Stephens out, Doyle in for Tarleton

Texans visit Central Oklahoma without starting QB

By BRAD KEITH

Sports Editor

brad.keith@empiretribune.com

Redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Doyle has said all along he just wants to help the team any way he can.

He'll certainly get his chance Saturday when he starts at quarterback for Tarleton State (0-1) against Central Oklahoma (0-1).

Doyle is replacing Nick Stephens, a highly-touted transfer from Tennessee who suffered a shoulder injury on a blind-side sack during the fourth quarter of Tarleton's season-opening loss to Northeastern State last week. He was 19-40 passing for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

Tarleton head coach Cary Fowler says Stephens will also miss next week's game at Division I-FCS Northwestern State, but that he may be back for the Lone Star Conference South Division opener at Abilene Christian Sept. 25.

Doyle, who was once recruited as a linebacker and athlete by Oklahoma State and Baylor among others, stepped in for Stephens and almost immediately fired a 60-yard touchdown pass that was part of receiver Jeken Frye's big night.

Doyle finished 3-7 for 73 yards through the air with a critical drop by receiver Arthur Buckingham on fourth down with 1:39 left.

A prep star at nearby Class A Evant, Doyle was slated to start on all special teams and contribute in other ways as atrue freshman last fall. But he broke his hand before the season opener and red-shirted.

"We have a lot of confidence in Aaron," Fowler said. "Before Nick came here Aaron was going to be our quarterback. He's a great athlete and a great competitor. He's going to start the game and he's going to have his offense and I think he's going to do well.

"We're not married to our system, we're married to our players," Fowler continued. "We're going to do what's best with the personnel we have."

For Doyle that likely means opportunities to make plays with his feet. He reportedly clocked a 4.46 in the 40 during the spring, and intra-squad scrimmages have routinely been highlighted by impressive Doyle scrambles.

"Aaron was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the state of Texas when he came here," Fowler said. "I'm excited to see him play."

Fowler is also excited for both his team and staff to show what it learned from last week's stunning 31-23 loss to Northeastern.

"We're learning from our mistakes across the board from me on down," Fowler said. "It's not so much about the mistakes as how you handle them. We're going to be aggressive in our play calling and our guys are going to be aggressive on the field. When you're aggressive you make mistakes sometimes, but it's all about overcoming them."

In addition to Doyle at quarterback, Fowler says the game plan will also include more from true freshman running backs Jerome Regal and Brandon Lowery.

"We have to find ways to get the ball in (Lowery's) hands," Fowler said. "He's too talented not to help us."

Fowler says Lowery, a prep track standout who ran the 100m in 10.3 seconds, will be deep on kickoff returnsalongside Evan Robertson Saturday.

The first-year head coach says the Texans have responded well after last week's loss, their first in a season opener since 2006.

"The kids bounced back fast," he said. "We were out in the pouring down rain the other day, then we were out when it was beautiful (Wednesday). We had a good tempo both days."

Central Oklahoma opened its season with a 31-20 loss to Pittsburg State Aug. 28 and was idle last week.

"They're physical, they have good athletes and good speed and they're well coached," Fowler said. "They have a goodfootball team and it's going to be a challenge. Every week in this league is going to be a challenge."

The Bronchos, who out-gained Pitt State in total offense and held a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter, went 4-7 last fall, their first season under head coach Tracy Holland.

Tarleton used a big second half to beat UCO 35-17 last year. The Bronchos still lead the series 5-4.

Kickoff Saturday is slated for 6 p.m.

Tarleton State - 2010 Recruiting Class

Need Help:

QB - Three year starter Scott Grantham announced after the 2009 season, that he would not retrurn for his final year of eligibility. Grantham had thrown for 7,860 yards and 57 TDs in his career. No other returning collegiate experience returning.

WR - Devin Guinn (1st LSC South) and Jahmeel Hobson (2nd LSC South) combined for 127 receptions, 2,065 yards and 15 TDs last year. The leading returning receivers are Devon Gray and Arthur Buckingham (combined 30-423 with 0 TDs).

DL - Lost a ton here, including Alonzo Horton (2nd LSC South), Ben Taifane (2nd LSC South), Jamaal Steamer (HM LSC South), and Bryant Bray. Those four combined for 172 tackles, 34.5 for losses and 9 sacks. Jacob Rowe is the only returning player with experience.

LB - Starters Marcus Phillips (1st LSC South) and Emeri Spence have moved on, taking 139 tackles, 17 for losses and 3 interceptions with them. Matt Knicky (HM LSC South) was the leading tackler for the Texans last year. He and Corey White are the lone experienced players returning.

K - Garrett Lindholm takes his cannon leg to the Atlanta Falcons, leaving a huge hole here. Punter Kyle Hopf is also gone. Both were 1st LSC South performers.

Need Depth:

RB - Roderick Smith leaves Tarleton with more than 3,000 yards rushing and 37 TDs. Evan Robertson (HM LSC South) and Kenneth Travis return, but no proven depth behind them.

DB - McNeal Uwajeh (2nd LSC South) is gone, but Lonnie Buchanan (1st LSC South) and Brandon Johnson (2nd LSC South) return. The two combined for 88 tackles and 6 interceptions in 2009. If Jeremy Sifford and Jamarcus Ballard return (they are not on the spring roster), this would be a good quality/depth position.

Good Quality/Depth:

OL - Dustin Washburn (HM LSC South) was the only senior on last year's line. Bubba Wagner (2nd LSC South) leads the returnees, but three starters from 2009 will be seniors this fall.

No other LSC team lost as much leadership as the Texans, and with the possible exception of Midwestern State, as much talent. Immediate help was needed in most positions. Tennessee transfer, Nick Stephens, should step right into the QB spot. Coming out of HS, he was a top 15 QB in several of the ratings services. Sam Robinson looks to fill one of the WR spots. The DL was reloaded with transfers Michael Washington, Logan Johnson, Brian Ford and Herman Marshall. Dan Jackson should bolster the LB corps, while Terrance Henry does the same for the secondary. Longer term, look for prospects such as RB Brandon Lowery and Mitch Villemez, OL Blake Jordan, O'Chea Thomas and Ryan Martin. Defensively, the Texans brought in DL Justin Grisham, LBs Chris Greene and Shaquille Ross, and DBs Devin Figures and Garrett Hughes.

LSC Ranking - 3

Overall Grade- A+

The Texans might be even better offensively next year, but the defense will be challenged to duplicate the success of the predecessors.

LSC Roundup 1-20

Recruiting Center (Updated)

Men's Basketball News
Buffs try to hand MSU second loss of season
The Midwestern State Mustangs opened men's Lone Star Conference play last week by losing to Angelo State. Tonight, it will be the West Texas A&M Buffs who receive the chore of playing a ticked off Midwestern State squad, which happens to be regarded as the best team in the LSC men's race.

"I can promise you they are very aggressive and their transition offense is very, very good," said WT coach Rick Cooper when asked of his opinion on Midwestern State. "We do have our work cut out for us."

ASU basketball capsule
The Rams look to get back on track and move back over .500 in LSC South play tonight when they travel to Kingsville to face the Javelinas. ... ASU is coming off a 78-62 loss to Tarleton State on Saturday. LaMarshall Corbett led the Rams with 25 points. Shavar Burch added 12. Derrick Webster and Johnny Barnes each had seven rebounds to lead the team. ... Kingsville is coming off a 72-62 loss to Eastern New Mexico on Saturday. ... Kingsville leads the all-time series 45-43. The teams split their two meetings last season. ... ASU will be back in action Saturday when the Rams host Abilene Christian.

