Fathead Blog

By Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Bring up Delaware football and, not surprisingly, people often focus on Pat Devlin, who has carved his place in the long line of outstanding Blue Hens quarterbacks.

Talk to opposing coaches and attention goes right to the Blue Hens’ defense.

The Blue Hens enter the FCS Championship Game against Eastern Washington with a squad that has led the nation in scoring defense the entire season. They opened the season with a shutout, didn’t allow a touchdown until their fourth game and have an 11.5-point average that is a full three points better than the second-ranked team. They are fifth in total defense at 277.4 yards per game.

CAA Football coaches who know Delaware so well probably believe EWU (12-2) will need all three weeks of its preparation to find something to exploit against the Blue Hens (12-2) on Jan. 7 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

“I think Delaware’s strength is their defense,” James Madison coach Mickey Matthews said. “I think the strength of their football team is their defensive backfield. I just think all of them are good. They’re probably not pro prospects if you’re talking to NFL scouts, but they are excellent, excellent college seniors. They cover the pass, they’re tacklers, they’re just really good players. I think their front seven is solid.

“They line up correctly, they play hard, it’s hard to make a big play on them. They’re just really good on defense.”

The all-senior starting secondary of cornerbacks Anthony Walters and Tyrone Grant, free safety Darryl Jones and strong safety Anthony Bratton has combined for 316 tackles and 16 of the Blue Hens’ 20 interceptions. Walters, a third- team All-America, has seven interceptions, and Grant another five. Sophomore cornerback Marcus Burley has provided excellent play off the bench.

The Blue Hens utilize a 4-3 alignment, and the line puts its excellent size to good use with a physical playing style. Junior defensive ends Chris Morales and Michael Atunrase have overcome late-season injuries. Combine them with starting tackles Siddiq Haynes and Justin Johnson and the four starters average over 271 pounds.

It’s not a blitz-happy defense, with only 17 sacks, but middle linebacker Matt Marcorelle and outside linebacker Paul Worrilow (team-high 104 tackles) are particularly active. Outside linebacker Andrew Harrison is the other starter.

Pat Delvin

“Defensively, they did a did a great job of matching our packages,” said New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell, whose Wildcats were stopped by Delaware, 16-3, in a national quarterfinal. “I was very impressed with their second-level speed, especially at the linebackers and the safety positions. They closed in a hurry on our receivers and our running backs in open spaces, and they tackle very, very well. And their defensive front was physical and handled us up pretty well.”

“Defensively, people can’t move the ball on them,” said Rhode Island coach Joe Trainer. “Their front is enormous and incredibly physical. Their linebackers are physical. They have, I think, the best secondary in the conference.”

Most people will say the Blue Hens definitely have the best quarterback, too. Devlin, the CAA Offensive Player of the Year, has taken his game to a higher level as he heads toward being a middle-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. He has thrown for 15 touchdowns in the last five games, and overall has completed 239-of-350 pass attempts for 2,812 yards, 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His pass efficiency rating of 155.37 is third-best in the FCS.

He knows how to manage a game well. The Blue Hens have trailed less than 11 percent of the season and won all 11 games when scoring first. They are plus-17 in turnover margin.

“I think the quarterback’s good. He makes good decisions,” Matthews said.

“I think Devlin is the best thrower in the league,” McDonnell said. “You sit there and watch him on tape and watch how he goes through his reads … as coach Keeler calls full-field reads. He struggled early against us in the game and wasn’t on, but from the middle of the second quarter on to the end of the game, he put the ball on people, went through the reads, and we gave him some different looks and he found where people were open and got them the ball. Throwing the football in this league, he’s the best, best thrower in this league that we faced all year.”

The maturity of players surrounding Devlin has helped make the offense particularly dangerous. The offensive line was set back by injuries and allowed too many sacks last season. But three starters earned all-conference honors this season: 6-4, 294-pound left guard Gino Gradkowski (first team); center Rob McDowell (second team); and 6-5, 297-pound left tackle Shea Allard (third team), who teams with senior Kevin Uhll. In the championship game, Uhll and Zach Reed, the backup tight end and the team’s long snapper, will both set school records by playing in their 53rd career game.

