Re: Rebirth of the Big North Conference (BNC): A CAP Simulation Dynasty
What we learned in the BNC: Week 4
By Dan Moore - ESPN BNC Blogger and Host of the Dan Moore Show
Sept 21, 2013 - 9:00 AM ET
With the season starting for most of the Big North, I've looked at the results of yesterday's games and came up with the following conclusions:
1. Bears dominate Titans again: Coming off of a bye week, Alaska State started off slow against Providence State, but was able to dominate the second half, en-route to a 41-14 win. Mickey Newman continues his dominace against the Titans, this time behind a 36 carry, 168 yard performance along with 2 touchdowns. Von Hawthorne continues to improve, going 18 of 23 for 181 yards and a touchdown with no picks or sacks. The defense also finally managed to force an interception for their first takeaway of the season. Next week's game against Vermont State should be one of the best games of the season.
2. Manchester State no longer on Cruise control: After coming off of an excellent freshman campaign, Kings tight end Cody Cruise has not been able to repeat the success he had last season. Whether other teams have figured him out or JaMarcus Moss has regressed some, one thing is certain. The Kings are not the smae team when Cruise is taken out of the equation. While Moss had a great game, the lack of targets to Cruise has hurt the Kings chances to win. With a tough slate ahead, the Kings must figure a way to get Cruise more involved in the offense if they want to return to a bowl game.
3. Non-conference embarrassment: For the second week in a row, the conference failed to pick up an important win. Vermont State had a chance against #6 Ole Miss in the second half, but two costly interceptions by Jace Cooper did in the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, Columbia State failed to show up in Tuscaloosa, Portalnd Tech lost "The Battle of the Owls", and Bismarck State lost thanks to a last-minute score by Iowa State. If the conference wants to be taken seriously, they must win the big games and avoid losing close games.
4. More disappointment for Evans, White: Yesterday saw both Columbia State and Billings State suffer horrible losses. The Statesmen was no match for the 2nd ranked Crimson Tide, being shutout for the second time in two years, while the 49ers lost their conference opener for the first time since 1999 to a team that dominated last season.
With both teams playing each other this week and each coming into the game 0-3, this game could be seen as an elimination game for both teams.
5. Swedes, Islanders get important wins: Both Delaware College and Victoria State, the two biggest surprises of the season so far, once again won key games yesterday. The Islanders, who traied Buffalo at one point 24-7, rallied to not only force overtime, but managed to win thanks to a pick six on the first play in overtime.
Meanwhile, the Swedes dominated the 49ers in their conference opener. Holding the 49ers to 3 points, the Swedes defense is shaping to be one of the best in their long history.
With a showdown next week, both teams will come in with a chance to get to three wins to start the season.
Now that we talked about yesterday's games, let's look at the key games this weekend.
#16 Alaska State vs. Vermont State (3:30 PM EDT on ESPN) - The rematch of last season's Big North Championship happens this week as the #16 Bears travel once again to South Burlington to take on a Timberwolves team that is hurting after a loss to #6 Ole Miss. While the Bears seek to avenge their defeat in the conference championship game, the Timberwolves will look to win their 16th game in their last 17 games.
Victoria State vs. Delaware College (3:30 PM EDT on BNN) - A matchup of the two surprising teams in the Big North, both the Islanders and Swedes have a chance to earn a key victory Saturday. This should be a great game with the top defense in the country facing off against a team that has shown an ability to fight back when down. Whoever wins will have a chance to have a great season with the Swedes having a chance to start off 2-0 in conference play for the first time in 10 years.
Billings State vs. Columbia State (6:00 PM EDT on ESPNU) - Dubbed "The Battle of Losers" by the Washington Post, whoever wins this game will get a reprieve from the hotseat for a week. With both teams playing terrible, this could be a high-scoring game. Whichever team shows up will earn their first win while the loser will be staring at an 0-4 start to the season.
Here is this week's schedule of games for the conference:
Let's now look at this week's Big North Power Rankings:
Big North Power Rankings: Week 4
1) (LW: 1) Alaska State (3-0, 1-0 BN) - After a week of rest and practice, the Bears took care of business against Providence State 41-14. Mickey Newman continues to improve his draft stock as he rushed for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns while the defense managed to get their first takeaway of the season. This week, they will travel to South Burlington to seek revenge against Vermont State.
2) (LW: T2) Providence State (2-1, 0-1) - After looking impressive against Memphis, the Titans faltered once again against the Bears as they fell 41-14. The Titans key weapons, Dontae Brown and Matthew King were held in check for the most part while the defense was unable to stop the run. Next week, I expect the Titans to return to form as they face off against Vancouver State.
