I couldn't wait until August so here is my preview and prediction for the 2010 season. The Hornets have a lot returning for the 2010/11 campaign and I would have to think that expectations are high. Coach Sperbeck and the coaches have done a tremendous recruiting job and the foundation has clearly been laid for this program to take flight. There is no reason that the Hornets should not be in contention for a playoff berth this season. The bottom line is there will not be any acceptable excuses for not producing results in the win column this season. Here is my win-loss prediction and weekly preview for the 2010 season:
Week 1 @ Stanford The Hornets open the season with a game at Palo Alto against a regional FBS foe. As most FCS teams do, the Hornets will be playing for a paycheck to try to keep the budget out of the red. I don't expect a win here, and I doubt many people do so there isn't much to say. The goals for the Hornets are to avoid a shutout and avoid serious injuries to key players. The good news is that the Hornet defense will not have to worry about Toby Gerhart, but that is probably where the good news ends as Stanford returns its starting QB Luck and all of its leading receivers at WR and TE. The Hornets will start 0-1 (0-0).
Week 2 vs. Southern Oregon The Hornets face a non-D1 opponent which should be a win. The Hornets need to not overlook this game and should come out and dominate this game. As much as I don't like a non-D1 opponent scheduled, it will give the Hornets a week to recover and get its game on track following the physical FBS matchup. Basically this game will be used to get ready for the tough Big Sky Conference matchups. Record: 1-1 (0-0)
Week 3 vs. Weber State A lot of posters on the WSU board have this as a win, but I have a hard time seeing how it's automatic for them. WSU loses a lot of offensive starters as well as a couple of defensive starters. The Hornets will need to put pressure on 3rd year starter QB Higgins and they should be fine. Offensively I think the Hornets will need to have a balanced attack as WSU returns most of its 3rd BSC ranked defense. The WSU defense returns its entire LB core, 2 starters in the secondary, and 2 starters on the DL. Here is what WSU will lose:
Toone was a Hornet killer and the fact that he is gone makes his loss that much more crucial for WSU. This game could very well turn into a defensive struggle, but the bottom line is WSU had some major losses at its skilled positions and an aggressive and disciplined Hornet defense should be able to neutralize WSU's offense. Finally, WSU will have to travel to Hornet Stadium so I am going with a Hornet win. Record: 2-1 (1-0)
Week 4 @ Montana This will be a tough game for the Hornets. UM replaced its head coach but I don't really think that will impact UM as much as people want to believe. The Hornets have never beaten UM and this game being in Missoula won't make that task any easier this season. UM losses an electric player in WR Mariani (BSC 1st, FCS 5th receiving) but they will still return RB Reynolds (3rd BSC, 11th FCS rushing) and its two QB's Selle and Roper. The Hornets will have to have a damn near perfect game if they want to win this one. The Hornets do have the "luxury" of facing UM early in the season in which UM has two early road games (@ Cal Poly & @ EWU). This means there might be a window where the Hornets might catch UM before they hit their stride.
UM has shown that they just reload and not rebuild, so with history and the hostile environment of Missoula on their side, I think they pull this one off at home. Record: 2-2 (1-1)
Week 5 vs. Montana State The Hornets will be in for a physical game in this one as MSU will be coming off of a tough game @ EWU (a team MSU hasn't beaten in the last 7 years). MSU has a ton of returning players that gained experience last season and are stacked. The MSU defense will keep them in pretty much every game this season.
The wild card with MSU is that former Youngstown State OC/QB Coach Brian Wright has joined MSU. I have no idea what kind of game he called but some YSU posters on fcsfans were happy to see him leave. By week 5 of the season, we should know how it will be working out. Nothing on the stat sheets say the Hornets should win this game but history tells me that the Hornets are due for a victory against MSU. I'm going with the Hornets defending their home turf and pulling this one out, it will take a valiant effort to do so. Record: 3-2 (2-1)
Week 6 vs. Northern Colorado UNC has never beaten Sac State. NEVER. It should stay that way for at least one more season as UNC will be coming off of a physical game versus Montana. It seems as UNC is waiting to turn the corner in the Big Sky. People say they have talent but are unable to win games. With that in mind, UNC does return quite a bit of starters on both sides of the ball however UNC will need to find a QB if they want to have some success this season. UNC returns RB Harris (team rushing leader) and four starters on the OL.
