The play-in games are over and now the crowning of the champion begins.
I have to say there are some really interesting match-ups. South Dakota State gets a shot at its arch-rival North Dakota State. NDSU won this year, but a second shot should be fun to watch even if I think NDSU ought to come out on top.
Eastern Washington hosts Wagner, and Montana State hosts Stony Brook. I actually think Stony Brook with their Walter Payton award finalist has a chance here. Cal Poly travels to Sam Houston State to round out the Big Sky involvement.
Coastal Carolina comes into Old Dominion. Give the obvious edge to ODU. But New Hampshire has to travel to Wofford in probably the most interesting game of the afternoon. Wofford has their own Walter Payton finalist, but is a newer power program. This clash ought to be entertaining. How healthy Wofford is should be a factor. Can their starting QB Brian Kass go, or is he still hampered?
The other SoCon games include Appy State taking on Illinois State. It is hard to pick against the experience of App. St. and the fact they are at home. Georgia Southern also has a home game versus Central Arkansas. A couple of high powered offenses here, but it is crazy to ever pick against Georgia Southern. They are the winningest program in I-AA playoff history.
I have to say that I am excited. The fun starts at 2pm eastern time, and next week while you are bemoaning the lack of BCS football, join in the FBS fun as the winners move on.
Showing posts with label playoffs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playoffs. Show all posts
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Monday, December 19, 2011
FCS FINAL SET
The two semi-finals were all action and the rankings got it right.
I was not surprised by the NDSU victory over Georgia Southern. I still believe they will win it all. Georgia Southern was excellent all year against ground games, but struggled to stop good passing games. They barely beat a passing UTC. They lost to a passing App St. Brock Jensen was poised to take them down. Oddly enough, NDSU did it on the ground. Jensen did pass for a TD to open scoring and hit a 2 pt conversion pass later, but he was only 10 for 15. Although Jensen did a lot with his legs including a 55 yard TD run. NDSU ended up with one 100 yard rusher and two more players with 94 yards a piece (one was Jensen). Even more impressive was the fact that Swope was held under 100 yards rushing. He did get one TD early in the game, but NDSU was ready for him all day. It was a big day in the Fargo Dome for the NDSU defense.
The shocker for me was Sam Houston State taking down Montana. I thought for sure Montana was going to win this game, and I have been discounting Sam Houston most of the season. The jumped out to a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and Montana had to fight back to simply be close. Sam Houston actually had a bad day as a team. They were only 5 for 13 on 3rd down, but they did convert both their 4th down attempts. They simply road Flanders their RB to this victory. They had over 400 yards of offense, but over half of that was Flanders. He had an unbelievable 287 yards on the ground. Which by the way means the O-Line had a great game as well. I would never have thought Montana could get pushed around the way they did. His early runs including a 1st Quarter TD along with a running TD by Bell the QB made Montana vulnerable to the pass. This led to a 2nd Quarter TD where the Montana men were not ready for it. Still they were ready the next time and returned one to the house to make the half time score 28-14. Sam Houston only managed a field goal in the second half, but held on to win 31-28.
The game really turned on two key plays late in the game. Montana was marching back, and had scored to pull within three with over 10 minutes left in the game. Montana had gotten it back on a three and out, and was now in Sam Houston territory, but on a second and seven Jordan Canada ran the ball, but was stuffed for a 4 yard loss. This made a passing down, and it was incomplete. A punt with 6 minutes left made a stop important. The next big play came after Sam Houston had converted one of those 5 converted 3rd downs on a Flanders run. They responded to that big moment with a false start penalty for a 1st and 15. This was the time for Montana. A stop here and the ball is in your hands with a chance to win the game. Flanders rushes for 9. Rushes again for 5. Then he is stopped on 3rd down for no gain. It is now 4th and 1 at their own 47. Montana would not need much for a game tying field goal, and momentum would be on their side if you failed the conversion. A punt leaves it up to your Defense. They go for it and Flanders rambles off a 22 yard run. That ended the game and all hopes of Montana getting back to the finals.
NDSU versus Sam Houston State. The power conferences come up empty this year, and it is going to be a great game. NDSU just held one of the best rushers in the nation to under 100 yards. Now they face a red hot Flanders for the title on Jan. 7. Looking forward to it.
I was not surprised by the NDSU victory over Georgia Southern. I still believe they will win it all. Georgia Southern was excellent all year against ground games, but struggled to stop good passing games. They barely beat a passing UTC. They lost to a passing App St. Brock Jensen was poised to take them down. Oddly enough, NDSU did it on the ground. Jensen did pass for a TD to open scoring and hit a 2 pt conversion pass later, but he was only 10 for 15. Although Jensen did a lot with his legs including a 55 yard TD run. NDSU ended up with one 100 yard rusher and two more players with 94 yards a piece (one was Jensen). Even more impressive was the fact that Swope was held under 100 yards rushing. He did get one TD early in the game, but NDSU was ready for him all day. It was a big day in the Fargo Dome for the NDSU defense.
