NAU VS. SDSU

[jacksdude0109]

Any SDSU fans out there? Just wondering how you folks felt about the game. Our wins vs. SD and UND are similar so there isnt a whole lot to go off of here.

[AZGrizFan]

NAU is much better in the dome, at elevation. Sioux Falls is 1,442 feet above sea level. They'll be sucking wind by halftime. NAU wins by 10.

[mtjack]

Here's a link to SDSU's fan forum:



http://sdsufans.com/board/forum.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



I submitted a peace offering but no response yet.
MTJack

[89Hen]

I think the Jacks win this one.

[Grizalltheway]

NAU is much better in the dome, at elevation. Sioux Falls is 1,442 feet above sea level. They'll be sucking wind by halftime. NAU wins by 10.

According to the homers on AGS elevation has no effect on performance. None.

[grizinidaho]

I think the Jacks win this one.

I tend to sit on the other side of this fence and I say the Jacks lose.

[BlackFalkin]

NAU is much better in the dome, at elevation. Sioux Falls is 1,442 feet above sea level. They'll be sucking wind by halftime. NAU wins by 10.

According to the homers on AGS elevation has no effect on performance. None.

I agree. Never experienced any breathing issues in the dome. But it sure gets cold out there. Btw NAU doesn't have parties after the game!! Can u believe that!?

[jacksdude0109]

Anybody who knows anything about their conference? Is their schedule difficulty comparable to NAU'S?

[jacksdude0109]

some idiot on that forum said the only formidable foe we've faced at home was USD.....

[BlackFalkin]

Anybody who knows anything about their conference? Is their schedule difficulty comparable to NAU'S?

LumberJACKS
---------JACKRabbits

They play in a weak conf and they lost to the conference champion. But if NAU beats SDSU then EWU beats NAU, EWU will be 9-0 vs the Big Sky. Gotta be a record.

[jacksdude0109]

lots of shots taken at the big sky on that forum too

[Brock Landers]

lots of shots taken at the big sky on that forum too

By MVFC fans? Color me shocked

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

SDSU's QB has been playing better as the season has progressed. If he can consistently move the chains with the passing game, IMO SDSU wins this game.

Both teams will probably try to stop the run. NDSU held ZZ to 4 yards on 8 carries, if NAU can limit his yards they will have a good shot at winning.

Two evenly matched teams means it usually comes down to turnovers.

SDSU 31-27

[JohnStOnge]

I favor SDSU. Everybody knows I favor what I consider to be good power rating systems and those systems clearly peg SDSU as the favorite. Not that it's a big spread. It's close. By Sagarin SDSU is a 4 1/2 point favorite and by Massey SDSU is a 1 point favorite.

Power rating favorites don't win all the time, of course. But they do win the majority of the time. With spreads this close it's a narrow majority of the time. But still a majority.

To me SDSU is the favorite in this game but it would not be much of an upset if NAU wins.

[BlackFalkin]

I favor SDSU. Everybody knows I favor what I consider to be good power rating systems.

Don't flatter yourself. Nobody cares who u favor. That rating don't mean jack shit ESPECIALLY IN THE PLAYOFFS. NAU is at home. NAU has 1 FCS loss. I'm goin with them.

[kalm]

SDSU's QB has been playing better as the season has progressed. If he can consistently move the chains with the passing game, IMO SDSU wins this game.

Both teams will probably try to stop the run. NDSU held ZZ to 4 yards on 8 carries, if NAU can limit his yards they will have a good shot at winning.

Two evenly matched teams means it usually comes down to turnovers.

SDSU 31-27

I keep hearing this and checked his stats over the last 3 games and they are….meh. 14 of 22 ish for around 180 yards.

[JohnStOnge]

That rating don't mean jack **** ESPECIALLY IN THE PLAYOFFS. NAU is at home. NAU has 1 FCS loss.

