As Round 2 of the Division II Playoffs gets ready to begin, it’s important to keep in mind that every game being played will include either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed because each of those teams got a bye. The first round of the Division II playoffs is very much like sorting out who is the best of the rest. If those teams that advanced want to prove they are better than that, then this is where you show it by beating somebody.
California (Pa.) v. Winston Salem State
Well California took care of business and made my upset call look foolish v. Elizabeth City State. Not only did Cal beat Elizabeth City, they stomped a mud hole into them with the 44-0 win. Cal was dominant in every facet of the game as they put up 497 total yards from scrimmage. Cal will hit the road next week to travel down to Winston-Salem, NC to take on the undefeated Rams.
When Cal has the ball…
When Winston-Salem coaches started watching the Cal tape on Sunday one of the first things they probably noticed was how versatile and deadly Cal can be. Cal has the ability to control the clock, grind out first downs, and wear down defenses with RB Lamont Smith. They have a QB who makes smart decisions, has shown good accuracy, and can make big throws for first downs in Peter Lalich, and finally they have a WR who has the ability to beat you deep, over the middle or take a short bubble screen all the way in Thomas Mayo. Not many teams in the country have three weapons the caliber of Cal’s and even fewer teams have the defensive playmakers to match up. This is the area Winston-Salem may have the most trouble as well. Their best playmaker is DB Cameron Demps who leads the team with six INT’s but is not going to be able to cover the pass and the run. They will need guys like Akeem Ward, Carlos Fields Jr., and Alton Keaton to step their games up to the next level if they hope to stop this Cal attack. If they can do that the advantage will flip to the Rams as return man Dominique Fitzgerald is one of the most dangerous return men in the division averaging over 19.73 yards per return and having already scored once. Cal must do everything it can to keep the ball out of his hands.
When Winston Salem has the ball…
Cal should expect to see a similar attack to what they saw this past weekend from Elizabeth City State University. Winston Salem has a top 10 back nationally in Nicholas Cooper and Winston-Salem averages 233 yards per game on the ground. Cooper’s ground dominance cannot be understated. He has gone over 100 yards in eight of Winston-Salem’s 11 game while twice going over 200 yards. The difference between Elizabeth City State and Winston-Salem State is that Winston-Salem can and will throw the ball if needed. QB Kameron Smith has thrown 267 passes, 156 of which have been completed, for 2,036 yards, 28 TD’s, and eight INT’s. Cal will counter with DB Rontez Miles who has been a force this year v. the pass and the run. He added yet another INT last weekend to make it five on the season and has 13 pass defenses. Miles play is a big part of why Cal ranks 4th in the nation in getting turnovers with 36 on the year.
The Pick…
I made a mistake last week picking against Cal, but Winston-Salem isn’t Elizabeth City State. They can not only run the ball but they can and will throw it. Cal was my preseason Division II National Title pick so after abandoning them in the first round, I’m back on their band wagon now. Give me the Vulcans to win.
Kutztown v. New Haven:
From the first set of Regional Rankings on New Haven was always the No. 1 seed in Super Region 1. They hadn’t lost a DII game all season long and they dominated their opponents for the most part. Then in the final week Winston-Salem State surpassed them and they got stuck at No. 2. Now while that may have its disadvantages come the Regional Finals, it plays to their advantage now.
When Kutztown has the ball…
Last week we said we were unsure of QB Kevin Morton’s status coming into the game v. Concord, and Morton ended up playing, and then got replaced after once again getting injured. Who will start this weekend is not known but if Morton is not fully healthy backup Marshall Vogel has shown that he has what it takes to engineer a playoff victory. No matter who is at QB Kutztown is going to lean heavily on RB Robbie Frey. Frey carried the ball 25 times last week for 157 yards and a TD. With Frey getting the concentration of the Concord defense Vogel was able to hook up with WR Josh Smith twice for over 20 yards including a 46 yard TD. Look for Kutztown to try and revisit that connection if New Haven stacks the box v. Frey. The effectiveness of Frey though will be tested v. a stout New Haven front that includes DL Tom Herd and Raheem Stanley. Both Herd and Stanley excel at getting off blocks and making plays v. the run. What Stanley and Herd can’t get to LB Charlie Hatchett usually cleans up. Hatchett leads the team in tackles with 81 and has five and half tackles for loss. The question is whether or not New Haven can matchup with Kutztown if they start targeting Smith down the field?
