Alright, boys and girls Week 1 is done and in the books.
We learned a few things, EWU is as good as we thought, NDSU made FBS ISU look silly, UNI looked good against a decent Iowa team, Deleware looked terrible against a mediocre Pitt team, Youngstown held their own against an unknown Illinois team(till the 4th quarter) Montana held serve against a new look Wyoming, and drake is terrible, again, and villanova looks pretty good(though are they FCS anymore?)
Tag Archives | Northern Iowa
TSN poll
Again, some ?’s and some surprises, TWO WEEKS FOLKS GET YOU GAME FACE ON.
1. Eastern Washington Eagles (82) 12-3 3589 3
2. North Dakota State Bison (62) 15-0 3540 1
3. Southeastern Louisiana Lions (2) 11-3 3300 6
4. New Hampshire Wildcats (1) 10-5 3090 5
5. Montana Grizzlies 10-3 2817 8
6. Jacksonville State Gamecocks 11-4 2634 10
7. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 12-3 2461 7
8. McNeese State Cowboys 10-3 2277 11
9. Northern Iowa Panthers 7-5 2197 NR
10. South Dakota State Jackrabbits 9-5 2154 13
11. Fordham Rams 12-2 2139 9
12. Villanova Wildcats 6-5 2072 NR
13. Towson Tigers 13-3 1999 2
14. Chattanooga Mocs 8-4 1647 23
15. Tennessee State Tigers 10-4 1448 17
16. Eastern Illinois Panthers 12-2 1375 4
17. Sam Houston State Bearkats 9-5 1345 14
18. Montana State Bobcats 7-5 1170 20
19. William & Mary Tribe 7-5 1151 NR
20. Richmond Spiders 6-6 963 NR
21. Furman Paladins 8-6 802 22
22. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 10-3 475 16
23. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 9-3 429 15
24. Youngstown State Penguins 8-4 405 18
25. Maine Black Bears 10-3 330 12
MVFC Preseason synapsis
8/3/2010
With the season right around the corner, I decided it was time to start the conference by conference breakdowns.
X Southern Illinois 9-2 7-1 – Only slipping up once in conference and owning a win over UNI, SIU earns the MVFC auto-bid.
Y Northern Iowa 9-2 7-1 – Northern Iowa returns to the playoffs with an at-large bid.
Y Illinois State 9-2 6-2 – Illinois State makes their return to the playoffs with at at-large bid.
Z North Dakota State 7-4 5-3 – NDSU is a bubble candidate for their first playoff appearance.
South Dakota State 6-5 5-3 – The Jacks fall a little short this year.
Youngstown State 6-5 4-4 – The Penguins are rebuilding, just a year away from contention.
Indiana State 3-8 1-7 – The Sycamores take a step in the right direction.
Western Illinois 2-9 1-7 – Bad situations in Macomb carry over to 2010. Maybe the healing can begin.
Missouri State 1-10 1-7 – Terry Allen says his goodbyes and cleans out his office.
Top 25 Summary 10/17
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
Top 25 Predictions: Week 7
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.
The Battle In The Trenches, Finale: The Recap From Fargo
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.
The Battle In The Trenches, Part 2: Purple Haze
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.
The Battle In The Trenches, Part 1: Meet Pat Paschall
Rob Weiss, FCS Update
This weekend, those of us in the Fargodome are in for what should amount to be an epic battle. North Dakota State’s running back, Pat Paschall, is currently the number one running back in all of FCS football. Paschall, coming into the game averaging 150.8 yards per game, is going to be up against the defense from the University of Northern Iowa. The Panther defense comes into Saturday’s game ranked in the top 10 in 3 major statistical categories.
Paschall, The Bison’s fifth year senior from St. Louis, Mo., was originally recruited to Georgia Southern University, where in his redshirt season he was named scout team player of the year. Unhappy with the situation in Statesboro, Paschall headed to Dodge City Community College, where he would eventually be recruited by North Dakota State.
In his sophmore season, his first with the Bison, Paschall would run the ball 84 times for a total of 530 yards and five TDs. He also had one reception for 16 yards and a touchdown.
His junior year was very similar to his sophmore campaign. He would run the ball 108 times for 601 yards and two TDs, so more carries, a little more yardage, but less TDs. He would also catch nine passes for 51 yards.
The 2009 season has already been great to Pat. Through 5 games he has rushed the ball 100 times for 765 yards (7.65 yards per carry) and 5 TDs. Career highs less than halfway through the season in both yards and TDs. He also has 6 receptions for 120 yards.
This week the Bison’s running game faces a highly ranked Panther defense.
We’ll turn to the Panther defense on Thursday and will finish next week with a post game commentary on what should be a great battle.
Top 25 Summary 10/3
Rob Weiss, FCS Update
Crazy day in the Top 25. I had the opportunity to watch four games today. Here’s a rundown on my predictions, how it went down, and what I thought of the outcome.