ENMU Basketball Capsule
ENMU beat the Texans 77-72 in overtime at Greyhound Arena in the regular-season finale in February 2007. That was the Hounds’ last South win until beating Abilene Christian last week to open division play. It’s also the only win for ENMU over Tarleton in the last 23 meetings. The Texans lead the all-time series 25-7, including 14-2 at Stephenville. … Tarleton leads the LSC in scoring defense (56.4 ppg) and FG percentage defense (35.8), and ranks second in scoring margin (14.7) and 3-point FG percentage (30.7). … Scoring leaders for the Texans are 5-11 junior G Corin Henry (11.9 ppg), 6-8 senior F Jeremiah Wilson (11.7) and 6-4 junior G Devon Hllls (11.6). Wilson tops the team in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and blocks (28). … Tarleton is 11-1 at home this season. … The Texans took last year’s meetings 64-41 at Portales and 64-55 at Stephenville.

MSU seeks to bounce back
The basketball season is only two months old, and first-year head coach Grant McCasland is about to find out something about his Midwestern State team that he hasn’t had to learn in the first 66 days on the job — how it rebounds from a loss.

That’s both literally and figuratively.

After winning their first 14 games, the Mustangs finally lost last week, 84-76, on the road at Angelo State.

Not good timing since this was the first of 12 important Lone Star Conference South Division games.

“If practices are any indication — and you don’t know if they are until you go play — we have improved on the glass,” said McCasland, whose team was out-rebounded 45-30 in the loss to ASU.

MSU slips to No. 11 in the NABC Coaches Poll
No other LSC school receives votes.

LSC Weekly Basketball Release
LSC Basketball Quick Notes
After one week of divisional play, six men's and four women's teams have jumped to the top of the standings with perfect conference records. Teams are competing for one of 16 spots, eight on both the men’s and women’s side, in the Lone Star Conference Championship to be held in Bartlesville, Okla., March 3-7.

The LSC men have a 134-94 overall record so far this season, including a 71-43 mark in the South Division and 63-51 in the North. In league crossover play the South has the advantage, 26-22. In the NCAA South Central Region, the men’s teams are currently 24-11 combined versus Heartland Conference teams and 3-2 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).

In men’s games played last week, the LSC had one player score more than 30 points, eight over the 20-point mark and eight double-digit rebounders, while six recorded double-doubles.
Points, Men: 32, Dominique Gaines, NSU at CU
Rebounds, Men: 14, Jamaar Burke, CU vs NSU
Assists, Men: 10, Eric Cazenave, UCO at ECU
Steals, Men: 7, Eric Cazenave, UCO vs SE

Players of the Week
NORTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Dominique Gaines, Northeastern State, Jr., Guard, Muskogee, Okla./Muskogee HS
Gaines helped lead Northeastern State to a 3-0 week by scoring 71 points, 54 of those coming in a pair of LSC North Division contests. For the week, the 6-3 junior guard connected on 18-of-36 shots from the field (.500), was 5-of-12 from the arc (.417) and 30-of-40 from the charity stripe (.750). After a 17-point output against Rhema (68-33 win) where he played 28 minutes, Gaines came back to score a career-high 32 points in a 70-62 decision at Cameron, which snapped the Aggies’ eight-game home winning streak. Gaines was 6-of-9 from the floor, 3-of-4 from the arc and made 17-of-21 free throws. He narrowly missed a rare triple-double with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the RiverHawks’ 70-66 win at home against Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday. NSU is 11-5 overall, 2-0 in LSC North action, and has won its last five outings.

NORTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Dauntae Williams, Central Oklahoma, Jr., Guard, Missouri City, Texas/Elkins HS
Williams had another dominating week, especially on the defensive end, as UCO opened LSC North Division play with a pair of easy wins. The junior guard averaged 8.5 defensive rebounds (9.0 overall), 4.0 steals and 1.5 blocked shots in routs of East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma while adding 21.0 points and 6.0 assists a contest. Williams had 26 points, a season-high 12 rebounds (11 defensive), five steals and a block in a 106-88 road win over ECU, then had 15 points, six rebounds (all defensive), three steals and two blocks in a 94-62 home victory over SOSU.

SOUTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Victor Reid, Eastern New Mexico, Jr., Forward, El Paso, Texas/Cochise CC
Reid shot .542 from the field and averaged 16.5 points per game, enabling Eastern New Mexico to snap a 24-game LSC South Division skid, including 12 straight road games. He scored 20 points and grabbed seven boards against Abilene Christian and followed with 13 points and eight boards at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Reid’s performance allowed the Hounds to snap the Javelinas’ 13-game home winning streak.

SOUTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Bijan Dotson, West Texas A&M, Sr., Forward, Oakland, Calif./Hamilton HS
Dotson grabbed four defensive rebounds while blocking two shots a recording a steal in WT’s 79-68 win at ACU. He also grabbed eight rebounds and played a role in the Buffs holding TAMUK to just 38 percent from the floor in the win over the Javelinas. For the week, he had 14 rebounds (nine defensive) while blocking three shots and recording two steals to help WT to a pair of wins to open LSC South play.

Women's Basketball News
Lady Buffs seek new start after seeing win streak end
The West Texas A&M Lady Buffs will try to start another basketball win streak when they meet Midwestern State today at Ligon Coliseum in Wichita Falls. WT had its 11-game win streak snapped at Abilene Christian on Saturday as it dropped to 1-1 in the Lone Star Conference South Division.

The Lady Buffs are 31-8 all-time against Midwestern State and have won 10 straight meetings dating to Feb. 2, 2004. WT is playing its second straight road game and is in the midst of a six-game stretch in which the Lady Buffs will play four road games.

''We treat every division game as a big one, and this is no different,'' Lady Buffs head coach Krista Gerlich said. ''We haven't had to come back from a loss very often this season. Our goal is to go there and try to take care of business and come away with a win.''

Javelinas women seek ninth straight home win
The Texas A&M-Kingsville women’s basketball team goes after its ninth consecutive home victory tonight when it hosts Angelo State in a Lone Star Conference South Division game at the Steinke Physical Education Center. A&M-Kingsville’s men, meanwhile, face the Rams and are attempting to snap a five-game skid and revive an offense that has struggled of late. The women’s game starts at 6 p.m. followed by the men.

The women (13-4) are coming off a 77-61 victory over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday to improve to 1-1 in the South.

“As long as we play good enough to win, that’s what counts. I think we’re back on the upswing,” A&M-Kingsville women’s coach Scott Hyland said.

“Right before Christmas we were really playing well. We did some really good things up in Austin at the tournament there against Texas A&M-International and St. Ed’s. At times we looked really good.”

ASU basketball capsule
The Rambelles look to get back over .500, both overall and in LSC South play tonight when they travel to Kingsville to face the Javelinas. ... ASU is coming off a 61-35 loss to Tarleton State on Friday. Camille Perkins led the ’Belles with six points. The 35 points was ASU’s lowest point total since the 1976-77 season and the third-lowest point total in school history. ... Kingsville is coming off a 77-61 victory over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday. ... ASU leads the all-time series between the two schools 35-25. The ’Belles have won four of the last five meetings between the two teams including both meetings last season. ... ASU will be back home Saturday when the ’Belles host Abilene Christian.

ENMU Basketball Capsule
ENMU has lost five in a row overall, and the Zias have dropped 14 consecutive South games dating to a 75-56 home win over Midwestern State in their 2007-08 finale. … The TexAnns were coming off a loss at Texas-Permian Basin on Jan. 11 before winning their last two. They are 8-0 at home this season, winning by an average margin of 33 1/2 ppg, and have won 12 consecutive home contests dating to last season. … Tarleton ranks first in NCAA Division II in scoring margin (29.2) and third in scoring defense (50.8 ppg). … Scoring leaders are 5-11 junior P Brittnie Haley (12.4 ppg), 6-0 senior C JoAnne Jones (11.6) and 5-6 sophomore G Shelby Adamson (10.6). Haley and Jones both average more than six rebounds. … Jones, who is shooting 61 percent from the field, needs 19 points to reach 1,000 for her career. … Tarleton won last year’s meetings 68-63 at Portales and 77-56 at Stephenville. The TexAnns lead the all-time series 10-5 and have won eight of the last nine.

MSU women home to face No. 11 West Texas A&M
It has been 30 days since the Midwestern State women played a home game, and for the first time in several seasons the Mustangs had some good fortune while on the road.

