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CS: FCS Top 25 Football Poll Week 7 (10/20/09)

By on October 20, 2009 in CS Poll

Things are pretty much solid with the poll system now after a few weeks in operation and soon will be out earlier in the week that it has been. The poll is looking really good as far as performance of the teams! If you have any thoughts on this poll, please let us know. If you are a member of CS.com and would like to participate, PM me on the forums!

Week 7 (10/20/2009)
1. Richmond Spiders
2. Montana Grizzlies
3. Southern Illinois Salukis
4. Villanova Wildcats
5. Northern Iowa Panthers
6. William & Mary Tribe
7. Elon Phoenix
8. New Hampshire Wildcats
9. Appalachian State Mountaineers
10. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
12. Massachusetts Minutemen
13. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
14. South Carolina State Bulldogs
15. McNeese State Cowboys
16. Central Arkansas Bears
17. Weber State Wildcats
18. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens
19. Cal Poly Mustangs
20. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
21. Colgate Raiders
22. Furman Paladins
23. Eastern Washington Eagles
24. Eastern Kentucky Colonels
25. Liberty Flames

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Top 25 Summary 10/17

By on October 18, 2009 in FCS Update

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

1. Richmond Spiders at Maine Black Bears

My Prediction: Richmond 38   Maine 17

Reality: Richmond 38   Maine 21

Pretty close on this prediction. Richmond didn’t show up for the first half but put the Black Bears away in the second half. No one has had an easy time in Orono this season.

 
2. Northern Iowa Panthers vs. 5. Southern Illinois Salukis

My Prediction: Northern Iowa 38  Southern Illinois 35

Reality:   Southern Illinois 27  Northern Iowa 20

Not the offensive shootout I was predicting. This was a typical game in this series, other than the fact that the visiting team won for the first time in 13 games. The Southern Illinois offense was clicking for most of the game and had great special teams. The Panther defense held their own (1 TD was an INT return, and another was after a special teams fumble on the UNI 7). I look for both of these teams to make the quarterfinals this year.

 

3. New Hampshire Wildcats at 20. Massachusetts Minutemen

My Prediction: New Hampshire 27  Massachusetts 21

Reality:   Massachusetts23 New Hampshire 17

What a crazy game?! New Hampshire drove in the last minute to the UMass 13, but couldn’t score. I expected this game to be close, but not come down to the last play. UMass is fighting their way back into playoff contention. 5 CAA teams looks like a lock at this point. 6 might be a possibility.

 
4. Montana Grizzlies vs. 21. Eastern Washington Eagles

My Prediction: Montana 35  Eastern Washington 28

Reality: Montana 41 Eastern Washington 34

Not too far off on this one. Montana pulls off the 7 pt win. Montana faces Weber State on Halloween. Should be a shootout.

 

5. Southern Illinois Salukis at 2. Northern Iowa Panthers

see 2. Northern Iowa Panthers
6. Villanova Wildcats at 19. James Madison Dukes

My Prediction: James Madison 24 Villanova 20

Reality:  Villanova 27 James Madison 0

Way off on this one. Apparently James Madison forgot they had a game today. Very suprising with the way they’ve played everyone else this season. Good bounce back for Villanova.

 

7. William & Mary Tribe    BYE

 
8. Elon Phoenix  BYE

  

9. Central Arkansas Bears  vs. 16. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

My Prediction: Central Arkansas 34   Stephen F. Austin 31

Reality: Stephen F. Austin 33 Central Arkansas 30

Close game as predicted, different winner. Stephen F Austin puts themselves in the driver’s seat for the SLC autobid.

 

 

10. Appalachian State Mountaineers at Wofford Terriers

My Prediction: Appalachian State 35  Wofford 10

Reality: Appalachian State 44 Wofford 34

Much closer game than predicted. App St stays undefeated in SoCon play.

 
11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs. North Dakota State Bison

My Prediction: South Dakota State 35  North Dakota State 17

Reality: South Dakota State 28  North Dakota State 13

North Dakota State continues their slide. Jackrabbits face Northern Iowa in a game that could end the playoff hopes of the loser.

