With exhibition play just a few days away, it's time to take a look at this year's NSIC Men's Basketball season. All-in-all, the talent seems better and better and the league should be deeper in talent. Here's my preview...
1. Winona State
09-10 Record: 20-10
The Warriors are coming off a somewhat down season, where injuries plagued the Warriors all season, including losing Clayton Vette for the first half of the season and David Johnson for the NSIC and NCAA Tournament. Johnson graduated this year and it might have left a void for scoring in Winona State's offense. However, like most great programs, Winona State doesn't rebuild, they reload. Anthony Tucker, a D1 transfer from Iowa and Caleb Palkert from South Carolina-Upstate solidify a solid incoming class. The Warriors also bring back an experienced roster, headlined by Ben Fischer, C.J. Erickson, Jon Walburg, Xavier Humphrey, Brad Meyer, Joel Armstrong and of course Vette. Coming off a redshirt season, there are also high hopes for Kellen Taylor, who is considered a "Quincy Henderson-esque" player. There's no doubt that Winona State is the most talented team in the league, but the biggest question is can head coach Mike Leaf get this team gel? It seemed as though last season they did not play together as a team and relied too much on Johnson's scoring. WSU will need to find a rotation that works if they want to claim the NSIC title.
2. Augustana
09-10 Record: 24-7
Despite Augustana losing David Foster, Lee Stephens, Eliot Thomas and Jordan Dalton to graduation, this team looks poised to claim an NSIC title. They bring back the best all-round guard/forward in the NSIC in Cody Schilling as well as the dynamic scoring point guard Cameron McCaffrey to run the point. The one area where I believe Augustana has a big advantage over many teams in the NSIC is in the low post, where they have two seasoned veterans, each with their own style of play. Derrick DeZeeuw isn't afraid to get down and dirty in the low post and Nathan Truex has a solid jumper and touch on his shots that make him a tough guy to guard when he moves away from the block. One player that the Vikings will be asking more of will be Chad Hettermann, who despite starting many games last year, only averaged 2.1 PPG. He's a defensive dynamo but due to losing four key contributors, he'll need to step up his offensive game. The Vikings have some concern with depth. They have talent on their bench, but the problem is lack of experience. There aren't many guys on that bench that have much experience. I won't be surprised to see freshman forward Yuriy Malashenko get a lot of playing time as a freshman. I'm not sure why but I have a feeling head coach "Texas" Tom Billeter will have his team ready for another great season.
3. St. Cloud State
09-10 Record: 29-6
The Huskies are coming off a fantastic season in which they made a deep run to the Elite Eight, coming off a tough Final Four loss to Indiana (PA). Obviously, they bring back one of the most talented teams in the NSIC, only losing All-NSIC center Matt Schneck and Michael Riley to graduation. Head coach Kevin Schlagel will have a hole to fill because losing Schneck to graduation is a big loss for the Huskies, as he was their only real low post threat. Jesse Fisher is the only real low post threat they bring back but even then, his knees are not healthy. It's almost hard for me to believe that it took me five sentences to even mention the named, Taylor Witt, but don't let that fool you...he is by far one of the most talented players in the league and is expected to be the Player Of The Year in the NSIC. The Huskies have a very nice set of role players, including Brett Putz, Nate Phillips, Theo Rothstein, Josh Ortmann and of course, Andrew Bernstetter. With Schneck gone, look for Bernstetter and Tim Bergstrasser to be the foundation in the low post. I also believe we might see a lot of play from freshman center Ben Bucholz, who is one of the few guys with some size on the Huskies' bench.
4. MSU-Mankato
09-10 Record: 25-5
The Mavericks have had their tough goings the last several seasons in the NCAA Tournament. Even though they hosted the Regional Tournament last year, they still couldn't make it out of the second round. There was a bit of a "if we're not going to do it this year, we're not going to do it at all" sort of feel to MSU's season and I'm sure head coach Matt Margenthaler is feeling the heat. The Mavericks lost a lot in the offseason, including All-NSIC center Travis Nelson, Curt Greeley, Jermain Davis and Jesse Clark to graduation. Don't let that fool you though, this team is still loaded with talent. Jefferson Mason is still the best small forward in the NSIC and he has a good supporting cast around him with Marcus Hill, Joe Drapcho, Cameron Hodges, and Taylor Morrow. The additions of D1 transfers A.J. Wilson from Murray State and Andre Gilbert from South Dakota State should be very welcome to an already talented team. Much like St. Cloud, a lot will be asked of the Mavericks relatively unexperienced low post guys, headlined by Mitch Grundman and Mike Bisenius. They'll need those two to show up in the worst way if the Mavericks want to contend for an NSIC title.
5. Mary
09-10 Record: 15-13
Don't let Mary's record fool you, they had one of the better teams in the NSIC last season under first year head coach Randall Herbst and losing six of their last eight games did not help things. The big thing about Mary this season apart from a lot of the other big name teams in the NSIC is that they bring back just about everyone for the 2010-2011 campaign. The only real significant losses were Danny Sandvig and U.T. Udo. Nothing against Danny and U.T., but they are replaceable. This team's headline players are without a doubt Anthony Moody and Eric Erdmann, both all NSIC performers. Moody is an electrifying point guard with a knack for scoring while Erdmann is an undersized forward that seems to manhandle even guys who are bigger than him in the low post. To be a great team this year, the Marauders will be asking for more out of their role guys like Jordan Wilhelm, Cameron Lee and Baley Johnson to support Moody and Erdmann. The biggest question mark for the Marauders is their lack of size and it became apparent toward the end of last season. A lot could be asked of Alex Dorr and CC transfer Damon Smith to help out in the low post. I'm also intrigued to see what sort of roles freshman Shaun Condon and Jalen Jaspers will have on this team.
6. Northern State
09-10 Record: 13-14
You can call me crazy, but I think the Wolves are going to have a bounce back season. I look at this team and they have a lot of nice pieces to build around. Bojan Todorovic is back from a season-ending injury last season and he'll rejoin fellow Serbian Marko Filipovic, Marty Gregor, D1 South Dakota transfer Dustin Tetzlaff, and D1 Youngstown State transfer Tom Parks in what could be the best set of forwards in the NSIC. Northern State has always been known for their depth and line-change mentality and this year should be no different. A bulk of the offensive scoring will probably be carried by small forward Colin Pryor and shooting guard Derek Hoellin. Brett Newton will be running the point again this season after missing most of the 09-10 season and Alex Thomas as well as Casey Becker should provide a healthy spark off the bench. One newcomer I am interested in seeing is Jared Hannigan. With a lack of depth at the guard position, it will not be surprising if he sees a lot of playing time this season. It'll also be interesting to see if CC transfer David Lane sees a lot of playing time this year as well. It'll be interesting to see what first year head coach Paul Sather has in store for this year's team.
7. SW Minnesota State
09-10 Record: 17-12
The Mustangs made a strong push toward the end of last year but much like the 07 and 08 seasons, they fell just a little short of making the NCAA Tournament. It wouldn't surprise me if the same situation happened to the Mustangs this year. They should have a solid team, but will it be enough to make the tourney? They have perhaps the best tandem at the forward position in Taylor Huseby and Scott Roehl. Jordan Miller and Lavionne West are two solid sophs that should be key contributors as well. Trent Carlson is another solid returner for the Mustangs but I will be interested in seeing what the SMSU newcomers have to provide. Tranfer PG Jimmy Abraham, CC PG transfer Jimmy Wallace, Jordan Buddenhagen and freshman Vinard Birch could all be competing for the starting point guard job (from what I hear, Birch could have a slight lead). To me, SMSU is sort of a mystery team because they have a lot of new faces and redshirts that haven't seen much court time due to the great deal of talent that graduated from SMSU the last three years. I hear a few good things about Matt Zager, who was a heck of a HS baller. I'll admit, this was a tough team to break down because I haven't seen this team practice and I'm not even really sure who their solid starting five will be...let alone who will be the key pieces off the bench. In a sense, that might be a good thing for Head Coach Brad Bigler...the less the opposition knows about you, the better.
8. Wayne State
09-10 Record: 14-15
I have to give a lot of credit to head coach Paul Combs last year because he was given an awful situation in Wayne State last year and managed to do the best with what he was given. He developed a team identity in less than a year and Wayne State managed to play a lot better than what I expected. However, the team finds themselves in another tough position because Combs stressed solid, physical interior play and they lost the two biggest pieces, Brett Spiker and Brian Metz. The good news for Wayne State is their trifecta of guards return in Amry Shelby, Jason Jensen, and Brad Starken. I think in order for Wayne to have a successful season, they'll need more out of Ben Tasa. Tasa was the backup center last year and with both Spiker and Metz gone, he'll need to be beefed up and more physical this year to help compensate for those losses. I could be wrong (the WSC website being down doesn't help), but I believe they also get Zane Abner back this season. They'll need him healthy if they want to make a run at the top 8 in the NSIC.
9. Concordia-St. Paul
09-10 Record: 13-15
When I look at the Golden Bears, I just see too much of a turnover in talent for them to stick around in the top 8 in the league. What's funny is they have the best big man in the league in Brent Barz. However, the question therein lies, who else do they have? They lost their leading scorer in Craig Heiman as well as Mike Cunningham, Sammy Ricks and Thomas Bassett. It also seemed like they bring back a lot of underperformers from last year. Dan "Birdman" Vandervieren was an enormous disappointment and seemed to be a distraction for the team. Matt Hackl had a down year last year and the only other real scoring threats that they have back this year are Andrew Kuderer and Courtney Tyler. They'll be asking more from sophomore Isiah Thomas and backup forward Chris Hamblin if this team wants to crack the top 8. Much like SMSU, there's a lot of mystery shrouded in the Golden Bears and I'm curious to see if head coach Kelly Boe can keep his team up because they tend to be disappointments every year despite the talent.
10. Bemidji State
09-10 Record: 12-15
The Beavers are going to be a curious team this year because after last year's "hotel debacle", it threw a lot of inexperienced players into the rotation and it seemed apparent that some guys weren't ready to play. Losing all-conference performer Seth Haake to graduation isn't going to help the Beavers, but they do bring back a good chunk of their team. The guard play should be solid, led by super soph Lance Rongstad and Bryce Tesdahl. Patrick Cassidy is a solid forward for them and Jake Lindstrom is a solid player at the guard position. Noah Shepherd as a sophomore and Mason Walters, David Berthene and Burke Lendl should all be improved after seeing a lot of playing time in their freshman seasons. All-in-all, Bemidji has a young team and I'm intrigued to see who else will come to the fray of Bemidji State's rotation. They did bring in some Arizona CC transfers in forward James Ellisor and center Ryan Kinnell who could see some playing time this year. Overall, I think head coach Matt Bowen could have an intriguing team on his hands and one that could pull off some upsets...but it'll be important for Rongstad to stay healthy.
11. MSU-Moorhead
09-10 Record: 10-17
The Dragons are a team that have me scratching my head because they appear to have a lot of talented players. They could be offensively one of the better set teams in the NSIC because they bring back five of their six top scorers from last season, with the lone exception being Jerome Nelson. First year head coach Chad Walthall has a lot of young talented options to work with. I say young because this team does not have one senior on its roster...thus unless they have someone transfer or leave the team, they'll have this roster for years to come. It is headlined by point guard Jake Driscoll, who puts up big points for a small guy. Dennis Williamson and Andrew VanHavermaet are two guys that can light up the scoreboard and sophomore center Alex Novak shows some promise to be an elite center in the NSIC. Xavier Reed, Chad Thompson, Eric Olsen and Jordan Driscoll are also guys that should see significant playing time in the Dragons' lineup. As for the new faces, Tarell Clark, Charlie Champman and D.J. Hamilton are three transfers that will likely be competing for playing time.
12. Upper Iowa
09-10 Record: 12-15
The Peacocks are just one of those teams that are literally like a box of chocolates, you just never know what you're going to get. Three years ago, they looked like a team that might just compete in the NSIC but the last two years have been somewhat of a disappointment. Of course, the team revolves around the play of senior guard Matt Lesan, or who I like to call the human free throw machine. The guy is a master at his craft at drawing fouls. Overall, the Peacocks do bring back quite a few players from last year's team, although they lost their second and third leading scorers (not huge losses when they have seven guys averaging between 11 and five points per game). Some key returners include Jake Hughes, Tucker Wentzien, Mike LaFrentz, Dan Bestul, Alex Kramer and Brad Arnold just to name a few. However, head coach Brian Dolan's big dilemma is he needs to find a rotation that works. He tends to play a line change-esque rotation that is somewhat similar to Northern State's. However, the problem being is there are lots of guys that really aren't talented enough to compete against most NSIC teams and it hurts the team when they are on the floor. Dolan needs to solidify his rotation if he wants to crack the top 8 in the NSIC.
13. UM-Duluth
09-10 Record: 7-20
I am having a hard time convincing myself that the Bulldogs are not the second worst team in the conference. They finished second to last this past year and I don't see this year being any better. It's bad enough they lost Ron White and Steve Duncan to graduation. I guess if there is some good news, the Bulldogs bring back scoring machine Ryan Rasmussen and a talented athlete in Dylan Rodriguez. I'm sure the Bulldogs will be asking for more production out of sophomore guard Jake Hottenstine and senior guard Rhett McDonald. For once, the Bulldogs might be struggling for depth at center but Erik Powers does return and will likely see a lot more playing time than he did this past season as well as UM-Crookston transfer Joe Paschka. One nice edition to the Bulldogs lineup this year is D1 transfer Riley Walker from UW-Milwaukee, who saw some playing time in the Panthers lineup. Overall, head coach Gary Holquist better get a grip and focus his attention to the basketball floor because he has a lot of new faces and takes "criticism" a little too seriously.
14. UM-Crookston
09-10 Record: 5-22
They were last year's worst team in the NSIC...and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that. They are the worst team in the NSIC every year and this year will be no different. I thought that they could possibly get out of the cellar last year with Damarius Cruz and Akeem Cubie until they lost both those players due to injury. With Cruz transferring to St. Cloud State and Cubie leaving the program, I don't see how the Golden Eagles will even stand a snowball's chance. They even lost their top scorer after those two went down, Matthew Heier to graduation. If we look beyond those two guys, they do bring back starting forward Adam Hendricks, point guard Jason Servaty, forward Mike Larsen and center Trent Graves. Much like UMD, the Golden Eagles have a lot of new faces and more than likely, the headliner will be Eric Dearden, a transfer from D1 Utah Valley State. He should be significant playing time, if not, start for UM-Crookston this year. All-in-all, head coach Jeff Oseth has a tall order to try and get this Golden Eagles program out of the cellar.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Toucanbird's Week 9 NSIC Power Rankings
There's quite a shakeup in this week's power rankings. Some teams are showing some vulnerability while others are starting to step up with less than a month remaining. With no further ado, here is this week's rankings.
1. #2 UM-Duluth 8-0 (7-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. Mary 49-0
LG - W @ Northern State 27-7
UG - vs. #20 St. Cloud State (7-1)
Note - The final score is a little deceiving for the Northern State game because the Bulldogs rushed for 431 yards...however, turnovers are starting to become a problem. The Bulldogs fumbled the ball five times against the Wolves, losing four of them. One thing I will say is the Bulldogs probably played about as poorly as they could've played and still won by 20 points (27 if you consider NSU scored a somewhat late, meaningless touchdown). I'd say if there was a good week to have a mulligan, it would be this past week because we all know St. Cloud State will not be a gimme on Saturday.
2. #8 Augustana 8-0 (7-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Winona State 17-0
LG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 47-17
UG - vs. MSU-Mankato (5-3)
Note - I don't think it will take many people to scratch their heads and wonder what happened during last week's game in Moorhead. In case your wondering, MSU-Moorhead had a 17-7 lead in the 2nd quarter at one point. After that point, the Vikings went on a 40-0 run to end up dominating the game. Did Augustana overlook the Dragons? Maybe...however, at least they didn't do what Bemidji State did...let the Dragons hang around and then only win by one score. During that 2nd quarter, the Vikings woke up and turned on the afterburners. The one major concern in this game was Josh Hanson. He threw four interceptions this last Saturday, which was very uncharacteristic of him. He better shore things up this week because if you throw four interceptions against the Mavericks defense, you might not win that game. With the way the Mavericks are playing, I'd want to bring my A-game this week.
3. #20 St. Cloud State 7-1 (7-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. SW Minnesota State 24-6
LG - W vs. UM-Crookston 49-6
UG - @ #2 UM-Duluth (8-0)
Note - I know what a lot of you are probably thinking, why didn't St. Cloud State beat UM-Crookston by 70!? Well, considering they had a 49-6 lead through 33 minutes of play, I think it was best for them to just slow things down and not run up the score. Reading the stat line itself was funny because QB Phillip Klaphake was the team's leading rusher and passer. He completed 8-of-14 passes for 109 yards with a TD and a pick and rushed the ball 10 times for 136 yards with 3 TDs. It's kinda funny considering Klaphake didn't play the whole game. Then again, should we be surprised? This is Crookston we are talking about. I'm sure the Huskies might have wanted to save some effort and health for the game up in Duluth. The Huskies need to be healthy and be playing their best if they want to come out with a big win in Duluth.
