Top Game Previews for Friday and Saturday 12/19 and 12/20
All 4 of my predictions for this weeks games can be found on the Football Gazette website [use link on the right side to get there] and then click on Don's predictions.
NCAA III Championship Game
Saint John’s MN (13-0) over Mount Union (13-0). This game will be televised by ESPN2 at 11 am EST 12/20. Saint John's University legendary head coach John Gagliardi is in his 55th season as a collegiate head football coach and 51st season as head coach in Collegeville during the 2003 season. The winningest coach all-time in college football history, Gagliardi (Guh-lahr-dee) currently owns a 413-114-11 (.778) collegiate career record and a 389-108-10 (.776) record at SJU, as of Dec. 13, 2003. Gagliardi tied the all-time collegiate record, held by former Grambling State head coach Eddie Robinson, on Nov. 1 with a 15-12 win over St. Thomas, and broke the all-time record on Nov. 8 with a 29-26 win over Bethel. St. John’s University is the winningest Football Program All-Time in NCAA Division III History with a 507-213-24 (.696) Record in 93 Seasons. Larry Kehres (Care-Us), in his 18th year at the helm of the Purple Raider football fortunes, has built one of the most successful programs in all of college football. His teams have won 14 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships ('86, '90, '92-'03) while posting 12 undefeated regular seasons ('86, '90, '92, '93, '95-'03). Under Kehres, the Raiders have won seven Division III National Championships in the last 10 years ('93, '96, ''97, '98, '00, & '01, '02). Since 1990, the Raiders have made 14 playoff appearances while posting college football's most wins and best winning percentage (175-7-1/.959). During the last 12 regular seasons, his teams have posted a phenomenal 109-1 overall mark. For his efforts, Kehres (205-17-3/.918) at Mount Union) has been named the AFCA Division III National Coach of the Year seven times ('93, '96, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02) - voted on by the American Football Coaches Association. Can Saint John’s and John Gagliardi add to their football legacies? Saint John’s is having an historic year, and to be able to pull-off a victory in the Stagg Bowl would be the coup de grace for a magnificent 2003 season. Of course, reality has a way of nudging it’s process into your mind-set, and so reason awakens the facts as they persist and let you know that Mount Union is a football dynasty and is currently riding the longest winning streak in college football history, which currently stands at 55, and the Purple Raiders have won 109 of their last 110 games. Well, so much for that, but, hey, I’ve heard the saying that “any given Saturday”, if you know what I mean! Saint John’s offense is driven by their meticulous senior quarterback (#7) Ryan Keating who has completed 270-of-396 passes (68.2 pct.) for 3,080 yards and 30 touchdowns. His favorite target is the 2003 Gagliardi Trophy WINNER (awarded to the most outstanding player in D-III), senior wide receiver (#2) Blake Elliott. The enterprising Mr. Elliott has caught 112 passes for 1,268 yards with 13 score, and has 49 rushes for 476 yards and four more touchdowns while the amazingly versatile player has also returned 23 punts for an average of 9.7 yards per return and is averaging 22.8 yards on 26 kickoff returns. Junior (#18) Lee Clintsman has 48 catches for 717 yards and eight scores, while senior (#39) Jed Riegelman has pulled in 18 tosses for 253 yards and two TDs. Heading the ground attack is sophomore (#27) Jake Theis with 145 carries for 793 yards and seven scores while also catching 29 passes for 218 yards and one TD. Senior (#32) Josh Nelson has 142 carries for 722 yards and eight touchdowns and has caught 39 passes for 483 yards and seven more TDs. Junior place kicker (#1) Brandon Keller has connected on 10-of-12 field goal tries with a long of 42 yards. The Johnnies defensive line has a pair of standouts with sophomore (#97) Damian Dumonceaux checking in with 72 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, including seven sacks, and five pass breakups, while senior (#19) Jeremy Hood registers 68 hits, 19 behind the line, including 13 sacks and five pass deflections. Leading the tackle chart is freshman linebacker (#8) Jamie Steffensmeier with 115 stops, 11.5 for losses, including five sacks, two interceptions, six pass deflections and one forced fumble. Also, two more players with very good stats at their linebacker positions are (#37) Cameron McCambridge with 108 tackles, 8.5 for losses, three interceptions and the pass blocks, while junior (#33) Paul Gans has 93 hits, six interceptions, including one returned for a score and seven pass breakups. Senior defensive back (#6) Cole Deibele has 58 tackles, four interceptions, returning one for a TD and six pass deflections, while fellow DB (15) Jeremy Goltz has 52 stops, five interceptions and four pass blocks. Mount Union rotates their quarterbacks. Most often in at the QB position is junior (#08) Zac Bruney who has completed 142-of-222 passes (63.9 pct.) for 2,411 yards and 28 touchdowns and has rushed for 336 yards and three scores. Bruney’s backup at QB is senior (#12) Jesse Burghardt with 75-of-104 (72.1 pct.) pass completions for 1,362 yards and 18 scores and has rushed for 229 yards and two TDs. Heading the receiving corps is senior (#82) Randall Knapp with 68 receptions for 1,459 yards and 16 touchdowns. Senior (#25) Nick