| Division I-AA |
| Rank | Team | '99
Record | Returning
Starters | Schedule
Strength |
|
1 | Georgia Southern | 13-2 | 1 | 11 |
|
Running back Adrian Peterson, winner of the Walter Payton Award last fall, has rushed for 100 yards or more in each of his 30 career games. |
|
2 | Montana | 9-3 | 8 | 17 |
|
Grizzlies offense (517.4 yards per game) was second in the nation in '99, led by quarterback Drew Miller (3,461 yards, 32 TDs in '99). |
|
3 | Appalachian State | 9-3 | 10 | 16 |
|
Mountaineers defense will climb high with senior defensive back Corey Hall, who led the team last year with 115 tackles and five interceptions. |
|
4 | Troy (Ala.) State | 11-2 | 6 | 14 |
|
Terrific Trojans quarterback Brock Nutter passed for 1,994 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. |
|
5 | UMass | 9-4 | 5 | 14 |
|
With two-time All-America Marcel Shipp (1,886 yards, 24 TDs in '99), Minutemen will sail. |
|
6 | Illinois State | 11-3 | 2 | 18 |
|
Redbirds feature a three-headed rushing attack with Willie Watts, Walter James and Aveion Cason, each of whom rushed for more than 700 yards last season. |
|
7 | Northern Iowa | 8-3 | -- | 12 |
|
Senior quarterback Ryan Helming leads an offense (475.9 yards per game) that ranked seventh in the nation a year ago. |
|
8 | Stephen F. Austin | 8-3 | 17 | 14 |
|
Lumberjacks will go as far as junior quarterback Wes Pate (1,840 yards, 17 TDs in '99) takes them. |
|
9 | Youngstown State | 12-3 | 3 | 13 |
|
Powerful Penguins linebacker Tim Johnson had an eye-popping 221 tackles last season. |
|
10 | Villanova | 7-4 | 20 | 16 |
|
Game-breaking back Brian Westbrook (3,026 all-purpose yards in '98) returns after missing '99 with a torn ACL. |
| |
| Division II |
| Rank | Team | '99
Record | Returning
Starters | Schedule
Strength |
|
1 | Northwest Missouri State | 14-1 | 1 | 15 |
| Bearcats should win a third consecutive national title behind running back David Jansen (1,127 yards, 17 TDs in '99) |
|
2 | Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | 13-1 | 2 | 12 |
| Eagles junior quarterback Leonard Guyton, 17-2 as a starter, threw for 1,527 yards and 13 TDs and rushed for 441 yards and 12 scores a year ago |
|
3 | UC Davis | 10-2 | 11 | 12 |
| Aggies offense is in good hands with junior quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan, who threw for 3,217 yards and 26 touchdowns last season |
|
4 | Central Oklahoma | 8-3 | 20 | 15 |
| Bronchos boast a suffocating defense, led by defensive tackle Claude Davis (9 sacks in '99) |
|
5 | North Dakota State | 9-2 | 7 | 20 |
| Return to dominance? The Bison, who won four national titles in the '80s, are loaded again |
|
6 | Slippery Rock (PA) | 10-2 | 12 | 16 |
| Rock solid: Senior quarterback Randy McKavish, 33-6 as a starter, threw for 1,753 yards in '99 |
|
7 | South Dakota State | 8-3 | 8 | 20 |
| Running back Josh Ranek rambled for 2,055 yards last season, second best in Division II |
|
8 | Pittsburg (Kan.) State | 10-2 | 5 | 11 |
| Gorillas veer offense features quarterback Lateef Walker (1,041 yards rushing in '99) and backs Anthony Chatmon (878) and Josh Shay (682) |
|
9 | Northern Colorado | 11-2 | 3 | 10 |
| Mark Passard will attempt to fill the shoes of award-winning quarterback Corte McGuffey (2,893 yards, 31 TDs) |
|
10 | Ft. Valley (Ga.) State | 10-2 | 21 | 14 |
| Kent Schoolfield (842 yards), Trammel Pryor (710) and Anthony Snead (637) form one of the most prolific receiving trios in Division II |
| |
| Division III |
| Rank | Team | '99
Record | Returning
Starters | Schedule
Strength |
| 1 | Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) | 13-1 | 1 | 11 |
| The defending champs have a potent offense, led by quarterback Chad Johnson (2,822 yards passing, 22 TDs in '99) |
|
2 | Mount Union (Ohio) | 12-1 | 3 | 15 |
| The Purple Raiders led the nation in points (53.4 ppg) and yards (559.5) during the regular season and welcome back QB Gary Smeck (2,878 yards, 37 TDs invluding playoffs) |
|
3 | St. John's (Minn.) | 11-2 | 6 | 15 |
| Bullish fullback Chris Moore rushed for 1,101 yards last season despite missing three games because of a strained knee |
|
4 | Central College (Iowa) | 10-2 | 11 | 15 |
| Dynamic linebacker Jeff Sanger had 111 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries for the Dutch in '99 |
|
5 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 7-4 | - | 17 |
| The Eagles' backfield will be well-fronted by 6'8", 335-pound senior right tackle Dustin Dunaway |
|
6 | Trinity (Texas) | 12-1 | 4 | 12 |
| Tiger offense amassed a school-record 4,389 yards last year thanks to the stellar play of its line, led by left guard Bill Smith |
|
7 | Catholic (Washington, D.C.) | 9-2 | 18 | 15 |
| QB Derek McGee (2,397 yards) and new starting RB Dan Boyle (8.6 yards per carry) power an offense that averaged 40.1 points in '99 |
|
8 | Rowan (N.J.) | 12-2 | 2 | 12 |
| The Profs have advanced to the title game five times in the last seven seasons, but must replace five All-Americas this fall |
|
9 | Augustana (Ill.) | 9-2 | 14 | 13 |
| The offensive line, which enabled the Vikings to rank second in the nation in rushing (329.2 yards per game), returns intact |
|
10 | Western Connecticut | 10-1 | 13 | 15 |
| Matt LeFever had the second highest rating (203.1) by a quarterback in any of the NCAA's four divisions |
