Week Three: Separation Saturday
9/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The preseason polls are great for media members, coaches, sports information directors and fans. Everyone gets to examine who's coming back, who has graduated or left the team, which teams will be improved and which teams might not be as good as the year before. Then, the coaches and those of us in the media get to give our opinions weeks before the season even starts.
When the polls are released, 25 lucky teams get to place that little number next to their name and gain instant respect as one of the best in the nation. Fans can proclaim their team's rank with pride, or dispel all the pollsters as idiots who will be proved wrong.
And in the end, those preseason polls mean absolutely nothing. Last year, Colgate wasn't even ranked and Delaware was only No. 17 in the preseason. Pretty soon, the 2004 preseason polls will be exposed for the guessing game they are and the top 25 will actually be based on this year's performance, not expectations or accomplishments from years past.
Saturday was the first step toward separating the contenders from the pretenders. In the season's first week, a majority of top 25 teams either played up or played down and it was difficult to gauge who was for real and who was overrated. Last week, five games pitted ranked teams and other top teams either stepped up or wilted to tough challenges.
The end result was plenty of movement within the polls. Appalachian State moved up from No. 24 to 20 after pasting Eastern Kentucky. Massachusetts went up five spots and sent Colgate back eight with a 30-20 win over the Raiders. Stephen F. Austin dealt Northern Arizona a loss, an 0-2 record, and a drop to No. 19 in the polls.
The holders of the No.1 ranking have been especially unfortunate in the first two weeks. Delaware dropped to New Hampshire in the opener, and Southern Illinois fell to Northern Illinois on a missed two-point conversion Saturday. Now, Montana ascends to the No. 1 position for the first time since November of 2002.
It's easy to envision the Grizzlies holding on to the top spot. Montana plays at Sam Houston this week, hosts Northern Colorado next week, and doesn't play a ranked opponent until a Nov. 6 contest at home against Northern Arizona. The toughest Big Sky road games are at Weber State and Eastern Washington, and neither the Wildcats or Eagles have shown a whole lot in the first couple games.
But the Grizzlies still have some challenging contests, including this week's matchup at Sam Houston State. Going through the regular season undefeated is a daunting task for any team, and the Montana game will be circled in red on every opponent's schedule.
Should the Grizzlies drop a game, which of the preseason favorites will still be around to move into the No. 1 spot? Well, there are a few candidates. Note, however, that these are not playoff or championship predictions, but rather the teams with the best shot of claiming the No. 1 ranking based on talent and, importantly, upcoming schedule. And, of course, preseason ranking doesn't hurt.
1. Southern Illinois- The Salukis still received 26 first-place votes this week, and the chances of losing the next two weeks are slim to none. Southern Illinois will have to face Northern Iowa, Western Kentucky and Western Illinois in the Gateway, but every one of those contests is at home. The toughest remaining road game is at Illinois State.
2. Georgia Southern- If the Eagles can knock off No. 3 Wofford at home this weekend, they shouldn't have another imposing challenge until Appalachian State comes to town on October 16. The toughest road game doesn't come until a November 6 trip to Furman, though games at Chattanooga and Western Carolina are potential traps. The Eagles showed they are back as an elite team in a tough loss to Georgia, and could run the table until the visit to Furman.
3. Wofford- The Terriers have Georgia Southern Saturday, but then play six of the next eight games at home with one of the road trips at Southern Conference lightweight Elon. A visit to Appalachian State on October 23 and home date with Furman on November 13 are the only real tests left after Georgia Southern.
4. Furman - The Paladins have a pretty tough road with games at Pittsburgh (Sept.25) and at Appalachian State (Oct. 9) both coming in the next month. However, Furman appears to be the most talented team in the Southern Conference, and won't face Georgia Southern or Wofford until November.
5. Villanova- Though the Atlantic 10 has been the most competitive conference from top to bottom, the Wildcats have a favorable schedule that does not include top 25 teams Maine and Massachusetts. There really aren't any easy games on the list, but four of the next six are at home and one of the road games is within a half hour in Philadelphia. Three of the next four opponents are ranked, however, so running the table will be tough.
WEEK ONE NOTEBOOK
Team of the Week: Southeastern Louisiana
To put things in perspective, consider some of the Lions' final scores from a season ago. Southeastern Louisiana lost, 87-27, to Northwestern State, fell 38-17, to Texas State, and went down, 58-20, to McNeese State. In the game against McNeese, quarterback Martin Hankins went 18-for-51 and the Cowboys held a 305-24 edge in rushing yardage. On Saturday, the Lions pulled a 180-degree turn and thumped the Cowboys, 51-17, in Lake Charles. This time, Hankins threw for 439 yards and five touchdowns and completed 38-of-54 passes in the process. In two games, Hankins has 1027 yards passing and nine touchdowns with no interceptions. Wide receiver Felton Huggins already has 24 receptions for 501 yards. McNeese probably isn't as good as last season, but a 72-point turnaround in one year is remarkable. The Lions were rewarded with the No. 25 ranking in this week's poll, which is amazing considering they have played just 14 total games since re-instituting the football program a year ago. Southeastern Louisiana might not avenge big losses every week, but with Hankins, Huggins and the offensive expertise of head coach Hal Mumme they should keep games exciting and keep defenses on their heels.
Mid-Major Team of the Week: Robert Morris
The Colonials dominated defending Mid-Major champion Duquesne from start to finish. Robert Morris scored on its first possession and put the game away in the first quarter with a 17-0 edge. By the third quarter, the advantage ballooned to 34-7 and Duquesne's No. 1 ranking was an afterthought. Quarterback Drew Geyer carved up the Dukes' defense and eight different receivers caught a pass for the Colonials. In just two weeks, Robert Morris has catapulted six spots in the Mid-Major rankings and reached the No. 2 spot in the poll. It's the Colonials highest ranking since they were the top-ranked team in the first ever Mid-Major poll in 2001. It took them three years to get back to the top two, and with a home game against No. 3 Monmouth Saturday the Colonials have a chance to prove they are for real.
Best Top 25 Win: New Hampshire 35, Rutgers 24
Rutgers was supposed to bask in the glow of the program's biggest win in years while cruising against the Wildcats. The Scarlet Knights took down Michigan State in the season opener, and even received votes for the AP Top 25 poll. There was no way some I-AA team was going to come in and beat them, even if it was a I-AA team that just knocked off the sub-classification's defending champion. Well, New Hampshire proved all the doubters (and there were plenty of them) wrong by going into Piscataway and defeating the Scarlet Knights. The Wildcats dominated the second half with a 21-0 edge, and freshman sensation quarterback Ricky Santos tossed five touchdowns to the dismay of the home crowd. Now, New Hampshire now owns a win over the No. 1 team in the country and has I-AA's only win thus far against a I-A team. The Wildcats have managed to vault from outside the rankings to the top 10 in two weeks, and a few more wins should convert any remaining skeptics.
Worst Top 25 Loss: Southeastern Louisiana 51, No. 6 McNeese State 17
That Southeastern Louisiana was better and McNeese State not as good as a season ago was pretty much taken for granted. But a 72 point turnaround! McNeese throttled the Lions a year ago, but wasn't even in the game this time. The perennial power Cowboys got embarrassed, on their home field no less, by an upstart team playing just its 14th game since starting the program back up. Now, we're left to wonder what McNeese State team is for real. Last week, it seemed (at least according to this writer) that the Cowboys could still be an elite team with a 35-17 win at Southern. Now, with Southern just barely getting past SWAC doormat Mississippi Valley State, it's hard to say how meaningful the Cowboys first victory was. McNeese State stayed in the rankings at No. 17 due mainly to name recognition and the win over Southern. But if this effort is indicative of McNeese's ability, don't expect the Cowboys to hang in the top 25 for too long.
Best Game: Stephen F. Austin 24, Northern Arizona 17 (OT)
While other contests were more exciting and just as close, this overtime thriller will likely go a lot further toward deciding the playoff race than most games. Northern Arizona trailed, 17-10, late in the fourth quarter before catching a break. The directional punt by Paul Ernster bounced off a Stephen F. Austin player and NAU recovered at the Stephen F. Austin 15-yard line with 1:33 to go. Northern Arizona scored four plays later to knot the score at 17 and send the game into overtime. In the overtime, SFA took just two plays to score on a 12-yard run by Derek Farmer. NAU had a chance to tie with a third down play on its possession, but quarterback Jason Murrietta's pass into the endzone was broken up at the last second. Northern Arizona falls to 0-2, and with games against Montana, Montana St. and Northern Iowa looming the Lumberjacks already have a tall task to make it back to the playoffs.
Plays of the Week: Southern Illinois scored a touchdown with 54 seconds in the game to close to within one point of Northern Illinois. Attempting to become the first I-AA team to knock off a I-A, Salukis head coach Jerry Kill decided to go for two points and the win. Quarterback Joel Sambursky faked a handoff to running back Brandon Jacobs, but threw incomplete in the back of the endzone. The Salukis lost, 23-22, but represented I-AA well against a high-caliber I-A team and showed why they deserved the top spot in the rankings.
If I hadn't seen this second play live, it would never be on the list because it didn't count. However, it was one of the best individual efforts I've witnessed in any sport, and even an explanation in this space won't do the play justice. The aforementioned effort was by Massachusetts kick returner R.J. Cobbs. After Colgate cut the lead to 23-13, Cobbs jumped, juked and jived his way through the Colgate special teams on his way to a 99-yard touchdown. Cobbs leapt over a defender inside his own 20, spun away from another and was off to the races down the Massachusetts sideline. After dashing to the Colgate 10, Colgate defenders finally caught off the angle to the endzone. Cobb improvised again as he made another leap, faked out a defender and ran into the corner of the endzone. Alas, the bright yellow flag sitting on the UMass 30 brought the play all the way back, but Cobb's individual ability was still something to behold.
