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The biggest week of D2 v FCS in 2023 opens with West Florida traveling 200 miles east to take on FCS ranked Florida A & M, which is followed by Ferris St. traveling 1,600 miles west to take on FCS ranked Montana.
This is the shortest road trip in school history for the Argos, who put their 2-0 D1 record and 5-1 instate record on the line. Both rosters are 2/3 Florida players with the Rattlers all D1 and the Argos just liberally sprinkled with D1 players.
The Rattlers used a balanced offense to beat Jackson State in Orlando 28-10 and committed 5 turnovers to lose to South Florida 24-38 last week. The Argos won both of their opening games by the identical score of 35-3 and the defense accomplished a rare feat in holding the run game of McEndree to a total of -32 yards.
The stat sheet favors the Argos, but that was accomplished against lesser opponents and doesn’t really offset the roster advantage of the Rattlers who were 9-2 the last two seasons against FCS opponents.
The only stat that might help the Argos pull off an upset is the turnover ratio where the Argos are +1 and the Rattlers are -3. The Rattlers main RB are all big (6’-6’2” and 200-235 lbs.) and would probably wear down the Argo D if the Rattlers can run a balanced offense and the Argo offense has too many three and outs.
To pull off an upset the Argos need some turnovers and big plays early to play from the lead and force the Rattlers to abandon their running game like they did last week against South Florida. The Argos ran a successful fake punt last week and they will need creative play calling, turnovers and a little luck to pull off an upset.
Unfortunately, the Argo offense has shown a irritating tendency to get stuck in neutral for extended periods of time against their first two opponents and that would be fatal against the Rattlers. As much as my heart says Argos, my head tells me the ranked Rattlers are a bridge too far. The Argos had to play their best game to squeak out their previous close victories against under .500 FCS opponents and a ranked FCS opponent is another level above those prior opponents.
I plan to make the drive over to Tallahassee to see this one in person just in case the Argos pull off another program first in their white Stormtroopers. In the end, Rattlers by 10.
This is the shortest road trip in school history for the Argos, who put their 2-0 D1 record and 5-1 instate record on the line. Both rosters are 2/3 Florida players with the Rattlers all D1 and the Argos just liberally sprinkled with D1 players.
The Rattlers used a balanced offense to beat Jackson State in Orlando 28-10 and committed 5 turnovers to lose to South Florida 24-38 last week. The Argos won both of their opening games by the identical score of 35-3 and the defense accomplished a rare feat in holding the run game of McEndree to a total of -32 yards.
The stat sheet favors the Argos, but that was accomplished against lesser opponents and doesn’t really offset the roster advantage of the Rattlers who were 9-2 the last two seasons against FCS opponents.
The only stat that might help the Argos pull off an upset is the turnover ratio where the Argos are +1 and the Rattlers are -3. The Rattlers main RB are all big (6’-6’2” and 200-235 lbs.) and would probably wear down the Argo D if the Rattlers can run a balanced offense and the Argo offense has too many three and outs.
To pull off an upset the Argos need some turnovers and big plays early to play from the lead and force the Rattlers to abandon their running game like they did last week against South Florida. The Argos ran a successful fake punt last week and they will need creative play calling, turnovers and a little luck to pull off an upset.
Unfortunately, the Argo offense has shown a irritating tendency to get stuck in neutral for extended periods of time against their first two opponents and that would be fatal against the Rattlers. As much as my heart says Argos, my head tells me the ranked Rattlers are a bridge too far. The Argos had to play their best game to squeak out their previous close victories against under .500 FCS opponents and a ranked FCS opponent is another level above those prior opponents.
I plan to make the drive over to Tallahassee to see this one in person just in case the Argos pull off another program first in their white Stormtroopers. In the end, Rattlers by 10.
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