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From AGS:
Missouri State @ Tennessee-Rowan & Martin:
Bears get on the bus and snake through the hollers of MO, IL, KY and TN to take on some team I've never heard of. If I never heard of it, it must be an OVC team, right?
This is the year Missouri State starts making low rumblings and gains some sorely-needed confidence before commencing a brutal Gateway schedule. I mean, heck, this ain't the Big Sky, you actually have to earn a title by playing some good teams! Anyway, Cap'n Cat knows that Terry Allen is building a good thing there and will have the Bruins ready for this one. Sh*t, he's got half the UNI staff down there!
Missouri State 24
Tennessee-Rowan & Martin 17
Cap'n Cat's Upset Pick Of The Week:
South Dakota State @ Youngstown State:
The Penguins are a proud progam who, only in recent years, have made noises of a "comeback" from the abyss of I-AA. Their playoff appearances last year were honorable and we GFCrs watched with conference pride as they took on the division last year, losing finally to App State, late of Big House fame.
However, the Pens are playing an early game against a team with which they are wholly unfamiliar, that is, an FCS team with true cred. Clarion, Lock Haven, Slippery Rock, Millersburg and Pennsylvania School Of Mines are all previously engaged, so YSU was forced to sked a decent team on their level.
SDSU are a bit above. Despite their playoff appearance last season, the Pens still mewl about a so-so coach and pine, longingly, for the "glory" days of yester-century.
The Future Of FCS 23
The Past Of FCS 18
Cap'n Cat's GFC Pillow Fight Of The Week:
Austin Healey @ Indiana State
Cap'n Cat has actually heard of Austin Healey. It's a sports car from England, I think.
The Cap'n believes in revolution, that is, the overtaking of the powerful by the weak (except when any weak team tries to overtake UNI, of course). That's why He has become a closet Indiana State fan. The Sycs are into, what, their third year with their new head coach and they, like Missouri State, have shown signs of MAYBE becoming a decent football program.
Time was, everyone was contemplating Indiana State dropping their program due to decades of mediocrity and ugly "L's" to everyone. The Cap'n believes this tide will turn - painfully slow - but it will. This week they make baby steps in that direction.
Indiana State 42
Austin Healey 17
Cap'n Cat's FBS Drubbing Of The Week, #1:
Southern Illinois @ Northern Illinois
Cap'n Cat really hates SIU. He never did until they started beating us regularly now and then five or six years ago. Tough, tough, tough football under Coach Kill. But, he also likes SIU, His sister being a proud and successful graduate of Salukiville U.
This is the rare contest in which Cap'n Cat will be a radid Dog fan when they take on Cap'n Cat's first college, Northern Illinois. Cap'n Cat was recruited to NIU by current head coach, Joe Novak, a really decent man. However, NIU can kiss my fat azz now. They are the most arrogant school in Illinois and always treat the other "directional" schools there with the "redheaded, cerebal palsied, one-eyed little sister we don't talk about" mentality. No way should an FCS pissant from Macomb or Carbondale or Normal ever beat them - "why, we beat Maryland on national TV!!'' The very thought!!!
Woodshed:
Hounds of Carbonville 33
Huskheads 13
Murray Slaughter State @ Illinois State:
This game was Cap'n Cat's original choice for GFC Pillow Fight of The Week, but he opted, instead, to lay off the Crimson Crows as they recover from that PFL beeyotch-slappin' they took from Drake....which, by the way, guys, is in Iowa, did you know?
What to say, what to say, what to say......???
OK, who knows who Murray Slaughter is? First person from Youngstown to post the answer here gets a commemorative "Mark Farley 6-0 vs. Youngstown" t-shirt and, hell, I'll even put it in YSU colors!!! No fair going to Google, either, you dopes!
