Looking Forward To Next Weekend

or me this was not a great weekend for football.  However it did begin well with my alma mater (Toledo) drilling Colorado 54-38.  If you get a chance to see the Rockets play this year don't miss the opportunity. I'm sure they will be on one of the ESPN channels at some point again this season.

Saturday the Buckeyes lose to USC in the final minute and it's topped off Sunday with a Bengals loss to Denver on a play some are calling "The Immaculate Deflection". An 87 yard td reception by Denver's Brandon Stokely off a deflected pass with seconds left in the game...Blah, Blah, Blah...Bengals find another way to lose.  I fear it's going to be a long season.

With that said I am actually looking forward to next weekend.  SEMO and Murray State are back playing competition more to their level. Redhawks host Eastern Illinois (not another Big East team) and Murray State travels to Missouri State (not another ACC team). I don't think we'll see either team involved in 70-3 or 65-7 game. Those were clearly pay day games for SEMO and Murray State.
Tennessee Martin get a money game Saturday at Memphis and SIU hosts SW Baptist.

The Redhawks run defense will need to come prepared Saturday against Eastern Illinois.  The Panthers feature junior running back Mon Williams and his 6.45 yards per carry (two games 31 carries for 200 yards and 2 td's). 

The University of Florida transfer brings more than great running skills to the EIU roster, he owns a pair of National Championship rings wons while and underclassman with the Gators. He was with Florida from 2006-2008 and took a medical redshirt in 2007 after suffering a torn ACL in spring practice.
Williams transfered into Eastern Illinois in time for the '09 Spring Semester.

This will be the first "real" test of the season for the Redhawks playing against guys on their level. SEMO held NAIA school Quincy to only 63 yard rushing while top 25 Cincinnati gutted the Redhawks for 351.

Everyone loves a prediction so I'll step out and say EIU 27, SEMO 10. Hope I am way off base, but it's hard to go against the numbers. This decade SEMO is 1-8 against the Panthers (the only victory coming in a 2003 30-17 final) and they have been outscored 270-156. 

Now it's time for a shameless plug: You can watch the game webcast live at www.kfvs12.com.

While surfing the net scouring sports pages I stumbled upon a great site for college football / numbers geeks like me.

• Football Championship Subdivision
• Football Bowl Subdivision