Game Of The Week.... Central Arkansas (4-2) at UC Davis (2-3) Please, could I get a marquee matchup for the GWFC Game of the Week? How about Cal Poly/NDSU? NDSU/UC Davis? Or even SDSU/Cal Poly? Well, I suppose, we'll just have to wait another week for some games of importance. So I flipped a coin between the Southern Utah/Florida Atlantic and Central Arkansas/UC Davis game and... Bears-Aggies it is. So what could make this game mildly important? It's been tough to gauge the strength of the SDSU and Southern Utah football teams. At times, both teams have played like GWFC contenders and then other times of played like 'creampuffs'. The Jackrabbits defeated Central Arkansas last week 20-7, so let's see how the Bears perform against UC Davis this Saturday. So far from the results of GWFC action, the conference appears to be quite balanced from top to bottom... Cal Poly defeated UC Davis 23-17 and Southern Utah 18-14. So if the Aggies play Central Arkansas close, this will further uphold the theory of conference team parity. If UC Davis puts a hurt on the Bears, we're back to the drawing board trying to figure out the conference behind Cal Poly and NDSU. Taking a look at the UC Davis/Central Arkansas matchup, the Aggies have an advantage on offensive side of the ball, while I'll call the defenses virtually even. The Aggies also hold the special team and home field advantages. So given the pluses and minuses, UC Davis should win this game going away... Right? Heck ya... if not, then the home cookin' in Davis just isn't that good... UC Davis 31, Central Arkansas 14.
The Truth Is....
The Bison should NOT lose this game. But the mention of Mississippi Valley State from the SWAC brings back alot of childhood and teenage memories. As you might remember from your own child... My folks only had three TV channels and on a given Saturday afternoon I watched football on ABC, NBC or CBS. And once a year, I was fortunate to see a game feature a pair of historic 'Black' college football teams play. A matchup between Southern, Grambling, Alcorn State, Jackson State, etc.. was broadcast, featuring teams of high-powered offenses with big play capabilities. Some people might call these games track meets instead of football, but I didn't care, it was truly some great football. And even better yet, often Grambling played in this game. Grambling was led by one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history, Eddie Robinson. The one thing I remember about Eddie Robinson is that he never... I repeat... never got out-coached by the opposition. Not only a football genius, but Eddie Robinson was a pioneer ahead of his time...
So what about the game... First, I'd like to thank the "Man Upstairs", for creating what I like to call "cable TV", because now I can watch at least a dozen different college football games each and every week. So given that... I now watch at least one game each week featuring a team from the SWAC. This past week I watched the Gulf Coast Classic, in which Jackson State defeated Alabama State 19-13. So you say, "So what?" Many of you may know this... If you've seen one SWAC team play, you've seen them all. Each SWAC team I've watched this year has played nearly identical offenses and defenses. If you want to see players with athletic ability and speed, just watch a Southwest Athletic Conference football game. Given that, why aren't the SWAC teams running rough shot over the rest of DI-AA? Speed and athleticism don't make a team successful... it's execution on offense and defense. For whatever reason, this is what SWAC teams seem to lack. So let's take a look at the Bison-Delta Devils matchup. The Bison hold a slight edge over the Delta Devils on offense. The Bison have clear advantages on defense and special teams. All intangibles go to the Bison, but let's remember that complacency begins at home.... Or may I say homecoming... Let's pack the dome for another Bison victory... North Dakota State 38, Mississippi Valley State 14.
And The Winner Is.... * 2006 Season: 75-15 83% * Last Week: 12-3 79% * Upset Specials: 2-3 40%
Florida Atlantic 35, Southern Utah 21
New Hampshire 38, James Madison 31
San Diego 42, Valparaiso 27
Montana 27, Northern Arizona 18
Appalachian State 37, Wofford 20
Wisconsin 37, Minnesota 28
Georgia Southern 24, Elon 21
Hampton 41, Norfolk State 28
Furman 28, The Citadel 17
Central Connecticut State 48, Robert Morris 14
Harvard 31, Lafayette 28
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