Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Week 10)

Chad Johnson and the rest of the Athol A&M receiver core were all smiles last week, putting up 10 points each in an 81-64 shellacking of Rakeville. The Alckys will have quite the challenge this weekend against a Mexico defense that hasn't allowed 80 points all season.





Goal Line Stand (Week 10)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



A complete package is what separates a poor team from a good one. Sure, having a star helps, but you win as a group, not individuals. This concept is most obvious by the fact that in the past three years, the roster containing the FAC-10 Player of the Year has never been the roster that wins the title... hell, those teams haven't even made the championship game.

In 2005, RB Shaun Alexander rushed for 1880 yards and 27 touchdowns for Gillespie State, yet the Black Diamonds were ousted in the semi-finals by Doug Flutie #1 Pick (now Bud Heavy University). In '06, RB LaDainian Tomlinson had 1800 and 28 TDs, only to finish 3rd behind 2 expansion teams. And just last year, QB Tom Brady had the single-best season of any passer in history with 4800 yards, 50 TDs and just 8 interceptions... and, according to the script, the Red Raiders were knocked out of the semi-finals.

Building the perfect well-rounded roster is tricky, but the best way to do it is building position by position. Find where your team is hurting, work on that spot, and move on. It sounds simple, but in a league filled with thick-skinned Athletic Directors hesitant to make moves, it's nearly impossible to go about it this way. Let's look at who has the best (and worst) situations at each locale:


Quarterback
Best - Twin City Tech (Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Tom Brady)
Who would have thought that the Red Raiders would lose the 2007 Player of the Year and still have the best quarterback situation in the conference. Tech pounced on Warner as soon as Brady went down, and this past week added depth with Brett Favre. The duo combines for 76 years of smart passing.
Worst - Rakeville (JaMarcus Russell)
Back in the 2007 Expansion Draft, the Grays picked Matt Leinart and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the Cali Kid hasn't panned out, and neither has Rakeville's current project. Russell has struggled since joining the team last year, and curiously, the team has no intention of a change. "We stick with our guys, and JaMarcus is our guy," said Head Coach Drew Bledsoe.


Running Back
Best - Dublin (Brian Westbrook, Chris Johnson, Brandon Jacobs)
Most teams would love 3 top-10 backs... but not DUBA. The coaching staff struggles each and every week to decide which two guys to put in, and often times regrets the decision (Jacobs had 117 yards and a TD on the bench last week). If a top running back goes down in the FAC-10 somewhere, look for Dublin to be the first one on the phone to them.
Worst - Weymouth (Lawrence Maroney, Darren McFadden, Leon Washington, Jonathan Stewart)
The Islanders have a ton of young talent in the backfield, none of which has come to fruition yet. Maroney is out for the year, McFadden and Stewart are battling injuries, and Washington is simply a backup in a starter's role. With a little patience, these guys MIGHT be stars someday... just not today.


Wide Receiver
Best - Twin City Tech (Andre Johnson, Plaxico Burress, Randy Moss, Roddy White)
When Randy Moss is your 4th WR, you know you have a good roster. The trades for Johnson, as well as the early season pickup of White, were ingenious moves by the Red Raiders. However, in a league of parity, this star receiver core is barely the best, with teams like Busch, Gillespie State, and even Athol A&M close behind.
Worst - Mexico (TJ Houshmandzadeh, Marques Colston, Torry Holt, Donnie Avery)
Once the elite force of the FAC-10, this receiving core has become the laughingstock of the conference. Age has become a factor, but that's no excuse for how far this group has fallen. Houshmandzadeh has been the only contributor, and he has just 570 receiving yards (13th in the conference), while nobody else has more than 375.


Tight End
Best - Gillespie State (Antonio Gates)
All Gates does is score touchdowns. In a conference thin at this position, it's a relief for the Black Diamonds to have someone they can count on week in and week out. Only Jason Witten (SU) and Tony Gonzalez (TCT) are comparable, but even they can't keep up with the former Kent State basketball star.
Worst - Mexico (Vernon Davis)
The Wildcats had high hopes for former TE Heath Miller, but a sprained left ankle put an end to that real quick. The team traded Jason Witten away in the offseason for Ryan Grant, which has yet to pay dividends for Mexico.


Kicker
Best - Athol A&M (David Akers)
In a season where kickers have been more valuable than wide receivers, David Akers has been at the top of the class. Often overlooked in most conferences, the FAC-10 takes pride in homegrown kickers almost as much as quarterbacks (almost). Akers's left foot is 83% this season, even though he has yet to be tested from 50+.
Worst - Rakeville (Nick Folk)
Speaking of homegrown, Folk has held the job since the Grays joined the conference. Unfortunately, Rakeville Head Coach Drew Bledsoe enjoys scoring just a bit too much, and has often gone for the end zone on 4th down inside the 40 yard line. With just 11 attempts, Folk has yet to be given a chance, though he does have 27 extra points (most in the conference).


Defense, Team
Best - Busch (Tennessee)
Busch's defense has been excellent as of late, with just 103 points against (1st in the league), 13 interceptions (tied 1st), and 22 sacks (5th). It's a position that demands consistency, and Busch has gotten 10 points/game out of them.
Worst - Dublin (San Diego)
After riding Dallas throughout the beginning of the season, DUBA is on its 3rd defense in 3 weeks. The strategy yet to pay off (the Oktoberfests got just 1 point out of their defensive spot-start last week), but this week looks to be more fruitful. Still, with nobody's job safe on the defensive side of the ball in Dublin, there have been plenty of grumblings throughout the locker room.


Defensive, Player
Best - Twin City Tech (Patrick Willis)
The top defensive player in 2007 is back at it again, anchoring MLB for the Red Raiders and doing a fine job of it. Willis has 57 tackles, tops in the conference, not to mention 1 sack and 1 interception which he returned for a touchdown. The rest of the defense is a bit weak, which explains why Willis is on the ball on every play.
Worst - Mexico (Ray Lewis)
Mexico cut its longtime defensive star London Fletcher in Week 8 for Lewis, yet the return has been short of spectacular. Since an injury held him to 6 games in 2005, Lewis has been much slower. With most D men averaging over 3 points/game and Lewis barely getting 2, look for the Wildcats to make a move here soon.

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Week 10 Matchups
(1) Dublin over (8) Rakeville
(2) Twin City Tech over (6) Golden
(3) Arizona-Kickery over (4) Bud Heavy
(10) Busch over (5) Stardust
(12) Weymouth over (7) Gillespie State
(11) Mexico over (9) Athol A&M

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Power Rankings
1. Dublin (+2)
2. Bud Heavy (+2)
3. Golden (+4)
4. Twin City Tech (-3)
5. Athol A&M (+1)
6. Arizona-Kickery (-1)
7. Stardust (-6)
8. Busch (+2)
9. Mexico (+2)
10. Weymouth (+2)
11. Rakeville (-2)
12. Gillespie State (-4)

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League Notes
- Due to an electrical problem on campus, Arizona-Kickery has been relocated at a temporary facility across town. Unfortunately, the Kickers' field won't be ready in time for this weekend's game against Bud Heavy, and instead will ominously be played over at Norwood Field in Tempe.

- Weymouth believes in giving everyone a chance, having instilled a "defense by committee" all season. According to insiders, whichever defensive unit can swim across the school's parking lot the fastest gets to play that weekend.

- Golden cut K Nate Kaeding this week, supporting the fact that players who look 12 years old do not belong in the FAC-10.