4. Winona State 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (+2)
PG - L vs. #8 Augustana 17-0
LG - W @ Concordia-St. Paul 31-28
UG - @ SW Minnesota State (4-4)
Note - Just when we thought the Warriors looked dead in the water, they seemed to have sprung new life...and it all begins at the quarterback position. This past week against Concordia-St. Paul, Winona State decided to make a change and started redshirt freshman Bryan Bradshaw at quarterback. It was a smart move because Bradshaw completed 15-of-22 passes for 202 yards. However, the one aspect of his game that showed some promise was his ability to run the ball. Sure, he only had six yards rushing, but that was due to getting sacked three times on a day where the line did not pass block very well. He ran for a few first downs and also plunged in from a yard out for a TD. The nice thing about Bradshaw is when things break down, he takes off and runs for first downs. The other aspect about the game I liked is the Warriors did not give up on the run. After that first half, you'd think the Warriors would give up on it but they didn't and it paid off. The Warriors better not celebrate this win too higly because they got the Mustangs coming up...and the last time they played out in Marshall, they lost.
5. Concordia-St. Paul 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ Wayne State 17-14
LG - L vs. Winona State 31-28
UG - @ UM-Crookston (1-7)
Note - It was a tough loss at home for the Golden Bears but one thing they can tip their hat on is that they lost to a tough team at home that was desperate for a win. The Golden Bears had their opportunities in this game but some dumb mistakes and poor special teams play led to the Golden Bears demise. The Golden Bears' kicker Steven King had a 36 yard FG blocked before half and backup kicker T.G. Schoenberg missed a 26 yarder in the 3rd quarter. One thing we can say about Concordia is their offense played really well on Saturday. Spencer Ohm completed 16-of-30 passes for 295 yards and 3 TDs. Most of his passes went Charles Gilbert's way, catching five passes for 119 yards, although Ohm did a nice job of spreading the ball around. Running back Sam Campbell had a good day on the ground with 20 carries for 93 yards and a TD. The good news for Concordia is they'll get a good rebound game with a lack of a challenge in Crookston, MN this week.
6. MSU-Mankato 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (+1)
PG - W vs. Upper Iowa 48-14
LG - W @ Wayne State 13-3
UG - @ #8 Augustana (8-0)
Note - I have to tip my hat to the Mavericks because they've turned things around in a hurry. Three weeks ago, they lost their third consecutive game to St. Cloud State. The past two weeks, they've rebounded with big wins, the biggest being a 10 point win in Wayne, NE. The Mavericks defense stunned the high-flying Wayne State offense, holding them to three points and 170 yards of total offense. Sure, injuries to the Wildcats receiving core didn't help, but holding Evan Johnson to only 10-of-26 passing for 63 yards and an interception is an outstanding effort. With the way the Mavericks are playing, I have to believe that they will give Augustana all that they can handle because this team is still playing for a potential Mineral Water Bowl. We sure didn't think they would three weeks ago.
7. Wayne State 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (-2)
PG - L vs. Concordia-St. Paul 17-14
LG - L vs. MSU-Mankato 13-3
UG - @ Upper Iowa (1-7)
Note - Just when it looked like Wayne State could solidify their playoff chances with home wins against Concordia-St. Paul and MSU-Mankato, they drop the ball and end up losing the two consecutive home games. Suddenly, the Wildcats drop from playoff contender to Mineral Water Bowl hopeful. That's quite a drop that I'm sure that the Wildcats were expecting, but that's why you have to show up every week in the NSIC. You just never know who is going to beat you on any given Saturday. All-in-all, the Wildcats are a wreck. In the last two weeks, they've averaged 8.5 PPG and only tallied 216.5 YPG of total offense. Before these last two weeks, the team was averaging 36.1 PPG and 412 YPG...that should be a sign of just how "off" the Wayne State offense has been the last two weeks. They travel to Fayette this week and if they don't get things turned around in a hurry, they could be looking at a third consecutive loss.
8. Bemidji State 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 14-6
LG - W vs. Mary 23-22
UG - vs. Northern State (1-7)
Note - Bemidji State's last two wins have been far from impressive. They won 14-6 over a MSU-Moorhead team that they should've blown out and they followed it up with a field goal with 26 seconds left to win 23-22 over Mary. I can tell you that it's a bad sign when you're almost losing to teams like MSU-Moorhead and Mary. However, a win is a win and I'm sure the Beavers will take wins no matter how they come. However, the Beavers need to figure things out because they've got Northern State this week and considering how the Wolves have played against bigger competition, this could be a trap game for the Beavers. Northern State might be 1-7 but they are better than their record indicates and if they come away with a win in Bemidji, it would be an embarrassment for the Beavers.
9. SW Minnesota State 4-4 (3-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ St. Cloud State 24-6
LG - W @ Upper Iowa 40-34
UG - vs. Winona State (5-3)
Note - I don't know what I can say about the Mustangs. A great gutsy win against the Peacocks? It's kind of hard to say that considering the Peacocks have been a horrible team all season...but is it? I said it all season that the Mustangs do a good job of winning in games they are favored in. They were in a back and forth battle against the Peacocks where there were eight lead changes and two ties (both coming in the 4th quarter. Their four wins this year are against Northern State, Mary, MSU-Moorhead and Upper Iowa, who have combined for five wins. This week, the Mustangs host a team that has five wins themselves and considering the win they got this past week, I'm sure the Warriors will come in fired up to take on the Mustangs. A win against the Warriors is a tall order but if they do pick up a win, it would be a great step in the right direction for the Mustangs.
10. MSU-Moorhead 2-6 (2-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. Bemidji State 14-6
LG - L vs. #8 Augustana 47-17
UG - @ U-Mary (1-7)
Note - I'm sure MSU-Moorhead can be happy that they played a great first quarter against the Augustana Vikings. Too bad they couldn't follow up that quarter with three more good ones because they got slaughtered 47-7 in the last three quarters. Then again, I'm sure no one expected the Dragons to compete anyway, but to have the lead over Augustana for more than a quarter was impressive in itself. However, the problem for the Dragons has been their problem all season. They can't stop the run and they can't run the ball themselves. They got outrushed by the Vikings 279-to-20. That would play a huge factor considering both teams combined for seven interceptions. I thought about dropping the Dragons a spot this week but due holding the lead for 26 minutes against the #8 team in the country, I'll cut them some slack. Besides, their battle with Mary this week will be the true deciding factor for who the #10 team in the NSIC is.
11. Mary 1-7 (1-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 49-0
LG - L @ Bemidji State 23-22
UG - vs. MSU-Moorhead (2-6)
Note - Boy, I'm sure the Marauders are kicking themselves right about now. They let another close game slip by. Mary had a 22-20 lead with 2:06 to go and had the Beavers pinned back on their 2-yard-line. What happened? The Beavers went on an 11-play 89-yard drive in 1:45 to end up kicking the game winning 26-yard field goal with 26 seconds left to win the game. I'm starting to feel bad for Mary because this is not the first game the Marauders had slip out of their fingers. Just two weeks prior to this game, Mary had Wayne State dead to rights with less than two minutes left and they let the Wildcats go on to win on a last minute touchdown drive. All-in-all, Mary needs to learn how to finish ball games and play stout defense late in the game. This team should be no worse than 3-5 right now, but they are 1-7. I have a feeling they'll get a win this week at home against MSU-Moorhead but I still think it will be a tough game.
12. Northern State 1-7 (1-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ UM-Crookston 38-0
LG - L vs. #2 UM-Duluth 27-7
UG - @ Bemidji State (5-3)
Note - One thing I will give the Wolves credit for is they are feisty. We should give them a lot of credit for only holding the Bulldogs to 27 points because they are a team that can put up a lot of points in a hurry. Even though they allowed the Bulldogs to rush for 431 yards, they still forced five fumbles, four of which they recovered. Let's put this into perspective, in seven games, the Bulldogs only committed five turnovers. In this game, they committed four turnovers. That's some nice ball hawking play from the Wolves to force the Bulldogs to do that. This is a smart, disciplined football team they were playing...they don't have too many letdowns. Give credit where credit is due, they didn't allow UMD to come into their house and run up the score. With that being said, they go on the road this week to take on Bemidji State. With the way the Beavers are playing, I can definitely foresee the Wolves going into Bemidji and coming away with a victory.
13. Upper Iowa 1-7 (1-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ MSU-Mankato 48-14
LG - L vs. SW Minnesota State 40-34
UG - vs. Wayne State (5-3)
Note - Well, let me just say one thing about the Peacocks...they played way better in this game than they did in Mankato the week before. However, just like a large sum of Upper Iowa's games this season, this team just doesn't finish. They scored with just under two minutes to go to take a 34-27 lead and it looked like the Peacocks just might get their second win of the season. However, the defense and special teams faltered yet again. After getting the ball on their own 47-yard-line, the Mustangs went on a five-play 53-yard drive to make it a 34-34 game going into overtime. After failing to score on their first possession of OT, the Peacock defense folded like a lawn chair, allowing a nine-yard touchdown run in a 40-34 loss. It's just been the story of the Peacocks season...they just can't finish games. If there's any consolation this week, they are facing a Wayne State team that's struggling.
14. UM-Crookston 1-7 (0-7 NSIC)
PG - L vs. Northern State 38-0
LG - L @ St. Cloud State 49-6
UG - vs. Concordia-St. Paul (5-3)
Note - I don't even know why I write anything about the Golden Eagles. To be honest, they've been worse than what I expected them to be and let's just say I didn't set the bar very high for them. I thought they MIGHT get one conference win this year...if they were lucky. They haven't even been close to a win this season. The only thing I can give them credit for is they got off to a good start against St. Cloud State...they led 6-0 for just over 13 minutes. The next 17 didn't go very well for the Golden Eagles because they found themselves down 35-6 at halftime. That's been the story of the Eagles season...they might look okay right away in the game but as the game goes on, they just seemed completely outmanned and outmatched. I think we can all just write-in that the Golden Eagles will not win a conference game this season and in a sense, hope that everybody beats them by 40+ the rest of the way just so they will think about undergoing some changes in their athletic department and coaching staff.
1. #2 UM-Duluth 8-0 (7-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. Mary 49-0
LG - W @ Northern State 27-7
UG - vs. #20 St. Cloud State (7-1)
Note - The final score is a little deceiving for the Northern State game because the Bulldogs rushed for 431 yards...however, turnovers are starting to become a problem. The Bulldogs fumbled the ball five times against the Wolves, losing four of them. One thing I will say is the Bulldogs probably played about as poorly as they could've played and still won by 20 points (27 if you consider NSU scored a somewhat late, meaningless touchdown). I'd say if there was a good week to have a mulligan, it would be this past week because we all know St. Cloud State will not be a gimme on Saturday.
2. #8 Augustana 8-0 (7-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Winona State 17-0
LG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 47-17
UG - vs. MSU-Mankato (5-3)
Note - I don't think it will take many people to scratch their heads and wonder what happened during last week's game in Moorhead. In case your wondering, MSU-Moorhead had a 17-7 lead in the 2nd quarter at one point. After that point, the Vikings went on a 40-0 run to end up dominating the game. Did Augustana overlook the Dragons? Maybe...however, at least they didn't do what Bemidji State did...let the Dragons hang around and then only win by one score. During that 2nd quarter, the Vikings woke up and turned on the afterburners. The one major concern in this game was Josh Hanson. He threw four interceptions this last Saturday, which was very uncharacteristic of him. He better shore things up this week because if you throw four interceptions against the Mavericks defense, you might not win that game. With the way the Mavericks are playing, I'd want to bring my A-game this week.
3. #20 St. Cloud State 7-1 (7-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. SW Minnesota State 24-6
LG - W vs. UM-Crookston 49-6
UG - @ #2 UM-Duluth (8-0)
Note - I know what a lot of you are probably thinking, why didn't St. Cloud State beat UM-Crookston by 70!? Well, considering they had a 49-6 lead through 33 minutes of play, I think it was best for them to just slow things down and not run up the score. Reading the stat line itself was funny because QB Phillip Klaphake was the team's leading rusher and passer. He completed 8-of-14 passes for 109 yards with a TD and a pick and rushed the ball 10 times for 136 yards with 3 TDs. It's kinda funny considering Klaphake didn't play the whole game. Then again, should we be surprised? This is Crookston we are talking about. I'm sure the Huskies might have wanted to save some effort and health for the game up in Duluth. The Huskies need to be healthy and be playing their best if they want to come out with a big win in Duluth.
4. Winona State 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (+2)
PG - L vs. #8 Augustana 17-0
LG - W @ Concordia-St. Paul 31-28
UG - @ SW Minnesota State (4-4)
Note - Just when we thought the Warriors looked dead in the water, they seemed to have sprung new life...and it all begins at the quarterback position. This past week against Concordia-St. Paul, Winona State decided to make a change and started redshirt freshman Bryan Bradshaw at quarterback. It was a smart move because Bradshaw completed 15-of-22 passes for 202 yards. However, the one aspect of his game that showed some promise was his ability to run the ball. Sure, he only had six yards rushing, but that was due to getting sacked three times on a day where the line did not pass block very well. He ran for a few first downs and also plunged in from a yard out for a TD. The nice thing about Bradshaw is when things break down, he takes off and runs for first downs. The other aspect about the game I liked is the Warriors did not give up on the run. After that first half, you'd think the Warriors would give up on it but they didn't and it paid off. The Warriors better not celebrate this win too higly because they got the Mustangs coming up...and the last time they played out in Marshall, they lost.
5. Concordia-St. Paul 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ Wayne State 17-14
LG - L vs. Winona State 31-28
UG - @ UM-Crookston (1-7)
Note - It was a tough loss at home for the Golden Bears but one thing they can tip their hat on is that they lost to a tough team at home that was desperate for a win. The Golden Bears had their opportunities in this game but some dumb mistakes and poor special teams play led to the Golden Bears demise. The Golden Bears' kicker Steven King had a 36 yard FG blocked before half and backup kicker T.G. Schoenberg missed a 26 yarder in the 3rd quarter. One thing we can say about Concordia is their offense played really well on Saturday. Spencer Ohm completed 16-of-30 passes for 295 yards and 3 TDs. Most of his passes went Charles Gilbert's way, catching five passes for 119 yards, although Ohm did a nice job of spreading the ball around. Running back Sam Campbell had a good day on the ground with 20 carries for 93 yards and a TD. The good news for Concordia is they'll get a good rebound game with a lack of a challenge in Crookston, MN this week.
6. MSU-Mankato 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (+1)
PG - W vs. Upper Iowa 48-14
LG - W @ Wayne State 13-3
UG - @ #8 Augustana (8-0)
Note - I have to tip my hat to the Mavericks because they've turned things around in a hurry. Three weeks ago, they lost their third consecutive game to St. Cloud State. The past two weeks, they've rebounded with big wins, the biggest being a 10 point win in Wayne, NE. The Mavericks defense stunned the high-flying Wayne State offense, holding them to three points and 170 yards of total offense. Sure, injuries to the Wildcats receiving core didn't help, but holding Evan Johnson to only 10-of-26 passing for 63 yards and an interception is an outstanding effort. With the way the Mavericks are playing, I have to believe that they will give Augustana all that they can handle because this team is still playing for a potential Mineral Water Bowl. We sure didn't think they would three weeks ago.
7. Wayne State 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (-2)
PG - L vs. Concordia-St. Paul 17-14
LG - L vs. MSU-Mankato 13-3
UG - @ Upper Iowa (1-7)
Note - Just when it looked like Wayne State could solidify their playoff chances with home wins against Concordia-St. Paul and MSU-Mankato, they drop the ball and end up losing the two consecutive home games. Suddenly, the Wildcats drop from playoff contender to Mineral Water Bowl hopeful. That's quite a drop that I'm sure that the Wildcats were expecting, but that's why you have to show up every week in the NSIC. You just never know who is going to beat you on any given Saturday. All-in-all, the Wildcats are a wreck. In the last two weeks, they've averaged 8.5 PPG and only tallied 216.5 YPG of total offense. Before these last two weeks, the team was averaging 36.1 PPG and 412 YPG...that should be a sign of just how "off" the Wayne State offense has been the last two weeks. They travel to Fayette this week and if they don't get things turned around in a hurry, they could be looking at a third consecutive loss.
8. Bemidji State 5-3 (4-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 14-6
LG - W vs. Mary 23-22
UG - vs. Northern State (1-7)
Note - Bemidji State's last two wins have been far from impressive. They won 14-6 over a MSU-Moorhead team that they should've blown out and they followed it up with a field goal with 26 seconds left to win 23-22 over Mary. I can tell you that it's a bad sign when you're almost losing to teams like MSU-Moorhead and Mary. However, a win is a win and I'm sure the Beavers will take wins no matter how they come. However, the Beavers need to figure things out because they've got Northern State this week and considering how the Wolves have played against bigger competition, this could be a trap game for the Beavers. Northern State might be 1-7 but they are better than their record indicates and if they come away with a win in Bemidji, it would be an embarrassment for the Beavers.
