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D2 Football: Pittburg State Wins 2nd National Title

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 01:17:07 +0000

Courtesy Pitt State Athletics

FLORENCE, Ala. — The slipper finally fits, again.

For the first time in 20 years, the Pittsburg State Gorillas returned to the pinnacle of NCAA Division II football.

A perennial power, Pitt State annually battled for supremacy in Division II but the last three chances the Gorillas had for national championships in Alabama came up painfully close but short in 1992, 1995 and 2004.

Saturday, Pitt State finished off a magical season with a 35-21 victory over Wayne (Mich.) State in the title game before a sea of crimson & gold clad fans with dominated the official crowd of 7,276 fans at Braly Municipal Stadium.

D2 Football: Pitt State upsets Top-ranked NWMSU

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:49:21 +0000

(Courtesy NorthwestBearcats.com)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chase McCoy booted a 26-yard field goal as time expired to help lift No. 15 Pittsburg State University to a 38-35 victory over No. 1 NW Missouri State University in The Fall Classic X at Arrowhead Stadium.

McCoy’s third field goal of the game helped the unbeaten Gorillas (5-0, 4-0 MIAA) halt the Bearcats (4-1, 3-1 MIAA) record streak of 49 consecutive MIAA regular season victories.

Pitt State became the first conference team to defeat Northwest in the regular season since the Gorillas handed the Bearcats a 56-35 defeat in The Fall Classic V on Oct. 29, 2005. Pitt State also halted a painful seven-game losing streak in the series with Northwest.

AFCA D2 Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 05:14:03 +0000

(Courtesy UMDBulldogs.com)

Minnesota-Duluth, fresh off their second national championship in 2010, opens up 2011 as the preseason favorite to win the national championship. This is the first time since the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll started in 2000 that the Bulldogs have begun the season ranked No. 1. 2010 national runner-up Delta State (Miss.) starts the season at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Northwest Missouri State, who received one first-place vote, No. 4 Abilene Christian (Texas) and No. 5 Grand Valley State (Mich.). There will be four Top 25 matchups in the first week of action, including a Top 10 battle as No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth travels to No. 8 Augustana (S.D.).

1. Minnesota-Duluth [28] (15-0)
2. Delta State (11-4)
3. Northwest Missouri State [1] (12-2)
4. Abilene Christian (11-1)
5. Grand Valley State (11-2)
6. North Alabama (9-4)
7. Texas A&M-Kingsville (10-2)
8. Augustana (11-2)
9t. Albany State (11-1)
9t. Bloomsburg (10-3)
11. Shepherd (12-2)
12. California (PA) (10-2)
13. St. Cloud State (10-3)
14. Wingate (9-3)
15. Central Missouri (11-3)
16. Nebraska-Kearney (9-2)
17. Mercyhurst (10-3)
18. Washburn (8-4)
19. West Texas A&M (8-4)
20. Valdosta State (8-3)
21. Wayne State (MI) (9-2)
22. Central Washington (8-3)
23. Kutztown (10-2)
24. Henderson State (7-4)
25t. Hillsdale (9-3)
25t. Shaw (9-3)

2010 Football Countdown Poll Review

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:56:42 +0000

I’ve done a Countdown Poll two different seasons featuring a different team capsule each week as a precursor to the football season. We need summer gridiron topics, right? Last year, I added predictions to the posts. It caught several interesting comments in D2 Nation. Let us review the 2010 Top 15 Football Countdown Poll.

1. Northwest Missouri State (Prediction 13-1, MIAA Champs/National Champs) won the MIAA title and finished the season 12-2 and ranked #3 after losing to national champion UMD in the semi-finals.

2. Minnesota-Duluth (Prediction 12-2, NSIC Champs/Semis) won the NSIC and finished the season 15-0 as national champions.

3. North Alabama (Prediction 14-1, GSC Champs/Rrunner-up) finished the season ranked #22 with a 9-4 record and in the second round of the playoffs to national runner-up Delta State.

4. Central Washington (Prediction 11-2, GNAC Champs/Regional Finals) finished the season 8-3 and won the GNAC title.

5. Grand Valley State (Prediction 11-3, GLIAC Champs/Regional Finals) finished the year ranked #10 as GLIAC champions in the second round of the playoffs with an 11-2 record.

6. Texas A&M – Kingsville (Prediction 9-2, First Round) finished ranked #9 with a 10-2 record in the second round of the playoffs.

7. California – PA (Prediction 11-3, PSAC Champs/Semis) finished ranked #14 in the first round of the playoffs with a 10-2 record.

8. West Alabama (Prediction 11-2, Regional Finals) finished 7-4.

9. Washburn (Prediction 10-2, First Round) finished 8-4.

10. Valdosta State (Prediction 9-3, Second Round) finished the year ranked #17 in the first round of the playoffs with an 8-3 record.