Tonight they’ll be trying to duplicate that success in the friendly confines of D.L. Ligon Coliseum as the No. 11 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs come calling for a Lone Star Conference South contest.

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. as both the Mustangs (6-8, 0-1) and the Lady Buffs (17-2, 1-1) are coming off losses in their last ball game.

West Texas A&M drops two spots to #11 in the latest USA Today WBCA poll. Tarleton enters the poll at #24 and Northeastern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville receive votes.

LSC Weekly Basketball Release
LSC Basketball Quick Notes
After one week of divisional play, six men's and four women's teams have jumped to the top of the standings with perfect conference records. Teams are competing for one of 16 spots, eight on both the men’s and women’s side, in the Lone Star Conference Championship to be held in Bartlesville, Okla., March 3-7.

The LSC women are 134-102 overall, with a 75-41 mark in the South and 59-61 in the North this season. In league crossover action, the South Division holds a 38-18 record over its North opponents. In the NCAA South Central Region, the women’s teams are currently 25-11 combined versus Heartland Conference squads and 5-4 against the MIAA.

On the women’s side, the league had one player score over 30 points, 16 score more than 20 points and 18 double-digit rebounders, while 14 posted double-doubles in action last week. Top performances included:
Points, Women: 30, Mattilyn McIntyre, A&M-C vs CU
Rebounds, Women: 16, Destiny Brown, SE vs TWU
Assists, Women: 9, Kat Kundmueller, ACU vs ENMU
Steals, Women: 7, Two players

NORTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Mattilyn McIntyre, Texas A&M-Commerce, Jr., Guard, Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas-Little Rock
McIntyre scored a season-best 30 points and grabbed a season-best eight rebounds as the Lions’ snapped a six-game losing streak in an 84-78 win over Cameron. Four of her rebounds came on the offensive side to match a season-high. Prior to that, she had 18 points and five rebounds against Southwestern Oklahoma State. She went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line against Cameron and a perfect 4-for-4 against SWOSU. Five times in 2009-10, she has made all of her free throw attempts.

NORTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Kayla Weaver, Texas Woman’s, Jr., Guard/Forward, Aquilla, Texas/Aquilla HS
Weaver averaged a double-double with 14.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in three games including 15.5 points and 12.0 rebounds in two LSC North Division games. She scored 13 points and then-career-high 10 rebounds (9 defensive) in an overtime victory at Southeastern Oklahoma in the LSC North Division opener. Weaver then recorded career-high 18 points and 14 rebounds (10 defensive) in an 18-point victory over East Central. She also added two key blocks in the first half to help the Pioneers build a 12-point halftime lead and added two steals in the second half as TWU built a 24-point lead. Weaver also had a team-high 12 points and 7 rebounds (5 defensive) in LSC Crossover game against Tarleton State. TWU started 2-0 in the conference for the first time since 2006-07 season.

SOUTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Jody Meyer, Abilene Christian, Sr., Center, Round Rock, Texas/Round Rock HS
Meyer helped push ACU’s winning streak to five straight games last week with wins over Eastern New Mexico (71-55 in Portales, N.M.) and No. 9 West Texas A&M (69-67 in Abilene). ... Meyer -- ranked eighth in the nation in rebounding and No. 1 in the LSC in offensive rebounding -- averaged 17.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, including her 11th double-double of the season (19 points, 13 rebounds) in the win over the Lady Buffs. ... Meyer filled up the stat sheet in ACU’s third straight home victory against West Texas A&M, hitting 7 of 12 shots from the field for 19 points, converting all five of her free throw attempts, collecting 13 rebounds (seven offensive boards), two assists and two blocked shots.

SOUTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Sonya Sundberg, Tarleton State, Jr., Guard, Keller, Texas/Central HS
Tarleton had allowed Angelo State to pull within four points (18-14) with 7:32 left in the first-half on Saturday until Sundberg forced a turnover and a steal that led to a 6-0 run by the TexAnns. The run helped propel the TexAnns to a 14-point halftime lead and an eventual LSC South Divison-opening win (61-35). Sundberg was mostly responsible for guarding ASU’s leading scorer, and held her to just nine points on 3-of-13 shooting, with three of her nine points coming from the foul line. Sundberg and the TexAnns held ASU to just .220 shooting on the night and their lowest point total in over 33 years when Stephen F. Austin held ASU to 32 points back in 1976-77. Sundberg then went on to hold a TWU guard to just seven points, which was almost half her average, in Tarleton’s 71-50 win over the Pioneers on Monday. She had 10 steals for the week with three against UTPB, three versus ASU and four at TWU.


Recruiting News
From the Waco Tribune: Centex 25 Players considering LSC schools
16. Jarrod Hall WR - 6-5 205 - University HS - offers from WTAM, ACU, and TAMC
22. Nick Richardson DT - 6-2 205 - Waco HS - ACU
23 Davionte Dobbins DB - 6-1 180 - University HS - ACU, ASU, WTAM
24. Cruz Chaires DB - 6-1 175 - McGregor HS - Commit to Tarleton State
----------------------------------------------------
Layton Dworaczyk (RB - Blanco HS) has interest from TAMK and ACU (as well as Mary Hardin Baylor).

Kelo Webster (RB - Keller HS) is looking at Angelo State and Wheaton College in Illinois.

Junior Tivao tells us that he and his brother Johnny Tivao will be playing for Texas A&M-Kingsville. They both played ball at Cerritos College where Junior was a starting linebacker and Johnny was a JC Gridwire 2nd team All-American defensive tackle.

Torian Oakley (RB - Conroe Oak Ridge) has committed to West Texas A&M.

Ryan Cyr (QB - Conroe Oak Ridge)reportedly has a visit set up to Eastern New Mexico and Bryant University..

Glenn Hill (San Antonio Churchill HS) has committed to Incarnate Word. He threw for 652 yards and 5 TDs and ran for 444 yards and 6 TDs last year in just five games. UIW recruited him as an athlete.

Football News
Buffs will open season against Grand Valley St.
The 2010 football season for the West Texas A&M Buffs features a season-opener at the second-best team in the nation last year and five teams that qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The Buffs kick off the season Sept. 2 at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich., home of the Lakers, who opened the 2009 season with a 37-23 win over the Buffs at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. GVSU fell to Northwest Missouri State, 30-23, for the D-II national title, and returns nine starters on both sides of the ball. Matt Mitchell was named head coach at GVSU earlier this month, replacing Chuck Martin, who resigned to be defensive backs coach at Notre Dame.

LSC Game Day 11-21

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D2 Scoreboard

Game Notes
Abilene Christian*
Tarleton State*
Northwest Missouri
Central Washington

For ACU, road to longer season goes through Northwest again
Abilene Christian has become one of the better football programs in Division II — reaching the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, including two straight trips to the second round.

Now, the Wildcats have a chance to knock off one of the country’s best Division II football programs in Northwest Missouri State University when it really matters — in the playoffs. That’s something ACU failed to do last season in its quest to win its first NCAA football title — or any national title since winning the NAIA crown in 1977.

And if ACU is to finally win that title and join that elite status like Northwest Missouri State or Grand Valley State, then they’ll have to finally beat one of those teams to get there.

“For us to turn that corner, sooner or later you’ve got to go through them,” ACU coach Chris Thomsen said. “That’s where we are again two years in a row. That’s where we want to be. We just hope to be able to figure it out.”

ACU preview: Wildcats face Northwest hurdle again
What’s riding on this game: Winner advances to play Tarleton State-Central Washington winner in third round of NCAA Division II playoffs on Nov. 28. If ACU wins, the Wildcats would play at either Tarleton State or Central Washington. If Northwest wins, then it would play at Central Washington or host Tarleton State.

Central Washington goes on the defensive this year
This season, the No. 1-ranked Wildcats have put more focus on stopping other teams than outscoring them.

Walking off the field a year ago after a 49-42 loss to West Texas A&M in the first round of the Division II playoffs, Central Washington coach Blaine Bennett knew the Wildcats needed a dramatic makeover.

