November 21st, 2024 5:00am
Week 11 Recap
The last week of the LSC season went pretty much as expected, with all the favored teams winning. More importantly, Angelo State and Central Washington won their games and solidified their spots in the NCAA playoffs (more on that later). Texas-Permian Basin won big over Sul Ross State and received an invite to the Heritage Bowl on December 7. Finally, Texas A&M-Kingsville earned their third straight 7-win season in the LSC’s final regular-season game, which was also the final game for head coach Michael Salinas, who is now TAMUK’s athletic director.
Now, about last week:
Texas-Permian Basin wins at Sul Ross State 75-7
If you’re associated with Sul Ross State – yep, here we go again, sorry. Texas-Permian Basin scored touchdowns on their first 7 possessions and 10 of their 13 total possessions for the game. Issac Mooring completed 24 of 26 passes for 350 yards and 5 touchdowns in the first half alone. Kory Harris ran for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns. Three Falcon receivers had over 50 receiving yards and at least one touchdown catch. UTPB gained 711 total yards, converted 9 of 12 third downs, and was 7-7 in the red zone with all 7 scores touchdowns.
And Sul Ross State? They didn’t.
Texas-Permian Basin improves to 7-4 and Sul Ross State falls to 3-8.
Midwestern State wins at home against Western New Mexico 52-24
This was a back-and-forth game through three quarters, with no lead of larger than 7 points, 2 ties, and 5 lead changes. It was a 28-24 MSU lead after three quarters. Then things completely got away WNMU. MSU scored 3 of the 4 times (2 touchdowns and a field goal) they had possession in the fourth quarter and Dylan Hofferichter returned a Connor Ackerly fumble 22 yards for the game’s final score. WNMU, on the other hand, had a nightmare fourth quarter. It started with an interception and had the fumble, two punts, a turnover on downs, and had the game clock end on their final drive. MSU outscored WNMU 24-0 in the fourth quarter, turning what had been a very close game into a runaway. Andrew Knebel (161 passing yards and 2 touchdowns) and Jalen March (119 rushing yards and 1 touchdown) stood out for MSU, while Ackerley needed 45 passes to get 254 yards and 3 touchdowns against 2 interceptions.
Midwestern State improves to 4-7 and Eastern New Mexico falls to 3-8.
Central Washington wins at home against Western Oregon 13-3
Give Western Oregon’s defense every bit of credit here, because they worked unbelievably hard to keep CWU off the scoreboard. They bent, they bent, they had a goal-line stand, and they kept bending, even when CWU seemed to be taking geological epochs to run their drives in the first half. Unfortunately, while the Wolves’ defense bent, the offense came in and remained broken the whole game. This was mainly because even though the Wildcats’ defense matched what WOU brought and then some. The Wolves, who still were without their top two quarterbacks and top running back, needed a strong running game to help third-string quarterback Michael Gibson III, but CWU’s defense wouldn’t let that happen. WOU gained a total of 2 net rushing yards as opposed to 269 for CWU. The Wildcats held the ball for 37:40 of the game and scored points on 3 of their four trips into the red zone (1 touchdown, 2 field goals). CWU outgained WOU 363 to 125 total yards, and even though Kennedy McGill only threw for 94 yards and had a pass intercepted, he did run for 152 yards and a touchdown. For WOU, Gibson threw for 123 yards and had an interception, and Damon Hickok caught 5 passes for 72 yards. WOU’s Aden Murphy led all defenders with 13 tackles.
Central Washington improves to 8-3 and Western Oregon falls to 6-5.
#19 Angelo State wins at home against West Texas A&M 56-19
Early in the second quarter, West Texas A&M finished a 4-play, 75-yard drive keyed by a 67-yard pass from Kanon Gibson to Tucker Swoboda that set up the Buffaloes at the ASU 5-yard line, where Brennan Ray would score on a 5-yard catch. At the time, the score was 21-13 in favor of ASU. Maybe WT has a rally in them, or maybe the Buffaloes’ defense could keep it close?
What WT didn’t know was they were already in the Braeden Fuller Zone.