11. Pittsburg State (Prediction 10-3, Second Round) finished 6-6.

12. Abilene Christian (Prediction 10-3, Second Round) finished in the second round of the playoffs with an 11-1 record ranked #8.

13. Delta State (Prediction 8-4, Second Round) finished with an 11-4 record as national runners-up)

14. Minnesota State – Mankato (Prediction 11-2, NSIC South Champs/Second Round)

15. Bloomsburg (Prediction 10-3, Regional Finals) finished ranked #15 with a 10-3 record in the second round of the playoffs)

What I got right

I correctly predicted eight schools that would ultimately finish the season in the Top 15 with two others that were in the Top 25. So, a little over fifty percent. Then, out of seven conference champion predictions four were accurate. The closest exact prediction was Bloomsburg with rank and record and only one week off with post-season outcome. Another mention should be of my GVSU prediction even as I caught flack on a message board for it. (I was right Laker fans!) I was also very close with my NWMSU, UMD, TAMUK, Cal-PA, VSU and ACU capsules.

Major misses

Obviously the Gorillas let me down. The Central Washington, West Alabama and Washburn predictions just show how a loss or two more will cost you a shot at the playoffs. Well, normally. My ‘homer crow-eating’ miss is UNA. The Lions had some good wins, even beating the runner-up Statesmen during the regular season, but three losses by less than a total of 7 points left most rolling their eyes when the playoff field was announced. Yet they avenged their earlier loss to VSU before running out of steam in Mississippi.

Surprises

The year definitely had some teams that had surprisingly good seasons including WVIAC Champion Shepherd (who made it to the semis), along with regional finalists Albany State, Central Missouri and Mercyhurst. Another mention should be to Kutztown for making the field for the first time ever.

D2 Football- Duluth wins NSIC; sits atop national poll

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:25:45 +0000

(Courtesy UMDBulldogs.com)

For the first time in the storied 78-year history of University of Minnesota Duluth football, the Bulldogs have pulled off a conference championship three-peat.

UMD, the No. 1-ranked NCAA Division II team in the country, captured at least a share of its third consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title Saturday afternoon by stomping the University of Minnesota Crookston 55-7 in Crookston. With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 10-0 overall and 9-0 in the NSIC and can claim the 2010 league crown outright with a win in their regular season finale next Saturday at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

D2 Top 15 Football Countdown Poll – #1 NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:20:33 +0000

After starting off with a loss at Abilene Christian (the second season-opening loss in a row to the Wildcats), the NWMSU plowed through the MIAA to become conference champions. They avenged their loss to ACU in the second round of the playoffs and other than a scare at Central Washington had a comfortable run at the championship. This season will potentially be more of the same.

They return All-American receiver Jake Soy, who was named the nation’s top receiver in 2009, and All-MIAA QB Blake Bolles to lead the Bearcat offense along with Pre-Season All-American lineman Brett Grozinger, a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award last season. The defense will be anchored by All-MIAA and Pre-Season All-American Chad Kilgore and All-MIAA defensive back Ryan Jones.

While the Bearcats open at home against Texas A&M-Kingsville from the LSC, they only have three other home games. Key contests will occur on the road against Nebraska-Omaha, Washburn, Central Missouri and the Fall Classic at Arrowhead vs. Pittsburg State.

D2 Sports Network predicts the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats will finish the season with a 13-1 record and repeat as MIAA and National Champions.

D2 Top 15 Football Countdown Poll – #2 MINNESOTA-DULUTH

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:27:36 +0000

After being the Cinderella story team of 2008, the defending national champs were rudely awakened the second week in the 2009 season by a talented Central Washington team. However, from 1-1 to 11-1 the Bulldogs marched before losing the battle for the region with dynasty Grand Valley State. It was not the banner year of 2008, but was truly a successful campaign with a stellar record and being NSIC Champions. This year’s season could will likely be another year, with the same tough battles forming in the post-season.

UMD is led by NSIC Offensive Player of the Year running back Isaac Odim. A former Harlon Hill Award finalist, he is UMD’s all-time leading rusher and scorer and a member of the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American team. The defensive unit will be anchored by NSIC Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Robbie Aurich, who led the team in tackles again last season with 93 stops and 40 solos.

This season will start with a change to avenge last year’s letdown loss to Central Washington. This could be a pace-setting game for Duluth as they attempt to run through the NSIC North again to position themselves for home-field during the playoffs. Key conference contests include Bemidji State, Winona State and 2009 NSIC South Champion Minnesota-Mankato.

D2 Sports Network predicts the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs will repeat as NSIC with a record of 12-2 in the semifinals of the NCAA playoffs.

