The D-II Spready: (Excel2003, 289 kb)

Slightly Abbreviated:
Due to some chaos over at SB Nation this week, I’m having to curtail things here a bit to compensate.  Apologies, but we’ll make up for it later when I won’t shut up about conference races heating up, right?

Divison II Game of the Week:
It seems like California (PA) is just bound and determined to get in here every week at this point.  On Saturday, the Vulcans clashed with arch-rival Indiana (PA) in the annual Coal Bowl, and it was not a disappointment.  Indeed, it may have been the best game in the schools’ 82-game rivalry.

California got on the board first, scoring on their initial drive when Peter Lalich found Mike Williams for a five-yard touchdown pass.  It took almost fifteen minutes for the Crimson Hawks to even the score, Harvie Tuck breaking loose for a 14-yard dash into the end zone.  A few minutes later, Lalich hit R.J. Thomas to put the Vulcans back on top; the teams then traded field goals, Cody Nuzzo hitting from 20 yards out for Cal with no time remaining in the first half to send the Vulcans into the locker room with a 17-10 lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Indiana surged out in front.  Tuck scored from three yards out with just over ten minutes to play, and the Crimson Hawks took the lead just over three minutes later when Mike Box, on in relief of the ineffective Pat Smith, hooked up with Pat Brewer for an 8-yard scoring pass.  With only a minute to play, Indiana had a seven point lead and California was at their own 20 yard line.

Lalich immediately connected with Nadir Brown on an 80-yard score.  The extra point was wide, however, and Indiana clung to a one-point lead.  The Vulcans lined up for an onside kick and managed to cover it; a quick six-play drive covering only 49 seconds got the ball down to the Indiana 13 yard line before Nuzzo split the uprights from 30 with only three seconds to go, and California had managed a miracle comeback win.  It’s the sixth year in a row the Vulcans have dispatched their arch-enemies, and they are now fully in control of the PSAC West race.

The Streak Ends (But Not That One):
In their first three games, Lock Haven had given up 55 points to Fordham, 31 to East Stroudsburg, and 42 to Indiana (PA).  They had scored zero, zero, and zero points themselves, giving them a shiny PF/PA ratio of 0-128.  Their last score was a field goal with 6:27 remaining against Bloomsburg in the 2011 season finale last November 12; their last touchdown had been the week prior with 58 seconds remaining in the game against Indiana.  With 2:57 remaining in the first quarter on Saturday against Edinboro, Brandon Brader scored on a 3-yard run, breaking the streak.  The Bald Eagles had gone 198 minutes and 30 seconds without scoring, and 253 minutes without a touchdown.

About five minutes later, Lock Haven actually took the lead on another Brader touchdown, but Edinboro wasn’t havin’ none of that and eventually rolled to a 35-19 win.  That extends the Bald Eagles’ home losing streak to 28 games, and their overall losing streak to 46 games — tying the Division II record previously held by Minnesota-Morris (1998-2003).  Lock Haven has not won since downing Clarion on November 10, 2007 (a win which itself ended a 12-game losing streak); they’ve not won at home since the beginning of that 12-game streak, beating Clarion in October 2006. This week, Lock Haven hosts unbeaten #21 Shippensburg, and from all reports the student body are quite excited for the opportunity to claim the record outright.

The New Top 25:

Lots of other entertaining results:
Nail-Biters:
Lane 37, at Morehouse 34 (OT)
at Southern Arkansas 35, Southwestern Oklahoma State 34
at Northern State 24, Concordia-Saint Paul 23
at Stonehill 26, Assumption 24
Charleston Southern [FCS] 23, Shorter 20
Southwest Baptist 16, at Missouri Southern State 13
at Merrimack 38, Southern Connecticut State 35
at Western Oregon 20, Simon Fraser 16
at Lindenwood 24, Glenville State 20 (FRI)
at Minnesota-Crookston 33, Southwest Minnesota State 28
Saint Cloud State 24, at Wayne State (NE) 19
Concordia (AL) [n/a] 22, at Clark Atlanta 17
at Fairmont State 25, West Liberty 20

Done Got Trucked:
at American International 42, Pace 0 (FRI)
at Chadron State 45, Western State 7
Mars Hill 42, at North Greenville 7
at Albany State 41, Miles 6

Defense Is An Optional Package:
at Livingstone 48, Lincoln (PA) 44
Chowan 49, at Shaw 35

No Offense… But No Offense:
at Catawba 14, Tusculum 6
Clarion 13, at Gannon 7
at Urbana 14, Quincy 10