Nov. 21, 2006
The Bottom Line - Week 12
By Chris Kelly
Leading 31-28 and the game very much still in doubt, the Bison's Travis White had an electrifying 84-yard punt return with just six minutes to go. That touchdown would seal a Bison win and a Great West Conference title. The Bison and Jacks traded punches all evening rolling up over 700 yards combined. The lead changed five times throughout the evening. Andy Kardoes 337 passing yards and two touchdowns led the Jacks, while John Majeski's four carries for 124 yards were key for the Bison.
CK's Take: What a football game. The Jacks took every shot the Bison could dish out and always seemed to answer back until White's punt return. I thought that the Jacks just needed to cut Kardoes loose on Saturday and let him rip passes downfield, and they did. It was successful as Kardoes had a monster day throwing the ball and connected on two long touchdown passes to Micah Johnson. SDSU hung in all game facing a potent Bison team and a record crowd in Fargo and even out-gained NDSU 442-382. Ultimately though it the Bison's big play that proved to be the dagger. The Jacks had a very real shot to win this game but could not keep the Bison from hitting the big play all evening long. In the end a disappointing way to end the season for the Jacks, but certainly a year the team should be very proud of looking back. They're going to finish the season with seven wins, which seemed impossible after losing the first three. They will finish the season in the top 25 and took a Bison team as good as any in the land to the wire on the road.
The big play for the Bison came via the legs of John Majeski who had only four carries but made them count for 124 yards. Both were reverses - one that went for 65 yards and set up a one yard plunge and another that went 45 yards for a score. Those two rushes along with White's return proved to be the final difference in this game. And that punt return was a thing of beauty with White breaking a couple tackles and giving a ridiculous stiff arm to free himself for the final 45-yard jaunt to paydirt. The win wraps up a fantastic season for the Bison. NDSU only lost once and even that game could have been won against Minnesota. If the Bison were eligible, they'd likely be the #3 seed and hosting a playoff game this weekend. I would have put my money on them to get to the championship game. This team had all the tools needed to win it all this year and should be hanging around the top ten again next season.
Other Games
UC Davis 30 Sacramento State 16 Quick Hits: The Hornets proved to be fairly pesky on Saturday keeping this game close throughout. While the Aggies didn't play their best football they found a way to win. Safety Jonathan Barsi continues to look like a man among boys picking off three passes and returning one for a score. He's been the most consistent playmaker on defense all season. Tony Kays broke the school record for career catches surpassing Charlie Enos with 197.
Cal Poly 55 Savannah State 0 Quick Hits: The Mustangs handled their business pounding an overmatched Savannah State team. Cal Poly rushed for over 400 yards and James Noble rushed for 127 yards and clears the 1000 yard mark for the 2nd time in his career. It seemed fitting that on the final day of his career as a Mustang, standout backer Kyle Shotwell took a lateral from Kenny Chicoine and took it in from 65 yards out. That touchdown was the first of his career.
Southern Illinois 59 Southern Utah 0 Quick Hits: I feared that if the Saluki's got things churning on the ground it could get ugly and it did. Arkee Whitlock had a big day and the T-Birds had no answer the Southern Illinois ground attack. SUU ran for 12 yards which pretty much doomed them offensively.
Playoff worthy?
Rated the #1 conference in the Football Championship Subdivision you'd expect that the Great West should stack up nicely with teams in the field of 16. The Great West went 2-4 against teams in the playoffs. The wins were an impressive victory over Montana State (UC Davis) and nail-biter over McNeese State (SDSU). The losses were to Montana (one point & 29 pts), McNeese (three points) and Youngstown State (14 pts). North Dakota State, who did not lose a game to any FCS competition, did not play any of the teams in the playoffs.
Q & A with the Great West Commissioner
I had a chance to talk with Great West Commissioner Ed Grom this week about the conference's success, expansion, and its long terms future. Here's the Q & A:
CK: "What are your thoughts after your first full season as Commissioner of the Great West? Any major surprises/disappointments?"
EG: "This has been a very rewarding year for the Great West. On the field, there were I-A wins over Ball State (by North Dakota State) and San Diego State (Cal Poly), the comeback wins for South Dakota State over Cal Poly and UC Davis, and the fact that the Great West was ranked as the top Football Championship Subdivision league in the country. We knew that the Great West would be competitive between the members and at the national level. We found that our teams will not only play any team anywhere, but we can also compete on any given Saturday. Our teams are not afraid to go into the most hostile of venues to compete. The most rewarded aspect of the Great West is seeing the respect that the league has earned."
CK: "What does it say about this conference that in three years it's been no lower than 3rd in GPI, and this season at #1 the entire year?
EG: "This ranking speaks volumes for the commitment the institutions have made to their respective football programs. There are quality coaches in this league and the institutions have provided the resources and the scholarships for them to be successful at this level."
CK: "This season the Big Sky televised every conference home game on bigskytv.org - the site had its share of growing pains but still ended up a great outlet for fans to watch BSC play live from their computers each week. Any chance the Great West could ever do something like that?"
