FCS Playoffs: No. 5 William & Mary at No. 4 Montana State Preview – HERO Sports

Two of the nice speeding offenses within the FCS do battle when the William & Mary Tribe and Montana State Bobcats conflict beneath the lights in Bozeman for a ten:15 PM japanese kick on ESPN2. W&M is CAA Soccer’s final workforce standing within the postseason area regardless of the convention having 5 squads qualify on Choice Sunday final month, one shy of its document six entrants (2018). MSU represents a Massive Sky Convention excessive on momentum from its Brawl of the Wild Faculty GameDay look. 

Within the massive image, W&M/MSU is an enormous sport for the notion of the CAA. The Massive Sky has earned extra credibility within the FCS than its chasing-the-MVFC counterpart on the other coast, which is looking for a brand new deep-postseason risk after James Madison’s departure, one that may put it aside from failing to ship a consultant to the semifinals.

William & Mary has performed like that kind of matchup-based-quarterfinal-plus workforce this season, together with in an FBS win (Charlotte), however Montana State’s many challenges posed to the cross-country-traveling Tribe start with…   

Montana State’s Offense vs. William & Mary’s Protection

Amongst quarterfinalists, MSU is second solely to UIW in PPG, averaging 44 a contest. A pair of QBs set the desk for that scoring offense, as second-team All-Massive Sky QB Tommy Mellott, final playoff’s sensation, is joined by Massive Sky Newcomer of the Yr Sean Chambers. Every participant has appeared in 10 video games, with Mellott and Chambers tossing 9 and eight touchdowns, respectively. Each are poised to harm defenses on the bottom, as the 2 are Montana State’s main rushers: Mellott has recorded 101.3 YPG to Chambers’ 79.1.

That image captures the project for William & Mary LB John Pius and the remainder of the Tribe protection. Pius ranks fourth within the FCS in sacks (11.5) and ninth in tackles for loss (19) whereas main W&M with 71 complete tackles. He keys a unit that feasted on Gardner-Webb errors within the second spherical, notching six takeaways en path to a 54-14 romp.

Defending nationwide runner-up MSU will probably not shoot its foot off on this style at dwelling, that means William & Mary’s protection will likely be spending a extra common size of time on the sector within the prime-time Bozeman chilly. 

William & Mary’s Offense vs. Montana State’s Protection

These groups’ offenses mirror one another within the working sport, as W&M will reply to the Bobcats in sort with its personal speeding siege. Gaining steam, the Tribe has rushed for at the very least 300 yards in 5 of its previous six video games. This proficiency has enabled nationwide rankings of eighth in complete offense (469.8 YPG) and seventeenth in scoring (35.7 PPG).

The ’Cats’ protection sees a relevantly related run-based assault in follow, although, and is ready to be centered on RB Bronson Yoder (6.4 YPC for W&M). Tribe QB Darius Wilson has used his FCS top-10 go effectivity to raise his sport in an extension of his speeding skill. Wilson threw for 240 yards and three TDs vs. GWU.

A considerable enhance in nuance and issue awaits him Friday night when LB Callahan O’Reilly, OLB/DB Ty Okada, and the MSU protection take the sector. O’Reilly is the main tackler with 76 complete stops, whereas Okada sports activities a Bobcat-best seven go breakups. Montana State’s 27 workforce takeaways are tops amongst all eight seeds in play this weekend.

Particular Groups

Within the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs for the primary time since 2009, William & Mary will take factors in each manner on the street, together with by the leg of Okay Ethan Chang. Chang converts 75% of his FGs to narrowly path Bobcats Okay Blake Glessner’s 76.9%. Head coaches and program-builders Mike London (W&M) and Brent Vigen (MSU) can every belief that red-zone journeys will finish in factors a method or one other, which is critically vital with possessions at a premium towards playoff defenses.

Elsewhere on particular groups, MSU gives its potent offense with high quality beginning area place utilizing the nation’s No. 5 kickoff return common (26.26). W&M’s kickoff return protection is twentieth nationally, setting the stage for an fascinating give-and-take as Tribe defenders converge on any ’Cat return man in search of a break that may ignite the most effective home-field benefit in these playoffs this week.

Brent Vigen Has Elevated A Surging Montana State Program