1. Richmond is idle.
2. Villanova vs. No. 4 William and Mary
My prediction: William and Mary 24 Villanova 21
Reality: Villanova 28 William and Mary 17
William and Mary just didn’t really seem like they were ready to play in the first half. The Tribe’s QB, R.J. Archer had enough problems on his own. He ooked like he lacked the necessary confidence to make the plays he needed to. When it wasn’t the offense stalling, it was the defense making errors. One Villanova drive was extended by an unsportsmanlike conduct flag on a defensive player who felt the need to taunt and injured played who had just been rocked on a hard hit.
The Tribe went into halftime down 21-6, but back ready to play in the 2nd half. It was just too little, too late for the Tribe.
Villanova on the other hand looked like the best team in the country. Easily #1 in my mind. The Villanova offense, led by QB Chris Whitney, was very balanced with148 yards on the ground and 169 through the air. The only issue I saw was the defense. The Wildcats defense gave 472 yards, but managed to keep the Tribe to 17 points. The Tribe’s first drive was ended by an INT in a goalline situation. Had that play gone differently, we may have seen a different game.
Was very thankful for the invention of DVR. Was great to come back and watch this game on Versus.
3. Northern Iowa vs. Indiana State
My prediction: Northern Iowa 52 Indiana State 7
Reality: Northern Iowa 62 Indiana State 7
I called this one pretty closely. Northern Iowa was ahead 42-0 at the half. All of starters on offense andmost of the starters on defense sat out the entire second half. Indiana State had a 12 yard scoring drive after a UNI fumble. Indiana State was held to 101 yards of total offense. Not too much to say about this game. One highlight was UNI FB Matt Strathman, a junior, who led the Panthers with 133 yards on 16 carries.
5. Montana is idle.
6. New Hampshire vs. Towson
My prediction: New Hampshire 28 Towson 10
Reality: New Hampshire 57 Towson 7
Man, I was a little short on New Hampshire scoring. The Wildcats beat my prediction in the 1st quarter. The Wildcats were without junior QB R.J. Toman, but still managed to put an old fashioned whopping on the Tigers. The offense was assisted by a safety, a TD on the ensuing kick return, and 2 INTs returned for a TD.
7. James Madison vs. Hofstra
My Prediction: James Madison 38 Hofstra 7
Reality: Hofstra 24 James Madison 17
Wow. This game threw me for a loop. I couldn’t believe it as I checked the game throughout the afternoon. I thought ESPN had gotten it wrong like they do at times. Although this game was effected by weather(lightning delay in the first half), good teams find ways to win games.
Hofstra lead 21-10 at the half, and neither team could muster much offense in the 2nd half. This is James Madison’s first lost since falling to Maryland in OT.
8. Southern Illinois vs. Western Illinois
My Prediction: Southern Illinois 31 Western Illinois 14
Reality:Southern Illinois 30 Western Illinois 10
This is one of the games I got to catch a bit of. When I turned the game on at halftime SIU was up 27-10. From watching Western Illinois twice this season, it’s easy for me to say the WIU is not very good. Their starting QB Barr went down, and I watched his back-up pick apart the SIU defense. Unfortunately, a lot of those passes were dropped by WRs. I mean, he hit them right in the hands. It was sad really. WIU does not have a defense, so it was hard to gauge SIU. Saluki running back Deji Karim went nuts tonight. 157 yards rushing on 18 carries with 282 all purpose yards. The Saluki’s first big test of the season comes against Northern Iowa on 10/17 in a game that as of late has decided the Valley autobid.
9. McNeese St is idle
10. Appalachian State vs. The Citadel
My prediction: Appalachian State 42 The Citadel 24
Reality: Appalachian State 30 The Citadel 27 OT
I was a little off on this game. Barely got the outcome right. It was a hard fought game, back and forth all day, but when it came to the end, The Citadel just couldn’t finish what they started. After taking a 27-20 lead with 5:18 remaining, the Bulldog defense gave up the game tying score on just 2 plays, the 2nd of which was a 74 yard TD strike from Armanti Edwards to Brian Quick. Each team had the ball one more time in regulation, but couldn’t score. In overtime, The Citadel had the ball first, and after 3 plays attempted a 37 yard FG on 4th and 5. A bad snap was eventually placed and the kick sailed right. Appalachian State would connect on a 29 yard FG to win.
11. Elon vs. No. 21 Furman
My Prediction: Elon 28 Furman 24
Reality: Elon 19 Furman 12
I was right when I assumed we were in for a good SoCon battle in this game. The game was a low scoring, back and forth, affair all afternoon. Elon kicked a FG with 2 seconds left to take the lead 13-12. Furman fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Elon recovered to make it a 19-12 final.
12. Central Arkansas vs Missouri S&T
My prediction: Central Arkansas 52 Missouri S&T 10
Reality: Central Arkansas 45 Missouri S&T 10
I was close on this one. UCA pulls out the sub D-I win.
