2015 SoCon Football Power Rankings (Week #3)

Welcome to this week's Purple & Gold SoCon Power Rankings for the week beginning 9-13-15. The power rankings are published on Tuesday of each week.

Heading into week #3, only one conference game was played, but it certainly had a major effect on the standings.  As a matter of fact, there is a new 1 through 6.






1.  (2) Samford
Last game: Florida A&M 21 - Samford 58
Record: 2-0  (0-0 SoCon)

2.  (1)  Chattanooga
Last game: Mars Hill 34 - UTC 44
Record: 1-1  (0-0 SoCon)


3. (5)  The Citadel 
Last Game: Western Carolina 10 - Citadel 28
Record: 2-0  (SoCon 1-0)

4.  (3)  Western Carolina
Last Game:  Western Carolina 10 - Citadel 28
                          Record: 1-1  (0-1 SoCon)


5. (6)  Wofford 
Last Game:  Tennessee Tech 14 - Wofford 34
Record:  1-1 ( 0-0 SoCon)



6.  (4)  Furman
Last Game: Furman 3 - Virginia Tech 42
                          Record:  0-2  (0-0 SoCon)



7. (7)  Virginia Military Institute
Last Game: Morehead State 40 -  VMI 43
Record:  1-1  (0-0 SoCon)

8. (8)  Mercer
Last Game:  Stetson 14 -  Mercer 57
 Record:  2-0  (0-0 SoCon)






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Game #3 - Tennessee Volunteers

After a tough weekend in Charleston, SC, the Catamounts travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to face what is an even more formidable opponent, as the Cats will face SEC foe, Tennessee.

This game will mark Western's first ever trip to Neyland Stadium (capacity 102,037), and a win for the Cats would be Western’s first-ever victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team, currently the Cats are 0-52 against FBS teams.


When:  Saturday, September 19th at 7 pm
Where: Neyland Stadium (102,037). Knoxville, TN
Radio:  Catamount Sports Network 
TV / video:  ESPNU
Game Notes:  Western Carolina       -       Tennessee

Head Coach: Butch Jones.  The University of Tennessee announced on Dec. 7, 2012 the hiring of Butch Jones as the 24th head football coach of the Vols. Tennessee finished its second season under Jones with a 7-6 record that included a 45-28 win over Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville which marked the first January bowl game for UT since the 2007 season.


Last year’s record (2014): 7-6 overall, 3-5 in the SEC

Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:  11 / 0
Defensive starters - Returning/Lost: 9 / 2  - On defense, the Vols lost the following starters: Defensive tackle Jordan Williams; and cornerback Justin Coleman to graduation.
Specialist - Returning/Lost: 5 / 2  - The Vols lost punter Matt Darr; kickoff returner Devrin Young; to graduation

Offensive Formation:  Spread
Defensive Formation: 4-3 Under  - which is basically a 3-4 with one of the linebackers designated as purely a pass rusher

2014 has to be viewed as a successful one for Tennessee. Despite having lost almost the entire offensive and defensive lines to graduation from the prior season, and experiencing lots of injuries then having to play more true freshmen than any other FBS team in the country, their overall goal of getting to the postseason was achieved.

Who has the Vols played this season?  The Vols come into the game with a 1-1 overall record. They opened the season in Nashville against Bowling Green, with a whopping 59-30 victory over the

Falcons. In game two, the Vols dropped a two-overtime game to #19 Oklahoma, 31-24 in Knoxville. 

2015 Tennessee Statistics (2 games):
Rushing Offense: 597 yards
Yards per rush: 4.8 yards
TDs rushing: 8
Passing Offense: 330 yards or 165 yards per game
Passing Comp-Att-Int: 28-54-1
Total Offense: 858 yards or 429 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost: 2-0
Penalties-Yards: 14-120 yards
3d Down Conversions: 15 of 34 or 44%
4th Down Conversions: 0 of 0
Field Goals - Attempts: 2 of 5
Red-Zone Scores: 12 of 13 (92%)
Red-Zone Touchdowns: 10 of 13 (77%)
Punts (No. Yards): 12 (5918) Avg, per punt: 49.2

The Volunteers played one FCS team during the 2014 season.  The UTC made the trip to Knoxville last season on October 11th, losing by a final score of  45-10.  The Vols entered that game having lost 3 straight games on the road.

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Saturday's SoCon Football Round-up (9-12-15)

Week number 2 in the SoCon is in the books, with the Bulldogs of The Citadel winning the only conference contest of the week, leaving the other six teams to play out of conference.  The SoCon ended Saturday night with a 5-1 record, only dropping a FBS game.







