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DIAA Round of 16

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DIAA Round of 16

USC could shake things up.

Five more games remain in the DIAA Round of 16 and we've got plenty of games that are tough to call.

Several of the teams have had to balance between 7s and 15s through this winter and spring, but it seems like they've all been able to do it one way or another. AIC hasn't really worried about it at all, and will just turn around and play 15s after hosting their own 7s tournament. Regardless, thanks to their pace and aggressive offensive philosphy, AIC has to be favored over Delaware. 

James Madison and Harvard might be a tough game to pick. Harvard's set piece should be solid, and they defend aggressively. For JMU, their need to remain patient, and translate what has been a lot of 7s play into a good open-field 15s pattern. They think they can.

Utah State is a big unknown, and will have to win on the road against a University of Washington team that is reaching its potential at the right time. UW's defense is probably the key here.

UC Davis is under a huge amount of pressure - the defending national DIAA champion Aggies host this game and will host the quarterfinal/semifinal a week later. They want to be playing in those games. They kind of expect to be playing in those games. Davis went 9-0 in Pacific Western league and playoff play. But because of that, they are vulnerable to an undermining of confidence. USC is a well-coached and athletic, and, led by Adam Bushell and Dimitriy Veremeenko, can score points. If they go up early, this will be a crucial test of the Aggies' mettle.

Somewhat similar is the matchup between Long Beach State and Sacramento State - a team that has high expectations in CSULB, and a team that really loves to crash the party and has nothing to lose. What the 49ers have in their favor is that they had to battle all the way through the Gold Coast playoffs, and as such have already dealt with in-game setbacks. Sacramento State will have to work hard to unsettle them.

 

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