9. SW Minnesota State 4-4 (3-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ St. Cloud State 24-6
LG - W @ Upper Iowa 40-34
UG - vs. Winona State (5-3)
Note - I don't know what I can say about the Mustangs. A great gutsy win against the Peacocks? It's kind of hard to say that considering the Peacocks have been a horrible team all season...but is it? I said it all season that the Mustangs do a good job of winning in games they are favored in. They were in a back and forth battle against the Peacocks where there were eight lead changes and two ties (both coming in the 4th quarter. Their four wins this year are against Northern State, Mary, MSU-Moorhead and Upper Iowa, who have combined for five wins. This week, the Mustangs host a team that has five wins themselves and considering the win they got this past week, I'm sure the Warriors will come in fired up to take on the Mustangs. A win against the Warriors is a tall order but if they do pick up a win, it would be a great step in the right direction for the Mustangs.
10. MSU-Moorhead 2-6 (2-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. Bemidji State 14-6
LG - L vs. #8 Augustana 47-17
UG - @ U-Mary (1-7)
Note - I'm sure MSU-Moorhead can be happy that they played a great first quarter against the Augustana Vikings. Too bad they couldn't follow up that quarter with three more good ones because they got slaughtered 47-7 in the last three quarters. Then again, I'm sure no one expected the Dragons to compete anyway, but to have the lead over Augustana for more than a quarter was impressive in itself. However, the problem for the Dragons has been their problem all season. They can't stop the run and they can't run the ball themselves. They got outrushed by the Vikings 279-to-20. That would play a huge factor considering both teams combined for seven interceptions. I thought about dropping the Dragons a spot this week but due holding the lead for 26 minutes against the #8 team in the country, I'll cut them some slack. Besides, their battle with Mary this week will be the true deciding factor for who the #10 team in the NSIC is.
11. Mary 1-7 (1-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 49-0
LG - L @ Bemidji State 23-22
UG - vs. MSU-Moorhead (2-6)
Note - Boy, I'm sure the Marauders are kicking themselves right about now. They let another close game slip by. Mary had a 22-20 lead with 2:06 to go and had the Beavers pinned back on their 2-yard-line. What happened? The Beavers went on an 11-play 89-yard drive in 1:45 to end up kicking the game winning 26-yard field goal with 26 seconds left to win the game. I'm starting to feel bad for Mary because this is not the first game the Marauders had slip out of their fingers. Just two weeks prior to this game, Mary had Wayne State dead to rights with less than two minutes left and they let the Wildcats go on to win on a last minute touchdown drive. All-in-all, Mary needs to learn how to finish ball games and play stout defense late in the game. This team should be no worse than 3-5 right now, but they are 1-7. I have a feeling they'll get a win this week at home against MSU-Moorhead but I still think it will be a tough game.
12. Northern State 1-7 (1-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ UM-Crookston 38-0
LG - L vs. #2 UM-Duluth 27-7
UG - @ Bemidji State (5-3)
Note - One thing I will give the Wolves credit for is they are feisty. We should give them a lot of credit for only holding the Bulldogs to 27 points because they are a team that can put up a lot of points in a hurry. Even though they allowed the Bulldogs to rush for 431 yards, they still forced five fumbles, four of which they recovered. Let's put this into perspective, in seven games, the Bulldogs only committed five turnovers. In this game, they committed four turnovers. That's some nice ball hawking play from the Wolves to force the Bulldogs to do that. This is a smart, disciplined football team they were playing...they don't have too many letdowns. Give credit where credit is due, they didn't allow UMD to come into their house and run up the score. With that being said, they go on the road this week to take on Bemidji State. With the way the Beavers are playing, I can definitely foresee the Wolves going into Bemidji and coming away with a victory.
13. Upper Iowa 1-7 (1-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ MSU-Mankato 48-14
LG - L vs. SW Minnesota State 40-34
UG - vs. Wayne State (5-3)
Note - Well, let me just say one thing about the Peacocks...they played way better in this game than they did in Mankato the week before. However, just like a large sum of Upper Iowa's games this season, this team just doesn't finish. They scored with just under two minutes to go to take a 34-27 lead and it looked like the Peacocks just might get their second win of the season. However, the defense and special teams faltered yet again. After getting the ball on their own 47-yard-line, the Mustangs went on a five-play 53-yard drive to make it a 34-34 game going into overtime. After failing to score on their first possession of OT, the Peacock defense folded like a lawn chair, allowing a nine-yard touchdown run in a 40-34 loss. It's just been the story of the Peacocks season...they just can't finish games. If there's any consolation this week, they are facing a Wayne State team that's struggling.
14. UM-Crookston 1-7 (0-7 NSIC)
PG - L vs. Northern State 38-0
LG - L @ St. Cloud State 49-6
UG - vs. Concordia-St. Paul (5-3)
Note - I don't even know why I write anything about the Golden Eagles. To be honest, they've been worse than what I expected them to be and let's just say I didn't set the bar very high for them. I thought they MIGHT get one conference win this year...if they were lucky. They haven't even been close to a win this season. The only thing I can give them credit for is they got off to a good start against St. Cloud State...they led 6-0 for just over 13 minutes. The next 17 didn't go very well for the Golden Eagles because they found themselves down 35-6 at halftime. That's been the story of the Eagles season...they might look okay right away in the game but as the game goes on, they just seemed completely outmanned and outmatched. I think we can all just write-in that the Golden Eagles will not win a conference game this season and in a sense, hope that everybody beats them by 40+ the rest of the way just so they will think about undergoing some changes in their athletic department and coaching staff.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Toucanbird's Week 8 NSIC Power Rankings
We are starting to come into the home stretch of the NSIC. Only four games remain and with the playoff situation tightening, three teams are solidifying themselves for playoff position. Meanwhile, its going to be a battle to get into the Mineral Water Bowl...
1. #2 UM-Duluth 7-0 (6-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. Winona State 59-17
LG - W vs. Mary 49-0
UG - @ Northern State (1-6)
Note - Issac Odim who? After losing the Harlon Hill contending running back for the rest of the season, it sure seems like the team doesn't have a far drop down with senior running back Brad Foss. Against Mary, Foss carried the ball 17 times for 121 yards with 3 TDs. I'm quickly learning three things about UM-Duluth. 1) As long as that offensive line stays intact, I don't think they'll have any problems running the ball. 2) As long as Chase Vogler remains the quarterback, they'll have no problems controlling the offense. 3) As long as that defense continues to lay the smackdown, I don't think anyone will score on them. Mary didn't and only gained 235 yards at that. The Bulldogs host St. Cloud State in a couple weeks but first they head into Aberdeen to take on the Wolves. I would say the Bulldogs better not overlook Northern State but something tells me I'd eat my words if I said that.
2. #11 Augustana 7-0 (6-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. Northern State 31-15
LG - W @ Winona State 17-0
UG - @ MSU-Moorhead (2-5)
Note - Could it be possible that we have two teams go undefeated in the NSIC? I don't think anyone expected Augustana's undefeated streak to go this long in the NSIC and it's not like it's really been in that much danger. If you look at this team, they've got the pieces to be successful. They've got a solid quarterback who is a great leader in the field. They have a very good running back who is starting to look good now that he's healthy. They've got an absolute stud at wide receiver. However, the one thing they've got that could get them over the top is that defense. Let's not kid ourselves, Winona State has a very good offense but they were shut down and shut out at home on homecoming. If that's not the sign of an impressive defense, than I don't know what is. I can definitely foresee them making it to 8-0 considering they travel to Moorhead this weekend.
3. #23 St. Cloud State 6-1 (6-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ MSU-Mankato 31-17
LG - W vs. SW Minnesota State 24-6
UG - vs. UM-Crookston (1-6)
Note - Ever since his first start, I had a feeling SCSU freshman quarterback Phillip Klaphake was going to be something special. He received NSIC Player of the Week for his outstanding performance against SW Minnesota State. He completed 24-of-33 passes for 320 yards with a TD and an interception. However, he also got it done on the ground as he rushed 12 times for 134 yards and a TD. All-in-all, Klaphake gained 454 yards by himself...sheesh! I know the Mustangs don't have a great defense but they couldn't keep Klaphake in check at all. Right now, St. Cloud is really doing their best for a playoff push. Since their opening day loss at Augustana, they've won six straight. I don't think they'll have any problems making it seven straight as they host Minnesota-Crookston. I'm guessing this game will be over by the end of the first quarter.
4. Concordia-St. Paul 5-2 (4-2 NSIC) (+2)
PG - W vs. Bemidji State 20-14
LG - W @ Wayne State 17-14
UG - vs. Winona State (4-3)
Note - There are many words running through my head about this Golden Bears team. Who would've thought that Concordia would go from a three win football team last year to 5-2 at this point in the season. I've said it since the St. Cloud loss that this team just keeps getting better and better and they proved that with a big win in a hostile environment. I was wrong with my assessment about how this team will revolve around the health of Spencer Ohm. James Peterson looked ready to play as he completed 22-of-37 passes for 328 yards and 2 TDs. I think Klaphake was the only thing keeping him from receiving NSIC POW. With the way this season is playing out, the Golden Bears just might get into the Mineral Water Bowl. It'll be tough for them to make the playoffs (a lot would have to happen) but the Mineral Water Bowl is certainly achievable for this team. They'll host a big home game this weekend when Winona State comes to town. Considering it is a must-win game for Winona State, it could make for a potential upset. Did I just imply Winona State was the underdog? Yes, yes I did...
5. Wayne State 5-2 (4-2 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ Mary 33-28
LG - L vs. Concordia-St. Paul 17-14
UG - vs. MSU-Mankato (4-3)
Note - The last couple weeks have been very trying for the Wayne State Wildcats but there is without a doubt that they've come back down to Earth the last few weeks. The fact that they needed a last minute touchdown against Mary and losing at home to Concordia-St. Paul is absolutely devastating for their playoff chances. In fact, it hurts their chances even for the Mineral Water Bowl. If WSC and CSP have the same record at the end of the year, I believe the Golden Bears would get the tiebreaker now because of the head-to-head win. It's amazing to me that the Wildcats have looked this bad the last few weeks because it seems like very little has changed since the beginning of the year and to this point. The Wildcats will have another tough game ahead of them when MSU-Mankato comes to town. It's not really a great time either considering that the Mavericks might just be getting their mojo back.
6. Winona State 4-3 (3-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 59-17
LG - L vs. #11 Augustana 17-0
UG - @ Concordia-St. Paul (5-2)
Note - Boy, talk about a meat grinder of a schedule. Right now, the Warriors are going on game 3 of 4 against UMD, Augie, CSP and Wayne. Although, I'm pretty sure the Warriors knew that they could do no worse than .500 against these opponents if they wanted to keep their "very slim" playoff hopes/MWB hopes alive. Considering they are so far 0-2 in this stretch, they are in a must-win situation the rest of the season. As I look at this team, I keep asking myself, what is the problem? It's obviously not the defense. I thought the defense played great against the Vikings. The problems right now fall upon the offense...especially at quarterback. As of right now, Aber is downright dreadful. In the past two weeks, he's completed 25-of-67 passes for 227 yards with 2 TDs and an interception. Completing 37% of your passes is not going to get it done in this league. I know it might be late in the season for it, but WSU might want to give a serious look toward Bradshaw. Sure, he didn't look all that fantastic in the Warriors last few drives of the game, but all-in-all, he wasn't worse than Aber. It won't get any easier for WSU as they go on the road against the Golden Bears.
7. MSU-Mankato 4-3 (3-3 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L vs. St. Cloud State 31-17
LG - W vs. Upper Iowa 48-14
UG - @ Wayne State (4-3)
Note - Considering how bad things have been so far this season for MSU-Mankato, it seems as though they got things moving in the right direction this weekend against Upper Iowa. There were a lot of people doubting the Mavericks and thinking it could be a close game. MSU-Mankato slammed the door in the Peacocks face as soon as they arrived at the doorstep, jumping off to a 24-0 lead early on in this game. The Mavericks slashed the Peacocks rush defense, tallying 301 yards on the ground. Running back Chris Echols was an absolute stud, rushing 21 times for 184 yards with 2 TDs. It seemed as though the team kept Will Brogan somewhat within his element. He completed 13-of-26 passes for 188 yards with 2 TDs and an INT. Also for what I believe is the first time all season, both Brogan and Pachan are both healthy (or at least healthy enough for both of them to play). Even though it's a nice win, the Mavericks can't celebrate too much because the next two weeks are going to be an absolute dogfight. They are on the road against Wayne State and Augustana. I guess if there's any good news for the Mavericks, it's that Wayne State is really struggling.
8. Bemidji State 4-3 (3-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L @ Concordia-St. Paul 20-14
LG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 14-6
UG - vs. U-Mary (1-6)
Note - Boy, what can I say about the Bemidji State Beavers? What the hell is going on? When I first saw the final score of the game against MSU-Moorhead, I thought it must be a misprint. Nope. They only won 14-6 against one of the worst teams in the NSIC. I was appalled that they could only score 14 points against that miserable MSU-Moorhead defense. However, I guess you could say part of that is on the coaching. Can someone tell me why Derek Edholm threw 31 passes? And how embarrassing is it for Dustin Kroeplin to only gain 91 yards on 26 carries? All I will say is the Bemidji State Beavers are not all right. It's one thing to lose to Concordia-St. Paul but to follow it up with a near loss at MSU-Moorhead? Did we seriously consider these guys a potential playoff team earlier in the year? Seriously? I don't know if this is good news or bad news, but they draw Mary at home this week. Considering what Mary was doing before that UM-Duluth game, I'd say this is certainly a game that the Beavers could lose.
9. SW Minnesota State 3-4 (2-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. MSU-Moorhead 49-14
LG - L @ St. Cloud State 24-6
UG - @ Upper Iowa (1-6)
Note - Right now, I'd say things are playing out like we expected with SMSU. They are winning the games they should be winning and losing the games they should be losing. There isn't anything that really sticks out about this team. It's not like they have a sensational offense or defense. Although Ryan Ratekin is solid, he doesn't quite compare with what some of the other QBs in the NSIC have been doing this year. The more I look at this team, the more I feel like a broken record talking about them. They are essentially the cardboard cutout of the NSIC. They don't really do much outside of their element...they don't sneak up on people and surprise them. The only thing I can say is they played well against MSU-Moorhead...that's about the only game I'd say they played better than I expected them to. They travel to Fayette this week to take on the Upper Iowa Peacocks. If SMSU is the team I think they are, they'll win by 14-21 points and get back to .500.
10. MSU-Moorhead 2-5 (2-4 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L @ SW Minnesota State 49-14
LG - L vs. Bemidji State 14-6
UG - vs. #11 Augustana (7-0)
Note - I have to give some major props this week to the Dragons. They came out last week and gave the Beavers a battle. I think for the first time all season, their rush defense really came to play. They held the Beavers to 131 yards rushing and 3.3 YPC. It was the factor that really kept them in the game because we knew Bemidji State's defense wouldn't let them score a lot of points. The bad news for the Dragons was they just didn't have the weapons to contend with Bemidji State. They should be happy for what they did now because it probably won't be such a great weekend with one of the hottest teams in the country coming to town to play them.
11. U-Mary 1-6 (1-5 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L vs. Wayne State 33-28
LG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 49-0
UG - @ Bemidji State (4-3)
Note - I really don't know how hard I should be on the the Marauders this week because it really isn't a big deal to lose to UM-Duluth. Even losing by 49 isn't something we can really joke about because they beat Winona State by 42 the week before. Although, considering the way Mary had been playing heading into this game, I thought they'd at least score. They couldn't even do that. Lomax was kept in check. Bagnell was kept in check. No one on this team had a decent game for Mary. I was really hoping they'd at least score a few times and build some confidence going into next week but it really feels like this team keeps making steps forward and steps back. We'll see if they can get back on the right track when they travel to Bemidji State. With the way BSU played this week, it could be a game that Mary sneaks away with.
12. Northern State 1-6 (1-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ #11 Augustana 31-15
LG - W @ UM-Crookston 38-0
UG - vs. #2 UM-Duluth (7-0)
Note - Welcome to the wins club Northern State! They picked up their first win of the season with a big win in Crookston, Minnesota. We knew they could do it! Northern State dominated the ground game by rushing for 290 yards against the Golden Eagles defense. Northern State will probably not get their second win this week considering they are taking on the #2 team in the country, but I do believe they will get at least one or two more wins before season's end.
13. Upper Iowa 1-6 (1-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. UM-Crookston 56-19
LG - L @ MSU-Mankato 48-14
UG - vs. SW Minnesota State (3-4)
Note - The Peacocks are who we thought they were! People thought that they could challenge the Mavericks...yeah, well, that didn't happen...at all. It's just a fact...Upper Iowa is the second worst team in the conference. Granted, it's not a close second...but still second none-the-less. They host SW Minnesota State this week. It would be a decent chance for them to prove me wrong. If they could do what Northern State could not, I could see them jumping up a spot this week.