When New Haven has the ball…
The first thing New Haven must do is find a way to protect QB Ryan Osiecki when he drops back to throw. New Haven ranks 111th in sacks allowed, allowing an average of 2.36 sacks per game. This becomes an even bigger issue this weekend when you are playing against a DL the caliber of Brett Moss. Moss tortured Concord QB Zack Grossi last week with four sacks bringing his season total to 16.5. If New Haven can’t block Moss they won’t have a shot to win. The best potential way for New Haven to block Moss may be for them to establish RB Mike DeCaro on the ground. DeCaro doesn’t have dazzling numbers on the year but he does average over five yards per carry and has shown the ability to move the chains. If New Haven can establish DeCaro and get Moss thinking about if it’s run or pass they may have some passing opportunities open up down the field. The big target will be WR Jason Thompson who has 33 catches for 781 yards and 10 TD’s. Thompson 23.6 ypc average is rather uncanny and it could present issues for Kutztown if he can get open. Getting open will hopefully be a big challenge with DB Alex Dinolfi patrolling CF. He managed to grab two INT’s last week and does a great job of reading the QB’s eyes and breaking on the ball. Osiecki will have to make sure he looks off Dinolfi before trying to deliver the ball down the field.
The Pick…
New Haven may have been ranked No 1 for a while and they may be undefeated but I don’t think they matchup with Kutztown very well. I think Kutztown despite their QB issues will come in and end New Haven’s playoffs.
North Greenville v. Mars Hill:
Separated by just over an hour s drive are North Greenville and Mars Hill. These two teams met earlier in the season with Mars Hill coming away a winner 38-28. That game like this one will be at Mars Hill and the Crusaders will be looking for a different outcome this time around. (Author’s Note: On Monday I said that North Greenville and Mars Hill were from the same conference. That is not true Mars Hill plays football in the South Atlantic Conference while North Greenville plays as a Division II Independent.)
When North Greenville has the ball…
Well as we told you in last week’s preview it’s clear that North Greenville will do everything in its power to run the football and establish its ground attack. This worked to perfection last weekend v. Albany State as North Greenville ran for 309 yards on the ground and scored four TD’s. Their dominance in the run game allowed QB Willy Korn to have an easy go of it throwing the ball only 15 times for 10 completions, 144 yards, and 2 TD’s. It’s key that Korn come into this game with confidence sky high because in their earlier match-up Korn had one of his worst games going 12 of 25 for 129 yards and two INT’s. Look for Korn to try and make some plays in this game and try and extract some measure of revenge. Korn was not the only part of the offense that struggled as the running game only gained 230 yards on the ground which was 25 under their season average and the team only scored 28 points. The X factor in this game may end up being WR Freddie Martino Jr. Martino was limited in the first matchup to less than 50 yards from scrimmage but North Greenville showed last week they are more willing now to give Martino the ball in unconventional ways than before. If Martino can bust loose it will add another dimension to an already potent attack. Mars Hill will look to employ the same game plan in this game that worked so well in the first game. That was basically telling DL Troy Harris to go wild and get after Willy Korn and just play sound gap smart defense behind him. Harris was Korn’s worst nightmare getting three sacks and he must be a focal point of North Greenville’s protection scheme.