3) (LW: T2) Vermont State (1-1, 0-0) - Despite coming off of a bye and being at home, the Timberwolves failed to stop Bo Wallace and the #6 Rebels from winning 52-23. Jace Cooper's two interceptions led to 14 Rebel points while Bo Wallace could do no wrong against the Timberwolves defense. Things don't get easier as #16 Alaska State comes to town.
4) (LW: 5) Delaware College (2-1, 1-0) - After losing a close game to Northwestern, the Swedes took out their frustration on the 49ers by defeating them 27-3 a year after losing to them 45-13. With the nation's best defense and an offense that is more than capable to scoring, the Swedes are a team to be feared. The Swedes will look to go 3-1 and 2-0 in conference play when they host Victoria State Saturday.
5) (LW: 4) Manchester State (1-2, 0-1) - After defeating San Jose State, the Kings lose to South Dakota Tech in a game that got away from the Kings in the second quarter. Cody Cruise has yet to duplicate the feats that made him a household name this year, JaMarcus Moss seemed to regressed some, and the defense has regressed as the team lost all of the momentum that was gained last season.
6) (LW: 8) Victoria State (2-0, 0-0) - The Islanders were able to defeat Buffalo 33-27 in overtime thanks to a pick-six on the Bulls first possession of overtime. One of the surprising teams, the Islanders have so far exceeded expectations. Their next game against Delaware College will see how far they have truly come as a program.
7) (LW: 9) South Dakota Tech (1-1, 1-0) - After a rough loss to start the season, the Storm managed to get their first win of the season after defeating Manchester State 34-17. Jevon Matthews played one of his best games of his career while the defense held star tight end Cody Cruise below his career average in the win. Next, the Storm will face Portland Tech.
8) (LW: 7) Bismarck State (0-2, 0-0) - Following a bye week, the Rough Riders gave Iowa State all they could handle before losing 28-26. Once again the dynamic duo of Jack Jamison and Joe Yeboah did a lot of damage (17 Tackles, 11 TFL, 4.5 sacks and a fumble) between them. Once again, however, it was the defense that failed to deliver when needed the most, turning the ball over three times, the final one giving the Cyclones the chance to win the game. Bismarck State must now face Manchester State, who is also coming off a bad loss.
9) (LW: 9) Portland Tech (1-2, 0-0) - The Owls suffered another bad lost, this time at the hands of Rice. Portland Tech continues to struggle as the Owls keep turning the ball over way too much. Quarterback Frankie Leonard must be more accurate with his passes if the team wants to had a winning record. The Owls will next host South Dakota Tech.
10) (LW: 6) Billings State (0-3, 0-1) - The 49ers continue to struggle as they lose to a very impressive Delaware College team 27-3. Marty Gonzales continues to struggle and the defense is doing little to give the offense the chance to win. The team must show some fight next week against Columbia State or their season will be over.
11) (LW: 11) Columbia State (0-3, 0-0) - Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did yesterday as the Statesmen were shutout against the Crimson Tide 37-0. Despite not turning the ball over, the offense continued to struggle and the defense was non-existant. Like the 49ers, next week's game is crucial for Coach Evans and his staff if they want to remain in DC next season.
12) (LW: 12) Vancouver State (0-2, 0-0) - After a bye week, the Tigers will have their hands full as they travel to Providence to take on a Titans team that was embarrassed yesterday.
As we did last weekend, let's look at the three recruits that we discussed to see where they stand.
First is the top recruit in the country, J. W. Greyvenstein. It appears that Greyvenstein will be attending Alaska State's homecoming game against Billings State as he and several other recruits will be on hand. Alaska State has a clear edge on Michigan, the only other school to offer Greyvenstein a scholarship.
*Alaska State - Leader (60% Lock)
*Michigan - 2,235
It is looking more and more likely that quarterback Jerrod Pope will sign his LoI with Arizona State. According to his high school coaches, it appears that he is heavily leaning toward signing with the Sun Devils as soon as possible. Michigan and BYU are the only other schools that he has shown interest to, but in reality, he will be a Sun Devil.
*Arizona State - Leader (58% Lock)
Michigan - 3,015 behind
BYU - 3,105 behind
Since last week's report, not much has changed as BYU remains the top school on wide receiver Andre Howe's list, with Oregon, California, Alabama, and Texas A&M close behind. No school has offered him, but I'm sure that will change as the season progresses.