13. Weber St. vs. Montana State
My Prediction: Weber State 31 Montana State 14
Reality: Montana State 26 Weber State 21
It was a last play heart breaker today in Ogden, UT. Weber State had the ball on the Montana State 1 yard line with 20 seconds left. 4th and goal. The Bobcat defense stopped a Wildcat formation option play, and that was the game.
I can’t decide if I’m overestimating Weber State, or underestimating Montana State. I thought Weber State was overrated coming into this game, but I also thought Montana State wasn’t that good.
14. South Dakota State vs. No. 17 Cal Poly
My Prediction: South Dakota State 35 Cal Poly 17
Reality: Cal Poly 21 South Dakota State 14
I forked over the $7 to watch this game online tonight. This was a match up between two teams that I couldn’t figure out. But I’m not sure I learned much of anything. The Jackrabbits of SDSU lost their starting QB early in the game. After he was out they brought in a back-up freshman QB and also ran the wildcat formation. Neither team looked that great.
Cal Poly took a 21-14 lead with about 2 minutes left in the game when the Jackrabbits fumbles into their own endzone. On the following drive the Cal Poly defense sealed the win with an interception.
So are both teams for real? Neither of them? I’m not positive. My evaluation says they both fall somewhere between 17-25 in the poll.
15. Massachusetts is idle.
16. South Carolina State vs. South Carolina
My prediction: South Carolina 52 South Carolina State 14
Reality: South Carolina 38 South Carolina State 14
Not a bad showing by S.C. State, but this was their only shot at a quality out of conference win. I was pretty close on this one.
18. Eastern Washington vs. Idaho State
My prediction: Eastern Washington 27 Idaho State 7
Reality: Eastern Washington 38 Idaho State 3
A little off on the score, but it was the same idea.
Idaho State just looks terrible this year. They are winless on the season and have lost 20 out of their last 21 games.
Taiwan Jones of EWU set a Holt Arena and EWU record with a 96 yard touchdown run.
Idaho State fumbled six times, losing three of them.
You get the idea….
19. Eastern Kentucky vs. No. 24 Eastern Illinois
My prediction: Eastern Kentucky 35 Eastern Illinois 10
Reality: Eastern Kentucky 36 Eastern Illinois 31
EIU played this much closer than I expected. The Panthers, led by Iowa-transfer QB Jake Christensen, came up just short. EKU’s Jeremy Caldwell forced a fumble at midfield with under 10 seconds left.
With Jacksonville State ineligible for the playoffs, I viewed this as the autobid for the OVC. EKU improves to 3-0 in the Ohio Valley.
20. Texas State vs. Southern Utah
My prediction: Southern Utah 24 Texas State 14
Reality: Southern Utah 38 Texas State 16
This was the game I got the most comments on. Everyone said I was crazy for thinking Texas State would only score 14. If anything, I was crazy for shorting the Southern Utah offense. The Thunderbird offense put up 31 points. The other 7? A 99 yard fumble return for a TD. Maybe I should thank SUU’s junior CB Akeem Anifowoshe for keeping the Bobcats out of the end zone.
22. Holy Cross vs. Northeastern
My prediction: Holy Cross 31 Northeastern 7
Reality: Holy Cross 42 Northeastern 21
This game was over even sooner than I thought. Holy Cross led 21-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. Only suprise was Holy Cross allowing Northeastern to score 14 in the 4th quarter. But hey, you gotta throw people a bone sometimes.
23. Jacksonville State vs. Tennessee Martin
My prediction: Jacksonville State 21 Tennessee Martin 10
Reality: Jacksonville State 52 Tennessee Martin 7
Holy smokes, Jax State is good this year! Too bad they won’t be playing Thanksgiving weekend. JSU is one of a few schools ineligible for the playoffs this year. Unfortunately the NCAA dropped a ban on them after poor historical performance in the APRs.
JSU defensive back had 3 INTs and returned 2 for TDs in the first nine minutes. This game was over quick.
25. Delaware vs. Maine
My prediction: Delaware 24 Maine 17
Reality: Delaware 27 Maine 17
This was a great pick. If only Delaware had missed their last FG.
Delaware had a rough 2008, and 2009 hasn’t been much better. The Blue Hens lost to reigning national champion, Richmond by one, and then the next week lost another close one to William and Mary. This win gets them back on the road to where they want to go.
Penn State transfer QB Pat Devlin threw for 329 yards and 1 TD in the Delaware win.
My record this week: 13-4
On the season: 13-4
FCS Update hits the road
Rob Weiss, FCS Update:
FCS Update will make it’s first in-person reporting appearance a week from Saturday in Fargo, ND. Our feature story will be the #1 RB in the country, Pat Paschall of NDSU facing the highly ranked Northern Iowa defense.
We will feature Paschall and the Panther defense leading up to the game and will follow up with a feature on the game after the weekend.
Also debating a road trip on Halloween weekend. I appear to be freed up and would like to get some suggestions on the best games in the country. If money and time works out, we’ll be there to cover another great game(or two games in the same area if possible).
Give me your suggestions in the comment section, the cs.com board, or email me at (my name with no spaces at cs.com)