Cap'n Cat, true to form, knows virtually nothing about Murray Slaughter State, except that current ILSU coach, Cheyenne Johnson, alighted from there a few years ago. He also knows that their nickname is the "Racers". But Cap'n Cat does know Illinois State. They are an up and down conference performer who only in the last nine years have made any noise in the playoffs. To be fair, again, Cap'n Cat watched the Crimson Crows in the playoffs and cheered heartily for them, but when it was all over, they reverted in His twisted mind back to the status to which they have been relegated for decades - also rans.
Neverheless, the game with the Racers is the perfect tonic fer what ails the Birds. Smarting from the Drake smackdown, these boys will be ready to take it out on someone, so since Quincy College, St. Joseph's of Indiana and Palmer Chiropractic of Davenport are busy, they do it to the kids from Murray Slaughter. I have to, by conference affiliation bylaws, root for the Winged Ones in this one, but will forget who they were playing by my second beer at the ISU/UNI tailgater.
Crimson Crows 45
Murray Slaughter State 13
Western Illinois @ Illinois:
Western Illinois for years was the butt of Cap'n Cat vitriolic spiel, mostly because they were successful and contended with My Cats for titles back in the day. Those days are gone and a general malaise (apologies to Jimmy Carter) has set upon the LeatherNation for a good four or five years running, though the LeatherHeads do get silly mad props for taking it to the Panthers last year....and in the Dome, no less, combining with the North Dakota loss to keep my blessed Cats out of the playoffs. Temporarily, of course.
I always liked to play at Western Illinois, too. Their grass was perfect, high and thick, the weather was always perfect on gameday, and burying a parolee, girlfriend-beating Western JUCO tranfer DB on a sweep took on something more when they got up covered in mud and foliage and line chalk. As I say, though, those days have passed and the WIU-UNI rivalry has gone to the bench, ceding to burgeoning rivlaries in the conference like UNI vs.......... well everyone else. They all hate us, the f*ckers.
Where the f*ck was I going with all this?
Oh, yeah...
Illinois 56
LeatherNation 6
Cap'n Cat's FBS Drubbing Of The Week, #2!
Northern Iowa @ Iowa State
Cap'n Cat's paws tread lightly around this one as it is a litter box brimming with IECT's - Improvised Explosive Cat Turds. The PantherNation looks to Cap'n Cat, sometimes, to be a positve feline and, generally He is, but I wanna think with my head and not my schlerotic, slightly enlarged, artificially paced heart. Plus, I know Coach Farley reads this sh*t and I may need sideline passes for me and D1B for the championship game versus Idaho State.
I want to call a UNI victory, but vital facts must be addressed. First, we have not beaten ISU in 13 years, even though almost every time we were "favored" to do so, only to limp away from a 20, 30 or 40 point pounding. Who in the "F" ever "favored" us is lost to time, but......
Second, the Cats, God love them, have been wildly inconsistent for the past several years - beating highly-ranked Illinois State and Younstown at times, but then losing to North Dakota and the LeatherNation, etc, etc. Down in even-numbered years, up in the odds.
ISU is in transition to a new coach and new ways of doing things. They lost to Kent, which could not have been pleasant, to either players, coaches, fans, alumni and boosters which makes me think that the heat will be turned WAAAAAY up for this one in Ames. Reading PantherNation, too, one might think we already won and we should be looking to Drake or whomever is next. That's not good.
This one will be a knock down, drag out, bloody war with many tangibles and intangibles on the line, one of the former of which is recruiting. Cap'n Cat subscribes to the notion that, if given a choice, high school recruits will choose the FBS school over an FCS institution. Sorry, Ralph and FCS homers, but it is true. No matter if we beat ISU or are "competitive" with Iowa, most Iowa kids will prefer to don the black and gold or red-and-whatever-other-color-ISU-plays-with. UNI has to work EXTRA hard in everything.
This week, though, I think they will. UNI is sick of losing to these BCS wannabes and it is about time the Cats got fired up enough to do so. Coach Farley, I remember from my playing days with him and knowing him, in general (God I hated practicing against him!), is a helluva motivator and he will have to be removed from the field kicking and screaming if the mighty Cats are not successful Saturday.