The shocker for me was Sam Houston State taking down Montana. I thought for sure Montana was going to win this game, and I have been discounting Sam Houston most of the season. The jumped out to a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and Montana had to fight back to simply be close. Sam Houston actually had a bad day as a team. They were only 5 for 13 on 3rd down, but they did convert both their 4th down attempts. They simply road Flanders their RB to this victory. They had over 400 yards of offense, but over half of that was Flanders. He had an unbelievable 287 yards on the ground. Which by the way means the O-Line had a great game as well. I would never have thought Montana could get pushed around the way they did. His early runs including a 1st Quarter TD along with a running TD by Bell the QB made Montana vulnerable to the pass. This led to a 2nd Quarter TD where the Montana men were not ready for it. Still they were ready the next time and returned one to the house to make the half time score 28-14. Sam Houston only managed a field goal in the second half, but held on to win 31-28.
The game really turned on two key plays late in the game. Montana was marching back, and had scored to pull within three with over 10 minutes left in the game. Montana had gotten it back on a three and out, and was now in Sam Houston territory, but on a second and seven Jordan Canada ran the ball, but was stuffed for a 4 yard loss. This made a passing down, and it was incomplete. A punt with 6 minutes left made a stop important. The next big play came after Sam Houston had converted one of those 5 converted 3rd downs on a Flanders run. They responded to that big moment with a false start penalty for a 1st and 15. This was the time for Montana. A stop here and the ball is in your hands with a chance to win the game. Flanders rushes for 9. Rushes again for 5. Then he is stopped on 3rd down for no gain. It is now 4th and 1 at their own 47. Montana would not need much for a game tying field goal, and momentum would be on their side if you failed the conversion. A punt leaves it up to your Defense. They go for it and Flanders rambles off a 22 yard run. That ended the game and all hopes of Montana getting back to the finals.
NDSU versus Sam Houston State. The power conferences come up empty this year, and it is going to be a great game. NDSU just held one of the best rushers in the nation to under 100 yards. Now they face a red hot Flanders for the title on Jan. 7. Looking forward to it.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Playoffs 2011 Quarterfinals
Just so we know Grambling St beat Alabama A&M 16 - 15 for the SWAC championship.
Sam Houston State dominated this game showing their defense was not going to collapse against a good offense. They picked off a pass, recovered fumbles, and turned them all into points. They ran a kick back on their first possession of the second half breaking Montana State in half. The running game was halted by Sam Houston State. Kirk did not even get 2 yards a run on 12 runs, and he did break an 11 yard rumble on their TD drive. The speed on Sam Houston State was impressive, but Montana State was not ready for it, and they gave up on tackling early in the second half. The #1 team won 49-13.
North Dakota State blanked Lehigh in a 24-0 win. It is going to be hard to go into Fargo and win. Brock Jensen was effective, but did not have anything great. He threw 1 TD, but it was the 200+ yards on the ground that won it for NDSU. The defense was great as they picked off 3 passes. A shut out should have been enough to show everyone that NDSU was great and is still my choice to win it all.
Georgia Southern put up 330+ yards to ensure their win. Maine had a kick return for a TD in the first quarter to keep it interesting at 14-7. However, Georgia Southern took over after that. They have a lot of offensive talent but they can give up a lot of points. Maine was not the team that was going to be able to do it, but next weeks opponent of NDSU ought to be able to do it with Jensen throwing it around.
Friday night Montana defeated Northern Iowa. The option attack was too much. Canada and Nguyen kept the running going when it was not kept by Johnson their QB. It was not close as Montana dominated the game. Their defense also picked off three passes taking one to the house as UNI ran out of the strange luck that won them the last game.
All four ranked teams advance and next week will be very entertaining.
Sam Houston State dominated this game showing their defense was not going to collapse against a good offense. They picked off a pass, recovered fumbles, and turned them all into points. They ran a kick back on their first possession of the second half breaking Montana State in half. The running game was halted by Sam Houston State. Kirk did not even get 2 yards a run on 12 runs, and he did break an 11 yard rumble on their TD drive. The speed on Sam Houston State was impressive, but Montana State was not ready for it, and they gave up on tackling early in the second half. The #1 team won 49-13.
North Dakota State blanked Lehigh in a 24-0 win. It is going to be hard to go into Fargo and win. Brock Jensen was effective, but did not have anything great. He threw 1 TD, but it was the 200+ yards on the ground that won it for NDSU. The defense was great as they picked off 3 passes. A shut out should have been enough to show everyone that NDSU was great and is still my choice to win it all.
