Both my College squads take the field on Saturday (Aug. 6th) for the second time in the young FBS and FCS seasons. My #1/#2 FCS ranked NDSU Bison take on the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (didn't realize Connecticut was big enough to have a 'Central') at the Fargodome, and the Minnesota Golden Gophers travel to Bowling Green to take on the Falcons fresh off their upset of #25 ranked Pitt last weekend. Lets take some quick looks at and predict the games:
-#1/#2 NDSU BISON vs. CCSU BLUE DEVILS
The Blue Devils will find themselves outclassed, outgunned, and overwhelmed in this matchup of David vs. Goliath. Only problem is, in this version David doesn't have a slingshot or any rocks to throw. CCSU is part of the Northeast Conference which is on the lower end of all FCS Football Conferences and currently has no teams represented in the FCS Top 25 polls. The Devils are coming off a 42-35 victory against Bryant University in which their top rusher James Mallory gained 257 yards and scored 2 TDs on 29 carries, but Bryant isn't even in the same universe as this NDSU squad. Look for Mallory to be held in check by the speed and size advantage that the Bison's defense, which held Austin Peay to 91 total yards of offense last week in their 41-6 throttling of the Governors, brings.
Look for NDSU RB and Walter Payton Award Watch List representative Tyler Roehl to have a big game after being held to just 74 yards on 15 carries against the 8 and 9 man fronts Austin Peay employed last week to slow him and the NDSU ground attack down. I predict Roehl will have his first 200 yard and 3 TD performance of the season. If the Devils do sell out against the run ala the Governors of last week, Junior QB Nick Mertens from East Grand Forks HS and last weeks FCS National Player of the Week WR Kole Heckendorf (8 rec, 179 yds, 3 TDs) will again have a big day.
The only thing keeping the Bison from scoring 60+ points in this game is the fact that the starters will be out of the game by halftime or early in the 3rd quarter. Nothing against CCSU, but they are handcuffed by the fact their program only has 30 scholarships, compared to NDSU's FCS max of 65, the talent available to compete on their level just isn't there, and they'll be overwhelmed by the atmosphere the NDSU students and fans bring to the Fargodome.
NDSU Bison 56 - CCSU Blue Devils 10.
-MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS vs. BOWLING GREEN FALCONS
Bowling Green came into the Metrodome last year and won a thriller against the Gophers in overtime 32-31. While I believe the Gophers will improve on their 1-11 record from a year ago, I don't see them escaping Ohio with a victory against a team coming off a 27-17 upset victory over #25 ranked Pitt on the road in their first home game of the young season.
The Gopher offense will be able to move the football and score points with QB Adam Webber making plays with his feet and his arm, but the defense didn't show me enough in their narrow-escape-closing-seconds victory against Northern Illinois last week at the Metrodome to make me believe they'll hold BG's offense in check. Falcons QB Tyler Sheehan threw for 388 yards and 2 scores last year in the Metrodome and look for them to air it out again against the Gopher Defense that surrendered 326 yards in last weeks win to NIU's freshman QB Chandler Harnish who was filling in for an injured starter.
It may be a close game, but the Gopher defense fails in the clutch and the Falcons escape having a let down game in their 2008 home opener after their big upset of the Pitt Panthers on the road.
UMN Golden Gophers 24 - BG Falcons 31
'Til next time...(Go Herd!)
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