When Central's record-breaking offense couldn't score enough points to mask its defensive flaws, Bennett, the former quarterback coach who groomed Kyle Orton at Purdue, became intent on forging a championship-caliber defense.

"Everybody wants to talk about the offensive player of the year and [former CWU quarterback] Mike Reilly breaking all of Jon Kitna's records and Johnny Spevak catching 20 touchdowns and 14,000 yards and 95 catches, but the bottom line is defense wins championships," Bennett said. "Certainly you have to have a good offense and you have to have very good special teams, but defense wins championships.

"If you can keep the game close, your offense is always taking the field with a chance to win. We knew we were close, but we had to make some changes."

Game Previews - NCAA Playoffs Week 2

It will be hard to top the opening week of the 2009 NCAA Football playoffs, but Abilene Christian and Tarleton State will give it their best shots.

Last weekend, ACU returned the opening kickoff for a TD, turned two Midwestern State turnovers into 10 points and held off the Mustangs 24-21. The offense gained just 252 yards on the day, but put most of it together on 3 consecutive scoring drives, which was just enough to overcome the Mustangs. The defense harassed Zack Eskridge all day long, sacking him 8 times.

Meanwhile, Tarleton State outscored Texas A&M-Kingsville 57-56 in double overtime to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Garrett Lindholm hit a 64 yard field goal as time expired to tie the game at 46 all. After the teams traded field goals in the first OT, the Texans found themselves down 7 when Fred Winborn scored his 4th TD of the day. On fourth down, needing to pick up 5 yards, Scott Grantham instead took it all the way in, breaking several tackles along the way. The Texans then went for two, and once again it was Grantham, barely squeaking in.

#16 Abilene Christian at #2 Northwest Missouri
A rematch of this season's season opener and last year's Super Region 4 final. The Wildcats won the season opener 19-14 with a strong defensive effort. ACU's first 9 points came by way of a safety and a 42 yard fumble recovery and the defense held NWMSU to just 230 yards and one offensive TD. The Wildcat offense was not able to must much either, just 164 total yards and one TD, which was set up by an ACU interception. ACU was able to sustain just one drive of more than 35 yards.

The Teams
Since then, Northwest Missouri has reeled off 10 straight wins in dominating fashion. Washburn was the only other team to hold NWMSU to under 30 points, and the only team to keep the Bearcat's margin of victory to single digits. Since facing ACU, NWMSU is averaging 47.6 points and 520 of total offense. Junior QB Blake Bolles has completed 68% of his passes for 3,204 yards, 35 TDs and just 7 Ints. Jake Soy is his favorite receiver, hauling in 61 passes for 1,116 yards and 22 TDs. Should ACU focus too hard on Soy, six other Bearcats have at least 20 catches. LaRon Council is once again the leading rusher, picking up 1,202 yards and 16 TDs in 2009. Up front, juniors Jason Wiseman and Brett Grozinger both garnered first team all-MIAA honors, joining Bolles, Council and Soy.

The defense is always stout in Maryville, as evidenced by 17.8 points and 301 yards allowed per game. Teams have only been able to average 87 yards rushing, but have picked up 214 yards through the air. The team had 22 interceptions, and sacked opposing QBs 35 times during the season. The Bearcats were honored with 4 first team, 2 second team and 4 honorable mention selections to the all-MIAA team on defense.

Abilene Christian has had a tougher time of it since Week One. The Wildcats won their next six games and ascended to the #1 spot in the national polls, but dropped three of the next four games, limping into the playoffs with the #6 seed. The defense has been solid all year, giving up just 18.4 points and 283 yards per game. The running defense has been especially stellar, holding the opposition to just 46 yards per game and 1.7 per carry. Similar to NWMSU, the ACU pass defense has given up yards (236 per game) because teams have not been able to run the ball. Led by Aston Whiteside and Fred Thompson, ACU totalled 41 sacks on the season, while picking off 15 passes.

The offense has sputtered of late, averaging just 22 points per game over the last five weeks. Of course, playing Midwestern State twice, as well as Tarleton State and a rejuvenate West Texas A&M team will slow down almost any offense. Darryl Richardson and Reggie Brown have been a productive duo this year, combining for 1,829 yards and 22 TDs and another 313 receiving yards and 2 more TDs. Redshirt freshman Mithcell Gale continues to be the starter at QB, and has thrown for more than 1,500 yards and 10 TDs while completing 60% of his passes. Edmund Gates is the leading receiver with 41 receptions for 600 yards and 5 TDs.

The Game
A lot of people expected these teams to square off in the playoffs this year, but most probably thought it would be in the regional final next week. Both sport top-notch defenses, but ACU's offense is struggling at the wrong time of the year. The Bearcats offense is hitting on all cylinders right now, and they seem to save their best for the playoffs. NWMSU 38-21.

#12 Tarleton State at #1 Central Washington
Central Washington is the number one team in the nation and the only undefeated D2 remaining. They started the season at #14, but survived a tough five week opening stretch that saw them defeat the defending national champion, Minnesota-Duluth, on the road as well as Mesa State and IAA Idaho State and West Texas A&M at home. The defense has been very stingy, allowing just 11.6 points and 243 yards per game. Ony three teams have scored more than 10 points in a game, with the season high 27 against Humboldt State. The run defense is one of the nation's best holding teams to 61 yards per game. Teams have had to take to the air, and have averaged 181 yards passing. The Wildcats defense has only picked up 23 sacks and 13 interceptions.

The offense has not put up spectacular numbers - 28 points and 354 yards per game. Senior Cole Morgan took over the starting QB spot in week 9 and has passed for 1,000 yards and a 7-2 TD-Int ratio. Freshman Ryan Robertson started the first 8 games, and has thrown for 1,275 yards and 13 TDs. All-American Johnny Spevak is the top receiver with 66 catches for 893 yards and 11 TDs. Randall Eldrige and Bryson Kelly combined for 1,265 yards and 9 TDs rushing.

Despite playing in the LSC South, the Texans are giving up just 20.4 points and 316 yards per game. Teams are passing for 210 yards and rushing for 106 yards per game. Only one team other than TAMK scored more than 28 points against the Texans. Marcus Phillips and Matt Knicky each have 95 tackles to lead the team. Phillips also leads the team in tackles for loss (10.5) and his 3 interceptions is just one behind Brandon Johnson.

Despite being overshadowed by the defense, the offense is averaging 33.3 points and 404 yards per game. Evan Robertson and Roderick Smith have combined for 1,649 yards and 16 TDs on the ground. Last week's hero, Scott Grantham has quietly passed for 2,793 yards and 19 TDs. Devin Guinn and Jahmeel Hobson are easily the top targets - they have 123 of the team's 199 receptions, 1,961 of the team's 2,966 yards, and 15 of the 20 passing TDs.

The Game
Central Washington proved themselves to be a top team with the tough schedule early in the season. But since then they have faced the conference counterparts Humboldt State, Dixie State and Western Oregon two times each, so it is unclear on just how battle-tested they will be coming into the game. There is no question that Tarleton has been tested recently, with battles against Abilene Christian, Angelo State, West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Kingsville in the past four weeks alone. That has left them a bit banged up and there may be a hangover from last week's emotional win in Kingsville. We look for the Texans to overcome a slow start and shock the nation with another close win, TSU 31-28.

LSC Scoop Update 11-17

QB's resurrected career leads Tarleton to playoffs
by Nathan Bural
Stephenville Empire-Tribune

It's a story that has the makings of a great movie plot. A good high school football player commits to a major NCAA Division I university where the sky is the limit.

Then, out of nowhere, comes a mysterious ailment that appears to end his football career forever, before a miraculous procedure puts him back on the field.

After stepping back on the gridiron, he begins putting up record-breaking statistics, leads his team to the playoffs and proposes to his girlfriend following the final regular season game.

Tarleton State University quarterback Scott Grantham's college career has been one that will leave Steven Spielberg chomping at the bit.

