Best Performance: Eastern Washington 35, (#11) Montana St. 13 - The Eagles continue to own the Bobcats.
Worst Performance: Northern Colorado 0, Weber St. 23 - Being shutout on Homecoming will not impress the boosters.
Most Surprising Result: Eastern Washington 35, (#11) Montana St. 13 - No real surprises this week, but I expected this one to end up closer, especially with QB Matt Nichols's temporary injury.
Southland
NICH 17-16 SFA
TXST 21-63 UCA
SELA 24-27 NWST
SHSU 21-31 MCNSE
NConf Record: 0-0 Overall: 13-17
vs. FCS: 0-0 Overall: 4-7
Best Performance: Central Arkansas 63, Texas St. 21 - A whopping 327 effiency rating (313 yds., 7 TDs) for Bear QB Nathan Brown.
Worst Performance: Texas St. 21, Central Arkansas 63 - Bobcats now back to their old Southwest Texas State ways after their magical 2005 season.
Most Surprising Result: Stephen F. Austin 16, (#14) Nicholls St. 17 - The Lumberjacks rediscover their competitiveness, but they're still winless.
Gateway
SIU 24-30 UNI
INDST 17-69 ILST
MIZST 10-31 WIU
SUU 22-23 YSU
NConf Record: 1-0 Overall: 20-10
vs. FCS: 1-0 Overall: 13-5
Best Performance: (#2) Northern Iowa 30, (#7) Southern Illinois 24 - The Panthers hold off the Salukis & Nick Hill's surprising 414 yards passing.
Worst Performance: Indiana St. 17, Illinois St. 69 - Sycamores make the reeling Redbirds look like an FBS team as they give up three 100 yard rushers.
Most Surprising Result: (#12) Youngstown St. 23, Southern Utah 22 - Penguins the second ranked team in a row to narrowly avoid a Thunderbird upset.
Ohio Valley
SEMO 17-44 EKU EIU 27-24 MUR TSU 45-28 TTU
SAM 21-31 UTM JAXST 42-9 AP
NConf Record: 0-0 Overall: 13-17
vs. FCS: 0-0 Overall: 5-5
Best Performance: Jacksonville St. 42, Austin Peay 9 - Gamecocks dominate an Austin Peay team that had been playing well.
Worst Performance: Samford 21, Tennessee-Martin 31 - 3 garbage touchdowns made this loss to the winless Skyhawks look closer than it actually was.
Most Surprising Result: (#24) Eastern Illinois 27, Murray St. 24 - Panthers show they're still not fully recovered from the Eastern Kentucky loss.
I'm going to try a new experiment to keep the thread bumped & to see if it gets more replies than the previous weeks' breakdowns. I'll post one set of four conferences per day (Sunday through Wednesday). This also makes it so I don't have to do it all at once.
What has happened with Tx. St? How far and fast they have fallen although I think C. Arkansas is a good program. Good to see SUU playing well.
"Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Hugh White, 1801
How far has Texas State fallen......a long way.
There are several reasons why, none of them are making us very happy. First the 2005 team was built to win that season, once that season was over 22 members of that team, 18 of them starters, were gone including two great receivers and our QB Barrick Nealy. Last years team as far as starters was pretty much completely new. Then in the off season our coach left and so did 25 players from that team, so again we are starting over with a new coach, new staff and new scheme that the players, especially on defense, aren't used to and were not recruited to play. That part makes no sense to me why you try to force a system that you know won't work right with the players you have, and I am not the only one confused by that. We have talent but I am not sure the new coaching staff is using that talent the way it should be used, and not doing enough to improve that talent. As mentioned in another thread we have played two good games offensively this year, Baylor and Cal Poly, but if you look at our defensive numbers we haven't had a single good game. That's why if I am not mistaken we have the lowest rated FCS defense in the country, or close to it. There is a movement to clean house after the season starting with the Athletic Director and then the entire football staff and start over from scratch. I doubt however that will happen.
LEHIGH 7-23 YALE
LAF 17-27 HARV
BUCK 24-28 COLG
DART 15-41 HC FORD 38-31 GTOWN
NConf Record: 1-2 Overall: 15-16
vs. FCS: 1-2 Overall: 15-16
Best Performance: Holy Cross 41, Dartmouth 15 - 503 yards of offense & no turnovers for the Crusaders as they pick up the Patriot League's only solid win this week.
Worst Performance: Lafayette 17, Harvard 27 - 4 interceptions by QB Michael DiPaola causes the Leopards to lose to an average Harvard team.
Most Surprising Result: Georgetown 31, Fordham 38 - The Hoyas finally find some offense & play a close game against the Patriot League leaders.
CAA
IONA 21-49 UNH W&M 21-20 MAINE
NOVA 24-32 UMASS (4OT) JMU 44-27 URI
NE 20-30 UD HOF 20-3 TOW
SB 0-42 RICH
NConf Record: 2-0 Overall: 23-10
vs. FCS: 2-0 Overall: 21-2
Best Performance: (#10) Hofstra 20, Towson 3 - The Pride completely shut down Tiger QB Sean Schaefer, allowing him only 123 yards & forcing 2 INT's.
