http://www.d2messageboard.com/blog.php?19833-Chuck-Bitner Division 2 Message Board, D2 Football, DII, D-II en Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:53:36 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.d2messageboard.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.d2messageboard.com/blog.php?19833-Chuck-Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?844-Championship-Weekend-It’s-not-just-another-game Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:54:06 GMT This past weekend marked my fifth pilgrimage to Florence, Alabama for the Division II Football National Championship. It’s always a bit of a whirlwind for me because I travel by car instead of flying from Pennsylvania to Alabama. It’s about a 14 hour ride and most think I’m crazy for doing it (which I do not dispute) but driving affords me the opportunity to visit many other colleges and universities along the way and take self-guided tours of their football stadiums. That’s been a hobby of mine for several years. I have to alter the route a little bit each year and sometimes venture further out of the way to find new places, but it’s always fun. A few years ago I started taking my dad with me and now the annual trip has the added significance of quality father-son time. However, that also means that I’m committed to going every year because dad would be sorely disappointed if we didn’t make the trip!

Championship weekend is something I wish every avid D2 supporter could experience at least once. Anyone that has an affinity for D2 football would have a great time in Florence. If you’re curious about what the event is like, below is a recap of my experiences from this year…

We left home Thursday morning and stayed over night in Richmond, Kentucky which is a few hours past the half way point. It was a spectacular day for sight-seeing so on the way through West Virginia, we stopped at Fairmont State and West Virignia Wesleyan. The second leg of the trip kicked off early Friday morning. We watched the sun come up over Eastern Kentucky’s Roy Kidd Stadium before taking the country roads westbound. We made a brief stop at Lindsey Wilson College to see their gorgeous new facilities, and then pressed on to Bowling Green to make a stop at Western Kentucky’s L.T. Smith Stadium. There was no sign of Bobby P. but I did pick up some season tickets for WKU basketball from the 2009-2010 season that were being discarded. I don’t think they’ll do me much good though.

We arrived in Florence early in the afternoon. I had enough time to relax for a few hours before heading over to the Marriott Shoals convention center for the Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Hall Fame induction ceremony. The Shoals National Championship Committee (SNCC) puts on a wonderful evening at the Marriott, and anyone is welcome to attend. Tickets are $50, which includes an exceptional dinner and a unique evening of entertainment that you cannot get anywhere else.

Before the program begins, the Harlon Hill finalists and Hall of fame inductees are available to meet, take photos and sign memorabilia. A replica of the trophy is also on display if you want to take your picture with it. I got to spend a couple of minutes chatting with the three finalists and rib them about how their nerves were holding up. If you have a keen eye, you may also notice some familiar faces. Many of the national committee members are usually at the event, as well as coaches and representatives for the schools involved in the ceremony. This year I got to meet and speak with Bob Nielson of UMD and Waverly Tillar of Elizabeth City State. WSSU’s Connell Maynor was on hand briefly before taking his leave to return to his team. He chatted for several minutes with his new friend ‘Coach Mac’ from Shippensburg who was of course present in support of Zach Zulli. Perhaps the highlight of the evening for me was meeting legendary D2 coach Mel Tjeerdsma, formerly of Northwest Missouri State. Tjeerdsma is a three time national champion and a hall of famer.

After dinner, the program begins with the induction of the new Hall of Fame members. This year was very special for PSAC fans. In addition to having two of the top three finalists for the Harlon Hill, Former Kutztown and Denver Broncos great John Mobley was enshrined along with Tyrone Poole of Fort Valley State and numerous NFL franchises. I was fortunate to speak with both men and each was extremely gracious. Remember, these are players that have multiple Super Bowl championships among their career accomplishments, so to be as humble and appreciative as they were really legitimizes the hall of fame and Division II. It was an absolute pleasure to meet them and hear their acceptance speeches. Mobley got a big kick of out being presented with a Kutztown mini helmet to sign (I was definitely the only one in attendance with one of those).

Following the HOF inductions, attendees are treated to a film detailing the history of the Harlon Hill award and Harlon Hill himself. This is followed by introductions of the three finalists, including highlight reels for each. Finally, the winner is announced and the honoree makes his acceptance speech. Of course we all know that Zach Zulli was the 2012 winner and his speech was very well delivered with gratitude, pride and humility.

The Harlon Hill Ceremony is a very unique experience and if you are ever able to make it to Florence for the game, I encourage you to attend the banquet as well. If you have a genuine appreciation for Division II, you well get a lot out of it.

Saturday morning is game day, and you can feel it all around. If you stay anywhere in Florence, odds are that your hotel will be jammed with fans from both schools. This year I stayed at the Holiday Inn just a few miles from Braly Stadium and had breakfast in the hotel lobby with family members of VSU and WSSU players. I even got to chat for several minutes with coach David Dean’s mother and sister. Everyone was excited, eager, nervous and restless. This isn’t just another game day.

The streets around Braly Stadium are closed off for busses and tailgaters. Showing up early just to observe the sights and sounds is time well spent. The marching bands perform in the streets before making their way into the stadium. Students and alumni are working off nerves by indulging in their beverage of choice. The pregame ceremonies will get you jacked. Most years, the SNCC arranges for a military fly over. That did not happen this year but perhaps the weather forecast was the reason.

Then the teams line up for kickoff, and here is where I don’t have enough ability as a writer to describe what the atmosphere is like. The excitement level just explodes in those few moments between the coin toss and the kickoff. Everyone is just maxed out. The intensity kicks up several notches. Everyone is standing, cheering, howling, stomping on the aluminum bleachers..doing whatever they can think of to just be loud. Its really awesome and quite literally, hair raising.

For the second year in a row, the opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown. I was on the VSU side of the field when that happened, and the eruption was deafening. There may have been only 7,000 people there, but in that moment it seemed louder than any stadium I’ve been in. Louder than 110,000 Nittany Lion fans in Beaver Stadium. Even louder than 250,000 fans and 33 race cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which I’ve been fortunate enough to experience. Was it really that loud? No, but it sure seemed like it in the moment. That’s what a championship game of this magnitude brings out in people. It’s just that exciting and that emotional. It’s something every college football fan should experience at least once. It’s not just another game.

The game itself was not the most dramatic or entertaining that we’ve seen in recent years but it was still very competitive. I thought Winston-Salem State had the athletes to match up with Valdosta State. They just didn’t play their best football and failed to finish drives. Ultimately, VSU was the better team and a very deserving Champion. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of WSSU and if they make it back to Florence again soon, I think they’ll be better prepared and ready to execute.

When the game was over, of course the Valdosta State fans rushed the field, which is a neat thing to see (and if you’re really lucky, participate in as a fan of the winning team). Anyone can go down on the field after the game to congratulate the players of both teams. The VSU players were far beyond jubilation, as one might expect, but much to their credit a lot WSSU players stayed on the field to greet family and friends and show their appreciation for the support that carried them through a fantastic season.

As always, I found that after lingering for several minutes, I still didn’t want to leave. It’s a neat thing to be part of. In one whirlwind of a weekend, everything that makes Division II special is on display. Fans like us cannot go to the Heisman Trophy presentation. We can’t greet the finalists, shake their hands and take pictures with them. We can’t go to the championship game and meet the players, coaches and their families. We can’t go down on the field after the game to watch the trophy presentation and talk with the players (of BOTH teams). But you can do all of those things in Florence. You can really be part of the all the activities, including the game. You don’t have to be a student, fan or alumnus of either team to enjoy it and appreciate it. In fact, you might be able to enjoy it more since you won’t be a bundle of nerves!

My final thought and final message about the Championship weekend is this…every year, someone starts a discussion about the location of the championship game. There are those that feel it should be moved. Those people have no idea how much the SNCC and the town of Florence put into this event. I’m hardly an insider, but I’ve seen glimpses of enough behind the scenes things to know that the folks in Florence take this very seriously. A lot of people put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to host the championship and Harlon Hill banquet. Let’s also not forget that they created the Harlon Hill trophy and the D2 Hall of Fame. I’d be very surprised if you can find another host that will put as much into it as the SNCC does and do it was well, and as successfully as they do. After all, It's not just another game.

Until Spring Ball,

Chuck ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?844-Championship-Weekend-It’s-not-just-another-game http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?843-Shippensburg-s-Zach-Zulli-wins-Harlon-Hill-trophy Sat, 15 Dec 2012 04:07:11 GMT Shippensburg junior quarterback Zach Zulli won the 27th Harlon Hill trophy awarded this evening in a ceremony in Florence, Alabama. The trophy is... Shippensburg junior quarterback Zach Zulli won the 27th Harlon Hill trophy awarded this evening in a ceremony in Florence, Alabama. The trophy is awarded annually to the Division II player of the year. In his acceptance speech, Zulli humbly gave credit to his Shippensburg teammates, coaches, administrators, the Red Raider band, family, alumni and fans. His speech was very well thought out and delivered with class and professionalism.

Before speaking, Zulli acknowledged the other Finalists, Franklyn Quiteh and Michael Hill and prompted them to tell the story of how the three finalists "pranked" their hosts, who are notorious pranksters themselves. All three athletes represented themselves, their teams and Universities in the best possible way. All of their supporters can be very proud.

The PSAC was also well represented by former Kutztown great John Mobley who was inducted into the Division II Hall of Fame, along with Fort Valley State's Tyrone Poole.

As always, the Shoals National Championship Committee put on a wonderful evening for Division II football.

Now, it's time to get ready for some National Championship football!! ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?843-Shippensburg-s-Zach-Zulli-wins-Harlon-Hill-trophy http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?838-PSAC-Final-Rankings-and-Analysis Wed, 05 Dec 2012 21:23:57 GMT Here are my final rankings and analysis for all 16 members of the PSAC. I threw in my preseason ranking as well to see how close each team was to my... Here are my final rankings and analysis for all 16 members of the PSAC. I threw in my preseason ranking as well to see how close each team was to my projections at the start of the season. I also added a quick glimpse at 2013. Enjoy!

16. Cheyney (preseason ranking: 14)

Overall Record: 1-10
PSAC East Record: 0-7 (8th place)
Offensive MVP: QB Blaze Wasserleben
Defensive MVP: LB Isaiah Fleming

Accomplishments: Defeated rival Lincoln for the second straight year…Performed well against highly ranked Bloomsburg on homecoming weekend…Finished second in the PSAC in time of possession…Isaiah Fleming led the PSAC with 62 solo tackles.

Final Review: 2012 was a carbon copy of 2011 for the Wolves. They started the season by defeating Lincoln in the “Battle of the Firsts” but lost the remaining ten games. The lowest point of the season was falling to Lock Haven in week 11, ending the Bald Eagles losing streak. Amazingly, their best performance of the year was probably their homecoming game against Bloomsburg. Cheyney lost that game 27-13 but had a legitimate chance to win in the fourth quarter. The Wolves were the only team to go winless in the conference, making their last place ranking an easy choice.

Early projection for 2013: Much the same as the last two seasons. Two wins would be a pleasant surprise.

15. Lock Haven (preseason ranking: 16)

Overall Record: 1-10
PSAC West Record: 0-7 (8th place)
Offensive MVP: RB Brandon Brader
Defensive MVP: DT Skylar Wool

Accomplishments: Ended 52 game losing streak with a season-ending victory over Cheyney…Finished well in the stat sheets in total defense, rush defense and pass defense…Showed competitive form in several games…had the fewest penalties of any team in the PSAC (63).

Final Review: There are very few situations when 1-10 can be looked at as improvement, but that is the case for Lock Haven. The Bald Eagles entered the year with college football’s longest active losing streak, and it swelled all the way to 52 games before it finally ended in the last week of the season. Along the way, though, the Bald Eagles showed signs of competitiveness in several games and nearly upset Clarion and Gannon.

Early projections for 2013: There is still a very long way to go for this program, but for the first time in many years, there are reasons to be optimistic. The move to the Eastern division should be good for them (especially if they can get Seton Hill in a cross-over). LHU could finish as high as sixth in the division next year.

14. Millersville (preseason ranking: 15th)

Overall Record: 2-9
PSAC East Record: 1-6 (7th place)
Offensive MVP: QB Ted Stachitas
Defensive MVP: LB Pat Maloney

Accomplishments: Opened the season with a non-conference victory over West Virginia Wesleyan…Put up good offensive numbers against PSAC powers Bloomsburg and California…Led the conference in kickoff return average and kickoff return touchdowns.

Final Review: The Marauders were mostly uncompetitive this year, especially on defense. Millersville is one of the worst defensive teams in the country, which must be hard for Coach Colby to accept, given his coaching pedigree. The ‘Ville was dominated at the line of scrimmage in many games as well. Three different players showed promise at quarterback, but I think Connor Casey has the most potential.

Early Projection for 2013: The offense should be decent at times, but the defense has to make huge strides if this team wants to move up in the finishing order. Ted Stachitas is a great athlete that could contribute at any position. I’d like to see Casey get the nod at QB and Stachitas moved to another position. But then again, I’m just a blogger, not a coach.

13. LIU Post (preseason ranking: 7th)

Overall Record: 3-7
PSAC East Record: 2-5 (6th place)
Offensive MVP: QB Steven Laurino
Defensive MVP: LB Rob Bright

Accomplishments: Started the season 2-0 for the first time since 2006…Held Kutztown (the fifth highest scoring offense in Division II) to a season low 14 points and only 247 yards of offense…scored three touchdowns with three two-point conversions in the final 10 minutes against East Stroudsburg, rallying to within on score after trailing 45-13…

Final Review: The Pioneers dealt with a lot of injuries and some bad luck, but with the talent they had back, 3-7 was a big disappointment. They competed well in several of their losses, including Bloomsburg and Shippensburg, but the results just didn’t come. Defense was a problem all year, and key injuries on offense hurt them as the season went on.

Early Projection for 2013: The Pioneers’ associate membership in the PSAC has come to an end so we don’t yet know where they will be playing next year. Their best option within Division II would be a return to the Northeast 10 and it is believed that they have applied for membership. If accepted (and I think they will be) they should be competitive in 2013.