No, those ratings don't determine who wins. But both systems are correct about who is going to win a lot more often than they are incorrect. Also, it's not just those two systems. If you go to http://www.masseyratings.com/cf/compare1aa.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; you'll see that 35 of the 50 systems they have up right now have South Dakota State rated higher than Northern Arizona. And three of the cases in which Northern Arizona is rated higher involve the human polls; which are not objective and tend to be unduly influenced by won/loss record. We don't know how many of the power rating systems would favor South Dakota State to win this game because home field is a factor. But home field is taken into account by both Sagarin and Massey and both favor South Dakota State to win this game on the road.

They also both consider who each team has played, whether they won or lost, and how much they won or lost by in the context of how every other team in Division I did in the case of Sagarin and how every other team in all of college football did in the case of Massey.

Yes Northern Arizona has a better record. But it was fashioned against a weaker schedule in a weaker conference. All that is taken into account.

BUT...again...it is pretty close to a toss up. It's not like South Dakota State is a prohibitive favorite. The Jackrabbits are, however, the favorite.

I'm sure there will be some lines on this game if there aren't already. It'd be interesting to see what they look like.

[mtgrizfankb]

Idk I kinda want sdsu to knock them out just to get them to shut up. Nau is cocky and well they haven't Bern impressive all year. Montana game aside nau has not looked that good

[Theee Catrabbit]

We're awful. No defense. no running game. No passing offense. Our special teams is awesome though! good luck Saturday! (As usual these conversations start to become useless as the week progresses and both sides get deeply entrenched in their own thought processes on how their team will perform against the opposition)

[putter]

If NAU can stop the running game like they did to Montana, then I think they win by 7. Jerome is a good defensive coach so they will have a good gameplan set up but SDSU is not pushover by any means.

[mtjack]

I expect this to be the most evenly matched first round game. Two less than flashy teams with decent defenses and grind it out running games. Dare I restort to cliche and say it'll come down to turnovers and special teams play (NAU's punt game is stellar, kick and punt return steady and kick game has gone from being a wreck to start the season to an adventure to bordering on dependable the last few weeks).

I'm guessing travel distance and holiday weekend will make it tough for a sizeable contingent of Jackrabbit fans to head to the game?

[Bronco]

Always a little tough to fill a stadium on the Holiday weekend with many students gone
I hope the town picks up the slack and comes out to support the team

Go NAU

[Mvemjsunpx]

Pretty even matchup here. Both teams have really good running backs. SDSU's passing game is better, but NAU's pass defense is better. I'll go with the Lumberjacks because of home field & better special teams.

Here's my assessment of the matchups & my pick for the game:

• • • Quarterbacks -- South Dakota St.
      
      Running Backs - South Dakota St.
      
      Receivers/TEs - South Dakota St.
      
      Offensive Line - Northern Arizona
      
      
      Defensive Line - South Dakota St.
      
      Linebackers --- South Dakota St.
      
      Secondary ---- Northern Arizona
      
      
      Kicking ------ (push)
      
      Punting ------ Northern Arizona
      
      Return Teams - Northern Arizona
      
      Kickoffs ------ Northern Arizona
      
      
      
      
      
      • South Dakota St. 17-20 Northern Arizona

[LDopaPDX]

Coming for the Great Plains to Flagstaff represents a big change. That altitude always threw me off. I was working out at South Lake Tahoe last Winter (I'm well removed from college now) and I damn near needed an oxygen mask after 20 minutes of hard activity. There really is no way to prepare for that.

Eastern has a great record in Flagstaff, but I know that's typically been due to a rather significant talent difference. Playing a team that appears fairly even, and I'd give a big advantage to NAU. I'll take the Jacks by a small margin in this one.

It should be fun though. Both teams have to feel like this is a winnable game.

[BlackFalkin]

Coming for the Great Plains to Flagstaff represents a big change. That altitude always threw me off. I was working out at South Lake Tahoe last Winter (I'm well removed from college now) and I damn near needed an oxygen mask after 20 minutes of hard activity. There really is no way to prepare for that.

Eastern has a great record in Flagstaff, but I know that's typically been due to a rather significant talent difference. Playing a team that appears fairly even, and I'd give a big advantage to NAU. I'll take the Jacks by a small margin in this one.

It should be fun though. Both teams have to feel like this is a winnable game.

Does EWU beat the winner of this game?