14. UM-Crookston 1-6 (0-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ Upper Iowa 56-19
LG - L vs. Northern State 38-0
UG - @ #23 St. Cloud State (6-1)
Note - How embarrassing is this for UM-Crookston? They've actually played one of the easiest schedules in the NSIC so far this year and they still suck badly at that. Their closest NSIC game was a 30 point blowout at home to MSU-Moorhead. In the four games with the four other worst teams in the NSIC, they've been outscored 190-37...losing by an average of 38 PPG...against the worst of the NSIC!!! You want to see something to laugh at, look at their remaining schedule. At St. Cloud State, Concordia-St. Paul, UM-Duluth and at Bemidji State. This is going to get ugly...really ugly.
1. #2 UM-Duluth 7-0 (6-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. Winona State 59-17
LG - W vs. Mary 49-0
UG - @ Northern State (1-6)
Note - Issac Odim who? After losing the Harlon Hill contending running back for the rest of the season, it sure seems like the team doesn't have a far drop down with senior running back Brad Foss. Against Mary, Foss carried the ball 17 times for 121 yards with 3 TDs. I'm quickly learning three things about UM-Duluth. 1) As long as that offensive line stays intact, I don't think they'll have any problems running the ball. 2) As long as Chase Vogler remains the quarterback, they'll have no problems controlling the offense. 3) As long as that defense continues to lay the smackdown, I don't think anyone will score on them. Mary didn't and only gained 235 yards at that. The Bulldogs host St. Cloud State in a couple weeks but first they head into Aberdeen to take on the Wolves. I would say the Bulldogs better not overlook Northern State but something tells me I'd eat my words if I said that.
2. #11 Augustana 7-0 (6-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. Northern State 31-15
LG - W @ Winona State 17-0
UG - @ MSU-Moorhead (2-5)
Note - Could it be possible that we have two teams go undefeated in the NSIC? I don't think anyone expected Augustana's undefeated streak to go this long in the NSIC and it's not like it's really been in that much danger. If you look at this team, they've got the pieces to be successful. They've got a solid quarterback who is a great leader in the field. They have a very good running back who is starting to look good now that he's healthy. They've got an absolute stud at wide receiver. However, the one thing they've got that could get them over the top is that defense. Let's not kid ourselves, Winona State has a very good offense but they were shut down and shut out at home on homecoming. If that's not the sign of an impressive defense, than I don't know what is. I can definitely foresee them making it to 8-0 considering they travel to Moorhead this weekend.
3. #23 St. Cloud State 6-1 (6-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ MSU-Mankato 31-17
LG - W vs. SW Minnesota State 24-6
UG - vs. UM-Crookston (1-6)
Note - Ever since his first start, I had a feeling SCSU freshman quarterback Phillip Klaphake was going to be something special. He received NSIC Player of the Week for his outstanding performance against SW Minnesota State. He completed 24-of-33 passes for 320 yards with a TD and an interception. However, he also got it done on the ground as he rushed 12 times for 134 yards and a TD. All-in-all, Klaphake gained 454 yards by himself...sheesh! I know the Mustangs don't have a great defense but they couldn't keep Klaphake in check at all. Right now, St. Cloud is really doing their best for a playoff push. Since their opening day loss at Augustana, they've won six straight. I don't think they'll have any problems making it seven straight as they host Minnesota-Crookston. I'm guessing this game will be over by the end of the first quarter.
4. Concordia-St. Paul 5-2 (4-2 NSIC) (+2)
PG - W vs. Bemidji State 20-14
LG - W @ Wayne State 17-14
UG - vs. Winona State (4-3)
Note - There are many words running through my head about this Golden Bears team. Who would've thought that Concordia would go from a three win football team last year to 5-2 at this point in the season. I've said it since the St. Cloud loss that this team just keeps getting better and better and they proved that with a big win in a hostile environment. I was wrong with my assessment about how this team will revolve around the health of Spencer Ohm. James Peterson looked ready to play as he completed 22-of-37 passes for 328 yards and 2 TDs. I think Klaphake was the only thing keeping him from receiving NSIC POW. With the way this season is playing out, the Golden Bears just might get into the Mineral Water Bowl. It'll be tough for them to make the playoffs (a lot would have to happen) but the Mineral Water Bowl is certainly achievable for this team. They'll host a big home game this weekend when Winona State comes to town. Considering it is a must-win game for Winona State, it could make for a potential upset. Did I just imply Winona State was the underdog? Yes, yes I did...
5. Wayne State 5-2 (4-2 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ Mary 33-28
LG - L vs. Concordia-St. Paul 17-14
UG - vs. MSU-Mankato (4-3)
Note - The last couple weeks have been very trying for the Wayne State Wildcats but there is without a doubt that they've come back down to Earth the last few weeks. The fact that they needed a last minute touchdown against Mary and losing at home to Concordia-St. Paul is absolutely devastating for their playoff chances. In fact, it hurts their chances even for the Mineral Water Bowl. If WSC and CSP have the same record at the end of the year, I believe the Golden Bears would get the tiebreaker now because of the head-to-head win. It's amazing to me that the Wildcats have looked this bad the last few weeks because it seems like very little has changed since the beginning of the year and to this point. The Wildcats will have another tough game ahead of them when MSU-Mankato comes to town. It's not really a great time either considering that the Mavericks might just be getting their mojo back.
6. Winona State 4-3 (3-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 59-17
LG - L vs. #11 Augustana 17-0
UG - @ Concordia-St. Paul (5-2)
Note - Boy, talk about a meat grinder of a schedule. Right now, the Warriors are going on game 3 of 4 against UMD, Augie, CSP and Wayne. Although, I'm pretty sure the Warriors knew that they could do no worse than .500 against these opponents if they wanted to keep their "very slim" playoff hopes/MWB hopes alive. Considering they are so far 0-2 in this stretch, they are in a must-win situation the rest of the season. As I look at this team, I keep asking myself, what is the problem? It's obviously not the defense. I thought the defense played great against the Vikings. The problems right now fall upon the offense...especially at quarterback. As of right now, Aber is downright dreadful. In the past two weeks, he's completed 25-of-67 passes for 227 yards with 2 TDs and an interception. Completing 37% of your passes is not going to get it done in this league. I know it might be late in the season for it, but WSU might want to give a serious look toward Bradshaw. Sure, he didn't look all that fantastic in the Warriors last few drives of the game, but all-in-all, he wasn't worse than Aber. It won't get any easier for WSU as they go on the road against the Golden Bears.
7. MSU-Mankato 4-3 (3-3 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L vs. St. Cloud State 31-17
LG - W vs. Upper Iowa 48-14
UG - @ Wayne State (4-3)
Note - Considering how bad things have been so far this season for MSU-Mankato, it seems as though they got things moving in the right direction this weekend against Upper Iowa. There were a lot of people doubting the Mavericks and thinking it could be a close game. MSU-Mankato slammed the door in the Peacocks face as soon as they arrived at the doorstep, jumping off to a 24-0 lead early on in this game. The Mavericks slashed the Peacocks rush defense, tallying 301 yards on the ground. Running back Chris Echols was an absolute stud, rushing 21 times for 184 yards with 2 TDs. It seemed as though the team kept Will Brogan somewhat within his element. He completed 13-of-26 passes for 188 yards with 2 TDs and an INT. Also for what I believe is the first time all season, both Brogan and Pachan are both healthy (or at least healthy enough for both of them to play). Even though it's a nice win, the Mavericks can't celebrate too much because the next two weeks are going to be an absolute dogfight. They are on the road against Wayne State and Augustana. I guess if there's any good news for the Mavericks, it's that Wayne State is really struggling.
8. Bemidji State 4-3 (3-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L @ Concordia-St. Paul 20-14
LG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 14-6
UG - vs. U-Mary (1-6)
Note - Boy, what can I say about the Bemidji State Beavers? What the hell is going on? When I first saw the final score of the game against MSU-Moorhead, I thought it must be a misprint. Nope. They only won 14-6 against one of the worst teams in the NSIC. I was appalled that they could only score 14 points against that miserable MSU-Moorhead defense. However, I guess you could say part of that is on the coaching. Can someone tell me why Derek Edholm threw 31 passes? And how embarrassing is it for Dustin Kroeplin to only gain 91 yards on 26 carries? All I will say is the Bemidji State Beavers are not all right. It's one thing to lose to Concordia-St. Paul but to follow it up with a near loss at MSU-Moorhead? Did we seriously consider these guys a potential playoff team earlier in the year? Seriously? I don't know if this is good news or bad news, but they draw Mary at home this week. Considering what Mary was doing before that UM-Duluth game, I'd say this is certainly a game that the Beavers could lose.
9. SW Minnesota State 3-4 (2-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. MSU-Moorhead 49-14
LG - L @ St. Cloud State 24-6
UG - @ Upper Iowa (1-6)
Note - Right now, I'd say things are playing out like we expected with SMSU. They are winning the games they should be winning and losing the games they should be losing. There isn't anything that really sticks out about this team. It's not like they have a sensational offense or defense. Although Ryan Ratekin is solid, he doesn't quite compare with what some of the other QBs in the NSIC have been doing this year. The more I look at this team, the more I feel like a broken record talking about them. They are essentially the cardboard cutout of the NSIC. They don't really do much outside of their element...they don't sneak up on people and surprise them. The only thing I can say is they played well against MSU-Moorhead...that's about the only game I'd say they played better than I expected them to. They travel to Fayette this week to take on the Upper Iowa Peacocks. If SMSU is the team I think they are, they'll win by 14-21 points and get back to .500.
10. MSU-Moorhead 2-5 (2-4 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L @ SW Minnesota State 49-14
LG - L vs. Bemidji State 14-6
UG - vs. #11 Augustana (7-0)
Note - I have to give some major props this week to the Dragons. They came out last week and gave the Beavers a battle. I think for the first time all season, their rush defense really came to play. They held the Beavers to 131 yards rushing and 3.3 YPC. It was the factor that really kept them in the game because we knew Bemidji State's defense wouldn't let them score a lot of points. The bad news for the Dragons was they just didn't have the weapons to contend with Bemidji State. They should be happy for what they did now because it probably won't be such a great weekend with one of the hottest teams in the country coming to town to play them.
11. U-Mary 1-6 (1-5 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L vs. Wayne State 33-28
LG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 49-0
UG - @ Bemidji State (4-3)
Note - I really don't know how hard I should be on the the Marauders this week because it really isn't a big deal to lose to UM-Duluth. Even losing by 49 isn't something we can really joke about because they beat Winona State by 42 the week before. Although, considering the way Mary had been playing heading into this game, I thought they'd at least score. They couldn't even do that. Lomax was kept in check. Bagnell was kept in check. No one on this team had a decent game for Mary. I was really hoping they'd at least score a few times and build some confidence going into next week but it really feels like this team keeps making steps forward and steps back. We'll see if they can get back on the right track when they travel to Bemidji State. With the way BSU played this week, it could be a game that Mary sneaks away with.
12. Northern State 1-6 (1-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ #11 Augustana 31-15
LG - W @ UM-Crookston 38-0
UG - vs. #2 UM-Duluth (7-0)
Note - Welcome to the wins club Northern State! They picked up their first win of the season with a big win in Crookston, Minnesota. We knew they could do it! Northern State dominated the ground game by rushing for 290 yards against the Golden Eagles defense. Northern State will probably not get their second win this week considering they are taking on the #2 team in the country, but I do believe they will get at least one or two more wins before season's end.
13. Upper Iowa 1-6 (1-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. UM-Crookston 56-19
LG - L @ MSU-Mankato 48-14
UG - vs. SW Minnesota State (3-4)
Note - The Peacocks are who we thought they were! People thought that they could challenge the Mavericks...yeah, well, that didn't happen...at all. It's just a fact...Upper Iowa is the second worst team in the conference. Granted, it's not a close second...but still second none-the-less. They host SW Minnesota State this week. It would be a decent chance for them to prove me wrong. If they could do what Northern State could not, I could see them jumping up a spot this week.
14. UM-Crookston 1-6 (0-6 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ Upper Iowa 56-19
LG - L vs. Northern State 38-0
UG - @ #23 St. Cloud State (6-1)
Note - How embarrassing is this for UM-Crookston? They've actually played one of the easiest schedules in the NSIC so far this year and they still suck badly at that. Their closest NSIC game was a 30 point blowout at home to MSU-Moorhead. In the four games with the four other worst teams in the NSIC, they've been outscored 190-37...losing by an average of 38 PPG...against the worst of the NSIC!!! You want to see something to laugh at, look at their remaining schedule. At St. Cloud State, Concordia-St. Paul, UM-Duluth and at Bemidji State. This is going to get ugly...really ugly.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Toucanbird's Week 7 NSIC Power Rankings
It's that time of the week again.
1. #1 UM-Duluth 6-0 (5-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 56-7
LG - W vs. Winona State 59-17
UG - vs. U-Mary (1-5)
Note - Well, let's just face it...I don't think there is any team in the NSIC that can take UMD down. In six games, they have outscored their opponents by 36 PPG. Want to hear something scarier? Four of those six teams have winning records. The Bulldogs had an unfathomable 371 yards rushing against Winona State, thanks to another masterful game by Issac Odim, rushing 23 times for 165 yards and 2 TDs. The more I see the Bulldogs play, the more I believe they will win an a national championship. Even when I look at their upcoming schedule, I don't see any games that they should lose. If there is one, it is probably at home against St. Cloud State...but I'd have to say St. Cloud needs to play their best game and UMD would have to play their worst. They've got Mary at home this week...anyone want to do an over/under 50 point win on this one?
2. #16 Augustana 6-0 (5-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Concordia-St. Paul 22-16
LG - W vs. Northern State 31-15
UG - @ Winona State (3-2)
Note - The Vikings might be the only other undefeated team in the NSIC, but I tell you what, they do not jump off the page at me like the Bulldogs do. This team has had some less than spectacular wins the last two weeks against competition that I'd say isn't quite "top tier." Sure, the win against Concordia-St. Paul is looking decent considering what the Golden Bears are doing, however, Northern State has looked DREADFUL the last several weeks and still didn't lose that badly to Augustana. However, I will give Augie the benefit of the doubt...they have been playing without a healthy Tyler Schulte the past few weeks and considering the monster numbers he was putting up before he got hurt, you'd have to think that is part of the reason why they struggled a bit. From the reports I'm hearing, he should be healthy in the upcoming game against Winona State...and for the Vikings sake, they better hope so because I can imagine WSU will be hungry for a win.
3. #24 St. Cloud State 5-1 (5-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Northern State 42-10
LG - W @ MSU-Mankato 31-17
UG - vs. SW Minnesota State (3-3)
Note - I don't know how they've done it but the Huskies went from a passing team early on in the season to a running team. Granted, MSU-Mankato is a horrible team against the run. Nevertheless, the Huskies rushed for 262 yards. I have to give some props to St. Cloud for how they played. The first quarter was an ugly one as their defense gave up 14 points in the first nine minutes, however, the defense locked down from that point on, only allowing 3 points the next 51 minutes. The defense was quite opportunistic as well, forcing 5 Maverick turnovers. I thought this was a very good win for the Huskies because MSU-Mankato was in a must-win situation at home and St. Cloud made sure that they never had a chance. They'll return home this week to take on SW Minnesota State. It could be an interesting game considering the Mustangs are still looking to get a big upset victory in the NSIC and they always seem to be in the mix for at least one upset a year.
4. #23 Wayne State 5-1 (4-1 NSIC) (+1)
PG - @ SW Minnesota State 38-20
LG - W @ U-Mary 33-28
UG - vs. Concordia-St. Paul (3-2)
Note - I know this might be a ridiculous comment to make, but I am starting to wonder if Wayne State is a fraud. I'm sure you might be wondering, "if you think that, why did they jump up a spot in your rankings?" Well, they won...I won't take that way from them. However, the fact is they had to pull out a last minute win to Mary...who is far from a good team. I did say that if there was one game that had me puzzled, it would be the WSC/Mary game because I thought Mary...could have a chance but I doubted myself. It looks like I was more right than I could've believed. Certainly, Wayne could not fault Evan Johnson. He was an absolute beast completing 29-of-38 passes for 387 yards and 4 TDs, including a 34 yarder with 45 seconds left to win the game. I was a harsh critic of his the last few weeks so he did sort of shut me up with this performance. However, I'm starting to believe Wayne has some weaknesses on defense if they allowed an offense like Mary's to score 28 points on them. Heck, UM-Crookston's defense didn't even allow that much to Mary. Even though the Wildcats are home this week, they have a lot to worry about considering it's a much improved Concordia-St. Paul team.