12. Gannon (preseason ranking: 11th)

Overall Record: 3-8
PSAC West Record: 1-6 (7th place)
Offensive MVP: WR Abraham Ocasio
Defensive MVP: DL Ian Jeffers

Accomplishments: Won two of the last three games after a 1-7 start, and came within one play of knocking IUP out of the conference championship game…Scored 35 points against IUP’s number 1 ranked defense. The next highest was 26 by California…Finished sixth in the PSAC in passing offense and first in pass defense…Had two receivers (Abraham Ocasio, Justin Caliste) with more than 60 catches.

Final Review: The passing game was productive all year, but the running game was non-existent and the turnovers were too frequent. Neither improved at all during the seven game losing streak, but the running game was better in the last few games. 3-8 was not what was expected, but the Golden Knights closed out the year with a good three week stretch that included the near upset of IUP.

Early Projections for 2013: The Golden Knights have some momentum heading into the off season and they have talent to work with. If Liam Nadler can cut down on the INTs and if the running game can be more consistent, they’ll be a lot closer to .500 next year.

11. Clarion (preseason ranking: 13th)

Overall Record: 4-7
PSAC West Record: 2-5 (6th place)
Offensive MVP: QB Ben Fiscus
Defensive MVP: DL Julian Howsare

Accomplishments: Tied Bloomsburg for first in the PSAC with 32 sacks…Passing offense was dramatically improved with 232 yards per game…Shut out non-conference rival Fairmont State in season opener…Marched 90 yards in 1:21 and defeated Lock Haven with a dramatic touchdown pass on the final play of the game, after time expired.

Final Review: With a lot of teams in the western division struggling at times, the Golden Eagles should have been in the fight for third or fourth place. Instead, they checked out in September and the only victory in the last six games was the miracle they pulled out at Lock Haven. This is not a team that lacks talent, so 2-5 in the division was a disappointment. The biggest positive was the development of their passing game, which was vastly improved and Ben Fiscus emerged as a complete quarterback.

Early Projections for 2013: PSAC West first team quarterback Ben Fiscus will be back to lead the offense. They should be over .500, but that could have been the case this year too.

10. Edinboro (preseason ranking: 9th)

Overall Record: 4-6
PSAC West Record: 3-4 (5th place)
Offensive MVP: QB Cody Harris
Defensive MVP: DB Kenny Pettis

Accomplishments: Cody Harris finished the season with the fourth most passing yards and second best completion percentage in the PSAC…Had six players with 20 or more receptions…Nine different players recorded interceptions…Kenny Pettis was one of only four players in the PSAC with more than 100 total tackles.

Final Review: The Fighting Scots seemed to be out manned at the line of scrimmage in most games, and it showed with a lack of rushing attack and way too many sacks. Cody Harris played well, and he had some productive receivers but the offense lacks a big play threat. Their underneath passing game was efficient, but not good enough to consistently threaten most defenses. They needed a running game and they needed to do better at stopping the run.

Early Projections for 2013: This is a proud program and a losing record won’t sit well with them, especially head coach Scott Browning. Line play was a weakness, but they’ll be more experienced heading into next year. Expect the Fighting Scots to rebound in 2013. An eleventh game would really help.

9. East Stroudsburg (preseason ranking: 12th)

Overall Record: 5-5
PSAC East Record: 4-3 (5th Place)
Offensive MVP: QB Matt Soltes
Defensive MVP: DL Bryan Tomson

Accomplishments: QB Matt Soltes was named PSAC East Freshman of the year...Lineman Bryan Tomson was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year…Offense finished third in the PSAC in scoring, second in total offense, and third in passing offense…Set PSAC records for team total offense in a single game (828 yards) and Individual total offense in a single game (Matt Soltes, 666 yards) in victory at LIU Post…Best yards per play average in the PSAC…28 touchdown passes tied for third most in the PSAC.

Final Review: 5-5 isn’t quite where they wanted to be but the Warriors were competitive in every game except Ship (which was the worst game of the year for many teams). They should have won the Clarion game, but made up for it by upsetting West Chester. The offense was productive and ran the ball better than we’ve seen in the past. Defense was still a liability.

Early Projections for 2013: Matt Soltes’ emergence at quarterback was a pleasure to watch and he will enter 2013 tabbed as one of the top quarterbacks in the PSAC. Three of the top four receivers return so Soltes shouldn’t miss a beat. If the defense can improve, the Warriors could be a lot higher in the pecking order a year from now.

8. Slippery Rock (preseason ranking: 6th)

Overall Record: 6-5
PSAC West Record: 5-2 (4th place)
Offensive MVP: QB Nigel Barksdale
Defensive MVP: DE Jeff Thompson

Accomplishments: Completed their fourth straight winning season…Won four of the last five games after a 2-4 start… Balanced offensive attack went over 2,000 yards rushing and passing – one of only three offenses in the PSAC to have done so…Defeated California for the second straight year with a 28-26 win over the #13 Vulcans…Led the conference in third down defense.

Final Review: At mid-season this team looked nothing like the squad that won the PSAC West the year before. In a mid-season turnaround, Nigel Barskdale provided a spark on offense and the defense came together to help ignite a four game winning streak. They nearly pulled off a great comeback in the closer against Bloomsburg as well. The loss to rival IUP was disappointing but upsetting Cal for the second straight year was a great result.

Early Projections for 2013: A lot of talent will return next season. There will be some holes to fill on defense, but the offense should be very productive. The Rock could contend for the PSAC West in 2013.

7. Kutztown (preseason ranking: 1st)

Overall Record: 7-4
PSAC East Record: 4-3 (4th place)
Offensive MVP: QB Kevin Morton
Defensive MVP: LB Zach Greenwald

Accomplishments: Completed third straight winning season and third straight season with at least seven victories…Won six of their last seven games after a 1-3 start…Had one of the best offenses in the country, finishing fifth in Division II in scoring, ninth in total offense and sixth in passing offense…Kevin Morton finished his career with 11,612 passing yards (third in PSAC history, 11th in Division II history)…Morton was named one of six regional finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy.

Final Review: A few years ago, 7-4 would have been considered a great record for Kutztown. But after the two best seasons in school history in 2010 and 2011, 7-4 was a bit of a let down for the Golden Bears. They entered the season as the nearly unanimous favorite to win the league, but the defense struggled from start to finish and early season injuries definitely played a big part in a couple of losses. After losing three straight, they were out of the PSAC and playoff races before they really started. The Bears rebounded well and showed their toughness by going 6-1 after the 1-3 start.

Early Projections for 2013: Kevin Morton’s absence for a game and a half was costly, but it gave the Golden Bears a glimpse at the future with Josh Luckenbaugh at quarterback. The sophomore-to-be showed lots of talent and composure when pressed into service. The Golden Bears offense will be in good hands next year and several other playmakers will return. The defense has to get better if the Bears want to get back to the top of the PSAC East.

6. California (preseason ranking: 2nd)

Overall Record: 8-3
PSAC West Record: 5-2 (3rd place)
Offensive MVP: WR Mike Williams
Defensive MVP: DB Rontez Miles

Accomplishments: Finished with at least eight wins for the eighth straight year…Rontez Miles was named PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year…Defeated IUP for the sixth straight season…Receiver Mike Williams led the PSAC in receptions per game…Started 2012 by defeating ranked opponents in the first two games of the season...B.J. Stevens set new school records for tackles for loss and sacks.

Final Review: It says a lot about the state of a program when 8-3 is considered a down year. The Vulcans started off the season wonderfully by surviving a brutal four game opening stretch with a perfect record. They lost at home in week five to West Chester, but still had complete control of their destiny in the West division. Their season took an unfortunate turn when star quarterback Peter Lalich was sidelined with injury and was forced to sit out four of the last five games.

Redshirt freshman Cody Schroeder filled in capably, but lack of consistent production from the rushing attack hurt this team badly throughout the year. In their three losses, they averaged just 91 yards per game. Despite an unexpected setback to Slippery Rock in week 9, the Vulcans still controlled their own destiny in the division. However they were a no-show at Mercyhurst in week 10, which led to the program’s worst defeat since the 2008 national semifinals when they lost to Minnesota-Duluth 45-7. The season should be remembered for the several big wins in September, including the near miraculous victory over IUP in the Coal Bowl.

Early Projections for 2013: The cupboards are far from empty, but the Vulcans have a lot of holes to fill for next season. Cody Schroeder is probably considered the number 1 quarterback as of now, but Cal has had success bringing in former Division I talent to run the offense, so there could be players in the mix that we don’t yet know about.

5. West Chester (preseason ranking: 8th)

Overall Record: 7-4 (7-3 Division II)
PSAC East Record: 4-3
Offensive MVP: RB Rondell White
Defensive MVP: LB Ronell Williams

Accomplishments: Snapped a two year streak of losing seasons…Defeated highly ranked and unbeaten California on the road in week five…Finished second in the PSAC in rush defense…Led the PSAC in third down conversions…Rondell White’s 1,548 rushing yards set a new single season school record…White rushed for over 200 yards four times during the season…Kicker Shawn Leo set a new school record with 37 career field goals…All-Conference Linebacker Ronell Williams had the most tackles in a season since 1993.

Final Review: West Chester was hoping for better than 7-4 but they should feel good about their season. It was important to put a winning campaign together after consecutive losing seasons in 2010 and 2011 and the Rams certainly accomplished that. They played the entire season with a backup quarterback (although Mike Mattei had a seasons’ worth of starting experience prior to this year) and suffered several other injuries. The victory over undefeated California was a huge lift for the program and it will be remembered much more than the disappointing performance at East Stroudsburg one week later. Rondell White ran under the radar all season because other backs like Franklyn Quiteh and Harvie Tuck received lots of attention, but he was one of the best offensive performers in the conference in 2012.

Early Projections for 2013: The Rams’ defense steadily improved this past season and some new talent stepped up on offense. 2012 was a much needed step in the right direction and the Rams served notice that they are prepared to go further in 2013. Sean McCartney should return at quarterback and Rondell White will also be back. If they can fill out the roster with some more depth at key positions, the Rams could be in contention for the eastern division.

4. Mercyhurst (preseason ranking: 10th)

Overall Record: 9-2
PSAC West Record: 6-1 (2nd)
Offensive MVP: RB Brandon Brown-Dukes
Defensive MVP: LB Aaron McGee

Accomplishments: Won six straight games after a disappointing season opening loss at Notre Dame College…9 wins marked the second most in program history…Finished third in the PSAC in rushing offense behind the strength of redshirt freshman Brandon Brown-Dukes…Defeated cross town rival Gannon and won their third straight visit to Edinboro…Destroyed California’s PSAC Championship hopes with a 40-7 victory over the Vulcans…One of only three teams in PSAC with more than 2,000 yards rushing and passing.

Final Review: Mercyhurst had to be one of the least known and least talked about 9-2 teams in the country. The loss to Notre Dame College in week 1 was so damaging that no one really paid attention to the Lakers until they hammered California in week 10. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they drew a weak cross over schedule and NDC accomplished nothing after the season opening triumph. The Lakers had to win-out to get into the playoff picture, but they fell to IUP in week 8. However, 9-2 was better than anyone outside the program expected and it ended up being the second best season in school history. They should be in the final top 25 polls that will come out in December, and will likely be in the preseason polls next summer.

Early Projections for 2013: The Lakers should definitely be one of the more confident teams heading into the off season. They will have a lot of talent coming back on both sides of the ball and could be primed for a run at the PSAC Championship. Keep an eye on this team.

3. Bloomsburg (preseason ranking: 5th)

Overall Record: 10-2
PSAC East Record: 6-1 (2nd)
Offensive MVP: RB Franklyn Quiteh
Defensive MVP: LB Jarrett Pidgeon

Accomplishments: Reached double digit victories for the fifth time since 2005…Had an 8 game in-season winning streak for the fifth consecutive year…Won at least 7 games for 14th straight year (second longest such streak in Division II)…As a team, the Huskies set a new PSAC record for most rushing yards in a season…Two backs ran for over 1,000 yards for the second straight year…Franklyn Quiteh exceeded 2,000 rushing yards for the second time in his three year career and was one of three finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy.

Final Review: The Huskies suffered through two tough games at Shippensburg, but their season should be remembered for all of the accomplishments above. The Huskies didn’t win the conference or their division, but 10 wins and a spot in the D2 playoffs add up to a heck of a year. The rushing attack was as good as it’s ever been (which is saying something) and the passing game was efficient most of the year as well. The defense struggled to put teams away and gave up too many passing yards, but there were numerous individual standout performances throughout the year. Larry Webster’s transition from basketball star to All-Conference Defensive End was one of the most interesting stories of the year in the PSAC.

Early projections for 2013: Four starters return to the offensive line and the only newcomer is likely to be Shawn Smith, who excelled in numerous opportunities in 2012. Quiteh and Mateo will be back, along with two experienced full backs, so don’t expect any fall off with the running game. Glenn Hutton, Jr. will be the only returning receiver with at least one recorded catch, so some youngsters will need to step up in the Spring. Defensively, three senior linebackers depart, but there is experience behind them. The Huskies will be a contender again next year.

2. Shippensburg (preseason ranking: 4th)

Overall Record: 11-2
PSAC East Record: 7-0 (1st Place) East Division Champion
Offensive MVP: QB Zach Zulli
Defensive MVP: DE Jake Metz

Accomplishments: 11 wins…PSAC East Championship…won first playoff game since 1991…advanced to round two of national playoffs…broke an unfathomable number of schools records (well, 73, to be exact)…QB Zach Zulli is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy and led the nation in several passing categories. A complete list of his accomplishments in 2012 can be found here: www.shipraiders.com/zulli. Zulli was responsible for at least 25 individual records…Head Coach Mark Macjiewski named Region 1 coach of the year.

Final Review: Similar to Bloomsburg, two tough losses cut them off from their goals, but their season should be remembered for all that they accomplished. They quite literally broke records every week of the season, and had some of the best individual performers in Division II at several positions. They ran into two elite defenses that were able to contain them, but the other 10 opponents they saw had very few answers for their spread attack. Beyond the wins and the records, the exciting performances garnered lots of attention and brought many alumni back to campus to see them play. Both will be good for recruiting and fundraising.

Early Projections for 2013: The Raiders won’t be as experienced as they were this year, but there is no reason to think they can’t be in the same position. A lot of players will be lost to graduation, particularly at the offensive skill positions, but some key components will return (including Zulli) and they have a great system in place.

