FCS College Football

Saturday’s NCAA Division I subdivision semifinal between the Eastern Washington Eagles (12-2, 8-0 Big Sky) and Towson Tigers (12-2, 6-2 CAA) is shaping up to be one of the most interesting matchups football fans see all season.

While Eastern Washington has made it to the FCS semifinals three of the last four seasons, Towson has been performing at an elite level to make it this far. The Tigers beat Fordham and Eastern Illinois to advance to the semifinals, but the team is thinking bigger.

Towson wants to secure a spot in the national title game on Saturday, Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.

Here is all the vital viewing information for the marquee matchup and a full preview of what fans should expect in this semifinal battle.

Where: Roos Field, Cheney, Wash.

When: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2:05 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPNU

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Preview and Prediction

The battle between Towson and Eastern Washington won’t get the mainstream notoriety as the high-profile bowl games, but the action on the field in Saturday’s matchup should satisfy even the most jaded football fans.

These two teams have never faced each other before, but the Eagles are very familiar with the postseason. Not only has the team made the semifinals in three of the last four seasons, but the program also won the national title in 2010.

The expectations for Eastern Washington are through the roof.

Towson won’t go down without a fight, though. Led by one of the top running backs in the nation, Terrance West, the Tigers have won 11 straight on the road. West has amassed 2,295 yards this season, including 354 yards and five touchdowns against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 13.

The Eagles have been tough to beat this season, but the team has been susceptible to high-powered offenses. Eastern Washington will have to stack the box against West in hopes of slowing him down, but Towson’s willingness to feed the ball to the running back early and often will result in yet another big performance.

West himself took to Twitter to tell the fans he will be ready for Saturday’s challenge:

SORRY TOWSON I COULDN'T BRING THE WALTER PAYTON TROPHY HOME BACK TO YALL.....I FEEL SORRY FOR #EWU THIS WEEK. #MOTIVATION 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

— TWEST (@Terrancewest28) December 17, 2013

As big as this moment is for both schools, the importance of this time of year for students reaches beyond the football field.

With exams coming, Towson head coach Rob Ambrose told Ron Snyder of ABC News about the off-field distractions his team faces and how he thinks his athletes will handle the pressure:

At the end of the semester is the most critical time for these student-athletes academically. At the same time, these are the most critical games we will likely ever play in the history of the school. It’s a rough combination to put on a kid between 18 and 21 years old…But, our guys are focused. They are learning to handle multiple responsibilities in times of strain and stress, and adversity seems to be something we enjoy.

The players must remain focused on the task at hand. As if school work wasn’t enough to distract players, the intense matchup will only get more interesting with the weather forecast calling for bitterly cold temperatures, according to Weather.com.

There is already snow on the ground, and that will only add more intrigue to this game.

Towson is impressive on offense, but so is Eastern Washington. Led by quarterback Vernon Adams, the Eagles are averaging over 40 points and 530 yards of total offense per game and have won 10 straight games to close the season.

Both teams have the talent to take home a victory. While Eastern Washington boasts the big-game experience that Towson lacks, the Tigers have the power of ground-and-pound ability of West and the momentum to upset the home team by securing a spot in the championship game.

Predicted Final Score: Towson 41, Eastern Washington 38

*Stats via TowsonTigers.com and Jim Allen of The Spokesman Review.

While the North Dakota State Bison are rolling along as expected, the Eastern Illinois Panthers' loss to the Towson Tigers proved nobody in the tournament is safe.

The FCS playoffs are heating up, and with seven teams all vying for a shot at the championship, it's hard to imagine we've seen the last major upset of the tournament. The unpredictable nature of the playoffs makes every game worth watching, and with the talented teams and players that remain, it's going to make for an extraordinary finish.

Here is a current look at the results to this point, along with schedule information for the upcoming semifinals clashes.

Updated Bracket:

The full FCS bracket can be found here at NCAA.com.

Quarterfinals Results:

Towson 49, Eastern Illinois 39

Towson running back Terrance West stole the show, rushing for an FCS playoff-record 356 yards and five touchdowns in a stunning performance against Eastern Illinois. NCAA.com's David Mercer provided West's comical reaction to the news:

Along the way he set a new FCS playoff record for rushing yards, something he had no idea he'd done until he was asked about it after the game.

