From the i-aa.org website:
No. 1/No. 1 Seed New Hampshire (11-1) vs. No. 7 Northern Iowa (9-3)
Time: 11:00 a.m. EST.
TV: ESPN GamePlan, ESPNU, UNI local cable.
Series: First-ever meeting.
New Hampshire seeks its first-ever trip to the semifinals of the NCAA playoffs. UNH amassed season highs in rushing (353) and total offense (605) in its 55-21 opening round win over Colgate on Sat. After averaging 147.6 rushing yards and scoring 13 rushing touchdowns in their first nine games, the Wildcats have averaged 301.6 yards on the ground and found the end zone 16 times over the past three weeks. New Hampshire has outscored its opponents by a 268-65 margin in the first half of its seven home contests this season. UNH senior RB John McCoy registered his second career 100-yard rushing performance with 117 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries versus Colgate. Sophomore DB Jeff Pammer is tied for second in the Atlantic 10 in tackles with 117. New Hampshire ranks second in the Conference with 32 sacks, led by senior DT Derek Stank’s 5.5. UNH is riding a seven-game winning streak and a nine-game home-winning streak, dating back to last season. Northern Iowa rallied from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Eastern Washington on Sat. in the opening round of the I-AA playoffs, 41-38. UNI seeks its first appearance in the semifinals since 2001. The Panthers defeated Maine (56-28) in the 2001 quarterfinals and fell to Delaware (37-7) in the 2003 quarterfinals. The Panthers did not lose to a I-AA opponent in 2005 when UNI sophomore QB Eric Sanders played a full game.
No. 3 Furman (10-2) at No. 12 Richmond (9-3)
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST.
TV: ESPNU, ESPN GamePlan, CN8, CSS.
Series: Richmond leads, 15-9.
Richmond scored 31 unanswered points to defeat Hampton on Sat., 38-10, for the program’s first I-AA playoff victory since a 10-3 win over Youngstown State in 2000. The Spiders have outscored their opponents by a 136-48 margin in the second half during its current eight-game winning streak, the program’s longest since 1998. UR is 5-1 at home this season. Richmond leads the Atlantic 10 with 40 sacks, including a league-leading 11.5 by sophomore DE Sherman Logan, the 2005 A-10 Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Spiders are yielding an average of 11.2 points over its last five contests. UR sophomore RB Tim Hightower has scored at least one rushing touchdown in six consecutive games. Richmond senior QB Stacy Tutt is averaging 12.9 carries and 277.7 yards of total offense per game since moving under center prior to the Spiders’ third game of the season. Furman edged Nicholls State, 14-12, on Sat. in the opening round of the I-AA playoffs. Marks Furman's sixth playoff appearance in the last seven years and 14th appearance overall. four different Paladins have rushed for more than 500 yards this season, with sophomore FB Jeromre Felton leading the team in rushing (743) and touchdowns (16). Furman dropped a 14-13 decision to James Madison in the quarterfinals of the 2004 playoffs.