1. Indiana (preseason ranking: 3rd)

Overall Record: 12-1
PSAC West Record: 6-1 (1st place) West Division Champion, PSAC Champion
Offensive MVP: RB Harvie Tuck
Defensive MVP: DT Carl Thornton

Accomplishments: Won 2012 PSAC Football Championship…Earned a playoff invitation for the 15th time in school history, moving into 5th place all time in Division II…Advanced to national quarterfinals…won at least 10 games for the 10th time in school history…Earned the program’s 17th and 18th post season victories, moving them into a tie for 6th all time in Division II… The defense was number one in national stats for most of the year in scoring defense and total defense…RB Harvie Tuck was one of six regional finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy and was named PSAC West Offensive POY.

Final Review: The Crimson Hawks were doubted all year because of their so-called weak schedule and their late collapse at California, but by season’s end, they were the last team standing. They manhandled the seemingly unstoppable Shippensburg offense to win the PSAC Championship and were the last PSAC team remaining in the playoffs. They came within one play and five yards of knocking off unbeaten WSSU to advance to the semifinals.

The Crimson Hawks did it with defense all year long and earned their reputation as one of the top units in Division II. They were loaded with talent at all three levels and were able to contain two of the best offenses in the country (Shippensburg, WSSU). The offense was led by the running game, which was spearheaded by Harvie Tuck’s 1,600 yards. When Tuck went down with injury, the offense didn’t miss a beat with the speedy (and deceptively powerful) De’Antwan Williams. Curt Cignetti’s preaseason goals were to win the PSAC Championship and earn a playoff berth. Mission accomplished.

Early Projections for 2013: The Crimson Hawks will lose some key players on defense, but several will return as well. Their defense has a lot of depth, so new starters will have a significant amount of experience. The offense loses the top ball carries, but the O-line will bring a lot back and the quarterback and top receivers will also return. IUP should enter the preseason as the favorite to take home the 2013 Championship.

The Final Word...

Well there you have it. The final wrap up on the 2012 PSAC Football season. It was a fantastic and competitive year. Failing to win the region for the third straight year is slightly damaging to our pride, but as a league, the PSAC is probably the best it’s ever been. IUP became the 5th different champion and the 8th participant in the PSAC Championship game since it was introduced in 2008. To put that in perspective, exactly half the league has made it to the championship game over the past 5 years. I don’t think too many other conferences have that level of depth.

In 2012, there were six teams still vying for playoff spots as late as week 10 of the regular season, and four teams were ranked in the national top 25 polls. In addition, four of six regional finalists for the Harlon Hill trophy were PSAC players and Zach Zulli and Franklyn Quiteh will both be present in Florence as two of the top three finishers.

The 16 Universities that make up our conference have given us another wonderful year of football and for that, I am extremely grateful to all the players, coaches, bands, cheerleaders, officials and administrators that help make it all possible.
Many thanks to all of you for reading this excessively long post and for reading all of the blogs throughout the year. It has been a lot of fun for me, and I can’t wait to start thinking about Spring football!

As one final note, I will be in Florence for the Championship game and the Harlon Hill Presentation. I will blog and tweet occasionally, and will tweet the Harlon Hill winner as soon as it is announced. Follow me at @D2Chuck for the breaking news!

As always, you are welcome to leave comments here or contact me at chuck.bitner@d2football.com.

Thanks once again,

Chuck ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?838-PSAC-Final-Rankings-and-Analysis http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?836-IUP-Falls-to-WSSU-21-17-in-Thrilling-Quarterfinal Sun, 02 Dec 2012 15:06:20 GMT Winston-Salem State's All-American candidate quarterback Kameron Smith had not played since the CIAA Championship game on November 10th. The senior injured his shoulder in that game and even a first round playoff bye was not enough time for him to be ready. He dressed, but did not play in the Rams' second round victory over Shippensburg and as the quarterfinal game with IUP went deeper into the second half, it appeared he would once again, be a spectator.

However, Smith did enter the game late in the fourth quarter. Winston-Salem State had not scored since a miraculous “Hail Mary” on the last play of the first half. Aside from a few big plays, IUP had frustrated the Rams offense most of the day (nearly half of their yardage was accumulated on three plays) and it looked like they would pitch a second half shutout. It took Smith a series to get re-acclimated to live action, but with the game and the season on the line, The CIAA Offensive Player of the Year led his team on 9 play, 52 yard scoring drive to take the lead, 21-17 with less than four minutes remaining.

Smith showed an ability to quickly roll out of the pocket and throw on the run. His accuracy on the move would have really helped the Rams earlier in the game. His late entry into the game makes me think he’s still not quite healthy enough to be out there and it makes what he did that much more impressive. His poise under pressure was fantastic. Some of his best plays were simply moving away from the pass rush and throwing the ball harmlessly out of bounds. For Smith to come off the bench after nearly a month off and lead the game winning drive against the best team he’s seen this year is remarkable. It’s the stuff that makes good players great, and great players memorable.

Following the go-ahead score, IUP had one more chance to counter, and they came within one play and five yards of making it happen. On their final drive, the Crimson Hawks overcame a first down sack and a fourth and five on their first series of downs. Two big plays moved the ball deep into Rams territory and IUP advanced as far as the five yard line. With a four point deficit, the Hawks had to get the ball in the end zone, but the Rams stiffened and turned them away on downs with just 30 seconds remaining.

Mike Box, Terrill Barnes and the IUP passing game stepped up with a big effort. Box wasn’t perfect but he hit 16 passes for 232 yards and Barnes hauled in 9 catches for 160 yards, including a spectacular 36 yard catch and run for IUP’s first points of the day. The Rams were tough against the run, but De’Antwan Williams went over 100 yards and made the Rams work for every tackle.

Defensively, IUP had numerous stand out players. They were in the WSSU backfield on almost every play, putting pressure on the quarterback and closing down running lanes. A couple of big plays were their undoing, but big plays can happen when facing an offense with as many playmakers as WSSU has.

I hope all the Division II fans got to watch this game, because it really was outstanding (aside from the SAC’s horrible officiating, but it impacted both teams so we’ll let it go). I would also hope that a tremendous amount of respect was earned on both sides of the field. I don’t think there is any doubt that Winston-Salem State and IUP are the two best teams in Super Region 1 and WSSU unquestionably deserves to be the champion. Both teams lived up to their reputations as two of the top defensive teams in the country and their offenses also stepped up when the game was on the line. IUP just came up one play and five yards short.

IUP ends their season at 12-2 with a PSAC Championship and two playoff victories. Winston-Salem State will advance to the national semifinals for the second straight year. They will face West Texas A&M at a time and location to be announced on Sunday.

With the IUP loss, the season is now complete for the PSAC. I will have a season-ending wrap up blog posted sometime soon and I will also be blogging during championship week from Florence. I will be at the Harlon Hill Trophy presentation and will hopefully be reporting on a PSAC player taking home the award.

I will update the blog during my championship weekend activities and you can also follow me on twitter for more frequent updates. My handle is @D2Chuck.

Questions, comments? Leave them here or send them to me at chuck.bitner@d2football.com. ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?836-IUP-Falls-to-WSSU-21-17-in-Thrilling-Quarterfinal http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?832-Zulli-Quiteh-and-Hill-Invited-to-Harlon-Hill-Presentation Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:30:22 GMT The PSAC will be represented by two athletes in this year's presentation of the Harlon Hill Trophy. Shippensburg's Zach Zulli and Bloomsburg's Franklyn Quiteh will be joined by Missouri Western's Michael Hill as the top three nominees for the Division II College Football Player of the Year.

Zulli, the PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year, threw for 4,747 yards and 54 touchdowns (ties the D2 record) and completed 62 percent of his passes. Zulli led the Red Raiders to the PSAC East Championship and the second round of Division II playoffs. Sparked by Zulli's outstanding performance, Shippensburg broke dozens of school records during the 2012 season.

Hill, a running back from Missouri Western University is the MIAA Offensive Player of the year. Hill has rushed for 2,065 yards and 16 touchdowns, while averaging 7.32 yards per carry and 176 yards perr game. Hill's Griffons won the MIAA Championship and have advanced to the Division II Quarterfinals.

Quiteh is a Harlon Hill finalist for the second time in his career (finished sixth in 2010). Quiteh led the nation in total rushing and yads per game for most of the 2012 campaign. He rushed for 2,121 yards and 24 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Quiteh has rushed for 5,328 yards in his career and is less than 400 yards from breaking the school and PSAC career rushing record. Quiteh will be a senior in 2013. Bloomsburg finished 10-2 this season and advanced to the playoffs.


*This is the second time that two PSAC players have reached the top three. In 2005, East Stroudsburg's Jimmy Terwilliger won the award and Bloomsburg's Jamar Brittingham finished third.* Quiteh is the third Bloomsburg player to reach top three. In addition to Brittingham, Irvin Sigler won the award in 1997.* ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?832-Zulli-Quiteh-and-Hill-Invited-to-Harlon-Hill-Presentation http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?828-IUP-Travels-to-Winston-Salem-State-for-the-SR1-Final Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:01:20 GMT IUP traveled north to New Haven last Saturday and left town with a tight 17-14 victory over the previously unbeaten Chargers. The Crimson Hawks were... IUP traveled north to New Haven last Saturday and left town with a tight 17-14 victory over the previously unbeaten Chargers. The Crimson Hawks were out performed in many facets of the game, but the final score is the only stat that really matters. The Crimson Hawks will now head south and hit the road to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to take on the 12-0 Winston-Salem State Rams.

The Rams maintained their perfect season by dominating Shippensburg’s thrilling passing attack and by running and throwing their way to over 500 yards of total offense. The Rams defeated one of Division II’s best offensive teams last week and now they will get a shot at the nation’s top defense.

If you missed last week’s preview blog, I wrote an extensive scouting report on Winston-Salem State as we prepared for their meeting with Shippensburg. I’m not going to re-write the same details, but you can find that entry here: http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry....-the-SR1-Final

Both teams have faced Shippensburg within the past month, and the results were very similar. Both teams rendered the running game totally useless and made Ship’s passing game look extremely average. IUP had one of their best passing performance of the year in the PSAC Championship and Winston-Salem threw for over 300 yards in last week’s playoff contest – with a backup quarterback in the game. Both also ran the ball very well against the Red Raiders.

Winston-Salem State had great success shutting down Shippensburg, but IUP is a totally different set of challenges. The Crimson Hawks are more physical at the line of scrimmage and their running style is a down-hill attack. New Haven had success slowing down the IUP running game, but can we expect the same thing this week? Here are a few of my thoughts on what is most important for each team...

Keys to the Game for IUP

1) Establish the Run. Obviously, they can’t win without it. The Crimson Hawks average 269 yards per game on the ground and they have two very strong runners in Harvie Tuck and De’Antwan Williams. Tuck’s readiness for this game is not known. He has been slowed by injury since the Gannon game and didn’t play much in the second half last week. Williams has been superb as the No. 1 back in Tuck’s absence.

2) Use the clock. Last week, Winston-Salem State held the ball for nearly 38 minutes. IUP’s defense is good – but not good enough to play 38 minutes. IUP has to run the ball to sustain drives and put points on the board, but they also need to take time off the clock and keep the defense rested.

3) Complete at least 50% of pass attempts. IUP got by Shepherd and New Haven with only 6 pass completions in each game. I have a feeling Winston-Salem State will dare them to throw the ball (as they should). If IUP can make them pay for that, Williams should have a good day. If IUP cannot make the Rams respect the pass, they’ll be in trouble.

4) Slow down the Rams running game. IUP has the athletes to run with the Rams’ receivers and I don’t think they’ll be beaten as easily as Ship was. They also have a great D-line that will create pass pressure. If they slow down the run and make WSSU rely more on the passing game, it will give them more opportunities to create turnovers (which they excel at).

5) Take 3 when you can. Brett Ullman is good kicker, and if this is defensive battle, field goals could be big. Ullman has good range, hitting five three pointers from more than 40 yards with a long of 48.

Keys to the Game for Winston-Salem State

1) Be aggressive on defense, sell out to stop the run. Contain the run and force them to throw. IUP’s passing game has been inconsistent at best and it would not be a good situation if they have to throw to win. If they can be forced into the passing situations on down and distance they'll be out of their comfort zone.

2) Protect the quarterback. WSSU’s offensive line is massive, but some of them did not look very quick on their feet. IUP has a very athletic front 7 and WSSU may have to get creative with their blocking schemes. IUP has 33 sacks for a total of 219 yards lost.

3) Protect the football. I think this will be a defensive battle, and any turnovers will be huge. IUP struggled to sustain drives against New Haven last week, and the going willbe tough this week too. But if the Crimson Hawks can come up with a couple of turnovers and give their offense a short field, they can put up enough points to win. If WSSU doesn’t give the ball away, I don’t think they’ll give up many scoring drives to IUP. The Crimson Hawks have 33 takeaways (tied for 11th in D2) so they know how to go after the ball.

4) Get everyone involved. WSSU has lots of playmakers and one of the best ways to have success against a great defense is to keep them guessing. Move the ball around to all of the weapons, and see where you have the most success.

Final thoughts

I think this game will play out much like the IUP – New Haven game. It should be defensive, low scoring, close, and should come down to the last possession. I think Winston-Salem State is the more complete team. There just aren’t many weaknesses to be found with them. They can do a bit of everything, and I think they can win any type of ball game.

Having said that, I think IUP will be very comfortable in the type of game I’m expecting. They like to win with defense, they like to be physical and a close game won’t make them nervous. They are a patient, methodical and fundamental football team, all of which are great attributes to have when you get into close battles with great teams like Winston-Salem State.

I have a lot of confidence in IUP’s defense. I believe that unit is for real and I don’t think WSSU has seen a team with that much talent on defense. However, I don’t have as much confidence in the IUP offense. New Haven held their running game in check and I think the Rams will be capable of the same thing. The IUP passing game has had it’s moments this year, particularly in the last three weeks of the regular season, but they’ve been cold in the post season and unless they find something this week, I believe it will be their undoing.