Siranni has pulled in 44 passes for 892 yards and 13 TDs, while senior (#46) Brian Miller has 25 catches for 288 yards and four scores. Junior tight end (#86) Drew Hanley has covered 20 passes for 323 yards and five touchdowns. The Purple Raiders’ draw some of their defensive strength from their leading tackler, senior linebacker (#44) Shaun Spisak with 114 tackles, six for negative yardage and two pass blocks. Senior linebacker (#28) Anthony Frate has made 54 hits, 15 for losses, including three sacks, two interceptions, returning one for a score, three pass blocks and one blocked kick. Senior defensive end (#99) Johnny Josef has 40 stops, 14 behind the line, including eight sacks, five pass deflections and nine QB hurries. Senior defensive tackle (#91) Antoine Dillard has 73 hits, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks and eight QB hurries. Senior free safety (#16) Matt Caponi has 62 tackles, five interceptions, including one for a TD and 11 pass blocks, while senior cornerback (#13) Mike Miller has tripped-up 53, including 46 solo tackles, one interception, 10 pass breakups and three blocked kicks while he also has returned 12 kickoffs for a 23.8 average per return. MY OBSERVATIONS: This should be a no-brainer, but St. John’s is not just any program having a great season, they have won national titles before and are headed by their coach of 55 years John Gagliardi. So I have to give the Johnnies a chance to complete their championship quest in what has already become a remarkable year. I’m almost certain that Mount Union will want the ball first if they get the choice … they want to score as soon as possible to start sewing doubt in the Johnnies' players minds. So I feel it is important for St. John’s to get on the board first. It really is not an enviable position to be in if you have to play catch-up with Mount Union. Both teams will do plenty of passing which will leave it up to who’s defenders have the best coverage. PLAYERS TO WATCH: For St. John’s, Elliott is a game-breaker, He is exceptionally talented at what he does and will be able to get open for a reception, that is if Keating’s offensive line can stop the Raiders’ long enough for a completion. Nelson is also a double threat, capable of long gainers on the ground or via a reception. Steffensmeier, Dumonceaux and McCambridge will be a source of concern for the Raiders QB’s. Gans, Deibele and Goltz are very adept at defensing against the pass. For Mount Union, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Burghardt start the game at quarterback instead of Bruney, but regardless, they will go for the long ball and try to score early. Knapp will be very tough to cover and will be the favorite target for the MUC quarterbacks. Spisak is one tough critter and will cause havoc for the Johnnies running backs, while Dillard and Josef will be putting constant pressure on Keating. Caponi is always a major threat to pick off or block a pass attempt. Gagliardi and I have corresponded for over 20 years with each other, and I know what this great Christian man is capable of, so I am going to go against the grain and take St. John’s in a squeaker, 24-21.
NAIA Championship Game
Carroll MT(14-0) over Northwestern Oklahoma State (11-1). (This game will be live on CSTV starting at 1 pm est). Mike Van Diest is in his fifth season as the Fighting Saints head coach and defensive coordinator. The Saints have posted a 50-14 record during this time. This includes an 33-7 Frontier Conference record for a winning percentage of .83. The Fighting Saints have earned three straight Final 4 appearances in the NAIA National Playoffs. In 2002 the Saints were the NAIA National Champions with a 28-7 victory over Georgetown, KY. Since he arrived in Alva, Garin Higgins has made an immediate impact. After becoming the head coach of the Rangers in 2000, Higgins has compiled a record of 42-6, one that rivals most around. He has led Northwestern to four NAIA playoff appearances, was national runner-up in 2000 and has been named Central States Football League Coach of the Year for the past four seasons. Higgins chooses no liking for defeat. "We are never fully pleased by going undefeated in a season," said Higgins. "Everyone’s goal around here is to win in the preseason and take the national championship trophy home." Both these schools have won NAIA football championships in recent years. Did you know that the all-time winningest coach in college football history, John Gagliardi, started his football coaching career at Carroll in 1949 and had a 6-1 record that first year. Gagliardi coached four years at Carroll with an overall record there of 24-7-1. Today he is coaching his St. John’s team against Mount Union in the D-III title game. I do feel that this game will be much closer than what a lot of people on my forum are predicting. Northwestern has a very strong and talented team. Carroll College is led by their young and very impressive sophomore quarterback (#16) Tyler Emmert who has completed 289-of-382 passes (76 pct.) for 3,815 yards and 35 touchdowns while also rushing for 306 yards and six scores. The Saints’ also have an extraordinary backup at quarterback for Emmert with senior (#7) Robb Latrielle. Last year when Emmert got injured in the first playoff game, Latrielle came in and guided the school to their first NAIA National football title and he was voted the MVP of the championship game. This season Latrielle has completed 56-of-70 passes (80.4 