Worst Performance: Towson 3, (#10) Hofstra 20 - The offense vanishes as the 3-4 Tigers fall out of the playoff hunt.
Most Surprising Result: (#4) Massachusetts 32, Villanova 24 (4OT) - The Minutemen need everything they have & then some to hold off the Wildcats.
Best Performance: (#22) Cal Poly 63, UC Davis 28 - Not the type of Mustang team we're used to, as they roll up 704 yards of offense (& give up 402).
Worst Performance: UC Davis 28, (#22) Cal Poly 63 - The Aggies definitely wish they were playoff eligible a year or two earlier.
Most Surprising Result: Southern Utah 22, (#12) Youngstown St. 23 - The Thunderbirds will knock somebody off eventually.
Ivy League
PENN 59-28 COLUM
COLG 14-17 COR - I just realized I forgot to put this game under the Patriot League section.
DART 15-41 HC
LAF 17-27 HARV
LEHIGH 7-23 YALE
PRINCE 24-33 BROWN
NConf Record: 3-1 Overall: 11-13
vs. FCS: 3-1 Overall: 11-13
Best Performance: Harvard 27, Lafayette 17 - Crimson force 5 turnovers & get a game-clinching 91 yard INT return from Steve Williams with 6:47 left.
Worst Performance: Columbia 28, Penn 59 - QB Craig Hormann threw for 417 yards, but the Lions were dominated on special teams & again couldn't run the ball.
Most Surprising Result: Princeton 24, Brown 33 - Six turnovers & a surprisingly poor defensive showing by the Tigers in this one.
Big South
PRESBY 45-21 VMI
GWEBB 17-52 WOFF
CHOW 0-51 CCU
NConf Record: 1-2 Overall: 12-18
vs. FCS: 0-2 Overall: 6-14
Best Performance: Coastal Carolina 51, (DII) Chowan 0 - Dominating a lousy DII team is enough to get the prize this week.
Worst Performance: VMI 21, Presbyterian 45 - Keydets give up three 50+ yard touchdowns.
Most Surprising Result: Gardner-Webb 17, (#8) Wofford 52 - I thought the Bulldogs were good enough to avoid a blowout here.
Best Performance: Jackson St. 32, Southern 26 - The Tigers hand Southern their second straight loss despite 4 turnovers.
Worst Performance: Texas Southern 20, Alcorn St. 22 - Tigers lose this battle of winless teams.
Most Surprising Result: Alabama St. 6, Prairie View A&M 17 - The Hornets lose their third straight after a high-flying start, while the Panthers are an unfathomable 4-2.
Best Performance: Presbyterian 45, VMI 21 - 5 rushing touchdowns & 31 second-half points for the Blue Hose.
Worst Performance: Savannah St. 14, (DII) Morehouse 32 - Even a slightly above average DII team is an automatic loss for the Tigers.
Most Surprising Result: North Carolina Central 17, (DII) North Greenville 14 - North Greenville loses to an FCS team for the third straight week. This one was a little closer & much lower scoring than the previous two, however.
Pioneer League
DRAKE 19-59 USD
BUT 37-42 VALPO
DVDSN 28-38 DAY
MHEAD 24-34 JVILLE
NConf Record: 0-0 Overall: 22-6
vs. FCS: 0-0 Overall: 6-4
Best Performance: San Diego 59, Drake 19 - An unlikely slaughter for the Toreros in what likely decided the PFL title.
Worst Performance: Morehead St. 24, Jacksonville 34 - The Eagles give the Dolphins their first DI win of the season.
Most Surprising Result: Morehead St. 24, Jacksonville 34 - The Eagles beat Dayton. Dayton killed the Dolphins. Yet the 1-5 Dolphins manage to defeat a Morehead team that had looked pretty good coming in.
Best Performance: Wagner 45, Monmouth 16 - The surprising Seahawks dominate the disappointing Regular-Hawks.
Worst Performance: Monmouth 16, Wagner 45 - Hawks give up 518 yards of offense to the Seahawks & also give up 201 yards & 4 TD's on the ground to RB Jason Butler.
Most Surprising Result: Wagner 45, Monmouth 16 - Things look very different from last year in the NEC.
MAAC
DUQ 24-17 SFPA
IONA 21-49 UNH
LAS 10-24 MARIST
NConf Record: 1-1 Overall: 8-13
vs. FCS: 1-1 Overall: 5-9
Best Performance: Duquesne 24, St. Francis (PA) 17 - Not a great win, but it's enough to get the award this week.
Worst Performance: La Salle 10, Marist 24 - Red Foxes give up a mere 111 yards in the Winless Mid-Major Bowl.
Most Surprising Result: Duquesne 24, St. Francis (PA) 17 - The Dukes just don't quite look like their usual dominating selves this year.