 
12. Jacksonville State Gamecocks  BYE

 

 
13. South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. 22. Florida A&M Rattlers

My Prediction: South Carolina State 24   Florida A&M 14

Reality: South Carolina State 35   Florida A&M 20

Bulldogs are on their way to the playoffs. No one else should stand in their way.

 
14. Weber State Wildcats vs Sacremento State Hornets

My Prediction: Weber State 24  Sacremento State 14

Reality: Weber State 49  Sacremento State 10

The Wildcats win by a much larger margin that I predicted. Montana game is looming large in two weeks. Loss to Montana State could haunt them.

 
15. McNeese State Cowboys vs. Northwestern State Demons

My Prediction: McNeese 38 Northwestern State 7

Reality: McNeese 51 Northwestern State 23

Much higher scoring than I figured. McNeese stays in the playoff hunt.

 
16. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at 9. Central Arkansas Bears

 see 9. Central Arkansas Bears

 
17. Cal Poly Mustangs

My Prediction: Southern Utah 24 Cal Poly 21

Reality:  Cal Poly 24 Southern Utah 23

Great game, came down to the wire. Cal Poly stays on top of the Great West.
18. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens at Towson Tigers

My Prediction: Delaware 35  Towson 13

Reality: Delaware 49 Towson 21

Delaware is really clicking now. Fighting for the 5th CAA bid.
19. James Madison Dukes vs. 6. Villanova Wildcats

See 6. Villanova Wildcats

 
20. Massachusetts Minutemen vs. 3. New Hampshire Wildcats

 See 3. New Hampshire Wildcats
21. Eastern Washington Eagles at 4. Montana Grizzlies

See 4. Montana Grizzlies
22. Florida A&M Rattlers at 13. South Carolina State Bulldogs

See 13. South Carolina State Bulldogs
23. Colgate Raiders vs. Georgetown

My Prediction: Colgate 28  Georgetown 3

Reality: Colgate 31  Georgetown 14

A little bit closer than I thought. Same result.

 
24. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Portland State Vikings

My Prediction: Northern Arizona 38  Portland State 14

Reality: Northern Arizona 44  Portland State 23

The Lumberjacks are in the hunt for a playoff bid. 2nd place in the Big Sky should get them there.

 

25. Furman Paladins vs. Samford Bulldogs

My Prediction: Samford 24  Furman 17

Reality: Furman 26 Samford 24

Furman keeps their playoff hopes alive.

 

My record this week: 10-6

On the season: 23-10

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Top 25 Predictions: Week 7

By on October 15, 2009 in FCS Update

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

1. Richmond Spiders at Maine Black Bears

Richmond will be too much for an up and down Maine team.The Spiders continue the longest winning streak in FCS football.

Richmond 38   Maine 17
2. Northern Iowa Panthers vs. 5. Southern Illinois Salukis

Another classic MVFC battle in Cedar Falls. Last Saluki win in the UNI-Dome was 1983. I think the streak continues.

Northern Iowa 38  Southern Illinois 35
3. New Hampshire Wildcats at 20. Massachusetts Minutemen

New Hampshire is riding high off of a Homecoming victory over a highly ranked Villanova squad. Massachusetts is on the other end of the spectrum after a blowout loss to Delaware. Massachusetts is looking for a Homecoming win of their own, but they come up just short.

New Hampshire 27  Massachusetts 21
4. Montana Grizzlies vs. 21. Eastern Washington Eagles

The Griz take on their 2nd Top 25 opponent in a row. EWU comes into the game with a high powered offense. The Griz have shown they can win close games and I think they’ll pull out another win.

Montana 35  Eastern Washington 28
5. Southern Illinois Salukis at 2. Northern Iowa Panthers

see 2. Northern Iowa Panthers
6. Villanova Wildcats at 19. James Madison Dukes

Villanova is on the road against a ranked team for the 2nd week in a row. Last weekend they couldn’t get past an undefeated New Hampshire squad. James Madison almost took down defending champion, Richmond. JMU is at home and due for the big win.

James Madison 24 Villanova 20

7. William & Mary Tribe    BYE
8. Elon Phoenix  BYE

  

9. Central Arkansas Bears  vs. 16. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

Easily the game of the week in the Southland Conference, this game has a lot riding on the line. Central Arkansas looks to continue it’s dominance of the SLC and prove that they deserve a Top 10 ranking, while SFA looks to prove that they are back and plan to contend for the automatic bid to the playoffs. Central Arkansas is too tough at home.