The Hornets should not overlook this game as we saw from the second half of last year's game against UNC what can happen if the team goes to sleep. The Hornets should just lineup behind their big OL and smash the ball right at the teeth of the UNC defense. Taking it right to them will allow the Hornets to control the clock and physically dominate this game and make UNC sell out to stopping the run, which will open up other aspects of the Hornet offense. Defensively the Hornets will need to contain the UNC offense and not give up any big plays. This game should be a Hornet victory. Record: 4-2 (3-1)
Week 7 BYE The bye didn't help the Hornets get ready for EWU last season, hopefully it helps them get ready for EWU this season. The Hornets will need to enjoy home during this time off as they will be on the road for 4 of the last 5 games.
Week 8 @ Eastern Washington EWU is one of those teams that manages to find an explosive and competitive teams year in and year out regardless of who they lose. EWU lost quite a bit offensively due to graduation and have a lot of voids to fill in the passing game. They do return RB Jones (BSC 2nd rushing) who torched the Hornet defense last year. Defensively they lose a handful of starters but return some key players in LB Sherritt (team 1st tackles) and LB Johnson returns from an injury.
EWU brought in transfer QB Mitchell from SMU to address its need at QB. I think the bigger question for the EWU offense is who will step up in the WR position. They do return some your WR's who have some serious height. If they can get some production from a couple of these receivers, it will take some pressure off of RB Jones. It is going to take a very disciplined Hornet defense to contain Jones, as of now I see him as the key guy to shut down. Defensively EWU will be solid in the front 7. Offensively I think the Hornets are going to rely more heavily on their passing attack to crack the stout front 7 of the EWU defense. It's going to take a major effort to beat EWU in Cheney this season. Historically the Hornet perform well in Cheney; however given the wildcard of EWU's new red turf (yes this sounds a little out there) and the fact that this game is late in the season and EWU's offense should be hitting its stride by this point, I will go with an EWU victory. This should be a close game nonetheless. Record: 4-3 (3-2)
Week 9 @ Northern Arizona NAU is another one of those teams that has a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball. They return one of the top QB's in the BSC in Herrick (BSC 2nd passing) as well as four starters on the OL. They had a well balanced offensive attack last season but once again fell victim to their all too regular second half of the season collapse (which began with a Sac State loss last season). Defensively NAU returns 10 starters that ranked 5th in the BSC in total defense and 3rd in the BSC defending the run.
I think this game is going to be a struggle for the Hornets. The home team in this series has won the last five meetings and NAU will have some solid leadership on both sides of the ball. The Hornets will have to battle the high elevation as well. The only hope I see is if Herrick has some late turnovers in a close game like he did last season. I honestly don't think he will make those same mistakes for a second straight season. I am going with NAU in a physical and competitive game. Record: 4-4 (3-3)
Week 10 vs. Portland State PSU is coming off of a horrific year and the Vikings finally pulled the plug on a pathetic Glanville experiment. New HC Burton came over from Nevada and will install the Pistol offense. I don't think PSU will do as bad as everyone expects them to and I think they will jump up and surprise some people as PSU has nowhere to go but up (they also pulled in a solid recruit class so their future looks bright). This is all the more reason for the Hornets to be ready for this "nothing-to-lose" team and take care of business at Hornet Stadium. The defense will have to be very disciplined against the Pistol scheme and will need to contain probable starter QB Kavanaugh (team 2nd rushing and passing). I think Kavanaugh starts over returning starter Hubel due to his mobility that fits better in the new Pistol offense. This game is late in the season so we will know who the clear cut starter is when PSU comes to town. PSU also returns its leading receiver Fry, three starting OL in Ritt, Rojas, and Waldron and some young RB's as well. Defensively PSU returns some young secondary players but lose quite a bit up front.