BYU - Leader (18% Locked)
Oregon - 234 behind
California - 284 behind
Alabama - 324 behind
Texas A&M - 420 behind
* Denotes scholarship offer
What we learned in the BNC: Week 4
By Dan Moore - ESPN BNC Blogger and Host of the Dan Moore Show
Sept 21, 2013 - 9:00 AM ET
With the season starting for most of the Big North, I've looked at the results of yesterday's games and came up with the following conclusions:
1. Bears dominate Titans again: Coming off of a bye week, Alaska State started off slow against Providence State, but was able to dominate the second half, en-route to a 41-14 win. Mickey Newman continues his dominace against the Titans, this time behind a 36 carry, 168 yard performance along with 2 touchdowns. Von Hawthorne continues to improve, going 18 of 23 for 181 yards and a touchdown with no picks or sacks. The defense also finally managed to force an interception for their first takeaway of the season. Next week's game against Vermont State should be one of the best games of the season.
2. Manchester State no longer on Cruise control: After coming off of an excellent freshman campaign, Kings tight end Cody Cruise has not been able to repeat the success he had last season. Whether other teams have figured him out or JaMarcus Moss has regressed some, one thing is certain. The Kings are not the smae team when Cruise is taken out of the equation. While Moss had a great game, the lack of targets to Cruise has hurt the Kings chances to win. With a tough slate ahead, the Kings must figure a way to get Cruise more involved in the offense if they want to return to a bowl game.
3. Non-conference embarrassment: For the second week in a row, the conference failed to pick up an important win. Vermont State had a chance against #6 Ole Miss in the second half, but two costly interceptions by Jace Cooper did in the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, Columbia State failed to show up in Tuscaloosa, Portalnd Tech lost "The Battle of the Owls", and Bismarck State lost thanks to a last-minute score by Iowa State. If the conference wants to be taken seriously, they must win the big games and avoid losing close games.
4. More disappointment for Evans, White: Yesterday saw both Columbia State and Billings State suffer horrible losses. The Statesmen was no match for the 2nd ranked Crimson Tide, being shutout for the second time in two years, while the 49ers lost their conference opener for the first time since 1999 to a team that dominated last season.
With both teams playing each other this week and each coming into the game 0-3, this game could be seen as an elimination game for both teams.
5. Swedes, Islanders get important wins: Both Delaware College and Victoria State, the two biggest surprises of the season so far, once again won key games yesterday. The Islanders, who traied Buffalo at one point 24-7, rallied to not only force overtime, but managed to win thanks to a pick six on the first play in overtime.
Meanwhile, the Swedes dominated the 49ers in their conference opener. Holding the 49ers to 3 points, the Swedes defense is shaping to be one of the best in their long history.
With a showdown next week, both teams will come in with a chance to get to three wins to start the season.
Now that we talked about yesterday's games, let's look at the key games this weekend.
#16 Alaska State vs. Vermont State (3:30 PM EDT on ESPN) - The rematch of last season's Big North Championship happens this week as the #16 Bears travel once again to South Burlington to take on a Timberwolves team that is hurting after a loss to #6 Ole Miss. While the Bears seek to avenge their defeat in the conference championship game, the Timberwolves will look to win their 16th game in their last 17 games.
Victoria State vs. Delaware College (3:30 PM EDT on BNN) - A matchup of the two surprising teams in the Big North, both the Islanders and Swedes have a chance to earn a key victory Saturday. This should be a great game with the top defense in the country facing off against a team that has shown an ability to fight back when down. Whoever wins will have a chance to have a great season with the Swedes having a chance to start off 2-0 in conference play for the first time in 10 years.
Billings State vs. Columbia State (6:00 PM EDT on ESPNU) - Dubbed "The Battle of Losers" by the Washington Post, whoever wins this game will get a reprieve from the hotseat for a week. With both teams playing terrible, this could be a high-scoring game. Whichever team shows up will earn their first win while the loser will be staring at an 0-4 start to the season.
Here is this week's schedule of games for the conference:
| Big North Week 5 Schedule |
| Results |
| #16 Alaska State @ Vermont State (3:30 PM EDT on ESPN) |
| Victoria State @ Delaware College (3:30 PM EDT on BNN) |
| South Dakota Tech @ Portland Tech (3:30 PM EDT on ESPNU) |
| Bismarck State @ Manchester State (6:00 PM EDT on ESPN 2) |
| Billings State @ Columbia State (6:00 PM EDT on ESPNU) |
| Vancouver State @ Providence State (8:00 PM EDT on BNN) |
Let's now look at this week's Big North Power Rankings:
Big North Power Rankings: Week 4
1) (LW: 1) Alaska State (3-0, 1-0 BN) - After a week of rest and practice, the Bears took care of business against Providence State 41-14. Mickey Newman continues to improve his draft stock as he rushed for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns while the defense managed to get their first takeaway of the season. This week, they will travel to South Burlington to seek revenge against Vermont State.
2) (LW: T2) Providence State (2-1, 0-1) - After looking impressive against Memphis, the Titans faltered once again against the Bears as they fell 41-14. The Titans key weapons, Dontae Brown and Matthew King were held in check for the most part while the defense was unable to stop the run. Next week, I expect the Titans to return to form as they face off against Vancouver State.