''I did?'' he asked in disbelief, explaining nonetheless that he pictured himself having a big night. ''If you picture big plays, you make big plays. So I was picturing.''

Prior to the game, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora weighed in on the back's bright future. It's safe to say West supported his claims:

After falling to a 14-0 deficit early in the first quarter, Towson battled back to take a 21-14 lead at halftime. On Saturday, Towson finds out who they will take on in the school's first semifinals game in school history.

North Dakota State 48, Coastal Carolina 14

The North Dakota State Bison did exactly what was expected of them: they dominated Coastal Carolina in a lopsided victory.

The Bison settled for a field goal on their first possession, but then punched it into the end zone to take a 17-0 lead into the second quarter.

By the game’s end, North Dakota State’s run-heavy offense had accumulated 623 yards of total offense—424 yards of which came on the ground. The Bison defense stepped up also, holding Coastal Carolina under 300 yards of offense and forcing them to punt eight times.

Bison quarterback Brock Jensen—last year’s postseason MVP—was the star of the game with 262 total yards and four touchdowns (two of which came on the ground).

In the end, the FCS powerhouse was too much for Coastal Carolina to handle. With the win, the Bison advance into the semifinals where they’ll play the winner of the Southeastern Louisiana-New Hampshire matchup.

North Dakota State is just two wins away from an undefeated season (including a win over Kansas State) and a completed three-peat.

Eastern Washington 35, Jacksonville State 24

In a battle between Eastern Washington’s high-octane offense and Jacksonville State’s talented defense, the offense won out.

Both offenses put together a very balanced performance with over 200 yards on the ground and 300 yards in the air. The difference, however, was Eastern Washington running back Quincy Forte, who rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

The Gamecocks couldn’t contain him, but they also had trouble defending Eagles wide receiver Ashton Clark who had a huge game, catching 11 passes for 181 yards and a score.

After a relatively slow first quarter, the second quarter was a scoring explosion with four touchdowns. Eventually the game became a shootout, which played to the strengths of Eastern Washington.

The Eagles survive another round in the playoffs, and will play Towson in the semifinals next weekend.

New Hampshire 20, Southeastern Louisiana 17

The New Hampshire Wildcats are officially on Cinderella notice as they are the only unseeded team left in the tournament.

They continued their impressive play (putting up over 40 points against Lafayette and No. 5 Maine) by pulling out the win against No. 4 Southeastern Louisiana thanks to a late touchdown.

New Hampshire put up close to 500 yards of total offense, and they used their huge advantage on the ground to pull of the upset. The Wildcats rushed for 203 yards compared to just 67 yards on the ground by Southeastern Louisiana.

Wildcats quarterback Sean Goldrich rushed for all three New Hampshire touchdowns, but a blocked extra point on the last score left the door open for Southeastern Louisiana to win or tie the game with 47 seconds left on the clock. Unfortunately, the Lions couldn't get into field-goal range, and were bounced out of the tournament as a result.

The Wildcats have played brilliantly so far, but their road to the final goes through No. 1 seed North Dakota State.

If the glass slipper fits.

  

Semifinals Schedule

No. 1 North Dakota State vs. New Hampshire

When: Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET

No. 3 Eastern Washington vs. No. 7 Towson

When: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. ET

Championship Game

When: Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. ET

Christopher McComas has a dream. 

He wants to take the University of North Dakota Sioux football team to a national championship game, and he will accept no more than zero losses along the way. 

You may be wondering who Christopher McComas is, and what kind of blue-blooded coaching pedigree could inspire a man to such lofty expectations for a college football program, especially one that went 3-8 in 2013.

As it turns out, McComas is a system integration analyst at Marshall University and has spent the last two decades turning lackluster teams into glory-sweating juggernauts of victory on his Sega Genesis and PlayStation gaming platforms.

According to Brad Elliot Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, McComas was one of several candidates who recently applied for the newly vacated head coaching position with the North Dakota football team.

While other candidates presumably pitched the program on boilerplate drivel such as actual coaching experience, the information technology specialist focused on his personal strengths, which include “chucking the pigskin” deep in Madden and recruiting blue-chip talent in NCAA College Football.