PSU will be coming off of their emotional rivalry game with EWU so there is no telling what the attitude of this PSU team might be coming into this game. With all that was lost up front on the PSU defense, this is another game in which I think it would best suit the Hornets to take it straight at the teeth of the defense. PSU did have the BSC 8th passing defense last season so they might be vulnerable through the air as well. Defensively the Hornets might have some trouble with a mobile QB so they will need to contain the offense and not give up any big plays. If the Hornets take care of the ball and minimize the mental mistakes, they should win this game. This is the last home game of the season so I expect them to go out with a bang. Hornets win this one. Record: 5-4 (4-3)
Week 11 @ Idaho State ISU is young and deprived of talent. Eventually this team will have to turn it around and start winning games. Unfortunately for them it won't happen when the Hornets head to Pocatello. ISU will be coming off of a complete destruction as they collect a huge paycheck at Georgia the week prior so ISU will be in some pain coming into this one. I will add that ISU beat the Hornets in the ISU Hanger two years ago so they need to go up there looking for some revenge. Last season's game was a lot closer than people may think as ISU had plenty of opportunities to turn it into a game. These are all more reasons why the Hornets need to be prepared for this Bengal team. ISU returns both QB's Hill and Blum. Hill had better stats last season but both players saw considerable playing time. They also return WR Krosch (team 2nd receiving) and four starting OL: LT B Clayson, LG Clampitt, RG Rudder and RT Shedd. Defensively ISU returns 8 starters to a defense that ranked at the bottom of the BSC in total defense.
This can be a possible trap game if the Hornets don't come prepared and are looking ahead to the Causeway the following week. As the Hornets learned two years ago, a loss is more than possible if they do not come ready to play and overlook this ISU team. With that said I think Sperbeck will use that loss as a focal point heading into this game and he will not let the players overlook this team. He can also use last year's ISU-UM game to point out that this ISU team is capable of putting up some stiff competition. Hornets should win this game. Record: 6-4 (5-3)
Week 12 @ "the farm extension" Ah yes, the Causeway. The rivalry game during rivalry week. Another chance for the Hornets to send those elitists crying back to their barn stalls. I think this is going to be a grinder of a game. The phaggies return four starters on the OL: LT Davies, LG Perez, RG Wilburn, and RT Tos. They also return starting RB Trombetta (team 1st rushing), RB Reese (team 2nd rushing, this guy should be the starter), WR Creadick (team 3rd receiving) and TE Rogers (team 4th receiving). On defense the phaggies return 3 DL starters: DE Sobotka (team 2nd sacks, team 8th tackles), DT Maxson (team 1st sacks, team T-5th tackles), and DT Benjamin (team T-13th tackles). They also return LB Amajoyi (team T-4th sacks, team T-3rd tackles), SS Hart (team 2nd tackles), and FS Lewis (team 10th tackles). Yes two of the safeties that were scorched by MBT on that heroic game winning drive last season.
"The farm extension" should be fine on both sides of the line but this late in the season means there is no telling what toll injuries will take on either team. Defensively they will be weak at LB and at corner. They lost pretty much all of their aerial weapons but return almost all of their OL starters and RB's. Now take all of that and throw it out the window. All of that means absolutely nothing in this rivalry. It's going to come down to who wants it more, who makes a play when one is needed, and who is ready to throw down when it matters most. Sperbeck has this program hungry for this win. The team wants it, they work hard for a win in this one, and the last two seasons have shown the phaggies have no answer for it. The Hornets roll to another victory in this game as the Hornets have yet to lose in phaggieville's new stadium and it's not going to happen this season. Sperbeck and Co will make it three straight years. :twisted: Record: 7-4 (5-3)
The Hornets have a solid chance at making the playoffs this season but will need to play well at home to have a chance. The Hornets will need to get a split in the UM/MSU games and split the EWU/NAU games to get to a 6-2 BSC record and get a sure berth, which I think is possible (I think the Hornets have a better shot beating EWU than NAU) but would require the Hornets playing extremely well throughout the season. A 7-4 (5-3 BSC, 6 D-1 wins) record would give them consideration for an at-large playoff berth but that record would mean that the Hornets would depend on how other schools outside of the BSC do. IMO, an 8-3 record gets an at-large bid no questions asked. The Hornets have a lot of returning players on both sides of the ball so the "we are a young team" excuse for a failure of execution isn't going to fly this season. If the players come out ready to play and leave it all out on the field every Saturday, I think the sky is the limit. On defense, a lot will depend on the adjustments the players make to the new play calling schemes from the new DC Parker as well as being able to step up and make some plays. The leadership is there on both sides of the ball, it will all be a matter of preparedness and execution. I am definitely anxious to see how the Hornets play.