3) (LW: T2) Vermont State (1-1, 0-0) - Despite coming off of a bye and being at home, the Timberwolves failed to stop Bo Wallace and the #6 Rebels from winning 52-23. Jace Cooper's two interceptions led to 14 Rebel points while Bo Wallace could do no wrong against the Timberwolves defense. Things don't get easier as #16 Alaska State comes to town.
4) (LW: 5) Delaware College (2-1, 1-0) - After losing a close game to Northwestern, the Swedes took out their frustration on the 49ers by defeating them 27-3 a year after losing to them 45-13. With the nation's best defense and an offense that is more than capable to scoring, the Swedes are a team to be feared. The Swedes will look to go 3-1 and 2-0 in conference play when they host Victoria State Saturday.
5) (LW: 4) Manchester State (1-2, 0-1) - After defeating San Jose State, the Kings lose to South Dakota Tech in a game that got away from the Kings in the second quarter. Cody Cruise has yet to duplicate the feats that made him a household name this year, JaMarcus Moss seemed to regressed some, and the defense has regressed as the team lost all of the momentum that was gained last season.
6) (LW: 8) Victoria State (2-0, 0-0) - The Islanders were able to defeat Buffalo 33-27 in overtime thanks to a pick-six on the Bulls first possession of overtime. One of the surprising teams, the Islanders have so far exceeded expectations. Their next game against Delaware College will see how far they have truly come as a program.
7) (LW: 9) South Dakota Tech (1-1, 1-0) - After a rough loss to start the season, the Storm managed to get their first win of the season after defeating Manchester State 34-17. Jevon Matthews played one of his best games of his career while the defense held star tight end Cody Cruise below his career average in the win. Next, the Storm will face Portland Tech.
8) (LW: 7) Bismarck State (0-2, 0-0) - Following a bye week, the Rough Riders gave Iowa State all they could handle before losing 28-26. Once again the dynamic duo of Jack Jamison and Joe Yeboah did a lot of damage (17 Tackles, 11 TFL, 4.5 sacks and a fumble) between them. Once again, however, it was the defense that failed to deliver when needed the most, turning the ball over three times, the final one giving the Cyclones the chance to win the game. Bismarck State must now face Manchester State, who is also coming off a bad loss.
9) (LW: 9) Portland Tech (1-2, 0-0) - The Owls suffered another bad lost, this time at the hands of Rice. Portland Tech continues to struggle as the Owls keep turning the ball over way too much. Quarterback Frankie Leonard must be more accurate with his passes if the team wants to had a winning record. The Owls will next host South Dakota Tech.
10) (LW: 6) Billings State (0-3, 0-1) - The 49ers continue to struggle as they lose to a very impressive Delaware College team 27-3. Marty Gonzales continues to struggle and the defense is doing little to give the offense the chance to win. The team must show some fight next week against Columbia State or their season will be over.
11) (LW: 11) Columbia State (0-3, 0-0) - Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did yesterday as the Statesmen were shutout against the Crimson Tide 37-0. Despite not turning the ball over, the offense continued to struggle and the defense was non-existant. Like the 49ers, next week's game is crucial for Coach Evans and his staff if they want to remain in DC next season.
12) (LW: 12) Vancouver State (0-2, 0-0) - After a bye week, the Tigers will have their hands full as they travel to Providence to take on a Titans team that was embarrassed yesterday.
As we did last weekend, let's look at the three recruits that we discussed to see where they stand.
First is the top recruit in the country, J. W. Greyvenstein. It appears that Greyvenstein will be attending Alaska State's homecoming game against Billings State as he and several other recruits will be on hand. Alaska State has a clear edge on Michigan, the only other school to offer Greyvenstein a scholarship.
*Alaska State - Leader (60% Lock)
*Michigan - 2,235
It is looking more and more likely that quarterback Jerrod Pope will sign his LoI with Arizona State. According to his high school coaches, it appears that he is heavily leaning toward signing with the Sun Devils as soon as possible. Michigan and BYU are the only other schools that he has shown interest to, but in reality, he will be a Sun Devil.
*Arizona State - Leader (58% Lock)
Michigan - 3,015 behind
BYU - 3,105 behind
Since last week's report, not much has changed as BYU remains the top school on wide receiver Andre Howe's list, with Oregon, California, Alabama, and Texas A&M close behind. No school has offered him, but I'm sure that will change as the season progresses.
BYU - Leader (18% Locked)
Oregon - 234 behind
California - 284 behind
Alabama - 324 behind
Texas A&M - 420 behind
* Denotes scholarship offer
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