McComas sent a personal email to UND athletic director Brian Faison detailing his extensive, virtual coaching experience. Here are a few excerpts from Coach McComas’ de facto cover letter (per Schlossman):

In the past 30 years I’ve only missed a handful of Marshall’s home games...All the while I played various football games including Madden on Sega Genesis where I completely dominated with the Bills and Thurman Thomas.

[...]

I then moved on to a PlayStation gaming system and purchased NCAA Football every year and put together several programs that completely dominated the recruiting scene and college football...I took [Marshall University] from a decent Mid-American Conference School on the game to a perennial national power house that makes Nick Saban look like a chump.

[...]

My football philosophy is basically an attacking one. We’re going to give AIR RAID a whole new definition. Theoretically how many times do you think a team can pass in a game? Challenge accepted. We’re going 5 wide, chucking the pigskin all over the place. Never punt. Onside every time. Chip Kelly will be calling me to learn my offense...go ahead and blow the roof off [Alerus Center] and add about 35,000 seats to that place.

McComas also attached a nine-part slideshow presentation to the email, laying out his extensive plan for the program.

His plan is simple. Win everything, recruit great players and win some more.

He does not punt. Punting is for communists and false prophets. Also, all of his players would graduate—if they weren’t all leaving early for the NFL, that is.

You can view the whole slideshow here, but this is pretty much all you need to know, sports fans: McComas' offense will darken the skies over college football, and hopefully North Dakota fans will hear the drone of newly installed air raid sirens come next fall.

Your move, Saban.

Chuck the Pigskin or Die Trying: The Christopher McComas Story.

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The second round of the FCS college football playoffs wrapped up on Saturday night, and now the quarterfinals are set to take place next weekend.

There were a couple of surprising upsets and a lot of exciting play throughout the second round.  However, North Dakota State continues to dominate its opponents, improving to 12-0 with a dominating win over Furman.  The Bison are still the favorites to win in all, but the rest of the field will be looking to take them down.

Below is a recap of all of the games from the second round, followed by a look at the updated bracket and schedule for the quarterfinals.

Updated Bracket

The up-to-date FCS bracket can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com.

2nd-Round Scores

North Dakota State 38, Furman 7

What more can you ask from the top seed in the tournament and the two-time defending champion?

The Bison had no problem taking down their opponents in the cold weather, putting up over 500 yards of total offense.  Quarterback Brock Jensen led the charge with 249 passing yards and two touchdowns along with another 86 yards and a score on the ground.

They're still the favorites to win it all, and with games like this, it's easy to see why.

Montana 35, Coastal Carolina 42

It was certainly a close one, but Coastal Carolina pushed past the Montana Grizzlies in an exciting shootout.

Alex Ross completed 16 of his 21 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 123 rushing yards in the big win.  Jordan Johnson threw for 388 yards and four scores of his own for the Grizzlies, but it simply wasn't enough.

Coastal Carolina will play North Dakota State in the next round.

South Dakota State 17, Eastern Washington 41

The game was tied 14-14 at halftime, but Eastern Washington blew out South Dakota State thanks to 27 points in the second half.

Vernon Adams went off in the passing game for Eastern Washington, throwing five touchdowns passes, including two to Cooper Kupp.  Meanwhile, Quincy Forte ran for a career-high 202 rushing yards.

Jacksonville State 31, McNeese State 10

Despite McNeese State being the No. 6 seed, it wasn't able to keep from being blown out against Jacksonville State. 

The Gamecocks were up 21-0 at half, while the team set a school record with 11 sacks against the Cowboys.  Jacksonville State moves to 11-3 and will be looking for another big win in the quarterfinals.

Towson 48, Fordham 28

While the game was tied 21-21 at halftime, it was Towson that came away with a big win after blowing out Fordham in the second half.

Terrance West had yet another impressive performance, running for 76 yards and three touchdowns.  He now leads the nation with 33 rushing touchdowns, and he just keeps finding ways to get into the end zone.

Tennessee State 10, Eastern Illinois 51

The Eastern Illinois Panthers continue their great season, moving to 12-1 with a dominating performance against Tennessee State.