Georgia Southern put up 330+ yards to ensure their win. Maine had a kick return for a TD in the first quarter to keep it interesting at 14-7. However, Georgia Southern took over after that. They have a lot of offensive talent but they can give up a lot of points. Maine was not the team that was going to be able to do it, but next weeks opponent of NDSU ought to be able to do it with Jensen throwing it around.
Friday night Montana defeated Northern Iowa. The option attack was too much. Canada and Nguyen kept the running going when it was not kept by Johnson their QB. It was not close as Montana dominated the game. Their defense also picked off three passes taking one to the house as UNI ran out of the strange luck that won them the last game.
All four ranked teams advance and next week will be very entertaining.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Playoffs 2011 Round 2 - preview
There are some really good games this weekend. I will give a look and my prediction.
Stony Brook vs. Sam Houston St. - Overall #1 Sam Houston should have no problem with Stony Brook. I think Sam Houston is a weak overall #1, but this is one they ought to win.
James Madison vs. North Dakota St. - #2 NDSU is really good and lost one slip up game. They have an accurate QB, and a defense that can play. I know JMU has history, but it was a four loss team.
Old Dominion vs. Georgia Southern - #3 overall Georgia Southern has the toughest opponent of any ranked team in ODU. ODU is 10-2, and used to big games coming out of the CAA. However, Georgia Southern has a rushing attack that is hard to slow down, just ask Alabama. They were number 1 most of the year, and I think they get through.
Central Arkansas vs. Montana - Montana is #4 and playing at home. It is hard to win at Montana. This is a program that has been in 7 of the 16 FCS title games. Central Arkansas looked good last weekend, but this weekend they lose.
New Hampshire vs. Montana St. - This game looks tough on paper. Montana State played well all year, and was briefly the top ranked team until they hit Montana. But New Hampshire is overrated. They avoided ODU and Delaware in the CAA, and lost to Towson and William and Mary on the road. The only big game the won was James Madison at home and an early season overtime victory at Leigh. Montana St.
Maine vs. Appalachin St. - This is not the same App St. team that lost to Wofford and was blown out by Va Tech. They changed their QB and shared the RB duties more, and since then they have looked pretty good. App. should win with ease in Boone.
Leigh vs. Towson - Leigh is on the road, but they have been over looked most of the season. They are on a 9 game win streak, and they beat Yale and Princeton pretty ease this year. Their only loss is the aforementioned overtime loss to New Hampshire. I just don't have faith that surprising Towson can keep it up. Leigh in the upset.
Wofford vs. Northern Iowa - This game is also interesting. UNI had a great season that included only a loss to NDSU and Iowa St both of which were close (a combined total of 9 points). They did struggle in the last game of the season and have to pull out an OT win over a good Illinois State team. They also beat SF Austin on the road, which is a good win. They are battle tested. However, Wofford has a hard to read rushing attack that has not been stopped often this year. They are senior laden in the D-Line and in their rushing attack. They were here last year and won on the road in the playoffs. So I am going with the upset with Wofford. But then again I am an alum.
Enjoy!
Stony Brook vs. Sam Houston St. - Overall #1 Sam Houston should have no problem with Stony Brook. I think Sam Houston is a weak overall #1, but this is one they ought to win.
James Madison vs. North Dakota St. - #2 NDSU is really good and lost one slip up game. They have an accurate QB, and a defense that can play. I know JMU has history, but it was a four loss team.
Old Dominion vs. Georgia Southern - #3 overall Georgia Southern has the toughest opponent of any ranked team in ODU. ODU is 10-2, and used to big games coming out of the CAA. However, Georgia Southern has a rushing attack that is hard to slow down, just ask Alabama. They were number 1 most of the year, and I think they get through.
Central Arkansas vs. Montana - Montana is #4 and playing at home. It is hard to win at Montana. This is a program that has been in 7 of the 16 FCS title games. Central Arkansas looked good last weekend, but this weekend they lose.
New Hampshire vs. Montana St. - This game looks tough on paper. Montana State played well all year, and was briefly the top ranked team until they hit Montana. But New Hampshire is overrated. They avoided ODU and Delaware in the CAA, and lost to Towson and William and Mary on the road. The only big game the won was James Madison at home and an early season overtime victory at Leigh. Montana St.
Maine vs. Appalachin St. - This is not the same App St. team that lost to Wofford and was blown out by Va Tech. They changed their QB and shared the RB duties more, and since then they have looked pretty good. App. should win with ease in Boone.
Leigh vs. Towson - Leigh is on the road, but they have been over looked most of the season. They are on a 9 game win streak, and they beat Yale and Princeton pretty ease this year. Their only loss is the aforementioned overtime loss to New Hampshire. I just don't have faith that surprising Towson can keep it up. Leigh in the upset.