Western Carolina at The Citadel -  In the conference opener for the SoCon, Western Carolina failed to live up it's preseason ranking, falling 10-28 to the team picked to finish in seventh place by the coaches poll. In the game dominated by the Citadel Bulldog defense, the formally high flying Catamount defense was held to just 345 total yards and completed only 5 of 15 third down situations. Troy Mitchell completed only 19 of 40 passing attempts for 187 yards and was intercepted twice. The Bulldog offense unit rolled over the meager defensive stance of the Catamounts, rushing for 341 yards, and passing for 105 yards.
Purple & Gold's pick was: " Cats win a hard fought battle, 31-24"

Mars Hill at Chattanooga -  Chattanooga's Derrick Craine scored four touchdowns in UTC's
44-34 win over Division II Mars Hill College in Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon.  In the 4th quarter, the Lions rallied to within 34-37 score on two touchdown passes from Matt Layman to Keshaun Taylor.  Craine rushed for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Mocs.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "Mocs in a blow out, 56-10"

Morehead State at VMI -  Keydet's Dillon Christopher kicked a 34 yard field goal as time expired to seal the win for VMI, 43-30 over the Morehead State Eagles in Lexington.  The Keydets were lead by Derrick Zigler who had 108 yards rushing and two touchdowns, Dane Forlines with 101 yards rushing. VMI quarterback Al Cobb completed 27 passes for 314 yards, and two touchdowns.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "the Keydets roll to a 49-14 victory"

Florida A&M at Samford - Samford quarterback Michael Eubank threw two touchdowns and 280 yards, as the Bulldogs rolled over the Rattlers, 58-21.  Samford racked up a total of 752 total yards, 427 passing and 325 rushing.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "Samford remains undefeated as they rack up a 42-10 victory"

Furman at Virginia Tech -  In Blacksburg, the Hokies' Brenden Motley threw for two touchdowns
and ran for a third in Virginia Tech's 42-3 romp over Furman. Motley completed 16 passes for 233 yards in his first start replacing Michael Brewer, who broke his collarbone in Monday night's game against Ohio State.  The Paladins had three turnovers against Virginia Tech.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "Hokies win, 42-10"

Stetson at Mercer -  Mercer rolled to a 57-14 victory over Stetson Saturday in Macon  John Russ completed 16 passes for 336 yards and four touchdown passes and one touchdown.  The Bears total yardage was 623, while holding Sterson to 299 yards.  Penalties were a problem for both teams, with Steston being flagged 8 time for 110 yards, only to be outdown by the Bears with 10 flags for 103 yards.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "The Bears also remain undefeated as they roll to a 49-21 victory

Tennessee Tech at Wofford  - The Terriers rolled to a 34-14 victory over the Golden Eagles in Spartanburg, Saturday night.  Wofford rushed for a total of 444 yard and picked up and additional 111 yards passing, while holding Tennessee Tech to 274 total yards.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "(Terriers) edge out the Golden Eagles, 35-28"


Bonus

Maryville at ETSU - For the second straight week, the home standing Bucs dropped a game in Johnson City. This week, Division III Maryville upset the Bucs 28-21 in front of a disappointed home crowd.  While the Bucs out gained Maryville in total yardage 416 to 356, twice in the second half, Maryville forced the Bucs to turn the ball over on downs.
Purple & Gold's pick was: " ETSU rolls over the Fighting Scots 35-10."


This week's record: 6-2 (overall 13-4) 

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Cats drop opening conference game, 28-10

The Citadel;s Dominique Allen and Evan McField both scored touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give The Citadel a 28-10 victory over Western Carolina in the Southern Conference opener for both teams Saturday night in Charleston.

After the half, with the score at 7-3 and the Citadel leading, a Bulldogs fumble resulted in a early second half Western touchdown, giving the Cats a 10-7 lead. After that, all the breaks seemed to fall to the home team.

At the end of the third quarter, The Citadel's Jorian Jordan fell on a fumble that had rolled into the end zone from a busted Bulldog play at the five yard line, giving the Bulldgos a 14-10 lead. In the forth quarter, McField had a 3-yard touchdown run then Mark Thomas recovered a Western Carolina fumble, setting up Allen's score.

Detrez Newsome rushed for 121 yards and scored from the 1. just two plays after bursting up the middle on a 42-yard gain. Troy Mitchedll passed for a total of 187 yeards, and added 26 yards
rushing.