pct.) for 614 yards and five TDs while also rushing for 87 yards and two scores. Topping the receiving chart, and by a wide margin, is senior (#10) Mark Gallik with 96 catches for 1,716 yards and 16 touchdowns. Junior (#17) Kevin McCutcheon has pulled in 46 tosses for 582 yards and three TDs, while senior (#80) Zack Zawacki has 43 receptions for 519 yards and six scores. Senior (#11) Matt Garreffa has tucked in 30 passes for 437 yards and three touchdowns, while also averaging 7.2 yards per punt return. Carroll’s leading running back is junior (#33) D.J. Dearcorn with 191 rushes for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns and has 34 receptions for 412 yards and seven more scores. Freshman (#18) Jed Thomas comes on board with 105 carries for 525 yards and eight TDs. Senior linebacker (#44) Marcus Atkinson has a team-high 106 tackles, seven tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks and four pass breakups. Two other standouts at the linebacker position are, junior (#34) Mike Maddox with 79 hits, 15.5 for losses, including five sacks and seven pass deflections, while sophomore (#36) Gary Cooper chips in with 73 stops, six behind the line, two pass blocks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Senior defensive lineman (#46) Nate Chiavaro has 62 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 14.5 sacks. Sophomore strong safety (#1) A.J. Porrini has 59 hits, three tackles for loss, three interceptions and two pass breakups, while senior defensive back (#3) Brett Bermingham has 38 stops, four interceptions and 12 pass blocks. Northwestern Oklahoma State is led on offense by their very resourceful senior wide receiver (#8) Patrick Crayton with 142 carries for 1,247 yards and 13 touchdowns and he has gained 331 yards with four touchdowns on 15 receptions. Crayton is also the leading passer on the team, completing 114-of-195 pass attempts for 1,670 yards with 17 scores and he has returned 15 punts an average of 18.6 yards per return and 15 kickoffs for an average of 22.1 yards a return. Sophomore (#34) Mike Tyson has gained 414 yards and seven touchdowns on 80 carries, while junior (#33) Jeff Cooper has netted 410 yards and two TDs on 70 rushes. Freshman (#14) Boye Ayodele has 67 carries for 411 yards and five scores. Listed at quarterback is junior (#11) Chris Phillips who has completed 58-of-104 passes for 865 yards and 10 TDs. Senior receiver (#7) Sam Breeden has the team-high in receptions with 58 for 641 yards and five scores, while junior (#10) Sean Tesar has grabbed 25 tosses for 352 yards and two TDs. Senior (#3) Michael Salters has 54 receptions for 1,018 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also averaging 21.8 yards on nine punt returns and 25.5 yards on six kickoff returns. Zooming to the top of the tackle chart is junior linebacker (#2) Tavares Osley with 106 stops, 13.5 for negative yardage, three pass deflections, and returned his fumble recovery for a TD. One of the stalwarts on the defensive line is junior (#90) Anthony Harris with 33 tackles, 14 for losses, one interception and two pass blocks. The Rangers have several standouts patrolling the defensive backfield, including sophomore (#32) B.J. Taylor with 60 hits, four interceptions and four pass deflections, while senior (#28) C.J. Hollins has 47 stops, eight interceptions returning two for scores and nine pass breakups. Junior defensive back (#6) Arrie McPhee has 50 hits, 10 behind the line, five interceptions and three pass deflections, while freshman (#24) Corey Gilmore has 40 tackles, four interceptions and eight pass blocks. MY OBSERVATIONS: Carroll is aware that this will not be an easy game to win and I think they will in turn come out passing, trying to paste some points on the board in a hurry. The Rangers will most likely use Crayton almost exclusively in the early part of the game as a rusher and passer in hopes of confusing the Saints to see how they handle it. For the most part Carroll will stick with their passing attack and the Rangers will probably split the duty between passing and their ground assault. PLAYERS TO WATCH: For Carroll, Emmert has to be considered a big reason for their being in the national title game, and he is sneaky quick with his moves, and is very adept at rushing with the ball when he has to. Emmert and Gallik should be household names by the end of this game as you will hear their names called quite often throughout the afternoon. Dearcorn is another clever ball handler who can carry the ball with confidence as well as pull in a reception when the ball comes his way. Atkinson will zero in on the ball carriers with uncanny regularity. Maddox and Chiavaro will put plenty of pressure on Crayton. While Bermingham will make his presence known to the Rangers pass receivers. For Northwestern, Crayton is there theme. Crayton will be involved in almost every play on the offensive side of the ball. Carroll will need to find a way to contain Crayton somewhat. Salters is another major threat on offense and is very explosive on kickoff and punt returns. Osley and Harris will be a couple of tough hombres for a running back to elude. Hollins is extremely agile and will cause problems for Carroll’s receivers and could make the difference in the game should he come up with a big interception. Gilmore and McPhee are also quick and capable of picking off a pass. In the long run, I am determined that Carroll has more consistency and should prevail, 31-17.
