aceinthehole
September 21st, 2007, 12:32 PM
From the NEC: http://www.northeastconference.org/News/fball/2007/9/21/FB-Wk4Preview-07.asp?path=fball
Somerset, NJ -- Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner are both idle, but there are five non-conference matchups on the NEC docket in week four. Four of the five NEC teams will have to travel to meet their non-conference opponents with Albany logging the most mileage by hiking out to No. 2 Montana for a matchup with the two-time national champion Grizzlies. Central Connecticut State also heads west, landing in Kalamazoo, MI to take on Western Michigan in what will be the first ever game between an NEC member and a Division I FBS (formerly I-A) team. Robert Morris becomes the second NEC team to take on Morehead State this year. Monmouth squares off against old NEC foe Stony Brook. Trying to rebound from last week's loss, Sacred Heart plays the lone home game, facing Duquesne.
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Central Connecticut State (2-1, 0-0 NEC) at Western Michigan (0-3 DI FBS)
Time: Saturday at 7:00 pm
Location: Kalamazoo, MI (Waldo Stadium)
Fast Stat to Track: Central Connecticut State is the Division I FCS national leader in rushing offense (309.7 ypg) through the seasons first three weeks. The Blue Devils, who were also the country’s top ground attack in 2006, meet one of the lowest ranked rushing defenses in Division I FBS this year. Western Michigan is 116 of 119 teams, allowing opponents 269.7 yards per game. Although the two sides have drastically different strength of schedules, it will be interesting to see if CCSU can use its strength to exploit the Broncos’ Achilles’ heel.
Game Preview: The Blue Devils’ historic trip to Western Michigan won’t be an easy one, especially since the hungry Broncos will be looking for their first win of 2007 with the support of a home crowd at Waldo Stadium. Western Michigan, which appeared in the International Bowl last season, has not had much success running the ball thus far, but quarterback Tim Hiller is completing over 62 percent of his passes and has developed great chemistry with receiver Jamarko Simmons. The junior pass catcher already has 38 receptions to his credit, 12 more than the entire run-heavy CCSU offense.
The Blue Devils’ dominance in the ground game has alleviated a need to pass on a more frequent basis. Despite their lack of balance, Central Connecticut ranks first in total offense (444.3 ypg) amongst all Division I FCS teams. Blue Devils’ senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Union, NJ/Union) compliments NEC Offensive Player of the Week running back Jo Jo Freeman (Philadelphia, PA/Pomfret School) with his ability to tuck the ball away and run. Holmes is the team’s second leading rusher with 124 yards (6.2 ypc).
Unlike its counterpart, CCSU has yet to trail by a significant margin over the first three weeks. The Blue Devils outscored their two home opponents by a combined 60 points and dropped their only road decision 20-10 to Towson after being tied at the start of the fourth quarter. WMU has suffered losses of 38, 10, and 28 points, albeit against much tougher competition than CCSU has faced. The Broncos dropped decisions to No. 5 West Virginia (Big East), Indiana (Big Ten), and Missouri (Big 12).
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Albany (1-2, 0-0 NEC) at Montana (2-0)
Location: Missoula, MT (Washinton-Grizzly Stadium)
Time: Saturday at 3:05 pm
Fast Stat to Track: Albany possessed the ball for more than 40 minutes in their road win at Fordham (Patriot), but lost the time of possession battle in its two losses. It will be especially important for the Great Danes to pick up early first downs and control the clock this week at Montana. Keeping the crowd’s enthusiasm at bay and keeping the Grizzly offense off the field are musts.
Game Preview: Albany’s schedule does not become any easier this week. After falling at home to nationally-ranked Hofstra, the Great Danes will significantly increase their frequent flier mileage by traveling to No. 2. Montana. The two-time national champion Grizzlies appear to be on track toward another Big Sky title. They have earned at least a share of the conference crown every year since 1998, including their outright championship last year when they posted a perfect 8-0 league record even without the services of Walter Payton award candidate Lex Hilliard. After missing all of 2006 with an injury, Hilliard is back in the Montana backfield and is the Big Sky’s second leading rusher after two games thus far this season.
The Great Danes’ defense, which finished atop the NEC last season, has definitely been the program’s strong suit during recent years, and will have to prove even stronger if Albany is to put another blemish on Montana’s 135-19 record at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Two-time NEC Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Colin Disch (North Plainfield, NJ/North Plainfield) has plenty of help with Dave Casale (Troy, NY/Troy) roaming the secondary and Mark Sheehan (Waterford, NY/Catholic Central) on the line. Both Casale and Sheehan have already earned NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors this year, but they have yet to face an offensive attack as prolific and balanced as the Grizzlies’. Montana has put up 86 points in two games, averaging 441.0 yards of total offense (217 rush, 224 pass)
Albany sophomore quarterback Vinny Esposito (Demarest, NJ/Northern Valley), who has shown potential to be the precise and productive passer the Great Danes have been lacking in previous years, must turn in a road performance similar to the one he did at Fordham if his team is to have any success moving the chains against a stiff Grizzly defense. Esposito did not put up eye-popping stats, but he engineered methodical drives and produced big throws when needed in Albany’s 23-20 win over the Patriot League school.