Go Hornets!!!
Week 1 @ Stanford The Hornets open the season with a game at Palo Alto against a regional FBS foe. As most FCS teams do, the Hornets will be playing for a paycheck to try to keep the budget out of the red. I don't expect a win here, and I doubt many people do so there isn't much to say. The goals for the Hornets are to avoid a shutout and avoid serious injuries to key players. The good news is that the Hornet defense will not have to worry about Toby Gerhart, but that is probably where the good news ends as Stanford returns its starting QB Luck and all of its leading receivers at WR and TE. The Hornets will start 0-1 (0-0).
Week 2 vs. Southern Oregon The Hornets face a non-D1 opponent which should be a win. The Hornets need to not overlook this game and should come out and dominate this game. As much as I don't like a non-D1 opponent scheduled, it will give the Hornets a week to recover and get its game on track following the physical FBS matchup. Basically this game will be used to get ready for the tough Big Sky Conference matchups. Record: 1-1 (0-0)
Week 3 vs. Weber State A lot of posters on the WSU board have this as a win, but I have a hard time seeing how it's automatic for them. WSU loses a lot of offensive starters as well as a couple of defensive starters. The Hornets will need to put pressure on 3rd year starter QB Higgins and they should be fine. Offensively I think the Hornets will need to have a balanced attack as WSU returns most of its 3rd BSC ranked defense. The WSU defense returns its entire LB core, 2 starters in the secondary, and 2 starters on the DL. Here is what WSU will lose:
- • Offensively, WSU lost its top rusher in Trevyn Smith (team 4th receiving) and 4 of their top 6 receivers: WR Toone (team 1st), WR Collins (team 3rd), and TE Nakamura (team 6th) to graduation. This is topped off with losing 3 starting OL in RT Cruz, LG Mulifua and C Mutcher. RB Bo Bolen (team 2nd rushing) also departed for his LDS mission.
• Defensively they lose DE Linehan (team sack leader, 4th tackles) and DE Burkdull (team T-11th tackles) on the DL, and CB Morris (team 7th tackles, t-2nd INT's) and SS Hadley (team 3rd tackles and t-2nd INT's) from the secondary.
• They also lose the 10th best punter in FCS in Snoy (he was also the kicker).
Toone was a Hornet killer and the fact that he is gone makes his loss that much more crucial for WSU. This game could very well turn into a defensive struggle, but the bottom line is WSU had some major losses at its skilled positions and an aggressive and disciplined Hornet defense should be able to neutralize WSU's offense. Finally, WSU will have to travel to Hornet Stadium so I am going with a Hornet win. Record: 2-1 (1-0)
Week 4 @ Montana This will be a tough game for the Hornets. UM replaced its head coach but I don't really think that will impact UM as much as people want to believe. The Hornets have never beaten UM and this game being in Missoula won't make that task any easier this season. UM losses an electric player in WR Mariani (BSC 1st, FCS 5th receiving) but they will still return RB Reynolds (3rd BSC, 11th FCS rushing) and its two QB's Selle and Roper. The Hornets will have to have a damn near perfect game if they want to win this one. The Hornets do have the "luxury" of facing UM early in the season in which UM has two early road games (@ Cal Poly & @ EWU). This means there might be a window where the Hornets might catch UM before they hit their stride.