When Mars Hill has the ball…
RB Jonas Randolph has quite possibly had one of the most amazing seasons of any Division II RB ever. He is a near lock to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark this weekend (currently at 1,970 yards) he is nearing 20 TD’s on the year and has had multiple games of over 300 yards this season and has only been held to under 100 twice. Against North Greenville earlier this year Randolph was a beast rushing for 202 yards on 36 carries and scoring twice. North Greenville will likely look to load the box with defenders in order to try and stop Randolph. That will put the onus on QB Jon Richt (UGA Head Coach Mark Richt’s son) to make some throws and pick up yards. Richt threw two INT’s in the first meeting but has thrown only three more in the six games since then. In that same time frame he has thrown 9 TD’s. Richt has shown that he is more than comfortable at dropping back and finding big play WR Dimitri Holmes down the field if teams concentrate solely on Randolph. As I said last week North Greenville’s defense is highly ranked but we still aren’t sold on it despite them holding Albany State to -11 total rushing yards and only 309 total yards. This defenses true test will come on Saturday against Mars Hill.
The Pick…
It is with a sad heart and a long face that I sadly call for the Willy Korn era to come to an end at North Greenville. I wish it could continue on but I don’t see the North Greenville defense being able to stop Randolph very much and without being able to do that they have no shot to win the game.
North Alabama v. Delta State:
In a rematch of a game that occurred just over a month ago North Alabama will travel to Delta State to take on the Statesman and try and extract revenge. The winner of this Gulf South Conference rivalry will be the odds on favor to take Super Region 2 and make a run for the National Championship.
When North Alabama has the ball…
Effective and efficient were the name of the game for North Alabama last weekend as they beat up on West Alabama. QB Lee Chapple completed over 81% of his passes and they picked eight first downs on the ground. UNA is at its best when it can keep defenses honest with its rushing attack and let Lee Chapple operate with his WR’s. WR Daniel Almon went over 100 yards on Saturday while leading WR Triston Purifoy added 74 total receiving yards, including a long 52 yard play. Purifoy also added a TD score with the other going to WR Cameron Wade. It will be key for UNA to continue this success through the air this weekend as they struggled to find the same kind of consistency v. Delta State the first time. Delta State used sound fundamental defense to tie up North Alabama the first time around. They played a pretty steady bend but don’t break defense and more importantly they answered UNA at almost every turn. If UNA wants to be more successful it needs to focus on making sure somebody gets a block on LB Ixavier Triplett. The sophomore LB has 9 tackles in their first meeting and has 62 on the season to go along with 10 TFL, four pass breakups, and a force fumble. Triplett runs exceptionally well and if left unblocked he will become a tackling machine.
When Delta State has the ball…
Delta State focuses on a balanced attack that is led by QB Micah Davis. Davis has had a bit of a down year this year considering the numbers he put up last season. He has thrown for 2,918 yards while completing 61.1% of his passes with 18 TD’s, but 16 INT’s. The high INT’s show you that he misses have the deep threat that WR LJ Castille brought to the Statesman last year. Instead Davis has to rely on possession WR Chance Dennis as his number one target. Dennis is very good and is one of the most sure handed WR’s in the GSC but he doesn’t have the speed to beat many defenses deep and in the first matchup he was held to only four catches for 48 yards. Davis has however added 11 rushing TD’s this year and has been a nice addition to the trio of RB’s that Delta State usually uses. RB’s Brandon Lucas, Richard Freelon, and Brent Botill have combined for 353 rushing attempts that have gone for 1,394 yards and 12 TD’s. In the first meeting these three combined for only 77 total yards and two TD’s. They must be more effective this time around and help to take some of the pressure off of Micah Davis. UNA is absolutely loaded on defense they will try and use that talent to grind the Delta State offense to a halt. LB Marcus Dowtin who is coming off a 11 tackle game will once again try and corral the DSU rushing attack while CB Janoris Jenkins will try and lock down Chance Dennis.
The Pick…
I expect UNA to get their revenge in this one. Ever since I saw Delta State in the National Championship game last year I’ve been curious as to if they are as good as their record indicates. Their rankings all speak to why they are such an elite team but I just don’t see it in their players. I think they could get exposed in this game.
