Villanova-EWU National Semifinal

[BearIt]

For the record:
1. I believe Villanova will probably beat EWU. I think they are the better team.

2. As I have said in other threads I believe the difference between the Big Sky this year and last year is that Montana is having a down year. The level of play of the rest of the Big Sky is about the same as it has been in the past.

3. I will be rooting for EWU all the way and I hope they win. I'm really interested to see how they stack up.


I may actually be able to get to the game (haven't talked to the wife yet). 5 1/2 hour drive, I have Friday off and don't have to be to work on Sat until 4 PM.

[SeattleGriz]

I think Villanova will win as well.

Very bummed Taiwan Jones broke his ankle. He is one of those backs that can make something out of nothing. EWU was going to need his ability against the Villanova D - as much run game as possible. Bummed as well, because I have always felt Nova, if susceptible at all, was to the pass. EWU should be one of the better passing teams Nova has seen all year, but now what run game they had to help keep Nova honest, took a bit hit.

[LeadBolt]

Sorry to see Taiwan Jones out. Don't see EWU hanging with Villanova, with or with out him, unless jet lag and the glare off of the carpet are bigger factors than I imagine.

Villanova is a solid team and with their star back and EWU's best RB out, I don't see this one as competitive. 9-2 BSC falls to 7-4 CAA team at home because of ECB...

[89Hen]

Not going to get all into the stats and whatnot but I'm impressed by Villanova. Not overly impressed with UD, but that may be due to the D battle that went on Saturday and the lack of O by Lehigh the week before.

Nova put up 54 at SFA and 42 at AppSt but only 21 at UD. Could be that UD's defense is a little better than you give them credit for.

[Wedgebuster]

[AZGrizFan]

The travel angle is way overrated. Delaware got held up in an ice storm in Northern Iowa after the '07 quarters until Monday, got home, then hard to turn around and head back out to Southern Illinois for the semis and took care of business. The better team will trump the travel situation, and Nova is the better team by a lot.

yeah, but those were MVFC teams Delawhere was playing.

[putter]

I think Villanova will win as well.

Very bummed Taiwan Jones broke his ankle. He is one of those backs that can make something out of nothing. EWU was going to need his ability against the Villanova D - as much run game as possible. Bummed as well, because I have always felt Nova, if susceptible at all, was to the pass. EWU should be one of the better passing teams Nova has seen all year, but now what run game they had to help keep Nova honest, took a bit hit.

I agree, Jones and Szczur have FBS speed. EWU was a very dangerous team with TJ as NDSU found out, give him an inch and he is gone because no one can touch him. No one in the Big Sky had his speed and I have yet to see anyone, al la Nevada, that did. Eastern's D is good but they can't pull a Montana, they need to get a lead and step on the gas as you can't stop Szczur you can only hope to slow him down for a while...he will get his yards in any game. EWU needed that double threat to beat 'Nova and without TJ I just don't think they have the horses to do so.

[TheHerd]

Would love to see EW get the win, but without Jones there chances just went to slim and none and slim just left the building. EW's qb surely isn't the type of player to put the team on his shoulders and win it.

[GannonFan]

Jones or no Jones, nova was the heavy favorite coming into this game. This may have been the most lopsided semifinal since Montana destroyed UNI back in 2001. And now, with Jones out, it will be. Just a waste of jet fuel for nova to have to fly all the way out there and back for this gimme game. On the bright side, I can get to bed early on Friday night and get the rest for the real semifinal tussle on Saturday.

[AZGrizFan]

Jones or no Jones, nova was the heavy favorite coming into this game. This may have been the most lopsided semifinal since Montana destroyed UNI back in 2001. And now, with Jones out, it will be. Just a waste of jet fuel for nova to have to fly all the way out there and back for this gimme game. On the bright side, I can get to bed early on Friday night and get the rest for the real semifinal tussle on Saturday.

how many points you givin?

[GannonFan]

Jones or no Jones, nova was the heavy favorite coming into this game. This may have been the most lopsided semifinal since Montana destroyed UNI back in 2001. And now, with Jones out, it will be. Just a waste of jet fuel for nova to have to fly all the way out there and back for this gimme game. On the bright side, I can get to bed early on Friday night and get the rest for the real semifinal tussle on Saturday.

how many points you givin?

20.5. I think the 5dimes line is 6 right now. That could be the easiest bet you'll ever see.

[ChickenMan]

I'd love to see EWU knock off Nova.. but I just don't see that happening. EWU has lost their top offensive threat and their very modest defense is going to be hard pressed to contain the Nova offense. EWU's best hope is that Nova comes in a little fat and sassy off their ASU win and plays flat. If Nova brings their 'A' game.. I don't see how EWU can hang with them for all four quarters. However there is one factor that could definately help EWU.. Nova will be making their third consectutive long road trip.. Nacogdoches,TX then Boone,NC and finally Cheney,WA is a lot of travel and it could take a little juice out of the Nova squad.... but I doubt it.

