September 2nd, 2026 7:30pm
Week Zero Recap
”How are you?
Not great, Bob!”
This wasn’t a great first week for the LSC in non-conference games. The conference went 3-6, with the best win being Western Oregon’s nail-biter at Colorado Mines, and the worst loss has to be Sul Ross State losing a sloppy effort to NAIA opponent Wayland Baptist in a game where the Lobos faded in the second half.
So how did the LSC do in their non-conference games?
Now, about last week:
New Mexico Highlands wins at home over Eastern New Mexico 35-34
Art Briles wasn’t going to go out without a fight when he came back to coaching college football, so when the choice was there to be made, he went for the win. His ENMU Greyhounds, in a game that saw 4 ties and 5 lead changes, drew within 35-34 on a 6-yard pass from Clifton Cooper to Jose Trevino (who caught two touchdown passes) with 1:34 left in the game. Briles, with an almost completely remade roster, called for a fake extra point play to win it. Placekicker Clayton Vincent’s dash for victory came up short and New Mexico Highlands held on after recovering the ENMU onside kick attempt and running out the clock.
This was a back-and forth game the entire way, with ENMU answering every Highlands score, but the Greyhounds never had the lead, they just tied it four times. Briles ran an open audition for the quarterback position, with four quarterbacks throwing passes and two, Clifton Cooper and Lake Bennett, leading ENMU in rushing yards with 56 and 41. Jake South was ENMU’s passing quarterback, completing 11 of 18 passes for 148 yards. Highlands only used one quarterback, but Kadyn Parr was plenty effective, completing 14 of 20 passes for 224 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception. Parr also had a 13-yard touchdown run to put Highlands up 28-21 in the third quarter. In the end, ENMU showed a lot of fight and coach Briles thought enough of his team to go for the win late, but they came up just short.
https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2026/08/26/sports/enmus-late-gamble-fails-to-pay-off/234093.html
New Mexico Highlands improves to 1-0 and Eastern New Mexico falls to 0-1.
Western New Mexico wins at Adans State 62-45
I had a feeling defense would be optional in this one, and for once I was right. A back-and-forth (and sloppy) first half saw WNMU take a 25-21 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Devon Nofoa-Masoe with 38 seconds left in the first half. Despite Adams State’s best efforts, they couldn’t make up the deficit despite scoring 24 points in the second half. It was the Adams State defense that let them down, allowing WNMU to score 37 points in the second half and 62 for the game. The Grizzlies couldn’t make a stop when it matters…well, they barely could make any stops period.
This game was a throwback, dominated not in the air, but on the ground. The teams combined for 1204 yards of offense, with 961 of those yards on the ground (WNMU 485 yards and ASU 476 yards). WNMU quarterback Jase Ashley only threw for 92 yards on 7 of 18 passes (not typical for recent WNMU teams), but he did have two touchdown passes. Nofoa-Masoe ran for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns for WNMU. Texas A&M-Kingsville transfer Andre Branch was player of the game in the loss, rushing for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns for Adams State.
Western New Mexico improves to 1-0 and Adams State falls to 0-1.
Fort Hays State wins at Angelo State 35-14
The winner of this game – the Fort Hays State defense. Angelo State didn’t have a drive of more than 29 yards until the start of the fourth quarter, when Cameron Dischler scored his second touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run to cap a 7-play, 62-yard drive to bring Angelo State to within 21-14. But the success of the Fort Hays defense (and the failure of the Angelo State offense) forced the Ram defense to stay on the field to the tune of 37 minutes, and by that point of the game they couldn’t hold up anymore. Two Fort Hays touchdowns and a turnover on downs and interception on Angelo State’s final two drives sealed the game for the Tigers.
Fort Hays State outgained ASU by 440 to 227 yards, leading in rushing yards by 211 to 92 yards and passing yards by 229 to 135 yards. Major Cantrell was solid, throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown and an interception. AG Floyd added 96 yards and a touchdown along with many big runs to keep drives going. Ayden Arp’s struggles mirrored those of the ASU offense, throwing for 135 yards on 13 of 23 passes with an interception.