NCAA 1-AA Championship Game
Delaware (14-1) over Colgate (15-0). Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler while serving as head coach at Rowan (formerly Glassboro State College) for nine seasons, developed a dynasty in small college football. Known as an outstanding offensive innovator, he is Rowan's all-time leader in coaching wins with a record of 88-21-1 and his winning percentage of .801 is fourth among all active coaches at that level of football. Keeler took his teams to the national semifinals in seven of his nine seasons and to the national championship game (Stagg Bowl) five times. He took his head coaching position after one season as an assistant coach at Amherst (Mass.) College and seven years as an assistant at Rowan, five of them as an offensive coordinator. After a 6-6 record at Delaware last year this his second year has brought a sparkling 13-1 season so far, including a victory over Navy. Dick Biddle is in his eighth season as head coach of the Raiders. He was named Colgate’s 29th head football coach in November of 1995 after serving as an assistant coach for a total of 10 years with the Raiders. This season, Colgate (15-0) captured its fourth Patriot League title under Biddle, and won seven or more games for the seventh straight season. Biddle became the first Colgate coach to be named a three-time winner of the Howard Hartman Award. It’s no surprise that Delaware has reached the finals, but Colgate is a completely different story. Colgate, which does not offer athletic scholarships, could do the unthinkable and win the 1-AA championship. How about that! And it is definitely not out of the question. Statistically these two schools stack up with almost identical numbers.Delaware is averaging 394.1 yards of total offense per game and Colgate 397.9. On defense, Delaware is allowing 312.8 yards total offense per game to their opponents and Colgate 299.1 yards total offense per game. Delaware’s crafty senior quarterback (#12) Andy Hall leads the way. Hall has completed 222-of-358 passes for 2,581 yards and 23 touchdowns while also gaining 674 yards and eight scores on 151 carries. Their ground assault features senior (#2) Germaine Bennett with 303 carries for 1,565 yards and 19 TDs. Also doing his part to help the ground forces is senior (#5) Antawn Jenkins with 158 carries for 643 yards and eight touchdowns. On the receiving end of the Blue Hens airborne attack is leading pass catcher sophomore (#6) David Boler with 54 catches for 625 yards and seven touchdowns. Also serving as recipients for the destination of Hall’s tosses is senior (#7) Brian Ingram with 47 catches for 580 yards and three scores, and sophomore (#8) Justin Long with 46 receptions for 504 yards and five TDs. Junior place kicker (#21) Brad Shushman has converted 17-of-24 field goal attempts with a long of 42 yards. Headlining the Delaware defense is junior linebacker (#58) Mondoe Davis with 103 stops, 6.5 for losses with four sacks, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles, while fellow linebacker, sophomore (#44) John Mulhern has 93 hits, 8.5 tackles for loss, one interception, five pass blocks and three fumble recoveries. The defensive line is maintained by senior (#96) Shawn Johnson with 73 tackles, 25.5 behind the line with 13 sacks, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles, while sophomore (#60) Tom Parks has 45 stops, 12.5 for losses, two pass deflections and two forced fumbles. In the defensive backfield for UD are senior (#24) Mike Adams with 60 tackles, four interceptions, five pass blocks and one blocked kick, while junior (#47) Sidney Haugabrook has 82 hits, two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, nine pass breakups and one blocked kick while also returns punts and kickoffs. Colgate is led by their shrewd junior quarterback (#1)Chris Brown who has thrown for 2,738 yards and 22 touchdowns, completing 214-of-374 passes attempted while also rushing for 463 yards and nine scores. Junior wide receiver (#4) Luke Graham has caught 73 passes for 1,108 yards and eight TDs, while senior tight end (#6) J.B. Gerald has pulled down 72 passes for 808 yards and seven scores, while also returning punts and kickoffs. Senior tight end (#82) John Frieser has caught 27 passes for 361 yards and four TDs. Heading UD’s ground attack is their powerful, bulldozing junior tailback (#25) Jamaal Branch with 430 carries for 2,271 yards and 29 touchdowns. Sophomore tailback (#29) Joe Pinion has 39 rushes for 217 yards. Senior place kicker (#45) Lane Schwarzberg is 10-for-13 on filed goal kicks with a long of 39 yards. The Raiders’ defense is headed by All-America candidate (#41) Tem Lukabu with 103 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, including five sacks, 10 pass deflections and three fumble recoveries. On the defensive line senior tackles (#55) Josh Sabo is persuasive with 48 hits, 13 for losses with four sacks and five pass breakups. Senior tackle (#90) Robert Hannah has 29 stops, 11.5 for negative yardage, including seven sacks. Colgate’s defensive backfield has several standouts including these notables. Senior strong safety (#2) Sean McCune with 89 tackles, three for losses, three interceptions and six pass deflections, while junior cornerback (#3) Brian Anderson has 57 stops, two sacks, three interceptions and five pass blocks. Sophomore cornerback (#36) Will Arnold has 49 tackles and 11 pass breakups. MY OBSERVATIONS: Wouldn’t it be amazing if Colgate pulls this out. My National Correspondent, Craig Burroughs, thinks they will, I also i think it is possible, but I’ve only got room to take one sentimental pick, and decided on St. John’s in D-III, although this game seems to be the more likely to have the upset happen. Well, despite my 76 percent prediction record for the year, all four games I have picked to win this week could be losers. First, over the long season, I’m determined that Delaware has had the tougher overall schedule, and with this being the 16th game for both schools, can Colgate still keep the wheels churning one more time. I don’t expect either team to get out to a commanding lead in this encounter, both teams are very talented. I think that Colgate will try to impress UD with their one-two punch of Brown and Branch doing their thing to control the game. Delaware I think will do more passing to try and break the game open early with a couple of scores. PLAYERS TO WATCH: For Delaware, Hall is quick and accurate and should be able to find his two fast moving targets in Boler and Ingram. Bennett, who is averaging over five-yards per carry will see yeoman duty in this game. On defense, Johnson is so fast off the line that he will create problems for Brown. Davis gets around on the field and is always a threat to sack the quarterback. The durable Haugabrook is very quick and will be looking to block or intercept a foreign pass. For Colgate, Brown makes things happen, and is very alert at grasping the immediate situation and quickly formulate a plan. Branch is interesting to watch, he is a bruising ball carrier that powers his way through would-be tacklers. Graham and Gerald are tough to cover and one of them will usually get open. Sabo, Lukabu and Hannah will be looking at Hall eyeball-to-eyeball most of the game, they are that good at getting through the offensive line. I still have to take Delaware, 27-17.