Stat of the Week: 182-10
The combined score for Georgia Southern and Western Illinois over non- scholarship Division II opponents. Georgia Southern shellacked Johnson C. Smith, 84-3, while Western Illinois hung 98 points on Cheyney. Both the Eagles and Leathernecks played a high-caliber I-A team in their opener, so it's acceptable to take on a DII team to pad the record. But they couldn't find anybody else? There had to be someone out there that could have at least held Western Illinois under 70 in the first half. Still, the blame here should really fall on the DII schools, especially Cheyney. How fair is it to play teams with no chance of even remaining competitive for some extra dollars. Cheyney's players have suffered through a combined 169-7 score in beatings against Northeastern and Western Illinois, and it's hard to believe they learned a ton of lessons in those contests.
Quote of the Week: "There's no way we could take (Northern Illinois) to overtime," "We had a tired bunch of kids. Our defense played a lot of football plays. The last drive, we had guys going out who could hardly get back on the field." - Southern Illinois head coach Jerry Kill on his reasoning for attempting a two-point conversion when down 23-22 against Northern Illinois
Now, let's take a look at the week that was, and the week that will be, in I-AA football:
SANTOS CAPTURES NATIONAL HONOR
New Hampshire redshirt freshman quarterback Ricky Santos was the best player in college football last week, according to USA Today.com. Read that statement again, because it's true. He was the best player in all of college football, not just I-AA. That Santos was the top player in I-AA a week ago was almost without question, but he also beat out quarterback Kyle Orton of Purdue, running back Darius Walker of Notre Dame and others for the honor of college football national player of the week. Santos threw for 385 yards and five touchdowns in New Hampshire's win over Rutgers, and has come out of nowhere to lead the Wildcats from unranked to the No. 10 spot in the country. New Hampshire might not get as much press now that it is established in the polls, but watch out for the Wildcats if Santos keeps performing at this level.
ONE DOWN, MORE TO COME?
With Hurricane Ivan fast approaching, one I-AA game has already been cancelled and every game in the Southeastern part of the United States must be checking the forecasts to see if playing will be realistic. Nicholls State has postponed its contest with Texas A & M Kingsville, and no makeup date has been announced. With Florida and Louisiana bracing for the storm, games at places like McNeese State and Northwestern State could be in jeopardy if the worst fears come true. Hopefully, the storm will not be as powerful as expected and the games, and more importantly people's lives, can go on.
CAN YOU CALL IT A CHALLENGE?
In most challenges, both parties accept the offer because of a chance of winning and proving themselves as superior to the other. The OVC-Gateway Challenge matchups are nowhere close to the true spirit of the word. The Gateway won all eight matchups a year ago, and has already taken the first two contests this year. If they're going to call it a challenge, at least every team should play a game. Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, Jacksonville State and Samford are all absent from this year's challenge list. Southern Illinois didn't exactly have to face one of the OVC's best teams in Southeast Missouri, but Indiana State plays in three of the six contests this year. Apparently for the OVC, it isn't so much a challenge but an effort to see if mediocre Ohio Valley teams can beat the worst team in the Gateway. So far, no luck. This week does provide us with Western Kentucky at Eastern Kentucky, which is the only watchable game in the whole schedule. A challenge between conferences is a great idea. But these two leagues either need to get a schedule together where the top teams face off, or just abandon the whole concept entirely.
I-AA TEAMS PLAYING OUTSIDE SUB-CLASSIFICATION
New Hampshire's win over BCS opponent Rutgers garnered most of last week's attention, but it was just one of many games for I-AA teams against squads from I-A and from Division II. New Hampshire has the only victory over a I-A team as I-AA squads have a combined 1-23 record against their more scholarship-endowed brethren. While the ridiculous wins for Georgia Southern and Western Illinois stood out last week, it hasn't been all blowouts for I-AA teams against lower level squads. NC Central owns a win over Delaware State and almost took down NC A & T, while Butler has already fallen to two DII opponents.
NATION'S LONGEST LOSING SKID SNAPPED
In a double overtime thriller, Savannah State upended Norfolk State, 41-34. Of course, there's no need to mention that the game pitted two of the worst scholarship teams in I-AA. The victory snapped the Tigers' 15-game losing streak, and the longest losing streak is now at 12. The longest streak now belongs to, you guessed it, the Norfolk State Spartans. The Spartans actually share the title for futility with Holy Cross, and considering the way both teams have played this year it could be a battle to the end. Holy Cross has lost at home to two Mid-Majors, while Norfolk State has a loss to Virginia State to go with the defeat against Savannah State. This should be a neck and neck race, though the Spartans have one key thing in their favor: a matchup with lowly Delaware State to end the season on November 13.
WELCOME, IVY LEAGUE
Now that most teams are two games into the season, the Ivy League has finally decided to join the party. Even if the conference plays only 10 games, wouldn't it make more sense to start two weeks earlier and play when the weather is actually nice at places like Dartmouth and Cornell. As it is, all the Ivies get started with non-conference matchups in their own week one. Penn, riding a national-best 16-game win streak, opens the season at San Diego. The Quakers have lost the majority of the starters and letterwinners that ran through the Ivy League the past two seasons, and could see their 15-game conference win streak come to an end against Yale or Harvard. Both the Elis and the Crimson will be players in the race, while Brown, Dartmouth and Princeton could all play the spoiler role. (See the entire Ivy League preview here)
THE GAMES
My overall record was 24-10 (.706), but in the showcase games I was less than impressive. So, a quick mea culpa to everyone at Massachusetts, Appalachian State and Villanova. I'm not too upset about missing the New Hampshire win and McNeese State loss, because I had to double check to make sure those shockers were even correct. For the season, I'm a not too shabby 51-16 (.761) and hopefully will put up a better performance in the big games this week.
QUICK HITS
William Penn (1-2) at No. 2 Southern Illinois (1-1), 7:00
After a tough, last minute loss to Northern Illinois, the Salukis should be ready to go at home against the NAIA Statesmen. Even if they aren't, Southern Illinois could win this game by 50. After this week, Southern Illinois is at Delaware State so the Salukis can go in cruise control mode before the Gateway season begins October 2. William Penn lost to Mid-Major Drake a week ago, so this one has the potential to get ugly very quick. Final Score: Southern Illinois 63, William Penn 3
West Chester at No. 6 Delaware (1-1), 7:00
For West Chester, this is the version the yearly money game. The teams are meeting for the 46th time since 1941, and every contest has been played in Newark. The Blue Hens have won 13 of the past 14 meetings, including a 49-7 win against the Rams last season. Delaware is not playing like a defending national champion right now, and the Blue Hens better use this game to get everything straightened out with a tough A-10 schedule and Navy waiting for the rest of the season. Final Score: Delaware 45, West Chester 7
Holy Cross (0-2) at Harvard (0-0), 12:30
The first game is always the toughest. The jitters and butterflies are still there, mental errors tend to pop up often, and the offense can take some time to establish rhythm. So, for Harvard, there isn't a better I-AA opponent to play right now than Holy Cross. The Crusaders have fallen on hard times as evident by home losses to Mid-Majors Duquesne and San Diego to start the season. Harvard might still have some first-game errors early, but the talent gap between these two is monstrous. Final Score: Harvard 42, Holy Cross 10
Murray State (1-1) at Indiana State (1-1), 2:05
The streak was just about over for the Ohio Valley Conference. After finishing 0-8 against the Gateway in the "OVC-Gateway Challenge" a year ago and seeing Southeast Missouri fall to Southern Illinois, 42-3, in week one, Eastern Illinois had Indiana State on the ropes at home. But Indiana State kicker Kyle Hooper nailed a 40-yard field goal as time expired, and the Sycamores won in overtime to keep the OVC's misery going. This week, Murray State takes its shot at taking down one of the worst teams in the Gateway. But the Racers aren't as good as Eastern Illinois, and this is the home opener for Indiana State. The Sycamores will pin another loss on the Ohio Valley. Final Score: Indiana State 31, Murray State 20
Eastern Illinois (0-1) at Illinois State (1-1), 7:30
The Panthers couldn't win at home against the worst team in the Gateway, so the outlook on the road at a better Gateway team is less than promising. The game was close a year ago as Illinois State scored nine points in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind, 21-14, victory. The Redbirds played well in a loss at Minnesota a week ago, and have a chance to make a run at some of the top Gateway teams when conference play starts. Illinois State takes care of business with a win here. Final Score: Illinois State 27, Eastern Illinois 13
UC Davis (1-0) at Weber State (0-2), 7:35
Some Big Sky teams may be re-thinking all the games against the Great West right about now. Southern Utah won at Weber State in the season opener, and Cal Poly won by double digits at Idaho State last week. Weber State hosts its second Great West opponent in UC Davis, and the Aggies looked great in a 52-0 pasting of South Dakota State to open the season. The Aggies have enough firepower to score on Weber State, and will win in a shootout. Final Score: UC Davis 42, Weber State 27
Southern Utah (1-0) at Sacramento State (0-1), 10:05
Southern Utah plays game two of four straight contests on the road to begin the season. The Thunderbirds were supposed to host St. Mary's a week ago, but when the Gaels dropped the program the Thunderbirds were left with an open date. Southern Utah did start off the trip well with a 34-31 win at Weber State on Sept. 4. The same cannot be said for Sacramento State, which allowed 598 yards of total offense in a 59-7 loss at Nevada a week ago. Southern Utah won't put up those same types of numbers, but will do enough to get past the Hornets on the road. Final Score: Southern Utah 30, Sacramento State 27
Alcorn State (2-0) at Howard (0-2), 3:00
With a pair of All-America candidates in the defensive backfield, you'd think Howard's defense would at least be a bright spot. And despite allowing 73 points in two games, the defense actually has been the bright spot. In a 47-14 loss to Hampton last week, the Bison turned the ball over five times and allowed 26 points due to special teams miscues. On the flip side, the Braves have been a pleasant surprise with wins over usual SWAC powerhouse Grambling State and MEAC preseason favorite NC A & T. Alcorn State should have an easier time here and go 3-0. Final Score: Alcorn State 27, Howard 16
Southern (1-1) at Prairie View A & M (2-0), 8:00
