SCSU (12-1) at NWMSU (12-0), Noon

On paper this game looks like NWMSU is a heavy favorite, however, SCSU isn't playing like a team that's a heavy underdog..instead they've ran out to early leads of 2 to 3 score advantages over good playoff teams on the road. The Huskies proved me wrong in a big way last week, which surely gave their fans great enjoyment.....I get that. That moves us ahead to this week....who wins..?

Looking at these two teams head-to-head, NW has the advantage in most areas. Truthfully, I'd probably favor the Bearcats in every area on this football game except for quarterback. I think NW has great ability at the quarterback position but Phil Klaphake of SCSU has the ability to do what the combination of the Bearcats quarterbacks do, all at the same time. Klaphake threw for over 10,000 yards and ran for over 2,000 yards in his career. That's an amazing stat.

The question that I have for this game, can Klaphake's offensive line afford him the needed time to take shots down the field against the Bearcats....and will the Dixon brothers in the secondary allow him to have success..? I think SCSU will have some success against NW, but I think that the Bearcats will play their hand better armed with the tape from last week and how SCSU attacked the Mavs defense. If NW allows Klahpake to take shots over the top they deserve to have their season end on Saturday. The front 7 of the Bearcats should be good enough to stop the Huskies running game if they were able to shut down Duluth from having rushing success. I also think that the Cats will find a way to get to Klaphake and force him into some risky throws as he attempts to make plays.



On the other side of the ball the Huskies have given up 35 and 48 points so far in the dance. Given they won both games, but those type of point totals don't typically translate into ongoing success through the playoffs. Can they slow down the Bearcats offense that scored 45 on Duluth..? I don't think they can (feel free to prove me wrong Huskies, after all you are the last NSIC team left in the playoffs and all).

The Huskies have given up an average of more than 350 yards per game through the air over the last 2 weeks. I think that while NW will look to establish the ground game, I'd expect their chunk plays to come via the pass. NW has a good passing game and they looked like they started to hit playoff stride offensively near the middle of the Duluth game. SCSU will show some pressures and probably get a few turnovers in this one, but when they don't turn over the Cats....scores seem likely.

As you likely know by this point, 2 SCSU players were suspended for a scuffle with the police, after a fun night at the bars. This is stupid on a few levels, but considering that these players are Seniors makes this decision-making and lack of leadership behavior all that more head-shaking.

Renard Robinson (WR) hasn't caught a ball in the postseason, but Marvin Matthews had 8 tackles last week and is an all-league player for the Huskies. (keep in mind that SCSU is missing their top interceptor the last 2 years in the NSIC, Jack Moro, who broke his collarbone at the end of the regular season) Now SCSU will be without their top 2 d-backs, both who are difference-makers for a team that is great at getting turnovers.

It goes without saying that the SCSU defense will be all the further depleted now, but I think this also hurts the team from a focus standpoint and this incident creates an unneeded diversion for a team that should have been riding hide with a high spot for the football program.

The 2 players were suspended for this weekends game, which is fitting, the right move. Personally, with Matthews having basically the same charge also in January, I would've removed him from the team all-together. Continual bad behavior of this sort just isn't acceptable. Just my take.

Anyway, as for the prediction....I have the Bearcats not allowing Klaphake the same shots over the top that Mankato allowed. I think the Cats secondary is an area that I had NW better than Kato, while being even in nearly all other areas. I said last week that Klaphake gave the Huskies as punchers chance against the Mavs....he threw a haymaker. Can he do it again....maybe....and it would be crazy if SCSU could beat the #1 and #2 teams in the nation in consecutive weeks. That's what really makes this game interesting....but I have NW with a better special teams in this one while being the better overall squad, and also playing at home. NW 41-20.



Mineral Water Bowl - Excelsior Springs, MO (Noon)
Southwest Minnesota State (7-4) at Pittsburg State (9-2)


My first thought for this game....why's it's gotta be the same time as the SCSU at NWMSU game....geez..?

Frankly I haven't given this game a lot of thought for a few reasons, but the main one is that it's not a playoff game and that's really the focus-games this time of year. That's not a slight to either team, it's just reality.

That said, this game is being played from 2 measurably different vantage points.

Pitt State went into the last week of the season expecting to beat rival Missouri Southern (at Pitt) and march into the playoffs as a team that would be a tough out in the dance and possibly get another shot at NWMSU. Instead....they lose to Southern 35-21, one of those game scores that I had to check twice on the final weekend of the season.

Personally, I had Pitt State as one of the top 10 teams in the country as play in a great league and can defend, play toe to toe with a team like NWMSU. There isn't a lot of teams that can. A team that is accustom to success.

So all of that begs the question, how motivated are the Gorillas coming into this one. With a program that won a chip in 2011, is this kinda like Alabama playing in the Holiday Bowl this season at the FCS level. I realize Bama isn't playing in the Holiday Bowl, so no need to starting hitting reply at the bottom here. You get my point though. This game runs the risk of having far more of a "who cares" feel to it for the Gorillas than it does their opponent.



Who's their opponent....?

The Mustangs had their best season at this level and are thrilled to be making the trip to a Bowl Game (as they should). They will be pumped about this game and are happy to be in this spot. (total opposite of Pitt likely)

The Mustangs squad who had the best offense in the NSIC. The Mustangs have Harlon Hill finalist Tyler Tonderum, while has 1,979 yards rushing coming into this one. However, there's a lot more to the Mustangs offense than just their running game, Charlie Kern can sling it and has a fantastic weapon in wideout #1 Anthony Dean. Kern is a mobile but not running quarterback, while Dean is a great big play wideout who plays like a bigger/athletic pass-catcher.

I think that SMSU will look to mix the run and the pass equally, and their offensive line is solid and veteran, giving them a chance to get some shots down the field as well. While the Pitt State defense is good, I do think SMSU will have some success offensively. They have too much to just stop em.

The problem I see for SMSU is the other side of the ball. Pitt State can score plenty, especially against defenses that aren't real good. That's who the Mustangs are defensively....not very good. Watching SMSU close up in Marshall, I saw USF hang 55 on them and that was without completing the wide open fly routes that were seemingly wide open that the Coo just simply overthrew. If not, they hang 70 on the Mustangs. Other decent offenses from the NSIC had similar success.

SCSU 49, USF 55, Kato 52, UIU 48, Winona 44, and Bemidji 40.

Wait a second, 40 to BSU..? That can't happen..

This doesn't bode well for the Mustangs. Pitt State has a great mix between run and pass, while their leading rusher Jeff Seybold has over 1200 yards and 21 times he went to the pay window. He's gonna run wild on SMSU, I gotta real bad feeling about that.

This game reminds me a fair amount of last years MWB, in which Winona State seemed like they were a playoff caliber team and they faced a Lindenwood team who had some very good offensive weapons themselves but weren't quite as physical and WSU. The Warriors rolled the Lions on that day, and I have a feeling a similar game will occur here.

I think it's a competitive game, but I think that for the better part of the last 3 quarters that SMSU is chasing Pitt State by about 2 scores. I think the Gorillas will have a lot of success moving the ball and scoring, but I think like with the Mankato game....SMSU will struggle with Pitt State a bit.

I'd love to pick the Mustangs to win their Bowl Game here, but I also have to be truthful with my thoughts. I have the Gorillas winning this game 52-35.