EG: "I think there are endless possibilities when it comes to the Great West and we are presently exploring those possibilities."
CK: "There has been lots of talk about North Dakota State and South Dakota State potentially leaving the conference for the Gateway starting in 2008. What are your thoughts on recent developments regarding that situation?"
EG: "Once we heard that Western Kentucky was considering a move up to I-A, we knew the Gateway Conference would be discussing the possibility of adding members. We have talked with the Gateway commissioner about the two leagues developing a scheduling agreement, but their coaches and athletic directors wanted to explore expansion. South Dakota State and North Dakota State have very solid football programs and they would be an attractive addition to any league. But they are founding members of the Great West. During the Mid-Continent Conference site visits in August, administrators at both institutions told our Presidents and Athletic Directors how pleased they were with the Mid-Con/Great West combination for their athletic programs and that it was the right fit for them. I would be disappointed if they would leave for another league before giving the Great West an honest chance to succeed and achieve an NCAA automatic bid."
CK: "You've been quoted in recent articles that the Great West is exploring other teams to add to the conference- you may not be able to share any of that info until quite yet but can you comment on how many different teams you're currently in negotiations with and if it is truly realistic that additional teams will move to the GWFC?"
EG: "It is very realistic to think that the Great West will expand. We owe it to our members to work on their behalf to find teams that will help make the Great West a better conference. One of the most difficult aspects of college football at our level is scheduling games - and it makes it more difficult since our league has been successful and teams don't want to take a chance in playing Great West teams, especially on the road. Adding teams to our league adds games for our members. We have had conversations with several institutions, some that are already active and some that are not active and some that are members of other leagues. For many reasons, we cannot share the names of those teams, but rest assured, discussions are taking place to improve the Great West."
CK: "How soon would any expansion potentially happen? Are we talking next year or a couple years out?"
EG: "The announcement for expansion could take place as soon as early next year, but because football schedules are made years in advance, full implementation of a new member or members could take more than a year. We will work with the present members to fit in any new member into the schedule as quickly as we can."
CK: "There's also been some scuttlebutt that Tom Douple (Commissioner of the Mid-Con) has petitioned the NCAA in regards to an Auto-Bid for the conference. The auto-bid is widely thought to be one of the main reasons the Dakota's would leave the conference. Can you walk fans through what you know in terms of the auto-bid situation?"
EG: "Tom has not filed a petition with the NCAA at this time. We are working on our expansion efforts at this time. One of our goals for the Great West is to be recognized as an active NCAA league, and for that to happen, the Great West must have six active members who have played together for the previous two years. North Dakota State and South Dakota State have one year remaining in their transition period before they are eligible for Football Championship Subdivision playoff consideration in 2008. (UCD is eligible next season) So, at the very earliest, the Great West may be eligible for the NCAA AQ by 2010, and that is only if a sixth active member joins the league. Even without the automatic bid, the winner of the Great West should receive an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs. If NDSU and SDSU were active members, I feel confident that both schools would have been granted at-large bids."
CK: "Finally, what is the long term viability of the conference?"
EG: "This conference will not only be around for a long time, but will be successful for a very long time. The Great West will continue to grow. Just look how much we have accomplished in three short years. I am excited to be part of the league and I can't wait until next year to see what successes the league can bring."
Week 12 Games
Last week 4-0 mark pushes the season's total to 30-14 (.681) and there's only one game on the slate this week as San Diego travels to face UC Davis.
Game of the week
#16 San Diego (11-0) at UC Davis (5-5) The undefeated and highly ranked Toreros travel to play UC Davis this weekend in a game that should feature some extra emotion in the only other game outside of those teams competing in the playoffs. This is the first meeting between these schools.
San Diego offense vs. Aggies defense. The numbers are staggering when you look at the prolific San Diego offense. They are 1st nationally averaging 518 yards per game and 46 points. They extremely balanced running for 217 per game (11th) and passing for nearly 300 yards (1st) per game. The leader of all the San Diego firepower is quarterback Josh Johnson. Johnson has already caught the eye of scouts and some think he'll be selected in next year's draft. The 6'3 junior signal caller is in complete control of this offense averaging 279 yards per game through the air and 59 more on the ground. What's impressive about those numbers is that Johnson is completing nearly 70% of his passes and has a rating of 179 (also #1 nationally). On the ground the quarterback is running for 7.1 per clip. The top three backs all average 5.5 per carry including the main back JT Rogan. At wide receiver Ben Hannula and Wes Doyle have combined for nearly 1300 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. That's some serious offensive firepower that no one has been able to stop this season and now it's up to UC Davis to figure it out. While this offense is very good and Johnson is lethal, especially when he breaks loose with his feet, this will easily be the best defense the Toreros have faced. There's an easy way to control all the skill players within this offense and that's to win the battle in the trenches, an area the Aggies should have a major advantage. The boys up front - James Amos, John Faletoese, Naveen Daftari, and Mike Ng need to control the line of scrimmage - and stay in Johnson's face all afternoon. Last week, Sacramento State's offensive line gave their quarterback ample time to throw in the first half and the Hornets were able to gash the Ags for big plays downfield. But the Sacramento's State offensive line is much better than the USD line. Still, UCD can't allow that to happen with this team who, unlike Sac State, has the skill talent to make plays. Coach Jim Harbaugh will understand from watching the film the Aggies have some matchup advantages so expect USD to stay consistently with the short passing game to keep his quarterback in three step drops with a variety of short to medium passes. The key for UCD defensively will be for the front four to win the battle up front pressuring the quarterback so the defense can drop seven into coverage in passing situations. One of those seven should be spying Johnson all game. USD will be challenged to run the ball against the most physical front seven they've seen all season. As for the aerial attack Johnson's good enough to pick teams apart, if given the time. The Aggies need to make sure he never gets comfortable in the pocket, but have to contain Johnson's scrambling. That last piece is oh so important.