Move to DE pays off for ACU's Whiteside
Just two years ago, Aston Whiteside had to be taught how to get down into a proper three-point stance. Now the Vernon High School graduate is one of the top defensive ends in the Lone Star Conference. Whiteside, who played linebacker in high school, was thrust into a defensive end spot at a practice during his redshirt season when the Abilene Christian coaches ran out of healthy players at the position. He quickly showed Wildcats head coach Chris Thomsen that he had the tools to be a top-notch pass rusher.

“We were at the tail end of a scrimmage during two-a-days and we stuck him in there,” Thomsen recalled. “The defensive coordinator told him to put his hand on the ground in a three-point stance and just rush the quarterback. He wound up getting three sacks. We weren’t sure about him because the competition he was going against in the scrimmage was not that great,” Thomsen added. “But he came back in spring training the next year and wore out our really good right tackle. So then we thought this guy has a chance to be really good.”

The Short List
Tidbits about Nebraska-Omaha football, West Texas A&M's opponent in the Kanza Bowl Dec. 5. N-O's first win came 25-0 over the Nebraska Deaf and Dumb Institute in 1911 - in obviously less politically correct times. Prominent alumni include WR/QB Marlin Briscoe, the first starting black QB in the modern era with the Denver Broncos in October 1968. The N-O AD is Trev Alberts, the former Cornhusker All-America linebacker and ESPN talking head. The Maverick's QB, Greg Wunderlich, aspires to become a sports writer, which means the Buffs have - at the least - an automatic three touchdown advantage.

East Central officials confident football program moving in right direction
ADA — Less than a week after a 27-26 loss to old rival Southeastern at Norris Field wrote a gut-wrenching — if somewhat fitting — end to an historic 0-11 season, the two men whose futures are most closely tied to the success or failure of East Central University football were understandably more interested in talking about the program’s future than its immediate past.

Head coach Tim McCarty and athletic director Brian DeAngelis were both remarkably upbeat last week in the wake of the first-ever 11-loss season for ECU (or any team in the Lone Star Conference), and it wasn’t simply a case of ‘we’ve got nowhere to go but up’. McCarty and DeAngelis both stressed the improvement the Tigers — who had 18 freshmen in the starting lineup at one time or another during the season — made over their final five games, and, with Mcarty getting a chance at a level playing field in recruiting this winter, they both seemed to expect ECU to take a giant step forward in 2010.

“I thought the season was successful, even though it was 0-11, because I saw us improve as the season went along, and I saw the kids fighting every week,” said DeAngelis, who took over ECU athletics in 2007 — just over a a year after McCarty had stepped down as the Tigers’ head coach to become an assistant at Kansas State — and was instrumental in re-hiring McCarty to replace Kurt Nichols last December. “I’m ecstatic about where the football program is heading right now.”

“I’m very proud of how my team fought this year,” McCarty said. “The culture we live in is such an instant gratification culture that we miss some of the things that go on. We were able to watch a very young team go out and slug it out with some pretty good teams. The story to me is these guys fought all year, and I have so much admiration for them for that.”


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Rams begin basketball season with high hopes
A season ago, the Angelo State University men’s basketball team won 20 games and advanced to the regional tournament for the first time since 2001. This season, the Rams want more.

ASU opens the 2009-10 season tonight at home against Texas-Permian Basin. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Junell Center. Last season, the Rams defeated the Falcons twice during a season-opening seven-game winning streak.

The season ended with four straight losses — two to end the regular season, one in the first round of the Lone Star Conference tournament and one in the first round of the regional tournament. And that is what the Rams want to change this season.

“We made it one step and we have to get to the next step this time,” senior Johnny Barnes said. “Last year, we fell off. We lost four games in a row. It wasn’t a good end to the season but if we keep getting better through the whole year, in January and February we are going to be real good.”

WT men open season tonight
Rick Cooper opens his 17th season tonight as the West Texas A&M men's basketball coach knowing some things never change.

"The games are always faster than practice," Cooper said. "So these first games are always a learning experience of game speed. That's always a concern for me."

The Buffs open their 2009-10 season at 8 tonight visiting Division II the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys, a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Last year the Buffs split with Highlands losing in Las Vegas, N.M., and winning at home. Highlands won the RMAC West Division title. The Cowboys were ranked number one in the pre-season RMAC poll led by returning All-American guard Roman Andrade who averaged 20.2 points a game last year.

"Andrade can play," Cooper said. "And in this case, Highlands had the chance to learn about game speed playing exhibition games against the University of Texas-El Paso and New Mexico. That will be interesting to see how that plays out."

Green's 21 lifts MSU men to Shootout title
Senior guard Craig Green poured in 18 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to lift Midwestern State to a 76-61 win over the St. Edwards Hilltoppers in the finale of the St. Edward’s Shootout Monday night at the Recreation and Convocation Center.

“He’s struggled in the preseason,” MSU coach Grant McCasland said. “It’s taken him a bit to find his rhythm on the offensive end, but he really got us going. And the guards did a good job of finding him.”

Green was named tournament MVP as the Mustangs notched a pair of victories to start the McCasland era.

ACU women open season with a loss
Plagued by turnovers and slow start, the Abilene Christian University women’s basketball team got its 2009 season started with a 69-66 loss to St. Mary’s Monday at Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats went the first 5:11 without a point, allowing the Rattlers to grab the momentum early. And 25 turnovers, including two in their final three possessions, proved costly as ACU fell to 0-1.
ACU, which trailed 10-0 before getting on the board, cut the Rattlers lead to 41-35 by halftime and used a 15-6 run to go ahead 50-47 with 14 minutes remaining. But St. Mary’s rallied with an 20-11 run to take a 67-61 lead with 5:37 to play.

The Wildcats cut that lead to one at 67-66 with three minutes left and later had three possessions to cut into a 69-66 lead, but they turned the ball over twice and missed three shots, including a three-quarter court heave at the buzzer, to drop their season opener.

ACU - Wildcats drop season-opener
ASU - 'Belles battle in OT
UCO - Wow!
ENMU - Zias Drop Wild Season-Opener to Cowgirls, Clay Hits for 24 Points
NSU - Season Opening Smash
NSU - RiverHawks Win Home Opener
SOSU - M. Basketball: SE Tips-Off 2009-10 Season at SAU
SWO - Basketball Classic Set to Tipoff
SWO - Women Ready for Tipoff
TSU - TexAnn Basketball set to open the regular season agasint UTPB
TAMC - Lions WIn Second in a Row to Begin Season
TWU - TWU basketball wins season opener, 74-70, over Harding
WTAM - M. Basketball. Buffs Open 2009-10 Campaign at New Mexico Highlands

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ASU - Kellermeier signs with ASU
ASU - Volleyball adds three early
TSU - TexAnn Basketball inks two players during early signing period

===================================================================

Eastern’s All-Time Leader in Volleyball Wins Returning to Sidelines
Eastern New Mexico University athletic director, Jeff Geiser has announced that Mike Maguire will be resuming his position as Zia volleyball coach after a three-year hiatus. Maguire stepped down as Eastern's volleyball coach following the 2006 season, after a 20-year stint, which included a program-record 392 wins. Last year, he resigned as athletic director after serving in that role for seven years.

LSC Scoop Game Previews - Week 11

Yuck, 4-3 last week, bringing the season tally to 56-19.

Last Week's Games
West Texas A&M 66, Northeastern State 23
The Buffaloes continue their late season assault, blowing out Northeastern State by 43. Brittan Golden had his best day as a Buffalo, catching 7 passes for 178 yards and 3 TDs. Taylor Harris and Tanner Marsh combined for 464 yards and each had 3 TD passes. Keithon Flemming rushed for 110 yards and 3 TDs and also caught 4 passes for 26 yards all in the first half. WT has now won 4 in a row, averaging 44 points a game during that stretch.

Central Oklahoma 42, East Central 25
The Bronchos jumped out to an early lead and kept ECU at arm's length the rest of the day. Jason Palmer had a big day, rushing for 146 yards and 2 TDs, and Brandon Noohi threw for 230 and rushed for 61. Josh Phillips had a big day for the Tigers, throwing for 305 yards and 3 TDs, but ECU was held to just 3 yards rushing.

