Quote from: MammothDad on October 23, 2024, 02:52:21 PMI'm sure Amherst is an easy team for most of you to root against.

But for the love of excitement, do any of you get tired of beating a team that can't score and barely get first downs?



Congrats to Colby, Bowdoin and Tufts for stomping us of late!

Middlebury, thank you for toying with us in the 2nd half, giving us a false hope ...

... it was fun while it lasted.


Help me out, journeymen of NESCAC FB ...

... if your OL struggles to run straight forward to allow your RBs to bruise, as Amherst did more years removed than they want to acknowledge, would not 5 step drops ALSO be dangerous???

Would not an OC help a struggling OL out by mixing in QB draws, screens, play action pass, run pass options, the option, a reverse a dang flea flicker, hook and lateral, etc...

SOMETHING???

Or does blocking improve after the 7th series ending in a punt, allowing the offense to suddenly run at will and pass out of a 5 step drop?!?

okay, rant over but its getting old and I see nothing changing?!?

Thanks again for those of you who share stats and answer questions!  You guys really help a guy new to the league.

MammothDad,

As other members have touched on, the issues with the Amherst FB program run much deeper than simply schematic or preparation. But, yes, I agree. There do appear to be some poor game planning going on coaching wise. However, I think putting the QB in a 5 step would just create more issues, but agreed there should be some adjustments going on. The coaching staff could be doing stuff behind the scenes that just isn't visible from the stands though. Not sure. Could always pull a Bates and turn to the option. Just ask NESCACMAN.

- Honcho, NESCAC Legend

I'm a distant but long time observer of Athletics at both Purple schools. From the bleachers I will say I've always felt a different vibe when attending random Football, Basketball and Baseball games at Amherst and Williams over the last 35 years.
Williams is a much more friendly and supportive Athletic environment.
Seems like there is often a distraction at Amherst or some counter group(s) that just isn't totally supportive of athletics and specifically Football.
Reminds me of Bowdoin in that regard.

The Williams administrative and academic community seems to embrace Athletics as great supplement to the overall student experience. They seem less intimidated by Athletics and helmet sports  which, to me, is the litmus test of a school with truly open and diverse offerings for the students as a whole.

Quote from: lumbercat on October 23, 2024, 09:27:21 PMI'm a distant but long time observer of Athletics at both Purple schools. From the bleachers I will say I've always felt a different vibe when attending random Football, Basketball and Baseball games at Amherst and Williams over the last 35 years.
Williams is a much more friendly and supportive Athletic environment.
Seems like there is often a distraction at Amherst or some counter group(s) that just isn't totally supportive of athletics and specifically Football.
Reminds me of Bowdoin in that regard.

The Williams administrative and academic community seems to embrace Athletics as great supplement to the overall student experience. They seem less intimidated by Athletics and helmet sports  which, to me, is the litmus test of a school with truly open and diverse offerings for the students as a whole.

We've been attending both home and away NESCAC games for a long time. And not just football...

Lumber, Bowdoin may be turning the corner. Saturday was, by far, the best atmosphere we have ever seen for a sporting event on the Polar campus. Kudo's to the Bowdoin student body as well as the alums, parents, profs, et al for coming out and supporting the team (we know it was "parents weekend" so that certainly helped). Supporting the student-athletes makes a (big) difference.

Coming Later this week...Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast (Episode 7)

Episode 7 features Middlebury Head Football Coach Doug Mandigo and Williams QB Owen McHugh! Hear Coach Mandigo discuss his big win last weekend over the Trinity Bantams, his career and transition to Head Coach, Middlebury's 2023 NESCAC Football Championship, and more. Join us for our objective weekly game analysis, previews, and picks.

The podcast is available on YouTube and Spotify. Search for "9 Weeks NESCAC"...the first and only podcast of its kind.

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Im still schocked at how little interest Donovan wood got in the portal

Quote from: Trin9-0 on October 22, 2024, 05:06:24 PM

Quote from: GroundandPound on October 22, 2024, 02:16:22 PMWow!!! Yardage is not even close.  There may be others for #2 behind Girard.

Well, I went down a rabbit hole and ended up tracking down every NESCAC receiver to amass over 2,000 career receiving yards since the league formed in 1970. I've bolded the yardage leader from each school. The list includes 9 players from Trinity, 4 from Middlebury, 3 from Wesleyan, 2 from Tufts and one apiece from Amherst, Colby, Hamilton and Williams (no one from Bowdoin has reached the milestone).