That said, and thinking with my heart,
UNI 23
Cyclowns 20
*******************************
Missouri State @ Tennessee-Rowan & Martin:
Bears get on the bus and snake through the hollers of MO, IL, KY and TN to take on some team I've never heard of. If I never heard of it, it must be an OVC team, right?
This is the year Missouri State starts making low rumblings and gains some sorely-needed confidence before commencing a brutal Gateway schedule. I mean, heck, this ain't the Big Sky, you actually have to earn a title by playing some good teams! Anyway, Cap'n Cat knows that Terry Allen is building a good thing there and will have the Bruins ready for this one. Sh*t, he's got half the UNI staff down there!
Missouri State 24
Tennessee-Rowan & Martin 17
Cap'n Cat's Upset Pick Of The Week:
South Dakota State @ Youngstown State:
The Penguins are a proud progam who, only in recent years, have made noises of a "comeback" from the abyss of I-AA. Their playoff appearances last year were honorable and we GFCrs watched with conference pride as they took on the division last year, losing finally to App State, late of Big House fame.
However, the Pens are playing an early game against a team with which they are wholly unfamiliar, that is, an FCS team with true cred. Clarion, Lock Haven, Slippery Rock, Millersburg and Pennsylvania School Of Mines are all previously engaged, so YSU was forced to sked a decent team on their level.
SDSU are a bit above. Despite their playoff appearance last season, the Pens still mewl about a so-so coach and pine, longingly, for the "glory" days of yester-century.
The Future Of FCS 23
The Past Of FCS 18
Cap'n Cat's GFC Pillow Fight Of The Week:
Austin Healey @ Indiana State
Cap'n Cat has actually heard of Austin Healey. It's a sports car from England, I think.
The Cap'n believes in revolution, that is, the overtaking of the powerful by the weak (except when any weak team tries to overtake UNI, of course). That's why He has become a closet Indiana State fan. The Sycs are into, what, their third year with their new head coach and they, like Missouri State, have shown signs of MAYBE becoming a decent football program.
Time was, everyone was contemplating Indiana State dropping their program due to decades of mediocrity and ugly "L's" to everyone. The Cap'n believes this tide will turn - painfully slow - but it will. This week they make baby steps in that direction.
Indiana State 42
Austin Healey 17
Cap'n Cat's FBS Drubbing Of The Week, #1:
Southern Illinois @ Northern Illinois
Cap'n Cat really hates SIU. He never did until they started beating us regularly now and then five or six years ago. Tough, tough, tough football under Coach Kill. But, he also likes SIU, His sister being a proud and successful graduate of Salukiville U.
This is the rare contest in which Cap'n Cat will be a radid Dog fan when they take on Cap'n Cat's first college, Northern Illinois. Cap'n Cat was recruited to NIU by current head coach, Joe Novak, a really decent man. However, NIU can kiss my fat azz now. They are the most arrogant school in Illinois and always treat the other "directional" schools there with the "redheaded, cerebal palsied, one-eyed little sister we don't talk about" mentality. No way should an FCS pissant from Macomb or Carbondale or Normal ever beat them - "why, we beat Maryland on national TV!!'' The very thought!!!
Woodshed:
Hounds of Carbonville 33
Huskheads 13
Murray Slaughter State @ Illinois State:
This game was Cap'n Cat's original choice for GFC Pillow Fight of The Week, but he opted, instead, to lay off the Crimson Crows as they recover from that PFL beeyotch-slappin' they took from Drake....which, by the way, guys, is in Iowa, did you know?
What to say, what to say, what to say......???
OK, who knows who Murray Slaughter is? First person from Youngstown to post the answer here gets a commemorative "Mark Farley 6-0 vs. Youngstown" t-shirt and, hell, I'll even put it in YSU colors!!! No fair going to Google, either, you dopes!
Cap'n Cat, true to form, knows virtually nothing about Murray Slaughter State, except that current ILSU coach, Cheyenne Johnson, alighted from there a few years ago. He also knows that their nickname is the "Racers". But Cap'n Cat does know Illinois State. They are an up and down conference performer who only in the last nine years have made any noise in the playoffs. To be fair, again, Cap'n Cat watched the Crimson Crows in the playoffs and cheered heartily for them, but when it was all over, they reverted in His twisted mind back to the status to which they have been relegated for decades - also rans.