Fort Hays State improves to 1-0 and Angelo State falls to 0-1.
#11 Western Colorado wins at West Texas A&M 52-21
Big plays were the story of this game. Western Colorado had them, West Texas A&M didn’t. Western Colorado’s first seven drives – three touchdowns, a field goal, and two punts. The Buffaloes’ first seven drives before they finally scored – three punts, two turnovers on downs, a fumble, and a missed field goal. WCU scored on 8 of 9 drives (7 touchdowns and a field goal) from late in the first quarter through late in the third quarter, with a kneel-down at halftime being the only time they didn’t score in that span. The Buffaloes didn’t score until they were down 38-0, which was a scoring rampage that began when WTAMU decided to go for the game’s first points on fourth-and-goal from the WCU 1-yard line and Knox Porter was sacked for a 3-yard loss. Even though Porter threw for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns, two Buffaloes (Trace Clarkson and JB Mitchell) had over 100 receiving yards, they didn’t finish their drives. WCU did finish their drives and then some. WCU was led by quarterback Josiah Roy, who threw for 268 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 9 of 11 passes. Ouch.
Western Colorado improves to 1-0 and West Texas A&M falls to 0-1.
#14 Western Oregon wins at Colorado Mines 22-20
I said in the preview for this game that this game should circled since this would be a possible elimination game if these teams were close to a playoff spot. It was also a significant game because, in my opinion, Western Oregon still has to prove that last year wasn’t some fluke year and they are a legitimate competitor. Now, while Colorado Mines isn’t the national title competitor of recent years, they are still a strong team and if a few plays in their losses last season went their way, they would have been a playoff team.
WOU rode a strong defensive line and some opportunistic plays to go up 16-7 at halftime. The Wolves scored on their first drive of the game to go up 6-0 on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Jordan McCarty to Jayden Burns. They would go up 13-0 in he second quarter after a botched Mines punt snap was recovered by WOU and Carson Workman scored from two yards out. Mines would get one score back on a 39-yard touchdown catch and run by Pierce Richards (who had 18 catches for 159 yards) to make the score 13-7. WOU would add a field goal to take a 16-7 lead into halftime.
The Wolves came out flat in the third quarter, which was dominated by Mines, who scored 10 points to go into the fourth quarter with a 17-16 lead. WOU got their bearing back in the fourth quarter when Burns caught his second touchdown to take the lead back at 22-17 with 10 minutes left in the game. The Wolves defense, on the ropes most of the second half, bent but didn’t break when a Mines drive that would take the lead back was stopped at the WOU 6-yard line, forcing Mines to kick a field goal to cut the WOU lead to 22-20 with just under 5 minutes left. The WOU ground game (197 yards on the game) and a Mines personal foul penalty on a game-deciding fourth down at the Mines 20-yard line let the Wolves run out the clock and get out of Golden with the win.
Western Oregon improves to 1-0 and Colorado Mines falls to 0-1.
Midwestern State wins at home against Missouri Southern 30-23
Midwestern State was in danger of seeing this game get off the rails early when quarterback Kaden Brown was intercepted by Noah Conner on the first drive of the game. Missouri Southern would score a field goal when they took the ball and then a touchdown the next time they had the ball on a 38-yard pass from Tillman Martin to Isaiah Green to go up 9-0. But then the tide of the game turned when MSU’s Jack Oliver blocked the extra point kick and Ethan Dishman returned the ball 88 yards to get the defensive two-point conversion to make the score 9-2 and wake up the listless Mustangs. The defensive score was the first points of a 30-0 MSU scoring run that put the Mustangs up 30-9 to start the fourth quarter. The Lions would fight back with two fourth-quarter touchdowns to get to a 30-23 score and get the ball back with 3:02 left in the game with a chance to tie, but the Mustangs forced a three-and-out and ran out all but one second left of the last 2:27 of the game, where a Tillman desperation pass was intercepted to seal it.