Wofford vs. Northern Iowa - This game is also interesting. UNI had a great season that included only a loss to NDSU and Iowa St both of which were close (a combined total of 9 points). They did struggle in the last game of the season and have to pull out an OT win over a good Illinois State team. They also beat SF Austin on the road, which is a good win. They are battle tested. However, Wofford has a hard to read rushing attack that has not been stopped often this year. They are senior laden in the D-Line and in their rushing attack. They were here last year and won on the road in the playoffs. So I am going with the upset with Wofford. But then again I am an alum.
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Playoffs 2011 Round 1
Round 1 is in the books and it was a pretty good one with a surprise or two.
The Bayou Classis, not a playoff game, went to Grambling again. They were the better team, but at least on paper it looked more competitive than in years past. 36-12 this one was out of hand pretty quick in the second half. I will leave it to you all to decide who won the Battle of the Bands.
Old Dominion won as expected and it was not all that close. Norfolk State was game early and kept it 14-7 after 1, but it was all down hill from there. ODU will advance and give their next opponent a handful for sure.
Tennessee Tech lost at home to Central Arkansas. Central Arkansas just exposed Tennessee Tech's secondary. The two freshman safety's in particular got hammered. At least twice they were just beat for long touchdowns. One was a trick play (fake reverse throw back to the reversee), so maybe they can be forgiven for that one, but they gave up a costly one on a TE post where no one was around and he was behind everyone. Central Arkansas shut down the run game. Their best receiver got an ankle sprain. He returned and made some wonderful catches, but his being out hurt their game. Tennessee Tech is going to be back next year with a more experienced secondary and a senior QB (Lamb), who looked pretty good throwing.
Stony Brook shocked the world when it won as well. Albany was up 21-10 at half and scored first in the second half to go up 28-10. Stony Brook put together a drive featuring Jackoiski, who ran it in. Then a quick TD on a pass to Jackoiski for a 55 yard TD really changed the game. That meant the 4th quarter was up for grabs and a defensive struggle. Jackoiski ran it from 11 yards out to grab a 31-28 lead with 12 minutes to go. No one scored again as the D held up for both teams. Jackoiski had a great game and over 100 yards with 3 TDs. Maysonet also ran the ball 22 times for 75 yards as Stony Brook wore down Albany with their run game.
Eastern Kentucky lost at home to James Madison. They had the half time lead (10-7). The lead at the end of the 3rd Quarter (17-10), and were up 17-7 with under 30 seconds to go in the 3rd Quarter. But James Madison's experience in the playoffs showed in the 4th Quarter. Overall the game was controlled by the James Madison defense. They controlled the game. Eastern Kentucky's star running back Matt Denham did get 125 yards, but 66 were on one scamper. They only converted 1 third down. JMU put up just enough offense to win.
A bad week for the Ohio Valley Conference and a good one for the CAA. Still I don't expect any of these teams to win next week with ODU being the best team going forward.
The Bayou Classis, not a playoff game, went to Grambling again. They were the better team, but at least on paper it looked more competitive than in years past. 36-12 this one was out of hand pretty quick in the second half. I will leave it to you all to decide who won the Battle of the Bands.
Old Dominion won as expected and it was not all that close. Norfolk State was game early and kept it 14-7 after 1, but it was all down hill from there. ODU will advance and give their next opponent a handful for sure.
Tennessee Tech lost at home to Central Arkansas. Central Arkansas just exposed Tennessee Tech's secondary. The two freshman safety's in particular got hammered. At least twice they were just beat for long touchdowns. One was a trick play (fake reverse throw back to the reversee), so maybe they can be forgiven for that one, but they gave up a costly one on a TE post where no one was around and he was behind everyone. Central Arkansas shut down the run game. Their best receiver got an ankle sprain. He returned and made some wonderful catches, but his being out hurt their game. Tennessee Tech is going to be back next year with a more experienced secondary and a senior QB (Lamb), who looked pretty good throwing.
Stony Brook shocked the world when it won as well. Albany was up 21-10 at half and scored first in the second half to go up 28-10. Stony Brook put together a drive featuring Jackoiski, who ran it in. Then a quick TD on a pass to Jackoiski for a 55 yard TD really changed the game. That meant the 4th quarter was up for grabs and a defensive struggle. Jackoiski ran it from 11 yards out to grab a 31-28 lead with 12 minutes to go. No one scored again as the D held up for both teams. Jackoiski had a great game and over 100 yards with 3 TDs. Maysonet also ran the ball 22 times for 75 yards as Stony Brook wore down Albany with their run game.
