Ouch.

Going 0-for-3 in part two of the GNAC's slate of the first week, non-leaguers certainly doesn't get a team or fan base off to a good start. Western Oregon and Central Washington are doing it right, though, by scheduling teams that should truly help the strength of schedule quotient of their respective school and the GNAC as a whole. It also shows schools around the nation that both teams will schedule and travel in an effort to round out the very limited portion of the non-league schedule. Unfortunately with the scheduling situation all the GNAC teams find themselves in, it will be extremely difficult for both teams to make the postseason once the GNAC's round robin schedule begins to play out in a few days.

And a round of applause has to go out to the Dixie State Red Storm as DSC was literally within a few feet multiple times of making their season-opening loss turn into a season-opening win. A loss is a loss, but when you are that close against a decent Adams State team out of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Association after losing your stud tight end a few days prior, you can take away a few positives.

But the reality is three GNAC teams (and four of six total) lost their openers. Let's break that down.

#4 Grand Valley State (1-0) 48, Western Oregon (0-1) 20

Western Oregon struck first and stayed close for the entire first half before Grand Valley showed why it is ranked in the top five again this year.

A few things that stood out.
Less than 1,600 fans watch one of the better teams to visit Monmouth in a while? It's understandable that Grand Valley might not be as recognizable to the casual football fan as say Central Washington or Humboldt State. And yes, school doesn't begin for another 2-plus weeks, but we're talking about a quality team hosting a very quality opponent that is a trendy pick to go very deep in the playoffs.

Ooooh, 226 yards rushing against Western Oregon. Chris Robinson gained 99 yards on just 11 attempts and the Lakers squad averaged 6.8 yards per carry. WOU head coach Arne Ferguson was pretty clear on his opinion in that regard.
"You can't allow a team 226 yards rushing and expect to win against a quality opponent," Ferguson said in a Wolves Weekly broadcast.

Five sacks against and three picks, two of which went all the way back for a score late in the game.

We might have to get very used to the name Kelly Morgan as the Wolves have a heckuva leg kicking for them again this year. Morgan booted a 53-yard field goal to close out the first half, keeping the Wolves within one score of the Lakers. Morgan isn't new to the team, being a senior and all, but Ferguson has pointed to a successful offseason in which Morgan's improvement has given the Wolves more options when the offense has stalled and the team is on the opponent's 30-35 yard line.
"That long field goal is a crucial part of us being able to maximize in getting points consistently," Ferguson said.

Cody VonAppen looks like a legitimate double threat for the Wolves as he rushed for 72 yards (would have been more than 100 if it weren't for those sacks) and passed for another 282. VonAppen can make it happen with his legs and arm, which means he's got a mind that can help him figure out the best options within a couple of seconds after each snap.

The Wolves now must travel to play Dixie State on Saturday.

Texas A&M-Kingsville (1-0) 35, Central Washington (0-1) 7

Central Washington outgained Texas A&M-Kingsville 351 yards to 310, but that must defer to the age-old adage of stats only tell a part of the story.
"We have some nice talent on the offensive side of the ball, and we moved the ball statistically," CWU head coach Blaine Bennett said in the CWU release after the game. "However, you're not going to be able to win at the NCAA Division II level by only scoring seven points."

That's a huge key. Both teams gave each other a few "on a silver platter" type of opportunities and TAMUK took advantage of those more often.

Some key takeaways:

Speaking of takeaways, TAMUK recovered two CWU fumbles and picked off quarterback Ryan Robertson twice. Even worse for CWU, the Javelinas scored on all four of those turnovers to the tune of 20 points (two field goals, two touchdowns).


Six-for-Six: That was TAMUK's success rate in the red zone, whereas CWU was 1-for-3.


In recent years, Central Washington has relied on its defense to be the backbone of the team and this year's squad was supposed to be better on the offensive side of the ball. Seven points, though?

The Wildcats travel north to take on Simon Fraser on Saturday.

Adams State (1-0) 17, Dixie State (0-1) 9

Dixie out rushed 'em and out passed 'em, but unfortunately for the Red Storm, Adams State outscored 'em.

Dixie put up some solid offensive numbers on offense, including 123 yards of rushing (first time hitting the century mark since midway through the 2010 season), but that didn't matter as the Red Storm committed six (yes, SIX) turnovers, including two miscues in the end zone.

It looks as though the Red Storm offensive line is picking up where they left off from 2011 and when it comes to the dreaded stat, "sacks allowed" that's not a good thing. Adams State got through the Dixie State offensive line for six sacks.

After a couple more games of comparison it will be easier to decipher, but Dixie State's defense looked pretty good on the stat sheet. Holding a team to under 300 total yards and 17 points isn't bad to start 2012, especially when 2011 ended with a 1-10 season.

Dixie now hosts its second home game of the season already with a visit from Western Oregon.


Jon Guddat covers the GNAC for D2football.com. Contact Jon at [email protected].