5. Winona State 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W vs. MSU-Mankato 43-21
LG - L @ #1 UM-Duluth 59-17
UG - vs. #16 Augustana (6-0)
Note - There's about a million things I could say about Winona State's performance in Duluth but I'll just say it with one...sad. This was a team riding a high. They were coming off a big win at home against MSU-Mankato in a game that they probably played about as well as they could've played. They followed it up with perhaps the worst game they could've possibly played. Consistency has been the Warriors problem all season long and one thing I've noticed about WSU the last few weeks is their run defense can be exposed. They gave up 371 yards rushing to UM-Duluth...it is kind of funny that you're expecting them to run and you still can't stop it. Evan Aber continues to puzzle me as well. He will have a game where he looks absolutely phenomenal and then he'll have a game where he looks like absolute gutter trash. He was 12-of-34 for 97 yards and 2 TDs against UMD. I know some UMD fans will say it's because of their lockdown defense...uh...no. He missed wide open receivers all over the field and perhaps the most memorable play for me was when he had a receiver wide open on a slant pattern and he threw the ball 3 yards behind the receiver and over his head. He better be doing a lot of passing drills in practice this week because if WSU is going to beat Augie at home this week, they'll need Aber hitting on all cylinders.
6. Concordia-St. Paul 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L vs. #16 Augustana 22-16
LG - W vs. Bemidji State 20-14
UG - @ #23 Wayne State (5-1)
Note - I tell you what, if people were doubting the Golden Bears before, they certainly aren't now. They had two very solid performances the last two weeks at home. Sure, one was a loss but it was a single possession loss to Augustana. Their win against Bemidji State was huge. Despite being at home, a lot of people thought Bemidji State had the better team and would win. I had a good feeling Concordia would win that game and they did. They've solidified themselves as the sixth best team in the conference and who knows...they could jump as high as four if a few things play out. They travel to Wayne, Nebraska in what will be a statement game for the Golden Bears. A win and a Winona State loss could put them in a favorable situation...however, the health of quarterback Spencer Ohm will be huge if the Golden Bears want to go into Wayne and spring the upset.
7. Bemidji State 3-3 (2-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W vs. Upper Iowa 51-12
LG - L @ Concordia-St. Paul 20-14
UG - @ MSU-Moorhead (2-4)
Note - The first six weeks were not a great indicator for Bemidji State. Before last Saturday, they were 3-2 and their only two losses were against UM-Duluth and Augustana. Considering neither had lost a game and the Beavers were at least somewhat competitive in those games, you might think that a win in Concordia was expected...well, in contrast to Denny Green, the Beavers are not who we thought they were. They couldn't beat a Concordia-St. Paul team that was without their starting quarterback in the second half. This loss was absolutely devastating for Bemidji State. Granted, they do play in the weak NSIC North, the problem is 3 losses in the NSIC is tough to overcome, especially when they still need to travel to St. Cloud State later in the year. I guess if there's any good news, Bemidji State's remaining schedule outside of the St. Cloud game consists of four teams with four combined wins. They draw MSU-Moorhead this week on the road...seems winnable enough.
8. MSU-Mankato 3-3 (2-3 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ Winona State 43-21
LG - L vs. #24 St. Cloud State 31-17
UG - vs. Upper Iowa (1-5)
Note - It's been a rough three weeks for MSU-Mankato...very rough. Granted, the three losses were to three pretty solid teams, but the bad news is, two of those losses came at home. If there's one thing that can be said about playing in the NSIC, it's a MUST that you win your home games. One thing I sort of laughed at with MSU-Mankato's play was at quarterback. I'd say Will Brogan has some potential...21-of-29 for 336 yards and a TD...perhaps someone should tell him not to throw to the other team because the 3 interceptions were absolutely devastating. There was an even funnier stat or situation that really should be a slap in the face for Taylor Brookins. In the second quarter, he fumbled on the first play of the drive and luckily for him, a teammate fell on him. You'd think this would be a wake-up call for him to hold onto the ball. I guess not...two plays later, he fumbled again, giving the ball back to St. Cloud. This has been MSU-Mankato's season in a nutshell. I guess if there is any good news, MSU-Mankato should be able to end their three game losing streak with a home game against Upper Iowa this week...I know...that's not much of a bright side.
9. SW Minnesota State 3-3 (2-3 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. #23 Wayne State 38-20
LG - W vs. MSU-Moorhead 49-14
UG - @ #24 St. Cloud State (5-1)
Note - Thinking about nine and down in the NSIC makes my head hurt because the top eight are pretty clear cut. Despite MSU's struggles, I still think they are far better than the Mustangs. However, I gotta give a lot of props to SMSU this week...they sure took the Dragons to the woodshed. What's impressive about SMSU and unimpressive about MSU-Moorhead is the Mustangs rushed for 350 yards. I hate to break this to you SMSU but MSU-Moorhead is BY FAR the worst rushing defense in the NSIC, giving up 285 yards a game. It was also impressive to see SMSU have two running backs with over 100 yards rushing. Warren Matthews rushed for 149 yards on 14 carries, scoring 3 TDs as well as Gannon Moore rushing for 123 yards on 7 carries. I'm sure Ryan Ratekin is glad to see his running backs step up because it will certainly help that passing game if those two can get going. At this point, it's a put up or shut up season for SMSU because they have three wins against teams with three combined wins and three losses against teams with 14 combined wins. They go to St. Cloud this week which could provide an opportunity for the Mustangs to spring an upset...highly doubtful though.
10. U-Mary 1-5 (1-4 NSIC) (+1)
PG - W vs. UM-Crookston 48-0
LG - L vs. #23 Wayne State 33-28
UG - @ #1 UM-Duluth (6-0)
Note - I know it sounds funny for Mary to lose and jump up a spot, but the Marauders have certainly turned a corner the last few weeks. They were so dominant against UM-Crookston and the offense certainly seems to be improving as they scored 28 points against a solid Wayne State defense. It was just a shame for Mary that their defense just couldn't quite provide the spark they needed to spring an upset. I find it funny that Mary has looked solid the last two weeks and considering Jamal Lomax has been back, you'd think that would be the reason, but it's not. Lomax only had 12 carries for 51 yards. I think the improved play from Bagnell certainly helps as he completed 24-of-35 for 260 yards with a TD and an interception. I know this might be a little obnoxious to say, but Mary just might be the best 1-5 and soon to be 1-6 football team I've seen play this year. They could've easily been 3-3 this year. Mary has been the unfortunate benefactor of bad breaks.
11. MSU-Moorhead 2-4 (2-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L vs. #1 UM-Duluth 56-7
LG - L @ SW Minnesota State 49-14
UG - vs. Bemidji State (3-3)
Note - I thought that their road game in Marshall would've been a decent test to see if MSU-Moorhead is an improving team...obviously not. Their rush defense is so bad that it makes me bleed through the eyeballs trying to watch them chase a running back or try and tackle for that matter. Here's what you have to know...AFTER this past weekend, SW Minnesota State is the third worst rushing team in the NSIC. They had 350 yards rushing against the Dragons. What does that say about the Dragons? What's ironic about all this is the only thing keeping the Dragons rush defense from giving up over 300 yards per game were their two games against UM-Crookston and Upper Iowa. This week, they are playing a Bemidji State team that is 4th in the NSIC in rush offense. Don't worry, I'm already starting to duck and cover...
12. Northern State 0-6 (0-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. #24 St. Cloud State 42-14
LG - L @ #16 Augustana 31-15
UG - @ UM-Crookston (1-5)
Note - Well, I guess I can give some credit to Northern State...they did not play nearly as bad against Augustana as I thought they would. I was expecting something along the lines of a 35-40 point blowout. Although, they were down 31-7 going into the 4th quarter. Without Montel Richardson at running back, I didn't think they'd compete at all against Augie but they still managed to make somewhat of an effort. Sure, the rushing game was absolutely dreadful, only rushing for seven yards on the day...but the quarterback play was much improved and give some props to receiver Mark Hanley, catching 6 passes for 126 yards and 2 TDs...with Northern State's offense, that's NSIC POTW type numbers...if he played for a better team. I guess if there is any good news in all this, it's that Northern State will PROBABLY get their first win of the season this weekend. UM-Crookston hasn't really played a close game at all this season.
13. Upper Iowa 1-5 (1-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ Bemidji State 51-12
LG - W vs. UM-Crookston 56-19
UG - @ MSU-Mankato (3-3)
Note - Well, congratulations Peacocks...you finally got that elusive first win. Now, you're probably wondering, "why am I still ranking you guys below Northern State?" Beating UM-Crookston does NOTHING for you. The "not so" Golden Eagles have been everyone's punching bag in the NSIC. You'll have to do more than beat them to get my attention...even if it's by 37. I tell you what...you draw MSU-Mankato this week. This has been a team that has been struggling mightily. If you stay competitive against this team or better yet, upset them...I will certainly consider moving you up a spot...maybe even two. However, until you actually play a competitive game against a solid NSIC football team like Northern State has, you'll be sitting here at the bottom with UM-Crookston...look at the bright side, at least you definitely WON'T be the worst team in the conference no matter what happens the remainder of the season.
14. UM-Crookston 1-5 (0-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ U-Mary 48-0
LG - L @ Upper Iowa 56-19
UG - vs. Northern State (0-6)
Note - Get ready to laugh at this. In the past three games, UM-Crookston has played three of the five worst teams in the NSIC. In those three games, they've been outscored 152-37. Considering this is against the worst teams in the NSIC, what does that say about UM-Crookston? I will certainly roll on the floor and laugh if they lose badly to Northern State because that's my 10, 11, 12 and 13 ranked teams in the NSIC that they wouldn't even be able to compete against. Really, why do I even bother writing a review for UM-Crookston? Perhaps I should just do 1-13 because I think we all know how bad UM-Crookston is. They are so bad that they should change their names from the Golden Eagles to the spray-on $1 store gold paint Eagles.
1. #1 UM-Duluth 6-0 (5-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 56-7
LG - W vs. Winona State 59-17
UG - vs. U-Mary (1-5)
Note - Well, let's just face it...I don't think there is any team in the NSIC that can take UMD down. In six games, they have outscored their opponents by 36 PPG. Want to hear something scarier? Four of those six teams have winning records. The Bulldogs had an unfathomable 371 yards rushing against Winona State, thanks to another masterful game by Issac Odim, rushing 23 times for 165 yards and 2 TDs. The more I see the Bulldogs play, the more I believe they will win an a national championship. Even when I look at their upcoming schedule, I don't see any games that they should lose. If there is one, it is probably at home against St. Cloud State...but I'd have to say St. Cloud needs to play their best game and UMD would have to play their worst. They've got Mary at home this week...anyone want to do an over/under 50 point win on this one?
2. #16 Augustana 6-0 (5-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Concordia-St. Paul 22-16
LG - W vs. Northern State 31-15
UG - @ Winona State (3-2)
Note - The Vikings might be the only other undefeated team in the NSIC, but I tell you what, they do not jump off the page at me like the Bulldogs do. This team has had some less than spectacular wins the last two weeks against competition that I'd say isn't quite "top tier." Sure, the win against Concordia-St. Paul is looking decent considering what the Golden Bears are doing, however, Northern State has looked DREADFUL the last several weeks and still didn't lose that badly to Augustana. However, I will give Augie the benefit of the doubt...they have been playing without a healthy Tyler Schulte the past few weeks and considering the monster numbers he was putting up before he got hurt, you'd have to think that is part of the reason why they struggled a bit. From the reports I'm hearing, he should be healthy in the upcoming game against Winona State...and for the Vikings sake, they better hope so because I can imagine WSU will be hungry for a win.
3. #24 St. Cloud State 5-1 (5-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Northern State 42-10
LG - W @ MSU-Mankato 31-17
UG - vs. SW Minnesota State (3-3)
Note - I don't know how they've done it but the Huskies went from a passing team early on in the season to a running team. Granted, MSU-Mankato is a horrible team against the run. Nevertheless, the Huskies rushed for 262 yards. I have to give some props to St. Cloud for how they played. The first quarter was an ugly one as their defense gave up 14 points in the first nine minutes, however, the defense locked down from that point on, only allowing 3 points the next 51 minutes. The defense was quite opportunistic as well, forcing 5 Maverick turnovers. I thought this was a very good win for the Huskies because MSU-Mankato was in a must-win situation at home and St. Cloud made sure that they never had a chance. They'll return home this week to take on SW Minnesota State. It could be an interesting game considering the Mustangs are still looking to get a big upset victory in the NSIC and they always seem to be in the mix for at least one upset a year.
4. #23 Wayne State 5-1 (4-1 NSIC) (+1)
PG - @ SW Minnesota State 38-20
LG - W @ U-Mary 33-28
UG - vs. Concordia-St. Paul (3-2)
Note - I know this might be a ridiculous comment to make, but I am starting to wonder if Wayne State is a fraud. I'm sure you might be wondering, "if you think that, why did they jump up a spot in your rankings?" Well, they won...I won't take that way from them. However, the fact is they had to pull out a last minute win to Mary...who is far from a good team. I did say that if there was one game that had me puzzled, it would be the WSC/Mary game because I thought Mary...could have a chance but I doubted myself. It looks like I was more right than I could've believed. Certainly, Wayne could not fault Evan Johnson. He was an absolute beast completing 29-of-38 passes for 387 yards and 4 TDs, including a 34 yarder with 45 seconds left to win the game. I was a harsh critic of his the last few weeks so he did sort of shut me up with this performance. However, I'm starting to believe Wayne has some weaknesses on defense if they allowed an offense like Mary's to score 28 points on them. Heck, UM-Crookston's defense didn't even allow that much to Mary. Even though the Wildcats are home this week, they have a lot to worry about considering it's a much improved Concordia-St. Paul team.
5. Winona State 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W vs. MSU-Mankato 43-21
LG - L @ #1 UM-Duluth 59-17
UG - vs. #16 Augustana (6-0)
Note - There's about a million things I could say about Winona State's performance in Duluth but I'll just say it with one...sad. This was a team riding a high. They were coming off a big win at home against MSU-Mankato in a game that they probably played about as well as they could've played. They followed it up with perhaps the worst game they could've possibly played. Consistency has been the Warriors problem all season long and one thing I've noticed about WSU the last few weeks is their run defense can be exposed. They gave up 371 yards rushing to UM-Duluth...it is kind of funny that you're expecting them to run and you still can't stop it. Evan Aber continues to puzzle me as well. He will have a game where he looks absolutely phenomenal and then he'll have a game where he looks like absolute gutter trash. He was 12-of-34 for 97 yards and 2 TDs against UMD. I know some UMD fans will say it's because of their lockdown defense...uh...no. He missed wide open receivers all over the field and perhaps the most memorable play for me was when he had a receiver wide open on a slant pattern and he threw the ball 3 yards behind the receiver and over his head. He better be doing a lot of passing drills in practice this week because if WSU is going to beat Augie at home this week, they'll need Aber hitting on all cylinders.
6. Concordia-St. Paul 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L vs. #16 Augustana 22-16
LG - W vs. Bemidji State 20-14
UG - @ #23 Wayne State (5-1)
Note - I tell you what, if people were doubting the Golden Bears before, they certainly aren't now. They had two very solid performances the last two weeks at home. Sure, one was a loss but it was a single possession loss to Augustana. Their win against Bemidji State was huge. Despite being at home, a lot of people thought Bemidji State had the better team and would win. I had a good feeling Concordia would win that game and they did. They've solidified themselves as the sixth best team in the conference and who knows...they could jump as high as four if a few things play out. They travel to Wayne, Nebraska in what will be a statement game for the Golden Bears. A win and a Winona State loss could put them in a favorable situation...however, the health of quarterback Spencer Ohm will be huge if the Golden Bears want to go into Wayne and spring the upset.
7. Bemidji State 3-3 (2-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W vs. Upper Iowa 51-12
LG - L @ Concordia-St. Paul 20-14
UG - @ MSU-Moorhead (2-4)
Note - The first six weeks were not a great indicator for Bemidji State. Before last Saturday, they were 3-2 and their only two losses were against UM-Duluth and Augustana. Considering neither had lost a game and the Beavers were at least somewhat competitive in those games, you might think that a win in Concordia was expected...well, in contrast to Denny Green, the Beavers are not who we thought they were. They couldn't beat a Concordia-St. Paul team that was without their starting quarterback in the second half. This loss was absolutely devastating for Bemidji State. Granted, they do play in the weak NSIC North, the problem is 3 losses in the NSIC is tough to overcome, especially when they still need to travel to St. Cloud State later in the year. I guess if there's any good news, Bemidji State's remaining schedule outside of the St. Cloud game consists of four teams with four combined wins. They draw MSU-Moorhead this week on the road...seems winnable enough.