After the Ray touchdown got WT within 21-13, Fuller would dial up a home run ball to Kyle Bradford to answer and after WT went three-and-out, scored again on a quarterback keeper to put ASU up 35-13. Swoboda would make another big catch, a 19-yard touchdown, to bring the Buffaloes within 35-19, but the second half was all Rams, outscoring WT 21-0 to win going away.
ASU outgained WT 573 to 225 yards and had their best rushing game of the season, gaining 322 yards on the ground while WT had just 106 rushing yards. Fuller accounted for all of ASU’s offensive touchdowns (4 passing, 3 rushing) while Anderw Pitts accounted for the Rams’ other touchdown with a 45-yard pick-six. WT’s Swoboda did lead all receivers with 103 yards on 4 catches, but Gibson could only manage 16 passing yards to all other WT receivers.
Angelo State runs the table in the LSC for the second time in three seasons, and West Texas A&M’s season ends with a thud.
Angelo State improves to 9-2 and West Texas A&M falls to 5-6.
Texas A&M-Kingsville wins at home against Eastern New Mexico 28-13
By the time ENMU had a drive of more than 25 yards, it was early in the third quarter, it was their sixth possession of the game, and the score was 21-0 Kingsville. At this point the Greyhounds and Javelinas simply traded touchdowns the rest of the way. Jalen Brown and Roger Hagan led the way for Kingsville, with Brown passing for 189 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception; Hagan rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 28 carries. Elijah Zeh was the top Greyhound, rushing for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries and a team-high 17 receiving yards. This was a simple, methodical win for the Javelinas, who completed their third straight 7-win season.
Texas A&M-Kingsville improves to 7-4 and Eastern New Mexico falls to 3-8.
On a related note, TAMUK head coach Michael Salinas, who has also been working as the interim athletic director, has stepped aside from coaching and will take on the athletic director role on a full-time basis. Congratulations to him as he is now the leader of all Javelina athletics. So, at some point before next year’s kickoff, we will discuss the hiring of the Javelinas’ new head coach.
Playoff Watch
With the regular season now over, the Selection Committee has spoken. These are the final rankings and the Super Region 4 playoff matchups for Round 1:
The games involving the number 2 and 4 seeds in the region are rematches of games played in the first-round last season, and Western Colorado and Minnesota State-Mankato are sure hoping to reverse their fortunes from last season.
LSC Final 2024 Standings
School | LSC | Overall | |
|---|---|---|---|
Angelo State | 9-0 | 9-2 | |
Central Washington | 7-2 | 8-3 | |
Texas A&M-Kingsville | 6-3 | 7-4 | |
Texas-Permian Basin | 6-3 | 7-4 | |
Western Oregon | 6-3 | 6-5 | |
West Texas A&M | 5-4 | 5-6 | |
Midwestern State | 3-6 | 4-7 | |
Sul Ross State | 2-6 | 3-8 | |
Eastern New Mexico | 1-8 | 3-8 | |
Western New Mexico | 0-9 | 2-9 | |
Also, UTPB has been invited to participate in the Heritage Bowl on December 7 in Corsicana, Texas against MIAA opponent Central Missouri. We’ll have a preview of that game when it gets closer to that date, but it looks like it could be an offensive explosion.
Playoff Week 1 Preview
The LSC has three playoff streaks ongoing:
Angelo State and Central Washington both earned playoff spots, with ASU hosting their game and CWU going on the road. If things continue the way they have gone for the past few years, we’ll be previewing an LSC team in the Super Region 4 Final, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed there.
All games are on Saturday, November 22. All game times are in the Central time zone.