The depth in the skills positions is outstanding. Running back Andrew Pierce (1,513 yards, 13 touchdowns; 28 receptions, three touchdowns), the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year, is a between-the-tackles runner who went for 186 yards in a national semifinal against Georgia Southern. David Hayes, blessed with breakaway speed, has provided a nice lift recently.

Devlin spreads the ball to his receiving corps. Nihja White (55 receptions, six touchdowns), Phillip Thaxton (45 receptions, five touchdowns) and Tommy Crosby (38 receptions) were his favorite targets in the regular season, but junior Mark Schenauer has caught a touchdown in each of the Blue Hens’ playoff wins.

“The biggest reason they’re better offensively from a year ago is their offensive line,” Matthews said.

“I think the running back has really been a great find for them. He does a nice job, he’s a good solid player. I don’t think their receivers are great players. I know they’ve had a lot of drops this year at receiver. I think the quarterback’s really good, the running back, the offensive line.”

“You look at Delaware,” William & Mary coach Jimmye Laycock said, “and they have the real good young running back. And, of course, Devlin at quarterback is a very good player.”

The special teams have been solid. Place-kicker Mike Perry had a team-high 99 points and made 18-of-24 field-goal attempts, with a long of 47 yards. But he’s missed five of his 50 extra-point attempts.

Punter Ed Wagner has a 40.5-yard average. The Blue Hens haven’t returned any punts or kickoffs for touchdowns, but the coverage teams have performed well.

Delaware was the 2003 FCS champion and reached the 2007 title game before falling to Appalachian State. Ten of its players have played in six or seven playoff games each.

“When we played Delaware, they reminded me of Villanova from a year ago,” Trainer said. “There might be a better offensive unit. Defensive unit, it would be hard to argue. When we played them and saw them on film weeks after that, in term of offense, defense and special teams, I’m not sure there’s a better team in the country at this level. They really don’t have any weaknesses.”

Credit:

By Craig Haley, FCS Editor, The Sports Network

Reprinted by permission

Award notes:

The FCS Awards, presented by The Sports Network, recognize the outstanding players and coaches in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Fathead is the official sponsor of the Walter Payton, Buck Buchanan and Eddie Robinson Awards.

The Walter Payton Player of the Year Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the FCS level. The award was established in 1987 and is named for College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Payton played college football at Jackson State University, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference of the FCS. At the age of 23 Payton became the youngest player to be voted NFL MVP. While with the Chicago Bears, Payton was elected to the Pro Bowl nine times. Previous Payton Award winners currently playing in the NFL include Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois) of the Dallas Cowboys, Brian Westbrook (Villanova) of the San Francisco 49ers, Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State) of the Carolina Panthers, Erik Meyer (Eastern Washington) of the Seattle Seahawks, Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire) of the Chicago Bears, and Brian Finneran (Villanova) of the Atlanta Falcons. Other previous Payton Award winners include Steve McNair (Alcorn State) and Dave Megget (Towson).

The Buck Buchanan Award has been presented annually since 1995 to the defensive player of the year on the FCS level. The award is named for Junious “Buck” Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman. Buchanan was drafted No. 1 overall in the AFL draft when the Dallas Texans (soon to be the Kansas City Chiefs) bypassed Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker of Oregon State. Buck Buchanan played college football under legendary head coach Eddie Robinson at Grambling State. Previous Buchanan Award winners currently playing in the NFL include Jared Allen (Idaho State) of the Minnesota Vikings, Kroy Biermann (Montana) of the Atlanta Falcons, Kyle Shotwell (Cal Poly) of the Kansas City Chiefs, Chris Gocong (Cal Poly) of the Cleveland Browns, Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Edgerton Harwell (Western Illinois) of the Oakland Raidersand Dexter Coakley (Appalachian State).

The Sports Network established The Eddie Robinson Award  in 1987 and it has been presented annually to the top coach in the FCS. Eddie Robinson coached at Grambling State Universityfrom 1941 to 1997 and is college football’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 408-164-15. Over 200 Grambling State players have played in the NFL.

By Craig Haley, FCS Executive Director

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – A wide-open regular season makes it hard to get a clear picture of what’s ahead in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

But we still head into the postseason with a type of 20:20 vision: 20 teams, 20 indispensable players.

