Texas Small College Preview: Week 1

Courtesy Soobum Im/UIW Athletics

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Note: Computer Score Predictions will be available for FCS games beginning September 21, 2019

Incarnate Word at UTSA in the Hometown Showdown

WHEN: Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Alamodome in San Antonio. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.

WHY IT MATTERS: I could tell you all about how the winner of this game will be the champion of San Antonio, but that is only a small part of why this game is so important to both teams. This game is all about recruiting. These teams compete for many of the same recruits and a win for FCS UIW over the FBS UTSA could have lasting implications for both teams. When you add in the fact that UIW is coming off an amazing 2018 season where they shared their first Southland Conference title and made their first appearance in the FCS playoffs while UTSA took a step backward last season and there is a lot of speculation around head coach Frank Wilson’s job status, this game is one of the premiere games involving Texas teams this weekend.

INSIDE THE STATS: There is little doubt that UIW will put up some points in this game. The Cardinals averaged 34.3 points per game last season and their starting quarterback is only a sophomore in Jon Copeland. The question for UIW is the defense who allowed 34 points per game last season and struggled to stop both the run and the pass. The big question for UTSA seems to be whether they will score enough points. The Roadrunners had an anemic offense last season and only averaged 14.2 points per game and was at the bottom of Conference USA in both rushing and passing offense and UTSA will have a sophomore quarterback along with a true freshman running back. The Roadrunner defense will be tested by the UIW passing attack as they have a freshman starting at safety and allowed 275.2 passing yards per game last season.

MY PICK: UTSA by 7

Prairie View A&M at Texas Southern in the Labor Day Classic

WHEN: Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at BBVA Stadium in Houston. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

WHY IT MATTERS: The outstanding rivalry between these teams dates to 1947 and this will be the 75th meeting between these two teams. This is also the 35th Labor Day Classic which began in 1985 and the winner will take home the Durley-Nicks Trophy which is named after a legendary coach at each school. This is the first time these schools have met in the Labor Day Classic since 2016 after the 2017 game was moved to the end of the season because of Hurricane Harvey and the 2018 game was played as the final game because PVAMU played in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. Texas Southern owns a 44-29-1 overall lead in the series but the Panthers have won 12 of the last 15 games and are on a four-game winning streak over the Tigers. TSU has a brand new head coach as Clarence McKinney has a long history of recruiting Houston and the Tigers hope he can turn their program around with a Houston focus. PVAMU head coach Eric Dooley enters his second season after a fast start for the Panthers and a good finish to the season was surrounded by disappointment.

INSIDE THE STATS: PVAMU returns most of their skill position players from last year and will once again be led by dual-threat senior quarterback Jalen Morton who passed for 2,344 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. The Panthers also have senior running back Dawonya Tucker back after he slashed opposing defenses for 1,096 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Panthers defense will feature a ball-hawking secondary led by preseason All-American Ju’Anthony Parker. McKinney brings an entirely new system to TSU and hopes to revive the offense with starting quarterback DeAndre Johnson. Johnson will have a very talented wide receiver to help him as Tren’Davian Dickson returns after recording 796 yards on 46 catches last season. The Tigers defense struggled against the pass last season as they allowed 238.8 yards per game through the air.

MY PICK: PVAMU by 28

Stephen F. Austin at Baylor

WHEN: Saturday at 6 p.m. at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

WHY IT MATTERS: This game seems like a weird choice to place in this preview section. Baylor returns a lot of talent coming off a 7-6 season that ended with a win over Vanderbilt in the Texas Bowl. If you want to know about Baylor, check out Shehan Jeyarajah’s writings because this column focuses on small colleges. That brings me to Stephen F. Austin. Rarely does so much excitement exist around a team that was 2-8 the prior season, but Nacogdoches is buzzing after the arrival of new head coach Colby Carthel from Texas A&M-Commerce. To say that Carthel was successful as a defensive coordinator and head coach in NCAA DII might be selling him short. After a long run as a defensive coordinator for his dad at West Texas A&M, Carthel led Texas A&M-Commerce to an incredible turnaround capped with the 2017 DII national title. Carthel turned around a Lions program that had won only two total games in the two years prior to his arrival and finished with three straight 10-win seasons and four straight appearances in the NCAA DII playoffs. SFA believes Carthel will be able to take the Lumberjacks back to the top of the Southland Conference and that path begins with this game in Waco.

INSIDE THE STATS: Baylor has a very strong offense and will try and use this game to build depth and game experience at multiple positions. A turnaround at SFA will begin with the offense after they averaged only 18.1 points per game and 90.4 total yards rushing per game last season. The ‘Jacks will need to run the ball to be effective while the defense must stop the run better this season after allowing 196.4 yards rushing per game in 2018. SFA had one of the top recruiting classes in FCS last season and Carthel brought both his coordinators with him from Commerce, Texas, as the ‘Jacks begin establishing their new identity.

MY PICK: Baylor by 35

No. 18 Navarro College at No. 6 Kilgore College

WHEN: Saturday at 7 p.m. at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore, Texas

WHY IT MATTERS: This is an early-season rematch of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference semifinals last season, where Kilgore defeated Navarro 45-14 on their way to winning the SWJCFC title before ending the season with a 28-0 victory over Pima Community College in the Heart of Texas Bowl. That alone makes this game one of the premiere games of the week, but the bad blood between these two teams may still exist after last season’s semifinal game. The game was very intense from the start and that led to problems toward the end of the game. Considering the two teams met twice last season, with the Bulldogs winning the first game 37-32 over the Rangers, it is a good bet this will not be the last game between these two teams this year. Both teams started the season last week and that will only ramp up the intensity this week.

INSIDE THE STATS: Kilgore opened their 2019 campaign with their ninth win in a row with a 35-10 win over Tyler Junior College, while Navarro surrendered a late touchdown to fall 33-30 to No. 19 Georgia Military College. The Bulldogs feature a fantastic passing game led by Parker McNeil, who had 419 yards passing and three touchdowns last week. Alex Washington had four catches for 136 yards and a touchdown and Kylan Herrera caught seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. The big problem for the Bulldogs was on the ground where they only gained 34 total yards rushing. Kilgore was well rounded on offense as they had 330 yards passing and 152 yards rushing as a team. Oscar Manning was a star with five catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns for the Rangers. Kilgore will want to shore up their rushing defense after allowing 208 yards last week, but their pass defense was incredible allowing only 67 yards passing on 30 attempts.

MY PICK: Kilgore by 3

OTHER SMALL COLLEGE GAMES:

  • North Texas by 24 vs Abilene Christian
  • UTEP by 21 vs Houston Baptist
  • Lamar by 49 vs Bethel (TN)
  • New Mexico by 17 vs Sam Houston State
  • No. 11 Blinn by 14 vs Tyler
  • No. 20 Trinity Valley by 10 vs New Mexico Military

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