NCAA III Championship Game
Saint John’s MN (13-0) over Mount Union (13-0). This game will be televised by ESPN2 at 11 am EST 12/20. Saint John's University legendary head coach John Gagliardi is in his 55th season as a collegiate head football coach and 51st season as head coach in Collegeville during the 2003 season. The winningest coach all-time in college football history, Gagliardi (Guh-lahr-dee) currently owns a 413-114-11 (.778) collegiate career record and a 389-108-10 (.776) record at SJU, as of Dec. 13, 2003. Gagliardi tied the all-time collegiate record, held by former Grambling State head coach Eddie Robinson, on Nov. 1 with a 15-12 win over St. Thomas, and broke the all-time record on Nov. 8 with a 29-26 win over Bethel. St. John’s University is the winningest Football Program All-Time in NCAA Division III History with a 507-213-24 (.696) Record in 93 Seasons. Larry Kehres (Care-Us), in his 18th year at the helm of the Purple Raider football fortunes, has built one of the most successful programs in all of college football. His teams have won 14 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships ('86, '90, '92-'03) while posting 12 undefeated regular seasons ('86, '90, '92, '93, '95-'03). Under Kehres, the Raiders have won seven Division III National Championships in the last 10 years ('93, '96, ''97, '98, '00, & '01, '02). Since 1990, the Raiders have made 14 playoff appearances while posting college football's most wins and best winning percentage (175-7-1/.959). During the last 12 regular seasons, his teams have posted a phenomenal 109-1 overall mark. For his efforts, Kehres (205-17-3/.918) at Mount Union) has been named the AFCA Division III National Coach of the Year seven times ('93, '96, '97, '98, '00, '01, '02) - voted on by the American Football Coaches Association. Can Saint John’s and John Gagliardi add to their football legacies? Saint John’s is having an historic year, and to be able to pull-off a victory in the Stagg Bowl would be the coup de grace for a magnificent 2003 season. Of course, reality has a way of nudging it’s process into your mind-set, and so reason awakens the facts as they persist and let you know that Mount Union is a football dynasty and is currently riding the longest winning streak in college football history, which currently stands at 55, and the Purple Raiders have won 109 of their last 110 games. Well, so much for that, but, hey, I’ve heard the saying that “any given Saturday”, if you know what I mean! Saint John’s offense is driven by their meticulous senior quarterback (#7) Ryan Keating who has completed 270-of-396 passes (68.2 pct.) for 3,080 yards and 30 touchdowns. His favorite target is the 2003 Gagliardi Trophy WINNER (awarded to the most outstanding player in D-III), senior wide receiver (#2) Blake Elliott. The enterprising Mr. Elliott has caught 112 passes for 1,268 yards with 13 score, and has 49 rushes for 476 yards and four more touchdowns while the amazingly versatile player has also returned 23 punts for an average of 9.7 yards per return and is averaging 22.8 yards on 26 kickoff returns. Junior (#18) Lee Clintsman has 48 catches for 717 yards and eight scores, while senior (#39) Jed Riegelman has pulled in 18 tosses for 253 yards and two TDs. Heading the ground attack is sophomore (#27) Jake Theis with 145 carries for 793 yards and seven scores while also catching 29 passes for 218 yards and one TD. Senior (#32) Josh Nelson has 142 carries for 722 yards and eight touchdowns and has caught 39 passes for 483 yards and seven more TDs. Junior place kicker (#1) Brandon Keller has connected on 10-of-12 field goal tries with a long of 42 yards. The Johnnies defensive line has a pair of standouts with sophomore (#97) Damian Dumonceaux checking in with 72 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, including seven sacks, and five pass breakups, while senior (#19) Jeremy Hood registers 68 hits, 19 behind the line, including 13 sacks and five pass deflections. Leading the tackle chart is freshman linebacker (#8) Jamie Steffensmeier with 115 stops, 11.5 for losses, including five sacks, two interceptions, six pass deflections and one forced fumble. Also, two more players with very good stats at their linebacker positions are (#37) Cameron McCambridge with 108 tackles, 8.5 for losses, three interceptions and the pass blocks, while junior (#33) Paul Gans has 93 hits, six interceptions, including one returned for a score and seven pass breakups. Senior defensive back (#6) Cole Deibele has 58 tackles, four interceptions, returning one for a TD and six pass deflections, while fellow DB (15) Jeremy Goltz has 52 stops, five interceptions and four pass blocks. Mount Union rotates their quarterbacks. Most often in at the QB position is junior (#08) Zac Bruney who has completed 142-of-222 passes (63.9 pct.) for 2,411 yards and 28 touchdowns and has rushed for 336 yards and three scores. Bruney’s backup at QB is senior (#12) Jesse Burghardt with 75-of-104 (72.1 pct.) pass completions for 1,362 yards and 18 scores and has rushed for 229 yards and two TDs. Heading the receiving corps is senior (#82) Randall Knapp with 68 receptions for 1,459 yards and 16 touchdowns. Senior (#25) Nick Siranni has pulled in 44 passes for 892 yards and 13 TDs, while senior (#46) Brian Miller has 25 catches for 288 yards and four scores. Junior tight end (#86) Drew Hanley has