FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION

• FCS Previews: Week 12

  
  

  Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Here are the predictions for the top 25 games and other notable contests from week 12 of the FCS season.

  GAME OF THE WEEK No.12 William & Mary (7-2, 5-1 CAA) at No. 1 James Madison (8-0, 6-0 CAA), 1:30 p.m.

  All that stands between James Madison and its first league title since 2006 and first top-four playoff seeding in school history are two wins. The first hurdle to be cleared is perhaps the toughest, as the Dukes will take on playoff hopeful and red-hot William & Mary.

  The Tribe have been able to reel off five straight wins to vault from not being ranked to the cusp of the Top 10 during the streak. The Tribe could make a major jump with a win over the Dukes, and throw things into disarray in the CAA as well as how the Top Four seeds are shaping up heading into the final week.

  A William & Mary win could throw the CAA race into a three-way tie between William & Mary, James Madison and Villanova, heading into the final weekend of regular-season play.

  While a Tribe win may seem like only a pipe dream, a Jake Phillips-led (1,852 yards, 19 TDs, 11 interceptions) offense (426 yards per game, 12th in FCS) has the potential to pull of the shocker in Bridgeforth Stadium. Phillips is the orchestrator of a passing game that has been among the nation's elite this season, averaging 245 yards per game.

  Phillips has plenty around him that makes William & Mary and coach Jimmye Laycock's offense so tough to stop. Leading a group of four receivers that have 300 or more passing yards are the two top options, D.J. McAulay (31 receptions, 19.6 yards per catch, eight TDs) and Elliot Mack (25 receptions, 16.6 yards per catch, three TDs).

  Brent Grimes is a threat as a runner, receiver and special teams performer. Grimes is the key factor in the Tribe's ground game, with 829 yards rushing and seven TDs. He is also the teams leading receiver, with a team-best 34 catches for 239 yards and a TD, acting as a safety valve for Phillips. The multi- faceted Grimes completes his impressive resume with a 24.6 yards per return in the kicking game, including a 97-yard kickoff return for a score earlier this season in a loss to Villanova.

  The Tribe defense will be charged with stopping one of the nation's top offense, especially its elite ground game. One player that has a chance an impact on being able to contain the rush-oriented Dukes is defensive end Adrian Tracy (55 tackles, team-leading 8.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss). The Tribe's run defense ranks 52nd in FCS (137 yards per game) and the defense is 25th overall (313 yards per game).

  James Madison is coming off a bye week and have seemingly atoned for their late-game miscues last season, to turn the tables in their favor with late game heroics this season. That is due in large part to the maturity on both sides of the ball.

  On offense, Rodney Landers (938 yards passing, 11 TDs, three interceptions) has been a composed leader at crunch time . Landers directs an offense that ranks sixth in rushing (257 yards per game) and seventh nationally in individual rushing yards (1,115 yards, 10 TDs). In games which he has played more than a half, Landers has been held under 100 yards only once when Richmond limited him to 62 yards. Other than Landers, the running game has been also been enhanced by both Griff Yancey (337 yards, seven TDs) and Eugene Holloman (517 yards, seven TDs).

  The first and foremost concern for the James Madison defense is William & Mary's passing game. The Dukes' pass defense (155 yards per game) actually has been its strength defensively this season, although have been susceptible to the big play on cornerback Scotty McGee's side of the field.

  Buchanan Award candidate Marcus Haywood (team-leading 70 tackles, four interceptions). has been able to been the leader of the staunch aerial defense. Defensive tackle Sam Daniels (nine tackles for loss, three sacks) and defensive end Arthur Moats (37 tackles, team-leading 5.5 sacks) could hinder Phillips' time to throw as they are two of the better pass rushers in the CAA.

  Ironically for William & Mary, the last time the Tribe defeated the Dukes was in 2004, when the Lang Campbell-led club led the Tribe to a 27-24 win in the regular-season, only to see the Dukes start their current five-game winning streak with a 38-24 win over the Tribe in the FCS semifinals that year.

  But this JMU team has more weapons than the national championship squad did and that, along with the home field advantage, should make the difference in this important game.

  James Madison 45, William & Mary 31SATURDAY?S TOP-25 GAMES No. 11 Elon (8-2, 6-1 SoCon) at No. 2 Appalachian State (8-2, 6-0 SoCon), 3:30 p.m.

  Appalachian State could add to its many school and SoCon milestones with a victory on senior day against Elon. The Mountaineers, can clinch at least a share of its fourth-straight Southern Conference title and would become the first team since Georgia Southern (1997-2000) to win four consecutive league crowns and just the third current league member to accomplish the feat. A victory would also give the Mountaineers the SoCon auto bid.

  Elon joined the SoCon in 2003 and have now become SoCon title contenders, but the Phoenix haven't beaten the Mountaineers since 1964 in Boone, and ASU remains the only opponent the Phoenix haven't defeated in their short SoCon tenure.

