Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 88

Division I-AA Playoffs at a glance 7 8 By Larry BadenGazette-Journai VI 0) to 5 3 -J 0) 0 0) CI the top spot in the final l-AA poll with a 10-1 record. Jackson State, 16th ranked, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference with an 8-3 record. Notable: Middle Tennessee's Joe Campbell rushed for 1,136 yards in nine games before injuring his knee. Senior Ricky Martin replaced Campbell and ran for 229 yards and three touchdowns in his first start against Murray State. No opponent has scored more than two touchdowns against the Blue Raiders this season and has allowed only two touchdowns in their last four games.

Jackson State has dedicated its season to three teammates Casey Conner, Charles Ford and Michael Kimble who died in a car accident last April. The Citadel at Georgia Southern Quick read: Georgia Southern will be attempting to come only the second repeat champion. The other: Georgia Southern in 1985 and '86. The Eagles have played in the title game in four of the past five years. Rankings and records: Georgia Southern was made the tournament's third seed despite having three Josses.

The Eagles bring a seven-game winning streak and 8-3 record into postseason play. The Citadel finished second in the Southern Conference with a 7-4 record. Notable: The Bulldogs this season defeated intrastate rival South Carolina for the first time since 1950. The Citadel's only other playoff appearance came in 1988, when Georgia Southern beat the Bulldogs, 38-20, in the first round. The Citadel has won only one Southern Conference since joining the league in 1935 and that came back in 1961 Southern Georgia scored game-winning touchdowns in the final three minutes of its last two games against Tennessee-Chatanooga and Samford.

Erk Russell, who coached the Eagles to four title games, has retired and has been replaced by offensive coordinator Tim Stowers. for second in the conference. No. 11 Northern Iowa is 8-3 and won the Gateway Conference. Noteworthy: The Panthers lost three of five road games, while Boise State won nine straight at Bronco Stadium before losing to Idaho last week.

Northern Iowa place-kicker Brian Mitchell owns the l-AA record for consecutive field goals. He extended his streak to 21 with three field goals against Northern Arizona last week. He has hit 26 of 27 this year, and all-division record of 96 percent. Idaho at Southwest Missouri State Quick read: The second game matching the Big Sky and Gateway conferences. The winner figures to face defending national champion Georgia Southern in the next round.

Rankings and records: Sixth-ranked Southwest Missouri was ranked No. 2 before losing to Northern Iowa on Nov. 3. The 9-2 Bears other loss was to Division l-A Tulsa. Idaho, No.

13, won its final six games to finish at 8-3 and earn its sixth straight playoff berth. Noteworthy: Talk about tough roads to the championship. The Vandals enter postseason with consecutive road victories against ranked teams and probably will have to win four more times away from home to win the title. The game will match contrasting quarterbacks and offenses. Southwest Missouri's OeAndre Smith is one of the nation's top option quarterbacks.

Idaho's Steve Nolan is one of the top-ranked passers since replacing injured freshman Doug Nussmeier six weeks into the season. The Vandals have the rare distinction of possessing the nation's leading rusher and receiver. Devon Pearce rushed for 1,393 yards this season. Teammate Kasey Dunn caught 88 passes for 1,164 yards. Jackson State at Middle Tennessee Quick read: Middle Tennessee enters the game as the playoff 's No.

1 seed. The first seed has never lost its opening-round game since the NCAA went to a 16-team field in 1986. Rankings and records: The Blue Raiders were No. 1 early in the season, lost to Eastern Kentucky, 10-7, but won their last five to reclaim untied teams have gone on to win the national championship. The Penguins earned an automatic berth as the nation's top-rated Independent and are the top seed in the bottom half of the playoff bracket.

Central Florida earned the final berth in the 16-team field. Rankings and records: Youngstown State enters the game as the nation's only Division I team with a perfect record at 1 1 -0. The second-ranked Penguins last loss came in the quarterfinals of the 1989 playoffs to Furman. No. 18 Central Florida's 8-3 record is third-best among the nation's independents.

Notable: The Penguins beat three Division I-A opponents this season. They are one of the nation's top rushing teams with an average of 215 yards on the ground per game. Youngstown State has advanced to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. For the first time since 1981-82, the Penguins have posted winning records in back-to-back seasons. The Knights are making their first l-AA postseason appearance since moving up from Division II in 1988.

In Central Florida's 63-6 victory over Texas Southern, senior receiver Sean Beckton threw a touchdown pass on an option play, ran for another score an a reverse, caught a TD pass and returned a punt for a touchdown. Massachusetts at William Mary Quick read: A classic matchup: Massachusetts leads the nation in total defense (231 yards allowed per game), while William and Mary leads the nation in total offense. (499 yards per game). Both teams are making their third trip to the playoffs but they have never played one another. They had four common opponents this season and each beat all four.

Rankings and records: Massachusetts, Yankee Conference champion, lost its first game of the season last week to New Hampshire to fall to 8-1-1. The Minutemen had been ranked as high as fourth nationally but enter the playoffs at No. 9. That's two spots below William Mary, an independent that started the season at 2-2 but won its final seven games. Notable: Massachusetts fullback David Mitchell has carried the ball 118 times in a row without being stopped for a loss.

Furman at Eastern Kentucky Quick read: The winner of this game is bracketed to play Nevada in the second round should the Wolt Pack beat Northeast Louisiana today. Both teams have previously faced and beaten UNR in the playoffs. Eastern Kentucky beat UNR in 1978 and went on to win the national championship. Furman topped the Pack in '85 and lost in the title game. Rankings and records: No.

12 Furman is 8-3 and champion of the Southern Conference for the third consecutive season. Fifth-rated Eastern Kenucky was top-ranked and unbeaten until losing to unranked Morehead State in its final game. The 10-1 Colonels won the Ohio Valley Conference. Noteworthy: Eastern Kentucky has lost only two of its last 11 games with both defeats coming at home. The Colonels have been inconsistent on offense since starting quarterback Lorenzo Fields broke his leg a month ago.

They win with a run-dominated wishbone offense and a tenacious defense that allowed only 14 points per game. Colonels head coach Roy Kick) ranks second among l-AA coaches with 218 victories in 27 seasons. Furman and the Colonels have met only once with Eastern Kentucky winning, 23-10, in a first-round 1986 playoff game. The two teams have combined for 18 l-AA playoff appearances. Furman's leading rusher, Carl Tremble, gained a career-high 202 rushing yards last week against The Citadel.

Northern Iowa at Boise State Quick read: The winner of this game faces the prospect of meeting the nation's No. 1 team. Middle Tennessee, in the quarterfinals. Boise State made its last playoff appearance in 1988, losing in the first round to Northwestern Louisiana. The Panthers last reached in 1987,.

losing in the semifinals to Northeast Louisiana. Northern Iowa and Boise State have never met. Rankings and records: The 10th-ranked Broncos, one of three Big Sky teams in the field, lost their final game to finish 8-3 and tied Central Florida at Youngstown State Quick read: Youngstown State is the eighth team in 13 seasons to reach to playoffs with a perfect record. Only two of those unbeaten, friers 5 Ijtl I JohnCobbw Bill Wallace, CLU Mario Ucciarrji Roger WoM An Km Mark SaatholU, CLU You don't have to be a financial genius to get the most out of life. call us we'll help you find the financial security you're looking for.

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