Each team has a player who needs to be playing his best for however long his team remains alive.

The playoffs kick off Saturday with four first-round games and concludes Friday night, Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.

These standouts will be a focal point of every opponent’s game plan:

Appalachian State - Senior outside linebacker D.J. Smith. The glue to the No. 1 seed’s defense anticipates plays, which is confirmed by the fact his 122 tackles are twice as many as the next-highest total on the team. The Mountaineers need Smith to be flying around the field because they are vulnerable against the pass.

Bethune-Cookman – Senior quarterback Matt Johnson. So much rides on Johnson getting healthy by Dec. 4 (when New Hampshire visits in the second round). He suffered a severe separation of his non-throwing shoulder this past Saturday against Florida A&M. He has run the no-huddle offense to perfection this season. The Wildcats are second in the FCS in scoring, just a tad shy of 40 points per game.

Coastal Carolina - Senior quarterback Zach MacDowall. When the Chanticleers were 2-5, MacDowall had as many interceptions (nine) as he did touchdown passes. Since then he has spearheaded their four-game run to the playoffs, throwing for 11 touchdowns against only three interceptions and rushing for a touchdown in each win.

Delaware - Senior quarterback Pat Devlin. The Blue Hens were rolling early this season when Devlin wasn’t completely healthy or hadn’t been asked to win games. But his ability gives the Blue Hens the chance to be great. And he’s been that in November.

Eastern Washington - Junior running back Taiwan Jones. Catch him if you can. He’s not a back who can go 25 or 30 carries week after week, but he’ll get that many touches through rushes, receptions and returns. That’s more than enough to leave opponents grasping at air.

Georgia Southern - Sophomore nose tackle Brent Russell. It’s hard for a nose tackle to rack up huge statistics, but that’s not the best way to judge Russell. That offenses have to commit two linemen to blocking this future pro indicates his worth. He’s as feared a defensive linemen as there is in the FCS.

Jacksonville State - Senior right tackle Curt Porter. He sleeps with a 6-foot stuffed catfish pillow named Charlie, but still dwarfs it with his 6 feet, 307 pounds. The All-America candidate has graded out at 92 percent for the season with 81 knockdowns. Enough said.

Lehigh- Senior left tackle Will Rackley. There’s a good reason the Mountain Hawks have allowed only 10 sacks. Rackley, who is 6-4, 310 pounds, has dominant strength up front. Northern Iowa, ranked seventh in FCS in sacks, will come after Mountain Hawks quarterback Chris Lum in the first round. Rackley might stop them all.

Montana State - Redshirt freshman quarterback Denarius McGhee. Give credit to left tackle Mike Person for holding the line together during a run of injuries, but McGhee has become the fuel in the offense. He keeps plays alive and finds receivers. He is ninth in the FCS in total offense (283.3 ypg).

New Hampshire- Senior quarterback R.J. Toman. Sophomore linebacker Matt Evans has had an All-America season and is irreplaceable, but Toman is a three-year starter who they have relied on for so long that they need his veteran leadership. He has played well in recent weeks and beats opponents with both his arm and mobility.

North Dakota State- Senior defensive tackle Matt Gratzek. The Bison defense has really gotten after quarterbacks in the last month and the 6-2, 289-pound Gratzek has 10 QB hurries over the last four games since returning from injury. It’s tough to stop his combination of size, speed and strength.

Northern Iowa – Sophomore quarterback Tirrell Rennie. No quarterback in the FCS can run like Rennie (1,205 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns). He was roughed up in the Panthers’ final game against Western Illinois, so they hope he will be back on track in the playoffs. Zach Davis is a solid backup, but they Panthers need Rennie at the controls.

Robert Morris – Senior running back Myles Russ. The Colonials’ all-time leading rusher has to come up big. If he doesn’t, it would deflate their squad emotionally. He is sixth nationally with a 124.6-yard average – going over 100 yards in each of the last four games – and provides the breakaway threat that takes pressure off sophomore quarterback Jeff Sinclair.