Central Arkansas 34   Stephen F. Austin 31

10. Appalachian State Mountaineers at Wofford Terriers

After an 0-2 start, the Mountaineers have won 3 straight. Wofford is down after a lot of injuries have hurt depth. The hurt continues for Wofford.

Appalachian State 35  Wofford 10
11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs. North Dakota State Bison

The Jackrabbits are riding high. Still undefeated in conference play heading into a tough stretch against NDSU and UNI. The Bison are off to one of their worst starts in years. One win on the year, big loss at home to UNI last week, and no Pat Paschall this week for the Bison. Jacks keep the Dakota Marker for the 3rd year in a row.

South Dakota State 35  North Dakota State 17
12. Jacksonville State Gamecocks  BYE
13. South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. 22. Florida A&M Rattlers

Both teams are riding high. Each is 4-1 and 2-0 in the MEAC. Bulldogs have big game experience and homefield advantage. (read the full breakdown of this game on the FCS Update blog)

South Carolina State 24   Florida A&M 14
14. Weber State Wildcats vs Sacremento State Hornets

Weber State bounced back from their first conference loss last week with an 18-point win over Eastern Washington. Sacremento State has won two straight. The Hornets streak comes to an end.

Weber State 24  Sacremento State 14

 
15. McNeese State Cowboys vs. Northwestern State Demons

McNeese State took a hit to their playoff hopes last week, losing their first SLC game of the season to Stephen F Austin. The Cowboys look to roll over winless Northwestern State to get their playoff train back on track.

McNeese 38 Northwestern State 7
16. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at 9. Central Arkansas Bears

 

see 9. Central Arkansas Bears
17. Cal Poly Mustangs

Cal Poly comes home after losing to Montana last week. Southern Utah is much improved with 2 FBS losses and a close loss to 24. Northern Arizona. I think SUU pulls the upset.

Southern Utah 24 Cal Poly 21
18. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens at Towson Tigers

Delaware looks to claw it’s way back into the CAA race, as well as make a case for an at-large bid. Towson’s looking to turn things around. It’ll be a little longer Tiger fans.

Delaware 35  Towson 13
19. James Madison Dukes vs. 6. Villanova Wildcats

See 6. Villanova Wildcats

 
20. Massachusetts Minutemen vs. 3. New Hampshire Wildcats

 

See 3. New Hampshire Wildcats
21. Eastern Washington Eagles at 4. Montana Grizzlies

See 4. Montana Grizzlies
22. Florida A&M Rattlers at 13. South Carolina State Bulldogs

See 13. South Carolina State Bulldogs
23. Colgate Raiders vs. Georgetown

Colgate stays undefeated, Georgetown stays winless.

Colgate 28  Georgetown 3

 
24. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Portland State Vikings

Northern Arizona looks to prove they belong in the Top 25. Portland State looks to get on the winning track. Lumberjacks prove themselves.

Northern Arizona 38  Portland State 14

 

25. Furman Paladins vs. Samford Bulldogs

Samford is on the edge of falling out of the playoff hunt. Furman isn’t too far behind. The Paladins need to win this one. but they won’t.

Samford 24  Furman 17

 

……and hack away at it.

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Spotlight shines on Orangeburg

By on October 15, 2009 in FCS Update

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

All eyes in the MEAC will focus on Orangeburg, SC this weekend as the Florida A&M Rattlers face the South Carolina State Bulldogs

Both teams take the field Saturday with an overall record of 4-1, and a MEAC record of 2-0. Florida A&M’s lone loss came to in-state FBS rival Miami, and SC State also fell to an in-state rival when the faced South Carolina.

Florida A&M comes in with national sensation, LeRoy Vann, who has been featured on ESPN because of his explosiveness in the Rattlers return game. When asked about Vann and the problems he presented, S.C. State head coach, Buddy Pough said that they would not kick the ball out of bounds to avoid Vann touching the ball. The special teams battle could easily win this game.

