Welcome to playoff football. It is win or go home this time of the season and all of the teams are vying for a chance to play for a national championship. Only one team can be crowned champion.

Bowie State Playoff History

2nd playoff appearance

0-1 overall record

0-0 against the NE-10


Assumption Playoff History

1st playoff appearance

0-0 overall record

0-0 against the CIAA


Head to Head

Bowie State leads the series, 2-0-0

2011
Bowie St 28 @ Assumption 17

2012
@ Bowie St 24 Assumption 20


Week 12 Capsules

# 6 Bowie State (9-2, 7-0 CIAA) @ # 3 Assumption (10-1, 8-1 NE-10)

When: November 21st, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: Bowie St leads the series, 2-0-0

Common Opponents: They share one common opponent in 2015 and both walked away with a victory.

vs. Merrimack (NE-10)

9/5/12 Bowie St 35 @ Merrimack 32
9/18/15 @ Assumption 36 Merrimack 29


Link to Team Stats:

Bowie State

Assumption

Game Day Central

Video Link


My thoughts: Are you ready for some playoff football?

Both teams enter this playoff match up off of their championship games. Assumption won the NE-10 17-14 over New Haven while Bowie State fell to Winston-Salem State 17-14 in the CIAA championship game.

Bowie State Scouting Report:

Bowie State had one of their best years in school history. Nine wins tied a school record and this will be their second appearance in the Division II playoffs. They fell short in the CIAA championship game last weekend but still had a good enough resume, qualifying for the playoffs.

On offense, the Bulldogs had a freshman quarterback under center after some controversy earlier in the year. Nyema Washington started the second half of the season and has played well. He completed 60% of his passes and has thrown for 12 touchdowns. (UPDATED 11/20/15 8 AM: Trevor Bennett is listed as the starting QB on the depth chart on the Bowie St website. He played in seven games this year, going 48-75 with 3 TDs and 2 INTS). Graduate student Kendall Jefferson will see the majority of the carries out of the backfield. He totaled nearly 1,000 yards and found the end zone seven times. He is also a dangerous kick returner as he has taken one kick back for a touchdown.

The receivers are one of the deeper positions on the team. Nyme Manns is the top target as he led the team with 68 receptions and 977 yards. He also hauled in 12 touchdowns and is a big target as he is listed as 6'4" on the roster. Garry Cropper, Jamal Chappell and Kerrick Pollock will also be targets in the passing game as they are capability of making plays each time they touch the ball.

The offensive line is big and physical. Victor Tamba, Jr, Bryan Redman, Diontae Jordan, Justin Nester and Daris Johnson are all listed over six feet tall and at least 275 pounds. They have done a solid job either in the running game or protecting their quarterback in passing situations as they are yielded just 13 sacks this year. Christopher Palmer will handle the kicking duties as he doubles as the punter and place kicker for the Bulldogs.

The defense has given up just 20.5 points per game and has been the backbone of the success of Bowie State this year. The defensive line is the most talented group on the field, led by Anthony McDaniel. He is tied for the team lead with 8.5 sacks along with fellow pass rusher Cavin Murray. Sean Copeland and Heleaince Gates round out the talented front line that hopes to wreak havoc in the backfield. The linebackers that feature Brian Hall, Kyle Jackson, and Joshua Davis-Stokes patrol the middle of the field. Hall leads the charge with 13.5 tackles for a loss this year.

The secondary is young but has played very well this year. Quinton Jordan and Rahman Kamara both have picked off four passes this year and are tied for the team lead. Bryson McAdams and DeVonta' High are also very active in the secondary and have held their opponents to an average of under 200 yards per game this year through the air.

Assumption Scouting Report:

Assumption also had their best season in school history. They won their first regular season title as well as capturing the NE-10 championship game. They are riding a nine game winning streak and have lived up to expectations this year.

Brendan Tobey has been the leader of the offense this year. The sophomore quarterback has battled injuries including during the title game last week. He has thrown for 13 touchdowns as well as completing 60% of his passes. If he stumbles, Marc Monks has stepped up numerous times this year including on the game winning drive against New Haven. The running game features two different types of backs. Alex Shain is the typical big, tough runner who can grind out yards between the tackles. James Ward is the smaller, speedster out of the backfield. Both are capable of breaking off big runs and split time with the carries during the season.

Deonte Harris is an electrifying receiver who has the capability of breaking off big plays each time he touches the ball. Ashton Grant is the other threat on the outside that is also capable of the big play. Dave Call and Cody Lynn also are vital to the passing game. Harris and Grant will split time returning punts and kicks and both capable of taking back the kicks for a touchdown.

The offensive line for Assumption has been solid all season long. Quentin Hall, Tyler Armillay, James McNerney, DJ DeGeorge and Sully Crotty have been part of a team that has averaged 38 points per game and putting up 386 yards of offense per game. The kicking game is very strong with Cole Tracy as the place kicker. He set a league record with 21 field goals and hitting 95% of his extra points. Andrew Martorella stepped in for the injured Patrick Tyler and has been solid in the punting game. He is averaging 39.2 yards per punt.

The Greyhound defense has been solid down the stretch after yielding 50 points to Southern Connecticut in the middle of October. Jarrod Casey is the heart and soul of the defense as he seems to be around the ball on every play from his safety position. The defensive line is strong in the trenches as Joe Bruno leads the team in sacks with three. Kevin Ihlefeld, Ray Sarkodieh, Anthony Libby and Jed Scott will also help to apply pressure. The linebackers are capable of patrolling the middle of the field and making plays. Levi Fancher, Nick Valenti and Nic Kessel bring plenty of experience and have been very consistent all season long.

The secondary is the strength of the defense. Bakari Blunt, Andrew Benson, Kyle Contreras, Charles Reid and AJ Efstratios are the anchors along with Casey that have limited the big plays. They have picked off 13 passes as a unit and allow seem to be around the ball on every play.


Bowie State Keys to the Game:

1. Need to establish the run with Jefferson
2. Defensive line needs to bring pressure
3. Don't turn the ball over
4. Balanced offensive attack.


Assumption Keys to the Game:

1. Winning the battle in the trenches.
2. Score when in the red zone
3. Establish the running game to stretch the field.
4. Making a play or two on special teams.


So who wins and why?

These teams are very evenly matched as both teams have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. The Bowie State defense is very good and will look to slow down a very good Assumption offense. The Assumption defense will need to battle in the trenches against a Bowie State team that is much bigger than they are on paper.

So this game will come down to a late game changer. Assumption stepped up last week in a similar situation while Bowie State struggled down the stretch against a seasoned Winston-Salem State squad. This week will be no different but the big play will come in special teams. It has been the hallmark of the Greyhounds this year and it will win them the game this week.


Prediction: Assumption 24 Bowie State 20