Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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MGB01
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

Post by MGB01 »

Wow, the Black Bears do it and cruise. I gotta think the drumbeat around Amherst to move back down to FCS is the loudest it's ever been.

UMass replacing JMU makes the most sense. I truly don't get what's in it for them staying FBS, they had a couple of four-win seasons in the late 2010s (the "good ol' days") and had two NFL draft picks (Andy Isabella, Isaiah Rodgers) since leaving the MAC. Idaho isn't great this year, but they've had a couple decent seasons since dropping back down--none better than 5-7 so far but they did beat EWU (as a non conference game) when they did, a game that kept them out of the playoffs. UMass' best win the last few years was beating a six-win Liberty team in 2018.

If they're doing it for the rivalry with UConn they only played once I think when UMass was in the MAC. Plus on the basketball side Calhoun and Calipari didn't seem to prioritize it too much when they were both big dogs in the 90s.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Good rebound win for Eags pretty much clinching a playoff spot, which is the first odd-year berth (excluding the spring season) since 2013. BSC should get five in.

Either Montana State/Sac State wins the BSC outright or will share it. For Sac State it would be the second straight season (they didn't play in the spring) they did so after sharing it with Weber State in 2019.

The big noise of the day was the South Dakota hail mary to beat South Dakota State, putting them very much back in the playoff hunt (a loss to then two-win Illinois State in their previous home game didn't do much to help them). MVFC should also have five.

Davidson lost at Dayton, giving San Diego the opening they need to get into playoff consideration--they could get in at 7-4 as the PFL co-champ, and obviously if Davidson somehow loses to Drake on Senior Day and they end up winning outright.

I'll have my field sometime this week
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Prepping for the final reg season weekend, and it starts with an upset as Nicholls State outlasts SE Louisiana. Shouldn't knock them out of the playoffs though, I put them in.

Harvard/Yale is Saturday on the U, and chance to see if perhaps Tennessee State can knock off Mississippi State to cap Eddie George's first year, plus push FCS wins to 13 (most since 2013) and most November wins since 2000.

When will, or just will, Deion coach next? He was on the sideline last week for the first time after foot surgery as Jackson State clinched a spot in the SWAC championship game, but probably no need to rush.

My field (no order or playoff matchups, just the 24):

Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin
Montana State
Sacramento State
Eastern Washington
Cal Davis
Montana
Kennesaw State
James Madison
Villanova
Rhode Island
North Dakota State
Missouri State
Southern Illinois
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Sacred Heart
Tennessee Martin
Holy Cross
Davidson
East Tennessee State
Mercer
Incarnate Word
SE Louisiana
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

Post by Tank55 »

#21 Mercer with a 42-yard field goal attempt to send their game with #8 ETSU into overtime: off the upright and IN.

Edit: No! ETSU called a timeout (I think) and the next attempt sails wide left. ETSU wins the SoCon.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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That'd be hell of a way to lose an at-large bid. Fortunately they should be good, besides one of their losses was to Bama, you really gonna put that on them? Also, they won a game with the Waterboy onside last week, they should get in just for that.

Davidson easily won their game and clinched the PFL, that'll help clear out a few at-large pileups. Kennesaw State took care of Monmouth to win the Big South, unfortunately I didn't have Monmouth in my field so it was win or go home.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Montana spanked Montana state and EWU is currently fighting it out with UC Davis.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Sac State wins the Big Sky, nearly half the field officially set:

AQ7: Sam Houston
Big Sky: Sacramento State
Big South: Kennesaw State
CAA: Villanova
MVFC: North Dakota State
NEC: Sacred Heart
OVC: UT Martin
Patriot: Holy Cross
Pioneer: Davidson
SoCon: ETSU
Southland: UIW
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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And here they are (SPOILER: My tongue-lashing of Eastern for losing to Weber State was totally justified)

SEEDS:
Sam Houston
North Dakota State
James Madison
Sacramento State
Villanova
Montana
East Tennessee State
Montana State

THE REST:
Stephen F. Austin
Incarnate Word
UT Martin
Missouri State
Sacred Heart
Holy Cross
UC Davis
South Dakota State
Southern Illinois
South Dakota
Davidson
Kennesaw State
Eastern Washington
Northern Iowa
Florida A&M
SE Louisiana

Lesson here, don't have bad losses. Eastern (Weber State), Davis (Idaho State) are about to find that out the hard way; and Mercer (VMI) already has. So much for the Waterboy (BTW Portland State did that to EWU as well, but they ended up turning it over on downs)

A 6-5 UNI team I got no problem with cause they have a bunch of quality wins, although they do have a loss to Illinois State.

FAMU gets into the playoffs in their first year in the SWAC, a slight surprise after PVAMU was left out in 2015 (and Willie Simmons was the coach) and the first SWAC rep since '97.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

Post by Tank55 »

Such a sad fall for the CAA. From the gold standard of FCS to being a two-bid league, with one of the bids on the way out of the conference.
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Re: Spring 2021 FCS: Scouting for the next Donald Parham

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Let's get ready to rumble, Sacred Heart/Holy Cross starts it off. Also:

Davidson/Kennesaw State
Stephen F. Austin/UIW
UC Davis/South Dakota State
Northern Iowa/Eastern Washington
UT Martin/Missouri State
Southern Illinois/South Dakota
Florida A&M/Southeastern Louisiana

Best matchups UNI/EWU--a history of great playoff games (all decided by a field goal), this will be the first in Cheney. Pat McCann, who took over as interim OC a few weeks ago, was UNI's WR coach in 2017 and 2018; and SIU/USD--the one conference matchup of the eight but they didn't play each other.

Most intriguing might be UC Davis/SDSU. Davis had that bad loss to Idaho State (which is largely why they're the only BSC team traveling) and then was easily dispatched by EWU and Sac State at home in their last two. SDSU took the Dakota Marker (again) from the Bison then followed that up with being on the wrong end of the Rushmore Rally then squeaking by North Dakota at home in the season finale. SFA/UIW just for the Southland vs. Castoffs angle, in which there's as many of the latter as the former in the field.

It would be interesting to see FAMU run all the way to semis while South Carolina State plays Jackson State/Prairie View in the Celebration Bowl. I would guess they'd play Friday night in that case to avoid "crossing lines", don't see it though. I'd give them the best chance of knocking off the home team however.
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