The Panthers went up 37-0 at halftime, and just kept scoring.  Jimmy Garoppolo finished with 240 passing yards and three touchdowns in the big win, while Shepard Little added 184 yards and two scores on just 12 carries.

New Hampshire 41, Maine 27

Sean Goldrich threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-27 passing on Saturday, leading New Hampshire to its ninth win of the season over No. 5 Maine.

Damarr Autman had the play of the game for Maine, returning a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.  Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to keep the Wildcats from advancing.

Sam Houston State 29, Southeastern Louisiana 30

It was a very strange second half, but Southeastern Louisiana was able to come up with the win thanks to a game-winning touchdown with just 36 seconds remaining.

Bryan Bennett had a big game, racking up 369 total yards of offense and three total touchdowns, while Sam Houston State's Brian Bell completed just three of 15 passes for 15 yards along with 59 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Quarterfinals Preview

North Dakota State vs. Coastal Carolina

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 12 p.m. ET

With a huge upset win over Montana, Coastal Carolina will be looking to ride that momentum into this game against the Bison.

Unfortunately for the Chanticleers, they'll be playing the best team in the FCS, and that's going to be really hard to do.  Brock Jensen continues to lead this team by making huge plays both through the air and on the ground, which will make him too difficult to contain.

Eastern Washington vs. Jacksonville State

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. ET

After that five-touchdown performance from Vernon Adams, it's safe to say that he has the hot hand entering this one.

Much like Coastal Carolina, the Gamecocks are hoping to keep their exciting run going as underdogs, but they have better chances.  Eastern Washington is still a good team, however, with a great running back in Quincy Forte along with Adams under center, and that high-powered offense should continue to shine.

Towson vs. Eastern Illinois

When: Friday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ET

Besides North Dakota State, Eastern Illinois is the best team in this tournament.  The Panthers blew up for 51 points on Saturday, and with just one loss this season, it's easy to see just how good this team really is.

Garoppolo is starting to draw some national attention, as he's now thrown for 51 touchdowns and is approaching 5,000 yards through the air.  He's the most productive quarterback in the FCS, and that should translate to a deep run in this tournament.

New Hampshire vs. Southeastern Louisiana

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. ET

The Lions escaped with that narrow victory over Sam Houston State, but they'll have an even bigger test next week against New Hampshire, who is looking like a legitimate team after taking down Maine.

This could very well be the closest game of the quarterfinals, and New Hampshire has a serious shot at pulling off another upset win.  With Sean Goldrich and Justin Mello, this passing game could continue to lead the Wildcats into the semifinals.

The first round of the FCS Playoffs are in the books while the FBS attempts to sort through more BCS chaos a year away from the switch to an effective playoff format.

While quiet with no game closer than 10 points by the final gun, the first round provided a glimpse of things to come in the 35th straight year of postseason action. Shocking outcomes and stunning individual performances littered the bracket.

Here is a look at how the first round went down, with a highlight on a few games followed by the schedule for Round 2.

Game	Winner	Loser
Game 1	New Hampshire, 45	Lafayette, 7
Game 2	Furman, 30	S. Carolina St., 20
Game 3	Coastal Carolina, 43	Bethune-Cookman, 24
Game 4	Fordham, 37	Sacred Heart, 27
Game 5	Tennessee State, 31	Butler, 0
Game 6	Sam Houston State, 51	Southern Utah, 20
Game 7	South Dakota State, 26	Northern Arizona, 7
Game 8	Jacksonville State, 55	Samford, 14

First-Round Results

Coastal Carolina Defeated Bethune-Cookman

Coastal Carolina (11-2, 4-1 Big South) entered its Round 1 matchup with Bethune-Cookman (10-3, 7-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) touting the third-best scoring offense in the FCS, but was tasked with overcoming the second-best defense. 

Quarterback Alex Ross was more than up to the task.

Ross threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Chanticleers to a 48-24 victory, marking the second year in a row Coastal Carolina eliminated Bethune-Cookman.

Tennessee State Defeated Butler

This one was a bit of a surprise.

Tennessee State (10-3, 6-2 Ohio Valley Conference) blew past Butler (9-4, 7-1 Pioneer Football League), 31-0.