- • Offensively UM loses three of its top 4 receivers: WR Mariani (team leader, 5th in FCS), WR Palmer (team 3rd), TE Pfahler (team 4th) as well as TE Beaudin (team 6th). They also lose their number one fullback Klaboe (no idea how much he was used) as well as backup RB Fletcher (team 2nd rushing). On the OL, both tackles and the right guard graduate: LT Horn, RG Hillesland, and RT Dyk.
• Defensively UM loses some key players. On the DL, they lose DE Palmer (team 1st sacks, team 10th tackles) and DT Mullins (team 7th tackles). UM loses two key starting LB's in Lebsock (team 1st tackles) and Fisher (team 5th tackles). In the secondary, UM loses FS Schillinger (team 2nd INT's, team 3rd tackles), CB Swink (team 3rd INT's) and CB Thompson.
• UM returns all of its kickers. (Which after looking at McKnight's stats, might favor UM's opponents.)
UM has shown that they just reload and not rebuild, so with history and the hostile environment of Missoula on their side, I think they pull this one off at home. Record: 2-2 (1-1)
Week 5 vs. Montana State The Hornets will be in for a physical game in this one as MSU will be coming off of a tough game @ EWU (a team MSU hasn't beaten in the last 7 years). MSU has a ton of returning players that gained experience last season and are stacked. The MSU defense will keep them in pretty much every game this season.
- • Offensively MSU loses QB Iddins (team passing leader) but they have QB Kempt returning who pretty much has equivalent statistics. MSU loses its leading rusher RB Mason but have RB Palmer (team 2nd rushing) returning who has similar numbers. In the receiving corps, MSU loses TE Schriebeis (team 4th) and WR Green (team 5th). On the OL, MSU only loses one starter in RG Hansen.
• Defensively MSU loses a key player in DE Fletcher (team leader sacks, team 3rd tackles, FCS 2nd TFL's) as well as back-up NT Cerise on the DL. They also lose OLB Harris (team T-6th tackles), LB Price (team 9th tackles) and starting LCB Retoriano (team 7th tackles, team 3rd INT's).
• MSU loses its punter Fisher (FCS 6th, BSC 2nd) but return K Cunningham who has some solid FG numbers.
The wild card with MSU is that former Youngstown State OC/QB Coach Brian Wright has joined MSU. I have no idea what kind of game he called but some YSU posters on fcsfans were happy to see him leave. By week 5 of the season, we should know how it will be working out. Nothing on the stat sheets say the Hornets should win this game but history tells me that the Hornets are due for a victory against MSU. I'm going with the Hornets defending their home turf and pulling this one out, it will take a valiant effort to do so. Record: 3-2 (2-1)
Week 6 vs. Northern Colorado UNC has never beaten Sac State. NEVER. It should stay that way for at least one more season as UNC will be coming off of a physical game versus Montana. It seems as UNC is waiting to turn the corner in the Big Sky. People say they have talent but are unable to win games. With that in mind, UNC does return quite a bit of starters on both sides of the ball however UNC will need to find a QB if they want to have some success this season. UNC returns RB Harris (team rushing leader) and four starters on the OL.
- • On offense UNC loses QB Waggener (team passing leader) and do not have any QB's with any substantial experience to fill in. They also lose their leading WR Thompson (BSC 6th, team receiving leader) as well as their starting LG Jones and backup G Zapp.
• Defensively UNC loses its two starting DT's Kolone and Awachie as well as starting LB Zable (team 5th tackles). UNC was 8th in the BSC in rush defense last year so it appears as they will struggle defending the run again this year with those loses on the DL. In the secondary UNC loses starting SS Michon (team 6th tackles), starting CB Wofford (team T-2nd INT's, team 7th tackles) and backup FS Lutz (team 9th tackles).