Midwestern State 50, Eastern New Mexico 17
The Greyhounds tied the game at 10 with 3:55 remaining in the first half, but it was all Midwestern State from that point on, with the Mustangs outscoring ENMU 40-7 the rest of the way. The Mustangs threw for 356 yards and rushed for 300, including a 73 yard TD run by Brandon Kelsey as time expired.

Oklahoma Panhandle State 28, Southwestern Oklahoma 24
The Bulldogs took a 24-14 lead early in the third quarter, but turnovers doomed two other scoring opportunities as Panhandle State squeaked out the win. Bruce Hatton scored all 3 SWO TDs, and Steve Day threw for 256 yards. Panhandle State's Darryl Brister was the star for the Aggies, as he ran for 227 yards and 3 TDs, including the game winner with 2:51 in the game.

Texas A&M-Commerce 27, Southeastern Oklahoma 17
With a 3 point lead and the Savage Storm driving, TAMC got another big defensive play, as Cory Whitfield sacked Justin Pitrucha, forcing a fumble that Stephen DeGrate picked up and ran 55 yards for the game clinching score. Marcus Graham rushed for a season high 166 yards and one TD, and Taylor Fore had a 47 yard TD reception to lead the Lion offense. Justin Pitrucha threw for 300 yards but had three turnovers in TAMC territory. Daniel Nichols had another TD reception and trails Romar Crenshaw for the Savage Storm career record, he also needs 37 yards receiving for 3,000.

Tarleton State 21, Angelo State 14
The Texans shut the door on Angelo State's playoff hopes, while keeping theirs alive in this defensive battle. The Rams drove 72 yards on their opening drive for an early 7-0 lead, but the Tarleton defense clamped down, picking off a pass on the next drive and forcing the Rams to punt on 6 of the next 7 possessions. Tarleton's offense got off to a slow start, the result of good ASU defense and poor field postion in the first half, but was able to put together three long scoring drives and take a 21-7 lead with just under 12 minutes in the game. Markeith Jones picked off a Scott Grantham pass inside the Ram 10 yard line keeping the Rams alive. After driving 87 yards for a TD, Angelo State recovered the onside kick, only to fumble the ball and game away six plays later. Roderick Smith rushed for 104 yards and a TD, while Devin Guinn caught 8 passes for 129 yards and 2 TDs. Josh Neiswander had 233 yards passing for Angelo State.

Abilene Christian 47, Texas A&M-Kingsville 35
The Wildcats played like a cornered animal scoring 37 straight points in the second and third quarters. During that stretch, the defense forced 3 punts, 3 turnovers and a safety, while the offense had two touchdown drives of over 80 yards, as well as converting the turnovers into TDs. In a matchup of the top two rushing offenses, ACU outgained the Javelinas 167 to 50. Billy Garza did throw for 309 yards and 3 TDs, with over half of the yardage coming in the fourth quarter. Fred Thompson led the Wildcat defense with 9 tackles, 2.5 for losses, 1.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. ACU was flagged for 5 personal foul penalties during the game.

This Week's Games
#7 Texas A&M-Commerce at #12 Southwestern Oklahoma - Mismatch of the week
The Lions look to end 2009 on a very upbeat note. With a win, the Lions would even their record at 5-5 and wrap up the LSC North title - their first outright divisional title since the LSC split into two divisions in 1997. TAMC has enjoyed their LSC North schedule, winning all four games to date by a 28-20 margin. On the other hand, the Bulldogs have been outscored by an average of 13-25 in their four games, avoiding a winless season with a last second game winning touchdown two weeks ago against East Central. Look for the Lions to head to 2010 with confidence winning 5 of their final 6 games, TAMC 28-14.

#8 Southeastern Oklahoma at #13 East Central
Barring a major upset in Weatherford, the Savage Storm will be the LSC North runner-ups. Over the past 8 seasons, Southeastern Oklahoma has finished first or second in the LSC North, compiling a 29-10 divisional record. The offense has played well this season, averaging 32 points and 390 yards per game, but the defense is giving up 30 points and 387 yards, with Southwestern Oklahoma the only D2 teams they have held to under 24 points all season. Lucky for them, they are facing an East Central squad that has only broken the 20 point barrier three times all season (but interestingly, all in the last four games) and scored just 31 points total in their first six games. SOSU in a snoozer 32-14.

#11 Northeastern State at #10 Central Oklahoma
The Riverhawks offense has shown some signs of life, scoring 92 points the past three weeks (compared to 91 in the first 6 weeks). The defense however has been shredded, giving up 153 (compared to 173 in the first 6 weeks). The Broncho's offense has also stepped it up lately, averaging 32.5 points in LSC North games (compared to 18.3 against everyone else), and the defense has tightened up a bit, but is stilling allowing too many points at 29 per game. Expect a lot of points in this one, with UCO coming out on top 38-31.

Incarnate Word at #9 Eastern New Mexico
Interesting set up in this one - Incarnate Word joins the LSC next year and will compete in the South division, with the Greyhounds moving to the North. ENMU should be compete for the divisional title right away - over the past three years, they are 0-18 in the LSC South, but 6-3 in crossover games. JJ Harp should continue his impressive season and needs 3 TD passes to claim the team single season record - he could have that in the first quarter. ENMU 49-14.

#6 Angleo State at #4 Texas A&M-Kingsville
For the first time since 2005, this season ending rivalry game has playoff implications. Angelo State is the most improved team in the conference, but has run into stiff competition late in the season, dropping games to ACU, WT and Tarleton. In those three games, the Rams were outscored by an average of 14-34 and outgained by an average of 323-435. Meanwhile Texas A&M-Kingsville has been a Jeckyll and Hyde team this year. 2-2 on the road with an average score of 25-34, and 6-0 at home and an average score of 36-18. Coupled with the home field advantage is the fact that the Javelinas must win to have a shot at the playoffs. TAMK 35-27.

# 5 West Texas A&M at #2 Tarleton State
Talk about a monkey on your back. Since 2005, the Texans have had a shot at the playoffs three times heading into this game, and three times the Buffaloes sent them home short of their goal. The last two games weren't even close, with WT outgaining Tarleton by a 604-311 margin and outscoring them by an average of 45-7. But that was the past and this is the present. So what about this year? Well the Texans are 9-1, ranked number 7 in the latest AFCA poll, and more importantly #3 in this weeks NCAA Super Region 4 poll. West Texas is just 5-5 and far removed from playoff contention. They also happen to be the hottest team in the LSC right now, winning their last four games by an average of 44-21 and gaining almost 500 yards per game. Tarleton has also won their last four contests, but have not been nearly as dominant. We have to go with the hot hand, WT 35-21.

#3 Abilene Christian at #1 Midwestern State - Game of the Year (Part VI)
Can't the NCAA just call this a playoff game? You have #12 at #9, and whoever comes up short will almost assuredly not be playing next week. And that will be a shame, but losses earlier in the season that put them in that position, not this game.

How they stack up
Scoring offense - MSU 38.3, ACU 32.9
Scoring defense - MSU 12.6, ACU 18.5
Rushing offense - ACU 183.3, MSU 152.1
Rushing defense - ACU 34.3, MSU 102.8
Passing offense - MSU 287.1, ACU 211.5
Pass efficiency offense - MSU 183.5, ACU 125.7
Passing defense - MSU 213.9, ACU 231.8
Pass efficiency defense - MSU 94.2, ACU 111.4
Total Offense - MSU 439.2, ACU 394.8
Total Defense - ACU 266.1, MSU 316.7

Not much to separate the teams on paper - the Mustangs have shown a little more offense, while the Wildcat's defense has been a bit better.

ACU leads the LSC in rushing with Darryl Richardson and Reggie Brown combining for over 1,500 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing. Mitchell Gale bounced back after two subpar outings, with 289 yards and 2 TDs against TAMK. Edmund Gates had his third 100 yard receiving game and had a 72 yard TD reception, his longest of the season. The offensive line did their job as well, not allowing a sack and doing a solid job with run blocking. The defense has allowed 300 yards just three times this season and leads the nation against the run - just 34.3 yards per game. Kevin Washington has come on of late, giving ACU a dynamic pair of linebackers - a combined 89 tackles, 23 for losses totalling 108 yards and 9 sacks. Tony Harp is the leader in the secondary, and has a team high 52 tackles. Aston Whiteside will look to add to his 12.5 TFL and 8 sacks as well.