South Carolina State- Senior linebacker David Erby. To find Erby, look everywhere. He’s all over the field. The MEAC’s preseason defensive player of the year lived up to the billing for seasonal honors, flying to the ball to give the Bulldogs their growl.

Southeast Missouri State- Senior running back Henry Harris. The Redhawks would not have posted a seven-game improvement without Harris, who is first in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game (219.8). In the second round, it will be like a chess match, with Harris and Eastern Washington’s Taiwan Jones, who is second in all-purpose yards per game, trying to match big gain for big gain.

 Henry Harris

Stephen F. Austin – Senior quarterback Jeremy Moses. He’s not just a prolific passer, he’s the player who gives swagger to his teammates. The way he picks apart defenses – going up and down the field, sideline to sideline – is deflating to opponents. The FCS’ leading passer also has been extremely efficient, dropping his interceptions from 20 in 2008 and 21 last season to four this season.

Villanova- Senior quarterback Chris Whitney. It wasn’t supposed to be Whitney’s offense, it was supposed to be Matt Szczur’s. But with Szczur, the wide receiver and Wildcat QB, injured most of the season, Whitney has performed admirably without him. He’s a strong rushing who has gotten so much better as a passer.

Western Illinois - Senior quarterback Matt Barr. Second in the FCS in passing efficiency (163.4) and fifth in total offense (316.9 ypg), Barr has averaged 358 passing yards over the Leathernecks’ last six games, while firing 16 touchdown passes against only four interceptions. He’s made last year’s struggling offense (he was injured after four games) into a powerhouse.

William & Mary - Senior defensive tackle Mike Stover. He’s a total grinder, perhaps one of the more underrated defensive linemen in the FCS. On a defense that suffered key graduation losses after last season and then lost standout Jake Trantin early this season, Stover sets the tone for everybody else. He has 12 tackles for loss.

Wofford- Junior fullback Eric Breitenstein. Consider the Terriers were 3-8 last season after Breitenstein was lost for the season through two games. He’s the motor in the triple option, rushing for 1,378 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. His worst two games of the season resulted in Wofford’s only two losses.

Credit:

By Craig Haley, FCS Editor, The Sports Network

Reprinted by permission

Award notes:

The FCS Awards, presented by The Sports Network, recognize the outstanding players and coaches in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Fathead is the official sponsor of the Walter Payton, Buck Buchanan and Eddie Robinson Awards.

The Walter Payton Player of the Year Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the FCS level. The award was established in 1987 and is named for College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Payton played college football at Jackson State University, a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference of the FCS. At the age of 23 Payton became the youngest player to be voted NFL MVP. While with the Chicago Bears, Payton was elected to the Pro Bowl nine times. Previous Payton Award winners currently playing in the NFL include Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois) of the Dallas Cowboys, Brian Westbrook (Villanova) of the San Francisco 49ers, Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State) of the Carolina Panthers, Erik Meyer (Eastern Washington) of the Seattle Seahawks, Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire) of the Chicago Bears, and Brian Finneran (Villanova) of the Atlanta Falcons. Other previous Payton Award winners include Steve McNair (Alcorn State) and Dave Megget (Towson).

The Buck Buchanan Award has been presented annually since 1995 to the defensive player of the year on the FCS level. The award is named for Junious “Buck” Buchanan, the NAIA All-American and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman. Buchanan was drafted No. 1 overall in the AFL draft when the Dallas Texans (soon to be the Kansas City Chiefs) bypassed Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker of Oregon State. Buck Buchanan played college football under legendary head coach Eddie Robinson at Grambling State. Previous Buchanan Award winners currently playing in the NFL include Jared Allen (Idaho State) of the Minnesota Vikings, Kroy Biermann (Montana) of the Atlanta Falcons, Kyle Shotwell (Cal Poly) of the Kansas City Chiefs, Chris Gocong (Cal Poly) of the Cleveland Browns, Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Edgerton Harwell (Western Illinois) of the Oakland Raidersand Dexter Coakley (Appalachian State).

The Sports Network established The Eddie Robinson Award  in 1987 and it has been presented annually to the top coach in the FCS. Eddie Robinson coached at Grambling State Universityfrom 1941 to 1997 and is college football’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 408-164-15. Over 200 Grambling State players have played in the NFL.