• UNC loses its kicker York but returns punter Kaman.
The Hornets should not overlook this game as we saw from the second half of last year's game against UNC what can happen if the team goes to sleep. The Hornets should just lineup behind their big OL and smash the ball right at the teeth of the UNC defense. Taking it right to them will allow the Hornets to control the clock and physically dominate this game and make UNC sell out to stopping the run, which will open up other aspects of the Hornet offense. Defensively the Hornets will need to contain the UNC offense and not give up any big plays. This game should be a Hornet victory. Record: 4-2 (3-1)
Week 7 BYE The bye didn't help the Hornets get ready for EWU last season, hopefully it helps them get ready for EWU this season. The Hornets will need to enjoy home during this time off as they will be on the road for 4 of the last 5 games.
Week 8 @ Eastern Washington EWU is one of those teams that manages to find an explosive and competitive teams year in and year out regardless of who they lose. EWU lost quite a bit offensively due to graduation and have a lot of voids to fill in the passing game. They do return RB Jones (BSC 2nd rushing) who torched the Hornet defense last year. Defensively they lose a handful of starters but return some key players in LB Sherritt (team 1st tackles) and LB Johnson returns from an injury.
- • Offensively EWU loses every component of the 3rd ranked FCS passing attack. QB Nichols (BSC passing leader), WR Davis (team 1st, BSC 5th receiving), WR Boyce (team 2nd receiving), and TE Overbay (team 3rd, BSC 16th receiving) all depart along with two OL starters LG Forney and RT Thomas. They also lose backups OT Rice and WR Ramos.
• Defensively EWU loses starters DE Kragt (team 2nd sacks), OLB Borden (team 3rd tackles) MLB Wilkins (team 10th tackles), CB Hosley (team 3rd INT's) and FS Hatch (team 3rd tackles, team 2nd INT's). They also lose backups NT Jacobson, DE Brown, CB Igbinoa, and CB Leggin.
• EWU returns all of its kickers.
EWU brought in transfer QB Mitchell from SMU to address its need at QB. I think the bigger question for the EWU offense is who will step up in the WR position. They do return some your WR's who have some serious height. If they can get some production from a couple of these receivers, it will take some pressure off of RB Jones. It is going to take a very disciplined Hornet defense to contain Jones, as of now I see him as the key guy to shut down. Defensively EWU will be solid in the front 7. Offensively I think the Hornets are going to rely more heavily on their passing attack to crack the stout front 7 of the EWU defense. It's going to take a major effort to beat EWU in Cheney this season. Historically the Hornet perform well in Cheney; however given the wildcard of EWU's new red turf (yes this sounds a little out there) and the fact that this game is late in the season and EWU's offense should be hitting its stride by this point, I will go with an EWU victory. This should be a close game nonetheless. Record: 4-3 (3-2)
Week 9 @ Northern Arizona NAU is another one of those teams that has a lot of returning starters on both sides of the ball. They return one of the top QB's in the BSC in Herrick (BSC 2nd passing) as well as four starters on the OL. They had a well balanced offensive attack last season but once again fell victim to their all too regular second half of the season collapse (which began with a Sac State loss last season). Defensively NAU returns 10 starters that ranked 5th in the BSC in total defense and 3rd in the BSC defending the run.
- • Offensively NAU loses almost all of its key weapons from a season ago. RB Henderson (BSC 1st, FCS 6th rushing) and WR's Berry (team 1st, FCS T-6th receiving) and Meadows (team 2nd, BSC 7th receiving). The lone OL starter lost is RT Holstrom. If NAU can find some players to step up, they can be dangerous.
• Defensively NAU loses one starter in MLB Thomas (team 2nd, BSC 17th takles, team T-1st in INT's, team T-3rd sacks). NAU loses backups OLB McNally and CB's White and Mack (team T-1st INT's).
• NAU loses its punter Rauschert.