covered 20 passes for 323 yards and five touchdowns. The Purple Raiders’ draw some of their defensive strength from their leading tackler, senior linebacker (#44) Shaun Spisak with 114 tackles, six for negative yardage and two pass blocks. Senior linebacker (#28) Anthony Frate has made 54 hits, 15 for losses, including three sacks, two interceptions, returning one for a score, three pass blocks and one blocked kick. Senior defensive end (#99) Johnny Josef has 40 stops, 14 behind the line, including eight sacks, five pass deflections and nine QB hurries. Senior defensive tackle (#91) Antoine Dillard has 73 hits, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks and eight QB hurries. Senior free safety (#16) Matt Caponi has 62 tackles, five interceptions, including one for a TD and 11 pass blocks, while senior cornerback (#13) Mike Miller has tripped-up 53, including 46 solo tackles, one interception, 10 pass breakups and three blocked kicks while he also has returned 12 kickoffs for a 23.8 average per return. MY OBSERVATIONS: This should be a no-brainer, but St. John’s is not just any program having a great season, they have won national titles before and are headed by their coach of 55 years John Gagliardi. So I have to give the Johnnies a chance to complete their championship quest in what has already become a remarkable year. I’m almost certain that Mount Union will want the ball first if they get the choice … they want to score as soon as possible to start sewing doubt in the Johnnies' players minds. So I feel it is important for St. John’s to get on the board first. It really is not an enviable position to be in if you have to play catch-up with Mount Union. Both teams will do plenty of passing which will leave it up to who’s defenders have the best coverage. PLAYERS TO WATCH: For St. John’s, Elliott is a game-breaker, He is exceptionally talented at what he does and will be able to get open for a reception, that is if Keating’s offensive line can stop the Raiders’ long enough for a completion. Nelson is also a double threat, capable of long gainers on the ground or via a reception. Steffensmeier, Dumonceaux and McCambridge will be a source of concern for the Raiders QB’s. Gans, Deibele and Goltz are very adept at defensing against the pass. For Mount Union, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Burghardt start the game at quarterback instead of Bruney, but regardless, they will go for the long ball and try to score early. Knapp will be very tough to cover and will be the favorite target for the MUC quarterbacks. Spisak is one tough critter and will cause havoc for the Johnnies running backs, while Dillard and Josef will be putting constant pressure on Keating. Caponi is always a major threat to pick off or block a pass attempt. Gagliardi and I have corresponded for over 20 years with each other, and I know what this great Christian man is capable of, so I am going to go against the grain and take St. John’s in a squeaker, 24-21.
NAIA Championship Game
Carroll MT(14-0) over Northwestern Oklahoma State (11-1). (This game will be live on CSTV starting at 1 pm est). Mike Van Diest is in his fifth season as the Fighting Saints head coach and defensive coordinator. The Saints have posted a 50-14 record during this time. This includes an 33-7 Frontier Conference record for a winning percentage of .83. The Fighting Saints have earned three straight Final 4 appearances in the NAIA National Playoffs. In 2002 the Saints were the NAIA National Champions with a 28-7 victory over Georgetown, KY. Since he arrived in Alva, Garin Higgins has made an immediate impact. After becoming the head coach of the Rangers in 2000, Higgins has compiled a record of 42-6, one that rivals most around. He has led Northwestern to four NAIA playoff appearances, was national runner-up in 2000 and has been named Central States Football League Coach of the Year for the past four seasons. Higgins chooses no liking for defeat. "We are never fully pleased by going undefeated in a season," said Higgins. "Everyone’s goal around here is to win in the preseason and take the national championship trophy home." Both these schools have won NAIA football championships in recent years. Did you know that the all-time winningest coach in college football history, John Gagliardi, started his football coaching career at Carroll in 1949 and had a 6-1 record that first year. Gagliardi coached four years at Carroll with an overall record there of 24-7-1. Today he is coaching his St. John’s team against Mount Union in the D-III title game. I do feel that this game will be much closer than what a lot of people on my forum are predicting. Northwestern has a very strong and talented team. Carroll College is led by their young and very impressive sophomore quarterback (#16) Tyler Emmert who has completed 289-of-382 passes (76 pct.) for 3,815 yards and 35 touchdowns while also rushing for 306 yards and six scores. The Saints’ also have an extraordinary backup at quarterback for Emmert with senior (#7) Robb Latrielle. Last year when Emmert got injured in the first playoff game, Latrielle came in and guided the school to their first NAIA National football title and he was voted the MVP of the championship game. This season Latrielle has completed 56-of-70 passes (80.4 pct.) for 614 yards and five TDs while also rushing for 87 yards and two scores. Topping