Eastern Kentucky lost at home to James Madison. They had the half time lead (10-7). The lead at the end of the 3rd Quarter (17-10), and were up 17-7 with under 30 seconds to go in the 3rd Quarter. But James Madison's experience in the playoffs showed in the 4th Quarter. Overall the game was controlled by the James Madison defense. They controlled the game. Eastern Kentucky's star running back Matt Denham did get 125 yards, but 66 were on one scamper. They only converted 1 third down. JMU put up just enough offense to win.
A bad week for the Ohio Valley Conference and a good one for the CAA. Still I don't expect any of these teams to win next week with ODU being the best team going forward.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Playoffs 2011
The season is over and brackets released.
No surprise Sam Houston State is the top seed and North Dakota St. comes in as the second seed. Georgia Southern is the #3 seed thanks to Montana beating Montana State this weekend. And they did not just beat them, they thumped them. That gave the #4 seed to Montana, but Montana State could earn a possible rematch if they make it to the Semi-Finals.
Two things stand out as I look at this bracket. First is how many CAA teams made it in what I thought was a down year for the conference over all. Towsen was in as the champs, but their second game will be against ND St. Not a good draw. New Hampshire frankly had a better draw and will play Montana State in round one, but has to travel so it kind of evens out. Maine probably deserved to get in, but in my opinion that should have been a close call. They start with App St. Old Dominion got in, and I thought they would, but they have to play in round one. They do host round one. Then James Madison got in. Now, I don't think they deserved to get in. They travel in round one to Eastern Kentucky. I thought the CAA would be three deep, but not five. Some polls had Delaware higher than James Madison. I am not sure why they got in. Liberty, Jackson State, Harvard, and Illinois State have legitimate gripes tonight at James Madison.
The other thing that stuck out was how weak the top part of the bracket turns out to be. Sam Houston State is a bit of a soft overall #1. They deserve it as the lone undefeated, but I don't actually think they are a better team than North Dakota State or Georgia Southern. Don't be surprised if they are the first ranked team to go down. Their next game would be against Montana State or New Hampshire. Two teams that suffered major defeats at the end of the season that might just be demoralizing. The Big Sky was weak this year, and New Hampshire lost some big games especially on the road. Northern Iowa is the 5th ranked team playing Wofford. Wofford lost huge against Georgia Southern late in the year (but did rally to beat UTC on the road), and Northern Iowa lost their big game. Montana plays the winner of Tennessee Tech/Central Arkansas. Again Montana is not a team that played a lot of great teams this year since the Big Sky was down. And they lost one of those games. Montana is probably the second best team in this group, and maybe the best. It is a weak grouping.
Compare it to the bottom bracket than has Three time champ App State as an unranked team. It has one time champ James Madison in a play in game. It has a 9-2 ODU squad in their play in (first round) game playing another 9-2 Norfolk State team. The CAA champ Towsen is in that grouping, as is 10-1 Leigh. Five time champ Georgia Southern and recent power house North Dakota State (who beat Minnesota this year) are also in this group. It is insane.
The fun begins next weekend. I am ready to watch.
No surprise Sam Houston State is the top seed and North Dakota St. comes in as the second seed. Georgia Southern is the #3 seed thanks to Montana beating Montana State this weekend. And they did not just beat them, they thumped them. That gave the #4 seed to Montana, but Montana State could earn a possible rematch if they make it to the Semi-Finals.
Two things stand out as I look at this bracket. First is how many CAA teams made it in what I thought was a down year for the conference over all. Towsen was in as the champs, but their second game will be against ND St. Not a good draw. New Hampshire frankly had a better draw and will play Montana State in round one, but has to travel so it kind of evens out. Maine probably deserved to get in, but in my opinion that should have been a close call. They start with App St. Old Dominion got in, and I thought they would, but they have to play in round one. They do host round one. Then James Madison got in. Now, I don't think they deserved to get in. They travel in round one to Eastern Kentucky. I thought the CAA would be three deep, but not five. Some polls had Delaware higher than James Madison. I am not sure why they got in. Liberty, Jackson State, Harvard, and Illinois State have legitimate gripes tonight at James Madison.
The other thing that stuck out was how weak the top part of the bracket turns out to be. Sam Houston State is a bit of a soft overall #1. They deserve it as the lone undefeated, but I don't actually think they are a better team than North Dakota State or Georgia Southern. Don't be surprised if they are the first ranked team to go down. Their next game would be against Montana State or New Hampshire. Two teams that suffered major defeats at the end of the season that might just be demoralizing. The Big Sky was weak this year, and New Hampshire lost some big games especially on the road. Northern Iowa is the 5th ranked team playing Wofford. Wofford lost huge against Georgia Southern late in the year (but did rally to beat UTC on the road), and Northern Iowa lost their big game. Montana plays the winner of Tennessee Tech/Central Arkansas. Again Montana is not a team that played a lot of great teams this year since the Big Sky was down. And they lost one of those games. Montana is probably the second best team in this group, and maybe the best. It is a weak grouping.