In his first start for MSU, Brown looked like a keeper, completing 32 of 38 passes for 390 yards, 2 touchdowns, and the early interception. Lions receiver Isaiah Green led all receivers with 84 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Midwestern State improves to 1-0 and Missouri Southern falls to 0-1.
Texas-Rio Grande Valley wins at home against #18 Texas-Permian Basin 44-0
Honestly, I would have had more to say if this game was close, but this was simply a case of a solid Division 1 team using its superior talent and depth to dominate over a Division 2 team in transition to a new head coach. UTRGV scored early and often, held UTPB to 165 yards of offense (with only 13 rushing yards) while gaining 675 yards themselves. UTRGV simply did what they had to do and got out with a win.
For UTPB, Nate Tenbarge threw for 151 yards on 14 of 34 passes with two interceptions, while both UTRGV quarterbacks who played had better overall numbers. Now after this week’s bludgeoning at the hands of an upper-division opponent, UTPB gets a week off before entering the soft underbelly of their schedule.
Texas-Rio Grande Valley improves to 1-0 and Texas-Permian Basin falls to 0-1.
Wayland Baptist wins at Sul Ross State 34-20
The first half of this game was a defensive battle, with Wayland Baptist holding a 7-6 lead at halftime on a 10-yard run by Malik White. Then the Pioneers took full advantage of a nightmare third quarter for the Sul Ross punting team. First, punter Jason Maltos had his punt blocked at the Sul Ross 34-yard line and Jaxson Pearcoats returned it for a touchdown to give WBU a 14-6 lead. Then on the next Sul Ross drive, Maltos was left out to dry and was dropped at the Sul Ross 7, giving the Pioneers prime field position where Sul Ross transfer Kye Callicoate (10 of 16 passes for 153 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions) scored two plays later on a 3-yard run to put WBU up 21-6. A 59-yard touchdown pass from Callicoatte to Omarion Dumas put the Pioneers up 28-6 and that was it. The Lobos did outscore WBU 14-13 in the fourth quarter, but those 14 points came after they found themselves down 34-6.
Lost in this game was a strong effort by the Sul Ross passing game. Will Howell completed 24 of 38 passes for 263 yards, a touchdown, and an interception and Will Craven caught 9 balls for 105 yards to lead all receivers. But it was those special teams mistakes that doomed the Lobos. Clean them up and they have a chance next week.
Wayland Baptist improves to 1-0 and Sul Ross State falls to 0-1.
#6 Northwest Missouri State wins at Texas A&M-Kingsville 48-3
Well, it didn’t take Northwest Missouri State much time at all to get the machine back running at full force, didn’t it? This game was, unfortunately for TAMUK, not much of a contest the whole way. The Javelinas didn’t score their first points until less than 5 minutes left in the first half and they were already down 17-0. To add insult to injury, those points, on a Daniel Gauna 36-yard field goal, were TAMUK’s only points of the game. NWMSU would outscore TAMUK 24-0 in the second half for the final score.
The Bearcats outgained TAMUK by 476 to 179 yards and held TAMUK to under 100 rushing and under 100 passing yards. Mills Dawson threw for just 99 yards for TAMUK, and no other Javelina would gain more than 48 individual yards. Te’Shaun Porter led all rushers with 100 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Jaidyn Doss led all receivers with 71 receiving yards. NWMSU earned points on 7 of their 11 drives, while TAMUK had 7 punts on their 12 drives.
Northwest Missouri State improves to 1-0 and Texas A&M-Kingsville falls to 0-1.