the receiving chart, and by a wide margin, is senior (#10) Mark Gallik with 96 catches for 1,716 yards and 16 touchdowns. Junior (#17) Kevin McCutcheon has pulled in 46 tosses for 582 yards and three TDs, while senior (#80) Zack Zawacki has 43 receptions for 519 yards and six scores. Senior (#11) Matt Garreffa has tucked in 30 passes for 437 yards and three touchdowns, while also averaging 7.2 yards per punt return. Carroll’s leading running back is junior (#33) D.J. Dearcorn with 191 rushes for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns and has 34 receptions for 412 yards and seven more scores. Freshman (#18) Jed Thomas comes on board with 105 carries for 525 yards and eight TDs. Senior linebacker (#44) Marcus Atkinson has a team-high 106 tackles, seven tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks and four pass breakups. Two other standouts at the linebacker position are, junior (#34) Mike Maddox with 79 hits, 15.5 for losses, including five sacks and seven pass deflections, while sophomore (#36) Gary Cooper chips in with 73 stops, six behind the line, two pass blocks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Senior defensive lineman (#46) Nate Chiavaro has 62 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 14.5 sacks. Sophomore strong safety (#1) A.J. Porrini has 59 hits, three tackles for loss, three interceptions and two pass breakups, while senior defensive back (#3) Brett Bermingham has 38 stops, four interceptions and 12 pass blocks. Northwestern Oklahoma State is led on offense by their very resourceful senior wide receiver (#8) Patrick Crayton with 142 carries for 1,247 yards and 13 touchdowns and he has gained 331 yards with four touchdowns on 15 receptions. Crayton is also the leading passer on the team, completing 114-of-195 pass attempts for 1,670 yards with 17 scores and he has returned 15 punts an average of 18.6 yards per return and 15 kickoffs for an average of 22.1 yards a return. Sophomore (#34) Mike Tyson has gained 414 yards and seven touchdowns on 80 carries, while junior (#33) Jeff Cooper has netted 410 yards and two TDs on 70 rushes. Freshman (#14) Boye Ayodele has 67 carries for 411 yards and five scores. Listed at quarterback is junior (#11) Chris Phillips who has completed 58-of-104 passes for 865 yards and 10 TDs. Senior receiver (#7) Sam Breeden has the team-high in receptions with 58 for 641 yards and five scores, while junior (#10) Sean Tesar has grabbed 25 tosses for 352 yards and two TDs. Senior (#3) Michael Salters has 54 receptions for 1,018 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also averaging 21.8 yards on nine punt returns and 25.5 yards on six kickoff returns. Zooming to the top of the tackle chart is junior linebacker (#2) Tavares Osley with 106 stops, 13.5 for negative yardage, three pass deflections, and returned his fumble recovery for a TD. One of the stalwarts on the defensive line is junior (#90) Anthony Harris with 33 tackles, 14 for losses, one interception and two pass blocks. The Rangers have several standouts patrolling the defensive backfield, including sophomore (#32) B.J. Taylor with 60 hits, four interceptions and four pass deflections, while senior (#28) C.J. Hollins has 47 stops, eight interceptions returning two for scores and nine pass breakups. Junior defensive back (#6) Arrie McPhee has 50 hits, 10 behind the line, five interceptions and three pass deflections, while freshman (#24) Corey Gilmore has 40 tackles, four interceptions and eight pass blocks. MY OBSERVATIONS: Carroll is aware that this will not be an easy game to win and I think they will in turn come out passing, trying to paste some points on the board in a hurry. The Rangers will most likely use Crayton almost exclusively in the early part of the game as a rusher and passer in hopes of confusing the Saints to see how they handle it. For the most part Carroll will stick with their passing attack and the Rangers will probably split the duty between passing and their ground assault. PLAYERS TO WATCH: For Carroll, Emmert has to be considered a big reason for their being in the national title game, and he is sneaky quick with his moves, and is very adept at rushing with the ball when he has to. Emmert and Gallik should be household names by the end of this game as you will hear their names called quite often throughout the afternoon. Dearcorn is another clever ball handler who can carry the ball with confidence as well as pull in a reception when the ball comes his way. Atkinson will zero in on the ball carriers with uncanny regularity. Maddox and Chiavaro will put plenty of pressure on Crayton. While Bermingham will make his presence known to the Rangers pass receivers. For Northwestern, Crayton is there theme. Crayton will be involved in almost every play on the offensive side of the ball. Carroll will need to find a way to contain Crayton somewhat. Salters is another major threat on offense and is very explosive on kickoff and punt returns. Osley and Harris will be a couple of tough hombres for a running back to elude. Hollins is extremely agile and will cause problems for Carroll’s receivers and could make the difference in the game should he come up with a big interception. Gilmore and McPhee are also quick and capable of picking off a pass. In the long run, I am determined that Carroll has more consistency and should prevail, 31-17.