Don't fix your computer screen, adjust your eyes, or go check the standings. Prairie View really, truthfully does come into the game with a better record than Southern. At 2-0, the Panthers are off to their best start since 1966 and boast the best rushing offense in the league. The wins were over Texas Southern and Paul Quinn, but when you have the history of Prairie View a win is a win. Southern hasn't looked sharp in starting 1-1, and nearly fell to 0-2 before triumphing late against Mississippi Valley State. Still, I can't believe that the Panthers have completely closed the talent gap in just one season. Final Score: Southern 34, Prairie View 20
Jackson State (0-2) at Tennessee State (0-2)
Jackson State currently has a nine-game losing streak, but showed some positive signs with a strong effort in a 28-20 loss to Northwestern State. The Tigers are averaging nearly 345 yards of total offense, but the defense will really have to be up to the task against the Tigers of Tennessee State. Charles Anthony is averaging 181.5 yards per game on the ground and earning his spot as a Payton Award candidate. Tennessee State won big against Alabama A & M, and should do the same in this one. Final Score: Tennessee State 38, Jackson State 17
NC A & T (1-1) at Wake Forest (1-1), 6:30
The Aggies have split two hard fought games to open the season. They caught a break and won on a last second field goal to trip up NC Central, 16-15, in the opener. Last week, NC A & T held the lead in the final minute before surrendering a go-ahead touchdown at Alcorn State. The Aggies won't have to worry about biting their nails for a third straight week. Wake Forest has played well, and should enjoy the break from the ACC schedule. Final Score: Wake Forest 49, NC A & T 14
Western Carolina (2-0) at Alabama (1-1), 7:00
The Catamounts are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 1996 and only fifth time since 1970. The last time Western Carolina began 3-0 came in 1978 in its first season in the Southern Conference. If they wanted a 3-0 start in 2004, scheduling a game at Alabama was probably a bad idea. Alabama dispatched of Mississippi, 28-7, a week ago and has the look of a contender this season. The Catamounts would do well to keep it within a few touchdowns. Final Score: Alabama 42, Western Carolina 17
Portland State (1-0) at Fresno State (2-0), 10:00
Portland State blasted Western State, 38-0, on September 2 and had over two weeks to prepare for the Bulldogs. Hopefully, head coach Tim Walsh came up with about ten trick plays for the Vikings to have any aspirations of actually hanging with Fresno. The Bulldogs have been mentioned as the best team in California, and, yes, No. 1 USC plays in California. The Vikings probably will be ready to warm up the bus by halftime. Final Score: Fresno State 59, Portland State 7
Yale (0-0) at Dayton (2-0), 1:00
As always, Dayton comes in as one of the top Mid-Majors in the country. The Flyers have looked good in two impressive home wins, but Yale is a step up in class from Tiffin and Morehead State. The Elis bring back most of last year's team, and if Alvin Cowan stays healthy they can be a contender in the Ivy League. It's a good test for the Flyers, but Yale has too much firepower in the end. Final Score: Yale 42, Dayton 21
No. 23 Penn (0-0) at San Diego (1-1), 4:00
The Quakers have lost a ton of the players that carried them to Ivy League dominance the past couple seasons. Penn has a national best 16-game overall win streak and has won its last 15 in Ivy League play. The Ivy League streak will be tested later, but the overall streak goes on the line here. The Toreros beat Holy Cross a week ago, but Penn is a different level of opponent. The Quakers make it 17 in a row. Final Score: Penn 38, San Diego 17
No. 24 Lehigh (1-1) at Liberty (1-1), 7:00
Lehigh has to be kicking itself after missing a golden opportunity for a quality win. The Brown and White had Villanova on the ropes with a 16-0 edge in the first half, but couldn't sustain the running game or defensive effort and fell, 22-16. It was a tough loss to take for a team that was one of the last left out of the playoffs a year ago. Liberty played a good first half at Kent State a week ago, but really Kent State is no better than Lehigh. The Brown and White get back on track with a win. Final Score: Lehigh 31, Liberty 21
Texas Southern (0-2) at No. 21 Northwestern State (1-1), 6:00
The Demons have split a pair of road games, but didn't exactly look great doing it. They turned the ball over and missed a chance to capture a very winnable game at I-A Louisiana-Lafayette. Last week, a Jackson State team that has lost nine in a row kept it close until the final minutes. Now the Demons open a four-game homestand, but next game's tilt with Appalachian State figures to prove very difficult. The Demons need to post a convincing win here, and should be able to against a weak Texas Southern squad. Final Score: Northwestern State 38, Texas Southern 7
Dartmouth (0-0) at No. 12 Colgate (0-1), 1:00
The Raiders could have lost by much more than 10 points at Massachusetts a week ago. Colgate forced some turnovers and capitalized on the Minutemen's penalties, but was manhandled at the point of attack. Jamaal Branch struggled to find running room and the offense never really clicked. It wasn't a good start for Colgate, but the Raiders should get back on track right away. Dartmouth is playing its first game and fell, 31-9, to the Raiders a year ago. Colgate evens its record with a convincing win. Final Score: Colgate 35, Dartmouth 13
GOOD GAMES
Idaho State (0-2) at Northern Colorado (1-1)
Both teams have been a disappointment. Idaho State fell behind by as much as 38 in an opening loss at San Diego State, and lost to Cal Poly at home a week ago. Northern Colorado was outgained and mostly outplayed in its home opener, but held on to defeat North Dakota State, 15-13. Last week, the Bears were embarrassed at Maine, 38-0. Just a week ago, Northern Colorado was in the top 25 and Idaho State was knocking on the door. Now, they both need a win in the worst way. With two struggling teams, it's usually safer to take the home squad. Final Score: Northern Colorado 27, Idaho State 24
Jacksonville State (1-0) at Chattanooga (0-1), 6:00
It's the 30th meeting between the two programs, but the first since 1983. Chattanooga's young roster played pretty well despite the final 52-21 score at Memphis. Alonzo Nix caught two touchdown passes from Cedric Stevens, a duo that the Gamecocks defense must worry about Saturday. The teams have renewed the series with a six-year contract, which could be good news for Chattanooga since the Mocs hold a 24-5 advantage all-time. The Mocs probably will finish in the middle or bottom of the Southern Conference and Jacksonville State should compete for a title in the OVC, but the gap between the two leagues will show in a Chattanooga victory. Final Score: Chattanooga 31, Jacksonville State 24
Grambling State (0-2) vs Bethune-Cookman (1-0), 1:00
What a game this would have been a year ago. Grambling, led by Bruce Eugene, would face off against a Bethune offense led by Allan Suber and a defense anchored by Steve Baggs. Too bad the matchup came a season too late. As it is now, the Tigers have dropped their first two games in SWAC play by double digits and are relying on a freshman quarterback now that Eugene is out for the year. Though Suber and Baggs are gone, the outlook is a bit better for a Bethune team that won its opener, 27-14, over Arkansas Pine-Bluff after being forced out of Daytona Beach by Hurricane Frances. The Wildcats are the better team, and head coach Melvin Spears will have to wait at least one more week for his first victory at Grambling. Final Score: Bethune-Cookman 24, Grambling State 13
No. 25 Southeastern Louisiana (2-0) at Texas State (1-1)
The Lions take the first step in trying to prove that last week's blowout of McNeese State was for real. Martin Hankins and Felton Huggins have been the best passer and receiver through the first two weeks, so expect the Texas State defense to have fits. The real surprise in last week's game was the Southeastern defense, which was shredded for 87 points on one occasion a year ago. Texas State put up 38 points against the Lions a year ago, so we'll get a look at which Southeastern Louisiana team is for real. Texas State played well at Baylor a week ago, and I'll have to see another win before I'm convinced in the Lions. Final Score: Texas State 45, Southeastern Louisiana 42
The Citadel (0-0) at No. 20 Appalachian State (1-1)
It's one thing to have an extra game under your belt when conference play starts. But Appalachian State has already played I-A Wyoming and completely wiped out Eastern Kentucky, while The Citadel has yet to experience game action. The Bulldogs had the season opener with Charleston Southern on September 4 postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Frances. The Bulldogs shocked the Mountaineers in last year's Southern opener, but that should just serve as more incentive for Appalachian St. here. If both teams had seen game action, the Mountaineers would win by about three touchdowns. As it is, three touchdowns seems too conservative. Final Score: Appalachian State 49, The Citadel 17
Youngstown State (1-1) at No. 17 McNeese State (1-1)
A matchup between the all-star teams from these historically dominant programs would produce a classic contest. Youngstown State trails only Georgia Southern in national championships and playoffs wins. McNeese State has won 11 playoff games and was fourth in total wins from 1998-2003. However, the contest between the current versions of the programs is nothing more than ordinary. The Penguins lost a very winnable game at home against Florida International a week ago, while the Cowboys were totally embarrassed on their home field by Southeastern Louisiana. In the last two home games, McNeese has lost by a total score of 86-20. However, the Cowboys still appear to have the better roster and will show some pride with a victory over the Penguins. Final Score: McNeese State 28, Youngstown State 17
No. 16 Western Illinois (1-1) at Hampton (2-0)
Western Illinois alum Joe Taylor faces his old school for the first time as Hampton head coach. It's a dangerous game, however, for a Western Illinois team that pinned 98 points on hapless Cheyney a week ago. The Leathernecks will need to come to Hampton ready to play because the Pirates are capable of the upset. An interesting game within the game comes at the running back position, as Western Illinois' Travis Glasford scored six touchdowns last week and Hampton's Alonzo Coleman is averaging 167.5 yards per contest. The Leathernecks have a little better balance on both sides of the ball and should escape with a close, hard fought victory. Final Score: Western Illinois 24, Hampton 21
William & Mary (0-1) at No. 10 New Hampshire (2-0), 12:00
The Wildcats are done sneaking up on people. With road wins against No. 1 Delaware and I-A Rutgers, no one should question the ability of New Hampshire. Freshman quarterback Ricky Santos has been an unexpected godsend, and the defense is improved by leaps and bounds over a year ago. New Hampshire was mentioned as a possible "sleeper" in the A-10 race, and as conference play starts it has already well surpassed that label. However, getting up for a game with the same emotion and intensity for three weeks is tough. The Wildcats had to put forth their best effort to win in the first two weeks, and might not have enough left in the tank to sustain the effort for a third straight time. William & Mary can play, too. The Tribe was also a "sleeper" in the A-10, and had a good performance against ACC team North Carolina in a week one loss. William & Mary has had an extra week to sit and prepare, and New Hampshire is going to have to adapt to playing the role of the hunted rather than the hunter. I'm not taking anything away from New Hampshire, because its first two wins have been incredible. But I can't imagine every single coach and media member misjudged the talent for the Wildcats, and they'll come back to earth a bit here. Final Score: William & Mary 30, New Hampshire 24