For all the discussion, debate and banter about Bowman Gray Stadium, the only thing that really matters is that it’s been a very tough place for opponents over the last couple of years. I think the home field advantage means something this week, especially with students back on campus after the Thanksgiving break.

I’m hoping to see IUP move on to the semi finals, and I think their defense can do enough, but WSSU is a well-rounded team that will be very hard to beat at home.

Winston-Salem State 21 IUP 16


Questions, comments, complaints? Leave them here or send a message to chuck.bitner@d2football.com ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?828-IUP-Travels-to-Winston-Salem-State-for-the-SR1-Final http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?821-IUP-Advances-to-SR1-Final-Ship-Falls-to-Winston-Salem-State Sun, 25 Nov 2012 03:11:11 GMT PSAC fans will not get the SR1 Finals match up that they hoped for, but conference champion IUP will have a shot to win the region when they travel... PSAC fans will not get the SR1 Finals match up that they hoped for, but conference champion IUP will have a shot to win the region when they travel to Winston-Salem next Saturday. IUP earned the trip to North Carolina by gutting out a hard earned 17-14 victory over previously unbeaten New Haven. Shippensburg’s season came to an end on the same field IUP will play on next week. The Red Raiders played courageously on defense, but their top ranked offense was rendered helpless by Winston-Salem State.

IUP Grinds out Victory New Haven

Last week, NE10 blogger Paul Falewicz published an entry recounting New Haven’s drive in the final minutes of their nationally televised game at Stonehill. Trailing 41-38, New Haven marched 86 yards in 17 plays and scored the game winning touchdown with only six seconds left. The drive saved the game and preserved an undefeated season for the Chargers. You can read Paul’s re-telling of “The Drive” here: http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?817-The-Drive

The Chargers had a similar opportunity today, and nearly pulled off the same result. Down 17-14 with 3:40 remaining, New Haven started a drive from their own six yard line. The Chargers picked up bits and pieces of field position on the ground and through the air, but seemed to let time get away from them as the drive progressed. They converted a fourth and one from the IUP 36 yard line, but after moving the sticks, they were left with just 14 seconds to work with. The game came down to a final pass into the end zone but Jason Thompson was unable to bring it down in bounds as time expired.

The final drive was indicative of the way the entire second half played out. Both teams moved the ball at times in periods three and four, but no points went on the board as the Crimson Hawks made the three point halftime lead hold up for the final score.

The defensive struggle started with a bang as IUP’s De’Antwan Williams returned the opening kickoff 86 yards to the New Haven seven yard line. It would take the Crimson Hawks just two plays to punch it in for an early 7-0 lead. IUP then added a field goal on their fourth possession of the game following a 10 play, 72 yard drive. New Haven then responded with a 68 yard touchdown pass to Jason Thompson.

The Chargers briefly took the lead in the second quarter with a 16 play, 80 yard drive that resulted in a one yard touchdown catch for Thompson. The drive stalled in the red zone but IUP, the most penalized team in the PSAC, did everything they could to help New Haven into the end zone. After forcing a fourth and eight field goal attempt, the Crimson Hawks jumped off sides twice, giving New Haven a free ten yards and a first down. They stopped the Chargers again but a personal foul on third down gave New Have another free first down, and this time they able to take advantage.

However, IUP responded with a drive that was sparked by the strength of De’Antwan Williams’s rushing and the Crimson Hawks’ biggest pass play of the day, a 41 yarder to Salath Williams. The Hawks finished the drive with a six yard touchdown pass from Mike Box to Tyler Dummermuth.

The second half was all defense and both units deserve major props. IUP held the Chargers (who averaged 40 points per game) scoreless in the final two periods. UNH possessions in the second half resulted in a fumble, five punts and time expiring. UNH did out gain IUP by a total of 352 to 252 and doubled up IUP in first downs, 20-10. The Charger defense did a great job of limiting the IUP running game (37 carries, 155 yards) and allowed only six pass completions. However, IUP did a masterful job of taking away New Haven’s biggest threat, WR Jason Thompson. Thompson had the 68 yard TD bomb, but his only other catch was the one yard grab late in the second quarter.

It certainly wasn’t a great day for the IUP offense, but playoffs are all about survival and the Crimson Hawks move on to the next round.


Shippensburg humbled by Winston-Salem State

For the second time this year, Shippensburg ran into a defense that had the right match ups to shut down their record setting offense. Winston-Salem State took away Shippensburg’s rushing attack with relative ease, which was not unexpected. However, I was surprised at how easily they pressured Zach Zulli and how effectively they ran with the Raider receivers. The Red Raiders struggled all day to find consistency with their passing game. Zulli was sacked twice, threw three interceptions and completed only 25 of 56 passes for 218 yards.

The offensive struggles also really contributed to the defense wearing down. Winston-Salem State held the ball for 38:17 in the game, which was way too much for Shippensburg to withstand. The Rams were playing without star quarterback Kameron Smith, but backup Anthony Carrothers filled in nicely, completing 19 of 37 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams also ran the ball well with 231 yards and established the balance they’ve had all year.

One might think that giving up 37 points and 525 yards is a poor defensive effort, but I thought the Raiders played very courageously. They forced three punts and two turnovers in Winston-Salem State’s first seven drives, and even contributed a touchdown with Brian Sourber’s 63 yard interception return. By the end of the game, WSSU had 10 non-scoring drives of fewer than four plays. Unfortunately for the Ship defense, the offense was unable to help them stay off the field and as the game went on, they wore down.

The most telling stat of the game was this…Shippensburg had only two drives that took more than two minutes off the clock. Both were late in the fourth quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt. The Raiders had 9 possessions that lasted less than one minute.

It is a shame for a team that set so many records (many of them offensive) to end their season with a tough loss on the road. The reality is that Ship was fortunate to not be shut out. Their two scores were sparked by a defensive touchdown and an 86 yard kick off return. The Raider offense did not execute a scoring drive all day. It was a fantastic defensive performance by Winston-Salem State and their offense was able to take advantage and forced Ship to play from behind for the entire game.

It was still a great year for Shippensburg and more records were broken today (Jake Metz for sacks in a season, Jacob Baskerville for Receiving yards in a season) I’ll have more to say about that in my end of year wrap up. Winston-Salem State will host the Super Region 1 final for the second straight year, but next week’s opponent will be a completely different challenge from what they faced today. Next week will be a very interesting match up.

Questions, Comments? Leave them here or send me message at chuck.bitner@d2football.com. ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?821-IUP-Advances-to-SR1-Final-Ship-Falls-to-Winston-Salem-State http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?814-Ship-and-IUP-Hit-the-Road-Hoping-to-Advance-to-the-SR1-Final Thu, 22 Nov 2012 14:08:20 GMT Four teams remain in the Super Region 1 tournament and three of them are conference champions. For the PSAC, Shippensburg put in a dominant second... Four teams remain in the Super Region 1 tournament and three of them are conference champions. For the PSAC, Shippensburg put in a dominant second half performance last week to earn their first post-season victory since 1991, and IUP outworked Shepherd for their first playoff win since 2007. Both teams will hit the road for round two and will face unfamiliar opponents. IUP will travel north to take on unbeaten Northeast 10 Champions New Haven while Shippensburg will make the long drive to North Carolina to battle undefeated CIAA champions Winston-Salem State. If there is any doubt that these are the best four teams in Super Region 1 just consider this: These four teams have a combined record of 43-2.

After 12 weeks of play, I think PSAC fans have a pretty good read on IUP and Shippensburg, so my previews this week will focus more on the opponents they will face. I threw in jersey numbers with the players’ names so you may remember them when watching the games.

#3 IUP (11-1) at #2 New Haven (10-0)

IUP faced the top rush defense in the nation last week and although the Crimson Hawks were held below their season average, they did wrack up over 200 yards on the ground. This is very encouraging since they will face another top three rush defense at New Haven. The Chargers give up just 74 yards per game and have allowed only six rushing touchdowns through ten games. Their opponent in games 9 and 10 (American International) had the top rushing offense in the Northeast 10 at 252 yards per game. In consecutive weeks the Chargers held them to 179 and 116.

The Chargers defensive front is anchored by tackle #78 Raheem Stanely, who was recently named NE10 defensive player of the year. At over 6 feet tall and 300 pounds, Stanley is a dominant run stopper. He is hard to handle and often requires more than one blocker. However, he is not the only troublemaker in the front four. Defensive End #40 Tom Herd was named lineman of the year and his ten sacks led the conference. His 6’4” frame is perfect for the position and when he doesn’t get to the quarterback, he’s still quite an obstacle to throw over or around.

As a unit, the Chargers have wracked up 91 total tackles for loss and 33 sacks. Both numbers are just a hair better than IUP’s, if that gives you some perspective. Overall, UNH is not too dissimilar from the Shepherd defense that IUP faced last week and I think the Crimson Hawks will get similar results. I don’t think they’ll reach their season average in rushing yards, but I expect UNH will give up significantly more than their average.

The Crimson Hawks’ passing game struggled last week, completing only 6 of 20 attempts. They will need to do better than that this week to take some pressure off the running game and to keep the defense rested. That will be important because New Haven’s offense will be a challenge.

#6 Ryan Osiecki missed four games due to injury but in the games he participated in, he completed 70% of his passes and averaged 226 yards per game. I’ve seen Osiecki in person three times over the last two seasons, and he is among the most impressive quarterbacks in SR1. I would compare him to Cal’s Peter Lalich. He’s two inches shorter than Lalich but has great size for a quarterback and has beautiful touch, particularly on the deep ball. He gets through his progressions, has a strong arm and can make any throw. Like Lalich, he’s not much of a rushing threat, but he knows where the pressure is coming from and does a nice job of stepping up in the pocket.

Osiecki is protected by an offensive line that features one first team all-conference player and two second team all-conference selections. He has tons of weapons at his disposal including three wide receivers that have All-Conference talent in any league in Division II. #4 Jason Thompson’s numbers don’t seem extraordinary, but he is one the best D2 receivers I’ve seen for a few years. He’s got a lanky looking frame at 6’3” and 185 pounds, but he is a very graceful athlete and he will catch anything they put within his reach. 14 of his 42 catches have resulted in touchdowns and he averages 19.3 yards per reception. I’ve seen him play a handful of times and in each of those games, he has made multiple “wow” catches.

Thompson is not the only sure-handed threat the Chargers have. #1 Demetrius Washington-Ellis is another 6’3” target with 29 catches and #9 Josh Smart is a little smaller, but just as dangerous with 26 catches. #2 Mike Decaro has 21 catches out of the backfield and he also leads the ground attack that has put up 193 yards per game.

All told, I think UNH is deceptively explosive. They don’t have the eye-popping stats of a team like Shippensburg but they have play makers all over the field and the one stat that matters the most is what goes up on the scoreboard. The Chargers average 40 points per game which is good enough for 16th in the nation.

So there is your scouting report on New Haven. I think it’s pretty complimentary, which is what I intended. This is a great football team and they have what it takes to go far. But can they get past this game with the Crimson Hawks?

Very few teams in Division II have the talent and depth that IUP has on defense. I believe they will be successful at shutting down New Haven’s rushing attack, which will put all the pressure on Osiecki and the passing game. New Haven can still win that type of ball game, but it will be difficult against the IUP defense. The IUP secondary has the athletes to match up with UNH’s receivers and they all know how to go after the ball. Turnovers will be big and if IUP can create a couple of them, I really like their chances. Like last week, I think 27 points could be enough, but IUP will have to be able to run the ball and Mike Box must have a better day. Going on the road is never easy but traveling may be a little less complicated since classes have adjourned for the Thanksgiving break. So I don’t think it’s a disadvantage.

New Haven took down the PSAC Champs last year (Kutztown) on the blue turf. Can they do it two years in a row? They can, but I think IUP wins a close one on the road.

IUP 30 New Haven 28


#4 Shippensburg (11-1) at #1 Winston-Salem State (11-0)

Shippensburg will travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina this weekend for their first road playoff game in many years. The Red Raiders took it on the chin in the PSAC Championship game at Indiana two weeks ago, but they responded with a 58-20 drubbing of conference rival Bloomsburg back at the friendly confines of Seth Grove Stadium. The final score of the game is much more impressive when you think about what the score was at halftime.

The Raiders trailed 14-13 at the break and their offense had been held in check for most the first 30 minutes. Bloomsburg made some big stops in the red zone, forced field goal attempts and turnovers. But when the Raiders came out of the dressing room for the second half, it was a different ball game. They ripped off 48 unanswered points, which is a pretty hard thing to do against a team as tough as Bloomsburg. Keep in mind, it was only one week earlier that the Raiders had suffered their only defeat of the year in a lopsided loss to IUP. Bloomsburg seemed like the better team through two quarters, and it would have been awfully easy for some panic to set in. But the Raiders made some adjustments, stuck to their game plan and proved how good they really are. They will need those levels of toughness and resiliency when they take on Winston-Salem State this weekend.

So what do we know about Winston-Salem State? We can start with this…they just completed their second straight undefeated regular season and secured their second straight CIAA championship. They finished last season in the top 5 of the major polls, won playoff games against California and New Haven, and came within a touchdown of advancing to Florence. That was last year, but many of the key players from that team are also part of this 2012 undefeated team.

The Rams claimed the CIAA Offensive (#6 Kameron Smith) and Defensive (#44 Carlos Fields, Jr.) player of the year awards and put 16 players on the All-CIAA team. I wrote a piece for The D2 preseason magazine about the CIAA and some folks questioned my selection of Smith as the preseason player of the year over running back Daronte McNeil from ECSU. McNeil had a great season, but Smith’s production and leadership were outstanding in 2012. He has completed 61% of his passes for 2,778 yards and 39 touchdowns. He has a net of 286 yards rushing so he can do damage with his feet as well. He spent the first two years of his college career at the U.S. Naval Academy, so he is obviously a very smart young man as well.

Smith has a ton of options at the skill positions on his offensive unit that is fourth in Division II in points per game (45). The Rams get it done running and throwing with 2070 rushing yards and 3225 passing yards for the season. Three receivers (#4 Jahuann Butler, #11 Jamal Williams and #82 Jameze Massey) have over 40 catches. The same three receivers also have 11 or more touchdowns each. Butler is the leader with 44 receptions, with an average of 19.7 yards per catch. Seven other Rams have five or more catches, so this is a team that likes to use all of its talent and move the ball around to different play makers.