8. MSU-Mankato 3-3 (2-3 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ Winona State 43-21
LG - L vs. #24 St. Cloud State 31-17
UG - vs. Upper Iowa (1-5)
Note - It's been a rough three weeks for MSU-Mankato...very rough. Granted, the three losses were to three pretty solid teams, but the bad news is, two of those losses came at home. If there's one thing that can be said about playing in the NSIC, it's a MUST that you win your home games. One thing I sort of laughed at with MSU-Mankato's play was at quarterback. I'd say Will Brogan has some potential...21-of-29 for 336 yards and a TD...perhaps someone should tell him not to throw to the other team because the 3 interceptions were absolutely devastating. There was an even funnier stat or situation that really should be a slap in the face for Taylor Brookins. In the second quarter, he fumbled on the first play of the drive and luckily for him, a teammate fell on him. You'd think this would be a wake-up call for him to hold onto the ball. I guess not...two plays later, he fumbled again, giving the ball back to St. Cloud. This has been MSU-Mankato's season in a nutshell. I guess if there is any good news, MSU-Mankato should be able to end their three game losing streak with a home game against Upper Iowa this week...I know...that's not much of a bright side.
9. SW Minnesota State 3-3 (2-3 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. #23 Wayne State 38-20
LG - W vs. MSU-Moorhead 49-14
UG - @ #24 St. Cloud State (5-1)
Note - Thinking about nine and down in the NSIC makes my head hurt because the top eight are pretty clear cut. Despite MSU's struggles, I still think they are far better than the Mustangs. However, I gotta give a lot of props to SMSU this week...they sure took the Dragons to the woodshed. What's impressive about SMSU and unimpressive about MSU-Moorhead is the Mustangs rushed for 350 yards. I hate to break this to you SMSU but MSU-Moorhead is BY FAR the worst rushing defense in the NSIC, giving up 285 yards a game. It was also impressive to see SMSU have two running backs with over 100 yards rushing. Warren Matthews rushed for 149 yards on 14 carries, scoring 3 TDs as well as Gannon Moore rushing for 123 yards on 7 carries. I'm sure Ryan Ratekin is glad to see his running backs step up because it will certainly help that passing game if those two can get going. At this point, it's a put up or shut up season for SMSU because they have three wins against teams with three combined wins and three losses against teams with 14 combined wins. They go to St. Cloud this week which could provide an opportunity for the Mustangs to spring an upset...highly doubtful though.
10. U-Mary 1-5 (1-4 NSIC) (+1)
PG - W vs. UM-Crookston 48-0
LG - L vs. #23 Wayne State 33-28
UG - @ #1 UM-Duluth (6-0)
Note - I know it sounds funny for Mary to lose and jump up a spot, but the Marauders have certainly turned a corner the last few weeks. They were so dominant against UM-Crookston and the offense certainly seems to be improving as they scored 28 points against a solid Wayne State defense. It was just a shame for Mary that their defense just couldn't quite provide the spark they needed to spring an upset. I find it funny that Mary has looked solid the last two weeks and considering Jamal Lomax has been back, you'd think that would be the reason, but it's not. Lomax only had 12 carries for 51 yards. I think the improved play from Bagnell certainly helps as he completed 24-of-35 for 260 yards with a TD and an interception. I know this might be a little obnoxious to say, but Mary just might be the best 1-5 and soon to be 1-6 football team I've seen play this year. They could've easily been 3-3 this year. Mary has been the unfortunate benefactor of bad breaks.
11. MSU-Moorhead 2-4 (2-3 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L vs. #1 UM-Duluth 56-7
LG - L @ SW Minnesota State 49-14
UG - vs. Bemidji State (3-3)
Note - I thought that their road game in Marshall would've been a decent test to see if MSU-Moorhead is an improving team...obviously not. Their rush defense is so bad that it makes me bleed through the eyeballs trying to watch them chase a running back or try and tackle for that matter. Here's what you have to know...AFTER this past weekend, SW Minnesota State is the third worst rushing team in the NSIC. They had 350 yards rushing against the Dragons. What does that say about the Dragons? What's ironic about all this is the only thing keeping the Dragons rush defense from giving up over 300 yards per game were their two games against UM-Crookston and Upper Iowa. This week, they are playing a Bemidji State team that is 4th in the NSIC in rush offense. Don't worry, I'm already starting to duck and cover...
12. Northern State 0-6 (0-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. #24 St. Cloud State 42-14
LG - L @ #16 Augustana 31-15
UG - @ UM-Crookston (1-5)
Note - Well, I guess I can give some credit to Northern State...they did not play nearly as bad against Augustana as I thought they would. I was expecting something along the lines of a 35-40 point blowout. Although, they were down 31-7 going into the 4th quarter. Without Montel Richardson at running back, I didn't think they'd compete at all against Augie but they still managed to make somewhat of an effort. Sure, the rushing game was absolutely dreadful, only rushing for seven yards on the day...but the quarterback play was much improved and give some props to receiver Mark Hanley, catching 6 passes for 126 yards and 2 TDs...with Northern State's offense, that's NSIC POTW type numbers...if he played for a better team. I guess if there is any good news in all this, it's that Northern State will PROBABLY get their first win of the season this weekend. UM-Crookston hasn't really played a close game at all this season.
13. Upper Iowa 1-5 (1-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ Bemidji State 51-12
LG - W vs. UM-Crookston 56-19
UG - @ MSU-Mankato (3-3)
Note - Well, congratulations Peacocks...you finally got that elusive first win. Now, you're probably wondering, "why am I still ranking you guys below Northern State?" Beating UM-Crookston does NOTHING for you. The "not so" Golden Eagles have been everyone's punching bag in the NSIC. You'll have to do more than beat them to get my attention...even if it's by 37. I tell you what...you draw MSU-Mankato this week. This has been a team that has been struggling mightily. If you stay competitive against this team or better yet, upset them...I will certainly consider moving you up a spot...maybe even two. However, until you actually play a competitive game against a solid NSIC football team like Northern State has, you'll be sitting here at the bottom with UM-Crookston...look at the bright side, at least you definitely WON'T be the worst team in the conference no matter what happens the remainder of the season.
14. UM-Crookston 1-5 (0-5 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ U-Mary 48-0
LG - L @ Upper Iowa 56-19
UG - vs. Northern State (0-6)
Note - Get ready to laugh at this. In the past three games, UM-Crookston has played three of the five worst teams in the NSIC. In those three games, they've been outscored 152-37. Considering this is against the worst teams in the NSIC, what does that say about UM-Crookston? I will certainly roll on the floor and laugh if they lose badly to Northern State because that's my 10, 11, 12 and 13 ranked teams in the NSIC that they wouldn't even be able to compete against. Really, why do I even bother writing a review for UM-Crookston? Perhaps I should just do 1-13 because I think we all know how bad UM-Crookston is. They are so bad that they should change their names from the Golden Eagles to the spray-on $1 store gold paint Eagles.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Toucanbird's Week 6 Power Rankings
1. #2 UM-Duluth 5-0 (4-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. Bemidji State 44-21
LG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 56-7
UG - vs. Winona State (4-1)
Note - I've said it before and I'll say it again...the Bulldogs look like national championship contenders. Then again, I'd expect a team like UM-Duluth to bury MSU-Moorhead. The more I see Issac Odim play, the more I think he has talent to play professionally this weekend against the Dragons, he rushed 11 times for 169 yards with 4 TDs and also caught 3 passes for 68 yards and a TD. That's 237 all-purpose yards. Let me put that in perspective for you. Every time Odim touched the ball, he averaged 16.9 yards and scored touchdowns on 1/3 of all his touches. Those are impressive numbers to say the least...even if they came against MSU-Moorhead. This week, those numbers could be harder to get as the Bulldogs will get another big test on their home field. This week, they host the Winona State Warriors, who are coming off a big win at home against MSU-Mankato. This will be a statement game for both teams.
2. #15 Augustana 5-0 (4-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. SW Minnesota State 53-21
LG - W @ Concordia-St. Paul 22-16
UG - vs. Northern State (0-5)
Note - If we learned two things about the Vikings this past weekend. For one, we learned that they aren't unbeatable and secondly, we learned just how important Tyler Schulte is to this team. Hanson, who has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NSIC coming into this game, went 10-of-26 for 119 yards and a TD. It's not like Concordia-St. Paul has a phenomenal secondary. Although, if there is something positive to take out of the weekend, it's that Joe Clark had a bounce back game after having a disappointing start to the season. He rushed 22 times for 132 yards and 2 TDs. I'm not sure how much stock we can put into that considering the Golden Bears gave up 217 yards rushing the week before to MSU-Mankato. The bad news for Augie is it is likely Schulte will miss one more game...the good news is that game is at home against Northern State.
3. St. Cloud State 4-1 (4-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. U-Mary 30-14
LG - W @ Northern State 42-10
UG - @ MSU-Mankato (3-2)
Note - What I find ironic about St. Cloud State is Klaphake isn't putting up the monster numbers like he did through the first two weeks but I am actually more impressed in the way he is running the offense. He only rushed twice last week but gained 23 yards on those two carries. Even though he's throwing the ball less, he still completed 14-of-19 passes for 218 yards and 4 TDs, including 1 rushing TD. Granted, most of it went to Fred Williams as he caught 9 of those passes for 170 yards and caught all four TDs. I'd say if there's anything St. Cloud might need to improve on, it would be spreading the ball around but hey, you keep throwing to the guy that gets open. We'll see if the other receivers step up when Williams gets shut down...if he ever gets shut down. This week, the Huskies draw a big game. They are going to Mankato to take on a team that's lost 2 straight games going into their homecoming. Considering it is a must win for MSU-Mankato, it might actually be a tough game for the Huskies.
4. Winona State 4-1 (3-1 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Upper Iowa 42-14
LG - W vs. #25 MSU-Mankato 43-21
UG - @ #2 UM-Duluth (5-0)
Note - Remember what I said last week about the Warriors being very good in all three aspects of the game while MSU-Mankato was good in only one? Well, we might need to change our perspective on this one. WSU outgained MSU 507-272, showing off their offense and defensive abilities. The WSU special teams was also much sharper. Curtis Dewberry had his second punt return for a TD this season, while average 28.2 YPR. Thomas Kinney also banged through three of his FG attempts, including one from 40 yards. What does this all mean? It means that the Warriors are a very good football team in all three aspects of the game and they are hoping to keep that confidence when they go to play one of the toughest teams the program has ever faced. UM-Duluth hasn't won a game by less than 23 points this year. Could WSU spring the upset? It's doubtful but where there's a will there's a way. A win in Duluth in itself would make WSU's season.
5. Wayne State 4-1 (3-1 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Northern State 42-20
LG - W @ SW Minnesota State 38-20
UG - @ U-Mary (1-4)
Note - Who needs QBs like Cyle Schultz when you've got gamers like Frederic Bruno? Bruno caught 3 TD passes and took a 91 yard kickoff return for a TD in a big 38-20 victory over SW Minnesota State. This wasn't the prettiest game for the Wildcats. Quarterback Evan Johnson also had a solid performance, completing 16-of-20 passes for 193 yards and 2 TDs, while rushing 24 times for 78 yards. Right now, it seems as though Wayne State is a very good football team but not great like they were with Cyle Schultz. I'm sure Wayne is hoping they get him back soon because after this Mary game, four of their five remaining games are against tough opponents. This week, they draw Mary and even though Mary might not be a great opponent, they can't afford to sleep on a team coming off a confidence-boosting win.
6. Bemidji State 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 44-21
LG - W vs. Upper Iowa 51-12
UG - @ Concordia-St. Paul (3-2)
Note - I had a tough call this week between Bemidji State and Concordia-St. Paul for #6 this week. Even though CSP lost, they played really tough against Augie but something that sold me on Bemidji State was they buried Upper Iowa early. They led by as much as 38 in the 3rd quarter before Upper Iowa got their first score. It was one of those rare games where the Peacocks played better in the 2nd half than the 1st half...although, you could say Bemidji State "called off the dogs" after they gathered a 38 point lead. That and Upper Iowa got their last score at the end of regulation...call it a garbage time score with no impact on the game whatsoever. Bemidji State crammed the ball down the Peacocks throat, rushing for 281 yards...amazing that no rusher had more than 88 yards rushing...now that's balance. This week, Bemidji State travels to the Twin Cities to take on Concordia-St. Paul. Needless to say, I think this will be the best game of the week with the victor taking claim of the 6th best team in the NSIC. It's not really something to be that proud of but considering how good the NSIC is, it's not a bad thing.
7. Concordia-St. Paul 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ #11 MSU-Mankato 28-26
LG - L vs. #20 Augustana 22-16
UG - vs. Bemidji State (3-2)
Note - As funny as it might sound, I thought the Golden Bears played better this past weekend against Augustana than they did at MSU-Mankato. However, a loss is still a loss no matter how you hash it. I think you need to give a lot of credit to the Golden Bears' defense for keeping Concordia-St. Paul in that game. Augie could've blown the doors wide open in that 4th quarter but the defense held them to three field goals. To think, if Augustana scored 3 TDs on those drives, the score would've been more like 34-13. Either way, Concordia-St. Paul gets one more big home test to prove that they deserve to be in the upper half of the conference when they host Bemidji State. Considering how even these two teams are, I think it will be a battle. To the victor go the spoils...if #6 in the NSIC is a spoil...
8. MSU-Mankato 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. Concordia-St. Paul 28-26
LG - L @ Winona State 43-21
UG - vs. St. Cloud State (4-1)
Note - Isn't it amazing at what a difference a change in schedule makes? After the first three weeks, the only real tough game the Mavericks had was against Northern Michigan and even then, they were a 2 point conversion away from losing that game. After two weeks of easy opponents, they hit the meat of their schedule with Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State. Both teams were able to dispatch them and Winona State proved just how overrated MSU-Mankato really was. I know it sort of makes it sound like I'm saying MSU-Mankato is a bad football team. They're not but they're not worthy of being in the top half of the league. I said earlier that MSU-Mankato needs to win at least 2 out of the 5 games against the "beef" of the NSIC (UMD, Augie, SCSU, WSU, WSC). Well, they are off to an 0-1 start and with the way St. Cloud State is playing right now, I don't know if I see them losing to MSU-Mankato...even if it is their homecoming.
9. SW Minnesota State 2-3 (1-3 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ #23 Augustana 53-21
LG - L vs. Wayne State 38-20
UG - vs. MSU-Moorhead (2-3)
Note - The losing streak continues for the Mustangs as they have now dropped three consecutive games. Granted, I don't think we can really fault a team of this caliber for losing three straight. Bemidji State, Augustana and Wayne State are hardly cupcakes for any team. The good news for the Mustangs is they get a little bit of a break when they host MSU-Moorhead. This is actually a matchup of comparable teams, granted, I think SMSU has a better shot of winning this one. For the Mustangs sake, I hope they do win it because 3 of their last 5 are on the road and the two home games are against Winona State and Concordia-St. Paul...yikes!
10. MSU-Moorhead 2-3 (2-2 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ UM-Crookston 48-18
LG - L vs. #2 UM-Duluth 56-7
UG - @ SW Minnesota State (2-3)
Note - What a stark contrast between games. They first played UM-Crookston, who is perhaps one of the worst football teams in Division II and they follow it up with a home game against perhaps the best team in Division II with UM-Duluth. The results followed. They destroyed UM-Crookston and that rushing defense got exposed again against UM-Duluth, giving up 389 yards rushing. Right now, MSU-Moorhead is a tough team to grade because they are either getting beat up by great football teams or they are beating horrible or comparable teams. Well, this weekend should be a good eye test for MSU-Moorhead to see what they are. They go to Marshall to take on a team with the exact same record. The only difference is SMSU's wins are against better opponents than MSU-Moorhead's.
11. U-Mary 1-4 (1-3 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L @ St. Cloud State 30-14
LG - W vs. UM-Crookston 48-0
UG - vs. Wayne State (4-1)
Note - Uh oh, don't look now but it really looks like the Mary Marauders are starting to get their swagger back. They played pretty tough two weeks ago against St. Cloud State and they followed it up with a HUGE effort against UM-Crookston. I know Crookston is bad but even a 48-0 victory against Crookston is impressive. Don't get me wrong, Mary's offense was far from impressive in that game...but who needs offense when you have three interceptions returned for TDs and a blocked punt recovered for a TD? That's 27 points right there (missed extra point)! The Marauders were also glad to see Jamal Lomax back on the field although his time was limited. He only carried the ball 11 times for 48 yards and a TD. Granted, I'm sure Mary decided to keep him on the sidelines after getting a 27-0 first quarter lead. This week should be far different as Mary prepares for some stiff competition when Wayne State comes to town.
12. Northern State 0-5 (0-4 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L @ Wayne State 44-20
LG - L vs. St. Cloud State 42-10
UG - @ # 15 Augustana (5-0)
Note - If I'm not mistaken, I said that with every week, Northern State loses by a bigger margin. Well, that trend continued this week. After losing by 24 at Wayne State, they got beat by 32 at home to St. Cloud State. It would be safe to say that trend could continue as they travel to Augustana this week. I really feel bad for Northern State because they played some tough football games this year and a few of which it seemed like they could have won. However, it just won't get any easier for this team. Outside of Crookston, this team is in the middle of a REALLY tough stretch. It's Augustana's homecoming this week...and I really think the Wolves will be running into a buzz saw when they head to Sioux Falls.