Richmond (1-1) at No. 9 Massachusetts (2-0), 1:00
The game between the Spiders and Minutemen is a great example of how tough the A-10 is this year. In many other conferences, the top teams can look past those at the bottom a bit and focus on the upcoming matchups with the contenders. With the way all 12 teams in the A-10 have played, it's hard to look past anybody. The Spiders probably look worse than any A-10 team to this point, but Richmond still posted a 34-7 win at VMI a week ago. The Minutemen might have trouble getting up for this game, with the emotional win over Colgate a week ago and Delaware coming up next. But UMass has been one of the nation's most impressive teams in the opening weeks, and will have enough focus to get by the Spiders by at least a few touchdowns. Final Score: Massachusetts 35, Richmond 13
James Madison (1-0) at No. 5 Villanova (2-0), 1:00
If the Villanova offense doesn't get on track, the Dukes could pose a serious threat. 'Nova is averaging 21 points per game, and had to rally from 16 points down to defeat Lehigh, 22-16, last week. The Wildcats gained just 219 yards of total offense and quarterback Marvin Burroughs was sacked four times in the victory over the Mountain Hawks. However, the offense doesn't need to become the Indianapolis Colts overnight. If Villanova just moves the ball and limits its mistakes, the overwhelming Wildcat defense should be able to carry the team to success. James Madison is a dangerous opponent that has had a week off to prepare, but the Wildcats' offense is due to play a bit better and Villanova should come away with the win. Final Score: Villanova 27, James Madison 13
No. 4 Furman (2-0) at Gardner-Webb (1-1), 6:00
The bad news for Furman is that Florida transfer Ingle Martin has been pretty ordinary in the first two weeks. The good news for Paladins fans is the combined score of those first two games is 97-17 and the record is 2-0. If Martin really gets hot, watch out for Furman. The Paladins defense held a pretty good Samford offense to 10 points and is playing as good as advertised. The Bulldogs are probably feeling pretty good about their offensive ability after putting up 56 points in a win over Morgan State. Well, Furman is not Morgan State. The Paladins won this game, 45-0, in 2003 and the score will be in that blowout range again. Final Score: Furman 45, Gardner-Webb 7
No. 1 Montana (2-0) at Sam Houston State (1-1)
Montana leaves the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first of only four road games this season. The Grizzlies have looked good so far, though they certaintly are not an overwhelming No. 1 at this point. Montana had to battle in the second half to pull out home wins against both Maine and Hofstra, and faces another tough test against the Bearkats. Sam Houston State was a play away from winning at Southwest Missouri State, and the Bearkats are much improved from last year's 2-9 version. Texas A & M transfer Dustin Long threw for 197 yards in the fourth quarter alone last week, and he and Montana signal-caller Craig Ochs are both capable of putting up big numbers. Montana could make a long run as the No. 1 team with no games against top 25 competition in the near future. However, the Grizzlies will have their hands full with the Bearkats before escaping with a seven-point win. Final Score: Montana 31, Sam Houston State 24
MARQUEE MATCHUPS
No. 15 Maine (1-1) at Mississippi State (1-1)
The Black Bears opened at current No. 1 Montana, hosted a pretty good Northern Colorado team, and still have to play at Delaware and at Massachusetts. Maine could really use a victory here, and it's not out of the question despite the matchup with a Southeastern Conference team. The Black Bears are playing a I-A team for the first time since 1991, but Mississippi State isn't exactly the class of the SEC. The Bulldogs got punished on the ground by Auburn, and have to face LSU next week. It's hard to imagine that all of their focus is on a team from a state that many players from MSU would probably struggle to locate on a map. Maine has good balance in the offense and a strong defense, and might be able to catch the Bulldogs napping early on. I want to say Maine will pull the A-10's second upset over a team from a BCS conference in as many weeks. It's definitely a possibility, but the Bulldogs just have a little too much speed and depth for the Black Bears to keep up with late in the game. Final Score: Mississippi State 27, Maine 21
No. 11 Western Kentucky (1-1) at Eastern Kentucky (0-1), 7:30
A lot is riding on this game for Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels might be the last OVC team with a real shot to beat a Gateway Conference team. Much more importantly, it's a rivalry game for both schools and the Colonels owe the Hilltoppers some payback after last year's 36-3 drubbing at Western. Eastern Kentucky put forth a rather uninspiring performance in a 49-21 loss to Appalachian State, but that was the season opener and all the kinks should be worked out. The Hilltoppers have looked pretty good in the first two weeks, with a solid effort in a loss at Kansas State and a big win against Concord. Western Kentucky blew out not only EKU but OVC champion Jacksonville State in 2003, and based on last year's results and this season's first impressions they appear to be the safer pick here. But a lot of strange things happen in rivalry games, and the home team generally plays at an emotional high. That idea could be true here, especially with the Colonels coming off such a lopsided loss. I liked Eastern Kentucky in this game in the preseason, and despite last week's effort I'm sticking with that instinct. Final Score: Eastern Kentucky 28, Western Kentucky 27
No. 22 Cal Poly (2-0) at No. 14 Montana State (1-0), 3:05
Cal Poly avenged a loss to a Big Sky team with a win at Idaho State a week ago, and now the Mustangs try to beat Montana State for the sixth straight time. The fact that the Great West teams can play with, and beat, the top teams in the Big Sky is undisputable. Both teams had a stifling defensive effort a week ago, as Montana State shut out Adams State and Cal Poly recorded six sacks, four interceptions and two returns for touchdowns in the victory over Idaho State. The Mustangs held the Bengals to negative yards rushing and climbed into the top 25 with the performance. However, Montana State won't open it up quite as much as Idaho State, and quarterback Travis Lulay will do a better job of taking care of the ball. Lulay will also have a huge impact on special teams, as he will likely make a point to punt the ball away from return specialist Darrell Jones. These teams are really mirror images of each other, both with a good defense, solid offense and strong special teams. I'll give Montana State the slightest of edges in every facet of the game, and the Bobcats will break the losing streak to Cal Poly in a defensive battle. Final Score: Montana State 20, Cal Poly 13
No. 13 Stephen F. Austin (2-0) at No. 7 Northern Iowa (1-1), 5:05
The matchups between these two teams and Northern Arizona could almost serve as a three-team round-robin tournament. A team that goes 2-0 will almost definitely make the playoffs, a 1-1 team could still be in alright shape, and any team that finishes 0-2 better start thinking about the conference title. The Lumberjacks held up their first end of the bargain with a tough, 24-17, overtime win against Northern Arizona a week ago. The Panthers have four games after this one against top 25 teams, so UNI badly needs to protect its home field against the Lumberjacks. UNI's defense impressed in a 40-0 win against Minnesota State a week ago, and it will need the same type of effort to stop Derek Farmer and the Lumberjacks' running game. The battle between Terrance Freeney and Farmer at running back will likely decide the contest, as the team that can produce on the ground will have a distinct advantage. The running game and offense for both teams is pretty close, but the Panthers hold a slight edge on defense. UNI has a week off before traveling to Southern Illinois, so it should display an all out effort to get a win before the bye. Stephen F. Austin would certainly benefit from a victory, but won't be too upset to go 1-1 against Northern Arizona and UNI. Final Score: UNI 24, Stephen F. Austin 14
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Wofford (1-0) at No. 8 Georgia Southern (1-1), 7:30
For anyone that likes wide-open, west coast style football, you might want to find something else to do than attending or watching this contest. The Wofford- Georgia Southern matchup is a dream contest for proponents of smashmouth, run it down your throat style of play. Maybe it's because these teams are so similar, but they have matched up extremely closely in the past two years. Wofford won at Paulson Stadium, 14-7, in 2002 on a touchdown run with 3:55 to play. The Terriers took last year's contest, 20-14, with a tiebreaking score with just 1:47 left. In both games, Wofford held the Eagles to under 300 yards of total offense. For Georgia Southern fans that still view the rest of I-AA as their personal playground, losing to tiny Wofford a third straight time would be nothing short of a disaster. Georgia Southern will line up in a spread offense, and the Terriers will use a wingbone scheme. Don't expect any surprises, because these teams both play the game their way and usually succeed at it. Wofford's physical edge on the lines showed the last two seasons when the Terriers won the fourth quarter, but Georgia Southern does not appear as overmatched in that department this time around. The Eagles hold a large edge in speed, and Wofford's defense is a notch or two below where it was a season ago. The last time Georgia Southern lost three straight years to a conference opponent was 1995-97 to Appalachian State. That streak will continue, and Georgia Southern will show all of I-AA that it is an elite team again. Final Score: Georgia Southern 24, Wofford 17
MID-MAJOR GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Monmouth (2-0) at No. 2 Robert Morris (2-0), 1:30
The Hawks had their breakout season a year ago, while the Colonials may be on their way to a breakout this year. Robert Morris topped No. 1 Duquesne a week ago and has moved up all the way from No. 8 to No. 2 in just two weeks. Monmouth had never been ranked higher than No. 7 before last season, but worked all the way up to No. 1 at one point during the year. Robert Morris was the first-ever Mid-Major No. 1, but hasn't seen the top five in over two years until last week. The Hawks had a suffocating defense a year ago, and rolled up 501 yards of total offense last week. Robert Morris is playing in its third straight home game, and has dominated its home field so far. But winning two straight games against top five teams is a tough task, and the Colonials might not be quite as good as the No. 2 ranking. The Hawks will leave Pittsburgh with a close win. Final Score: Monmouth 17, Robert Morris 14
When the polls are released, 25 lucky teams get to place that little number next to their name and gain instant respect as one of the best in the nation. Fans can proclaim their team's rank with pride, or dispel all the pollsters as idiots who will be proved wrong.