LSC Week Zero Standings
School | LSC | Overall | |
|---|---|---|---|
Midwestern State | 0-0 | 1-0 | |
Western New Mexico | 0-0 | 1-0 | |
Western Oregon | 0-0 | 1-0 | |
Angelo State | 0-0 | 0-1 | |
Eastern New Mexico | 0-0 | 0-1 | |
Sul Ross State | 0-0 | 0-1 | |
Texas A&M-Kingsville | 0-0 | 0-1 | |
Texas-Permian Basin | 0-0 | 0-1 | |
West Texas A&M | 0-0 | 0-1 | |
Central Washington | 0-0 | 0-0 | |
New Mexico Three-Way Dance of Doom Standings
School | Record |
|---|---|
New Mexico Highlands | 1-0 |
Western New Mexico | 0-0 |
Eastern New Mexico | 0-1 |
Week 1 Preview
What do we have going on this week?
The following games are on Thursday, September 3. All game times are in the Central time zone.
West Texas A&M (0-1) at #7 Grand Valley State (GLIAC, 1-0), 6:00 PM
Series History: Grand Valley State leads 3-0
Last meeting: 2013 (Grand Valley State won 35-28)
LSC versus GLIAC – Round 1.
Hate to break it to you, Buffs, but Western Colorado was supposed to be the easier of your non-conference games. This week is at another level. Don’t believe me? Just ask your athletic director, who spent most of his pre-professional and professional life at the very school you’re traveling to this week. This is one of the few teams in the entire country that dares to stand to up to the Ferris State terminator, being responsible for the only Ferris State playoff loss in the last 5 seasons along with their only conference losses going back to the 2017 season when Ashland was the last team not named GVSU to win against Ferris in conference. But this isn’t about Ferris State (by the way, good luck with that next week, CWU), this is about the GVSU Lakers, who themselves are a top-notch team and host the Buffaloes this week in Division 2’s largest stadium. GVSU won their game at MEC potential front-runner Charleston 38-10 last week, turning a 14-10 GVSU halftime lead on its head and winning going away with a 24-0 second half.
In the GVSU victory over Charleston, Andrew Schuster led the offense with 244 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Kelln Reed was his top target, catching 5 passes for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns with a long reception of 45 yards. Brady Drogosh and Paschal Anyanwu combined for 158 rushing yards and a touchdown. Linebackers Elijah Baker and Keegan Sell led GVSU with 5 tackles each. The Lakers were particularly dangerous in the second half, where they had drives of 7, 8, 9, and 11 plays and held the ball for 34:31 of the game. WT is going to need to prevent the big plays, match GVSU’s physical front lines, and finish their drives with points earlier in the game than last week. Unfortunately, it’s probably a bit too much to ask of them this week against this opponent. Grand Valley State by 17 points.
Angelo State (0-1) at #10 Western Colorado (RMAC, 1-0), 7:00 PM
Series History: Angelo State leads 8-0
Last meeting: 2015 (Angelo State won 48-20)
LSC versus RMAC – Round 5.
Just like with West Texas A&M, Fort Hays State was supposed to be Angelo State’s easier non-conference game, and now they get to face the same Western Colorado team that just steamrolled the Buffaloes. Angelo State heads to 7723 feet above sea level to face a Mountaineers team that will be much better than the past WCU teams the Rams have faced in their previous 8 meetings, all ASU wins.
Angelo State’s biggest concern must be keeping the offense on the field. Ayden Arp and the Rams offense spent far too much time on the sidelines as the ASU defense spent 37:05 on the field and the Fort Hays State offense took full advantage of it with a strong second half. Western Colorado, even with all the big plays that took WT out of their game, still held the ball for nearly 34 minutes of the game and gained nearly 500 yards of offense. If Angelo State has a similar game to last week, the result won’t be the same, it will be much worse, and not just because of the team, but also the altitude. I think the Rams move the ball better, but I’m not sure it will be enough to leave Gunnison with a win. Western Colorado by 14 points.
New Mexico Highlands (RMAC, 1-0) at Western New Mexico (1-0), 7:00 PM
Series History: Series tied 36-36-5
Last meeting: 2025 (New Mexico Highlands won 69-55)
LSC versus RMAC – Round 6.
Round 2 of the New Mexico Three-Way Dance of Doom.
La Batalla Bowl 2026.
