Didn't realize, but Lehigh threw two picks, botched a field goal and still won the game. Mountain Hawks may not be the biggest or most impressive team off the bus, but their playmakers can scoot.

How do you dissect film, when a team as explosive as SEMO shoots themselves in the foot, reloads and continues shooting the other foot. I've never seen such a blatant disregard for ball security -- nearly 600 yards of offense, 8 turnovers, 1 ejection, Illinois State clearly took their foot off the gas in the late 3rd quarter, and were content to not show too much and take care of closing the game out. What a weird game to watch if you're the coaching staff. Watching the replay, you have to believe the Aggies will have some success throwing the ball...and credit to the Redbirds, they clocked 5 INTs in a playoff game...the Redhawks were gunslinging, but you have to be in good position to log that kind of turnover margin.

Beyond that, this is one of first two Big Sky vs. Missouri Valley matchups in the Playoffs (Montana @ SDSU) and ALL roads lead through the Dakotas eventually, The focus is on Illinois State, but is there any Big Sky Conference pride going into this game?

The last time the Aggies hosted a playoff game in 2018, it was a 6-5 Northern Iowa team who played Davis to the bone, so expecting a tough game. MVFC plays hard nosed, complete football.

SUU would've been a mature pick by the committee. Me personally, I like it when the best players get a chance in the big dance...the Top FCS rusher is in the playoffs with a chance to redeem the loss earlier in the season. Thunderbirds played a murderous schedule, and were competitive in most every game --- that loss to Idaho State did them in.

They played 4 FCS Playoff teams --- beating EKU 42-21, losing to UC Davis, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State by a combined 7 points in 3 games... got crushed by Utah and beat UTEP. Clearly, consistency is a huge determining factor for the committee. If they beat the Bengals earlier in the year, they would've been in.

Neither of those conferences participate in the playoffs.

Watching the playback on the Griz game. Just looked like a cold, stiff moving night. 2nd half was full of dumb turnovers and special teams breakdowns. Bergen ran back two punts in the 2nd half, just embarrassing for Eddie George's special teams. Tennessee State will be back though, sounds like they're just picking their program back up.

Also had to check the roster and yes, the star WR from TSU was Karate Brenson...so this season we've been witness to a Taco Dollar, an Eastern player named Tuna, and the Griz played a guy named Karate.

I wonder if the Griz fans will be leaving at half-time like usual --- only to come back to TSU being up 7 in the middle of the 3rd.

SUU actually played Abilene Christian earlier in the year and lost 25-28

All 4 Coastal Athletic teams that got into the playoffs played today, #9 seed Richmond, their best, got beat by Lehigh, their worst, New Hampshire, got blown out at home by UT Martin, Rhode Island was played tough by CCSU and Nova held on to beat Eastern Kentucky. Not feeling the CAA right now.

If Montana doesn't win soundly tonight - you'd have to say that the mid-tier of the Big Sky doesn't look all that hot either.

...or tonight.

Tennessee Martin crushed New Hampshire, I mean that was a job well done. The only non-FG points scored by UNH were on a Kickoff Return.

Nova firms up and overcomes Eastern Kentucky
Tarleton whoops Drake
Abilene Christian shuts out the Jacks

What can Tennessee State dial up on Montana?

So far these playoffs, the Big Sky has scored 0 points.

I want to see the playback on the Lehigh / Richmond game so bad.

I'm a huge movie buff, and my hard disc collection started in earnest going to that old Tower Records location in Davis. They had a huge selection of films, and music of course, inside that place, used to go there for at least an hour each time I went. Such a cool place, miss it.

It's not uncommon, after a Thanksgiving haze, that games aren't played that crisply in Rd. 1 --- that's why first round BYEs are so huge...you give yourself the break to not only heal, but bypass the holiday then get back to work afterwards for the Round 2 game.

Rhode Island through
Illinois State through

It is, they're wrong, shocker.

SEMO is using that silicon-based kitchen lubricant that Clark's company was working on in Christmas Vacation.