Minnesota-Duluth v. CSU-Pueblo:
The defending National Champions picked up these playoffs right where they left last years off, by beating teams. The Bulldogs were too much for Saginaw Valley State in the end as Minn-Duluth won out in overtime. Next up for the defending champs is the gift of going to the No 1 overall team in the country in CSU-Pueblo. This game promises to push both teams to their absolute limit.
When Minnesota-Duluth has the ball…
Not much will change between this week and last week in terms of Minn-Duluth’s game plan. They are going to feed their trio of ball carriers the ball 40-50 times a game and ask QB Chase Vogler to complete between eight and twelve passes a game. This formula is the same one that won them the National Title last year and has made them such a dominant program to contend with no matter who is at QB or RB. CSU-Pueblo should give Minn-Duluth plenty to think about however with the 3rd overall rush defense allowing only 79.27 yards per game and the 1st overall scoring defense allowing only 9.09 points per game. They also bring in one of the top LB’s in all of Division II in Lee Meisner who has 87 tackles on the year and unlike many of the other LB’s we’ve talked about in these previews he is more of a gap filler than a gap shooter. What I mean by that is that Meisner excels at reading the play understanding where it’s going and stopping for no or minimal game. He plays a disciplined and under control brand of football that rarely has him out of position or biting on play fakes. One of the reason CSU-Pueblo’s defense so effective despite a more passive lead LB, is because they have two of the most aggressive DL in the RMAC in Corey Orth and Grant Jansen. Jansen and Orth do an excellent job of attacking the gaps and getting into the backfield. They have combined for 21.5 TFL on the year and have given every team they’ve faced reoccurring nightmares.
When CSU-Pueblo has the ball…
CSU-Pueblo like Minn-Duluth will work to establish the running game on Saturday. They are nowhere near as dependent upon it as Minn-Duluth is but with backs like Jesse Lewis and J.B Matthews you like to get them involved in the game and into a rhythm. When they get into that rhythm it can be game over for the opponent as combined these two have gone for 1,506 yards and 17 TD’s. When the running game struggles to get going it’s up to QB Ross Dausin to give the offense a jump start. Dausin excels at spreading the ball around the field to different WR’s. 11 of Dausin’s 16 TD tosses have gone to different WR’s on the year as17 different WR’s have registered catches. Pueblo’s ability to spread defenses out like that makes defending both the run and the pass that much harder. Expect DB Cody Eich to have a much bigger role this week on defense that last week. Eich is a versatile safety who can play in the box or back off the line of scrimmage. He does a good job locating the ball and has the athleticism to run down most plays. He along with LB’s Rob Huberty and Derrick Zappa are going to need to be strong against the run if Minn-Duluth is going to have a shot at a repeat.
The Pick…
I’m taking the favorite in this game and that’s not the defending National Champions. I love the way CSU-Pueblo gives teams so much variety in their offense. How do you game plan for a team that predominantly runs the ball with two different backs but then mid game can switch it up go four or five wide and start tossing the ball around? I don’t know that you, I, or the Minnesota-Duluth defensive staff can answer that.
Wayne State v. Nebraska-Kearney:
The RMAC went No’s 1 and 2 in Super Region 3 and if you told me that would happen just a year ago I would of called you crazy. However this conference clearly came to play ball this year and if their seasons proved anything it’s that they can and will do whatever is necessary to win a ball game. They don’t just stick to running or passing game, they have the players and ability to do both and will ride whatever is working. Wayne State will have to take notice of this, when or if Nebraska-Kearney begins to switch their philosophy and be ready for nearly anything.