#3 Angelo State hosts Bemidji State, 1:00 PM
Records: Angelo State 9-2 (9-0 LSC), Bemidji State 8-3 (7-3 NSIC)
Series History: Angelo State leads 1-0
Last meeting: 2022 (Angelo State won 33-7 in the Super Region 4 Second Round)
Team Statistics
Angelo State:
Points per game – 32 for; 12 against
Yards per game – 383 for (162 rushing, 221 passing); 265 against (114 rushing, 151 passing)
Turnovers – 7 committed; 24 caused
Sacks – 26 caused; 18 allowed
Time of Possession – 28:56 for; 30:34 against
Third Down Conversions – 31% for; 29% against
Field Goals – 10-15 for (long of 47 yards); 8-11 against
Bemidji State:
Points per game – 26 for; 16 against
Yards per game – 377 for (177 rushing, 200 passing); 241 against (82 rushing, 159 passing)
Turnovers – 16 committed; 14 caused
Sacks – 29 caused; 15 allowed
Time of Possession – 33:01 for; 26:57 against
Third Down Conversions – 45% for; 32% against
Field Goals – 8-11 for (long of 47 yards); 7-11 against
Top Players
Angelo State:
QB Braeden Fuller – 149/255 passes for 2180 yards, 18 TD, 0 INT; 126 carries for 648 yards, 10 TD
RB Jayden Jones – 63 carries for 306 yards, 5 TD; 12 catches for 91 yards
WR Kyle Bradford – 17 catches for 346 yards, 2 TD
WR Kel Williams – 25 catches for 342 yards, 3 TD
WR Zorhan Rideaux – 18 catches for 313 yards, 2 TD
LB Kenton Allen – 102 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 INT
DL Dylan Neeley – 49 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks
LB Eric Rascoe – 51 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 INT, 6 passes broken up
DB Andrew Pitts – 38 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 6 INT, 8 passes broken up
DB Jordan McKinney – 67 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 3 passes broken up
Bemidji State:
QB Sam McGath – 185/311 passes for 2155 yards, 20 TD, 10 INT; 117 carries for 443 yards, 7 TD
RB Jayden Washington – 137 carries for 695 yards, 4 TD; 11 catches for 61 yards, 1 TD
RB Jarrett Gronski – 93 carries for 426 yards, 4 TD; 1 catch for 10 yards
WR Brice Peters – 58 catches for 985 yards, 11 TD
WR Drayton Lehman – 60 catches for 514 yards, 3 TD
LB Colton Hinrichs – 62 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT
DE Marcus Hansen – 52 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks
DL Cade Barrett – 34 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 3 passes broken up
DT Stephen Hoffman – 41 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, 1 pass broken up
DB Gabe Ward – 25 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 2 INT, 2 passes broken up
Last year, Bemidji State took their second-ever trip to the Great State of Texas and came away with a win in Midland over Texas-Permian Basin in a 10-3 meat grinder. Their first trip was back in 2022 for a second-round playoff game at Angelo State. The Beavers didn’t fare so well in that one, losing 33-7 to a then-undefeated Rams team led by Zach Bronkhorst and Nate Omayebu III. So, the Beavers are looking for a happier trip to San Angelo this time.
Both teams have seen a significant number of changes in players while many from that first matchup are also still around. For Angelo State, players like Jake Long, Eric Rascoe, and Andrew Pitts are still in significant roles while Marcus Hansen, Cade Barrett, and Stephen Hoffman are contributing for Bemidji State. That doesn’t mean that the teams are still doing the same things they did back then – ASU has always had their strong defense, but their offense has more emphasis on the quarterback than in 2022, with Braeden Fuller emerging as a true dual-threat quarterback. BSU didn’t have the high-flying passing attack of Brandon Alt, but also have their own dual-threat quarterback in Sam McGath to complement a defense that has been their calling card in 2024.
Angelo State has won 9 straight games after close road losses to MIAA opponents Fort Hays State (8-3 record) and Emporia State (7-4 record), running the table in the LSC. Fuller won an early-season quarterback battle with Kaeden Smith and has been the picture of efficiency for the Rams, throwing 255 passes with 18 touchdowns and no interceptions. Fuller will throw to a trio of wide receivers with over 300 receiving yards. Not to be outdone, Fuller is the top rusher out of a deep group of rushers that includes Jayden Jones and Cameron Dischler. Eric Rascoe and Kenton Allen lead a strong front 7, while Andrew Pitts tied for the LSC lead with 6 interceptions. It isn’t only Pitts getting in on pass defense – the Rams have 15 interceptions, thirteenth in the nation. Asi is ninth in scoring defense, allowing just 12 points per game.