Compare it to the bottom bracket than has Three time champ App State as an unranked team. It has one time champ James Madison in a play in game. It has a 9-2 ODU squad in their play in (first round) game playing another 9-2 Norfolk State team. The CAA champ Towsen is in that grouping, as is 10-1 Leigh. Five time champ Georgia Southern and recent power house North Dakota State (who beat Minnesota this year) are also in this group. It is insane.
The fun begins next weekend. I am ready to watch.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Eastern Washington is your Champion!
What a game. I hope everyone got to watch the only real national championship on December 7th. It was one whale of a game that saw Eastern Washington come from behind for the 6th time this season to eek out a win over Delaware.
Delaware dominated the first half shutting out Eastern Washington 12-0. A missed extra point was the problem for Delaware, but the defense was amazing. Andrew Pierce was gaining his normal 5 yards a carry, and Pat Devlin was finding receivers. Nihja White in particular looked pretty good.
Delaware came out of the locker room and hung another TD on Eastern Washington and this time they got the extra point, although it was ugly. 19-0, and it stayed that way for most of the 3rd Quarter. Somewhere the Blue Hens fell back into prevent mode and they stopped rushing. Often it seemed that they rushed only 3, and they got picked a part when that happened. Soon, it was 19-13, and the Blue Hens had the ball trying to run out the clock. A curious round of play calls. They passed on first down, and it was caught, but for short gain. Clock runs. They run the ball with Pierce, who gained 4 or so, but went out of bounds. They then threw the ball again and it was dropped by Mark Schenauer. It hit in the numbers and he had the first down. It was not a good game for Schenauer, who dropped several passes, but none more important than that one. In an attempt to run the clock out the Blue Hens threw twice and ran once when Pierce was not being stopped all game. I would have preferred to see him just run three times. They probably would have gotten a first down, and the clock would have kept going. In the end, that time cost them the game.
Bo Levi Mitchell had a so-so game. But when the pressure was taken off, he ate up the Delaware Defense. He was 29-43 overall with 3 TDs and 1 INT. Delaware's defense dominated this game, and that will be forgotten. Bo Levi Mitchell's Eastern Washington offense punted every possession of the first half, and they got only one first down after their first series. Total they got 42 yards offense in half number one. They came out in the second half and got a first down, but threw an interception on play 3. They then had a great field position after a Delaware INT, but a seven play 25 yard drive ended on a failed 4th down try. They got the ball back with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and the offense had done nothing. I really believe the decision to go conservative on the defensive play calling cost them the game. It allowed Bo Levi Mitchell to find a rhythm, and took their offense out of one.
The Eastern Washington Defense deserves some praise. They recovered after giving up a TD and two field goals on their first three times out on the field. The INT to open the 2nd half probably saved a TD as the Blue Hens were rolling and had already gone 41 yards in 4 plays. The Blue Hens had a few strange play calls and got a little tight, and Eastern Washington's defense did exactly what it had to do. A few huge 3 and outs kept the momentum and they won.
We do need to remember that Eastern Washington was minus their great running back, so this win was a huge upset. Congrats to them. Good game, good season, and I am already looking forward to next year.
Delaware dominated the first half shutting out Eastern Washington 12-0. A missed extra point was the problem for Delaware, but the defense was amazing. Andrew Pierce was gaining his normal 5 yards a carry, and Pat Devlin was finding receivers. Nihja White in particular looked pretty good.
Delaware came out of the locker room and hung another TD on Eastern Washington and this time they got the extra point, although it was ugly. 19-0, and it stayed that way for most of the 3rd Quarter. Somewhere the Blue Hens fell back into prevent mode and they stopped rushing. Often it seemed that they rushed only 3, and they got picked a part when that happened. Soon, it was 19-13, and the Blue Hens had the ball trying to run out the clock. A curious round of play calls. They passed on first down, and it was caught, but for short gain. Clock runs. They run the ball with Pierce, who gained 4 or so, but went out of bounds. They then threw the ball again and it was dropped by Mark Schenauer. It hit in the numbers and he had the first down. It was not a good game for Schenauer, who dropped several passes, but none more important than that one. In an attempt to run the clock out the Blue Hens threw twice and ran once when Pierce was not being stopped all game. I would have preferred to see him just run three times. They probably would have gotten a first down, and the clock would have kept going. In the end, that time cost them the game.