When Wayne State has the ball…
Toney Davis. That’s really all I need to say after RB Toney Davis busted out for 326 yards rushing and five TD’s on only 38 carries. Davis averaged 8.6 yards per carry over the course of those 38 carries and it wasn’t like he had two or three long 70+ yard runs to help him out either. He longest run on the day was only 47 yards. That kind of dominance is nearly unheard of from a guy who never ran for more than 150 yards in any one game this season. However this kind of potential dominance is not unheard of, back in 2007 Northwest Missouri State RB Xavier Omon. Omon ran for 777 yards over the course of four playoff games and if Davis can duplicate the same results Wayne State will be very happy. Nebraska-Kearney comes in with the 5th ranked rush defense led by LB Kellen Werner. Werner has 69 tackles, 8 TFL, 2 sacks, 4 INT‘s, 5 PBU, and 1 QBH on the year. Werner will be key in trying to stop Davis but don’t overlook DL Sandi Stanback, the sophomore DL has 8 TFL on the year. He has been a little inconsistent at times but when he gets into the zone he can be a very disruptive defender.
When Nebraska-Kearney has the ball…
Neb-Kearney brings a potent and dangerous offense to the table led by dual threat QB Jake Spitzlberger. Spitzlberger has run for 983 yards this season and thrown for 2,426. He has scored 34 combined touchdowns and has been the spark plug to this explosive offense. The Lopers do feature another couple of playmakers in RB Ricky Trinidad and WR Tommy Flanagan. Trinidad has rushed for 616 yards on just 98 carries, and has scored five times. Flanagan has put up similar numbers with his 614 yards and 8 TD’s. Expected Wayne State DB Jeremy Jones to be very active in this much like he was last weekend when he recorded five tackles, half of which went for a loss. Wayne State got some really good pressure on St. Cloud last week getting five total sacks and nine tackles in the backfield. They forced two interceptions, and were able to come up with a few big stops when needed.
The Pick…
Wayne State played a great game but still lost the time of possession battle to St. Cloud and gave up 38 points, if they do that again this week they are going to lose to Nebraska-Kearney. Look for the Lopers to use more of Spitzlberger’s arm then fans may be used to seeing, Wayne State’s secondary outside of Jeremy Jones is very suspect. If they can connect on a few passes Nebraska-Kearney could win big.
Washburn v. Pittsburgh State:
Just a few weeks ago Washburn walked into The Jungle at Pittsburg State and came out with a decisive 43 to 25 victory. They physically manhandled the Gorillas and put a beating on them that may just come back to haunt them in this rematch.
When Washburn has the ball…
Like I said last week the name to know is Dane Simoneau, all he did last week was throw for over 55% completions, 424 yards, and two TD’s. In other words he had a pretty good Dane Simoneau game. Pittsburgh State specifically knows all about those games because when Simoneau gets going you feel like no matter what you do, you’re not going to stop him. Another player Pittsburgh State must find a way to stop is RB Justin Cooper. The speedy back went for 159 against Pitt State a few weeks ago and went over 100 again last weekend v. ACU. The versatile back is slippery in the hole and is extremely tough to tackle in the open field. He is also an accomplished pass catcher who caught two passes last weekend for 49 yards. This time around Pittsburgh State must get better play out of DL Gus Toca. Toca leads the Gorillas in tackles for loss and is second in sacks but had only three tackles against the Ichabods the first time around. Regardless of what Toca is able to do in this game the defense still hinges on do everything LB Nate Deiling. The star LB for this defense had 16 tackles, 1 TFL, and a pass breakup in the first meeting and must do even more this time around in regards to making impact plays. The Gorilla defense can either set the tone for this game or give Washburn the confidence they need to make the sweep. (Author’s Note: On Monday I referred to Washburn RB Justin Cooper as Jonathan, I apologize for that mix-up)
When Pittsburgh State has the ball…
When the Gorillas have the ball they turn to QB Zac Dikey to make things happen. The athletic QB is a threat with both his legs and his arm, but prefers to the run ball as opposed to heaving it down the field. Dikey has run for 801 yards on the season and scored 10 TD’s but against Washburn he was shut down when running the ball. He ran for only 59 yards and was forced to throw, though he did very well throwing the ball goes 15 for 23 for 198 yards, 2 TD’s, and an INT. Dikey found leading WR John Brown four times in that game for 102 yards and a couple of scores. Washburn defense would like nothing better than to once again shut down both Dikey and RB Briceton Wilson. They held a rushing offense that was averaging 271.20 yards per game to only 132 in their first matchup. Washburn did this by playing gap control defense. They pounded discipline and responsibility into their defensive game plan. They played under control and didn’t get caught out of position or over pursuing. They had five defenders with over seven tackles in that game and they played as a team defense. No one player can be signaled out as being the man for the defense on that day and that’s just Washburn wants it to be.