It’s a similar story with the rushing attack. Leading ball carrier #3 Maurice Lewis averages just 68 yards per game but four other players have carried more than 40 times so there is no shortage of talent in the backfield. Up front is a massive offensive line that makes it all possible. The group is anchored by two-time All-CIAA first teamer #52 Markus Lawrence (6’4” 290) at center. BYU transfer and Butler, PA native #64 Nathaniel Hartung (6’2” 380) was also a first team selection in his first year with the Rams.

Defensively, the Rams are just as stout. They rank in the top 10 nationally in total defense (285 yards per game), scoring defense (16 points per game) and rushing defense (82 yards per game). Middle Linebacker Carlos Fields, Jr. is the defensive leader and the aforementioned CIAA Defensive player of the year. #41 Khendra Reid is also very productive at linebacker and #98 Barry Tripp is a running stopping force at nose guard.

Every member of the Rams’s secondary has at least two interceptions, and a three of them have three each. I have not seen the Rams play this year but I’ve been told the secondary is very fast and very athletic. They give up 203 passing yards per game, which is not great but not bad either, and have yielded only 14 passing touchdowns. I doubt they’ve seen a passing attack like Shippensburg’s so they will definitely be put to the test on Saturday.

Shippensburg has played some very good teams this year. Winston-Salem will certainly be another one (and could prove to be the best one) but the Raiders are a battle tested group. I have to admit though, when looking at Shippensburg’s chances, I’m getting a little hung up on the IUP game. I don’t think Winston-Salem State’s defense is as good as IUP’s, but I am fairly confident that it’s better than any of the other 10 teams Ship has played. I think the Raiders will have learned a few things from the IUP game and should be better prepared this week. My other concern is that good teams can run the ball on the Raiders. If the Rams can run the ball and maintain the balance they have had all season, I think Ship will have a hard time stopping them.

I think this will be a fun game to watch, and it will great to see the Raiders offense get a shot at redemption against a top tier defense. If the Raiders play their best football I think they’ll have a great shot. They have to give Zach Zulli time to get the ball out to his outstanding receivers and if they can do that, we could end up in a shoot out. Obviously, I’m pulling for an All PSAC final in SR1 but I think the road to the regional championship will go through Winston-Salem again.

Winston-Salem State 38 Shippensburg 35


Questions, comments, complaints? Leave them here of contact me at chuck.bitner@d2football.com ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?814-Ship-and-IUP-Hit-the-Road-Hoping-to-Advance-to-the-SR1-Final http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?806-Zulli-and-Quiteh-named-Finalists-for-Harlon-Hill Tue, 20 Nov 2012 01:51:19 GMT Shippensburg’s Zach Zulli and Bloomsburg’s Franklyn Quiteh have been named as the two Super Region 1 finalists for the Harlon Hill trophy. The Harlon... Shippensburg’s Zach Zulli and Bloomsburg’s Franklyn Quiteh have been named as the two Super Region 1 finalists for the Harlon Hill trophy. The Harlon Hill trophy is awarded annually to the top player in NCAA Division II football.

There are many great players in the region but I firmly believe that these are the best two nominees. Simply put, Zulli has been the top performer at quarterback and Quiteh has been the top performer at running back. I think it is very possible that both could be among the top 3 that will be invited to the award ceremony in Florence.

Here is the complete list of the finalists with some of their stats for the year:

Chris Bowden, WR, Wingate
106 catches, 1359 yards, 9 TDs, 122 receiving yards per game

Michael Hill, RB, Missouri Western
269 carries, 1996 yards, 15 TDs, 7.4 yards per carry, 166 yards per game

Taylor Housewright, QB, Ashland
221-324 (68%), 2905 yards, 30 TDs, 1 INT. NCAA Record 377 consecutive passes w/ out INT

Franklyn Quiteh, RB, Bloomsburg
287 carries, 2,121 yards, 24 TDs, 7.4 yards per carry. 17 straight games over 100 yards

Kevin Rodgers, QB, Henderson State
234-344 (68%), 3590 yards, 40TDs, 8 INTs

Dustin Vaughan, QB, West Texas A&M
279-432 (65%), 3821 yards, 37 TDs, 9 INTs, 318 yards per game

Derrick Washington, RB, Tuskegee
172 carries, 1399 yards, 13 TDs, 8.1 yards per carry, 140 yards per game

Zach Zulli, QB, Shippensburg
317-488 (65%), 4529 yards, 53 TDs, 7 INTs, 377 yards per game

I think both PSAC players have a very good chance at winning the trophy. Contending for the Harlon Hill is really about having the numbers. We don’t have national highlight programs for coaches and SIDs to see each player’s top performances on a weekly basis, so it can come down to who has the most impressive stat lines.

Let’s break it down by the three positions first. Among the eight finalists, there are four quarterbacks, three running backs and one receiver.

Receiver

Only one receiver has taken home the award (Ronnie West, Pittsburg State) and that was in 1991. So the odds are not in favor of Chris Bowden from Wingate. I watched Wingate’s game against Carson-Newman earlier this year and definitely remember him as a stand out player. He averaged nearly 10 catches and 122 yards per game this season. He is a first team All America talent, but frankly, I feel the top receiver in Division II is Jeff Janis from Saginaw Valley. I am probably not the only one that feels that way, so I think it will be hard for Bowden to get enough votes. Bowden is definitely worthy of being the SAC offensive player of the year, but he is probably a long shot for the top three.

Running Back

Derrick Washington from Tuskegee has the best yards per carry average of the three backs at 8.1 but he doesn’t have the wow factor numbers the other two backs have. Franklyn Quiteh has a slight, but negligible advantage over Michael Hill in the stats. Yards per game, yards per carry and total yards are very close between the two. Quiteh has more touchdowns and he also has name recognition from being in contention in 2010 and 2011. Hill may carry some favor from playing in the very difficult and highly respected MIAA conference. If the award was strictly for the top running back, it would come down Quiteh and Hill and it would be a toss up. Both could be in Florence for the presentation.

Quarterback

Comparing the quarterbacks is tricky. Zulli has the most total yards and yards per game among the candidates. Taylor Housewright is the only candidate with less than 3,000 yards passing, but he has an amazing 30-1 touchdown to interceptions ratio. Dustin Vaughn had outstanding numbers and West Texas A&M’s challenging schedule will certainly help his candidacy. Kevin Rogers from Henderson State battled Zulli for most of the year in the yards per game department. Overall though, Zulli has numbers that are hard to beat and his total touchdowns may separate him from the rest.

Top 3

I don’t know who will make the top three and a prediction would just be a wild guess. I have no idea what the voters will value the most. But I do think Zulli and Quiteh are as deserving as any of these players and I think it is entirely possible that both will be among the top 3. It would not be the first time the PSAC had two of the top three vote getters. In 2005 East Stroudsburg’s Jimmy Terwilliger won the award and Bloomsburg’s Jamar Brittingham finished third. Much like the Heisman, the award is for the best player, but realistically, it will go the top quarterback or running back. One can easily make arguments that Zulli is the top quarterback in the nation and that Quiteh is the top running back.


Winner

To be perfectly honest, I don’t feel confident in telling you who I think the best player is in this group. I have seen both PSAC players numerous times but I have only seen Rodgers, Vaughn, and Washington in highlight films I dug up on YouTube (some of which were not even from this year). I’ve seen Housewright play a couple of times, but not this season and I’ve seen Bowden and Hill through webcasts a couple of times. All of that probably makes me as qualified as anyone to make a selection, but I still feel it’s a disservice to the guys I have not seen play at least one entire game. But most voters are probably in the same situation, so as I mentioned earlier it comes down to numbers. In that case, Zach Zulli has the most impressive numbers, and I think he stands the best chance of getting the most votes.

If Zulli or Quiteh bring home the award, it would the third Hill trophy for the PSAC. Jimmy Terwilliger of East Stroudsburg won it in 2005 as a junior and Irvin Sigler of Bloomsburg won it in his senior season in 1997. ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?806-Zulli-and-Quiteh-named-Finalists-for-Harlon-Hill http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?801-IUP-and-Ship-Advance-to-Round-Two Sun, 18 Nov 2012 03:12:05 GMT *Shippensburg rides big second half to victory* In last month’s battle for the PSAC East championship, Bloomsburg rallied in the second half to... Shippensburg rides big second half to victory

In last month’s battle for the PSAC East championship, Bloomsburg rallied in the second half to overcome a disastrous start that was littered with turnovers and penalties. Fortunes were reversed in the first round rematch in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Huskies started off much stronger and led for most of the first half. The Bloomsburg offense held the ball for the first five minutes of play and capped the game opening drive with a Franklyn Quiteh touchdown.

The Huskies’ defense then responded with a couple of gritty stands inside the red zone. Shippensburg’s first four drives resulted in a punt, turnover on downs, field goal and blocked field goal. Defense carried the Huskies in the first half and Franklyn Quiteh’s second touchdown gave Bloomsburg a 14-10 lead late in the second quarter. A defensive stop with 28 seconds left made it look like the Huskies would take the four point lead to the break. However, following a Shippensburg failed third down conversion, Bloomsburg elected to use a timeout, forcing the Raiders to put the punt team in the field rather than go to the intermission. The punt bounced off a Bloomsburg player and was recovered by the Raiders. The possession was converted into a field goal was the start of a 48-0 run by Shippensburg.

The second half belonged entirely to the Raiders. After receiving the second half kickoff, it took just 45 seconds for Zach Zulli to connect with Bryan Barley for a 48 yard touchdown. Once the Raiders assumed the lead 20-14 , they found their swagger. Zulli had taken some pressure and some hits on the first half, but the coaching staff made adjustments at halftime and Zulli hit his stride. The Raiders scored on every possession in the second half (six touchdowns, one field goal). Bloomsburg could have stopped Ship's momentum before it really go to going, but their first drive of the third quarter (which included two big runs by Quiteh) unfortunately resulted in a lost fumble in the red zone.

The Raiders’ defense deserves its share of the credit as well. After giving up 35 second half points in the first meeting, they held the Huskies scoreless in quarters three and four, until the final play of the game. They confused and frustrated Bloomsburg’s passing game all day and managed to intercept Tim Kelly three times (the same number of passes he completed to Bloomsburg receivers) and the Huskies converted only three of 12 third downs.

Franklyn Quiteh was the lone bright spot for the Bloomsburg offense. The junior showed his worth as a Harlon Hill candidate by rushing for 199 yards on 24 carries.

17 Seniors played their final game for Bloomsburg.

If there were any questions about how Shippensburg would respond to the tough loss at IUP last week, they were most definitely answered. The Raiders will go on to represent the PSAC in round two with a road trip to Winston-Salem, NC to take on the undefeated WSSU Rams.


IUP wins defensive struggle with Shepherd

The Bloomsburg-Shippensburg game didn’t play out the way most expected, but this one went according to plan. IUP won a hard fought defensive battle and turnovers were key factors in the final outcome. Shepherd’s suspect pass defense did a commendable job in holding the Crimson Hawks to just 6-20 for 122 yards. However, the number one ranked rush defense in Division II did give up 203 yards to IUP’s powerful rushing attack.

Harvie Tuck returned with a much larger role than he played one week ago, but De’Antwan Williams was the workhorse again with 30 carries for 152 yards. Tuck contributed 60 yards on 16 carries. It is worth mentioning that despite the overall success on the ground for the Crimson Hawks, Shepherd held IUP to negative rushing yards on several downs, showing why they have led the nation in rush defense for most of the season.

The play of the game came near the end of a tight first half that was mostly defensive. With the game tied at 7, Shepherd was set up with a golden opportunity to take the lead when a short IUP punt, followed by a personal foul penalty, gave the Rams a first and ten at the IUP 34 yard line. However, two plays later, Crimson Hawks standout linebacker Carl Flemming intercepted a Bobby Copper pass and raced 77 yards to the end zone. The score gave IUP a 14-7 at halftime.

When a facing a defense as strong as IUP’s, an offense has to take advantage of a short field when it is given. The Rams not only failed to convert, but they turned the ball over and allowed a defensive touchdown. In a close defensive football game, non-offensive points will usually be the deciding factor. IUP had the offensive advantage with 325 total yards to 250 for Shepherd. I think it is fare to say these two teams gave us exactly what we expected.

It is very encouraging that IUP was able to run the ball well against this Rams defense. 203 yards is well below their season average, but its pretty darn good against a unit that was giving up an average of 38 yards per game. Conversely, I’m concerned about the set backs with the passing game. Just a week after an impressively efficient passing day in the PSAC championship, Mike Box and his receivers were out of synch and managed to connect only six times. They will need to work on that during practice this week as they will face a New Haven team that has very few flaws. The good news for the Crimson Hawks is that advancing is all that matters, and they have a week to work on improving the passing game before hitting the road for West Haven.

Congratulations to IUP for advancing to the second round and to WVIAC Champions Sheperd for putting in a fine performance on the road against the PSAC Champs.


Kutztown wins season Finale

Kutztown and LIU Post got to take the field one last time in 2012 to make up their game that was rescheduled due to ‘Sandy.’ The Golden Bears were held to just 14 points (their lowest output of the season) but they were able to make it hold up for a slim 14-12 victory. PATs were the difference in this one. Post’s first PAT failed on a bad snap, and the second failed on a two point attempt. Post had one more shot at victory but a 33 yard field goal attempt with two seconds remaining was blocked after Kutztown used all three timeouts to “ice” the kicker.


Both of next week's SR1 playoff games will involve PSAC teams. Unfortunately, both will be on the road. Stay tuned this week for information about video streaming for each game.

Questions or comments? Feel free to send to them to me at chuck.bitner@d2football.com ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?801-IUP-and-Ship-Advance-to-Round-Two http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?790-Three-PSAC-Teams-in-Action-in-Round-One-of-D2-Playoffs Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:07:32 GMT Three PSAC teams have advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs, led by the 2012 conference champion, IUP. The Crimson Hawks jumped from #5 to #3 in... Three PSAC teams have advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs, led by the 2012 conference champion, IUP. The Crimson Hawks jumped from #5 to #3 in the final regional rankings by beating up on previously undefeated Shippensburg in last week’s championship game. The Red Raiders fell from the highly coveted #1 seed (which carries home field advantage throughout the regional tournament) to #4. Bloomsburg dropped from #4 to #5 despite capping off the season with a road victory at Slippery Rock. The Huskies’ demotion was simply a result of IUP’s deserved leap to the top three. As if you needed to be reminded, here is the field for Super Region 1:

1) Winston-Salem State (CIAA) 11-0
2) New Haven (Northeast 10) 10-0
3) Indiana (PSAC) 10-1
4) Shippensburg (PSAC) 10-1
5) Bloomsburg (PSAC) 10-1
6) Shepherd (WVIAC) 8-2

Round One Matchups

Shepherd will meet IUP in the post season for the third time since 1998. The Rams took both of the previous meetings. They won a defensive struggle at Miller Stadium 9-6 in 1998 and won a second round meeting at Ram Stadium 41-34 in 2007.

Bloomsburg and Shippensburg will meet for the second time this year and for the first time ever in the playoffs. The Raiders won the first meeting in dramatic fashion and now face the unenviable task of having to defeat a good team twice in the same season. For some historical perspective, here is a list of recent playoff “rematches” that involved PSAC teams.

• 2004: East Stroudsburg beat Edinboro on the road in week two and again at home in the second round of the playoffs.
• West Chester had rematches with East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg. The Rams beat the Warriors in overtime during the regular season, but fell to Shippensburg in the final week. West Chester defeated both teams in the playoffs on their way to the regional championship.
• 2005: East Stroudsburg lost to Bloomsburg in overtime during the regular season. The Warriors then travelled to Redman Stadium in the second round of the playoffs and upset the Huskies 59-32.
• ESU also met and defeated C.W. Post twice. They won a non-conference matchup in week 3 and also beat the Pioneers for the regional championship.
• 2006: Bloomsburg defeated West Chester in the regular season 30-27 and again in the playoffs 21-20.
• 2008: Bloomsburg had two rematches and split the results with each team. The Huskies lost an unofficial PSAC East Championship game to West Chester in the regular season, but beat the Golden Rams in the second round of the playoffs. In week two of the regular season, Bloom defeated fifth ranked California 24-17. The Vulcans won a thrilling rematch 27-24 in the regional final.
• 2009: Shippensburg won the PSAC Championship game over California 42-35, but the Vulcans returned two weeks later in the second round of the playoffs and eliminated the Raiders by a score of 26-21.
• Edinboro split with West Liberty. The Scots won the season opener but the Hilltoppers got them back in the playoffs by the unfathomable score of 84-63.
• 2010: Mercyhurst upended Bloomsburg twice in three weeks. The Lakers won the PSAC Championship game on their home turf and then advanced to regional finals with another home victory over the Huskies.

There may have been others as well, but those were the ones I could recall, with a little help from some other message board members.



Enough with the history lessons….

Shepherd at IUP 12:00


IUP Game Day Central: http://www.iupathletics.com/sports/2...?path=football

Live Video: http://nmtvsports.com/main.php?modul...&eventId=26894

Shepherd Stats: http://www.shepherdrams.com/content/...AMCUME2012.HTM

IUP Stats: http://www.iupathletics.com/cumestat...ball&year=2012

IUP enters the post season as the #3 seed, but the Crimson Hawks may very well be the favorite to win the region. Winston-Salem State and New Haven earned their positions as the first and second seeds, but IUP has as much momentum as anyone. Just a few weeks ago, IUP was still being looked at very skeptically. Their best opportunity of the year got away from them when Cal rallied for 9 points in the final minute of the Coal Bowl. They hadn’t really beaten a quality team, and even with an opportunity to win the PSAC West, they struggled with 2-7 Gannon and had to rally in the closing minutes to win. All of this was quickly forgotten when the Crimson Hawks dismantled Shippensburg 41-10 to take the PSAC crown and finish 10-1.

Shepherd gave up a second half lead to Shippensburg in the season opener (no shame there) and the only blemish in their conference schedule was a one point set back at West Liberty. The Rams handled a very good American International team in week two, beat Charleston on the road and closed out the season with three straight wins. The Rams are no strangers to the post season, and their recent record against the PSAC is pretty darn good.

I expect a very good defensive battle. PSAC fans know all about IUP’s defense. It has been talked about all year on the message board and in this blog, and with good reason. (It may have also been somewhat of a factor in last week’s championship game). The Crimson Hawks are number 1 in the nation in scoring defense and total defense and number two in rush defense. Again, we knew that.

What PSAC fans may not be aware of is that Shepherd also boasts one of the top defenses in the country. The Rams give up just 15 points per game (8th) and 297 total yards (16th). IUP has the number two rush defense in the nation, but do you want to take a guess who is number 1? Yup. Shepherd. The Rams give up just 38 yards per game. They have yielded only 376 net yards for the season. For the entire season! 376 yards is about five quarters of play for Franklyn Quiteh or Harvie Tuck, and that is what the Rams have given up through 10 games. Astounding. To put it another way – IUP’s second ranked rush defense (which is phenomenal) has given up twice as many yards as Shepherd.

The D-line is very impressive and the linebackers are a tad undersized, but they get to the ball in hurry. They are a real joy to watch. They give up passing yards but they don't allow points (opponents are only 11 for 22 in the red zone ) and they create turnovers.

Clearly, that is going to make this game a lot of fun to watch. The Crimson Hawks have one the nation’s best rushing attacks and they have no shortage of backs. Even without Harvie Tuck in the lineup last week, they went for 287 against Shippensburg. IUP believes in physicality at the line of scrimmage but they will have their hands full with a strong D-line and a linebacking corps that is a very quick. They are led by middle linebacker Dominique Dixon who manages to be around the ball on nearly every play, and defensive end Howard Jones, who has eight sacks.

For the Crimson Hawks, the path to victory may be through the air. Mike Box has been very efficient under center, and last week was a perfect example (11-16-178, 3TD, 0INT). He was very poised and threw with authority. Terrill Barnes (7 catches, 134 yards, 3TD) stepped up as the go to receiver in Pat Brewer’s absence. If Brewer can return this week, Box will have a pair of prime targets to work with against Shepherd’s potentially vulnerable pass defense. The Rams do give up 260 yards per game. However, yards do not equal points and the Rams have only given up 15 passing touchdowns. They also have 17 interceptions and 31 sacks to their credit. It may not be easy, but if the Hawks can have success throwing the ball like they did last week, it will loosen up that Shepherd run defense.

When the Rams have the ball, everything starts with quarterback Bobby Cooper. He has a very efficient 61% pass completion percentage for 2,150 yards. 15 Touchdowns to 8 interceptions is not exceptional, but he is a very mobile quarterback that can extend plays and he distributes the ball to all of his weapons. Six players on the roster have more than 12 catches, led by Larry Lowe’s 45 receptions for 611 yards. The running game (which Cooper also contributes too) has been a committee this year for the Rams. The leading rusher has only 395 yards, but as a team they have run for 1,431 (141 per game).

Prediction:

After IUP’s performance against Shippensburg last week (a team that nearly everyone agreed was the best in the PSAC to that point) it is awfully tempting to think the same thing will happen this week. Well, to quote college football broadcasting legend Lee Corso, “Not so fast my friend.” Football is a game of matchups, and Shepherd just may match up better than Shippensburg did. Shepherd will come into this game well prepared.

IUP has the best defense around, but consider this…two of the better PSAC defenses I’ve seen in the past several years were California 2007 and Mercyhurst 2010. Shepherd played both of those teams and did better than any offense did that season. The Rams scored 38 against Cal in 2007 (prior to that, no other team had scored more than 14) and they hung 49 on PSAC Champ Mercyhurst in 2010. Both games were on the road. Neither of those games has anything to do with this one. But I am referencing them to illustrate that Monte Cater and his staff will come up with a great game plan that will give them a chance to win. Shepherd should never be overlooked.

It will be a great defensive struggle, but I will take the PSAC Champions at home in a game that should be close to the very end.

IUP 20 Shepherd 14

Bloomsburg at Shippensburg 12:00

Shippensburg Game Day Central: http://www.shipraiders.com/news/2012...113121105.aspx

Live Video: http://ship.edu/goraiders/

Shippensburg Stats: http://www.shipraiders.com/custompag...L/teamcume.htm

Bloomsburg Stats: http://buhuskies.com/custompages/FOO...2/teamcume.htm

These two met less a month ago when both were 8-0 and fighting it out for the PSAC East title. It was an extraordinary contest that started with a 35-7 run by Shippensburg in the first half and was followed by Bloomsburg’s 35-7 run in the second half. The Raiders executed a perfect gaming winning drive that resulted in the deciding points going on the board with just 5 seconds remaining.

Prior to that game, I wrote an extensive preview of the action. You can revisit that blog here:
http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry....SAC-East-Title

A lot of what I wrote at that time is still true today, so please forgive me for not going through the painstaking effort of re-writing it all again. There is no reason to re-invent the wheel.

Some things have obviously changed since then, and the stakes are even higher now as the teams prepare for a second meeting. There has been some talk on the message board about how Shippensburg will respond to the humbling loss to IUP a week ago. Will they be reeling a bit from that loss? Did they think they were unbeatable and now have some confidence issues? I suppose it’s possible, but I wouldn’t bet on it. This is a well-coached football team and they will go back to work this week with the same focus they’ve had all year.

I’ll reiterate what I wrote on the message board during the week – You can talk about the psychological aspects of this meeting if you want to, but I think it’s a waste of time. This game will come down to preparation and execution, just like it did three weeks ago. The game was tied until 5 seconds remained, so clearly either team could have won. A single play could have changed the outcome. Both teams know they can win and they both know what they need to do better this time around.

Ultimately, that is the question. What does each team have to do better? Well, play 60 minutes, to start with! The Huskies stumbled through the first half until they hit their stride, and Raiders tightened up and started making lots of mistakes after building an early lead. So that is the obvious point of emphasis this week for both coaches.

Aside from that Bloomsburg needs to…

• Not let Zach Zulli extend plays. Zulli likes to get the ball out quickly, but he can also be very patient. He is very good at moving away from pressure and then taking off downfield if he doesn’t see anything.
• Stay tough against the run. Frennette is a good back, but if the Huskies can limit his rushing yards early in the game, the Raiders will go almost exclusively to the passing game.
• Watch for designed quarterback runs. Zulli is not afraid to the run the ball and he is not afraid of hits.
• Be prepared to use the passing game. Franklyn Quiteh torched the Raider defense for 268 yards. They will be determined to not let that happen again. If Ship stacks “the box” make them pay for it by going over the top to the speedy wide receivers.
• Let Tim Kelly run with the ball. He is very good at moving away from pressure and picking up yards on the ground. Danny Hale doesn’t like to see his quarterbacks run too often, but on the road in a hostile environment, he has to use every weapon in the arsenal.

And Shippensburg needs to…

• Find a way to defend the run a little better. Don’t ask me how, I’m not a coach. But even when Bloomsburg was down early in the game, the rushing attack was working. If the Huskies get over 300 yards on the ground again, the Raiders will be in trouble.
  
• Put pressure on the quarterback. Kelly had some success against the Raiders but he also forced a few balls into traffic when pressured.
• Watch for the deep ball. Bloomsburg’s Ryan Dickerson and Kyle Fisher can beat anyone man-to-man.
• Be alert for trick plays. Bloomsburg is known as an unsophisticated offense, but the deeper the season goes, the more the Huskies reveal. They always have a few tricks tucked away for big games.
• Secure the ball. Two fourth quarter fumbles led to a pair of Bloomsburg touchdowns in the first meeting.

Really, all of this is pretty obvious stuff. Both teams know what to expect and both teams know what they have to do. Ship definitely has an advantage playing at home (in my opinion, Seth Grove is the best home field advantage in the PSAC) but it is not easy to beat a great team twice. I think Bloomsburg will avoid falling into a big hole this time and I think they will be better prepared on defense. IUP exposed a few things last week and if Bloomsburg can do some of the same things, they can win. It should be another fantastic battle, but I think the outcome will go the other way.

Bloomsburg 41 Shippensburg 38

With two PSAC teams facing each other, we are assured of having at least one team in action next week. The winner of the Bloom-Ship game will travel to North Carolina to take on 11-0 Winston-Salem State. The IUP-Shepherd victor will travel north to take on undefeated New Haven. Hopefully we’ll have two teams in action but however it works out, I’ll be employed at least one more week.
Questions or comments can be sent to me at chuck.bitner@d2football.com ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?790-Three-PSAC-Teams-in-Action-in-Round-One-of-D2-Playoffs http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?781-IUP-wins-PSAC-Championship-(and-other-headlines) Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:23:10 GMT *IUP Manhandles Ship in PSAC Championship Game* To quote myself from last week’s preview blog, offense dominates headlines, but defense dominates... IUP Manhandles Ship in PSAC Championship Game

To quote myself from last week’s preview blog, offense dominates headlines, but defense dominates games. On Saturday afternoon, IUP completely dominated Shippensburg, and stole all the headlines by winning the PSAC Championship. Shippensburg’s perfect season was ruined as the Red Raiders fell to 10-1, and in the process, lost the number 1 seed in the regional bracket of the national playoffs. Both teams will await word on playoff seeding when the bracket is revealed at 5:00 on Sunday.

If there is one word or phrase to describe Shippensburg’s afternoon, it would be “season-low.” The Raiders were held to season lows in just about every offensive statistical category. Harlon Hill candidate quarterback Zack Zulli was limited to just 17 completions on 42 attempts. He tallied only 205 yards and one touchdown. Even the one TD was more of a prayer than anything else, which was nicely played by Trevor Harmon in the back of the end zone. That TD cut the IUP lead to 20-10 late in the second half, but that would be it for day for the Red Raider offense.

The Raiders’ offense, which had been nearly unstoppable all year long, was held to a mere 271 total yards and just 10 points. IUP’s defense was able to pressure Zulli and keep him unsettled throughout the entire game. When he had adequate time to set up his throws, the secondary did not allow Ship’s talented receiving corps to get open. It was a remarkable effort by the nation’s top defense.

However, this win was a total team effort. IUP’s offense was fantastic in this game. They held the ball for long periods of time and moved it through the air and on the ground. Mike Box only got to the put the ball in the air 16 times, but he completed 11 of those attempts for 178 yards and three touchdowns. More than that, he looked like he was in complete control. He was calm, poised and threw the ball with authority. His production was a perfect compliment to the powerful running game that put up 296 yards on the ground.

The IUP defense was as advertised and there is no doubt that they controlled this game. But I was equally impressed by the offense. I haven’t even mentioned that they were playing without their two best players! Harvie Tuck dressed but carried only once and number one receiver Pat Brewer was not in uniform. De’Antwan Williams stepped up in a major way to carry the load (30 carries, 135 yards) in Tuck’s absence and Terrill Barnes emerged as the go-to receiver with 7 catches for 124 yards and three touchdowns.

Shippensburg’s Oregon Duck style of offense works great when they pick up yards and first downs, but when they are struggling, the only thing their fast paced offense does is put the defense back on the field immediately. It really hurt them on Saturday. IUP held the ball for nearly 37 minutes.

Congratulations to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks, 2012 PSAC Champions.
Playoff seeding for both of these teams will be very interesting. See below for my take on the situation.

Lock Haven Wins!

The Lock Haven Bald Eagles earned their first victory since November, 2007 with a 15-7 win over Cheyney. Lock Haven led 12-0 in the fourth quarter, but a Cheyney touchdown cut the lead to five points. Lock Haven responded with a field goal with just over four minutes left, and were able to run out the clock after forcing a Cheyney punt with 2:36 to play. It was nice to see a nearly packed at house at Hubert Jack Stadium supporting this team as it fought for this long over due victory. The win got multiple mentions on espn radio, college sports nation radio and even made the Sports Center Top 10.

Congratulations to the 13 members of Lock Haven’s senior class, who finally walked off the field with a win.

Quiteh surpasses 5,000 career yards as Huskies secure playoff spot

Bloomsburg rode a big first half effort to 49-41 victory over a Slippery Rock team that had won four straight. The Huskies’ offense was nearly unstoppable in the first half with five touchdowns in six possessions. A blocked punt returned for a touchdown by Larry Webster increased the Huskies lead to 42-13 at halftime. However, the Huskies seemed to lose their focus in the second half and the Rock offense, which had been unable to protect Jared Buck, made some nice adjustments at the intermission. Rock outscored Bloomsburg 28-7 in the second half on the strength of Akeem Satterfield’s rushing and Jared Buck’s passing. The Rock came within an on-sides kickoff recovery of having a shot to tie the game. The end result was all the mattered for the Huskies as they completed a 10-1 regular season and solidified their place in the post season. Franklyn Quiteh has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this season and went over 5,000 for his career with 183 at Slippery Rock.


Mercyhurst closes out 9-2 season with shootout victory over ESU

East Stroudsburg trailed Mercyhurst 45-24 in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors rallied to tie the game with a run of three touchdowns in five minutes. Kendrick Williams completed the comeback with a 41yard catch and run with 3:07 to play. The TD tied the game at 45, but Mercyhurst came back with a six play, 75 yard drive that took just 1:17. ESU had one more opportunity to re-tie the game but an interception sealed the victory for the Lakers. The two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense, led by a career high 379 passing yards for Mercyhurst’s Anthony Vendemia. Matt Soltes had 394 passing yards and five touchdowns for ESU. The Lakers finish with second most wins in school history (9) while ESU finishes 5-5.

Gannon destroys Post to close season on a high note
Gannon had it’s highest offense output of the season in a 45-6 home victory over LIU-Post on a beautiful sunny day in Erie. The Golden Knights finished just one yard shy of 500 yards of total offense, and had their best rushing performance of the season (167 yards). Liam Nadler threw four touchdowns and only one interception and finished with 335 yards. The Gannon defense also had a great day, and did an exceptional job on third down. Post converted only 3 of 14 third down attempts and were also 0-4 on fourth down. The Golden Knights closed out the year with two wins in the final three games, and gave IUP a heck of a fight one week ago. LIU-Post has lost six of the last seven games since starting 2-0. They will finish the year next week with a re-scheduled date at Kutztown.


Kutztown routs Edinboro with big second half

Kutztown trailed Edinboro 21-14 at halftime, but the Golden Bears scored on six straight second half drives (four touchdowns, two field goals). The only second half drive that did not result in points was a final possession that ended as time expired. Kevin Morton turned in a typically efficient (and remarkable) performance, completing 38 of 50 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns. The Golden Bears’ defense also had a fine day in limiting Edinboro’s Cody Harris to 259 yards passing and picked him off twice. Edinboro’s disappointing season comes to an end, while Kutztown will get to close out the year at home next week in their re-scheduled contest with LIU-Post.

West Chester defeats Clarion, finishes with most victories since 2009

Rondell White carried the West Chester offense yet again with this fourth 200 yard rushing performance of the season. Carrying 38 times for a season best 227 yards, White broke the school record for rushing yards in a season with 1,548. Shawn Leo booted four field goals, tying his own school record for most in a game. The Rams built a 26-0 lead by the fourth quarter, until Clarion finally responded with a pair of late (and meaningless) touchdowns. West Chester finishes with their best record since 2009, and should have much to look forward to for 2013. Clarion had a tough day against the West Chester defense, averaging just 3.4 yards per rush and completing only 50% of their pass attempts.

California finishes 8-3 with rout of Millersville

Peter Lalich was able to return to the field for his final college game and he hardly missed a beat after sitting out the last several games. The senior hit 17 of 27 passes for 270 yards and four touchdowns in leading Cal to a 42-7 half time lead. Wide receiver Mike Williams had a big day with 9 catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, B.J. Stevens set new school records for sacks in a season (14.5) and tackles for loss (22.5) Ted Stachitas had a decent day for Millersville, and the Marauders went down fighting with three fourth quarter touchdowns.

Playoff bids

IUP, Shippensburg and Bloomsburg will earn invitations to the NCAA Division II playoffs. There is very little doubt about that, nor is there much doubt about who will earn the other three spots. Where those teams will be seeded is still in question. Shippensburg entered the week firstin the regional rankings. How far do they drop with the loss? I think thy may fall as far as fourth. Winston-Salem and New Haven are the clear number 1 and number 2, respectively. After them, we have three 10-1 teams all from the PSAC. Knowing that (historically) the committee really values head-to-head, I can see IUP moving from fifth to third. Amongst the three 10-1 teams, there is a hierarchy of head-to-head. Shippensburg has head-to-head over Bloomsburg, and IUP has head-to-head over Shippensburg. So this is what I feel the rankings should like.

1) Winston-Salem State 11-0
2) New Haven 10-0
3) IUP 10-1
4) Shippensburg 10-1
5) Bloomsburg 10-1
6) Shepherd 8-2


Shippensburg could stay ahead of IUP because of the huge disparity in strength of schedule. Shippensburg’s opponent winning percentage is much better than IUP’s so it is possible they will stay ahead of them. If the committee places Ship in third, then I think Bloomsburg will remain in fourth. Keep in mind that conference championships have no bearing on rankings so it is conceivable that IUP, as the conference champion, could still be ranked behind the other two PSAC teams.

Any way we look at it, the six teams show above will be the SR1 field, and I really don’t think there are any teams out there that have an argument to make for why they should replace any of these six teams.

The selection show will be aired Sunday evening at 5:00 at ncaa.com.

Questions, Comments? Send them to me at chuck.bitner@d2football.com. ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?781-IUP-wins-PSAC-Championship-(and-other-headlines) http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?768-PSAC-Regular-Season-Finale Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:10:48 GMT For most of Division II and most of the PSAC, the season will come to an end this Saturday. After all the summer practices, two-a-days, workout... For most of Division II and most of the PSAC, the season will come to an end this Saturday. After all the summer practices, two-a-days, workout sessions, film sessions, classes missed, injuries, victories and defeats, it comes to an end for the 2012 season.

Before we run down the schedule, I would like to say best wishes to all the seniors that will take the field for the final time this Saturday.

East Stroudsburg (5-4, 4-3) at Mercyhurst (8-2, 6-1)

We talk about ‘trap games’ a lot on the message boards and this could be one for Mercyhurst. The Lakers are coming off an impressive 40-7 beat-down of California. It was the worst loss the Vulcans have suffered since being manhandled by UMD in the 2008 national semifinals. Unfortunately for Mercyhurst, they fall in line behind all the other two loss teams in SR1 which gives them almost no chance at making the playoffs. Could that disappointment leave the Lakers feeling a little ‘flat’ this weekend?

Maybe so, but I’m not betting on it. The Lakers are one of the best coached teams in the conference, in my opinion, and they will be ready to play. They will have to be because East Stroudsburg is a hot team at the moment. The offense has taken off with Matt Soltes under center. The dual threat QB has been named PSAC East offensive player of the week three times since mid-season and running backs Eric Deery and Kendrick Williams have been productive as well. The problem for ESU is that Mercyhurst has the PSAC’s best pass defense, and it showed last week against California. It think Soltes will keep them honest with his rushing ability, but I don’t think it will be enough.

Mercyhurst 34 East Stroudsburg 30

LIU Post (3-5, 2-4) at Gannon (2-8, 1-6)

LIU Post will make the long trek to Erie for their final cross-over game as a member of the PSAC. The Pioneers haven’t fared that well in cross overs (5-9 since 2008) but here is an interesting trend: From 2008-2011, The Pioneers lost their first two crossovers of the year, but won their season finale against a western division team. This year they are 1-1 against the west and with a victory over Gannon, they could finish their final PSAC season with a winning record in cross-overs.

I’m not really confident though. Neither team has been very good this year but Gannon has a little bit of momentum. They snapped a seven game losing streak two weeks ago at Lock Haven and put in their best performance of the year one week ago with a courageous effort against IUP. Post has been vulnerable to the passing attack, and that’s Gannon’s game. The Knights have good skill players at the receiver position and Liam Nadler has a tendency to throw picks, but he will get some yards too. It’s a long trip from Brookville to Erie so I think the home team has an edge.

Gannon 31 LIU Post 28

Kutztown (5-4, 3-3) at Edinboro (4-5, 3-4)

Expect a lot of offense in this one. Both teams love to move the ball through the air and each has one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the nation. Kutztown is coming off an unplanned bye week, due to ‘Sandy’ so they may be a bit healthier and better prepared. It may also be a little bit of a lift to know they will get to finish their season at home next week, rather than on the road at Edinboro. The Fighting Scots are a little better on defense, but Kutztown has a lot of weapons at the skill positions. It should be a fun game if you like offense, but I don’t think Edinboro is built to keep pace in a shootout.

Kutztown 42 Edinboro 28

West Chester (6-4, 4-3) at Clarion (4-6, 2-5)

You could lump West Chester in with a handful of other teams that may be a little deflated coming into this final game. The Golden Rams saw their playoff hopes come to an end in a tough one point loss at Bloomsburg last Saturday. Getting back into the top six would require an incalculable number of miracles, but that shouldn’t deter the Rams from playing their best football this week. The Golden Rams have put their program back on track and left the losing seasons behind them. A win at Clarion would give them a 7-4 finish. There is a world of difference between 6-5 and 7-4 so this is still a very important game for West Chester.

Clarion would love to recover from their late season nose dive and finish on a positive note. The Golden Eagles have lost four of the last five and were blown out in the last two. Clarion’s offense has had a knack for accumulating yards and first downs, but not having the points to show for it. They average just under 400 yards per game, which is competitive, but their 17 points per game is only good enough for 13th in the PSAC. They are facing a good West Chester defense that recently held Shippensburg and Bloomsburg below their season averages for yards and points.

West Chester 31 Clarion 17

Millersville (2-8, 1-6) at California (7-3, 5-2)

Millersville has trudged through another tough season at the bottom of the PSAC East. They will close out the season with an ailing California team that is likely to miss the post season for the first time since 2006. One could forgive the Vulcans if they come into this game a little deflated after consecutive losses that have cost them a berth in the PSAC Championship game. It may be an opportunity for the Marauders to put a scare into the home team, but talent will still win the day. Cal has struggled without star quarterback Peter Lalich, but they should have no problems running the ball against the PSAC’s worst rush defense. It probably won’t be the most inspired performance we’ve seen from the Vulcans, but they should close out the campaign with a victory and an 8-3 record.

Bloomsburg (9-1, 6-1) at Slippery Rock (6-4, 5-2)

Bloomsburg rebounded from the heartbreaker at Shippensburg with a hard earned victory over rival West Chester last week. The Huskies are in good position for the post season but a win will definitely cement their place in the top 6 in SR1. Slippery Rock has quietly won four straight since their disappointing loss at IUP. Nigel Barksdale has provided a big spark to the Rock offense with his dual threat ability. Since taking over as the starter, he has led the team in rushing and has put up impressive passing stats as well. However, he has thrown nine interceptions and has fumbled a few times. Bloomsburg’s defense is opportunistic so turnovers could be a big factor.

The Rock may have a good chance to stand up to the Huskies’ running game with their strong defensive front. However, Bloomsburg faced two of the league’s best rushing defenses in the last two games and still did their damage with the ground game. Franklyn Quiteh has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this year and is closing in on 2,000 for the season and 5,000 for his career.

Slippery Rock is playing very well right now and this has a bowl game feel for them. They have a winning streak going and have a chance to knock off a ranked opponent to finish the season. Bloomsburg has to treat this like a playoff. They’re in a good position for the post season but a loss would leave them vulnerable. I think that will be all the motivation they need to be fully focused and ready to execute.

Bloomsburg 34 Slippery Rock 24

Cheyney (1-9, 0-7) at Lock Haven (0-10, 0-7)

It’s come down to this. It has been five full years since Lock Haven University’s last football victory. Five years. I know Coach Allen and his players don’t talk about the streak, but it’s impossible to ignore it. The last victory this program had was the 2007 finale – and that was the only victory of that season. If they hadn’t somehow defeated winless Clarion on that day 17-14, the streak could be 11 games longer than it already is. An entire class of students has cycled through LHU since the last win. Barak Obama has been elected President TWICE since the last Bald Eagle victory.

