Tony Moss rankings of 1-AA

[SonomaCat]

Local teams of interest include:

1. Delaware (15-1) - Blue Hens will seek national championship repeat, with an untested backfield the only major question mark in that quest.

2. Southern Illinois (10-2) - Year four of the Jerry Kill era should see the Salukis arrive in earnest. Transfer RBs Terry Jackson (Minnesota) and Brandon Jacobs (Auburn) will mesh with an otherwise veteran unit.

3. Montana (9-4) - A healthy quarterback in Craig Ochs will go a long way in helping Grizzlies toward a return to Big Sky dominance.

4. Villanova (7-4) - There isn’t a better defense in the nation, and quarterback appears to be the only offensive question mark on the Main Line.

5. Furman (6-5) - Defensive-rich Paladins were a quarterback away last year, so folks in Greenville are thrilled about the arrival of Florida transfer Ingle Martin.

6. Wofford (12-2) - The top offensive and defensive lines in the Southern Conference should spell another postseason bid for the Terriers.

7. Northern Iowa (10-3) - There are major questions to be answered at receiver, linebacker, and in the secondary, but Panthers should be able to wear down teams with the run game.

8. Grambling State (9-3) - New head coach Melvin Spears inherits nine returning starters on offense including All-American QB Bruce Eugene.

9. Colgate (15-1) - RB and Payton winner Jamaal Branch is back along with signal-caller Chris Brown, though the Raiders will be younger on both lines and in the secondary.

10. Montana State (7-6) - The secondary will have to deal with the loss of All-Americans Kane Ioane and Joey Thomas, but the Bobcats will once again have the top front seven in the Big Sky.

11. McNeese State (10-2) - Tommy Tate must replace 11 all-conference picks from last season, yet it is still hard to discount the three-time defending Southland champs.

20. Idaho State (8-4) - Bengals will miss DE and Buchanan winner Jared Allen, but QB Mark Hetherington and WR Sale’ Key should be good for plenty of offensive fireworks.

24. Northern Colorado (9-2) - The odds-on favorite to win the inaugural Great West title, UNC should see QB Tony Christensen and WR Vincent Jackson making frequent connections.

26. Weber State (8-4) - Wildcats will have to prove that last season’s late success was no fluke, as they seek the first back-to-back eight-win seasons in school history.

31. Gardner-Webb (8-4) - Bulldogs could run away with Big South title, though they won’t garner serious playoff consideration until they compete well with a top-notch opponent.

34. Northern Arizona (9-4) - Despite the return of QB and Payton finalist Jason Murrietta, the Lumberjacks could have trouble contending after 13 starters exhausted their eligibility.

36. Cal Poly (7-4) - Mustangs fell just short in their playoff quest last season, and linebacker Jordan Beck will attempt to lead Cal Poly through another difficult schedule this season.

39. Sam Houston State (2-9) - Ron Randleman and company could return to 2001 prominence if transfer QB Dustin Long (Texas A&M) is the second coming of Josh McCown.

43. Eastern Washington (6-5) - Eagles always seem to be a defensive piece or two away from a postseason bid, and 2004 could bring more of the same for Paul Wulff’s team.

51. UC Davis (6-4) - Major graduation losses at quarterback, offensive line and on defense spell a rebuilding year in Aggieland.

52. Portland State (4-7) - Vikings had glaring weaknesses on both lines last season, and will have trouble improving enough to contend in the Big Sky.

59. Sacramento State (2-9) - If QB Ryan Leadingham, RB Tyronne Gross, and WR Fred Amey can all stay healthy (three big ifs), the Hornets could be a Big Sky surprise.

64. Southern Utah (4-7) - Wes Meier takes over for Gary Andersen in the head coach’s chair, and the potential addition of BYU transfer and running back Marcus Whalen could ease his transition.

68. North Dakota State (8-3) - Bison bring back most of their 2003 nucleus, and could be a player in the Great West race as they begin their transition from Division II.

81. South Dakota State (7-4) - Jackrabbits were a quality team at the Division II level last season, and quarterback Brad Nelson (3141 yards, 27 TD, 5 INT) returns to lead the troops.

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