D2 Top 15 Football Countdown Poll – #3 NORTH ALABAMA

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 23:48:49 +0000

What a roller coaster of a December it was in 2008 for North Alabama fans. After a romp in ‘windy’ Maryville ended the Lions season just one game shy of a home-standing title game, successful Head Coach Mark Hudspeth resigned leaving Lion Nation dejected facing a re-building year and a new coach. A note was sent to former Auburn Head Coach Terry Bowden in the booth of the D2 Championship Game gauging his interest to return to coaching. Days later a media firestorm unseen in D2 was ignited as UNA made the announcement of the hire.

The media coverage hasn’t stopped as Coach Bowden assembled over twenty transfers from Division I schools to fill the huge voids left in the Lions line-up that he combined with several talented Lion veterans to win ten straight games and sit atop the D2 rankings for the first time since 1997. The 1-2 finish has carried the ‘come-back’ story line into this season as once again, big name transfers are poised to compliment returning skilled veterans to make another run at that elusive forth national title.

The Lion defense will be anchored by returning All-GSC second team defensive back Chad Daniel and 2008 All-GSC second team linebacker Larry Wilson along with transfer safeties Rod Woodson (Alabama) and Bryan Thomas (Florida). The UNA offense will be led by veteran receiver Charles McClain and back Wes Holland along with touted transfers, quarterback Lee Chapple (Georgia Southern) and receiver Tim Hawthorne (Auburn).

UNA opens the season against fellow Gulf South Conference foe Henderson State in a non-conference game before traveling to WVIAC member Glenville State. Key GSC contests will include the usual tough rival games against Valdosta State and Delta State before attempting to avenge their only regular-season loss of last season as they again host in-state rival West Alabama.

D2 Sports Network predicts the North Alabama Lions will repeat as GSC Champions and finish the season 14-1 as national runner-up.

D2 Top 15 Football Countdown Poll – #4 CENTRAL WASHINGTON

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:05:36 +0000

The team to come closest to defeating the eventual national champions, Northwest Missouri State, in the playoffs was Central Washington. A blocked extra point at the end of the game was a heart-breaking way to close the season at home. However, the Wildcats did enjoy another successful year as they made their fourth playoff appearance (third consecutive) since joining Division II just a decade ago. I don’t expect much different this year as they are favored to win the GNAC and venture into the post season.

The offensive unit lost several key personnel but will be anchored by All-GNAC second team selection Bryson Kelly at running back. The defense will be led by two CDS Pre-Season All-Americans with linemen Tyrell Nielsen and Eugene Germany. Germany, who will be a senior for the Wildcats, was a unanimous first-team all-GNAC selection last season. He totaled 37 tackles while starting all 13 games as a defensive end in 2009, adding 10 1/2 tackles for losses and three quarterback sacks as a junior.

The Wildcats will start this season by hosting 2008 National Champion, Minnesota-Duluth before the round-robin conference schedule begins with additional contests coming against Eastern Washington (NAIA) and Southern Oregon (FCS). This season, the GNAC features a new school in the mix as Simon Fraser becomes the first Canadian institution to join D2.

D2 Sports Network predicts the CWU Wildcats to finish with a record of 11-2 as GNAC champions in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Playoffs.

D2 Top 15 Football Countdown Poll – #5 GRAND VALLEY STATE

admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:54:20 +0000

Grand Valley State has built a dynasty of success in many sports, most especially football. The Lakers have won four national titles in the past decade and made it deep into the playoffs five other times during that time period. That said, GVSU hasn’t won the national title in the past three seasons and that trend will more than likely continue this season with a new quarterback and head coach. Coach Chuck Martin left to join former Coach Brian Kelly’s staff at DI Notre Dame. He is replaced by his veteran defensive coach Matt Mitchell.

Last season the Lakers rode a veteran quarterback into the title game for the first time in a few years and came up short. The season started with a win over West Texas A&M before the Lakers showed vulnerability with a 7-point victory vs. Ferris State. Then, the rare slip up against Hillsdale. It was the first regular season loss for GVSU since 2004. They went on to finish strong including avenging the loss to Hillsdale and to Minnesota-Duluth for the previous season’s playoff defeat.

This year the Lakers reload and will be led on offense by first-team All-GLIAC lineman Cameron Bradfield and All-GLIAC honorable mention receivers Ryan Bass and Andrew Lorman. Bass had 36 catches for 605 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2009. The defense will be anchored by GLIAC Defensive Lineman of the Year Danny Richard and first-team All-GLIAC linebacker Justin Victor.

They will face two of their tougher opponents at home to begin the season as West Texas A&M from the LSC visits before the GLIAC schedule starts with Hillsdale. The Lakers should cruise through the next eight GLIAC contests before a regular season finale with arch-rival Saginaw Valley State.

D2 Sports Network predicts the GVSU Lakers to finish 11-3 as GLIAC champions in the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs.