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Gilberto Alvarado

CIAA Championship is here, WSSU-v-ECSU, will history repeat?

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Gilberto Alvarado
, 11-08-2012 at 11:39 AM (2536 Views)
Ten games up, and ten games down, and the CIAA championship is upon us.

The Winston Salem State Rams are coming into this game as heavy favorites to repeat as champs with their 10-0 record, #4 D2football.com ranking and #2 AFCA Ranking. This is a team that last year went all the way to the D2football National Semifinal game.

Their opponent, The Elizabeth City State Vikings which has played one of the toughest schedules in all of D2football and are coming into the game with a 7-3. Their losses were to Newberry College, Delta State, and Virginia State.

Tale of the Tape

WSSU leads the CIAA conference in just about every team statistical category. (http://www.theciaa.com/sports/fball/...pg&r=0&pos=off)

The Rams have the:
#1 Offense
#1 Defense
#1 in points scored
#1 in yardage per game
#2 in passing yards per game
#1 in rushing yards per game
#1 in 1st downs
#1 in 3rd down conversions
#2 in 4th down conversions
#1 in kickoff returns

Must i go on?

The Vikings have the:
#7 Offense
#4 Defense
#7 points scored
#6 yards per game
#9 in passing yards per game
#5 in rushing yards per game
#4 in 1st downs
#4 in 3rd down conversions
#1 in 4th down conversions
#7 in kickoff returns

Judging by the above team statistical categories, this could be a very lopsided victory, but lets look a little deeper and the individual players.

Quarterback

The Rams have Kameron Smith, #3 in passing in the CIAA with an average of 271 yards per game and is #1 in touchdowns thrown with 37 TDs.

The Vikings have Namon Jones, #8 in passing in the CIAA with an average of 197 yards per game and is #9 in touchdowns thrown with 9 total TD's.

Advantage Rams



Running back

The Vikings have DaRonte McNeill, the reigning CIAA Offensive player of the year, #1 RB in the CIAA with an average of 114 yards per game and #1 in rushing TD's with 13.

The Rams have Maurice Lewis, ranked #9 in rushing yards per game with 62 YPG, with 9 TD's total rushing. However, the Rams have Brand McDonald, ranked #14 in rushing and QB Kameron Smith is #16 in rushing yards per game in the CIAA. Add to that Bryce Sherman, ranked 25th in the CIAA in rushing per game. Thats four players in the CIAA top 25 in rushing, giving the Rams the #1 rushing offense per game.

Advantage Rams



Wide Receiver

The Rams have the #1 receiver in YPG in the CIAA in Jahuann Butler, the #5 in Jameze Massey, and #11 in Jamal Williams, all three are in the top 4 in TD's catches per year with Butler with 12, Williams with 10, and Massey with 8 TD's thus far.


The Vikings have Gary Langston, ranked #15 in YPG and Keith Strickland #16 in YPG. Only Langston is listed in the top 15 with 4TD's all season.

Advantage Rams



Defense


Advantage Rams, they have the #1 defense in the CIAA


Keys To Victory


The Rams have to simply stack eight men in the box and stop DaRonte McNeill. The Vikings are very one dimensional and if you stop the run, you stop the Vikings.


The Vikings must keep the ball away from the Rams offense and control the clock. The time of possession needs to lean heavy towards the Vikings in order to win the game. They MUST play mistake free football.

My Prediction: The Rams win big, WSSU 42 ECSU 14



FSU Head Coach

Fayetteville State has relieved their all time winning-est coach Kenny Phillips who has three CIAA Football titles to his name. Many say they saw this coming, but insiders tell me he lost control of his team. I can't say for certain. QB Chauncey Concepcion left the team during the QB carousel due to the indecisiveness of selecting a starting QB.




Who will go to the Pioneer Bowl?

Will it be:

Elizabeth City State at 7-3 (7-4 possible)
Chowan University at 6-4
St. Aug at 6-4
Johnson C Smith at 6-4 and reigning Pioneer Bowl Champs


Fans, its time to hear from you.

Can ECSU pull off the upset? Who will be in the Pioneer Bowl? Who else is on the head coaching chopping block? Did Kenny Phillips deserve another year?

Last year writing for the D2football.com

Fans, I have had a great three year run, but this will be my last year writing. It has been great. Thank you so much for the followers. I feel the blog needs a new writer with fresh ideas. I will serve as an assistant and field corespondent, but I will not be the main writer. I'm handing it over to someone well connected amongst CIAA football. Thank you so much for the great years, I will finish off the season until the last CIAA teams plays no longer. Hopefully, I get to make to Florence, Alabama.