Bemidji State’s defense isn’t exactly bad either – just ask UTPB how they did against their offense last year. The Bravers give up 16 points a game and all three of their losses have been by a single score (2, 1, and 3 points). Their defensive line is very deep and spend a lot of time in the backfield, collecting 76 tackles for loss. Their top 4 defensive linemen, led by undersized but overtalented Marcus Hansen, have 41.5 TFL’s between them. McGath leads a Beaver offense that has taken a back seat to the defense but is still effective with the dual-threat McGath running the ball (7 touchdowns) and throwing the ball (20 touchdowns). Brice Peters is McGath’s top target with 985 yards and 11 touchdowns, but fellow wideout Drayton Lehman has more catches even though he has fewer yards.
I think this game will be a defensive grind. Both teams want to set the tone with their defenses, and I think they will succeed for the most part. To that end, I think that whoever can put together the most drives to keep the opponent’s defense on the field will ultimately be the winner. This is particularly true for Angelo State, because when we see the Ram’s defense at their worst, it is because they are not getting off the field and they are getting tired. That being said, the team I think will likely have the best overall set of drives belongs to Angelo State. This may be one of the closest games of the weekend, but I see the Rams pulling away with a late score. Angelo State by 10 points.
#2 Western Colorado hosts Central Washington, 2:00 PM
Records: Western Colorado 10-1 (8-1 RMAC), Central Washington 8-3 (7-2 LSC)
Series History: Central Washington leads 1-0
Last meeting: 2023 (Central Washington won 16-13 in 1 OT in the Super Region 4 First Round)
Team Statistics
Western Colorado:
Points per game – 36 for; 16 against
Yards per game – 435 for (173 rushing, 262 passing); 299 against (74 rushing, 225 passing)
Turnovers – 14 committed; 22 caused
Sacks – 37 caused; 23 allowed
Time of Possession – 32:23 for; 27:36 against
Third Down Conversions – 42% for; 29% against
Field Goals – 10-14 for (long of 49 yards); 6-14 against
Central Washington:
Points per game – 31 for; 11 against
Yards per game – 416 for (261 rushing, 155 passing); 210 against (83 rushing, 127 passing)
Turnovers – 10 committed; 18 caused
Sacks – 21 caused; 6 allowed
Time of Possession – 36:31 for; 23:29 against
Third Down Conversions – 56% for; 31% against
Field Goals – 8-15 for (long of 45 yards); 5-7 against
Top Players
Western Colorado:
QB Drew Nash – 190/299 passes for 2338 yards, 22 TD, 6 INT; 89 rushes for 362 yards, 5 TD
RB Braeden Hogan – 125 carries for 601 yards, 6 TD; 18 receptions for 176 yards, 1 TD
RB Royce Pao – 81 carries for 425 yards, 5 TD
WR Josiah Ayon – 37 catches for 551 yards, 8 TD
TE Daniel Parsek – 35 catches for 431 yards, 3 TD
LB Kendall Lightfoot – 46 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 INT
LB Cameron Cooper - 54 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 INT
DL Ricky Freymond – 58 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks
DB Ethan Sanchez-Maxwell – 2 INT, 3 passes broken up, 24 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
DB Logan White – 1 INT, 6 passes broken up, 30 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss
Central Washington:
QB Kennedy McGill – 118/194 passes for 1586 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT; 145 carries for 1093 yards, 11 TD
RB Tyler Flanagan – 186 carries for 920 yards, 13 TD; 11 catches for 93 yards
WR Marcus Cook – 32 catches for 441 yards, 2 TD
WR Darius Morrison – 27 catches for 344 yards, 5 TD
S Tanner Volk – 57 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 6 INT
LB Brycen Indell – 53 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks
DL Chase Loidhamer – 34 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks
DB Chase Coalson – 41 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 pass broken up
Well, I didn’t think I could do a cut and paste from last year and just update some things here and there (although I will say that makes me very nervous), but the Selection Committee wanted me to have an easy week writing up this preview (obviously!) But that’s what happens when you have two really strong teams returning to the playoffs after they had a classic game last season.