The Bulldogs of South Carolina State are coming off of a 2008 playoff appearance in which they came close to upsetting FCS powerhouse, Appalachian State. They are lead by Senior RB Will Ford, who leads the team with 383 yards rushing. Ford is on the Payton Award watch list after rushing for 1,499 yards last year. Their marquee win at this point in the season came against Grambling State in week one. The game ended with a final score of 34-31, but the game was never really that close. The Bulldogs struggled at times, had conditioning issues, and just were not playing to their potential. If this game were played again I would expect the Bulldogs to win by 10+.

This game could very well decide the MEAC championship which would guarantee a spot in the 2009 FCS playoffs. While the loser could still learn an at-large bid, no one wants to leave it to chance.

Coach Pough feels like both teams have a strong resume for the playoffs. While the winner clearly has the better path, Pough feels both teams belong in at this point in the season. When asked about their non-conference schedule, Couch Pough said that he felt like they played on of the toughest non-conference slates in FCS football. This schedule included a neutral site game against Grambling State, FBS South Carolina, and Winston Salem State.

I contacted Florida A&M or this article, but was unable to get a response. Current issues in their athletic department may have caused communication issues. If we can get a comment from Coach Taylor, then the story will be updated.

Prediction:

South Carolina State 24   Florida A&M 14

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CS: FCS Top 25 Football Poll Week 6 (10/14/09)

By on October 14, 2009 in CS Poll

The poll ran a lot smoother this week as we are working out a bunch of kinks in the system but it is looking great! The members that are voting are having fun with this and the outcome is legit.  Take a look at this weeks poll and once again, grab a beer and celebrate!

Week 6 (10/14/2009)
1. Richmond Spiders
2. Northern Iowa Panthers
3. New Hampshire Wildcats
4. Montana Grizzlies
5. Southern Illinois Salukis
6. Villanova Wildcats
7. William & Mary Tribe
8. Elon Phoenix
9. Central Arkansas Bears
10. Appalachian State Mountaineers
11. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
12. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
13. South Carolina State Bulldogs
14. Weber State Wildcats
15. McNeese State Cowboys
16. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
17. Cal Poly Mustangs
18. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens
19. James Madison Dukes
20. Massachusetts Minutemen
21. Eastern Washington Eagles
22. Florida A&M Rattlers
23. Colgate Raiders
24. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
25. Furman Paladins

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Coming up this week 10/12

By on October 12, 2009 in FCS Update

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

The big story for this week will be a preview of the marquee match-up in the MEAC: South Carolina State vs. Florida A&M. I will be posting a breakdown of the game, as well as comments from both head coaches.

Also look for the beginning of our former FCS player profile series that will feature former FCS players on the ChampionshipSubdivision.com forums.

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If the playoffs started today….10/12/09

By on October 12, 2009 in FCS Update

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

Still a long way to go……

This will change a lot next week. A lot of big games coming up this weekend: New Hampshire @ Massachusetts, Villanova @ James Madison, Eastern Washington @ Montana, Florida A&M @ South Carolina State, Southern Illinois @ Northern Iowa, North Dakota State @ South Dakota State, and Stephen F Austin @ Central Arkansas.

Autobids:

Big Sky: Montana    CAA: Richmond   MEAC: South Carolina State   MVFC: Northern Iowa   OVC: Tennessee State   Patriot: Holy Cross  SoCon: Elon  Southland: Stephen F. Austin

At-large bids:

New Hampshire(2nd CAA), Villanova(3rd CAA), William and Mary(4th CAA), Appalachian State(2nd SoCon), Southern Illinois(2nd MVFC), South Dakota State(3rd MVFC), McNeese State(2nd Southland), Northern Arizona (2nd Big Sky)

Bracket:

Holy Cross @ (1)Richmond
Tennessee State @ Appalachian State

William and Mary @ Southern Illinois
South Carolina State @ (4)New Hampshire

Northern Arizona @ (2)Northern Iowa
Villanova @ McNeese State

Elon @ South Dakota State
Stephen F. Austin @ (3)Montana

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The Battle In The Trenches, Finale: The Recap From Fargo

By on October 12, 2009 in FCS Update

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

I arrived in Fargo around noon on Saturday, welcomed by tempatures in the low 30s and occasional flurries.

After a few minutes of adjusting to the cold, I was offered food, drink, and some warmth by one of the best tailgating atmospheres in FCS football. I have never seen so many custom painted buses, RVs and vans. Special thanks to the crews at the Rainforest and Rollin Thunder tailgates. I met a lot of Bison posters throughout the West lots and appreciate their hospitality.

