October 10th, 2000 12:00am
He called it an "ambush". That's what IUP's coach Frank Cignetti feared awaited his team when it went to Bloomsburg last weekend. And what an ambush it was.
In post game interviews Cignetti found no redeeming factors in his team's 38-14 losing performance. Cignetti had worried all week his troops were not mentally ready to prepare. His worst fears were confirmed early when IUP quickly fell behind 17-0. Later with the score 24-14 IUP successfully forced Bloomsburg to punt after getting nowhere on three tries from scrimmage. Instead of taking advantage of the momentum, which had moved IUP's way, it punted back to Bloomsburg. On a third and 26, IUP's back was broken when running back Marques Glaze went virtually untouched for a 40-yard touchdown run.
But the IUP loss was only one of several upsets last weekend. Carson-Newman was shocked when South Atlantic Conference foe Presbyterian eked out a 45-42 win over Carson-Newman.
Minus its star running back, Josh Ranek, South Dakota State's potential North Central Conference title challenge was derailed when it fell to Minnesota-Mankato 21-17.
North Dakota State needed a late-game 51-yard run by Lamar Gordon to come from behind to beat Augustana.
Slippery Rock likewise escaped from Shippensburg but not before being forced to overcome a 21-3 deficit to end up winning 28-21.
The mid-season turmoil continues this weekend.
IUP hosts Shippensburg in what many people view as a must-win situation. IUP still controls its own playoff fate, although it already may have forfeited its chance to play at home throughout the playoffs. The focus now is on maintaining any playoff spot. A loss to Shippensburg, although not necessarily fatal, would deal IUP a severe blow.
Shippensburg on the other hand must overcome an emotional letdown after last week's loss to the Rock, but SHIPP has a motivation. Last year IUP wrecked SHIPP's playoff chances in the final game of the season.
North Dakota State and South Dakota State square off for the week's top game. South Dakota needs a win to preserve any realistic chance to win the NCC title while North Dakota State needs a win to fend of a North Dakota challenge for the NCC top slot. Again, there is a possibility that South Dakota State must go without Ranek.
Quickly UC Davis is surfacing as a major title contender. A defeat of I-AA Southern Utah this weekend could put a chill down the backs of all West Region hopefuls and the rest of Division II.
Carson-Newman must and should muster a strong recovery when it meets Tusculum. For the first time in years Carson finds itself in as close to a must-win situation it has seen during the regular season in years. Catawba has proven its preseason boosters correct with its undefeated posture. A loss this weekend would put Carson in real jeopardy of ceding the South Atlantic Conference title to Catawba. In all probability, however, the Carson-Newman-Catawba October 28 stands as the likely SAC title contest.
About the only region in D-II where things are proceeding as expected is in the Mid-West MIAA conference where defending D-II champ Northwest Missouri State rolls on toward another MIAA title and a top-seeded berth in the playoffs. The Bearcats should take another successful step in their title defense when they play Missouri Southern this weekend.
The East Region is a mess. Looking forward at the remaining schedule it is conceivable that as many as seven teams could be vying for the four playoff slots. New Haven's win last weekend put it back into the mix, and Bloomsburg reestablished a possible playoff position for itself.
The South is not much better off. In addition to Carson-Newman and Catawba, Valdosta, West Georgia and Delta State are in the thick of the fight for playoff spots. All five have games remaining that could prove deadly to their hopes.
Despite the many potential playoff challengers, three teams, Northwest Missouri, North Dakota State and UC Davis seem to have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack. Of this group, NDSU probably has the greatest jeopardy. It still has several contests that could kill its playoff hopes, but good teams find a way to win ugly. NDSU did that last week. It might have been the mid-season wake up call needed to move successfully through the balance of the schedule and avoid the last-minute slip it suffered in 1999.
This week holds some significance for individual D-II players. The initial Harlon Hill nominations from D-II schools are due October 19. In contrast to the last two years, voting this season might be a bit more spirited.
At this time there does not appear to be a clear front-runner. There are some obvious candidates offensively, but none have killer stats. This could work to the advantage of some defensive players. Only one defensive player, linebacker Ronald McKinnon, has ever won the award. This year, however, Robert Garza from Texas A&M-Kingsville is a candidate. His biggest drawback might be his team's turmoil. If the Javelinas can put together a few wins Garza's chances might improve notably.
The balloting process begins November 1 when ballots will be mailed to all Division II sports information directors. They must be returned to the Award committee by November 13. The national ballots then will be mailed out and must be returned by November 27. The announcement of the winner of award will be made at the Harlon Hill Award banquet December 8, the night before the championship game in Florence Alabama.
This week's key questions seem to narrow down to the following items.
Can IUP forget last week's hapless performance and put itself back in a commanding playoff position?
Was the loss to Presbyterian a fluke or is Carson-Newman more vulnerable than anyone thought?
Is the real Division II frontrunner UC Davis or is it merely in the midst of a good pack of top D-II contenders?
Will North Dakota State stumble just at the wrong time again?
Will New Haven thrash a weak D-II opponent this week and hang onto its playoff hopes?
Will Valdosta come back from its loss to Delta State or will an emotional letdown allow it to succumb to a good Southern Arkansas team?
Will Bloomsburg feed off its big win last week and reinforce its playoff chances with a win over a good East Stroudsburg squad?
Can North Dakota avoid a major slip and come home from Greeley Colorado a winner over Northern Colorado?
Can West Liberty State keep its challenge of Shepherd for the West Virginia Conference title alive by defeating West Virginia Wesleyan?
The answers will be available by late this Saturday. Check the scores page of D2football.com throughout the day Saturday.