WNMU took full advantage of the Adams State defense to win a 62-45 shootout, while Highlands held on to win over ENMU. Last year’s game was a mountain shootout won on the legs of Jeffery Jones, who had 385 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns to offset Connor Ackerley’s 529 passing yards and 7 touchdowns for WNMU. Well, neither of those players (and a whole host of other players) are no longer on their respective rosters. Also, WNMU won with their running game? What kind of sorcery is this?
Even with the win, WNMU still gave up 45 points to an Adams State team currently on a 2 and a half-season losing streak, which tells me there are still some significant deficiencies on defense. Highlands, even with a new bunch of skill players, looked like a better team than Adams State and made enough plays on defense to beat ENMU, so I’m leaning towards the Cowboys. Both teams should move the ball well and this should be another high-scoring affair like last year, maybe not 69-55, but maybe somewhere in the 40’s. New Mexico Highlands by 7 points.
The following games are on Saturday, September 5.
Midwestern State (1-0) at #25 Michigan Tech (GLIAC, 1-0), 12:00 PM
Series History: Midwestern State leads 1-0
Last meeting: 2022 (Midwestern State won 28-21)
LSC versus GLIAC – Round 2.
This game is the return visit from one of the best games of the 2022 season, where MSU won a thriller in Wichita Falls when Melik Owens won the game with a 52-yard pick-six to cap a 21-point fourth quarter that turned a 21-7 deficit to a 28-21 win. MSU won last week in a game where they might have taken the foot off the gas too early and let Missouri Southern back in the game, but they still got the win.
Michigan Tech held on for dear life at Bemidji State, nearly blowing a 31-14 lead in the fourth quarter to win 31-29. The win got the Huskies into the top 25 this week at number 25. Michigan Tech was picked a distant third in the GLIAC preseason poll behind GVSU and Ferris State. Like MSU last week, MTU was up big and they got sloppy in the fourth quarter. They scored their four touchdowns on four long drives of 75, 60, 65, and 56 yards. Quarterback Elliott Larner threw for 153 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns. Nic Nora was their top receiver with 4 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Larner’s twin brother Abram also caught a touchdown last week. Linebacker Chase Koch led the Huskies with 11 tackles and is one of the top defenders in the GLIAC.
The Mustangs need to be efficient with their drives and maintain their defensive intensity the entire way. Michigan Tech is a solid team, with 7 wins each of the last two seasons, so it’s going to be MSU that needs to show that they are ready for this level of competition. MSU might have something going in the right direction, but I’m not sure this is the week they break through with a big win. I think they keep it close for 3 quarters, but MTU pulls away to win. Michigan Tech by 14 points.
Colorado Mesa (RMAC, 0-1) at Eastern New Mexico (0-1), 3:00 PM
Series History: Colorado Mesa leads 3-1
Last meeting: 2025 (Colorado Mesa won 28-7)
LSC versus RMAC – Round 7.
Colorado Mesa couldn’t hang with #3 Minnesota State-Mankato for very long, scoring to make it 14-7 in the second quarter but eventually falling behind 38-7 in a 38-14 home loss in the battle of the Mavericks. CMU was led on offense by quarterback Liu Aumavae, who threw for 196 yards on 27 of 38 passes with a touchdown and an interception. Trek Keyworth led all CMU receivers with 5 catches for 63 yards and a touchdown, and Bronco Hartson led all rushers with 61 yards on the ground. Linebacker LaMarcus Reed led all defenders with 14 tackles and defensive back Larry Preston broke up 2 passes and had 9 tackles. CMU was picked fifth in the RMAC preseason poll, well ahead of sixth place New Mexico Highlands.
