Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - If Southeast Missouri State's struggling football program had accepted its spot in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll (tied for seventh) last season, the Redhawks would not have gone on to win their first title.
If Villanova had not gotten tripped up at Rhode Island, then the 2009 FCS champion Wildcats could have earned a share of the CAA Football title. And URI followers might not be singing the Rams' praises heading into the 2011 season.
A season often doesn't play out as planned because teams are a lot closer in talent on the field than we might think on paper. A favored team can flop because a slew of spoiler and upstart teams line up behind it.
There won't be many overwhelming favorites in the 14 FCS conferences this season, although Lehigh in the Patriot League, Jacksonville in the Pioneer Football League and Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference are the closest to them.
Dig a little deeper and some spoilers and upstarts are sitting there, ready to announce their secret come September.
Here's one for each FCS conference:
Big Sky: Defending FCS champion Eastern Washington and Montana State are the favorites. Sacramento State, seeking its first playoff appearance, is capable of making waves this season and could be nationally ranked. But if you want a true sleeper, take an extra long look at Portland State, which led the conference in rushing (203.3 ypg) and played hard for rookie head coach Nigel Burton last season. The Vikings (2-9, 1-7) must turn around some of the close losses to become a spoiler.
Big South: Liberty and Stony Brook are the favorites over last year's FCS playoff qualifier, Coastal Carolina. Gardner-Webb gets back standout linebacker Marty Patterson, who was the conference's 2010 preseason defensive player of the year, from a season-ending and severe hip injury during training camp. Ron Dickerson Jr. has come aboard, hoping to breathe energy into the team, after long-time head coach Steve Patton was let go following a 4-7 overall and 2-4 conference season.
CAA Football: William & Mary is the favorite, followed by Delaware and New Hampshire. Rhode Island (5-6, 4-4) built momentum last season by winning three of its final four games, including the upset of Villanova. The Rams, who are particularly tough at home, will feature quarterback Steve Probst as they seek their first winning season since 2001.
Great West: In a potentially balanced race, Cal Poly seems to rate as a slight favorite over defending champ Southern Utah and UC Davis. But how about South Dakota, with its offensive weapons, putting it all together? The Coyotes won at the University of Minnesota, then finished only 4-7 overall and 1-3 in conference play. Chris Ganious will run behind All-America left tackle Tom Compton.
Ivy: Penn and Harvard always seem to be the favorites; Take your pick for a breakthrough team: Brown, Yale or Dartmouth. We'll play it safe with Brown (6-4, 5-2), which could win the league title behind the return of fifth-year quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero from a broken wrist. Coach Phil Estes should have an explosive offense.
MEAC: Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State and Florida A&M headline the conference again. Hampton (6-5, 5-3) hopes to snap out of four straight mediocre seasons. With the MEAC expanding to 11 teams, the Pirates don't have South Carolina State on their schedule and play some of the weaker opponents toward the end of the season. Coach Donovan Rose's squad hopes to be in title contention at that point.
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa and North Dakota State are the favorites, but Indiana State will try to take the next step in their turnaround under coach Trent Miles. They had won only two of their previous 62 games heading into last season, then came out of nowhere to go 6-5 last season. Quarterback Ronnie Fouch, breakaway running back Shakir Bell and junior defensive end Ben Obaseki are among the 17 returning starters.
NEC: Central Connecticut State and Robert Morris were the conference's top teams last season. Albany, which slumped to 6-5 overall and 4-4 in conference games, won its final three games behind redshirt freshman quarterback Buddy Leathley. Bob Ford is the FCS's longest-tenured head coach - entering his 42nd season at Albany - and knows he has a solid team.
Ohio Valley Conference: Jacksonville State is the favorite, with Eastern Kentucky and Southeast Missouri State giving chase. Murray State (6-5, 5-3) is coming off its first winning season since 2004 and second-year coach Chris Hatcher has the spread offense humming behind quarterback Casey Brockman and running back Mike Harris.
Patriot: It's hard to find a possible champion behind Lehigh and Nate Eachus- led Colgate, but Holy Cross (6-5, 3-2) might play the spoiler for one of the two. The Crusaders host Colgate, but have to visit Lehigh, the defending champion. Returning quarterback Ryan Taggert works behind big left tackle Mike McCabe, while senior linebacker Ricky Otis led the league in tackles last season.
Pioneer: Although it will be tough to derail Jacksonville's offensive express, Morehead State (5-6, 4-4) has seasoned skill position players, led by quarterback Zach Lewis, and defensive linemen, and should factor into the title race. The Eagles return seven players who earned a form of All-PFL honors.