And in the end, those preseason polls mean absolutely nothing. Last year, Colgate wasn't even ranked and Delaware was only No. 17 in the preseason. Pretty soon, the 2004 preseason polls will be exposed for the guessing game they are and the top 25 will actually be based on this year's performance, not expectations or accomplishments from years past.
Saturday was the first step toward separating the contenders from the pretenders. In the season's first week, a majority of top 25 teams either played up or played down and it was difficult to gauge who was for real and who was overrated. Last week, five games pitted ranked teams and other top teams either stepped up or wilted to tough challenges.
The end result was plenty of movement within the polls. Appalachian State moved up from No. 24 to 20 after pasting Eastern Kentucky. Massachusetts went up five spots and sent Colgate back eight with a 30-20 win over the Raiders. Stephen F. Austin dealt Northern Arizona a loss, an 0-2 record, and a drop to No. 19 in the polls.
The holders of the No.1 ranking have been especially unfortunate in the first two weeks. Delaware dropped to New Hampshire in the opener, and Southern Illinois fell to Northern Illinois on a missed two-point conversion Saturday. Now, Montana ascends to the No. 1 position for the first time since November of 2002.
It's easy to envision the Grizzlies holding on to the top spot. Montana plays at Sam Houston this week, hosts Northern Colorado next week, and doesn't play a ranked opponent until a Nov. 6 contest at home against Northern Arizona. The toughest Big Sky road games are at Weber State and Eastern Washington, and neither the Wildcats or Eagles have shown a whole lot in the first couple games.
But the Grizzlies still have some challenging contests, including this week's matchup at Sam Houston State. Going through the regular season undefeated is a daunting task for any team, and the Montana game will be circled in red on every opponent's schedule.
Should the Grizzlies drop a game, which of the preseason favorites will still be around to move into the No. 1 spot? Well, there are a few candidates. Note, however, that these are not playoff or championship predictions, but rather the teams with the best shot of claiming the No. 1 ranking based on talent and, importantly, upcoming schedule. And, of course, preseason ranking doesn't hurt.
1. Southern Illinois- The Salukis still received 26 first-place votes this week, and the chances of losing the next two weeks are slim to none. Southern Illinois will have to face Northern Iowa, Western Kentucky and Western Illinois in the Gateway, but every one of those contests is at home. The toughest remaining road game is at Illinois State.
2. Georgia Southern- If the Eagles can knock off No. 3 Wofford at home this weekend, they shouldn't have another imposing challenge until Appalachian State comes to town on October 16. The toughest road game doesn't come until a November 6 trip to Furman, though games at Chattanooga and Western Carolina are potential traps. The Eagles showed they are back as an elite team in a tough loss to Georgia, and could run the table until the visit to Furman.
3. Wofford- The Terriers have Georgia Southern Saturday, but then play six of the next eight games at home with one of the road trips at Southern Conference lightweight Elon. A visit to Appalachian State on October 23 and home date with Furman on November 13 are the only real tests left after Georgia Southern.
4. Furman - The Paladins have a pretty tough road with games at Pittsburgh (Sept.25) and at Appalachian State (Oct. 9) both coming in the next month. However, Furman appears to be the most talented team in the Southern Conference, and won't face Georgia Southern or Wofford until November.
5. Villanova- Though the Atlantic 10 has been the most competitive conference from top to bottom, the Wildcats have a favorable schedule that does not include top 25 teams Maine and Massachusetts. There really aren't any easy games on the list, but four of the next six are at home and one of the road games is within a half hour in Philadelphia. Three of the next four opponents are ranked, however, so running the table will be tough.
WEEK ONE NOTEBOOK
Team of the Week: Southeastern Louisiana
To put things in perspective, consider some of the Lions' final scores from a season ago. Southeastern Louisiana lost, 87-27, to Northwestern State, fell 38-17, to Texas State, and went down, 58-20, to McNeese State. In the game against McNeese, quarterback Martin Hankins went 18-for-51 and the Cowboys held a 305-24 edge in rushing yardage. On Saturday, the Lions pulled a 180-degree turn and thumped the Cowboys, 51-17, in Lake Charles. This time, Hankins threw for 439 yards and five touchdowns and completed 38-of-54 passes in the process. In two games, Hankins has 1027 yards passing and nine touchdowns with no interceptions. Wide receiver Felton Huggins already has 24 receptions for 501 yards. McNeese probably isn't as good as last season, but a 72-point turnaround in one year is remarkable. The Lions were rewarded with the No. 25 ranking in this week's poll, which is amazing considering they have played just 14 total games since re-instituting the football program a year ago. Southeastern Louisiana might not avenge big losses every week, but with Hankins, Huggins and the offensive expertise of head coach Hal Mumme they should keep games exciting and keep defenses on their heels.
Mid-Major Team of the Week: Robert Morris
The Colonials dominated defending Mid-Major champion Duquesne from start to finish. Robert Morris scored on its first possession and put the game away in the first quarter with a 17-0 edge. By the third quarter, the advantage ballooned to 34-7 and Duquesne's No. 1 ranking was an afterthought. Quarterback Drew Geyer carved up the Dukes' defense and eight different receivers caught a pass for the Colonials. In just two weeks, Robert Morris has catapulted six spots in the Mid-Major rankings and reached the No. 2 spot in the poll. It's the Colonials highest ranking since they were the top-ranked team in the first ever Mid-Major poll in 2001. It took them three years to get back to the top two, and with a home game against No. 3 Monmouth Saturday the Colonials have a chance to prove they are for real.
Best Top 25 Win: New Hampshire 35, Rutgers 24
Rutgers was supposed to bask in the glow of the program's biggest win in years while cruising against the Wildcats. The Scarlet Knights took down Michigan State in the season opener, and even received votes for the AP Top 25 poll. There was no way some I-AA team was going to come in and beat them, even if it was a I-AA team that just knocked off the sub-classification's defending champion. Well, New Hampshire proved all the doubters (and there were plenty of them) wrong by going into Piscataway and defeating the Scarlet Knights. The Wildcats dominated the second half with a 21-0 edge, and freshman sensation quarterback Ricky Santos tossed five touchdowns to the dismay of the home crowd. Now, New Hampshire now owns a win over the No. 1 team in the country and has I-AA's only win thus far against a I-A team. The Wildcats have managed to vault from outside the rankings to the top 10 in two weeks, and a few more wins should convert any remaining skeptics.
Worst Top 25 Loss: Southeastern Louisiana 51, No. 6 McNeese State 17
That Southeastern Louisiana was better and McNeese State not as good as a season ago was pretty much taken for granted. But a 72 point turnaround! McNeese throttled the Lions a year ago, but wasn't even in the game this time. The perennial power Cowboys got embarrassed, on their home field no less, by an upstart team playing just its 14th game since starting the program back up. Now, we're left to wonder what McNeese State team is for real. Last week, it seemed (at least according to this writer) that the Cowboys could still be an elite team with a 35-17 win at Southern. Now, with Southern just barely getting past SWAC doormat Mississippi Valley State, it's hard to say how meaningful the Cowboys first victory was. McNeese State stayed in the rankings at No. 17 due mainly to name recognition and the win over Southern. But if this effort is indicative of McNeese's ability, don't expect the Cowboys to hang in the top 25 for too long.
Best Game: Stephen F. Austin 24, Northern Arizona 17 (OT)
While other contests were more exciting and just as close, this overtime thriller will likely go a lot further toward deciding the playoff race than most games. Northern Arizona trailed, 17-10, late in the fourth quarter before catching a break. The directional punt by Paul Ernster bounced off a Stephen F. Austin player and NAU recovered at the Stephen F. Austin 15-yard line with 1:33 to go. Northern Arizona scored four plays later to knot the score at 17 and send the game into overtime. In the overtime, SFA took just two plays to score on a 12-yard run by Derek Farmer. NAU had a chance to tie with a third down play on its possession, but quarterback Jason Murrietta's pass into the endzone was broken up at the last second. Northern Arizona falls to 0-2, and with games against Montana, Montana St. and Northern Iowa looming the Lumberjacks already have a tall task to make it back to the playoffs.
Plays of the Week: Southern Illinois scored a touchdown with 54 seconds in the game to close to within one point of Northern Illinois. Attempting to become the first I-AA team to knock off a I-A, Salukis head coach Jerry Kill decided to go for two points and the win. Quarterback Joel Sambursky faked a handoff to running back Brandon Jacobs, but threw incomplete in the back of the endzone. The Salukis lost, 23-22, but represented I-AA well against a high-caliber I-A team and showed why they deserved the top spot in the rankings.
If I hadn't seen this second play live, it would never be on the list because it didn't count. However, it was one of the best individual efforts I've witnessed in any sport, and even an explanation in this space won't do the play justice. The aforementioned effort was by Massachusetts kick returner R.J. Cobbs. After Colgate cut the lead to 23-13, Cobbs jumped, juked and jived his way through the Colgate special teams on his way to a 99-yard touchdown. Cobbs leapt over a defender inside his own 20, spun away from another and was off to the races down the Massachusetts sideline. After dashing to the Colgate 10, Colgate defenders finally caught off the angle to the endzone. Cobb improvised again as he made another leap, faked out a defender and ran into the corner of the endzone. Alas, the bright yellow flag sitting on the UMass 30 brought the play all the way back, but Cobb's individual ability was still something to behold.
Stat of the Week: 182-10
The combined score for Georgia Southern and Western Illinois over non- scholarship Division II opponents. Georgia Southern shellacked Johnson C. Smith, 84-3, while Western Illinois hung 98 points on Cheyney. Both the Eagles and Leathernecks played a high-caliber I-A team in their opener, so it's acceptable to take on a DII team to pad the record. But they couldn't find anybody else? There had to be someone out there that could have at least held Western Illinois under 70 in the first half. Still, the blame here should really fall on the DII schools, especially Cheyney. How fair is it to play teams with no chance of even remaining competitive for some extra dollars. Cheyney's players have suffered through a combined 169-7 score in beatings against Northeastern and Western Illinois, and it's hard to believe they learned a ton of lessons in those contests.