[kalm]

Throw out the 2 pick 6's and the KR for a touchdown and Eastern's defense is giving up 15 points/game over the last 5. JC Sherritt is the best LB in FCS, Matt Johnson is one of the best safeties, and DT Renard Williams has been an absolute beast in the playoffs. If (and it's a big "if") Bo Levi Mitchell has a decent game and avoids mistakes, our defense should be able to limit Szczur enough to at least make the jet fuel worth the expenditure and keep it inside of a 4 touchdown game.

Sorry to interrupt the CAA gangbang. Carry on.

[bpcats]

With TJ EWU had a shot to stick with Nova. That is now over. Nova is a much more balanced team than NDSU.

The biggest difference that I have seen from teams like NDSU and team in the CAA is the amount of talent they have in the trenches. You give any quarterback the amount of time Whitney has to throw the ball and he will look like a world beater too.

EWU's defense could match Villanova offense in a tough battle. The problem is that EWU's offense will probably hang its defense out to dry. I expect a close 1st half (within 10 points) then a blowout in the second half.

[kalm]

With TJ EWU had a shot to stick with Nova. That is now over. Nova is a much more balanced team than NDSU.

The biggest difference that I have seen from teams like NDSU and team in the CAA is the amount of talent they have in the trenches. You give any quarterback the amount of time Whitney has to throw the ball and he will look like a world beater too.

EWU's defense could match Villanova offense in a tough battle. The problem is that EWU's offense will probably hang its defense out to dry. I expect a close 1st half (within 10 points) then a blowout in the second half.

Which has happened too much this season.

[CatMom]

Not going to get all into the stats and whatnot but I'm impressed by Villanova. Not overly impressed with UD, but that may be due to the D battle that went on Saturday and the lack of O by Lehigh the week before.

Nova put up 54 at SFA and 42 at AppSt but only 21 at UD. Could be that UD's defense is a little better than you give them credit for.

could be because I've only seen a couple of games and that's what I am going off of. I was busy the rest of the year watching TXST implode.

[andy7171]

Not going to get all into the stats and whatnot but I'm impressed by Villanova. Not overly impressed with UD, but that may be due to the D battle that went on Saturday and the lack of O by Lehigh the week before.

Nova put up 54 at SFA and 42 at AppSt but only 21 at UD. Could be that UD's defense is a little better than you give them credit for.

OR Mr. Szczur didn't play against Delaware.

[Fact]

Nova put up 54 at SFA and 42 at AppSt but only 21 at UD. Could be that UD's defense is a little better than you give them credit for.

OR Mr. Szczur didn't play against Delaware.

he saw about 15 snaps, but none in the second half really, and he was nowhere near as healthy as he was the last two weeks.. norman white also got hurt in the third quarter i believe.

[andy7171]

OR Mr. Szczur didn't play against Delaware.

he saw about 15 snaps, but none in the second half really, and he was nowhere near as healthy as he was the last two weeks.. norman white also got hurt in the third quarter i believe.

Yeah, I didn't see the game, but noticed that he only had 3 carries.

[GannonFan]

OR Mr. Szczur didn't play against Delaware.

he saw about 15 snaps, but none in the second half really, and he was nowhere near as healthy as he was the last two weeks.. norman white also got hurt in the third quarter i believe.

So the receptions he had in the 4th quarter should've been ruled out of bounds??

[andy7171]

he saw about 15 snaps, but none in the second half really, and he was nowhere near as healthy as he was the last two weeks.. norman white also got hurt in the third quarter i believe.

So the receptions he had in the 4th quarter should've been ruled out of bounds??

The box score I'm looking at only shows #4 with 3 carries, no receptions.

[freebird]

If you use the Sagarin predictor Villanova would be a 10 point favorite on the road over Eastern. The problem with that is that the graph isn't all that well connected when you pit east coast FCS vs west coast FCS. The historical dominance of the east coast FCS teams might lead you to believe the difference could be greater than 10.

With TJ out, the gutzy Eagles may be in a lot of trouble here. I think Villanova is head and shoulders over the rest of the field at this point in the season. Sczcar is an amazingly versatile talent, but I think the key is Ijalana creating some really nice openings for him. The way he handled Fletcher last Saturday was very impressive. A good battle I look forward to watching on Friday night will be Ijalana vs. Renard Williams. Renard has been double teamed all year, but it wouldn't surprise me if 'nova tries to single team him with Ijalana.

I'll be rooting for David to slay Goliath on Friday night.

One other edge not mentioned is the power of the cowbell. It has been known to destroy our opponents and apparently drive some of their fans utterly insane (quite possibly not a very long trip), reducing them to pathetic babbling fools.

Believe in the power of the cowbell.

[JBS]

Believe in the power of the cowbell.

Especially when the refs are ringing it!

[griz8791]

This guy is a big ***ing problem.

[catbob]

I can't wait to watch this game on ESPN2 and see barely 4,000 screaming Eagle fans...

Joking aside (though I'm not joking really), I can't wait to watch this game, but after having watched both EWU and Nova this last weekend, and knowing TJ is out, I don't see any way EWU wins this game. I hope I'm wrong, I'm pulling for EWU, but I just don't see it.