Video Courtesy WCU Athletic Media Relations                    

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P&G's selection of the WCU Player of the Game - Detrez Newsome

Purple & Gold's Catamount Player of the Game for The Citadel game is Detrez Newsome

Newsome was the rushing workhorse for Western, with a total of 16 carries for 121 yards, and Western's lone touchdown.   In addition to the rushing yards, he had one reception for a total of 12 yards.

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Game Day in Charleston

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Never Forget 9-11-01

Soccer preview vs. East Carolina

Courtesy Catamount Athletics            

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WCU Soccer: Weekend Recap

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2 Days 'till Game Day at The Citadel

The Citadel 2-Deep Chart

Courtesy Citadel Athletics                        

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WCU 2-Deep Chart at the Citadel

Courtesy WCU Athletic Media Relations           

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2015 SoCon Football Power Rankings (Week #2)

Welcome to this week's Purple & Gold SoCon Power Rankings for the week beginning 9-7-15. The power rankings are published on Tuesday of each week.

It was an interesting week in the SoCon, with Samford pulling off the biggest win of the first week, while Chattanooga had the biggest let down. With those games, this week's rankings have a major shake-up.






1.  (1) Chattanooga
Last game: JSU 23 - UTC 20
Record: 0-1  (0-0 SoCon)

2.  (3) Samford
Last game: UCA 16 - Samford 45
Record: 1-0  (0-0 SoCon)



3.  (2) Western Carolina
Last Game:  MHU 14 - Western Carolina 42
                          Record: 1-0  (0-0 SoCon)



4.  (5)  Furman
Last Game: CCU 38 - Furman 35
                          Record:  0-1  (0-0 SoCon)

5. (6)  The Citadel 
Last Game: Davidson 0 - Citadel 69
Record: 1-0  (SoCon 0-0)



6. (4)  Wofford 
Last Game:  Wofford 10 - Clemson 49
                         Record:  0-1 ( 0-0 SoCon)



7. (8)  Virginia Military Institute
Last Game: VMI 36 - Ball State 48
Record:  0-1  (0-0 SoCon)



8. (7)  Mercer
Last Game:  Mercer 28 - APU 7
                          Record:  1-0  (0-0 SoCon)






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This week's Purple & Gold football picks (9-12-15)

It's week #2 in the SoCon, and it's Monday, so it's SoCon football picks day.

Once again, the schedule is mainly out of conference games, but the SoCon did sneak one conference game in this week, as the Catamounts will travel to Charleston to meet The Citadel.

Good Luck to all the conference teams playing in out of conference contests.


Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015


Mars Hill (0-1) at Chattanooga (0-1, 0-1 Home)  1:00 pm ET
After a tough week in Cullowhee, the Mars Hill Lions must now travel to Chattanooga to face a very pissed off Mocs team.  This would not be a good week to have to play the Mocs, as they will take out their frustrations after their narrow loss to JSU.  Mocs in a blow out, 56-10

Morehead State (0-1, 0-1 Away) at VMI (0-1, 0-0 Home)  1:30 pm ET
After a 56-7 thumping by James Madison in Harrisonburg last week, the Morehead State Eagles (Pioneer League) will now travel to Lexington to meet a reinvigorated VMI Keydet team looking for their first win of the season.  New head coach Scott Wachenhelm picks up his first victory as the Keydets roll to a 49-14 victory.

Florida A&M (0-1, 0-1 Away) at Samford (1-0, 1-0 Home)  3:00 pm ET
In week one, the FAMU Rattlers dropped their season opener 51-3 to the USF Bulls. In week two, it does not get a great deal better for the Rattlers, as they travel to Birmingham to meet the Samford Bulldogs. Samford remains undefeated as they rack up a 42-10 victory.

Furman (0-1, 0-0 Away) at Virginia Tech (0-0, 0-0 Home) 3:30 pm ET
The Paladins travel to Virginia Tech on Saturday, to play a team that is also playing Ohio State on Monday (9-7-15) of the same week.  While Tech does not have a full week to prepare for the Paladins, it doesn't change the final outcome.  Hokies win, 42-10

Stetson (1-0, 0-0 Away) at Mercer (1-0, 0-0 Home)  6:00 pm ET
The Stetson Hatters are coming off a 42-13 victory over Webber International last Saturday, but run into the buzz saw this week in Macon. The Bears also remain undefeated as they roll to a 49-21 victory over the Hatters of the Pioneer League.