Quote of the Week: "There's no way we could take (Northern Illinois) to overtime," "We had a tired bunch of kids. Our defense played a lot of football plays. The last drive, we had guys going out who could hardly get back on the field." - Southern Illinois head coach Jerry Kill on his reasoning for attempting a two-point conversion when down 23-22 against Northern Illinois
Now, let's take a look at the week that was, and the week that will be, in I-AA football:
SANTOS CAPTURES NATIONAL HONOR
New Hampshire redshirt freshman quarterback Ricky Santos was the best player in college football last week, according to USA Today.com. Read that statement again, because it's true. He was the best player in all of college football, not just I-AA. That Santos was the top player in I-AA a week ago was almost without question, but he also beat out quarterback Kyle Orton of Purdue, running back Darius Walker of Notre Dame and others for the honor of college football national player of the week. Santos threw for 385 yards and five touchdowns in New Hampshire's win over Rutgers, and has come out of nowhere to lead the Wildcats from unranked to the No. 10 spot in the country. New Hampshire might not get as much press now that it is established in the polls, but watch out for the Wildcats if Santos keeps performing at this level.
ONE DOWN, MORE TO COME?
With Hurricane Ivan fast approaching, one I-AA game has already been cancelled and every game in the Southeastern part of the United States must be checking the forecasts to see if playing will be realistic. Nicholls State has postponed its contest with Texas A & M Kingsville, and no makeup date has been announced. With Florida and Louisiana bracing for the storm, games at places like McNeese State and Northwestern State could be in jeopardy if the worst fears come true. Hopefully, the storm will not be as powerful as expected and the games, and more importantly people's lives, can go on.
CAN YOU CALL IT A CHALLENGE?
In most challenges, both parties accept the offer because of a chance of winning and proving themselves as superior to the other. The OVC-Gateway Challenge matchups are nowhere close to the true spirit of the word. The Gateway won all eight matchups a year ago, and has already taken the first two contests this year. If they're going to call it a challenge, at least every team should play a game. Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, Jacksonville State and Samford are all absent from this year's challenge list. Southern Illinois didn't exactly have to face one of the OVC's best teams in Southeast Missouri, but Indiana State plays in three of the six contests this year. Apparently for the OVC, it isn't so much a challenge but an effort to see if mediocre Ohio Valley teams can beat the worst team in the Gateway. So far, no luck. This week does provide us with Western Kentucky at Eastern Kentucky, which is the only watchable game in the whole schedule. A challenge between conferences is a great idea. But these two leagues either need to get a schedule together where the top teams face off, or just abandon the whole concept entirely.
I-AA TEAMS PLAYING OUTSIDE SUB-CLASSIFICATION
New Hampshire's win over BCS opponent Rutgers garnered most of last week's attention, but it was just one of many games for I-AA teams against squads from I-A and from Division II. New Hampshire has the only victory over a I-A team as I-AA squads have a combined 1-23 record against their more scholarship-endowed brethren. While the ridiculous wins for Georgia Southern and Western Illinois stood out last week, it hasn't been all blowouts for I-AA teams against lower level squads. NC Central owns a win over Delaware State and almost took down NC A & T, while Butler has already fallen to two DII opponents.
NATION'S LONGEST LOSING SKID SNAPPED
In a double overtime thriller, Savannah State upended Norfolk State, 41-34. Of course, there's no need to mention that the game pitted two of the worst scholarship teams in I-AA. The victory snapped the Tigers' 15-game losing streak, and the longest losing streak is now at 12. The longest streak now belongs to, you guessed it, the Norfolk State Spartans. The Spartans actually share the title for futility with Holy Cross, and considering the way both teams have played this year it could be a battle to the end. Holy Cross has lost at home to two Mid-Majors, while Norfolk State has a loss to Virginia State to go with the defeat against Savannah State. This should be a neck and neck race, though the Spartans have one key thing in their favor: a matchup with lowly Delaware State to end the season on November 13.
WELCOME, IVY LEAGUE
Now that most teams are two games into the season, the Ivy League has finally decided to join the party. Even if the conference plays only 10 games, wouldn't it make more sense to start two weeks earlier and play when the weather is actually nice at places like Dartmouth and Cornell. As it is, all the Ivies get started with non-conference matchups in their own week one. Penn, riding a national-best 16-game win streak, opens the season at San Diego. The Quakers have lost the majority of the starters and letterwinners that ran through the Ivy League the past two seasons, and could see their 15-game conference win streak come to an end against Yale or Harvard. Both the Elis and the Crimson will be players in the race, while Brown, Dartmouth and Princeton could all play the spoiler role. (See the entire Ivy League preview here)
THE GAMES
My overall record was 24-10 (.706), but in the showcase games I was less than impressive. So, a quick mea culpa to everyone at Massachusetts, Appalachian State and Villanova. I'm not too upset about missing the New Hampshire win and McNeese State loss, because I had to double check to make sure those shockers were even correct. For the season, I'm a not too shabby 51-16 (.761) and hopefully will put up a better performance in the big games this week.
QUICK HITS
William Penn (1-2) at No. 2 Southern Illinois (1-1), 7:00
After a tough, last minute loss to Northern Illinois, the Salukis should be ready to go at home against the NAIA Statesmen. Even if they aren't, Southern Illinois could win this game by 50. After this week, Southern Illinois is at Delaware State so the Salukis can go in cruise control mode before the Gateway season begins October 2. William Penn lost to Mid-Major Drake a week ago, so this one has the potential to get ugly very quick. Final Score: Southern Illinois 63, William Penn 3
West Chester at No. 6 Delaware (1-1), 7:00
For West Chester, this is the version the yearly money game. The teams are meeting for the 46th time since 1941, and every contest has been played in Newark. The Blue Hens have won 13 of the past 14 meetings, including a 49-7 win against the Rams last season. Delaware is not playing like a defending national champion right now, and the Blue Hens better use this game to get everything straightened out with a tough A-10 schedule and Navy waiting for the rest of the season. Final Score: Delaware 45, West Chester 7
Holy Cross (0-2) at Harvard (0-0), 12:30
The first game is always the toughest. The jitters and butterflies are still there, mental errors tend to pop up often, and the offense can take some time to establish rhythm. So, for Harvard, there isn't a better I-AA opponent to play right now than Holy Cross. The Crusaders have fallen on hard times as evident by home losses to Mid-Majors Duquesne and San Diego to start the season. Harvard might still have some first-game errors early, but the talent gap between these two is monstrous. Final Score: Harvard 42, Holy Cross 10
Murray State (1-1) at Indiana State (1-1), 2:05
The streak was just about over for the Ohio Valley Conference. After finishing 0-8 against the Gateway in the "OVC-Gateway Challenge" a year ago and seeing Southeast Missouri fall to Southern Illinois, 42-3, in week one, Eastern Illinois had Indiana State on the ropes at home. But Indiana State kicker Kyle Hooper nailed a 40-yard field goal as time expired, and the Sycamores won in overtime to keep the OVC's misery going. This week, Murray State takes its shot at taking down one of the worst teams in the Gateway. But the Racers aren't as good as Eastern Illinois, and this is the home opener for Indiana State. The Sycamores will pin another loss on the Ohio Valley. Final Score: Indiana State 31, Murray State 20
Eastern Illinois (0-1) at Illinois State (1-1), 7:30
The Panthers couldn't win at home against the worst team in the Gateway, so the outlook on the road at a better Gateway team is less than promising. The game was close a year ago as Illinois State scored nine points in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind, 21-14, victory. The Redbirds played well in a loss at Minnesota a week ago, and have a chance to make a run at some of the top Gateway teams when conference play starts. Illinois State takes care of business with a win here. Final Score: Illinois State 27, Eastern Illinois 13
UC Davis (1-0) at Weber State (0-2), 7:35
Some Big Sky teams may be re-thinking all the games against the Great West right about now. Southern Utah won at Weber State in the season opener, and Cal Poly won by double digits at Idaho State last week. Weber State hosts its second Great West opponent in UC Davis, and the Aggies looked great in a 52-0 pasting of South Dakota State to open the season. The Aggies have enough firepower to score on Weber State, and will win in a shootout. Final Score: UC Davis 42, Weber State 27
Southern Utah (1-0) at Sacramento State (0-1), 10:05
Southern Utah plays game two of four straight contests on the road to begin the season. The Thunderbirds were supposed to host St. Mary's a week ago, but when the Gaels dropped the program the Thunderbirds were left with an open date. Southern Utah did start off the trip well with a 34-31 win at Weber State on Sept. 4. The same cannot be said for Sacramento State, which allowed 598 yards of total offense in a 59-7 loss at Nevada a week ago. Southern Utah won't put up those same types of numbers, but will do enough to get past the Hornets on the road. Final Score: Southern Utah 30, Sacramento State 27
Alcorn State (2-0) at Howard (0-2), 3:00
With a pair of All-America candidates in the defensive backfield, you'd think Howard's defense would at least be a bright spot. And despite allowing 73 points in two games, the defense actually has been the bright spot. In a 47-14 loss to Hampton last week, the Bison turned the ball over five times and allowed 26 points due to special teams miscues. On the flip side, the Braves have been a pleasant surprise with wins over usual SWAC powerhouse Grambling State and MEAC preseason favorite NC A & T. Alcorn State should have an easier time here and go 3-0. Final Score: Alcorn State 27, Howard 16
Southern (1-1) at Prairie View A & M (2-0), 8:00
Don't fix your computer screen, adjust your eyes, or go check the standings. Prairie View really, truthfully does come into the game with a better record than Southern. At 2-0, the Panthers are off to their best start since 1966 and boast the best rushing offense in the league. The wins were over Texas Southern and Paul Quinn, but when you have the history of Prairie View a win is a win. Southern hasn't looked sharp in starting 1-1, and nearly fell to 0-2 before triumphing late against Mississippi Valley State. Still, I can't believe that the Panthers have completely closed the talent gap in just one season. Final Score: Southern 34, Prairie View 20