ENMU nearly pulled out a last-minute win over New Mexico Highlands, but a two-point conversion try didn’t work out for the Greyhounds. It will be interesting who takes the most snaps at quarterback, as ENMU used three quarterbacks, one (Jake South) who was more of a passer and two others (Lake Bennett and Clifton Cooper) who were more runners. Cooper was the man with the ball in the fourth quarter and put together the potential game-winning drive late in the game. Either the ENMU coaching staff doesn’t know who they trust under center yet, or maybe this is by design. I do think that some consistency at the quarterback position will ultimately be good for ENMU, however that may be. John Madden did say that if you have two quarterbacks, that you don’t really have any, so future weeks will show what the plan is. That being said, the more veteran Colorado Mesa team should have a slight edge over ENMU on the road, but this one might be pretty close. Colorado Mesa by 7 points.
#14 Western Oregon (1-0) at Southern Oregon (NAIA – Frontier Conference, 1-0), 3:00 PM
Series History: Western Oregon leads 47-25
Last meeting: 2025 (Western Oregon won 27-7)
LSC versus NAIA – Round 2.
Western Oregon makes the return trip to Southern Oregon to meet their most frequent opponent for the seventy-third time. Interesting that WOU will be going on the road to face an NAIA opponent, but this rivalry does go back to 1932, so I guess it’s only fair for the Raiders to get a home game. WOU needs to avoid having a sloppy game like CWU had when the Wildcats last played an NAIA opponent (and lost) back in 2023. The Wolves will also need to avoid having a hangover from the big win at Colorado Mines. Guessing the fact that this is a rivalry game will ensure the Wolves won’t be looking past the Raiders despite being an NAIA squad.
Southern Oregon played at Simpson College last week, winning 38-35. The Raiders went 3-7 last season despite starting the 2025 season in the NAIA top 25, and two of those wins were against the same Simpson team they beat last week. WOU will be the first of four straight games against nationally-ranked opponents for SOU, with WOU being the only NCAA opponent. Oregon State transfer Dom Montiel runs the offense, completing 26 of 36 passes for 336 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions against Simpson. WOU transfer Fresh Ison gained 133 yards on the ground (more than he gained in his entire time at WOU as a backup) and led SOU receivers with 6 catches for 70 yards. Wide receiver Sean La Chapelle had 65 receiving yards and a touchdown. Linebacker Raiden House led the team with 11 tackles and 1 tackle for loss. It should also be mentioned that Simpson is a program in their third season in NAIA competition, and they hold an all-time record of 0-20, so take it as you will. I see an SOU team that, despite this game being a long-standing rivalry and having some obvious talent, is in big trouble here. WOU has all the advantages and should win handily, even if the final score might not necessarily look like they did. Just don’t play sloppy and put the ball on the ground, Wolves. Western Oregon by 17 points.
Texas A&M-Kingsville (0-1) at Saginaw Valley State (GLIAC, 1-0), 5:00 PM
Series History: Saginaw Valley State leads 2-1
Last meeting: 2021 (Saginaw Valley State won 13-9)
LSC versus GLIAC – Round 3.
Saginaw Valley State was picked fifth in the GLIAC preseason poll. SVSU won at home against GLVC opponent McKendree 48-24 on the strength of a 27-point second quarter. Connor Wolf only needed 14 completions to throw for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns. JT Webber (107 yards) and Matt Vaughn (102 yards and 2 touchdowns) each had over 100 receiving yards and Devin Miles ran for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Texas A&M-Kingsville needs to have a better start and not have one drive of more than 38 yards over the entire game (and that drive ended in a lost fumble). Mills Dawson threw 32 passes last week and still only managed 99 passing yards and 2 interceptions against one of the nation’s top defenses. Some early completions and just some first downs in general would help build the Javelinas’ overall confidence and give the defense a chance to stay off the field and not be worn out by the opposing offense. Will TAMUK have a better game this week? I expect so, but they need to do quite a bit to prove that they can succeed against a team that last season beat Grand Valley State and had Ferris State on the ropes before losing in overtime. Saginaw Valley State by 10 points.
#8 Central Washington at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (Division 1 FCS – Big Sky Conference, 1-0), 7:00 PM
Series History: Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo leads 1-0
Last meeting: 1996 (Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo won 49-14)
LSC versus FCS – Round 2.