Quarterback Michael German led Tennessee State with a 14-of-24 effort for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Tigers receiver Ryan Mitchell caught three passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs, the first-ever team from the Pioneer Football League to make the tournament, were simply overmatched and only mustered 257 total yards.

Fordham Defeated Sacred Heart

Fordham (12-1, Patriot League) had a slight issue with Sacred Heart (10-3, 4-2, Northeast Conference) in Round 1 on the way to a 37-27 victory.

Sacred Heart running back Keshauda Spence ran wild for 194 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough to overcome the aerial assault orchestrated by Fordham quarterback Michael Nebrich.

Nebrich was outstanding with 413 yards and three touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown to his stellar totals.

While Spence was great on the ground, his two fumbles helped to decide the game.

Second Round on Dec. 7

Follow @Chris_Roling

It's been a trying year for Grambling State in 2013, but the Tigers have a chance to make a big national statement against Southern on Saturday when the two schools battle it out in the 40th annual Bayou Classic.

Grambling State has only won a single game this season and is firmly entrenched as the worst team in the SWAC. Meanwhile, Southern comes into the contest with an overall record of 7-4 and lead the SWAC West with a conference record of 6-2.

The Jaguars won last year's Bayou Classic by a score of 38-33, but the Tigers won five in a row by large margins before falling in 2012. 

Southern has a contest against Jackson State next weekend in Houston to determine the SWAC Championship, and it would be easy for the Jaguars to overlook Grambling State this weekend. That said, Southern will suffer an embarrassing loss if it doesn't take the Tigers seriously. 

Here's a look at when and where you can catch the action.

When: Saturday, Nov. 30, at 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.

Watch: NBC

Spread (via Sportbet.com): Southern (-17)

Grambling State Injury Report

N/A

Southern Injury Report

N/A

Which Grambling State Team Will Show Up?

It's been a year of trials and tribulations for Grambling State, which famously boycotted its game against Jackson State earlier in the season to protest less-than-ideal traveling arrangements and shady team facilities.

The Tigers started the season with eight straight losses and didn't come within a touchdown of winning a game until late October, when they lost by six to Texas Southern in overtime. 

From that game going forward, however, Grambling State has been highly competitive. The Tigers beat Mississippi Valley State by a touchdown the week after, and then they lost by just three to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Dennis "Dirt" Winston has his team playing its best football right now, just in time for a potential upset victory over Southern. It's worth noting that this team's last two opponents have a combined record of 4-18, however.

But a confident team can accomplish much. If Grambling State shows up with the same fire and passion it showed the past three games, then an upset could be brewing. 

Prediction

Fans can expect a high-scoring affair on Saturday when these two rivals hit the field. 

Both teams are coming off of games in which they scored over 42 points, and both teams feature defenses that have struggled to slow opposing offenses down all season long.

But Southern is clearly the favorite to win this game. After opening the season with a record of 2-3, the Jaguars have won five of their last six games—the only loss coming against Alcorn State, which won by six points in overtime.

Grambling State will do well to lose by a touchdown. 

Final Score 

Southern wins 52-38.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78 

NCAA Division I FCS football teams will enjoy their 35th straight year with playoffs in 2013 while FBS schools are forced to wait another season for the postseason luxury.

Here is a schedule made up of dates and clubs that will compete for the Division I-AA title, as well as the players to watch. Visit NCAA.com for a complete bracket.

First Round on Nov. 30

Game 1: New Hampshire vs. Lafayette at 12 p.m. ET

Game 2: South Carolina State vs. Furman at 1 p.m. ET

Game 3: Coastal Carolina vs. Bethune-Cookman at 1 p.m. ET

Game 4: Fordham vs. Sacred Heart at 1 p.m. ET

Game 5: Butler vs. Tennessee State at 1 p.m. ET

Game 6: Sam Houston State vs. Southern Utah at 3 p.m. ET

Game 7: Northern Arizona vs. South Dakota State at 8 p.m. ET

Game 8: Jacksonville State vs. Samford at 8 p.m. ET

Second Round on Dec. 7

No. 1 North Dakota State vs. Winner of Game 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET

No. 2 Eastern Illinois vs. Winner of Game 5 at 2 p.m. ET

No. 3 Eastern Washington vs. Winner of Game 7 at 4 p.m. ET

No. 4 Southeastern Louisiana vs. Winner of Game 6 at 8 p.m. ET

No. 5 Maine vs. Winner of Game 1 at 2 p.m. ET

No. 6 McNeese State vs. Winner of Game 8 at 7 p.m. ET

No. 7 Towson vs. Winner of Game 4 at 1 p.m. ET

No. 8 Montana vs. Winner of Game 3 at 2 p.m. ET

Matchups TBD

Quarterfinals on Dec. 13-14

Semifinals on Dec. 20-21

Championship on Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. ET

Players to Watch

WR Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington

Kupp wasted no time throwing himself into the discussion of who’s the best receiver in Division I-AA.

The 6’2”, 195-pound freshman has reeled in 77 receptions for 1,378 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Few have caught more balls for more yards this year, and no one has caught more touchdowns.

DE Andrew Carter, South Carolina State

Carter must continue to wreak havoc in opposing backfields for South Carolina State to upset North Dakota State in Round 2.

The edge pass rusher has racked up nine solo sacks on the season. His 11.0 total sacks were the fifth most in the nation and more than any other defender in the FCS playoffs.

HB Terrance West, Towson

Towson must ride its all-world workhorse to capture the 2013 FCS national championship.

West carried the ball 25.1 times per game in the regular season, and he did so efficiently for 6.2 yards a pop. On the year, he rushed for 1,875 yards and 30 touchdowns—both the best in the nation.

CB J.D. Roussel, Sacred Heart

Roussel is as close as it gets to a shutdown corner in the FCS this season.

The senior defensive back is tied for the league lead with six interceptions. He’s also fourth in passes defended with 18, three more than any other defender with as many picks.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois

Garoppolo is the primary reason why Eastern Illinois is in its fortunate position.

He leads all FCS quarterbacks with 4,489 yards and 48 touchdowns through the air. He’s also only thrown eight picks in the process, earning him the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the nation by far.

David Daniels is a breaking news writer at Bleacher Report and news editor at Wade-O Radio.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels

The Florida Gators have lost five in a row and need a major rebound performance before a date with the No. 2 Florida State Seminoles to close the season.

Georgia Southern makes the trip to Gainesville Saturday with a 6-4 record. The Eagles won their last game in the Southern Conference a week ago over Elon before they make the jump to the Sun Belt Conference next year.

Florida enters the favorable contest at 4-6 after a 19-14 loss to then-ranked No. 10 South Carolina a week ago.

Here is everything fans need to know about the matchup.

When: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Fla.

Television: Local

Live Stream: ESPN3

Betting Lines (via Vegas Insider)

• Over/Under: 43
• Spread: Florida (-27.5)

Eagles Injury Report

Injury info unavailable.

Gators Injury Report (via USA Today)

Player	Pos.	Date	Details	Status	Injury
Andre Debose	WR	08/07/2013	will miss the entire season	Out	knee
Jeff Driskel	QB	09/30/2013	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	broken fibula
Dominique Easley	DT	09/25/2013	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	right knee
Chaz Green	T	08/26/2013	will miss the entire season	Out	shoulder surgery
D.J. Humphries	T	10/30/2013	is expected to miss 2-4 weeks	Out	knee
Matt Jones	RB	10/14/2013	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	knee/leg
Tyler Moore	T	11/06/2013	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	elbow
Antonio Morrison	LB	11/11/2013	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	knee
Tyler Murphy	QB	11/18/2013	is questionable for Saturday's game against Georgia Southern	Questionable	shoulder
Jeremi Powell	LB	10/20/2013	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	knee
Marcus Roberson	CB	11/18/2013	is questionable for Saturday's game against Georgia Southern	Questionable	ankle
Matt Rolin	LB	08/17/2013	will miss the entire season	Out	knee
Jordan Sherit	DE	09/30/2013	is out indefinitely	Out	knee
Colin Thompson	TE	11/18/2013	is questionable for Saturday's game against Georgia Southern	Questionable	foot
Nick Washington	DB	09/09/2013	will miss the remainder of the season	Out	shoulder

Can Florida Rebound?

A game of this caliber could not have come at a better time for the Gators.

Florida is reeling. Starting quarterback Tyler Murphy is questionable for the contest against the Eagles, which means redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg may be forced into action once more.

