Top FCS Performers - Week 1

Riddlewire

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Top FCS Performers

RBs
#1 Eric Breitenstein, Wofford 22c 219yds (9.95avg) 2TD
#3 Zach Zenner, South Dakota State 23c 183yds (7.96avg) 1TD
#4 Jake Miller, North Dakota 12c 178yds (14.83avg) 1TD
#9 Adam Urbano, Tennessee Tech 25c 158yds (6.32avg) 1TD
#10 Dan Moore, Montana 27c 148yds (5.48avg) 1TD
#13 Nick Campanella, Georgetown 12c 127yds (10.58avg) 3TD
#35 Wes Kitts, Austin Peay 10c 104yds (10.40avg) 1TD

WR/TE

#1 Erik Lora*, Eastern Illinois 13rec 151yds 2TD
#2 Daniel Cason, Old Dominion 7rec 144yds
#5 Brandon Kaufman, Eastern Washington 4rec 132yds
#6 Rock Tate, Sacred Heart 7rec 124yds
#9 Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina 7rec 114yds
#11 Ryan Spadola, Lehigh 9rec 11yds
#20 Joey Orlando, New Hampshire 7rec 102yds 2TD
#28 Matt Tralli, Marist 4rec 96yds
#30 Sam Hendricks, Eastern Illinois 4rec 95yds 1TD

There are three different ways to evaluate quarterbacks. The "total offense" type (this category includes many running qbs in spread offenses), the "passing efficieny" type (the geno smiths of the world who don't throw the ball past the line of scrimmage), and the true pocket quarterbacks who throw the ball down the field. When looking at the various lists of QB Leaders, there is a lot of crossover among these types. So I'm not going to list the "top performers" for the quarterback position. Later in the season I will do some kind of overall evaluation, if no one else has bothered.

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*Lora is a hispanic from Miami. However, those are pretty rare, too, at the outside receiver position. If he made it to the NFL, he would almost certainly be displacing a negro rather than a white receiver. If I continue this thread each week, I probably won't include him again.
 
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referendum

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Riddlewire, great list. Concerning Lora, in the one photo I saw of him on his teams website, he looks pretty white to me. I'd guess he's of Cuban extraction, being from Miami, and with a major in Kinesiology. If only more of our "Hispanic" immigrants were as white as him.
 
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Wes Kitts from Austin Peay is a pretty good rb. He only has 71 rushes on the season and a td but in the limited highlights I have seen him in he clearly can cut and does have a second and third gear in the open field.
I do not know even in a non-caste world he would make an NFL team but this dude is pretty impressive especially on some of his runs against Western Kentucky and Virginia Tech this year.
Also the more I watch Zach Zenner I just don't see it. I hope he gets an NFl shot as if Nate Eachus can make a team these two can but he looks a little tight and hesitant when he runs with the ball.
 

Carolina Speed

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RBs
#1 Eric Breitenstein, Wofford 22c 219yds (9.95avg) 2TD
#3 Zach Zenner, South Dakota State 23c 183yds (7.96avg) 1TD
#4 Jake Miller, North Dakota 12c 178yds (14.83avg) 1TD
#9 Adam Urbano, Tennessee Tech 25c 158yds (6.32avg) 1TD
#10 Dan Moore, Montana 27c 148yds (5.48avg) 1TD
#13 Nick Campanella, Georgetown 12c 127yds (10.58avg) 3TD
#35 Wes Kitts, Austin Peay 10c 104yds (10.40avg) 1TD

WR/TE

#1 Erik Lora*, Eastern Illinois 13rec 151yds 2TD
#2 Daniel Cason, Old Dominion 7rec 144yds
#5 Brandon Kaufman, Eastern Washington 4rec 132yds
#6 Rock Tate, Sacred Heart 7rec 124yds
#9 Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina 7rec 114yds
#11 Ryan Spadola, Lehigh 9rec 11yds
#20 Joey Orlando, New Hampshire 7rec 102yds 2TD
#28 Matt Tralli, Marist 4rec 96yds
#30 Sam Hendricks, Eastern Illinois 4rec 95yds 1TD

There are three different ways to evaluate quarterbacks. The "total offense" type (this category includes many running qbs in spread offenses), the "passing efficieny" type (the geno smiths of the world who don't throw the ball past the line of scrimmage), and the true pocket quarterbacks who throw the ball down the field. When looking at the various lists of QB Leaders, there is a lot of crossover among these types. So I'm not going to list the "top performers" for the quarterback position. Later in the season I will do some kind of overall evaluation, if no one else has bothered.