Central Washington gets to be the Division 2 sacrifice to Cal Poly this season after a two-year run with Western Oregon. The Mustangs were picked eleventh in the 13-team Big Sky Conference preseason poll. Cal Poly won over Idaho in a 38-34 shootout on a 34-yard Hail Mary pass with 11 seconds left on a night where Cal Poly honored alum and all-time great John Madden (see, it wasn’t just Weird Al who went there!). Anthony Grisgby Jr. was brilliant at quarterback, completing 25 of 36 passes for 319 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran for 62 yards and another touchdown and will be the main target of the CWU defense. Grisgby found Tayvion McCoy 10 times for 170 yards to lead all Cal Poly receivers, including catching the game-winning touchdown. The Mustangs were up 21-10 before Idaho stormed back in the second half to have leads of 31-24 and 34-31 before the miracle pass.
Now this is something that is a bit weird to say given Cal Poly being a Division 1 opponent, but relatively speaking this is CWU’s “easier” nonconference game, but that’s what happens when next week you face a team that has won the national championship 4 of the last 5 seasons. But more on that next week. Since this is CWU’s first game (and they just posted their roster!), there are still going to be some questions like who will start at quarterback, with Caleb Christensen and Kolton Matson the most experienced returning players. The deep running back room returns Justice Taylor, Ryder Bumgarner, Antoine Lee, and KiMaree Washington. Samaje Featherstone is the team’s top returning receiver. Linebacker Brycen Indell is the team’s top defender and the LSC preseason defensive player of the year.
CWU needs to have some strength in the trenches to have a chance here. Get the running game going because of the uncertainty at quarterback and at receiver, since I don’t really know what the CWU receivers are truly capable of due to Kennedy McGill being more of a runner than passer last year. Facing a Division 1 opponent, followed by what is basically another Division 1 opponent in Division 2 clothing, doesn’t seem to me to be the best way to break in a new coaching staff and new players at key positions like quarterback. I think CWU can keep the game close for a half (WOU also did in one of the meetings with Cal Poly), but I’d feel more optimistic about CWU if they had a game under their belts. Also, Division 1 teams tend to wear down their Division 2 counterparts, which I see happening here. Cal Poly by 10 points.
Adams State (RMAC, 0-1) at Sul Ross State (0-1), 7:00 PM
Series History: Adams State leads 2-0
Last meeting: 1948 (Adams State won 34-24)
LSC versus RMAC – Round 8.
I’m not going to pull any punches here, but oh man is this one going to be rough. Adams State gave up 62 points in a home loss to WNMU last week, and Sul Ross State’s special teams let them down in a home loss to a middle-of-the-road NAIA squad by two touchdowns, and that was after a late attempt at a rally. This is going to be up there (or down there, depending on your point of view) with games like the Pace versus St. Anselm games that I dared to follow when my alma mater was in the Northeast-10 Conference and those teams were at or near the bottom of every bad statistic in Division 2 football. Paul Falewicz, wherever you are, I’m so sorry you had to cover those games.
I guess the biggest question I can pull from this game has to be who is going to end their extended losing streak, since this week is likely both team’s best shot at doing so. The Adams State losing streak now sits at 29 games, while Sul Ross’ losing streak is at 14 games. Now if Adams State loses this week, maybe their next best shot at ending their losing streak is the Fort Lewis game (it’s November 14 if you’re curious). The bottom line here is when you’re Adams State and you score 45 points and give up over 60 points to a team that also gave up nearly 60 points a game last season in WNMU, then you have a serious problem. Now for Sul Ross, even with the level of opponent the Lobos lost to last week, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wayland Baptist could hold their own for at least a half against a team like WNMU or Adams State. So I’m taking the Lobos here just because I think the Sul Ross defense is just a hair better than the Adams State defense. Got a feeling this game’s going to end with something like a 60-57 score. Sul Ross State by 3 points.
Texas-Permian Basin has the week off.