Jackson State (0-2) at Tennessee State (0-2)
Jackson State currently has a nine-game losing streak, but showed some positive signs with a strong effort in a 28-20 loss to Northwestern State. The Tigers are averaging nearly 345 yards of total offense, but the defense will really have to be up to the task against the Tigers of Tennessee State. Charles Anthony is averaging 181.5 yards per game on the ground and earning his spot as a Payton Award candidate. Tennessee State won big against Alabama A & M, and should do the same in this one. Final Score: Tennessee State 38, Jackson State 17
NC A & T (1-1) at Wake Forest (1-1), 6:30
The Aggies have split two hard fought games to open the season. They caught a break and won on a last second field goal to trip up NC Central, 16-15, in the opener. Last week, NC A & T held the lead in the final minute before surrendering a go-ahead touchdown at Alcorn State. The Aggies won't have to worry about biting their nails for a third straight week. Wake Forest has played well, and should enjoy the break from the ACC schedule. Final Score: Wake Forest 49, NC A & T 14
Western Carolina (2-0) at Alabama (1-1), 7:00
The Catamounts are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 1996 and only fifth time since 1970. The last time Western Carolina began 3-0 came in 1978 in its first season in the Southern Conference. If they wanted a 3-0 start in 2004, scheduling a game at Alabama was probably a bad idea. Alabama dispatched of Mississippi, 28-7, a week ago and has the look of a contender this season. The Catamounts would do well to keep it within a few touchdowns. Final Score: Alabama 42, Western Carolina 17
Portland State (1-0) at Fresno State (2-0), 10:00
Portland State blasted Western State, 38-0, on September 2 and had over two weeks to prepare for the Bulldogs. Hopefully, head coach Tim Walsh came up with about ten trick plays for the Vikings to have any aspirations of actually hanging with Fresno. The Bulldogs have been mentioned as the best team in California, and, yes, No. 1 USC plays in California. The Vikings probably will be ready to warm up the bus by halftime. Final Score: Fresno State 59, Portland State 7
Yale (0-0) at Dayton (2-0), 1:00
As always, Dayton comes in as one of the top Mid-Majors in the country. The Flyers have looked good in two impressive home wins, but Yale is a step up in class from Tiffin and Morehead State. The Elis bring back most of last year's team, and if Alvin Cowan stays healthy they can be a contender in the Ivy League. It's a good test for the Flyers, but Yale has too much firepower in the end. Final Score: Yale 42, Dayton 21
No. 23 Penn (0-0) at San Diego (1-1), 4:00
The Quakers have lost a ton of the players that carried them to Ivy League dominance the past couple seasons. Penn has a national best 16-game overall win streak and has won its last 15 in Ivy League play. The Ivy League streak will be tested later, but the overall streak goes on the line here. The Toreros beat Holy Cross a week ago, but Penn is a different level of opponent. The Quakers make it 17 in a row. Final Score: Penn 38, San Diego 17
No. 24 Lehigh (1-1) at Liberty (1-1), 7:00
Lehigh has to be kicking itself after missing a golden opportunity for a quality win. The Brown and White had Villanova on the ropes with a 16-0 edge in the first half, but couldn't sustain the running game or defensive effort and fell, 22-16. It was a tough loss to take for a team that was one of the last left out of the playoffs a year ago. Liberty played a good first half at Kent State a week ago, but really Kent State is no better than Lehigh. The Brown and White get back on track with a win. Final Score: Lehigh 31, Liberty 21
Texas Southern (0-2) at No. 21 Northwestern State (1-1), 6:00
The Demons have split a pair of road games, but didn't exactly look great doing it. They turned the ball over and missed a chance to capture a very winnable game at I-A Louisiana-Lafayette. Last week, a Jackson State team that has lost nine in a row kept it close until the final minutes. Now the Demons open a four-game homestand, but next game's tilt with Appalachian State figures to prove very difficult. The Demons need to post a convincing win here, and should be able to against a weak Texas Southern squad. Final Score: Northwestern State 38, Texas Southern 7
Dartmouth (0-0) at No. 12 Colgate (0-1), 1:00
The Raiders could have lost by much more than 10 points at Massachusetts a week ago. Colgate forced some turnovers and capitalized on the Minutemen's penalties, but was manhandled at the point of attack. Jamaal Branch struggled to find running room and the offense never really clicked. It wasn't a good start for Colgate, but the Raiders should get back on track right away. Dartmouth is playing its first game and fell, 31-9, to the Raiders a year ago. Colgate evens its record with a convincing win. Final Score: Colgate 35, Dartmouth 13
GOOD GAMES
Idaho State (0-2) at Northern Colorado (1-1)
Both teams have been a disappointment. Idaho State fell behind by as much as 38 in an opening loss at San Diego State, and lost to Cal Poly at home a week ago. Northern Colorado was outgained and mostly outplayed in its home opener, but held on to defeat North Dakota State, 15-13. Last week, the Bears were embarrassed at Maine, 38-0. Just a week ago, Northern Colorado was in the top 25 and Idaho State was knocking on the door. Now, they both need a win in the worst way. With two struggling teams, it's usually safer to take the home squad. Final Score: Northern Colorado 27, Idaho State 24
Jacksonville State (1-0) at Chattanooga (0-1), 6:00
It's the 30th meeting between the two programs, but the first since 1983. Chattanooga's young roster played pretty well despite the final 52-21 score at Memphis. Alonzo Nix caught two touchdown passes from Cedric Stevens, a duo that the Gamecocks defense must worry about Saturday. The teams have renewed the series with a six-year contract, which could be good news for Chattanooga since the Mocs hold a 24-5 advantage all-time. The Mocs probably will finish in the middle or bottom of the Southern Conference and Jacksonville State should compete for a title in the OVC, but the gap between the two leagues will show in a Chattanooga victory. Final Score: Chattanooga 31, Jacksonville State 24
Grambling State (0-2) vs Bethune-Cookman (1-0), 1:00
What a game this would have been a year ago. Grambling, led by Bruce Eugene, would face off against a Bethune offense led by Allan Suber and a defense anchored by Steve Baggs. Too bad the matchup came a season too late. As it is now, the Tigers have dropped their first two games in SWAC play by double digits and are relying on a freshman quarterback now that Eugene is out for the year. Though Suber and Baggs are gone, the outlook is a bit better for a Bethune team that won its opener, 27-14, over Arkansas Pine-Bluff after being forced out of Daytona Beach by Hurricane Frances. The Wildcats are the better team, and head coach Melvin Spears will have to wait at least one more week for his first victory at Grambling. Final Score: Bethune-Cookman 24, Grambling State 13
No. 25 Southeastern Louisiana (2-0) at Texas State (1-1)
The Lions take the first step in trying to prove that last week's blowout of McNeese State was for real. Martin Hankins and Felton Huggins have been the best passer and receiver through the first two weeks, so expect the Texas State defense to have fits. The real surprise in last week's game was the Southeastern defense, which was shredded for 87 points on one occasion a year ago. Texas State put up 38 points against the Lions a year ago, so we'll get a look at which Southeastern Louisiana team is for real. Texas State played well at Baylor a week ago, and I'll have to see another win before I'm convinced in the Lions. Final Score: Texas State 45, Southeastern Louisiana 42
The Citadel (0-0) at No. 20 Appalachian State (1-1)
It's one thing to have an extra game under your belt when conference play starts. But Appalachian State has already played I-A Wyoming and completely wiped out Eastern Kentucky, while The Citadel has yet to experience game action. The Bulldogs had the season opener with Charleston Southern on September 4 postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Frances. The Bulldogs shocked the Mountaineers in last year's Southern opener, but that should just serve as more incentive for Appalachian St. here. If both teams had seen game action, the Mountaineers would win by about three touchdowns. As it is, three touchdowns seems too conservative. Final Score: Appalachian State 49, The Citadel 17
Youngstown State (1-1) at No. 17 McNeese State (1-1)
A matchup between the all-star teams from these historically dominant programs would produce a classic contest. Youngstown State trails only Georgia Southern in national championships and playoffs wins. McNeese State has won 11 playoff games and was fourth in total wins from 1998-2003. However, the contest between the current versions of the programs is nothing more than ordinary. The Penguins lost a very winnable game at home against Florida International a week ago, while the Cowboys were totally embarrassed on their home field by Southeastern Louisiana. In the last two home games, McNeese has lost by a total score of 86-20. However, the Cowboys still appear to have the better roster and will show some pride with a victory over the Penguins. Final Score: McNeese State 28, Youngstown State 17
No. 16 Western Illinois (1-1) at Hampton (2-0)
Western Illinois alum Joe Taylor faces his old school for the first time as Hampton head coach. It's a dangerous game, however, for a Western Illinois team that pinned 98 points on hapless Cheyney a week ago. The Leathernecks will need to come to Hampton ready to play because the Pirates are capable of the upset. An interesting game within the game comes at the running back position, as Western Illinois' Travis Glasford scored six touchdowns last week and Hampton's Alonzo Coleman is averaging 167.5 yards per contest. The Leathernecks have a little better balance on both sides of the ball and should escape with a close, hard fought victory. Final Score: Western Illinois 24, Hampton 21
William & Mary (0-1) at No. 10 New Hampshire (2-0), 12:00
The Wildcats are done sneaking up on people. With road wins against No. 1 Delaware and I-A Rutgers, no one should question the ability of New Hampshire. Freshman quarterback Ricky Santos has been an unexpected godsend, and the defense is improved by leaps and bounds over a year ago. New Hampshire was mentioned as a possible "sleeper" in the A-10 race, and as conference play starts it has already well surpassed that label. However, getting up for a game with the same emotion and intensity for three weeks is tough. The Wildcats had to put forth their best effort to win in the first two weeks, and might not have enough left in the tank to sustain the effort for a third straight time. William & Mary can play, too. The Tribe was also a "sleeper" in the A-10, and had a good performance against ACC team North Carolina in a week one loss. William & Mary has had an extra week to sit and prepare, and New Hampshire is going to have to adapt to playing the role of the hunted rather than the hunter. I'm not taking anything away from New Hampshire, because its first two wins have been incredible. But I can't imagine every single coach and media member misjudged the talent for the Wildcats, and they'll come back to earth a bit here. Final Score: William & Mary 30, New Hampshire 24