Bo Levi Mitchell had a so-so game. But when the pressure was taken off, he ate up the Delaware Defense. He was 29-43 overall with 3 TDs and 1 INT. Delaware's defense dominated this game, and that will be forgotten. Bo Levi Mitchell's Eastern Washington offense punted every possession of the first half, and they got only one first down after their first series. Total they got 42 yards offense in half number one. They came out in the second half and got a first down, but threw an interception on play 3. They then had a great field position after a Delaware INT, but a seven play 25 yard drive ended on a failed 4th down try. They got the ball back with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and the offense had done nothing. I really believe the decision to go conservative on the defensive play calling cost them the game. It allowed Bo Levi Mitchell to find a rhythm, and took their offense out of one.
The Eastern Washington Defense deserves some praise. They recovered after giving up a TD and two field goals on their first three times out on the field. The INT to open the 2nd half probably saved a TD as the Blue Hens were rolling and had already gone 41 yards in 4 plays. The Blue Hens had a few strange play calls and got a little tight, and Eastern Washington's defense did exactly what it had to do. A few huge 3 and outs kept the momentum and they won.
We do need to remember that Eastern Washington was minus their great running back, so this win was a huge upset. Congrats to them. Good game, good season, and I am already looking forward to next year.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Second Round Results
The playoffs are getting interesting. Most things went according to plan, with one section being totally out of whack.
Appy State put down Western Illinois without trouble. Appy plays last year's champ Villanova, who destroyed Stephen F. Austin. Villanova looks as good as they have all year, and they know how to win in the playoffs. It is going to be a great game.
Eastern Washington won by a surprisingly large margin over SE Missouri State. E Washington will now take on North Dakota State, who upset Montana State. in fact, they really put the boots to Montana State. The first real big upset. This prevents a Big Sky show down, and sets up a winnable game for Eastern Washington. They get a second home game out of this deal.
Delaware won 42-20 over Leigh. So my pick to win it all is still in the game. Delaware will face the next surprise winner, New Hampshire. New Hampshire beat Bethune-Cookman by a 45-20 total. This is a CAA match up. The two did not play this year. Delaware ought to win this one as well.
The section that was the surprise is this one. It started with Wofford beating Jacksonville State. This was really the only good game as Wofford hung on to win 17-14. The big play (usually a big run) hurt Jacksonville State, and Wofford pulled the upset. They will face Georgia Southern, who had the biggest upset of the weekend by beating William and Mary. In fact, the 31-15 beat down of William and Mary makes Wofford get a home game. Wofford beat Georgia Southern at Georgia Southern earlier this year, but the game was a barn burner. Wofford kept Georgia Southern close Georgia Southern got a safety and recovered another fumble in the end zone to get 9 points without any offense. Add in some kicking game miscues and that is why the game was so close. But since then Georgia Southern defeated Appy, so they are ready to go.
The games march on and some of them start tomorrow, so keep an eye out for scores.
Appy State put down Western Illinois without trouble. Appy plays last year's champ Villanova, who destroyed Stephen F. Austin. Villanova looks as good as they have all year, and they know how to win in the playoffs. It is going to be a great game.
Eastern Washington won by a surprisingly large margin over SE Missouri State. E Washington will now take on North Dakota State, who upset Montana State. in fact, they really put the boots to Montana State. The first real big upset. This prevents a Big Sky show down, and sets up a winnable game for Eastern Washington. They get a second home game out of this deal.
Delaware won 42-20 over Leigh. So my pick to win it all is still in the game. Delaware will face the next surprise winner, New Hampshire. New Hampshire beat Bethune-Cookman by a 45-20 total. This is a CAA match up. The two did not play this year. Delaware ought to win this one as well.
The section that was the surprise is this one. It started with Wofford beating Jacksonville State. This was really the only good game as Wofford hung on to win 17-14. The big play (usually a big run) hurt Jacksonville State, and Wofford pulled the upset. They will face Georgia Southern, who had the biggest upset of the weekend by beating William and Mary. In fact, the 31-15 beat down of William and Mary makes Wofford get a home game. Wofford beat Georgia Southern at Georgia Southern earlier this year, but the game was a barn burner. Wofford kept Georgia Southern close Georgia Southern got a safety and recovered another fumble in the end zone to get 9 points without any offense. Add in some kicking game miscues and that is why the game was so close. But since then Georgia Southern defeated Appy, so they are ready to go.
The games march on and some of them start tomorrow, so keep an eye out for scores.
Monday, November 29, 2010
First Round Results
The First round is over and now the next round is set.
Western Illinois beat Coastal Carolina. I have to admit I was a little surprised at this. I thought the homefield of Coastal might sway the game. But Western emerges victorious. They will now take on Appy State.
Another surprise was Robert Morris being defeated by North Dakota State. These were probably the two best teams in the first round. So, North Dakota State will travel to Montana State.
Leigh beat Northern Iowa. Not really a surprise there. The reward for Leigh is Delaware.
