S140 Measuring the Competition (Week 3)
The season is still young as we finish the second week of football. We already are starting to get an idea early of a couple teams and how they may shape up this season.
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Northern Michigan put together a quality performance in their 57-45 shootout victory. This game was featured on Omcs' Game of the Night series and it definitely lived up the hype.
There were two things that caught my attention here, one was NMU's use of dual tight ends who caught a combined 10 receptions for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns. This team has a good tight end but the other is not an all-american to lean on. It was a interesting game plan that worked but it also leads into the other key take away. Mrbig987 has a BIG offense this season to work with and the rest of the season to fine tune it. Putting up 57 points versus Bloomsburg is a great sign of good things to come.
Bloomsburg was on the opposite end and had a very disappointing performance, especially from QB Jason Serrano who threw 5 interceptions. Throw the red flag out here, because it's crisis time for coach jms245 to try and figure out what exactly went wrong here. His performance marked the worst outing of his college career. In the last two seasons, he has thrown 43 touchdowns versus only 2 interceptions. However, he was not a starter and so he may not of faced that many solid first string defenses. His 69 formation IQ will need to grow quickly this year with Central Oklahoma, Presbyterian, Edinboro and West Chester on the schedule.
Northern Michigan has a clean slate to the Conference Championship, so they likely won't be the head lines until their playoff run.
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There is going to be a HUGE game tomorrow night for week 4 that coaches should pay attention to.
Humboldt State will face off against Cheyney in a final four caliber showdown. Right now, both teams look legit with Cheyney handling Ferris State with little questions.
Cheyney did lean on their RB tandem and controlled the game throughout. Ferris State did have a heck of a day on the ground themselves with RB Daniel Scott rushing 32-148 and 1 touchdown.
Humboldt State on the other side of the ball, showed their defensive might versus Albany State in a 65-0 blowout and have yet to allow a point in either game.
Who's on the Radar >>>
Saint Joseph's and Fla_Dave's return is starting to become more noticeable. Currently, they are ranked #9 by Guess but this last recruit class was ranked #5. Fla_dave had a slight stumble last season in recruiting but out of 4 seasons, 3 of his classes have placed inside the top ten.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, what about QB Jon Garrett, are we concerned? Anytime you start a redshirt junior there is a concern and with only a 66 formation IQ, this could be their downfall this season. What may carry them is Senior RB McGuire with a 70 core rating and a very stout offensive line.
What's the key to their success? Defense. Specifically, they have a very strong rush defense with an excellent line and one of the best linebacker groups in the nation. Defensive back David Hoffman is a true all-american with a whopping 67 core rating and 78 tackling. The only concern is that, once those starters sub out, there is a significant drop off in depth and may give up the game in the 4th quarter.
Statistic Standouts >>>
North Alabama QB Pedro Elliot 942 Yards, 8 Touchdowns
West Chester RB Christopher Thomas 423 Yards, 5 Touchdowns
Morehouse WR Eugene Goins 41 Receptiions, 584 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
Humboldt State **WOW**
DL Daniel Anderson 6 Sacks, 10 Tackles
Central Oklahoma **WOW** DB Antonio Dalton & Roger Morin 3 Interceptions EACH