MSU will counter with an offense led by Zack Eskridge. Eskridge currently leads the NCAA in QB efficiency with a rating of 187.97 (Billy Malone had a 189.66 rating in 2008 for comparison). More impressively, he hasn't had a bad game all year - his worst rating was 154.8 against West Texas - and he has 27 TD passes to just 5 interceptions. Andy Tanner remains his favorite target and now has 61 receptions for 999 yards and 11 TDs. Sheldon Galloway (25 catches for 255 yards and 3 TDs the past 4 games). With the absence of Marcus Mathis, BeeJay Mathis has picked up the slack at running back, running for 299 yards over the past four games. The Mustangs defense has been good also, but not quite at ACU's level. Five of the last six opponents have gained over 300 yards with Tarleton getting 509 and Eastern New Mexico 458. Surprisingly, their opponents over that period were only able to convert that yardage into 17 points per game, with only Tarleton scoring more than 21. Ryan Craven, Danny Jackson and Micah Hill head up the secondary (9th best in the nation in pass efficiency defense), while linebackers Emmanuel Bagley and Matt Ellerbrock have combined for 99 tackles, with 13 for losses.

For Midwestern State to win, they will need another great outing by Eskridge, since it is unlikely that they will run the ball too effectively. The Wildcats will be looking to stuff the run and get pressure on Eskridge, and they have the players to do it. On offense, they need to run the ball enough to keep the MSU defense honest. The big intangible here is big-game experience, and that is in ACU's favor. ACU in a slug-fest 21-17.

LSC Scoop Game Previews - Week 10

We only hit 4 of 6 last week, giving us a 52-16 record for the season.

Last Week's Games
Midwestern State 43, Central Oklahoma 16
The Bronchos kept it close for a while, trailing just 23-14 at the half, but the Mustangs pulled away in the second half for a comfortable win. Zack Eskridge was impressive once again, hitting 15-20 passes for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns. Andy Tanner was once again his favorite target, catching 4 passes for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Mustangs moved up to number 4 in the NCAA regional poll.

West Texas A&M 43, Angelo State 15
Winners of their last three games, the Buffaloes are playing their best ball of the season, and possibly the best of any LSC team. Taylor Harris threw for 414 yards with 2 TDs and no interceptions, with Stephen Burton and Tyson Williams combining for 15 receptions, 335 yards and both TDs. Keithon Flemming chipped in with 117 all-purpose yards and 2 rushing TDs. Angelo State fell to 6-3 on the season, and clings to playoff hopes by a thread.

Southwestern Oklahoma 14, East Central 13
After three quarters, the Tigers looked to have this game under control - leading 13-0 and outgaining the Bulldogs by a 241-154 margin. But Southwestern Oklahoma turned things around, shutting down ECU's offense, and exploding for 184 yards in the fourth quarter, topped off by a 19 yard TD pass from Steve Day to Johnathan Haggerty as time expired.

Southeastern Oklahoma 45, Northeastern State 35
Justin Pitrucha threw for 362 yards and 6 touchdowns, as the Savage Storm outlasted Northeastern State. Daniel Nichols caught 14 passes for 185 and 2 TDs, while Michael Goodlow and Baylen Laury also had 2 TD receptions each. NSU's Kenny Davis threw for 251 yards and 3 TDs, and rushed for 65 yards and another TD for the Riverhawks.

Texas A&M Kingsville 38, Eastern New Mexico 31
The Javelinas rushed out to a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter, and held off Eastern New Mexico. The Greyhounds twice pulled to within a TD in the fourth quarter, but TAMK answered with a 32 yard TD run the first time, and was able to run out the clock after ENMU made it a 38-31 game with 3:24 to play. Fred Winborn rushed for 263 yards (breaking Johnny Bailey's TAMK record) and 3 TDs to lead the way. J. J. Harp returned from a one game suspension, throwing for 324 yards and 3 TDs, but had an interception returned for a TD in the first quarter.

Tarleton 13, Abilene Christian 6
Defense afficianados had to love this game. The Texans limited ACU to just 257 yards, got 3 turnovers, forced 9 punts and held the Wildcats to just two field goals. The Wildcat defense was even better for most of the night, holding the Texans to just 188 total yards, including a negative 11 rushing. But the Wildcats did have one bad play on defense - a 75 yard TD pass from Scott Grantham to Jahmeel Hobson - and that was the difference in the game.

This Week's Matchups
#5 West Texas A&M at #10 Northeastern State - Mismatch of the Week
No doubt about it, the Buffs are hot. After scoring more than 30 points just once in the first 6 weeks of the season, WT has topped that mark the past three games. The defense has also stepped up their game, giving up just 20 points a game over the past three weeks, to teams that are all averaging over 30 points per game. Meanwhile the Riverhawks offense has come alive lately, averaging 34.5 points and 377.5 yards per game the past two weeks (compared to 13 points and 240 yards per game the first 7 weeks). Too bad for them that they are playing a much tougher team this week. WT in a rout 48-21.

#11 Central Oklahoma at #13 East Central
2009 has been a disappointing season for both of these teams. For the Tigers, the prospect of a winless season looms large after dropping a last second decision to Southwestern Oklahoma last week. For the Bronchos, a 2-7 record was certainly not expected, especially with UCO riding a 7 game winning streak and national rankings coming into the season. Both defenses are down at the bottom of the LSC, but UCO's offense is middle of the pack, and that should be good enough this week. UCO 24-10.

#1 Midwestern State at #9 Eastern New Mexico
West Texas A&M may be the hottest team in the LSC right now...or maybe not. That honor could just as easily go to the Mustangs, who were the last team to beat WT. A week after giving Texas A&M-Kingsville their only loss, MSU soundly defeated Central Oklahoma. Zack Eskridge is quietly having an All-American type season at QB. His 73.3% completion rate would be a new LSC record and his 191.6 efficiency rating is higher than any in recent memory. The MSU defense has been stellar, allowing 20 or more points just twice this year and holding teams to single digit points in 5 of their 9 games this year. The Greyhounds offense could provide a challenge, as they have scored at least 20 points in every game this year. The defense however has allowed 30 or more points in 7 straight games, and just once have held a team to less than 28. Both quarterbacks should set single season team records for passing yards in this game. MSU in a blowout 42-17.

Oklahoma Panhandle State at #12 Southwestern Oklahoma
OPSU has played just three D2 teams this year, losing all three including a blowout by Truman State. On the other hand, the Bulldogs have had their best games that past three weeks, including their first win of the season. Steve Day surpassed the 7,000 yard mark last weekend while Johnathan Haggerty now has over 2,500 receiving yards. SWO gets win number two, 28-14

#8 Texas A&M-Commerce at #7 Southeastern Oklahoma
What do you make of the Lions? Are they a team on the rise, just barely missing out on beating Abilene Christian and Texas A&M-Kingsville? Or, are they lucky to be challenging for the LSC North title, needing second half comebacks to beat Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State and East Central? Southeastern has been more consistent in divisional games, taking first half leads and holding off the opponents to win somewhat comfortably. The second quarter has been especially productive, with SOSU owning a 48-7 scoring advantage. Justin Pitrucha has had a hot hand, throwing for over 1,000 yards and 13 TDs the last three weeks. He needs 212 yards passing to reach 6,000 for his career, while Daniel Nichols is 237 yards and 2 TDs behind Romar Crenshaw's team records. Pitrucha's hot hand and the Savage Storm's consistency should be enough. SOSU 35-21.