The third quarterback on the depth chart coming into the season, Mornhinweg was thrown to the wolves—err, Gamecocks—last week and did well for himself on 10-of-13 passing for 107 yards and an interception.

Much more will be expected of Mornhinweg against inferior competition.

Over the course of Florida's losing streak, the offense has failed to post more than 20 points. Conversely, the defense has surrendered that or more in three of five despite a favorable No. 14 overall rank in scoring defense.

Saturday is a chance to break several negative trends and save the season.

Prediction

The outcome of this game is all but determined.

The Eagles are in the midst of a great season, but they have played just two games against opposition outside of the Southern Conference—Savannah State of the MEAC and St. Francis of the NEC.

Georgia Southern is getting paid a cool $550,000 to make the trip to Gainesville and take a beating per ESPN's Michael DiRocco.

The talent disparity is simply too much. Florida needs to do two things in this matchup—stay healthy and get things back on track.

Jameis Winston and the Seminoles await.

Final Score: Gators 36, Eagles 6

Follow @Chris_Roling

The Colonial Athletic Association placed five of its teams in the Top 25 poll after last week's games, which comes as no surprise, considering that it has been one of the deepest conferences in FCS college football for the last several seasons.

While it's clear that the CAA is a very talented conference overall, what hasn't been so clear this season is which team is most likely to take home the conference title.  After Saturday's action, there is now one team that clearly has the inside track to the conference title.

With their 37-35 victory over fellow Top 25 team Villanova, the Maine Black Bears improved to 4-0 in conference play and gave themselves the clearest path to the CAA title of any team in the conference.

To beat the Wildcats, the Black Bears went with a strategy that has been working well for them all season: Rack up the yards and the points, and entrust the defense with doing enough to prevent the opponent from keeping up with the prolific Maine offense.

Maine continued to be balanced on offense, racking up 337 yards through the air and 199 on the ground. Quarterback Marcus Wasilewski had a triumphant return to his home state of Pennsylvania, with the dual-threat QB accounting for 423 yards and three touchdowns total on the day.  He led the Black Bears in both passing and rushing yards against the Wildcats.

Wasilewski has to be considered a serious contender for the Payton Award after this performance.  On the season, he has now thrown for 2,063 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding 394 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

The Maine defense had one of its worst games of the year, with Villanova's 35 points being tied for the most points allowed by the Black Bears defense this season.  Maine also allowed 35 points in its only loss this season, a 14-point loss to Big Ten team Northwestern back in September.

The fact that allowing 35 points and 386 total yards ranks as one of the worst defensive performances for Maine this year speaks volumes about how formidable the Black Bears are. In fact, the only teams to score at least 30 points against Maine this year are Northwestern and now Villanova, which bodes well for a Maine team that is averaging 33 points per game on offense.

The Black Bears are currently the only CAA team with a spotless record in conference play. With four games left, they have a very good chance at taking home the conference title. 

The Black Bears do not face two of the other Top 25 teams in the CAA this season, which plays to their advantage. Both James Madison and Towson already have a loss in conference play this season and will not have a chance at evening up their conference record with Maine themselves.  So those teams are left hoping that one of Maine's remaining four opponents can trip up the Black Bears.

Of Maine's remaining four opponents, two have little chance of defeating the Black Bears (Rhode Island and Albany are both in the midst of terrible seasons), one has a moderate shot at it (Stony Brook) and one presents a legitimate threat to Maine's title aspirations (New Hampshire).

The New Hampshire game is the last game of the regular season for Maine, so the Black Bears could possibly already have locked up the title by that point, although they will likely have to defeat UNH if they wish to take the title outright instead of sharing it.

One thing is for sure though: Maine's win over Villanova puts them in excellent position to claim their first-ever CAA title, and their first conference championship in football since winning the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2002.

The Big Sky Conference race is proving to be a difficult one to get a handle on this season.  There is no clear-cut favorite and six of the conference's 13 teams have a record of at least 3-1 or better in conference play.

This weekend, there are a couple matchups featuring teams in those top six in the Big Sky. None is bigger than the game between traditional powerhouse No. 10 Montana and rising FCS power, No. 3 Eastern Washington.