The Pick…
Pitt State may be the higher seed but I honestly think this Washburn team has their number. I think they give the Pittsburgh State defense far too much to have to account for and have the best player in Division II in Dane Simoneau on their team. I’m taking Washburn all the way in these playoffs.
Northwest Missouri State v. Midwestern State
Midwestern State was the top offense in all Division II this year. They averaged over 544 yards per game and were unstoppable. Can the Bearcats keep their special season alive and pull the upset?
When Northwest Missouri has the ball…
Last we talked about how Northwest Missouri was so versatile how they could beat you with the legs of their two RB’s or the arm of QB Trevor Adams. What we didn’t see happening was QB Trevor Adams running like a man possessed and picking up 78 yards on the ground v. Missouri Western last week. Adams offensive explosion on the ground couldn’t of come at a better time. In a game where Adams threw two INT’s to only one TD, his ability to get out of the pocket and big first downs as opposed to forcing throws was huge. Adams combined with RB James Franklin to dominate the Missouri Western run defense and build lead Northwest to a big win. Midwestern brings playmakers at all three levels of hits defense and will be concentrated on stopping Franklin and Adams. DL Kevin Birdow leads the team in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (12), while LB Ty Duncan leads in tackles (69) and DB Neiko Conway leads in INT’s (3). These three combine to form the crux of the Midwestern defense and combines have made 161 tackles, 17.5 TFL, 6 sacks, 2 FF, 11 QBH’s, 3 PBU’s, 3 INT’s, and 2 blocks.
When Midwestern State has the ball…
What are you supposed to do with a team that averages over 540 yards per game? Midwestern State averages over 320 yards a game on the ground and over 220 yards per game in the air. How do you possible prepare for that? Well you start by concentrating on QB Brandon Kelsey whose 2,770 total yards this year and 27 TD’s lead the way for an attack that can score at anytime from anywhere on the field. In addition to Kelsey running the football, Midwestern also employs an envoy of three RB’s to tear up the field. RB’s Keidrick Jackson, Jimmy Pipkin, and Lester Bush all have gained over 500 yards on the season and have scored more than 7 TD’s a piece. The official total is 2,073 total yards on 296 carries, with 36 total touchdowns scores. They average 7 yards per carry as a trio and Kelsey averaged over 9. It doesn’t hurt that they have arguably one of the best offensive lineman in Division II in Amini Silatolu leading the way for them. Defensively I don’t know what Northwest is going to do, they only allowed 186 total yards last week to Missouri Western but Midwestern State’s offense is in an entirely different class. If Northwest is to have any shot at slowing down this offense they will need to stay aggressive like they did last week and continue to make plays in the backfield. Northwest tackled Missouri Western 11 times for a loss last weekend and they must try and duplicate that number this weekend.
The Pick…
I don’t know how I can pick against Midwestern State in this game. I have nothing but respect and envy for the Northwest program but I don’t think they match-up well at all. I realize that the LSC has a horrible record in postseason play but I don’t think it’s going to matter much in this one. I don’t think it’s going to be a blow out but I also don’t think it’s going to come down to the wire.
Make sure you check back on Friday for our 2nd Round preview of the Division III playoffs!