Richmond (1-1) at No. 9 Massachusetts (2-0), 1:00
The game between the Spiders and Minutemen is a great example of how tough the A-10 is this year. In many other conferences, the top teams can look past those at the bottom a bit and focus on the upcoming matchups with the contenders. With the way all 12 teams in the A-10 have played, it's hard to look past anybody. The Spiders probably look worse than any A-10 team to this point, but Richmond still posted a 34-7 win at VMI a week ago. The Minutemen might have trouble getting up for this game, with the emotional win over Colgate a week ago and Delaware coming up next. But UMass has been one of the nation's most impressive teams in the opening weeks, and will have enough focus to get by the Spiders by at least a few touchdowns. Final Score: Massachusetts 35, Richmond 13
James Madison (1-0) at No. 5 Villanova (2-0), 1:00
If the Villanova offense doesn't get on track, the Dukes could pose a serious threat. 'Nova is averaging 21 points per game, and had to rally from 16 points down to defeat Lehigh, 22-16, last week. The Wildcats gained just 219 yards of total offense and quarterback Marvin Burroughs was sacked four times in the victory over the Mountain Hawks. However, the offense doesn't need to become the Indianapolis Colts overnight. If Villanova just moves the ball and limits its mistakes, the overwhelming Wildcat defense should be able to carry the team to success. James Madison is a dangerous opponent that has had a week off to prepare, but the Wildcats' offense is due to play a bit better and Villanova should come away with the win. Final Score: Villanova 27, James Madison 13
No. 4 Furman (2-0) at Gardner-Webb (1-1), 6:00
The bad news for Furman is that Florida transfer Ingle Martin has been pretty ordinary in the first two weeks. The good news for Paladins fans is the combined score of those first two games is 97-17 and the record is 2-0. If Martin really gets hot, watch out for Furman. The Paladins defense held a pretty good Samford offense to 10 points and is playing as good as advertised. The Bulldogs are probably feeling pretty good about their offensive ability after putting up 56 points in a win over Morgan State. Well, Furman is not Morgan State. The Paladins won this game, 45-0, in 2003 and the score will be in that blowout range again. Final Score: Furman 45, Gardner-Webb 7
No. 1 Montana (2-0) at Sam Houston State (1-1)
Montana leaves the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first of only four road games this season. The Grizzlies have looked good so far, though they certaintly are not an overwhelming No. 1 at this point. Montana had to battle in the second half to pull out home wins against both Maine and Hofstra, and faces another tough test against the Bearkats. Sam Houston State was a play away from winning at Southwest Missouri State, and the Bearkats are much improved from last year's 2-9 version. Texas A & M transfer Dustin Long threw for 197 yards in the fourth quarter alone last week, and he and Montana signal-caller Craig Ochs are both capable of putting up big numbers. Montana could make a long run as the No. 1 team with no games against top 25 competition in the near future. However, the Grizzlies will have their hands full with the Bearkats before escaping with a seven-point win. Final Score: Montana 31, Sam Houston State 24
MARQUEE MATCHUPS
No. 15 Maine (1-1) at Mississippi State (1-1)
The Black Bears opened at current No. 1 Montana, hosted a pretty good Northern Colorado team, and still have to play at Delaware and at Massachusetts. Maine could really use a victory here, and it's not out of the question despite the matchup with a Southeastern Conference team. The Black Bears are playing a I-A team for the first time since 1991, but Mississippi State isn't exactly the class of the SEC. The Bulldogs got punished on the ground by Auburn, and have to face LSU next week. It's hard to imagine that all of their focus is on a team from a state that many players from MSU would probably struggle to locate on a map. Maine has good balance in the offense and a strong defense, and might be able to catch the Bulldogs napping early on. I want to say Maine will pull the A-10's second upset over a team from a BCS conference in as many weeks. It's definitely a possibility, but the Bulldogs just have a little too much speed and depth for the Black Bears to keep up with late in the game. Final Score: Mississippi State 27, Maine 21
No. 11 Western Kentucky (1-1) at Eastern Kentucky (0-1), 7:30
A lot is riding on this game for Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels might be the last OVC team with a real shot to beat a Gateway Conference team. Much more importantly, it's a rivalry game for both schools and the Colonels owe the Hilltoppers some payback after last year's 36-3 drubbing at Western. Eastern Kentucky put forth a rather uninspiring performance in a 49-21 loss to Appalachian State, but that was the season opener and all the kinks should be worked out. The Hilltoppers have looked pretty good in the first two weeks, with a solid effort in a loss at Kansas State and a big win against Concord. Western Kentucky blew out not only EKU but OVC champion Jacksonville State in 2003, and based on last year's results and this season's first impressions they appear to be the safer pick here. But a lot of strange things happen in rivalry games, and the home team generally plays at an emotional high. That idea could be true here, especially with the Colonels coming off such a lopsided loss. I liked Eastern Kentucky in this game in the preseason, and despite last week's effort I'm sticking with that instinct. Final Score: Eastern Kentucky 28, Western Kentucky 27
No. 22 Cal Poly (2-0) at No. 14 Montana State (1-0), 3:05
Cal Poly avenged a loss to a Big Sky team with a win at Idaho State a week ago, and now the Mustangs try to beat Montana State for the sixth straight time. The fact that the Great West teams can play with, and beat, the top teams in the Big Sky is undisputable. Both teams had a stifling defensive effort a week ago, as Montana State shut out Adams State and Cal Poly recorded six sacks, four interceptions and two returns for touchdowns in the victory over Idaho State. The Mustangs held the Bengals to negative yards rushing and climbed into the top 25 with the performance. However, Montana State won't open it up quite as much as Idaho State, and quarterback Travis Lulay will do a better job of taking care of the ball. Lulay will also have a huge impact on special teams, as he will likely make a point to punt the ball away from return specialist Darrell Jones. These teams are really mirror images of each other, both with a good defense, solid offense and strong special teams. I'll give Montana State the slightest of edges in every facet of the game, and the Bobcats will break the losing streak to Cal Poly in a defensive battle. Final Score: Montana State 20, Cal Poly 13
No. 13 Stephen F. Austin (2-0) at No. 7 Northern Iowa (1-1), 5:05
The matchups between these two teams and Northern Arizona could almost serve as a three-team round-robin tournament. A team that goes 2-0 will almost definitely make the playoffs, a 1-1 team could still be in alright shape, and any team that finishes 0-2 better start thinking about the conference title. The Lumberjacks held up their first end of the bargain with a tough, 24-17, overtime win against Northern Arizona a week ago. The Panthers have four games after this one against top 25 teams, so UNI badly needs to protect its home field against the Lumberjacks. UNI's defense impressed in a 40-0 win against Minnesota State a week ago, and it will need the same type of effort to stop Derek Farmer and the Lumberjacks' running game. The battle between Terrance Freeney and Farmer at running back will likely decide the contest, as the team that can produce on the ground will have a distinct advantage. The running game and offense for both teams is pretty close, but the Panthers hold a slight edge on defense. UNI has a week off before traveling to Southern Illinois, so it should display an all out effort to get a win before the bye. Stephen F. Austin would certainly benefit from a victory, but won't be too upset to go 1-1 against Northern Arizona and UNI. Final Score: UNI 24, Stephen F. Austin 14
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Wofford (1-0) at No. 8 Georgia Southern (1-1), 7:30
For anyone that likes wide-open, west coast style football, you might want to find something else to do than attending or watching this contest. The Wofford- Georgia Southern matchup is a dream contest for proponents of smashmouth, run it down your throat style of play. Maybe it's because these teams are so similar, but they have matched up extremely closely in the past two years. Wofford won at Paulson Stadium, 14-7, in 2002 on a touchdown run with 3:55 to play. The Terriers took last year's contest, 20-14, with a tiebreaking score with just 1:47 left. In both games, Wofford held the Eagles to under 300 yards of total offense. For Georgia Southern fans that still view the rest of I-AA as their personal playground, losing to tiny Wofford a third straight time would be nothing short of a disaster. Georgia Southern will line up in a spread offense, and the Terriers will use a wingbone scheme. Don't expect any surprises, because these teams both play the game their way and usually succeed at it. Wofford's physical edge on the lines showed the last two seasons when the Terriers won the fourth quarter, but Georgia Southern does not appear as overmatched in that department this time around. The Eagles hold a large edge in speed, and Wofford's defense is a notch or two below where it was a season ago. The last time Georgia Southern lost three straight years to a conference opponent was 1995-97 to Appalachian State. That streak will continue, and Georgia Southern will show all of I-AA that it is an elite team again. Final Score: Georgia Southern 24, Wofford 17
MID-MAJOR GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Monmouth (2-0) at No. 2 Robert Morris (2-0), 1:30
The Hawks had their breakout season a year ago, while the Colonials may be on their way to a breakout this year. Robert Morris topped No. 1 Duquesne a week ago and has moved up all the way from No. 8 to No. 2 in just two weeks. Monmouth had never been ranked higher than No. 7 before last season, but worked all the way up to No. 1 at one point during the year. Robert Morris was the first-ever Mid-Major No. 1, but hasn't seen the top five in over two years until last week. The Hawks had a suffocating defense a year ago, and rolled up 501 yards of total offense last week. Robert Morris is playing in its third straight home game, and has dominated its home field so far. But winning two straight games against top five teams is a tough task, and the Colonials might not be quite as good as the No. 2 ranking. The Hawks will leave Pittsburgh with a close win. Final Score: Monmouth 17, Robert Morris 14
Griz Football Spring Game Highlights - 4/10/26
Friday, May 01
Griz Football Spring Practice - 3/2/26
Monday, March 30
Griz Football Spring Preview Press Conference
Monday, March 30
Griz Football Winter Condo - 2/20/26
Monday, March 30
