Alabama State Can Challenge Jackson State in SWAC It is still two weeks out before Jackson State and Alabama State meet on the field but it’s becoming increasingly clear that their October 11 contest may be the deciding one in the SWAC race this season. Four games in and ASU is 3-1 with a nice 28-point win over Florida A&M. The Hornets have quietly been playing some really good football as of late and have been getting solid production on the ground from a handful of different players including running
backs Jamarie Hostzclaw and Marcus Harris II who literally scored on every touch he had on Saturday. If Alabama State can keep this rolling then they can certainly make things interesting when they head to Jackson.
Montana State Never Went Away
The Bobcats made it emphatically clear on Saturday afternoon that their place among the Big Sky’s elite has not changed. After a ho hum performance against Mercyhurst last weekend and a 2-2 start, it seemed as though MSU might be taking a bit of a step back. Against Eastern Washington in their conference opener, however, they left little doubt, drubbing the Eagles 57-3. The ‘Cats got teh breakout game they’ve been looking for from guys like quarterback Justin Lamson and the defense appears as though it’s regained its dominant form from last season. That’s two weeks in a row that the unit has not allowed a touchdown. Montana State can further prove itself this week as it takes on Northern Arizona in Flagstaff; a place that’s been notoriously tricky for visitors.
Lamar Will Win the Southland
Despite winning three straight, Lamar is not being mentioned a whole lot as a legitimate playoff contender. Not only are the Cardinals good enough to make the postseason, though, they’re good enough to go in as the Southland champs. Yes, UIW finally looked a lot better in its big win over ranked Abilene Christian, but Lamar has all the pieces to give them trouble when they clash on November 1. With impressive non-conference wins over South Dakota and now Central Arkansas under their collective belt, the Cardinals are now staring down the barrel of four very gettable conference games over the next month. If that all goes according to plan, this group will be right in the mix for a league championship.
South Dakota Will Miss the Playoffs
The post-Bob Neilson era at USD is not going well at all right now and Saturday was just another example of it. The Coyotes got run out of the building against North Dakota State in Fargo and now fall to 2-3 on the year (and one of those two wins was a close one over Northern Colorado). South Dakota is in trouble as it likely needs to win at six of its final seven games to get at-large consideration and with matchups against North Dakota, South Dakota State and Illinois State on the schedule still, that’s going to be a big ask. It’s an unexpected predicament for a team that reached the semifinals last year and retained its starting QB but right now it seems as though the sky is coming down in Vermillion.
Sac State is Not Ready for the FBS
Much buzz was made all offseason about Sacramento State’s desire to leave the FCS and join up with the FBS and, although those plans have been put on the backburner for now, it will still be a talking point around the program moving forward. As of right now, though, the Hornets are not even off to a good start in their final Big Sky season. In the conference opener on Saturday night, Sac State dropped an ugly one at home to usual cellar dweller Cal Poly. The 32-24 defeat is a rough look for a program that has aspirations of moving up a level and it doesn’t bode well for what the rest of the season may have in store.