Thanks

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Comments

  1. gr8ness97's Avatar
    http://www.d2messageboard.com/showth...96#post1312996
  2. willicor's Avatar
    I hope you didnt let people run you off for speaking your mind. Because last time I checked, this was America.
  3. murdockw's Avatar
    Gil, sorry to see you go but I understand. I truly appreciate the level of visibility you brought to the CIAA via your blog. I hope the next person will have a much passion and knowledge about the conference as you have. Cause if not, he/she will have thier hands full with this crowd. LOL!!!! Much success in your future endeavors.
  4. Gilberto Alvarado's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by willicor
    I hope you didnt let people run you off for speaking your mind. Because last time I checked, this was America.
    Nah bruh, just very time consuming and I didnt attend many games this year, working on my dissertation has taken priority, its been a pleasure.
  5. Gilberto Alvarado's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by murdockw
    Gil, sorry to see you go but I understand....
    If you guys get the person I have hand selected, you're in for a treat. He's very enthusiastic about D2football. The blog needs a new face, three years has been enough. I have truly enjoyed. i'll still be around
  6. Gilberto Alvarado's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by gr8ness97
    http://www.d2messageboard.com/showth...96#post1312996
    I definitely appreciated the thread. You're a big part of this blog, keep up the great work
  7. wssuque's Avatar
    Gil, Good luck in the future. It has been a pleasure reading your blogs each week and gettng to actually meet you. You are a great person and life has nothing but success for you in the future.
  8. VegasViking's Avatar
    Gil, I'll miss you man. Thank you for a great three years.......but 42-14?!?!?! C'MON SON!
  9. Gilberto Alvarado's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by wssuque
    Gil, Good luck in the future....
    Thank you, it was a pleasure meeting you as well. I want to wish you and your son the best. Especially since he's a Bronco. I'll always be around. I'm a CIAA Lifer
  10. Gilberto Alvarado's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by VegasViking
    Gil, I'll miss you man. Thank you for a great three years.......but 42-14?!?!?! C'MON SON!
    I'll miss you guys more, and thank you for following my blog. Tell me this, what's your prediction?
  11. VegasViking's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Gilberto Alvarado
    I'll miss you guys more, and thank you for following my blog. Tell me this, what's your prediction?
    Vikings defense steps up, pulls the upset in a nailbiter 24-21, and ECSU advances to the playoffs as the #6 seed in the region.

    ....and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs live happily ever after.
  12. Gilberto Alvarado's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by VegasViking
    Vikings defense steps up, pulls the upset in a nailbiter 24-21,..
    Upset and playoff berth? It could happen. I say, more like blowout loss, and pray for a Pioneer Bowl birth. Rumor has it Chowan might get the bid
  13. ECSU2000's Avatar
    That will be mess up if Chowan get the did. EC earned it head to head also they don't travel that well. However I got the same score Vegas got 24-21 EC by 3..
  14. WSSU1996's Avatar
    Say it ain`t so Gil! I have been an avid reader of the CIAA blog for the last six years. However, it was only this season I decided to get an account and participate. Your blogs were why! The passion and real talk was fun and made for spirited discussion. You`ll be missed! God`s speed!
  15. WSSU1996's Avatar
    Got a chance to speak to Coach Maynor this week and the kids are focused and had a great week of practice... I think it will be lopsided, too. Still have to play the games though... That`s what makes D2 fun, it is settled on the field! Go Rams!
  16. Paul Falewicz's Avatar
    Gil, I will not miss you since you won the wager with the WSSU-New Haven games last year and I still have to make good on the settlement.

    I will not let the new CIAA guy get the upper hand on me.
  17. WSSU1996's Avatar
    What a weekend! My Rams held serve but it was hard fought, start to finish. Hat's off to the ECSU Vikings! The Rams have been able to avoid major injuries the entire season, but this bye week is a God send, we have some healing to do. The Bloom/Shipp re-match will be a barn burner for sure. Contemplating going to see that one in person!
  18. TwoSons's Avatar
    KP did not need another year to show his time has pasted. CC met with the KP and the OC and said he could not play with the QB situation as it made him play not to make a mistake. So Coach told him he was not the QB, benched him that week, did not travel him the next. KP was not a people person and lacked the ability to commmunicate or gain support for the school the team or himself.