-------------------------------------------------------
*Lora is a hispanic from Miami. However, those are pretty rare, too, at the outside receiver position. If he made it to the NFL, he would almost certainly be displacing a negro rather than a white receiver. If I continue this thread each week, I probably won't include him again.


Riddlewire, I posted Zach Zenner SDS, now leading FCS in rushing after 5 games on the College RB's thread Freethinker started, 1,077/ 5 games at 215 yds/games.

I couldn't find a list of FCS rushing leaders. Where can I find a list of FCS stat leaders?
 

Jimmy Chitwood

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i don't recall ever hearing of Zach Zenner until today ... and it's a shame, 'cause this kid can run!

i watched some of his team's game tape before writing up this post to get an idea of what kind of runner he is, and after doing so i can honestly say it is amazing that the sophomore is putting up these kinds of numbers. his offensive line is average (at best), and he is routinely hit in the backfield ... yet he has the ability to slide off hits and rarely loses yardage.

what makes him special, though, is his acceleration when he hits a seam. i don't know what his 40 time is, but it's obvious that the kid can move.

in SDSU's season opener against the Kansas Jayhawks, he had 183 yards on 23 carries including a 99-yard touchdown burst against a secondary filled with "real" affletes. on his long touchdown, he ran away from them like they were running in place.

he also chipped in 4 catches for 27 yards.

a Minnesota native who measures in at 6-feet, 215-pounds and with breakaway speed, he appears to be yet another example of a talented kid who wasn't recruited Division One (notably ignored by the Gophers) and is blowing up when given an opportunity ... where have we heard that before? :dodgy:

here's the video of his long run against the KU Jayhawks:
[video=youtube;wLYsnxoCvdc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLYsnxoCvdc[/video]
 
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i don't recall ever hearing of Zach Zenner until today ... and it's a shame, 'cause this kid can run!

i watched some of his team's game tape before writing up this post to get an idea of what kind of runner he is, and after doing so i can honestly say it is amazing that the sophomore is putting up these kinds of numbers. his offensive line is average (at best), and he is routinely hit in the backfield ... yet he has the ability to slide off hits and rarely loses yardage.

what makes him special, though, is his acceleration when he hits a seam. i don't know what his 40 time is, but it's obvious that the kid can move.

in SDSU's season opener against the Kansas Jayhawks, he had 183 yards on 23 carries including a 99-yard touchdown burst against a secondary filled with "real" affletes. on his long touchdown, he ran away from them like they were running in place.

he also chipped in 4 catches for 27 yards.

a Minnesota native who measures in at 6-feet, 215-pounds and with breakaway speed, he appears to be yet another example of a talented kid who wasn't recruited Division One (notably ignored by the Gophers) and is blowing up when given an opportunity ... where have we heard that before? :dodgy:

here's the video of his long run against the KU Jayhawks:
[video=youtube;wLYsnxoCvdc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLYsnxoCvdc[/video]


In the mid 1980's there was a junior college running back in Minnesota named Tom Zenner that broke the record (national) for touchdowns. I have a sneaky feeling Zach may be his off-spring. I am going to take a wild guess and assume that he probably had no scholarship offers and was the reason he was playing junior college football.

The great David Ubben of ESPN had this to say about Zach Zenner after that Kansas game.

Even through a combined five wins the past two years, Kansas has had strong running backs, and proved it again tonight. Two running backs went over 100 yards, led by starter Tony Pierson's 124 yards and two scores on 20 carries.
As for the defense? You have to be concerned anytime you give up a 99-yard touchdown run like Kansas did tonight. South Dakota State's Zach Zenner (23 carries, 183 yards, TD) is far from a speedster, but he managed to outrun KU's entire defense. That's not pretty.

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/tag/_/name/zach-zenner
 

TwentyTwo

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Louisiana
Thanks Riddlewire & Jimmy C...

Wanted to start thread on Zach Zenner a few weeks ago...hadn't heard of him til Week 1 this season. Nice burst on the 99 yd run against FBS Kansas...not even the 5'-11" 180 CB could catch Zenner!

Some impressive stats so far! 7.9 Avg per carry!

Kansas....23-183-1
SE Louisiana...34-278-1
UC-Davis... 21-197-2
Indiana State... 29-237-1
Missouri State..30-182-1
 
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