I think this game is going to be a struggle for the Hornets. The home team in this series has won the last five meetings and NAU will have some solid leadership on both sides of the ball. The Hornets will have to battle the high elevation as well. The only hope I see is if Herrick has some late turnovers in a close game like he did last season. I honestly don't think he will make those same mistakes for a second straight season. I am going with NAU in a physical and competitive game. Record: 4-4 (3-3)
Week 10 vs. Portland State PSU is coming off of a horrific year and the Vikings finally pulled the plug on a pathetic Glanville experiment. New HC Burton came over from Nevada and will install the Pistol offense. I don't think PSU will do as bad as everyone expects them to and I think they will jump up and surprise some people as PSU has nowhere to go but up (they also pulled in a solid recruit class so their future looks bright). This is all the more reason for the Hornets to be ready for this "nothing-to-lose" team and take care of business at Hornet Stadium. The defense will have to be very disciplined against the Pistol scheme and will need to contain probable starter QB Kavanaugh (team 2nd rushing and passing). I think Kavanaugh starts over returning starter Hubel due to his mobility that fits better in the new Pistol offense. This game is late in the season so we will know who the clear cut starter is when PSU comes to town. PSU also returns its leading receiver Fry, three starting OL in Ritt, Rojas, and Waldron and some young RB's as well. Defensively PSU returns some young secondary players but lose quite a bit up front.
- • Offensively PSU loses two starting WR's in Kirven (team 2nd receiving) and Woods (team 3rd receiving) as well as starting RB McClintock (team 1st rushing) and starting C Staley and OL Leunen.
• Defensively PSU loses a lot in the font seven. DE Ma'aseia (team T-6th sacks), NT Jacobs (team 4th tackles, team 3rd sacks), OLB R Pedersen (team T-1st sacks, team 3rd tackles) and ILB E Pedersen (team 8th tackles). In the secondary PSU loses CB Ford (team T-11th tackles) and SS J Brown (team T-5th tackles, team T-2nd INT's).
• PSU returns both punter Duyndam and kicker Z Brown.
PSU will be coming off of their emotional rivalry game with EWU so there is no telling what the attitude of this PSU team might be coming into this game. With all that was lost up front on the PSU defense, this is another game in which I think it would best suit the Hornets to take it straight at the teeth of the defense. PSU did have the BSC 8th passing defense last season so they might be vulnerable through the air as well. Defensively the Hornets might have some trouble with a mobile QB so they will need to contain the offense and not give up any big plays. If the Hornets take care of the ball and minimize the mental mistakes, they should win this game. This is the last home game of the season so I expect them to go out with a bang. Hornets win this one. Record: 5-4 (4-3)
Week 11 @ Idaho State ISU is young and deprived of talent. Eventually this team will have to turn it around and start winning games. Unfortunately for them it won't happen when the Hornets head to Pocatello. ISU will be coming off of a complete destruction as they collect a huge paycheck at Georgia the week prior so ISU will be in some pain coming into this one. I will add that ISU beat the Hornets in the ISU Hanger two years ago so they need to go up there looking for some revenge. Last season's game was a lot closer than people may think as ISU had plenty of opportunities to turn it into a game. These are all more reasons why the Hornets need to be prepared for this Bengal team. ISU returns both QB's Hill and Blum. Hill had better stats last season but both players saw considerable playing time. They also return WR Krosch (team 2nd receiving) and four starting OL: LT B Clayson, LG Clampitt, RG Rudder and RT Shedd. Defensively ISU returns 8 starters to a defense that ranked at the bottom of the BSC in total defense.
- • Offensively ISU loses RB Knickrehm (team 1st rushing), WR Taylor (team 1st receiving), WR Ponciano (team 3rd receiving) and starting C Henry.
• Defensively ISU loses starters NT Amos (team 7th tackles), LB Urias (team T-8th tackles), and CB Wright (team 6th tackles, team T-2nd INT's). They also lose backups DT Jones, MLB Edgson, CB Ortiz, and SS Owens.
• The Bengals also lose P Vanderwielen and K Huk.