Southern: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Wofford form the top trio for any conference this season - all likely Top 10 teams. Chattanooga wants to crash the party after going 6-5 in each of the last two seasons for its first back-to-back winning records since 1990 and '91. Quarterback B.J. Coleman is the real deal, but the first half of the schedule, including games at Nebraska, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, and a home game against Jacksonville State, might take too big of a toll on the Mocs.
Southland: It's a wide-open race and Stephen F. Austin figures to be voted the favorite in the conference's preseason poll. Don't overlook Sam Houston State (6-5, 4-3), whose three conference losses last season were by a combined 11 points. Kansas State transfer Tim Flanders joined the team in August just before the season opener and went on to lead the conference in rushing yards (948) and rushing touchdowns (13).
SWAC: After the conference's offseason of head coaching defections and APR penalties, defending champion Texas Southern remains the favorite over Grambling State's storied program. Arkansas-Pine Bluff gets last year's SWAC finalists, Alabama State and Texas Southern, as well as Grambling State at home. Can the Golden Lions do something with it?
FCS Independent: Texas State (4-7) has a brutally tough road schedule, including visits to FBS members Texas Tech and Wyoming to open the season, but the Bobcats would love to leave the Southland Conference by beating some of their rivals (they aren't eligible for the conference title). Former New Mexico, TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione has returned for his second tour in San Marcos.
In the Beginning
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
In the FCS Huddle: Ten games that will shape the FCS season
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - So much changes during the course of the FCS season that it's dangerous for people to look too far down any team's schedule and say, "Win here, loss here...," and believe they have everything figured out.
For instance, did anybody have Bethune-Cookman winning 10 straight games to start last season? Did anybody foresee Georgia Southern reaching the FCS semifinals? Did anybody leave Montana out of the playoffs?
Of course, there are staples on the schedule that everybody can feel comfortable in saying will shape the regular season.
Following are 10 such games for the 2011 FCS season:
South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 10) - Last season, these two teams provided the MEAC with two FCS playoff participants for the first time since 2003. Neither one can afford to give the other the upper hand in its first conference game of the season, but the loser will.
Montana State at Eastern Washington (Sept. 24) - The defending FCS champion Eagles have not lost since they were routed at Montana State last September. MSU's DeNarius McGhee versus EWU's Bo Levi Mitchell is one of the quarterback duels of the season.
Appalachian State at Wofford (Oct. 1) - Wofford earned a share of the Southern Conference title last season with App State, which has won the crown six years in a row. With a home game, Terriers fullback Eric Breitenstein, defensive back Ameet Pall and a veteran team believe they can topple quarterback DeAndre Presley and the Mountaineers.
Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas (Oct. 1) - A lot of Southland Conference teams are claiming title contention now that SFA has to reload without quarterback Jeremy Moses, the 2010 Walter Payton Award (sponsored by Fathead.com) winner. The Lumberjacks hope to make a statement on Central Arkansas' new purple and gray turf.
William & Mary at Delaware (Oct. 8) - Last year's meeting of the eventual CAA Football co-champs was decided by one point (William & Mary won, 17-16). William & Mary has designs on going where the Blue Hens went last season - the FCS championship game.
Georgia Southern at Appalachian State (Oct. 29) - It would be surprising if GSU isn't unbeaten heading into this SoCon showdown. The Mountaineers love their home-field advantage at The Rock and want to avenge last year's overtime loss at GSU.
Northern Iowa at North Dakota State (Oct. 29) - The intensity of this Missouri Valley Football Conference collision might make the Fargodome roof come off. Is Northern Iowa's two rushing threats (Tirrell Rennie and Carlos Anderson) better than the Bison's one (D.J. McNorton)?
Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State (Nov. 5) - JSU's poor ending to last season (8-0 start, 1-3 finish) started with EKU's 49-37 upset last November. Don't think head coach Jack Crowe will let the Gamecocks forget about it.
Liberty at Stony Brook (Nov. 19) - It's now or never for Liberty's senior class that desperately wants to make the FCS playoffs. Stony Brook beat the Flames on Long Island two years ago and has the talent to deny them the Big South's automatic bid.
Montana at Montana State (Nov. 19) - That the Brawl in the Wild decides bragging rights in Montana carries as much weight as the Big Sky title and FCS playoff implications. But make no mistake, the visiting Grizzlies don't want to miss the playoffs again.