South Carolina State lost to Georgia Southern. South Carolina State did not get a home game, which was a bit of a disaster for them. Georgia Southern will now face off against William and Mary, which puts to two power conferences against one another. CAA versus Southern.
The other games were already set.
Villanova plays at Stephen F. Austin.
SE. Missouri at Eastern Washington.
New Hampshire at Bethune-Cookman.
Wofford at Jacksonville State.
I think one of the real interesting games is Bethune-Cookman versus New Hampshire. New Hampshire played the best week in and week out. They earned a spot, but Bethune-Cookman did not lose until the last game of the season. They might be the must underrated team in the tournament. This opening game for them is going to show whether or not they are real or just a team who happened to not play anyone tough all year.
Western Illinois beat Coastal Carolina. I have to admit I was a little surprised at this. I thought the homefield of Coastal might sway the game. But Western emerges victorious. They will now take on Appy State.
Another surprise was Robert Morris being defeated by North Dakota State. These were probably the two best teams in the first round. So, North Dakota State will travel to Montana State.
Leigh beat Northern Iowa. Not really a surprise there. The reward for Leigh is Delaware.
South Carolina State lost to Georgia Southern. South Carolina State did not get a home game, which was a bit of a disaster for them. Georgia Southern will now face off against William and Mary, which puts to two power conferences against one another. CAA versus Southern.
The other games were already set.
Villanova plays at Stephen F. Austin.
SE. Missouri at Eastern Washington.
New Hampshire at Bethune-Cookman.
Wofford at Jacksonville State.
I think one of the real interesting games is Bethune-Cookman versus New Hampshire. New Hampshire played the best week in and week out. They earned a spot, but Bethune-Cookman did not lose until the last game of the season. They might be the must underrated team in the tournament. This opening game for them is going to show whether or not they are real or just a team who happened to not play anyone tough all year.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Playoffs
The playoff field is announced.
Your five ranked teams are Appalachian State, William and Mary, Delaware, Montana State, and Eastern Washington. These teams will all await the winner of the first round games.
The first round is as follows (Nov.27).
Western Illinois plays at Coastal Carolina. The winner gets Appy.
Robert Morris plays at North Dakota State. The winner gets Montana State.
Leigh plays at Northern Iowa. The winner gets Delaware.
South Carolina State plays at Georgia Southern. The winner gets William and Mary.
Second Round not previously mentioned (Dec. 4)
Villanova plays at Stephen F. Austin.
SE. Missouri at Eastern Washington.
New Hampshire at Bethune-Cookman.
Wofford at Jacksonville State.
The thing that stands out the most is the preference given to the CAA and the Big Sky. Both have two ranked teams, thus home games. Teh CAA also got Villanova and New Hampshire into the field. Both of those teams avoided having to play a ranked team as well. Jacksonville State and Wofford appear to have a right to complain. Wofford does not get a home game, which its high ranking may have deserved. Jacksonville State has to play a top 10 team in Wofford despite being perhaps the 3rd best team all year.
I am not going to deviate from my pick. I think Delaware is going to run the table. Appy is too weak on defense, and William and Mary is slumping at the wrong time. Montana State's second round game against the winner of Robert Morris and North Dakota State is too tough to pick them to go far. Same for Eastern Washington, plus how well will they travel when the time comes for them to go on the road.
Looking forward to the playoffs.
Your five ranked teams are Appalachian State, William and Mary, Delaware, Montana State, and Eastern Washington. These teams will all await the winner of the first round games.
The first round is as follows (Nov.27).
Western Illinois plays at Coastal Carolina. The winner gets Appy.
Robert Morris plays at North Dakota State. The winner gets Montana State.
Leigh plays at Northern Iowa. The winner gets Delaware.
South Carolina State plays at Georgia Southern. The winner gets William and Mary.
Second Round not previously mentioned (Dec. 4)
Villanova plays at Stephen F. Austin.
SE. Missouri at Eastern Washington.
New Hampshire at Bethune-Cookman.
Wofford at Jacksonville State.
The thing that stands out the most is the preference given to the CAA and the Big Sky. Both have two ranked teams, thus home games. Teh CAA also got Villanova and New Hampshire into the field. Both of those teams avoided having to play a ranked team as well. Jacksonville State and Wofford appear to have a right to complain. Wofford does not get a home game, which its high ranking may have deserved. Jacksonville State has to play a top 10 team in Wofford despite being perhaps the 3rd best team all year.
I am not going to deviate from my pick. I think Delaware is going to run the table. Appy is too weak on defense, and William and Mary is slumping at the wrong time. Montana State's second round game against the winner of Robert Morris and North Dakota State is too tough to pick them to go far. Same for Eastern Washington, plus how well will they travel when the time comes for them to go on the road.
Looking forward to the playoffs.
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