Somerset, NJ -- Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner are both idle, but there are five non-conference matchups on the NEC docket in week four. Four of the five NEC teams will have to travel to meet their non-conference opponents with Albany logging the most mileage by hiking out to No. 2 Montana for a matchup with the two-time national champion Grizzlies. Central Connecticut State also heads west, landing in Kalamazoo, MI to take on Western Michigan in what will be the first ever game between an NEC member and a Division I FBS (formerly I-A) team. Robert Morris becomes the second NEC team to take on Morehead State this year. Monmouth squares off against old NEC foe Stony Brook. Trying to rebound from last week's loss, Sacred Heart plays the lone home game, facing Duquesne.
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Central Connecticut State (2-1, 0-0 NEC) at Western Michigan (0-3 DI FBS)
Time: Saturday at 7:00 pm
Location: Kalamazoo, MI (Waldo Stadium)
Fast Stat to Track: Central Connecticut State is the Division I FCS national leader in rushing offense (309.7 ypg) through the seasons first three weeks. The Blue Devils, who were also the country’s top ground attack in 2006, meet one of the lowest ranked rushing defenses in Division I FBS this year. Western Michigan is 116 of 119 teams, allowing opponents 269.7 yards per game. Although the two sides have drastically different strength of schedules, it will be interesting to see if CCSU can use its strength to exploit the Broncos’ Achilles’ heel.
Game Preview: The Blue Devils’ historic trip to Western Michigan won’t be an easy one, especially since the hungry Broncos will be looking for their first win of 2007 with the support of a home crowd at Waldo Stadium. Western Michigan, which appeared in the International Bowl last season, has not had much success running the ball thus far, but quarterback Tim Hiller is completing over 62 percent of his passes and has developed great chemistry with receiver Jamarko Simmons. The junior pass catcher already has 38 receptions to his credit, 12 more than the entire run-heavy CCSU offense.
The Blue Devils’ dominance in the ground game has alleviated a need to pass on a more frequent basis. Despite their lack of balance, Central Connecticut ranks first in total offense (444.3 ypg) amongst all Division I FCS teams. Blue Devils’ senior quarterback Ryan Holmes (Union, NJ/Union) compliments NEC Offensive Player of the Week running back Jo Jo Freeman (Philadelphia, PA/Pomfret School) with his ability to tuck the ball away and run. Holmes is the team’s second leading rusher with 124 yards (6.2 ypc).
Unlike its counterpart, CCSU has yet to trail by a significant margin over the first three weeks. The Blue Devils outscored their two home opponents by a combined 60 points and dropped their only road decision 20-10 to Towson after being tied at the start of the fourth quarter. WMU has suffered losses of 38, 10, and 28 points, albeit against much tougher competition than CCSU has faced. The Broncos dropped decisions to No. 5 West Virginia (Big East), Indiana (Big Ten), and Missouri (Big 12).
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Albany (1-2, 0-0 NEC) at Montana (2-0)
Location: Missoula, MT (Washinton-Grizzly Stadium)
Time: Saturday at 3:05 pm
Fast Stat to Track: Albany possessed the ball for more than 40 minutes in their road win at Fordham (Patriot), but lost the time of possession battle in its two losses. It will be especially important for the Great Danes to pick up early first downs and control the clock this week at Montana. Keeping the crowd’s enthusiasm at bay and keeping the Grizzly offense off the field are musts.
Game Preview: Albany’s schedule does not become any easier this week. After falling at home to nationally-ranked Hofstra, the Great Danes will significantly increase their frequent flier mileage by traveling to No. 2. Montana. The two-time national champion Grizzlies appear to be on track toward another Big Sky title. They have earned at least a share of the conference crown every year since 1998, including their outright championship last year when they posted a perfect 8-0 league record even without the services of Walter Payton award candidate Lex Hilliard. After missing all of 2006 with an injury, Hilliard is back in the Montana backfield and is the Big Sky’s second leading rusher after two games thus far this season.
The Great Danes’ defense, which finished atop the NEC last season, has definitely been the program’s strong suit during recent years, and will have to prove even stronger if Albany is to put another blemish on Montana’s 135-19 record at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Two-time NEC Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Colin Disch (North Plainfield, NJ/North Plainfield) has plenty of help with Dave Casale (Troy, NY/Troy) roaming the secondary and Mark Sheehan (Waterford, NY/Catholic Central) on the line. Both Casale and Sheehan have already earned NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors this year, but they have yet to face an offensive attack as prolific and balanced as the Grizzlies’. Montana has put up 86 points in two games, averaging 441.0 yards of total offense (217 rush, 224 pass)
Albany sophomore quarterback Vinny Esposito (Demarest, NJ/Northern Valley), who has shown potential to be the precise and productive passer the Great Danes have been lacking in previous years, must turn in a road performance similar to the one he did at Fordham if his team is to have any success moving the chains against a stiff Grizzly defense. Esposito did not put up eye-popping stats, but he engineered methodical drives and produced big throws when needed in Albany’s 23-20 win over the Patriot League school.