UC Davis offense vs. Toreros defense. While I believe that Johnson is a difference maker offensively and can single handedly get this team into the end zone, the other side of the ball is where the Toreros may have some big problems defending this Aggies offense. They don't have a Josh Johnson on defense that can account for all the skill weapons UCD possesses. As the Aggies have come down the stretch, their ability to run the ball has gotten better. It's certainly not at a point where Coach Biggs would like to see it, but Marcus Nelson has been rushing the ball at better than four yards per carry the last two games (160 yds). I think this is an ideal game for Coach Biggs to really make a concerted effort to run the ball. The Aggies have a major depth advantage over the non-scholarship Toreros and if they can start to pound the ball with any success it could be a long day for the USD defense. UCD would love to wear the front seven down and they have the talent up front to do so. Eliot Vallejo, Kyle Skierski, and Tim Keane have combined for 80 consecutive starts along the line and USD hasn't seen a line as capable as the Aggies in either of the past two seasons. The entire line's specialty is pass blocking which should keep any rush at bay meaning the Toreros are going to have to be aggressive with their blitz packages and do anything they can to get to Jon Grant. If they don't get to him he can sit back in the pocket and move the ball around to Tony Kays and Chris Carter, who have combined for 108 grabs, 1400 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Torores don't have the talent on defensive line (matching up with the Ags O-line) to do what SDSU/NDSU did by sitting back in a soft zone, relying on the front four to pressure Grant, and forcing everything underneath. They will have to bring extra people into the box to control the run and take some chances blitzing Grant. This should open up some opportunities for some play action success downfield. I realize the San Diego comes into play leading the nation in allowing just 11 points a game. They'll be lucky to hold the Aggies to double that number this weekend.
X Factor: Emotion. There are a lot of subplots to this game which could play significant roles in the outcome. First of which is San Diego's exclusion from the playoffs despite an undefeated season. I have been outspoken that San Diego had no right being included in the playoffs based on their schedule, but the Toreros players still hoped for a bid. You can expect they come out with a chip on their shoulder trying to prove something to everyone that continues to doubt them. This is a huge game for their program. They not only want to win this weekend they want to win big. But it may just be the Aggies who come into this game with more to play for. A huge source of pride in the Aggie program is their 37 consecutive winning seasons which can only be extended with a win over San Diego. Also, I think the Aggies come into this game a little bent on some disrespect from the Torores and their ultra confident coach Jim Harbaugh. The USD coach has spent the better part of the last month telling anyone who would listen that they are a playoff team and could beat most of the top 25. Pretty bold statement coming from a coach whose toughest competition in two years is Yale. Don't for a moment think that quote is not hanging somewhere in the Aggies locker room. Throw those in with senior day and the final game in a storied history at Toomey field and there are a lot of subplots in this weekend game.
Bottom Line: I don't think anyone could have imagined when this game was signed just how much interest it would have nationally. That's especially true considering that it's taking place on the first weekend of the playoffs. San Diego and their coach have been the talk on the national scene the past month and fans seem just as interested to see the results in this game as any of the playoff scores. Everyone wants to know if San Diego is for real. One thing I do know if that Josh Johnson is for real. In fact he's real good. Because of Johnson and a very capable Aggies offense, there won't be a lack of offense in this game. But the difference in this game, however, will be the Aggies defense and the UCD offense line. Coming off a game last weekend where the defense didn't play their best game, expect them to respond with an inspired effort in a contest that means a lot to the seniors and the program. Look for the Aggies defensive line as well as safeties Luis Amaral and Jonathan Barsi to make some key plays to slow the juggernaut that is San Diego. The Toreros are bloated with unreal numbers across the board - but here's a stat for you. After this weekend, UCD will have played SEVEN teams in the most recent Sports Network Top 25 Poll (2-4 record, 3 losses by combined 11 pts). USD has racked up those eye-popping numbers against sub-par competition. USD can feature all the offensive weapons they want, but football is won in the trenches, a place where UCD has a major advantage. That's where this game will be won. The playoff selection committee will be proven right come Saturday as Tony Kays gets loose one last time in an Aggie uniform. UC Davis 34 San Diego 21.
Next Week
The final column of the year -- all-conference teams, postseason awards, and a look ahead to 2007.
Comments. Questions. Email Chris at gwfcfootball@hotmail.com