For instance, did anybody have Bethune-Cookman winning 10 straight games to start last season? Did anybody foresee Georgia Southern reaching the FCS semifinals? Did anybody leave Montana out of the playoffs?
Of course, there are staples on the schedule that everybody can feel comfortable in saying will shape the regular season.
Following are 10 such games for the 2011 FCS season:
South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 10) - Last season, these two teams provided the MEAC with two FCS playoff participants for the first time since 2003. Neither one can afford to give the other the upper hand in its first conference game of the season, but the loser will.
Montana State at Eastern Washington (Sept. 24) - The defending FCS champion Eagles have not lost since they were routed at Montana State last September. MSU's DeNarius McGhee versus EWU's Bo Levi Mitchell is one of the quarterback duels of the season.
Appalachian State at Wofford (Oct. 1) - Wofford earned a share of the Southern Conference title last season with App State, which has won the crown six years in a row. With a home game, Terriers fullback Eric Breitenstein, defensive back Ameet Pall and a veteran team believe they can topple quarterback DeAndre Presley and the Mountaineers.
Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas (Oct. 1) - A lot of Southland Conference teams are claiming title contention now that SFA has to reload without quarterback Jeremy Moses, the 2010 Walter Payton Award (sponsored by Fathead.com) winner. The Lumberjacks hope to make a statement on Central Arkansas' new purple and gray turf.
William & Mary at Delaware (Oct. 8) - Last year's meeting of the eventual CAA Football co-champs was decided by one point (William & Mary won, 17-16). William & Mary has designs on going where the Blue Hens went last season - the FCS championship game.
Georgia Southern at Appalachian State (Oct. 29) - It would be surprising if GSU isn't unbeaten heading into this SoCon showdown. The Mountaineers love their home-field advantage at The Rock and want to avenge last year's overtime loss at GSU.
Northern Iowa at North Dakota State (Oct. 29) - The intensity of this Missouri Valley Football Conference collision might make the Fargodome roof come off. Is Northern Iowa's two rushing threats (Tirrell Rennie and Carlos Anderson) better than the Bison's one (D.J. McNorton)?
Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State (Nov. 5) - JSU's poor ending to last season (8-0 start, 1-3 finish) started with EKU's 49-37 upset last November. Don't think head coach Jack Crowe will let the Gamecocks forget about it.
Liberty at Stony Brook (Nov. 19) - It's now or never for Liberty's senior class that desperately wants to make the FCS playoffs. Stony Brook beat the Flames on Long Island two years ago and has the talent to deny them the Big South's automatic bid.
Montana at Montana State (Nov. 19) - That the Brawl in the Wild decides bragging rights in Montana carries as much weight as the Big Sky title and FCS playoff implications. But make no mistake, the visiting Grizzlies don't want to miss the playoffs again.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
UNI to rely on Q-C trio
Leadership provided by three Quad-City area defenders is helping prepare a veteran Northern Iowa football team for the upcoming season.
"A year ago, we were just looking for guys we could line up at every position. This year, with 18 returning starters, we're looking for growth, and those guys are helping lead the way," Panthers coach Mark Farley said Monday before teeing off in Northern Iowa's 10th annual Quad-Cities Golf Outing.
"The expectation is that they will help us play at another level. They tasted competition last year. They experienced a playoff game. There is a lot for us to build on."
Farley expects to build around a defensive group which returns end Ben Boothby of Clinton, linebacker Shawn Gerard of North Scott and defensive back Garrett Scott of Bettendorf.
Preparing for his senior season, Boothby was named by The Sports Network to a preseason list as one of the top 10 defensive linemen nationally in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision after leading UNI with 91/2 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss last season.
Gerard is a senior starter who recorded 27 tackles last season while Scott had 46 tackles a year ago and is assuming a greater role in the Panthers' secondary as he prepares for his junior season.
"This summer is huge for our football team," Farley said. "What the guys accomplish over the next seven weeks will dictate what type of season we can have. It starts with leadership, and Boothby, Scott and Gerard are guys who have been around. They will make us a better football team."
UNI returns 10 starters on defense, a collection of talent complemented by an offense that has eight lineup regulars back, including dual-threat quarterback Tirrell Rennie.
Despite youth a year ago, the Panthers finished a 7-5 season with a 14-7 loss to Lehigh in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.
Boothby helped UNI's defense set an aggressive tone from the start.
Farley knew that the 6-foot, 280-pounder could play the line, but he's been pleasantly surprised by the intangibles the academic all-American has brought to the team.