Let's preview that matchup, which could have a profound impact as to which Big Sky team takes home the conference championship this season.

When: Saturday, Oct. 26, 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Washington-Grizzly Stadium; Missoula, Mont.

Eastern Washington's Season So Far

The Eagles are 5-3, with a 2-2 record on the road and a 3-0 record in conference play .  They started their season by pulling off arguably the biggest upset in college football since Appalachian State beat Michigan, traveling to Corvallis and defeating Pac-12 team Oregon State, 49-46.

The Eagles then handily dispatched Division II Western Oregon before dropping two games in a row.  First came a 33-21 loss to Toledo of the FBS, in which the Eastern Washington offense looked vulnerable for the first time. That was followed by a 49-34 loss to two-time FCS runner-up Sam Houston State, in which the Eagles' offense got back on track while the defense looked quite hapless.

EWU then started off conference play with three straight wins, taking down Weber State, North Dakota and Southern Utah with relative ease.

Montana's Season So Far

The Grizzlies are 6-1, with a 4-0 record at home and a 3-1 record in conference play. They began their season with a 30-6 dismantling of traditional FCS powerhouse Appalachian State, which is in the process of transitioning to the FBS.

Montana began its conference play by avenging last year's loss to North Dakota with a 55-17 drubbing in Grand Forks, N.D.  That was followed up with an easy win over Division II Oklahoma Panhandle State.

The Grizzlies then went into Flagstaff, Ariz., and suffered their first loss of the season against a surprisingly stout Northern Arizona team, 34-16.

The Grizzlies bounced back with three consecutive conference wins against Portland State, UC Davis and Cal Poly.

Major Storylines For the Game

Does the EWU defense have the personnel needed to slow down Montana's offense?

Overall, Montana's specialty is defense and Eastern Washington's is offense.  But with the exception of two games apiece, Montana's offense and Eastern Washington's defense have both been quite solid. 

Each obviously has its flaws. Montana's offense was stifled by both Northern Arizona and Cal Poly while Eastern Washington's defense was torched by both Oregon State and Sam Houston State.  The real question is whether or not Eastern Washington's defense is a good matchup against Montana's offense.  While both of those units can be exploited, it takes the right type of opponent to do so.

Which quarterback will have the bigger game?

 Both quarterbacks have been the centerpieces of their offenses this season. Montana's Jordan Johnson has thrown for 1,564 yards and 18 touchdowns with only one interception while rushing for an additional 69 yards.  His running ability has been utilized much less this season than in the past. Adams meanwhile, has been a true dual threat. He has thrown for 2,189 yards, with 24 touchdowns against only six interceptions. Eastern Washington's Vernon Adams has 318 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.  This game could very well turn into a duel between two of the top FCS quarterbacks.

How will Travon Van's injury affect the Montana offense? 

Part of the reason that Johnson has needed to run so sparingly this season is that the Grizzlies had one of the best running back tandems in the country, with Jordan Canada and Travon Van combining for 1,018 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns this season.

Unfortunately for Montana, Van sustained a high ankle sprain against Cal Poly last week and will miss this game. His absence could make the offense much less dynamic because he was also the best receiving running back on the roster, totaling 172 yards with a touchdown catch. The Grizzlies will turn to Joey Counts to provide the complement to Canada, and it remains to be seen whether Counts can fill Van's shoes, especially in such a big game.

How much of a home-field advantage will Montana get? 

Washington-Grizzly Stadium is one of the most difficult places to play in the FCS, and the stadium is sure to be packed for this one. 

The stands are steep and the field is set down in the ground, causing crowd noise to flood onto the field and stay there.  In addition, few FCS teams have as raucous a fanbase as Montana, ensuring that the Eagles will be walking into an incredibly hostile environment. 

Eastern Washington, however, already proved that it can handle loud, boisterous crowds this season with its win at Oregon State.  It will be interesting to see whether or not the Grizzlies' home crowd can shake the Eagles.

Prediction: Eastern Washington 31, Montana 27

Van is such an integral part of Montana's offense that the Grizzlies will inevitably have some hiccups in their offense without him.  Although Montana's defense will likely hold Eastern Washington well below its season scoring average, Montana's offense isn't likely to be able to keep up without Van.