13. Upper Iowa 0-5 (0-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. Winona State 42-14
LG - L @ Bemidji State 51-12
UG - vs. UM-Crookston (1-4)
Note - Ahem...THE PEACOCKS ARE BAD!!! Phew, now that I got that out of my system, let's discuss why they are bad. This looks like a team that has had their fighting spirit whipped right out of them. A couple weeks ago, they played WSU really tough for one half and then got whipped in the second half. Coming into Bemidji, they looked like they had nothing left. Don't get me wrong, the Beavers are a really good football team but they were down 38-0 in the second half before finally scoring and they were down 51-6 when they scored a garbage time TD at the end of regulation. It really looks like the Peacocks have settled for mediocrity. Although, what's funny is they actually might be playing a winnable game this week. They host the UM-Crookston Golden Eagles in what might be the only game Upper Iowa wins all season. Overall, this game is what I'll like to call...the last place game.
14. UM-Crookston 1-4 (0-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. MSU-Moorhead 48-18
LG - L @ Mary 48-0
UG - @ Upper Iowa (0-5)
Note - Okay, there is bad and then there's DISGUSTINGLY bad. UM-Crookston belongs in that category. The last two weeks, they've played bottom feeding teams in the NSIC and lost by 30 and 48. These aren't exactly your "UM-Duluth"'s or "Augustana"'s...these are bad football teams they are losing to...and for God's sake, somebody get Josh Perea an ice pack! How does a QB go 11-for-20 for 71 yards and 3 interceptions and all three of those interceptions gets run back for a touchdown? What's hilarious is UM-Crookston's offense and special teams gave up more points than their defense...in a 48-0 loss, that's a bad thing. That's a testament to a bad football team. Who knows? Maybe this team will turn things around and get their first conference victory in Fayette? I highly doubt it...I don't think even a team as bad as Upper Iowa can lose to UM-Crookston...if they do, they'll be snapping defeat from the jaws of victory.
PG - W vs. Bemidji State 44-21
LG - W @ MSU-Moorhead 56-7
UG - vs. Winona State (4-1)
Note - I've said it before and I'll say it again...the Bulldogs look like national championship contenders. Then again, I'd expect a team like UM-Duluth to bury MSU-Moorhead. The more I see Issac Odim play, the more I think he has talent to play professionally this weekend against the Dragons, he rushed 11 times for 169 yards with 4 TDs and also caught 3 passes for 68 yards and a TD. That's 237 all-purpose yards. Let me put that in perspective for you. Every time Odim touched the ball, he averaged 16.9 yards and scored touchdowns on 1/3 of all his touches. Those are impressive numbers to say the least...even if they came against MSU-Moorhead. This week, those numbers could be harder to get as the Bulldogs will get another big test on their home field. This week, they host the Winona State Warriors, who are coming off a big win at home against MSU-Mankato. This will be a statement game for both teams.
2. #15 Augustana 5-0 (4-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. SW Minnesota State 53-21
LG - W @ Concordia-St. Paul 22-16
UG - vs. Northern State (0-5)
Note - If we learned two things about the Vikings this past weekend. For one, we learned that they aren't unbeatable and secondly, we learned just how important Tyler Schulte is to this team. Hanson, who has been one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NSIC coming into this game, went 10-of-26 for 119 yards and a TD. It's not like Concordia-St. Paul has a phenomenal secondary. Although, if there is something positive to take out of the weekend, it's that Joe Clark had a bounce back game after having a disappointing start to the season. He rushed 22 times for 132 yards and 2 TDs. I'm not sure how much stock we can put into that considering the Golden Bears gave up 217 yards rushing the week before to MSU-Mankato. The bad news for Augie is it is likely Schulte will miss one more game...the good news is that game is at home against Northern State.
3. St. Cloud State 4-1 (4-0 NSIC) (-)
PG - W vs. U-Mary 30-14
LG - W @ Northern State 42-10
UG - @ MSU-Mankato (3-2)
Note - What I find ironic about St. Cloud State is Klaphake isn't putting up the monster numbers like he did through the first two weeks but I am actually more impressed in the way he is running the offense. He only rushed twice last week but gained 23 yards on those two carries. Even though he's throwing the ball less, he still completed 14-of-19 passes for 218 yards and 4 TDs, including 1 rushing TD. Granted, most of it went to Fred Williams as he caught 9 of those passes for 170 yards and caught all four TDs. I'd say if there's anything St. Cloud might need to improve on, it would be spreading the ball around but hey, you keep throwing to the guy that gets open. We'll see if the other receivers step up when Williams gets shut down...if he ever gets shut down. This week, the Huskies draw a big game. They are going to Mankato to take on a team that's lost 2 straight games going into their homecoming. Considering it is a must win for MSU-Mankato, it might actually be a tough game for the Huskies.
4. Winona State 4-1 (3-1 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Upper Iowa 42-14
LG - W vs. #25 MSU-Mankato 43-21
UG - @ #2 UM-Duluth (5-0)
Note - Remember what I said last week about the Warriors being very good in all three aspects of the game while MSU-Mankato was good in only one? Well, we might need to change our perspective on this one. WSU outgained MSU 507-272, showing off their offense and defensive abilities. The WSU special teams was also much sharper. Curtis Dewberry had his second punt return for a TD this season, while average 28.2 YPR. Thomas Kinney also banged through three of his FG attempts, including one from 40 yards. What does this all mean? It means that the Warriors are a very good football team in all three aspects of the game and they are hoping to keep that confidence when they go to play one of the toughest teams the program has ever faced. UM-Duluth hasn't won a game by less than 23 points this year. Could WSU spring the upset? It's doubtful but where there's a will there's a way. A win in Duluth in itself would make WSU's season.
5. Wayne State 4-1 (3-1 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ Northern State 42-20
LG - W @ SW Minnesota State 38-20
UG - @ U-Mary (1-4)
Note - Who needs QBs like Cyle Schultz when you've got gamers like Frederic Bruno? Bruno caught 3 TD passes and took a 91 yard kickoff return for a TD in a big 38-20 victory over SW Minnesota State. This wasn't the prettiest game for the Wildcats. Quarterback Evan Johnson also had a solid performance, completing 16-of-20 passes for 193 yards and 2 TDs, while rushing 24 times for 78 yards. Right now, it seems as though Wayne State is a very good football team but not great like they were with Cyle Schultz. I'm sure Wayne is hoping they get him back soon because after this Mary game, four of their five remaining games are against tough opponents. This week, they draw Mary and even though Mary might not be a great opponent, they can't afford to sleep on a team coming off a confidence-boosting win.
6. Bemidji State 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L @ #2 UM-Duluth 44-21
LG - W vs. Upper Iowa 51-12
UG - @ Concordia-St. Paul (3-2)
Note - I had a tough call this week between Bemidji State and Concordia-St. Paul for #6 this week. Even though CSP lost, they played really tough against Augie but something that sold me on Bemidji State was they buried Upper Iowa early. They led by as much as 38 in the 3rd quarter before Upper Iowa got their first score. It was one of those rare games where the Peacocks played better in the 2nd half than the 1st half...although, you could say Bemidji State "called off the dogs" after they gathered a 38 point lead. That and Upper Iowa got their last score at the end of regulation...call it a garbage time score with no impact on the game whatsoever. Bemidji State crammed the ball down the Peacocks throat, rushing for 281 yards...amazing that no rusher had more than 88 yards rushing...now that's balance. This week, Bemidji State travels to the Twin Cities to take on Concordia-St. Paul. Needless to say, I think this will be the best game of the week with the victor taking claim of the 6th best team in the NSIC. It's not really something to be that proud of but considering how good the NSIC is, it's not a bad thing.
7. Concordia-St. Paul 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (-1)
PG - W @ #11 MSU-Mankato 28-26
LG - L vs. #20 Augustana 22-16
UG - vs. Bemidji State (3-2)
Note - As funny as it might sound, I thought the Golden Bears played better this past weekend against Augustana than they did at MSU-Mankato. However, a loss is still a loss no matter how you hash it. I think you need to give a lot of credit to the Golden Bears' defense for keeping Concordia-St. Paul in that game. Augie could've blown the doors wide open in that 4th quarter but the defense held them to three field goals. To think, if Augustana scored 3 TDs on those drives, the score would've been more like 34-13. Either way, Concordia-St. Paul gets one more big home test to prove that they deserve to be in the upper half of the conference when they host Bemidji State. Considering how even these two teams are, I think it will be a battle. To the victor go the spoils...if #6 in the NSIC is a spoil...
8. MSU-Mankato 3-2 (2-2 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. Concordia-St. Paul 28-26
LG - L @ Winona State 43-21
UG - vs. St. Cloud State (4-1)
Note - Isn't it amazing at what a difference a change in schedule makes? After the first three weeks, the only real tough game the Mavericks had was against Northern Michigan and even then, they were a 2 point conversion away from losing that game. After two weeks of easy opponents, they hit the meat of their schedule with Concordia-St. Paul and Winona State. Both teams were able to dispatch them and Winona State proved just how overrated MSU-Mankato really was. I know it sort of makes it sound like I'm saying MSU-Mankato is a bad football team. They're not but they're not worthy of being in the top half of the league. I said earlier that MSU-Mankato needs to win at least 2 out of the 5 games against the "beef" of the NSIC (UMD, Augie, SCSU, WSU, WSC). Well, they are off to an 0-1 start and with the way St. Cloud State is playing right now, I don't know if I see them losing to MSU-Mankato...even if it is their homecoming.
9. SW Minnesota State 2-3 (1-3 NSIC) (-)
PG - L @ #23 Augustana 53-21
LG - L vs. Wayne State 38-20
UG - vs. MSU-Moorhead (2-3)
Note - The losing streak continues for the Mustangs as they have now dropped three consecutive games. Granted, I don't think we can really fault a team of this caliber for losing three straight. Bemidji State, Augustana and Wayne State are hardly cupcakes for any team. The good news for the Mustangs is they get a little bit of a break when they host MSU-Moorhead. This is actually a matchup of comparable teams, granted, I think SMSU has a better shot of winning this one. For the Mustangs sake, I hope they do win it because 3 of their last 5 are on the road and the two home games are against Winona State and Concordia-St. Paul...yikes!
10. MSU-Moorhead 2-3 (2-2 NSIC) (-)
PG - W @ UM-Crookston 48-18
LG - L vs. #2 UM-Duluth 56-7
UG - @ SW Minnesota State (2-3)
Note - What a stark contrast between games. They first played UM-Crookston, who is perhaps one of the worst football teams in Division II and they follow it up with a home game against perhaps the best team in Division II with UM-Duluth. The results followed. They destroyed UM-Crookston and that rushing defense got exposed again against UM-Duluth, giving up 389 yards rushing. Right now, MSU-Moorhead is a tough team to grade because they are either getting beat up by great football teams or they are beating horrible or comparable teams. Well, this weekend should be a good eye test for MSU-Moorhead to see what they are. They go to Marshall to take on a team with the exact same record. The only difference is SMSU's wins are against better opponents than MSU-Moorhead's.
11. U-Mary 1-4 (1-3 NSIC) (+1)
PG - L @ St. Cloud State 30-14
LG - W vs. UM-Crookston 48-0
UG - vs. Wayne State (4-1)
Note - Uh oh, don't look now but it really looks like the Mary Marauders are starting to get their swagger back. They played pretty tough two weeks ago against St. Cloud State and they followed it up with a HUGE effort against UM-Crookston. I know Crookston is bad but even a 48-0 victory against Crookston is impressive. Don't get me wrong, Mary's offense was far from impressive in that game...but who needs offense when you have three interceptions returned for TDs and a blocked punt recovered for a TD? That's 27 points right there (missed extra point)! The Marauders were also glad to see Jamal Lomax back on the field although his time was limited. He only carried the ball 11 times for 48 yards and a TD. Granted, I'm sure Mary decided to keep him on the sidelines after getting a 27-0 first quarter lead. This week should be far different as Mary prepares for some stiff competition when Wayne State comes to town.
12. Northern State 0-5 (0-4 NSIC) (-1)
PG - L @ Wayne State 44-20
LG - L vs. St. Cloud State 42-10
UG - @ # 15 Augustana (5-0)
Note - If I'm not mistaken, I said that with every week, Northern State loses by a bigger margin. Well, that trend continued this week. After losing by 24 at Wayne State, they got beat by 32 at home to St. Cloud State. It would be safe to say that trend could continue as they travel to Augustana this week. I really feel bad for Northern State because they played some tough football games this year and a few of which it seemed like they could have won. However, it just won't get any easier for this team. Outside of Crookston, this team is in the middle of a REALLY tough stretch. It's Augustana's homecoming this week...and I really think the Wolves will be running into a buzz saw when they head to Sioux Falls.
13. Upper Iowa 0-5 (0-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. Winona State 42-14
LG - L @ Bemidji State 51-12
UG - vs. UM-Crookston (1-4)
Note - Ahem...THE PEACOCKS ARE BAD!!! Phew, now that I got that out of my system, let's discuss why they are bad. This looks like a team that has had their fighting spirit whipped right out of them. A couple weeks ago, they played WSU really tough for one half and then got whipped in the second half. Coming into Bemidji, they looked like they had nothing left. Don't get me wrong, the Beavers are a really good football team but they were down 38-0 in the second half before finally scoring and they were down 51-6 when they scored a garbage time TD at the end of regulation. It really looks like the Peacocks have settled for mediocrity. Although, what's funny is they actually might be playing a winnable game this week. They host the UM-Crookston Golden Eagles in what might be the only game Upper Iowa wins all season. Overall, this game is what I'll like to call...the last place game.
14. UM-Crookston 1-4 (0-4 NSIC) (-)
PG - L vs. MSU-Moorhead 48-18
LG - L @ Mary 48-0
UG - @ Upper Iowa (0-5)
Note - Okay, there is bad and then there's DISGUSTINGLY bad. UM-Crookston belongs in that category. The last two weeks, they've played bottom feeding teams in the NSIC and lost by 30 and 48. These aren't exactly your "UM-Duluth"'s or "Augustana"'s...these are bad football teams they are losing to...and for God's sake, somebody get Josh Perea an ice pack! How does a QB go 11-for-20 for 71 yards and 3 interceptions and all three of those interceptions gets run back for a touchdown? What's hilarious is UM-Crookston's offense and special teams gave up more points than their defense...in a 48-0 loss, that's a bad thing. That's a testament to a bad football team. Who knows? Maybe this team will turn things around and get their first conference victory in Fayette? I highly doubt it...I don't think even a team as bad as Upper Iowa can lose to UM-Crookston...if they do, they'll be snapping defeat from the jaws of victory.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Toucanbird's Week 6 Preview
Now that we are nearing the halfway point in the season, we're starting to get a grasp of who's who in the NSIC. With that being said, let's preview each game in the NSIC and see how it pans out.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
#20 Augustana (4-0, 3-0 NSIC) @ Concordia-St. Paul (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) 12:00 p.m.
If you look at this Augustana football team, they have shown that they are a tough, resilient football team. They started off the season with two big time victories at home against St. Cloud State and a shut out victory in Bemidji. They are battle tested and you can bet that they'll be ready to go on the road to take on a greatly improved Concordia-St. Paul football team. This team has been impressive with sophomore quarterback Josh Hanson under center. Through the first four games, Hanson has lit up defenses, completing 83-of-130 passes for 1300 yards, 12 TDs and only 1 interception. Of course, with a wide receiver like Tyler Schulte, who wouldn't put up numbers like that? Schulte has caught 26 passes for 615 yards and 10 TDs. If there is a downside to Augie so far, it is that they haven't quite been able to establish the run game. Last year, running back Joe Clark rushed for 1020 yards on 202 carries with 10 TDs...averaging 5.0 YPC. This year, Clark has carried the ball 54 times for 189 yards and 3 TDs...only averaging 3.5 YPC. Perhaps the cat is out of the bag...or perhaps Clark will break out in this game against the Golden Bears. Concordia-St. Paul is 3rd to last in the NSIC in rush defense, giving up 181 yards per game on the ground. Despite Concordia-St. Paul's woes on defense, the offense has carried them and already matched the number of wins they had all of last year. While not putting up monster numbers, junior quarterback Spencer Ohm has been efficient, completing 75-of-123 passes for 907 yards with 9 TDs and 3 picks. He'll have his hands full on Saturday when he takes on one of the best defenses in the NSIC. How will this game pan out? Even though Concordia-St. Paul is on Cloud 9 after getting a huge win on the road, Augustana is on a whole new level. They will not beat themselves and I foresee the Vikings going into Seafoam Stadium and coming away with a 17 point win. Final Score prediction...Augustana 31 Concordia-St. Paul 14
Upper Iowa (0-4, 0-3 NSIC) @ Bemidji State (2-2, 1-2 NSIC) 1:00 p.m.