Western Carolina (1-0, 0-0 Conf) at The Citadel (1-0, 0-0 Conf)  6:00 pm ET
League play opens for the Bulldogs and Catamounts this Saturday, and both enter the game undefeated over inferior opponents in their opening games.  However, the Cats realize their goal of a championship ring for this group of seniors, goes straight through Charleston.  The Bulldogs are hoping to prove last years win by the Catamounts was just a fluke, and  is looking to return to the days of Bulldog superiority over the Cats.  However, Troy Mitchell and the other Catamount seniors have other plans, Cats win a hard fought battle, 31-24.

Tennessee Tech (0-1, 0-1 Away) at Wofford (0-1, 0-0 Home)  7:00 pm ET
The Tenn Tech Golden Eagles will travel to Spartanburg this weekend, off a 52-24 loss at Houston on 9-3-15.  With both teams coming off big losses to BCS teams, this game may end up with a final score closer than many would have thought prior to the season.  The Terrier have something to prove to themselves, and look to protect the home field, and edge out  the Golden Eagles, 35-28 win.

Bonus game

Maryville TN (0-0) at  East Tennessee State (0-1, 0-1 Home) 7:30 pm 
The Bucs take out some frustration on Division III Maryville College.  ETSU rolls over the Fighting Scots 35-10.

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Football Week #2 - The Citadel

Coming off the the seasoning opening win over Mars Hill, the Catamounts travel to Charleston, SC for the second game of the season to play The Citadel Bulldogs, and open SoCon play for both teams.

Western will meet the Bulldogs for the fortieth time since 1972, with The Citadel holding a 16-22-1 overall lead in the series. Western trails 6-12 in those games played in Charleston.

When : Saturday, September 12th at 6 pm
Where:  Johnson Hagood Stadium. Charleston, SC
Radio:  Catamount Sports Network
TV / video:  ESPN3
Game Notes:   Western Carolina        -         The Citadel 

Head Coach: Mike Houston - Houston is in his second season with the Bulldogs.  Prior to taking over at The Citadel, he led Lenoir-Rhyne to the NCAA Division II national championship game in 2013.  He was named the 24th head football coach of The Citadel on January 9th 2014. In his last three seasons as the head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne, Houston led the Bears to three consecutive South Atlantic Conference championships, including a school-record 13 wins to earn his third-straight SAC Coach of the Year honor. Houston also was named the Don Hansen Super Region II Coach of the Year in 2013.

Last year’s record: 5-7 overall, 3-4 in the SoCon

Offensive starters - Returning/Lost:   9 / 2
The Bulldogs lost starting quarterback Aaron Miller and starting slot Jake Stenson to graduation.

Defensive starters - Returning/Lost:  6  / 5
On defense, the Bulldogs lost the following starters - defensive tackle Cam Mobley, defensive end Justin Oxendine, bandit Rah Muhammad, linebacker Carl Robinson, and cornerback Walker Smith

Specialist - Returning/Lost:  7 / 0

Offensive Formation: Triple Option - With the departure of GSU, the Cats will only face two in-conference teams that run a variable of the triple option offense, Wofford & The Citadel. In 2014, the Bulldogs finished the season ranked #2 nationally in rushing offense at 347.2 yards per game.

Defensive Formation: 4-2-5  The Bulldogs lost five starters from a defense that finished #7 in total defense last season, giving up 43 touchdowns, and was last against the pass giving up 2960 yards against the pass.

Who did the Bulldogs play prior to Western?:  Prior to Western game, The Citadel opened their season at home against former SoCon football member Davidson.  Beating the hapless Wildcats 69-0, the Bulldogs ran off 602 total yards on offense, holding Davidson to just 104 total yards (46 yards rushing).

In that game, the Wildcats only converted one (1)  third down, while making only 6 first downs the entire game. Four Bulldogs made their first collegiate start in the game: quarterback Dominique Allen, defensive lineman Jonathan King, bandit Dondray Copeland and cornerback Mariel Cooper.

Linebacker Tevin Floyd was named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week after the game. He  recorded a team-high eight tackles and one interception that he returned 28 yards for a touchdown.

Returning for the Bulldogs is Sam Frye who was named to the All-Southern Conference first team as well as, Mitchell Jeter selected to the second team. Cam Jackson, Isiaha Smith and Dee Delaney were tabbed to the all-freshman squad.

Frye is the leader of an offensive line that paved the way for a for the Bulldog rushing attack that ranked second in the nation at the conclusion of the regular season. The Citadel finished the season with 4,166 yards on the ground and the dogs ranked in the top 10 nationally in four other categories, including second in sacks allowed (six), seventh in time of possession (32:32), ninth in red zone offense (89.8 percent) and 10th in third down conversions (47.8).