Back to the road goes Central Washington, which is where they will be for (very likely) the duration of their playoff run, regardless of its length. Last year, they went up to 7723 feet above seas level and won in overtime on a 30-yard walk-off touchdown catch by Darius Morrison from Kennedy McGill, who had his best game in a CWU uniform with 277 passing yards. And they needed those passing yards, as top running back Tyler Flanagan carried the ball just twice before leaving with an injury. This year, McGill is the team’s top rusher and passer but has seemed more comfortable at times with his legs than with his arm. Flanagan is back and healthy, and that ground presence has allowed CWU to be among the nation’s leaders in time of possession. Morrison also leads a solid receiving corps with 5 touchdowns. But offense is not CWU’s strength, it’s the defense. Safety Tanner Volk is back and teams have decided to play keep away from him, although he still tied for the LSC lead with 6 interceptions. Linebacker Brycen Indell and defensive lineman Chase Loidhamer anchor a defensive front that gives up 211 total yards per game and 11 points per game, with the points per game being eighth in the nation. The one thing I haven’t mentioned that might rear its ugly head for the Wildcats? Kicking – CWU missed two extra point kicks that ended up costing them the game in their two conference losses to UTPB and Angelo State. If this game is close (and I expect it will be), that could be a difference maker.
Western Colorado also brings back quite a bit from last year’s team, especially on defense. Defensive lineman Ricky Freymond and linebacker Kendall Lightfoot highlight a defense that has 105 tackles for loss, second in the nation. The Mountaineers also have 37 sacks, tied for sixth in the nation. WC is better than CWU against the run, allowing just 74 yards per game (CWU allows 82 yards per game). Drew Nash has taken a step forward at quarterback, throwing 22 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. The Mountaineers run it by committee, with Braeden Hogan leading the way with 601 yards. Royce Pao and Nash will also carry the ball quite a bit. Josiah Ayon leads WC’s receiving crew with 551 yards and 8 touchdowns. WC’s only loss came to RMAC champion and Super Region 4 top seed CSU-Pueblo, a game where they fell behind 24-7 in the first half and never recovered in a 44-34 loss. The main issue with the Mountaineers could be their pass defense – with as much pressure as they get on the quarterback, they give up 225 passing yards per game and nearly lost a game to Midwestern State earlier this season because of it.
Both teams bring strong defenses, but WC has a slightly stronger offense because of Nash. For CWU to win, they need just enough out of McGill’s arm to keep the WC defense honest. I think this could open the CWU running game too. Midwestern State quarterback Sean Jastrab, who didn’t see much action after the early weeks of the season for the Mustangs, threw for 361 yards against WC and nearly left with a win on WC’s home field. Against a WC defense that is quite good against the run, this could be a difference in the game. Also, the CWU defense needs to keep Nash from making big plays with both his arm and legs. If Nash has a big game, CWU will be in big trouble. Against CSU-Pueblo, Nash had negative-18 rushing yards.
In a game that might very well be on the razor’s edge, I think that Nash will be the more reliable offensive leader in the game. I don’t think yards will be easy to come by on either side, but I don’t know if McGill will be able to throw the ball well enough (and I don’t mean throw it a lot, just enough, like a 16 of 25, 170-yard game with no interceptions) for CWU to get lanes in the running game. Honestly, I probably should know better after what I saw from CWU last year in this game and what they ended up doing in the playoffs, but I am picking Western Colorado to win in a nail-biter in what might be one of the games people remember from this season’s playoffs. Western Colorado by 3 points.
OK, so I feel the need to go a bit off-topic here to finish:
First, we all know that a big part of this site and community has been missing. I’m not going to go too much into it, since so much has already been said, but this site isn’t happening without Brandon, and I greatly appreciate him allowing me to write for his site back in 2021 so I can share my long-winded analyses of football teams that sometimes seem in a completely different universe from my home here in Super Region 1. I hope that he can still gain some enjoyment from what I think will be a great playoff (even though his Bearcats aren’t in them). Continued best wishes in recovery. I also wanted to thank Chuck and Matt and all the people associated with the site for keeping it going in his absence.
And finally (I promise!), since my alma mater’s conference (the Northeast-10) doesn’t currently have a columnist, I’m going to do a shout out for them here. Best of luck to the University of New Haven Chargers, who won the Northeast-10 championship for the third time in four seasons and have made the Super Region 1 playoffs for the fourth straight season, the fifth time in the last 6 seasons, and 7 total times since they brought back their football program in 2009. They are on the road at Slippery Rock, who already beat the Chargers 22-7 in Week 1, so winning the rematch will prove to be quite difficult. Go Chargers!