No, they don’t talk about the streak at Lock Haven. But it’s there. It’s always there, and it’s always the first (and only) thing people think of or talk about when it comes to Lock Haven football. It will always be part of their history. But it’s time to make it just that – History.

Coach John Allen, his staff and his players are fighting to turn things around. They are still working towards that first victory together, but they have already had a handful of games this year that have been more competitive than any others over the past five years. They’ve come very close to victory on two occasions and although there is still a very long way to go, they are moving forward.

Progress is progress but ending this streak is the first thing that has to happen in order for this program to turn the corner. They have to win a game, end this streak and put it behind them forever. The good news for the Bald Eagles as that the upcoming game gives them the best chance they’ve had since 2007. Cheyney has won a couple of ball games, during “the streak” but they haven’t been much better than Lock Haven. They’ve only won two games in the past two years and both have been over Lincoln.

The matchup should be pretty even. I think Cheyney has some good skill players on offense and their triple option can be difficult to adjust to. Blaze Wasserleben has done a commendable job running their offense, and Marcus Jones is a talented and strong runner. They don’t have much of a passing threat though, and I think Lock Haven will be better at the line of scrimmage. The Bald Eagles have played pretty well on defense this year and if they play disciplined, assignment football against the Wolves, I think they can contain them.

Lock Haven’s biggest struggles have been on the offensive side of the ball. They are dead last in the PSAC in scoring, total offense and rushing offense. However, Cheyney is definitely the weakest defensive team they will have faced, so it may be an opportunity for LHU to break out.

Neither has an advantage in talent, and there aren’t any areas where one team is clearly better. It really has to come down to one thing…Lock Haven has to want this more. In the grand scheme, it would just be one victory, but it would be so much more than that. There is not a single player on that team that has even won a college game. There are seniors that have played for five years at that University and not once have they been able to walk off the field with a win. They deserve a win, and based on the progress they have made this year, they deserve to be the group that puts this streak behind them. Once this streak is over, they don’t have to hear about, talk about or think about it. One victory, heading into the off season would give this team a lot of momentum and a lot of incentive to work hard towards being a more competitive team next year.

Every player at Lock Haven needs to put in the best week of practice he’s ever had. For himself, his coaches, his school, and especially his senior teammates. Send them out with a win.

Lock Haven 27 Cheyney 20

PSAC Championship Game

The PSAC Championship preview blog has been posted here:
http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry....mpionship-Game ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?768-PSAC-Regular-Season-Finale http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?767-Ship-travels-to-IUP-for-the-PSAC-Championship-Game Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:15:47 GMT This game deserves its own blog, so I will preview the rest of the PSAC schedule in a separate entry to be published soon after this one. *PSAC... This game deserves its own blog, so I will preview the rest of the PSAC schedule in a separate entry to be published soon after this one.


PSAC Championship Game

George P. Miller Stadium, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Saturday, November 10, 2:05

Reminder: This game will broadcast live on PCN

PSAC East Champion Shippensburg (10-0, 7-0) at PSAC West Champion IUP (9-1, 6-1)

Well here it is. The best from the East v. the best from the West for the PSAC Championship. I’m not going to call it by its adopted name – The State Game. Frankly, I don’t like the State Game moniker because it is outdated. It implies that we play for state championships and that is not what this is. It’s not high school. In college football we play for conference championships and national championships. The PSAC is a collegiate conference. Leave state championships to the PIAA.

Alright, enough of that mini rant. Call it whatever you want, because it’s going to be awesome. Seriously, what more can we ask for in a championship game? IUP has had one of the top defenses all year, and Shippensburg’s elite offense has been shredding the school record books on a weekly basis.

It might seem like I’m exaggerating, but I’m really not. Shippensburg’s Sports Information team has been busy every weekend keeping track of all the latest records that have been broken. Zach Zulli now owns nearly every single game, season and career passing mark at Ship and he has started only 21 games. Zulli has thrown for 3,845 yards in 10 games this year and has thrown a staggering 49 touchdown passes and just 5 interceptions. Considering he has the most pass attempts in the PSAC (50 more than the next closest) I think five interceptions may be his most impressive stat.

Like any successful quarterback, Zulli hardly does it alone. He has a host of playmakers in the backfield and at the wide receiver positions. Jacob Baskerville is the only player in the PSAC to have gone over 1,000 yards receiving so far. However, teammate Trevor Harmon is just 25 yards away from joining him. Bryan Barley as the third receiver has numbers that rival most teams’ number 1 man (32 catches, 602 yards, 7 touchdowns). Mike Frennette has 46 receptions out of the backfield and he also has 724 yards rushing. So basically, if you threw in Franklyn Quiteh, you would have the All-PSAC East skill players right here.

Those are the individuals, but what do they add up to? How about 566 yards (411 passing, 155 rushing) and 52 points per game. Alright. What do you to say about that, IUP?

Well, as it turns out IUP may have a few answers. Offense dominates headlines, be defense dominates games. So while Shippensburg has been getting all the attention and all the fanfare with their offensive numbers, IUP has more quietly demolished most of their opposition with a defense that has been nearly as impressive as Ship’s offense. The number one defense in the nation gives up only 239 total yards per game. They give up only 69 yards on the ground and have yielded just six rushing touchdowns.

Passing teams have a much better shot against their defensive front, but the going is still pretty tough. The Crimson Hawks give up about 170 pass yards per game, and have allowed only 9 touchdowns. They’ve got 28 sacks as well. Carl Thornton is the most dominant defensive lineman in the PSAC and probably one the best in country. He is equally effective in run defense and pass rush and leads the team with seven sacks.

The linebackers are ball hawkers as Alex Berdhahl and Carl Flemming are first and second on the team in tackles. The secondary, led by Johnny Franco (6 INTs) and Jerrell McFadden (42 tackles) is among the best in the nation.

It always seems that there isn’t as much to say about a defense as there is to say about an offense. But I have no doubts that if there is a defense out that that can end Ship’s winning streak, it is this one. The question may be, can IUP’s offense help out by playing “keep away” and scoring enough points with their rushing attack?

I think they have a good chance. A lot may depend on how healthy Harvie Tuck is. The PSAC’s second leading rusher (1,548 yards) was injured last week at Gannon. IUP will definitely need a healthy Tuck to pull off a victory. De’Antwann Williams and Montay Green are very capable, but Tuck is the workhorse. Tuck is listed as the starter in this week’s game notes, for what that’s worth.

The Crimson Hawks will go up against a good defensive front that has been successful at stopping the run. If Thornton is the best DT in the PSAC, then Ship’s Mark Kahlil Smith is number two. Jake Metz at end is also a force. However, IUP’s offense is similar to Bloomsburg’s and the Huskies ran for 351 yards against the Red Raiders. The Crimson Hawks will have to be able to run the ball nearly as successfully, because they don’t have enough play making ability with the passing game. Mike Box has done a very solid job since assuming the starting role but the Hawks as still basically a “pass as needed” offense.

So I’ve written several paragraphs and now I’m just stalling. IUP’s backbone is its defense, Ship’s is its offense. The unit that is more successful will win. I’m a big believer that defense wins championships, and sometime soon, Ship is going to run into a defense that can stand up to them. It might be this Saturday. But I have a feeling Ship’s winning streak will continue for at least another week. Overall, they are very healthy for a team that has played 10 games and they have not lost one bit of momentum this season. I think their roll will continue into the post season.


Shippensburg 38 IUP 34


Here are a few offense –defense comparisons to consider, with conference rankings in parentheses.

Ship Scoring offense: 52.7 ppg (first)
IUP Scoring defense: 11.3 ppg (first)

Ship total offense: 566 ypg (first)
IUP total defense: 239 ypg (first)

Ship passing offense: 411 ypg (first)
IUP passing defense: 170 ypg (third)

Ship rushing offense: 155 ypg (tenth)
IUP rushing defense: 69 ypg (first)

Ship first downs: 28 per game (first)
IUP first downs allowed: 13 per game (first)

Ship sacks allowed: 10 (third)
IUP sacks: 28 (second)

Ship INTs thrown: 7 (fourth)
IUP INTs: 15 (second)

Ship plays per game: 80 (first)
IUP plays allowed per game: 57 (first)

Ship games with more than 35 points scored: 10
IUP games with more than 35 points allowed: 0 ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?767-Ship-travels-to-IUP-for-the-PSAC-Championship-Game http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?754-PSAC-Championship-Game-is-set-other-Headlines-from-Week-10 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 01:27:39 GMT *IUP outlasts Gannon, advances to PSAC Championship game* IUP got the help they needed from Mercyhurst to vault them into the PSAC Championship... IUP outlasts Gannon, advances to PSAC Championship game

IUP got the help they needed from Mercyhurst to vault them into the PSAC Championship game, but the Lakers nearly got a HUGE assist from-ross town rival Gannon that would have put them into the title round. Mercyhurst was alive for the PSAC west championship when play started on Saturday, but in order to secure the title, they would need 2-7 Gannon to upset 8-1 IUP. No one, including me, thought there was even a small chance of that happening. But it very nearly did.

Gannon took the lead three times in the second half and as late as the seven minute mark of the fourth quarter. IUP rallied to take back the lead with three minutes to go but had to make two defensive stands and survive a “hail mary” on the last play. It certainly didn’t play out the way anyone expected but give credit to Gannon for a heck of an effort and face the reality that the only thing that matters is that IUP got the win, and advances to the championship.

The worst thing about this game for IUP is that Shippensburg (the best offense in the country) has a week to break down how Gannon was able to have the best day any offense has had against IUP this year. The Crimson Hawks have shown no weaknesses on defense, but the Golden Knights may have exposed some vulnerabilities that Shippensburg can take advantage of.

Championship game set, will be televised live on PCN

With divisional play in the books, the Championship game is now set. IUP will host Shippensburg on Saturday at 2:00. The PSAC announced this past Saturday that a deal has been reached with PCN to broadcast the game live state-wide. Additional details about online streaming will also be available later in the week.

I will have a preview of the game later in the week, and it may take me a few days to figure out who I am favoring. The league’s best offense will go up against the league’s best defense for the overall title. We can’t ask for more than that in a championship game.

Additional note: IUP becomes for the fourth western division team and eighth overall to participate in the PSAC Championship game that was re-introduced in 2008. It is remarkable that in just five seasons, exactly half of the PSAC members have participated in the championship game.

Cal loses second straight, falls out of playoff contention

California started the day with control of its destiny and an opportunity to move on to the PSAC Championship game. Unfortunately for the Vulcans, Mercyhurst was in complete control of the game from start to finish. The Lakers put together their most impressive performance of the year in trouncing visiting California 40-7. The Lakers’ top ranked pass defense lived up to its reputation by limiting Cal to just 133 yards on 15 completions. The Lakers’ passing game was an efficient 10 of 15 for 191 yards, and the running game put up 209. Mercyhurst finishes tied for first in the PSAC West, although IUP owns the head to head tie breaker and will play in the championship game. California will likely fall out of the regional rankings and miss out on the post season for the first time since 2006.

Bloomsburg hangs on to defeat Rondell White 24-23

Rondell White carried West Chester on his back Saturday afternoon. The senior running back carried 30 times for 219 yards and caught 9 passes for 94 yards in accounting for 313 of the Golden Rams’ 422 total yards. Unfortunately for White, the most significant play of the game was most likely a red zone fumble with 4:39 to play. The Rams had marched 89 yards on 12 plays and were within easy scoring distance when Bloomsburg’s Dan Haverstock and Matt Heilig forced White to fumble at the 12 yard line. Bloomsburg still had to make two more defensive stands to seal the game but a turnover on downs and another forced fumble secured the Huskies’ ninth win of the season.

Shippensburg sails to 10th victory

Shippensburg started slow, but rolled to an easy victory over Cheyeny. Okay, what I mean by “started slow” is that they did not score on their first possession. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Raiders turned the ball over on the second play of the game. But any thoughts of a let-down performance were put to rest when the Raiders scored on the next four drives and chipped in a defensive touchdown as well. More school records fell as the Raiders wrapped up an undefeated PSAC East schedule. The Raiders established new records for defensive touchdowns (5) and first downs in a season (287). Zach Zulli became the school’s career passing leader with 6,586 yards in just 21 appearances. Cheyney ran the ball for 204 yards, but had zero pass completions and zero passing yards.

Harris has career day, Edinboro offense explodes in 48-13 victory

Cody Harris threw for 460 yards and five touchdowns (both career highs) as Edinboro’s offense took out three weeks of frustration at Clarion. Harris also ran for a touchdown, accounting for a total of six on the day. Clarion held the advantage in time of possession and accumulated almost 400 yards of offense, but 10 penalties and three turnovers were very costly. The Golden Eagles have lost 9 of their last 10 games against Edinboro.

Slippery Rock wins fourth straight

Lock Haven hoped to continue their recent trend of hanging around and staying in contention for a win, but Slippery Rock quickly proved there would be no chance of an upset. The Rock took advantage of two early turnovers and scored on their first four possessions of the game in rolling up a 28-0 first quarter lead. Nigel Barksdale completed only 50% of his passes, but had four touchdowns. The second half was uneventful and scoreless, but the Rock picked up their fourth straight win and moved into a tie for third place in the division.


East Stroudsburg offense continues to roll

East Stroudsburg effortlessly torched Millersville for 588 total yards on their way to a 41-0 half time lead and a 62-14 victory. Matt Soltes ran for 126 yards and threw for 256 in a performance that earned him PSAC East player of the week for the third time. Millersville had a decent day offensively with 168 rushing yards and 218 passing but it was way too little, too late.

Reminder: Kutztown v. LIU-Post has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 17.

Regional Rankings
The latest round of regional rankings will come out on Monday afternoon. California and West Chester will likely fall out of the top ten, and I expect Mercyhurst to make an appearance, probably in the 9th or 10th position. Shippensburg (first) and Bloomsburg (fourth) should maintain their positions and IUP should advance to fifth or sixth.


Questions, comments, complaints, etc. can be sent to me at chuck.bitner@d2football.com ]]> Chuck Bitner http://www.d2messageboard.com/entry.php?754-PSAC-Championship-Game-is-set-other-Headlines-from-Week-10