NCAA 1-AA Championship Game
Delaware (14-1) over Colgate (15-0). Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler while serving as head coach at Rowan (formerly Glassboro State College) for nine seasons, developed a dynasty in small college football. Known as an outstanding offensive innovator, he is Rowan's all-time leader in coaching wins with a record of 88-21-1 and his winning percentage of .801 is fourth among all active coaches at that level of football. Keeler took his teams to the national semifinals in seven of his nine seasons and to the national championship game (Stagg Bowl) five times. He took his head coaching position after one season as an assistant coach at Amherst (Mass.) College and seven years as an assistant at Rowan, five of them as an offensive coordinator. After a 6-6 record at Delaware last year this his second year has brought a sparkling 13-1 season so far, including a victory over Navy. Dick Biddle is in his eighth season as head coach of the Raiders. He was named Colgate’s 29th head football coach in November of 1995 after serving as an assistant coach for a total of 10 years with the Raiders. This season, Colgate (15-0) captured its fourth Patriot League title under Biddle, and won seven or more games for the seventh straight season. Biddle became the first Colgate coach to be named a three-time winner of the Howard Hartman Award. It’s no surprise that Delaware has reached the finals, but Colgate is a completely different story. Colgate, which does not offer athletic scholarships, could do the unthinkable and win the 1-AA championship. How about that! And it is definitely not out of the question. Statistically these two schools stack up with almost identical numbers.Delaware is averaging 394.1 yards of total offense per game and Colgate 397.9. On defense, Delaware is allowing 312.8 yards total offense per game to their opponents and Colgate 299.1 yards total offense per game. Delaware’s crafty senior quarterback (#12) Andy Hall leads the way. Hall has completed 222-of-358 passes for 2,581 yards and 23 touchdowns while also gaining 674 yards and eight scores on 151 carries. Their ground assault features senior (#2) Germaine Bennett with 303 carries for 1,565 yards and 19 TDs. Also doing his part to help the ground forces is senior (#5) Antawn Jenkins with 158 carries for 643 yards and eight touchdowns. On the receiving end of the Blue Hens airborne attack is leading pass catcher sophomore (#6) David Boler with 54 catches for 625 yards and seven touchdowns. Also serving as recipients for the destination of Hall’s tosses is senior (#7) Brian Ingram with 47 catches for 580 yards and three scores, and sophomore (#8) Justin Long with 46 receptions for 504 yards and five TDs. Junior place kicker (#21) Brad Shushman has converted 17-of-24 field goal attempts with a long of 42 yards. Headlining the Delaware defense is junior linebacker (#58) Mondoe Davis with 103 stops, 6.5 for losses with four sacks, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles, while fellow linebacker, sophomore (#44) John Mulhern has 93 hits, 8.5 tackles for loss, one interception, five pass blocks and three fumble recoveries. The defensive line is maintained by senior (#96) Shawn Johnson with 73 tackles, 25.5 behind the line with 13 sacks, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles, while sophomore (#60) Tom Parks has 45 stops, 12.5 for losses, two pass deflections and two forced fumbles. In the defensive backfield for UD are senior (#24) Mike Adams with 60 tackles, four interceptions, five pass blocks and one blocked kick, while junior (#47) Sidney Haugabrook has 82 hits, two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, nine pass breakups and one blocked kick while also returns punts and kickoffs. Colgate is led by their shrewd junior quarterback (#1)Chris Brown who has thrown for 2,738 yards and 22 touchdowns, completing 214-of-374 passes attempted while also rushing for 463 yards and nine scores. Junior wide receiver (#4) Luke Graham has caught 73 passes for 1,108 yards and eight TDs, while senior tight end (#6) J.B. Gerald has pulled down 72 passes for 808 yards and seven scores, while also returning punts and kickoffs. Senior tight end (#82) John Frieser has caught 27 passes for 361 yards and four TDs. Heading UD’s ground attack is their powerful, bulldozing junior tailback (#25) Jamaal Branch with 430 carries for 2,271 yards and 29 touchdowns. Sophomore tailback (#29) Joe Pinion has 39 rushes for 217 yards. Senior place kicker (#45) Lane Schwarzberg is 10-for-13 on filed goal kicks with a long of 39 yards. The Raiders’ defense is headed by All-America candidate (#41) Tem Lukabu with 103 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, including five sacks, 10 pass deflections and three fumble recoveries. On the defensive line senior tackles (#55) Josh Sabo is persuasive with 48 hits, 13 for losses with four sacks and five pass breakups. Senior tackle (#90) Robert Hannah has 29 stops, 11.5 for negative yardage, including seven sacks. Colgate’s defensive backfield has several standouts including these notables. Senior strong safety (#2) Sean McCune with 89 tackles, three for losses, three interceptions and six pass deflections, while junior cornerback (#3) Brian Anderson has 57 stops, two sacks, three interceptions and five pass blocks. Sophomore cornerback (#36) Will Arnold has 49 tackles and 11 pass breakups. MY OBSERVATIONS: Wouldn’t it be amazing if Colgate pulls this out. My National Correspondent, Craig Burroughs, thinks they will, I also i think it is possible, but I’ve only got room to take one sentimental pick, and decided on St. John’s in D-III, although this game seems to be the more likely to have the upset happen. Well, despite my 76 percent prediction record for the year, all four games I have picked to win this week could be losers. First, over the long season, I’m determined that Delaware has had the tougher overall schedule, and with this being the 16th game for both schools, can Colgate still keep the wheels churning one more time. I don’t expect either team to get out to a commanding lead in this encounter, both teams are very talented. I think that Colgate will try to impress UD with their one-two punch of Brown and Branch doing their thing to control the game. Delaware I think will do more passing to try and break the game open early with a couple of scores. PLAYERS TO WATCH: For Delaware, Hall is quick and accurate and should be able to find his two fast moving targets in Boler and Ingram. Bennett, who is averaging over five-yards per carry will see yeoman duty in this game. On defense, Johnson is so fast off the line that he will create problems for Brown. Davis gets around on the field and is always a threat to sack the quarterback. The durable Haugabrook is very quick and will be looking to block or intercept a foreign pass. For Colgate, Brown makes things happen, and is very alert at grasping the immediate situation and quickly formulate a plan. Branch is interesting to watch, he is a bruising ball carrier that powers his way through would-be tacklers. Graham and Gerald are tough to cover and one of them will usually get open. Sabo, Lukabu and Hannah will be looking at Hall eyeball-to-eyeball most of the game, they are that good at getting through the offensive line. I still have to take Delaware, 27-17.
posted by Don @ 12/19/2003 05:04:00 AM
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