At the 2015 SoCon Media Day, the Bulldogs were picked by both the coaches and media of complete the season at 7th place in the standings. The Citadel placed two on the first-team preseason All-Southern Conference selections by the conference's coaches, it was announced Wednesday. Senior offensive lineman Sam Frye and senior defensive lineman Mitchell Jeter earned first-team accolades. The Citadel was one of four schools in the Southern Conference to have at least one first-team representative on both sides of the ball.

2014 The Citadel Statistics:
Rushing Offense: 4166 yards or 347.2 yards per game
Yards per rush:  5.5
TDs rushing:  34
Passing Offense:  958 yards or 79.8 yards per game
Passing Comp-Att-Int:  65-147-1
Total Offense:  5124 yards or 427 yards per game
Fumbles-Lost:  28 - 11
Penalties-Yards:  71 - 607 yards 3rd
3d Down Conversions:  86 of 181 or 48%
4th Down Conversions:  16 of 31 or 52%
Field Goals - Attempts:  9 of 14
Red-Zone Scores:  44 of 49 (90%)
Red-Zone Touchdowns:  36 of 49 (73%)
Punts (No. Yards):   47 (1791) Avg, per punt: 38.1

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Video recap - Catamounts vs Mars Hill

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations              

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Saturday's SoCon Football Round-up (9-5-15)

  

Two SoCon games were played on Thursday, leaving only six games for Saturday. With the SoCon finishing the day with a 3-3 record, Mercer, the Citadel and Western Carolina all picked up wins, while Chattanooga and Fruman dropped very close games to ranked opponents.  Overall, the SoCon ended the weekend with a 4-4 record.


Mercer at Austin Peay - Alex Lakes ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns to lead Mercer to a 28-7 victory over Austin Peay in the season opener for both teams Saturday.
Purple & Gold's pick was:  "the Bears disappoint their fans (and the SoCon) with a 28-24 loss to the Governors."

Jacksonville State at Chattanooga - JSU's Troymaine Pope rushed for 180 yards on 15 carries and Miles Jones scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:41 remaining to lead the Gamecocks to a 23-20 come-from-behind win over Chattanooga.  JSU put up 411 total yards, while holding the Mocs to 196 yards and only 86 total yards passing.
Purple & Gold's pick was:  "the Mocs hold on to pull out a 35-31 home victory"

Davidson at The Citadel - The Bulldogs outrushed the Wildcats 535 yards to 46 while picking off four interceptions  on their way to a  69-0 rout of Davidson.. The Bulldog's Dominique Allen ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third, as Isiaha Smith ran for three more in the rump.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "Dogs win big, 49-0"

Mars Hill at Western Carolina - Troy Mitchell completed 29-of-43 passes for 298 yards and added a team-high 62 rushing yards on eight carries. During the game, Mitchell became Western Carolina's all-time leader in total offense, by-passing previous record holder Lonnie Galloway (6,832 yds, 1990-93) who held the record for 22 years.
Purple & Gold's pick was:  "Catamounts open season four under Head Coach Mark Speir with the expected win against the Division II, Mars Hill Lions, 42-3"

Coastal Carolina at Furman - Coastal's Alex Ross threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns, to lead Coastal Carolina to a 38-35 win over Furman. The Paladins made a late charge that cut Coastal's lead to three on Reese Hannon's 9-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Snellings. Hannon finished with 365 total yards passing and two TD's.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "The Sun Belt bound Chants pull out a 35-10 victory"

Wofford at Clemson - The 12th ranked Clemson Tigers overwhelmed Wofford by a final score of 49-10. The Tigers scored touchdowns on six of their first eight possessions of the game and limited the Terriers to 213 total yards.
Purple & Gold's pick was: "However, the Tigers have other plans, and will romp to a 49-10 win" (how that for a prediction?)


This week's record: 4-2 (overall 7-2) 

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P&G's selection of the WCU Player of the Game -Troy Mitchell

Purple & Gold's Catamount Player of the Game for the season opening victory over Mars Hill is Troy Mitchell.

Mitchell completed 29-of-43 passes for 298 yards and added a team-high 62 rushing yards on eight carries. During the game, Mitchell became Western Carolina's all-time leader in total offense, by-passing previous record holder Lonnie Galloway (6,832 yds, 1990-93) who held the record for 22 years.

Mitchell surpassed Galloway's record on a 44-yard scoring strike to Karnorris Benson in the third quarter.

Purple & Gold congratulates Troy on both his new record, and his selection as the Catamount Player of the Game.

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