Week 2: NWC Pick 'Em!

Old Wildcat11 went 5 for 5 last week! Good thing that UPS was mentally tough enough to beat a team that was playing their first game in 19 years. So we have more games this week and some tough calls but WC11 will see if he can keep up the good early start.

NWC:

#13 Willamette over #14 Hardin-Simmons (at HSU): I’m taking the Bearcats on another very tough road game tilt. I don’t think HSU has a great running game and Willamette’s soft shell pass defense is going to cause issues for the Cowboys. Feasters has to run the ball early and often to keep Willamette’s defense honest. In the end, I don’t think HSU will make the adjustments defensively to the fly and the Bearcats will move to 2-0.

Pacific Lutheran over Hamline (at Hamline): Hamline appears to have some offense but PLU’s has a better one. This is a must win for PLU if they want to build towards challenging Linfield and Willamette this season.

Whitworth over Pomona-Pitzer (at P-P): The Rats offense looked horrible and unimaginative last week vs HSU (watch part of the game on-line). Thankfully, Pomona-Pitzer will cure some of those lack of points because they are Pomona-Pitzer. Look for Adam Anderson to have a 3 TD game or more on Saturday.

Claremont Mudd-Scripps over L&C (at CMS): I think this is going to be a very entertaining high scoring game. A shoot out of bad teams is way better than a defensive battle between bad teams. L&C could get the rub here but I’ll take the Stags to hang on for a win.

Occidental over Puget Sound (at Oxy): According to UPS Frosh WR, Thiesen Chang he’s looking forward to “putting a pounding on Oxy” (around the 4:35 mark). Oh, to be young and dumb. Oxy has to be licking their wounds after dropping their season opener to an improved NAIA Indy Menlo Oaks and the Tigers will take that frustration out vs UPS. Look for Oxy All-American DE, Alex Wertheimer to have all of his mail forward to the UPS backfield because that’s where he’ll be taking up residency on Saturday.

West Region Game of the week

Redlands over East Texas Baptist (at ETB): Almost took ETB here but the Dawgs do have 35 year old Dan Selway back at QB and he’s a good one. It will be a scrap but I see the Redlands getting off on the right foot.

National Game of the week

#10 Delaware Valley over #20 Washington & Jefferson (at DelVal): Don’t know much about either school except it seems that Washington & Jeff always seemed to get housed in big games. Del Valley has been a solid program over the past 5-7 years and look for them to take the home victory.