I don't think anyone can doubt Bemidji State had a pretty tough start to the season. Taking on UM-Duluth and Augustana twice in three weeks is no easy task. However, the Beavers can rejoice that they finally get a fairly easy home test against the Peacocks from Fayette, Iowa. Upper Iowa has certainly had an underachieving season, going 4-0 to start out the year. Of course, you can also say Upper Iowa has had just as tough a stretch as the Beavers, playing Texas A&M-Commerce, UM-Duluth and Winona State in three of their first four games. However, the biggest difference with Upper Iowa is their inability to make second half adjustments has hurt them badly. In their four games this season, they've been outscored 96-10. Somebody let the Peacocks know that there are two halves to football because I'm seeing the Upper Iowa logo on the side of milk cartons lately with how they seem to go missing after halftime. At any rate, this is a game where Bemidji State can look at how they played in the 4th quarter against UM-Duluth and bring that confidence against the Peacocks. Bemidji State only lost by 23 in Duluth...which might not sound good, but considering the Bulldogs have beaten top 25 competition by 25+ is something to be happy about. My prediction? The Peacocks do what they've done all season. They'll play tough, only going into halftime down by 7-10, but they'll come out in the second half and Bemidji State's defense will shut them down. Bemidji State 28 Upper Iowa 7.
#2 UM-Duluth (4-0, 3-0 NSIC) @ MSU-Moorhead (2-2, 2-1 NSIC)
Watch out Bulldogs, the Dragons are on a two game winning streak...eh, not really. MSU-Moorhead has a record that would make anyone laugh because despite them being 2-2, this is probably the best record they'll have all season. They are coming off back-to-back wins against Upper Iowa and UM-Crookston, which is nothing to brag about. In that win over Upper Iowa, the Peacocks almost outgained the Dragons 2-to-1 on offense. The difference in that game was special teams and turnovers. MSU-Moorhead played well against the Golden Eagles but that shouldn't be a surprise. Everyone plays well against UM-Crookston. The question is, how do the Dragons match up against the Bulldogs? The answer is...not very well. If you look at the Dragons two losses against quality opponents (Missouri Southern and Winona State), they gave up 313 yards and 259 yards on the ground. Considering they are facing one of the best rushing attacks in D2 led by all-American running back Issac Odim, I'd say the odds are against the Dragons. I can forsee Issac Odim having a big day on the ground...even if that day only lasts two or three quarters. I foresee him rushing for 200 yards and 4 TDs. My prediction? Who wins in a fight between a bulldog and a dragon? Well, considering that dragon is Mushu from Mulan, I'm putting my money on the Bulldogs. UM-Duluth 64 MSU-Moorhead 10
UM-Crookston (1-3, 0-3 NSIC) vs. U-Mary (0-4, 0-3 NSIC) 1:00 p.m.
This might be the least interesting matchup in the NSIC this week...unless you're interested in finding out who the worst team in the NSIC is. Then I'd say it's the most interesting game of the week. Here's all you need to know...UM-Crookston since starting conference play has been outscored 158-27. Mary on the other hand has played tough but seem to just not have enough spark on offense with Jamal Lomax being out on apart of injury. He's only played in one of Mary's four games and that was in a 21-14 loss to SW Minnesota State, a game that they had a chance to win. Considering that both teams have two of the worst scoring defenses in the NSIC, this could be a high scoring game. All I will say is high scoring doesn't necessarily mean "exciting". How do I see this game? I see Mary getting their first win of the season on their home field. At least it should give Mary fans something to be excited about. Mary 42 UM-Crookston 27
St. Cloud State (3-1, 3-0 NSIC) @ Northern State (0-4, 0-3 NSIC)
Northern State might be the best 0-4 football team I've seen in a long time. They've lost 3 of their 4 games by 10 points or less this season. However, Northern State is slowly heading in the wrong direction. Since the beginning of the season, they've lost by 4, 7, 10 and 24. What's ironic about this is the competition keeps getting tougher. SW Minnesota State, MSU-Mankato, Concordia-St. Paul and Wayne State. They take on St. Cloud State this weekend and then they play Augustana. If it weren't for UM-Crookston screwing up the schedule, they'd play UM-Duluth after Augustana. I just find that a little ironic. Overall, I just don't see Northern State, despite being at home, being able to compete with a team like the Huskies. Freshman QB Philip Klaphake has been impressive this season. He's completed 63-of-98 passes for 937 yards, 8 TDs and only 1 interception. What's impressed me most about Klaphake is his ability to run the football the last few weeks. The first few weeks, he showed off his arm, but the last two weeks, he's rushed 14 times for 75 yards and a TD vs. Winona State and 10 carries for 56 yards and 2 TDs against Mary. If he can be a multi-dimensional quarterback, that will only help in the long run because it seems like in the last few weeks that defenses have been concentrating on shutting down the St. Cloud State passing game. It has certainly helped the Huskies running game, that's for sure. Overall, I thought Northern State was a decent football team but seeing this trend they have, I just don't think they'll be able to compete in this one. They might be able to keep it close for a while but they just don't have the weapons to hang with the Huskies. St. Cloud State 38 Northern State 17.
#25 MSU-Mankato (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) @ Winona State (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) 6:00 p.m.
I think even Mavericks fans can admit that so far, their season has been a disappointment. The offensive line and special teams have just been a mess for the Mavericks. Of course, I'm sure they can relate some of these problems to the QB situation. Pachan has been roughed up a bit and missed the last 3 weeks due to injury and the Mavericks have asked a freshman quarterback in Will Brogan to step up in his place. The defense has played very well. They lead the NSIC in scoring defense at 12.8 PPG, but defense can only take you so far. In order to be a great football team, you need a great defense, an efficient offense and a solid special teams unit. The Mavericks only have 1 of the 3 right now. When the punter is essentially the MVP of the team, that doesn't bode well for the Mavericks. The team they are facing this weekend is solid in all three aspects. Winona State is 2nd in scoring offense at 37.5 PPG, has the 4th best scoring defense at 17.2 PPG and has the top punt return unit in the NSIC at 21.8 yards per return. While WSU does have an average kicking game with Kinney being 3-of-6 on FG and 19-of-20 on PATs, he hasn't been nearly as bad as Brockshus, who is 0-of-6 on FG attempts and 12-of-13 on PATs. Like I said, I look at football as being a three-aspect game. Offense, defense and special teams. The Warriors are better in all three aspects and I foresee them coming out victors in a huge white-out night game. Winona State 28 MSU-Mankato 14
Wayne State (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) @ SW Minnesota State (2-2, 1-2 NSIC) 6:00 p.m.
Despite this being a night game, I don't expect it to be a great game. Wayne State is a lethal football team, who is certainly one of the best teams in the NSIC. If you throw out a tough 42-10 loss to UM-Duluth, Wayne State has outscored their opponents 136-43. This is including a 44-20 win without their starting quarterback Cyle Schultz. SW Minnesota State was a team that I put under the microscope after week 3. They started off the season 2-0 with unimpressive wins against Northern State and Mary. I said, we shall see in the next three weeks if this team is for real or if they are who we thought they were. Figures, they are who we thought they were. They lost by 16 at home to an under-performing Bemidji State team and they lost by 33 at Augustana. Now they take on Wayne State at home and I just don't see them being able to rally around starting quarterback Ryan Ratekin. He's a very good quarterback but it seems like there is a lack of talent surrounding him on offense and he is trying to overcompensate. I like to call it, Brett Favre 2005 syndrome. I don't think this bodes well for the Mustangs, even being at home under the lights. I see Wayne State winning big. Wayne State 45 SW Minnesota State 21
Saturday, October 2, 2010
#20 Augustana (4-0, 3-0 NSIC) @ Concordia-St. Paul (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) 12:00 p.m.
If you look at this Augustana football team, they have shown that they are a tough, resilient football team. They started off the season with two big time victories at home against St. Cloud State and a shut out victory in Bemidji. They are battle tested and you can bet that they'll be ready to go on the road to take on a greatly improved Concordia-St. Paul football team. This team has been impressive with sophomore quarterback Josh Hanson under center. Through the first four games, Hanson has lit up defenses, completing 83-of-130 passes for 1300 yards, 12 TDs and only 1 interception. Of course, with a wide receiver like Tyler Schulte, who wouldn't put up numbers like that? Schulte has caught 26 passes for 615 yards and 10 TDs. If there is a downside to Augie so far, it is that they haven't quite been able to establish the run game. Last year, running back Joe Clark rushed for 1020 yards on 202 carries with 10 TDs...averaging 5.0 YPC. This year, Clark has carried the ball 54 times for 189 yards and 3 TDs...only averaging 3.5 YPC. Perhaps the cat is out of the bag...or perhaps Clark will break out in this game against the Golden Bears. Concordia-St. Paul is 3rd to last in the NSIC in rush defense, giving up 181 yards per game on the ground. Despite Concordia-St. Paul's woes on defense, the offense has carried them and already matched the number of wins they had all of last year. While not putting up monster numbers, junior quarterback Spencer Ohm has been efficient, completing 75-of-123 passes for 907 yards with 9 TDs and 3 picks. He'll have his hands full on Saturday when he takes on one of the best defenses in the NSIC. How will this game pan out? Even though Concordia-St. Paul is on Cloud 9 after getting a huge win on the road, Augustana is on a whole new level. They will not beat themselves and I foresee the Vikings going into Seafoam Stadium and coming away with a 17 point win. Final Score prediction...Augustana 31 Concordia-St. Paul 14
Upper Iowa (0-4, 0-3 NSIC) @ Bemidji State (2-2, 1-2 NSIC) 1:00 p.m.
I don't think anyone can doubt Bemidji State had a pretty tough start to the season. Taking on UM-Duluth and Augustana twice in three weeks is no easy task. However, the Beavers can rejoice that they finally get a fairly easy home test against the Peacocks from Fayette, Iowa. Upper Iowa has certainly had an underachieving season, going 4-0 to start out the year. Of course, you can also say Upper Iowa has had just as tough a stretch as the Beavers, playing Texas A&M-Commerce, UM-Duluth and Winona State in three of their first four games. However, the biggest difference with Upper Iowa is their inability to make second half adjustments has hurt them badly. In their four games this season, they've been outscored 96-10. Somebody let the Peacocks know that there are two halves to football because I'm seeing the Upper Iowa logo on the side of milk cartons lately with how they seem to go missing after halftime. At any rate, this is a game where Bemidji State can look at how they played in the 4th quarter against UM-Duluth and bring that confidence against the Peacocks. Bemidji State only lost by 23 in Duluth...which might not sound good, but considering the Bulldogs have beaten top 25 competition by 25+ is something to be happy about. My prediction? The Peacocks do what they've done all season. They'll play tough, only going into halftime down by 7-10, but they'll come out in the second half and Bemidji State's defense will shut them down. Bemidji State 28 Upper Iowa 7.
#2 UM-Duluth (4-0, 3-0 NSIC) @ MSU-Moorhead (2-2, 2-1 NSIC)
Watch out Bulldogs, the Dragons are on a two game winning streak...eh, not really. MSU-Moorhead has a record that would make anyone laugh because despite them being 2-2, this is probably the best record they'll have all season. They are coming off back-to-back wins against Upper Iowa and UM-Crookston, which is nothing to brag about. In that win over Upper Iowa, the Peacocks almost outgained the Dragons 2-to-1 on offense. The difference in that game was special teams and turnovers. MSU-Moorhead played well against the Golden Eagles but that shouldn't be a surprise. Everyone plays well against UM-Crookston. The question is, how do the Dragons match up against the Bulldogs? The answer is...not very well. If you look at the Dragons two losses against quality opponents (Missouri Southern and Winona State), they gave up 313 yards and 259 yards on the ground. Considering they are facing one of the best rushing attacks in D2 led by all-American running back Issac Odim, I'd say the odds are against the Dragons. I can forsee Issac Odim having a big day on the ground...even if that day only lasts two or three quarters. I foresee him rushing for 200 yards and 4 TDs. My prediction? Who wins in a fight between a bulldog and a dragon? Well, considering that dragon is Mushu from Mulan, I'm putting my money on the Bulldogs. UM-Duluth 64 MSU-Moorhead 10
UM-Crookston (1-3, 0-3 NSIC) vs. U-Mary (0-4, 0-3 NSIC) 1:00 p.m.
This might be the least interesting matchup in the NSIC this week...unless you're interested in finding out who the worst team in the NSIC is. Then I'd say it's the most interesting game of the week. Here's all you need to know...UM-Crookston since starting conference play has been outscored 158-27. Mary on the other hand has played tough but seem to just not have enough spark on offense with Jamal Lomax being out on apart of injury. He's only played in one of Mary's four games and that was in a 21-14 loss to SW Minnesota State, a game that they had a chance to win. Considering that both teams have two of the worst scoring defenses in the NSIC, this could be a high scoring game. All I will say is high scoring doesn't necessarily mean "exciting". How do I see this game? I see Mary getting their first win of the season on their home field. At least it should give Mary fans something to be excited about. Mary 42 UM-Crookston 27
St. Cloud State (3-1, 3-0 NSIC) @ Northern State (0-4, 0-3 NSIC)
Northern State might be the best 0-4 football team I've seen in a long time. They've lost 3 of their 4 games by 10 points or less this season. However, Northern State is slowly heading in the wrong direction. Since the beginning of the season, they've lost by 4, 7, 10 and 24. What's ironic about this is the competition keeps getting tougher. SW Minnesota State, MSU-Mankato, Concordia-St. Paul and Wayne State. They take on St. Cloud State this weekend and then they play Augustana. If it weren't for UM-Crookston screwing up the schedule, they'd play UM-Duluth after Augustana. I just find that a little ironic. Overall, I just don't see Northern State, despite being at home, being able to compete with a team like the Huskies. Freshman QB Philip Klaphake has been impressive this season. He's completed 63-of-98 passes for 937 yards, 8 TDs and only 1 interception. What's impressed me most about Klaphake is his ability to run the football the last few weeks. The first few weeks, he showed off his arm, but the last two weeks, he's rushed 14 times for 75 yards and a TD vs. Winona State and 10 carries for 56 yards and 2 TDs against Mary. If he can be a multi-dimensional quarterback, that will only help in the long run because it seems like in the last few weeks that defenses have been concentrating on shutting down the St. Cloud State passing game. It has certainly helped the Huskies running game, that's for sure. Overall, I thought Northern State was a decent football team but seeing this trend they have, I just don't think they'll be able to compete in this one. They might be able to keep it close for a while but they just don't have the weapons to hang with the Huskies. St. Cloud State 38 Northern State 17.
#25 MSU-Mankato (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) @ Winona State (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) 6:00 p.m.
I think even Mavericks fans can admit that so far, their season has been a disappointment. The offensive line and special teams have just been a mess for the Mavericks. Of course, I'm sure they can relate some of these problems to the QB situation. Pachan has been roughed up a bit and missed the last 3 weeks due to injury and the Mavericks have asked a freshman quarterback in Will Brogan to step up in his place. The defense has played very well. They lead the NSIC in scoring defense at 12.8 PPG, but defense can only take you so far. In order to be a great football team, you need a great defense, an efficient offense and a solid special teams unit. The Mavericks only have 1 of the 3 right now. When the punter is essentially the MVP of the team, that doesn't bode well for the Mavericks. The team they are facing this weekend is solid in all three aspects. Winona State is 2nd in scoring offense at 37.5 PPG, has the 4th best scoring defense at 17.2 PPG and has the top punt return unit in the NSIC at 21.8 yards per return. While WSU does have an average kicking game with Kinney being 3-of-6 on FG and 19-of-20 on PATs, he hasn't been nearly as bad as Brockshus, who is 0-of-6 on FG attempts and 12-of-13 on PATs. Like I said, I look at football as being a three-aspect game. Offense, defense and special teams. The Warriors are better in all three aspects and I foresee them coming out victors in a huge white-out night game. Winona State 28 MSU-Mankato 14
Wayne State (3-1, 2-1 NSIC) @ SW Minnesota State (2-2, 1-2 NSIC) 6:00 p.m.
Despite this being a night game, I don't expect it to be a great game. Wayne State is a lethal football team, who is certainly one of the best teams in the NSIC. If you throw out a tough 42-10 loss to UM-Duluth, Wayne State has outscored their opponents 136-43. This is including a 44-20 win without their starting quarterback Cyle Schultz. SW Minnesota State was a team that I put under the microscope after week 3. They started off the season 2-0 with unimpressive wins against Northern State and Mary. I said, we shall see in the next three weeks if this team is for real or if they are who we thought they were. Figures, they are who we thought they were. They lost by 16 at home to an under-performing Bemidji State team and they lost by 33 at Augustana. Now they take on Wayne State at home and I just don't see them being able to rally around starting quarterback Ryan Ratekin. He's a very good quarterback but it seems like there is a lack of talent surrounding him on offense and he is trying to overcompensate. I like to call it, Brett Favre 2005 syndrome. I don't think this bodes well for the Mustangs, even being at home under the lights. I see Wayne State winning big. Wayne State 45 SW Minnesota State 21
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