"We knew he could take on a double team and be a good defensive lineman, but he's shown an ability to take over a game, change the course of what an offense wants to do," Farley said. "He's got that orneriness about him that the really good ones have."
Boothby brings that attitude on a daily basis.
"He never seems to wear out," Farley said. "He plays as hard on a Monday as he does in the fourth quarter on Saturday. That type of effort and commitment rubs off on the rest of our guys."
Scott, the son of former Bettendorf coach Randy Scott, is one of those guys.
"He's made himself into a football player," Farley said. "He plays smart, uses his intelligence. He's going to be a real key to our defense, running our secondary, and I feel like it is in good hands. You can tell he's a coach's kid who has been around the game. He has that savvy about him and you need guys like that to get to the next level. Those guys are working now to lead us there."
"A year ago, we were just looking for guys we could line up at every position. This year, with 18 returning starters, we're looking for growth, and those guys are helping lead the way," Panthers coach Mark Farley said Monday before teeing off in Northern Iowa's 10th annual Quad-Cities Golf Outing.
"The expectation is that they will help us play at another level. They tasted competition last year. They experienced a playoff game. There is a lot for us to build on."
Farley expects to build around a defensive group which returns end Ben Boothby of Clinton, linebacker Shawn Gerard of North Scott and defensive back Garrett Scott of Bettendorf.
Preparing for his senior season, Boothby was named by The Sports Network to a preseason list as one of the top 10 defensive linemen nationally in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision after leading UNI with 91/2 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss last season.
Gerard is a senior starter who recorded 27 tackles last season while Scott had 46 tackles a year ago and is assuming a greater role in the Panthers' secondary as he prepares for his junior season.
"This summer is huge for our football team," Farley said. "What the guys accomplish over the next seven weeks will dictate what type of season we can have. It starts with leadership, and Boothby, Scott and Gerard are guys who have been around. They will make us a better football team."
UNI returns 10 starters on defense, a collection of talent complemented by an offense that has eight lineup regulars back, including dual-threat quarterback Tirrell Rennie.
Despite youth a year ago, the Panthers finished a 7-5 season with a 14-7 loss to Lehigh in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.
Boothby helped UNI's defense set an aggressive tone from the start.
Farley knew that the 6-foot, 280-pounder could play the line, but he's been pleasantly surprised by the intangibles the academic all-American has brought to the team.
"We knew he could take on a double team and be a good defensive lineman, but he's shown an ability to take over a game, change the course of what an offense wants to do," Farley said. "He's got that orneriness about him that the really good ones have."
Boothby brings that attitude on a daily basis.
"He never seems to wear out," Farley said. "He plays as hard on a Monday as he does in the fourth quarter on Saturday. That type of effort and commitment rubs off on the rest of our guys."
Scott, the son of former Bettendorf coach Randy Scott, is one of those guys.
"He's made himself into a football player," Farley said. "He plays smart, uses his intelligence. He's going to be a real key to our defense, running our secondary, and I feel like it is in good hands. You can tell he's a coach's kid who has been around the game. He has that savvy about him and you need guys like that to get to the next level. Those guys are working now to lead us there."
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
KWWL-TV was awarded first place
KWWL-TV was awarded first place by the Iowa Broadcast News Association in the Sports Play-by-Play category for the University of Northern Iowa vs. Illinois State football game.
The game was broadcast live on the Panther Sports Network via KWWL on Oct. 23, 2010, in the UNI-Dome.
"This is a great honor for the entire crew of our production team," Panther Sports Properties General Manager Chris Andrews said. "The tireless hours they spend and the quality of work they do has finally been noticed by their peers. I look forward to working with our crew and partners to make these broadcast a quality production for Panther fans to enjoy throughout the upcoming season."
Iowa Broadcast News Association (IBNA)
IBNA is a nonprofit corporation of radio-TV news directors, reporters, producers, public relations professionals and others from Iowa and its adjacent states, working together to improve electronic media news for stations and the public.
The game was broadcast live on the Panther Sports Network via KWWL on Oct. 23, 2010, in the UNI-Dome.
"This is a great honor for the entire crew of our production team," Panther Sports Properties General Manager Chris Andrews said. "The tireless hours they spend and the quality of work they do has finally been noticed by their peers. I look forward to working with our crew and partners to make these broadcast a quality production for Panther fans to enjoy throughout the upcoming season."
Iowa Broadcast News Association (IBNA)
IBNA is a nonprofit corporation of radio-TV news directors, reporters, producers, public relations professionals and others from Iowa and its adjacent states, working together to improve electronic media news for stations and the public.
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