  With a win, Elon could throw the SoCon standings into a quandary, as three teams, Elon, ASU and Wofford, would be tied with a loss in league play.

  The Phoenix got a 33-14 win over Western Carolina last Saturday, led by superlative offensive performances by the quarterback-receiver tandem of Scott Riddle (2,741 passing yards, 22 TDs, 14 interceptions) and Terrell Hudgins. (team-leading 76 receptions, 1,043 receiving yards, nine TDs, 13.8 yards per catch) Elon's passing attack shredded the Catamounts' defense. Riddle accounted for 230 yards of total offense (210 passing, 20 rushing) and three TDs, while Hudgins snagged seven catches for 120 yards and a score to become Elon's all- time leading pass-catcher.

  Despite Elon's 45-21 loss two years ago, Hudgins had a big day against a talented Mountaineer secondary, hauling in eight catches for 148 yards, including a 43-yard TD catch, but was held to the same catch total, no TDs and just 75 yards in last season's 49-32 setback. Riddle did manage pass for 307 yards and two scores in his only meeting with the Mountaineers, but also threw two interceptions.

  The Elon defense (316 yards per game, 32nd in FCS) has been the big reason the Phoenix have been able to position themselves to win a league crown and make the school's first playoff appearance. A team that was just a win short of a playoff bid last season, yielded 407 yards of offense to opponents to end the 2007 season. Leading a unit given the unthinkable task of stopping Appalachian's quick-strike offense is linebacker Brandon Wiggins (team-leading 65 tackles), while leading a defensive line charged with limiting Payton Award candidate Armanti Edwards are defensive ends Tim Happer (36 tackles, four sacks) and Daniel Jordan (21 tackles, 4.5 sacks).

  Appalachian's offense has now officially hit its stride in 2008, especially Edwards who racked up an astounding 328 yards total offense in the first half alone in Appalachian's 49-7 rout of Chattanooga last week. He leads an attack that ranks second nationally in both total offense (482 yards per game) and scoring (41 points), while ranking fifth in rushing offense (262 yards). Devin Radford (509 rushing yards, four TDs) helps power that fifth ranked rushing attack, while CoCo Hillary (39 receptions, four TD catches) is the Mountaineers' leading receiver.

  Appalachian's defense, buoyed by safety Mark LeGree, (188 passing yards per game, 37th in FCS, SoCon-best 17 interceptions) can pad its league-leading interceptions total, while LeGree looks to improve on his nation-leading eight picks against one of the top passing offenses in the nation. Linebackers Jacque Roman (team-leading 95 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks) and D.J. Smith (83 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss) continue to lead one of the nation's top linebacking units.

  The Mountaineers have dropped just one game at Kidd Brewer Stadium in the past six years and with so much on the line on senior day, don't expect ASU to fall short in this one.

  Appalachian State 44, Elon 28UC Davis (5-5, 1-0 Great West) at No. 3 Cal Poly (7-1, 1-0 Great West), 7:05 p.m.

  Cal Poly can officially regain its hold on the Great West Conference League title after a two-year hiatus. All that stands in the way of the Mustangs and coach Rich Ellerson of gaining their first title since winning back-to-back league crowns in 2004 and 2005 is a victory over UC Davis.

  This been one of the closest played rivalries on the west coast over the years, with the Mustangs holding a narrow 16-15-2 all-time series edge entering this matchup.

  Cal Poly continued to see its offense flourish in a 49-3 win over North Carolina-Central, enabling the players on both sides of the ball to in essence getting a golden opportunity to work on execution and fundamentals. The Cal Poly offense is led by quarterback Jonathan Dally (1,585 yards passing, 18 TDs, one interception).

  It also helps when you have weapons like Payton Award candidate Ramses Barden (49 receptions, 20.3 yards per reception, 13 TDs), Ryan Mole (495 yards rushing, eight TDs) and James Noble (454 yards rushing, nine TDs).

  Last year, Cal Poly's defense experienced some rare growing pains. Rare when you consider it boasted three consecutive Buchanan Award winners before two their graduation, two of which play on Sundays. That gave way to a young unit that gave up more points (25.3 PPG) and yardage (370.4) than defensive minded Mustangs' fans were used to. This season are allowing 30 yards less (340.1 yards per game) to opponents and have been bolstered by the play of their linebacking corps and defensive front especially defensive end Sean Lawyer (leads team with seven sacks) and linebacker Frederick Hives (team-leading 68 tackles).

  UC Davis lost four of its first five games this season before winning four straight against Northern Colorado, Southern Utah, Iona and North Dakota, all at home. The Aggies will look to use their seventh ranked pass offense, led by quarterback Greg Denham, to exploit the Mustangs' 101st ranked pass defense. The Aggies' main ground threats have been Joe Trombetta (468 rushing yards, three TDs) and Brandon Tucker (358 rushing yards and six TDs).