Neverheless, the game with the Racers is the perfect tonic fer what ails the Birds. Smarting from the Drake smackdown, these boys will be ready to take it out on someone, so since Quincy College, St. Joseph's of Indiana and Palmer Chiropractic of Davenport are busy, they do it to the kids from Murray Slaughter. I have to, by conference affiliation bylaws, root for the Winged Ones in this one, but will forget who they were playing by my second beer at the ISU/UNI tailgater.
Crimson Crows 45
Murray Slaughter State 13
Western Illinois @ Illinois:
Western Illinois for years was the butt of Cap'n Cat vitriolic spiel, mostly because they were successful and contended with My Cats for titles back in the day. Those days are gone and a general malaise (apologies to Jimmy Carter) has set upon the LeatherNation for a good four or five years running, though the LeatherHeads do get silly mad props for taking it to the Panthers last year....and in the Dome, no less, combining with the North Dakota loss to keep my blessed Cats out of the playoffs. Temporarily, of course.
I always liked to play at Western Illinois, too. Their grass was perfect, high and thick, the weather was always perfect on gameday, and burying a parolee, girlfriend-beating Western JUCO tranfer DB on a sweep took on something more when they got up covered in mud and foliage and line chalk. As I say, though, those days have passed and the WIU-UNI rivalry has gone to the bench, ceding to burgeoning rivlaries in the conference like UNI vs.......... well everyone else. They all hate us, the f*ckers.
Where the f*ck was I going with all this?
Oh, yeah...
Illinois 56
LeatherNation 6
Cap'n Cat's FBS Drubbing Of The Week, #2!
Northern Iowa @ Iowa State
Cap'n Cat's paws tread lightly around this one as it is a litter box brimming with IECT's - Improvised Explosive Cat Turds. The PantherNation looks to Cap'n Cat, sometimes, to be a positve feline and, generally He is, but I wanna think with my head and not my schlerotic, slightly enlarged, artificially paced heart. Plus, I know Coach Farley reads this sh*t and I may need sideline passes for me and D1B for the championship game versus Idaho State.
I want to call a UNI victory, but vital facts must be addressed. First, we have not beaten ISU in 13 years, even though almost every time we were "favored" to do so, only to limp away from a 20, 30 or 40 point pounding. Who in the "F" ever "favored" us is lost to time, but......
Second, the Cats, God love them, have been wildly inconsistent for the past several years - beating highly-ranked Illinois State and Younstown at times, but then losing to North Dakota and the LeatherNation, etc, etc. Down in even-numbered years, up in the odds.
ISU is in transition to a new coach and new ways of doing things. They lost to Kent, which could not have been pleasant, to either players, coaches, fans, alumni and boosters which makes me think that the heat will be turned WAAAAAY up for this one in Ames. Reading PantherNation, too, one might think we already won and we should be looking to Drake or whomever is next. That's not good.
This one will be a knock down, drag out, bloody war with many tangibles and intangibles on the line, one of the former of which is recruiting. Cap'n Cat subscribes to the notion that, if given a choice, high school recruits will choose the FBS school over an FCS institution. Sorry, Ralph and FCS homers, but it is true. No matter if we beat ISU or are "competitive" with Iowa, most Iowa kids will prefer to don the black and gold or red-and-whatever-other-color-ISU-plays-with. UNI has to work EXTRA hard in everything.
This week, though, I think they will. UNI is sick of losing to these BCS wannabes and it is about time the Cats got fired up enough to do so. Coach Farley, I remember from my playing days with him and knowing him, in general (God I hated practicing against him!), is a helluva motivator and he will have to be removed from the field kicking and screaming if the mighty Cats are not successful Saturday.
That said, and thinking with my heart,
UNI 23
Cyclowns 20
*******************************
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