is a sneaky good Charleston team that I thought had a shot at the upset before this past Tuesday. One man does not make a team, but now, Concord is clearly very susceptible.

Prediction: Charleston 23, Concord 14


As of now, I am not certain whether I will be in the press box or on the sidelines for tomorrow's Fairmont State-Bowie State game, so check back here around 12:00 noon. If I'm in the box, I will, as usual, have a liveblog going right here in this column space. Otherwise, you can still catch updates of the game from me on Twitter @Byko.