  Things have gone pretty well on the defensive side of the ball in 2008, ranking 27th in FCS in total yards allowed (313 yards per game). A large part of that success belongs to Buchanan Award candidate John Faletoese (43 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four blocked kicks), who can single-handedly disrupt a game with his speed and power along on the defensive line.

  It's never an easy thing to predict who'll win a rivalry game, but it hasn't been easy to stop Dally and the Mustangs' offense either.

  Cal Poly 45, UC Davis 30No. 4 Northern Iowa (8-2, 6-1 MVFC) at Indiana State (0-10,0-6 MVFC), 12:05 p.m.

  Northern Iowa can gain a share of Gateway title with a win over an Indiana State team that has won only once in its last 43 outing, including losing its last 24 games.The Panthers have won the last five meetings with the Sycamores, including a 68-14 win at the UNI Dome last season.

  The Sycamores had hopes that their nation-leading losing streak would come to an end last week when they took advantage of some Youngstown State miscues to take a 21-7 lead at one point in the second quarter. However, the Penguins stormed back to score 28 unanswered points the rest of the way to take the 35-21 win.

  Indiana State continues to come in dead last in both total offense (195 yards per game) and scoring (7.7 points per game). The Sycamores are led offensively by sophomore quarterback Charles Dowdell (211 yards passing, one TD, three interceptions), while Darrius Gates (311 yards) and Antoine Brown (246 yards) are the top rushers.

  The defense hasn't fared much better for the Sycamores this season, ranking 99th in the FCS (417 yards per game). Indiana State also ranks last in points allowed, surrendering 45 points to opponents. The defensive unit is led by safety Quinton Scott, who paces the team with 106 tackles to go with four tackles for loss.

  Northern Iowa has its leader, signal-caller Pat Grace (1,245 yards passing, nine TDs, five interceptions) back in the lineup after missing several games with a knee injury. Running back Corey Lewis (947 rush yards, six TDs) has caught fire of late. He had 188 yards and two scores in the Panthers' win over Missouri State. The Northern Iowa running attack ranks 16th overall in FCS (198 yards).

  On defense, the Panthers have been solid, especially against the run (109 yards per game, 25th in FCS) and are ninth nationally in turnover margin (1.20). Solidifying that staunch front seven are linebackers Josh Mahoney (85 tackles, five tackles for loss and an interception) and Darrell Lloyd (73 tackles, three interceptions, three blocked kicks).

  Northern Iowa will use this game and the one next week against Southern Utah as tune-ups for the playoffs.

  Northern Iowa 54, Indiana State 7Idaho State (0-10, 0-6 Big Sky) at No. 5 Montana (9-1, 5-1 Big Sky), 2:05 p.m.

  Montana and Sacramento State are all that stand between Idaho State and its first winless season in two decades. Montana holds onto hope it can earn a share of the Big Sky title with two wins and a Weber State loss at home against Eastern Washington next week.

  Even more important, the Grizzlies know they are auditioning for one of the four seeds in the FCS playoffs.

  A Grizzly team that entered the year rebuilding by Montana standards, has managed to suffer only one setback to one of the nation's elite along the way. That's due in large part to the leadership of Cole Bergquist (2224 passing yards, 22 TDs, four interceptions) on offense.

  Montana ranks 17th in FCS in total offense (417 yards per game), 16th in scoring (35 points per game) and 25th in passing (252 yards per game). Lately, the running attack has sophomore running back Chase Reynolds (727 rushing yards, 12 TDs), who has reached the century mark the past three weeks.

  The lone deficiency the Montana defense has shown is against the pass, yielding 205 yards through the air per contest to rank 59th in FCS. However, in the pass-happy Big Sky, that average is good enough to lead the league. And the Grizzlies best player resides in the secondary with strong safety Colt Anderson (team-leading 72 tackles, two interceptions).

  Idaho State, with nothing to lose, will test Anderson and that Montana secondary. Those responsibilities will fall to two of the league's most talented players in the league at their respective positions, quarterback Russel Hill (2,624 passing yards, 14 TDs, 15 interceptions) and wide receiver Eddie Thompson, who has 60 catches despite being slowed by injuries.

  The Bengal passing attack (280 yards per game, 10th in FCS) may be good enough to give Montana problems for a while, but a running game that's non-existent (77 yards per game, 109th in FCS) makes Idaho State too one-dimensional offensively.

  Idaho State's defense ranks among the FCS' worst in four major defensive categories: total defense (505 yards, 118th in FCS), scoring (43 points, 117 in FCS), rushing (228 yards per game) and passing (277 yards per game). Linebacker Ryan Phipps is one of the few positives, pacing the defense with 84 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sack.

  Montana should be able to control the ball, as it has in recent weeks, and should be happy to grind