#2 Tarleton State at #6 Angelo State
The Texan's loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville may have been a blessing in disguise. Since that game, Tarleton has been playing lights out, knocking off two ranked teams and holding ENMU to a season low 20 points. Last week, the defense kept the team in the game long enough for special teams and the offense to make big plays and upset the #9 ACU Wildcats. That defense is #2 in the LSC in both yards and points allowed and is tops in passing yards given up. The red zone defense has been especially stellar, allowing just 6 TDs and 5 FGs in 21 opportunities - again the best in the LSC. They will have their hands full, with an Angelo State offense scoring 30 points and gaining 405 yards per game. Junior Josh Neiswander is averaging 276 yards passing per game, and has 21 TDs with only 7 interceptions. He is 131 yards from breaking Trey Weishuhn's single season record for passing yards. He has the only LSC receiving combo with 700+ yards receiving each in Dakarai Pecikonis and V'Keon Lacy.

On the flip side, the Angelo defense has sprung some leaks lately, giving up 111 points the past three games. Calvin Fance has 14 sacks on the season. Tarleton's offense has made big plays at the right time - two fourth down conversions against MSU in the drive that tied the game, and last week's 75 yard game winning TD pass.

The Rams may be the most improved team in the LSC, but Tarleton is playing better ball right now, TSU 28-21.

Game of the Year (Part V)
#3 Texas A&M-Kingsville at #4 Abilene Christian
Neither team is playing their best ball right now. In the past five weeks, the Javelinas were soundly beaten by Midwestern State and survived four close calls. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have dropped the last two games and are in danger of missing the playoffs with any more losses.

How they stack up
Scoring offense - ACU 31.3, TAMK 31.2
Scoring defense - ACU 16.7, TAMK 21.7
Rushing offense - TAMK 191.7, ACU 185.1
Rushing defense - ACU 34.3, TAMK 110.0
Passing offense - TAMK 242.3, ACU 202.9
Pass efficiency offense - ACU 121.1, TAMK 131.5
Passing defense - TAMK 213.8, ACU 223.2
Pass efficiency defense - ACU 107.0, TAMK 121.0
Total Offense - TAMK 434.0, ACU 388.0
Total Defense - ACU 257.6, TAMK 323.8

The TAMK offense has gotten consistent results this year, scoring at least 28 points in all but 2 games. The running game leads the LSC with 192 yards per game, with a low of 122. Fred Winborn has emerged as the top threat, with 594 yards and 6 TDs over the past four weeks. Billy Garza has not been consistent this year. While he has thrown 13 TD passes for the season, he has been shut out in 3 of the last 5 games. He does spread the ball around - seven Javelinas have 12 or more catches and eight different players have TD catches. The defense has struggled a bit, giving up over 30 points the past three weeks, after not allowing more than 20 the first six weeks. They have gotten turnovers at opportune times this season helping them win several games. DeIra Glover is the leading tackler with 62 and has 2 interceptions, both of which he has returned for TDs. Jeff Edwards (5.5 TFL, 3 Ints) and Matt Romig (9.5 TFL, 6 sacks) have also come up with big plays during the season.

For ACU, its been the defense that has been consitent. They have allowed more than 300 yards or 14 points just twice all season. The run defense has been especiall stellar, with only one team breaking the century mark - and Angelo got 81 of their 101 on their final drive with the game out of reach. For the season, teams are averaging just 34.3 yards per game and 1.4 per carry. So not able to run the ball, teams have been attempting almost 39 passes and have gained 223 yards per game. Only Eastern New Mexico and West Texas A&M have topped 300 yards and 5 times, ACU has held opponents to under 200. Tony Harp (team leading 49 tackles), Fred Thompson (11.5 TFL, 5 sacks) and Aston Whiteside (11.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks) lead the defense. The offense however has hit some speed bumps the last two weeks, averaging just 278 yards and 13.5 points. The passing game has really been off, with redshirt freshman Mitchell Gale completing just 30-66 passes for 304 yards, 0 TDs and 4 interceptions. The running game picked up the slack against WT, gaining 189 yards, but Tarleton stuffed them, giving up just 63 yards with the longest run an 11 yarder. For the season, ACU is averaging 185 yards per game, good for second in the LSC behind the Javelinas. Darryl Richardson has 833 yards and 13 TDs, while Reggie Brown has 557 yards and 5 TDs. ACU likes to spread the ball around to several receivers - 8 players have at least 11 receptions.

There should certainly be a playoff atmosphere at this game, especially with the cold truth that the loser could miss out on the NCAA playoffs depending on what happens around the rest of the region. For the Javelinas to win, they will need to be able to do what no one else has this year - run the ball against the nation's top run defense. For Abilene, the key is to do what Midwestern State did to TAMK - get ahead early and not let them back within striking distance. They have the running game and defense to do that, but must get better play from the QB position. Flip a coin in this one - Javelinas win yet another nail biter 24-21.

LSC Football Roundup 10-25

LSC Game Recaps

Box Scores, Statistics

Texans topple Wildcats
Two weeks ago, the Abilene Christian University football team was undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation. Now, the Wildcats’ playoff hopes are in jeopardy.

Scott Grantham threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jahmeel Hobson with 4:32 remaining Saturday to lift No. 11 Tarleton State over No. 9 ACU 13-6 in a Lone Star Conference game at Tarleton State Memorial Stadium.

Devin Guinn also returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter as Tarleton rallied from a 6-0 halftime deficit to hand the Wildcats their second consecutive loss.

“It’s tough, because I don’t think we executed very well,” ACU coach Chris Thomsen said. “But Tarleton did a great job — a great job on their part.”

Buffs sack ASU
Surging WT rolls up 557 yards in 43-15 rout
The only problem with West Texas A&M's win over Angelo State on Saturday night? The Buffs regret there are only two games left in the regular season.

WT, playing arguably its best football all season, continued its late season surge, knocking off Angelo State, 43-15, in front of 7,197 fans in the home finale at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

Buffs blow past Rams
CANYON — A pair of Rams set new school records, but their efforts weren’t enough as the Angelo State University football team fell to West Texas A&M 43-15 Saturday at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.

Josh Neiswander completed 22 passes to give him a single-season school-record 190 completions this season and receiver V’Keon Lacey had six receptions to give him a single-season school-record 58 catches on the year.

But the Rams’ LSC title hopes and NCAA Division II playoff aspirations took a serious blow as the Buffs took advantage of good field position on several occasions and held the ASU offense in check for most of the game.

Eskridge on target again as Mustangs win 43-16
By last week’s standards Saturday night was an off night for Midwestern State quarterback Zack Eskridge he threw four incomplete passes and an interception.

But by any other standards it was well worthy of the highest rated quarterback in NCAA Division II.

Eskridge completed 15-of-20 passes for 339 yards and three scores as the Mustangs dominated the Central Oklahoma Bronchos 43-16 in front of a homecoming crowd of 7,127 at Memorial Stadium.

RB Winborn breaks Bailey's rushing record in Javs win
One of the most hallowed records in Texas A&M-Kingsville history fell Saturday night at Javelina Stadium. Just as important, the 14th-ranked Javelinas found a way to slow the offensive juggernaut that has become Eastern New Mexico just enough and keep their postseason aspirations simmering.

Fred Winborn cracked Johnny Bailey’s 22-year-old single-game rushing record with a 263-yard, three-touchdown performance and the Javelinas held off the pass-crazed Greyhounds 38-31.



ENMU falls short at Kingsville
Eastern New Mexico University has still never won at Texas A&M-Kingsville, but the Greyhounds are certainly getting closer.

Junior running back Fred Winborn rushed for 263 yards and three touchdowns, but the Javelinas had to hold on at the end Saturday night to beat the Greyhounds 38-31 in a Lone Star Conference South Division game.


Coaching is way of life for both Thomsens
Abilene Christian University can thank LeAnn Thomsen for her husband’s recruiting prowess. After all, he honed those skills trying to convince her to marry him 17 years ago.

It seems it was a difficult sell.

“She was really my first big recruit because I had to recruit her to get her to marry me,” said Chris Thomsen, ACU’s head football coach. “I learned to recruit by trying to convince her to marry me. I had to throw out some key reasons why we should get married. That took a little time."