This can be a possible trap game if the Hornets don't come prepared and are looking ahead to the Causeway the following week. As the Hornets learned two years ago, a loss is more than possible if they do not come ready to play and overlook this ISU team. With that said I think Sperbeck will use that loss as a focal point heading into this game and he will not let the players overlook this team. He can also use last year's ISU-UM game to point out that this ISU team is capable of putting up some stiff competition. Hornets should win this game. Record: 6-4 (5-3)
Week 12 @ "the farm extension" Ah yes, the Causeway. The rivalry game during rivalry week. Another chance for the Hornets to send those elitists crying back to their barn stalls. I think this is going to be a grinder of a game. The phaggies return four starters on the OL: LT Davies, LG Perez, RG Wilburn, and RT Tos. They also return starting RB Trombetta (team 1st rushing), RB Reese (team 2nd rushing, this guy should be the starter), WR Creadick (team 3rd receiving) and TE Rogers (team 4th receiving). On defense the phaggies return 3 DL starters: DE Sobotka (team 2nd sacks, team 8th tackles), DT Maxson (team 1st sacks, team T-5th tackles), and DT Benjamin (team T-13th tackles). They also return LB Amajoyi (team T-4th sacks, team T-3rd tackles), SS Hart (team 2nd tackles), and FS Lewis (team 10th tackles). Yes two of the safeties that were scorched by MBT on that heroic game winning drive last season.
- • Offensively "the farm extension" took the biggest loss when QB Denham (team passing leader) decided to quit following spring camp. Having a QB with two years of starting experience is very valuable and it's going to cost them big this season in both leadership and production. They also lose starting C Hernandez and two potent WR's in Carter (team leader receiving) and Grant (team 2nd receiving). They also lose backups TE McDonough, G Scalercio and WR Kirkpatrick (team 6th receiving).
• Defensively they will lose DE Michelier (team 3rd sacks, team 11th tackles), MLB Morales (team 1st tackles, team 2nd INT's) and OLB Healey(team T-3rd tackles, team T-6th sacks). They also lose CB's Scott (team 9th tackles) and Brown(team 1st, INT's, team 12th tackles).
• Both the K Kelley and P Schmidt return.
"The farm extension" should be fine on both sides of the line but this late in the season means there is no telling what toll injuries will take on either team. Defensively they will be weak at LB and at corner. They lost pretty much all of their aerial weapons but return almost all of their OL starters and RB's. Now take all of that and throw it out the window. All of that means absolutely nothing in this rivalry. It's going to come down to who wants it more, who makes a play when one is needed, and who is ready to throw down when it matters most. Sperbeck has this program hungry for this win. The team wants it, they work hard for a win in this one, and the last two seasons have shown the phaggies have no answer for it. The Hornets roll to another victory in this game as the Hornets have yet to lose in phaggieville's new stadium and it's not going to happen this season. Sperbeck and Co will make it three straight years. :twisted: Record: 7-4 (5-3)
The Hornets have a solid chance at making the playoffs this season but will need to play well at home to have a chance. The Hornets will need to get a split in the UM/MSU games and split the EWU/NAU games to get to a 6-2 BSC record and get a sure berth, which I think is possible (I think the Hornets have a better shot beating EWU than NAU) but would require the Hornets playing extremely well throughout the season. A 7-4 (5-3 BSC, 6 D-1 wins) record would give them consideration for an at-large playoff berth but that record would mean that the Hornets would depend on how other schools outside of the BSC do. IMO, an 8-3 record gets an at-large bid no questions asked. The Hornets have a lot of returning players on both sides of the ball so the "we are a young team" excuse for a failure of execution isn't going to fly this season. If the players come out ready to play and leave it all out on the field every Saturday, I think the sky is the limit. On defense, a lot will depend on the adjustments the players make to the new play calling schemes from the new DC Parker as well as being able to step up and make some plays. The leadership is there on both sides of the ball, it will all be a matter of preparedness and execution. I am definitely anxious to see how the Hornets play.
Go Hornets!!!