Inside the Fargodome the media relations crew was very friendly and I had a great time with the local Fargo media.

We’ll be getting a photo gallery posted here at cs.com in the upcoming week, so stay tuned for that.

The focus of this last week was North Dakota State RB Pat Paschall and his challenge of facing the Northern Iowa defense. All in all the battle was pretty even. Let me break it down for you.

Here’s the lowdown:

Paschall rushed for 115 yards-

Paschall tied his season low this week with 115 yards on 19 carries. This was about 35 yards below his season average. The result is that Paschall no longer leads to country in yards per game. That title has moved to Deji Karim who faces the Northern Iowa defense on Saturday. Advantage: Northern Iowa

North Dakota State rushes for 206 yards-

The Bison rolled up a team total of 206 yards on Saturday. The Bison had 5 different players with carries, including QB Nick Mertens. The 206 yards of rushing offense was 141 yards more than UNI was averaging, and the most the UNI defense has allowed this season. Advantage: North Dakota State

Overall, both parties played the game under their averages. Obviously in the end the outcome favored the Panthers, but I would say that it was a successful game for Paschall and the Bison offensive line.

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The Battle In The Trenches, Part 2: Purple Haze

By on October 8, 2009 in FCS Update

Rob Weiss, FCS Update

Through 5 games of the season, the Northern Iowa defense is only giving up 7.6 points per game. That includes holding FBS #12 Iowa to 17. The Panther defense is 5th in the country in rushing defense, allowing 65.6 yards per game.  This is the challenge that awaits North Dakota State running back Pat Paschall, the number one running back in yards per game in FCS football.

This year’s Panther defense has left off exactly where last year ended,  replacing last year’s man in the middle, Everette Pedescleaux, who graduated last spring and is currently with the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Pedescleaux, listed at 6-6 305 lbs, has been replaced by Chuck Kinney and Wes Lane. Both senior leaders are listed at 290 pounds.

But the biggest push on the defensive line comes from  James Ruffin, a senior defensive end from Burnsville, MN. Ruffin was highly decorated after his junior season. He was named as a first team all-american by the American Football Coaches Association, Defensive Player of the Year in the Valley, first-team all-MVFC pick , second-team All-America pick by the Associated Press , third-team All-America honoree by The Sports Network. Ruffin finished last season with 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

As a unit, the most ground yardage the team has given up this season was against South Dakota. The Coyotes ran for 151 total yards(90 net) on 35 attempts, an average of 4.3 yards per carry.  The Coyotes only scored one TD in the game, and that came on a flea-flicker pass.

Their season low was last weekend against Indiana State. The Sycamores ran for 56 yards (42 net) on 25 attempts.

Looking forward to this battle on Saturday. We’ll finish this series with a recap over the weekend. Look forward to a photo gallery of gameday pictures from inside the Fargodome.

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CS: FCS Top 25 Football Poll Week 5 (10/7/09)

By on October 7, 2009 in CS Poll

After many many months of planning and developing our Top 25 Football Poll, the first results have finally arrived and I do say myself, it looks pretty darn good!  Our poll represents how the teams are actually performing this season and not based on pre-season rankings.

We are very pleased with the results and will only improve our poll in the coming weeks and years.  Thanks to everyone involved!  Grab a beer and celebrate!

Week 5 (10/7/2009)
1. Villanova Wildcats
2. Richmond Spiders
3. Northern Iowa Panthers
4. New Hampshire Wildcats
5. Montana Grizzlies
6. Southern Illinois Salukis
7. William & Mary Tribe
8. McNeese State Cowboys
9. Central Arkansas Bears
10. Elon Phoenix
11. Appalachian State Mountaineers
12. Massachusetts Minutemen
13. Cal Poly Mustangs
14. James Madison Dukes
15. Eastern Washington Eagles
16. South Dakota State Jackrabbits
17. Eastern Kentucky Colonels
18. South Carolina State Bulldogs
19. Jacksonville State Gamecocks
20. Weber State Wildcats
21. Holy Cross Crusaders
22. Colgate Raiders
23. Montana State Bobcats
24. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens
25. Furman Paladins

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