Player    Rec    Yards    TDs    Jon Girard (Trinity 2017-'21) 163 3,035 29 Matt Perceval (Wesleyan 1996-'99) 166 2,879 36 Jon Troy (Tufts 1996-'99) 184 2,511 12 Danny Noyes (Colby 1998-'01) 164 2,466 ? Tom McDavitt (Trinity 1991-'94) 150 2,364 21 Freddie Scott (Amherst 1971-'73) 143 2,336 27 Tim McNamara (Trinity 1981-'84) 146 2,313 19 Ron Duckett (Trinity 1970-'73) 154 2,289 19 Pat McNamara (Trinity 1976-'79) 141 2,280 20 Phil Lutz (Tufts 2021-'22) 154 2,273 18 Zach Driscoll (Middlebury 2009-'12) 172 2,257 29 Fred Colman (Hamilton  1984-'87) 130 2,250 26 Donovan Wood (Middlebury 2020-'23) 131 2,246 19 Sean Clapp (Trinity 2021-Present) 151* 2,220* 21* Koby Schofer (Trinity 2016-'19) 134 2,159 23 Conrado Banky (Middlebury 2015-'18) 133 2,156 23 Larry DiGiammarino (Bates 1978-'81) 151 2,123 17 Frank Stola (Williams 2017-'21) 142 2,123 29 Matt Minno (Middlebury 2012-'15) 136 2,093 30 Terry McNamara (Trinity 1986-'89) 157 2,091 16 Mike Breuler (Wesleyan 2014-'17) 165 2,049 18 Pat Moffett (Wesleyan 2000-'03) 106 2,036 13 DeVante Reid (Trinity 2018-'22) 127 2,026 21 Given his absurd TD numbers and the fact that he played in 3 fewer games than Girard I'm giving the nod to Perceval as the All-Time NESCAC Wide Receiver G.O.A.T. Shoutout to the Jumbos' Jon Troy for that reception total but how did he only score 12 TDs?! If anyone from Colby knows how many career receiving TDs Danny Noyes had please feel free to update. *Notes active player.

Quote from: mhoncho123 on October 23, 2024, 09:04:50 PM

Quote from: MammothDad on October 23, 2024, 02:52:21 PMI'm sure Amherst is an easy team for most of you to root against.

But for the love of excitement, do any of you get tired of beating a team that can't score and barely get first downs?



Congrats to Colby, Bowdoin and Tufts for stomping us of late!

Middlebury, thank you for toying with us in the 2nd half, giving us a false hope ...

... it was fun while it lasted.


Help me out, journeymen of NESCAC FB ...

... if your OL struggles to run straight forward to allow your RBs to bruise, as Amherst did more years removed than they want to acknowledge, would not 5 step drops ALSO be dangerous???

Would not an OC help a struggling OL out by mixing in QB draws, screens, play action pass, run pass options, the option, a reverse a dang flea flicker, hook and lateral, etc...

SOMETHING???

Or does blocking improve after the 7th series ending in a punt, allowing the offense to suddenly run at will and pass out of a 5 step drop?!?

okay, rant over but its getting old and I see nothing changing?!?

Thanks again for those of you who share stats and answer questions!  You guys really help a guy new to the league.

MammothDad,

As other members have touched on, the issues with the Amherst FB program run much deeper than simply schematic or preparation. But, yes, I agree. There do appear to be some poor game planning going on coaching wise. However, I think putting the QB in a 5 step would just create more issues, but agreed there should be some adjustments going on. The coaching staff could be doing stuff behind the scenes that just isn't visible from the stands though. Not sure. Could always pull a Bates and turn to the option. Just ask NESCACMAN.

- Honcho, NESCAC Legend

Mr. Honcho,

We agree with you (and has been noted MANY times on this very Board over MANY years); "it's all about the Jimmy and Joe's, not the X's and O's".

Success in the NESCAC (or any high academic league like the Ivy's, Centennial, etc.) begins and ends with admissions. If the program is not getting admissions support, it's very difficult, if not impossible to win in this league. That's why we are so bullish on UBates and what Coach Coyne is doing there.

As far as the Lord Mammoths coaching, was anyone criticizing Coach Mills and his staff when they were having (a ton of) success as recently as 2018? Did Coach Mills suddenly forget how to coach or recruit? We met with him two weeks ago and the answer is an emphatic, NO. 

Amherst still has 3 games left, including games against their two biggest rivals in the Little 3. Let's continue this discussion at the end of the season when we see the entire body of work for the 2024 season.

Personally, we are looking forward to observing in person the LM's as they face the Mysterious Methodists from Middletown on Saturday.

NM

PS Maybe the problem is the name change from the Lord Jeffs to the Mammoths. Since changing their name in 2017, Amherst is 32-28.

Quote from: Nescacman on October 23, 2024, 09:58:11 PM

Quote from: lumbercat on October 23, 2024, 09:27:21 PMI'm a distant but long time observer of Athletics at both Purple schools. From the bleachers I will say I've always felt a different vibe when attending random Football, Basketball and Baseball games at Amherst and Williams over the last 35 years.
Williams is a much more friendly and supportive Athletic environment.
Seems like there is often a distraction at Amherst or some counter group(s) that just isn't totally supportive of athletics and specifically Football.
Reminds me of Bowdoin in that regard.

The Williams administrative and academic community seems to embrace Athletics as great supplement to the overall student experience. They seem less intimidated by Athletics and helmet sports  which, to me, is the litmus test of a school with truly open and diverse offerings for the students as a whole.

We've been attending both home and away NESCAC games for a long time. And not just football...

Lumber, Bowdoin may be turning the corner. Saturday was, by far, the best atmosphere we have ever seen for a sporting event on the Polar campus. Kudo's to the Bowdoin student body as well as the alums, parents, profs, et al for coming out and supporting the team (we know it was "parents weekend" so that certainly helped). Supporting the student-athletes makes a (big) difference.

It is not a new thing for large and enthusiastic crowds to attend Bowdoin football games. There is deep and strong alumni support no matter how poor the product on the field has been. And Bowdoin does turn out in big numbers for its marquee sports like men's hockey and women's basketball. Apparently you have never attended a packed-to-the-rafters Bowdoin-Colby hockey game or a women's basketball play-off game or you wouldn't be co-signing Lumbercat's bleak assessment of Bowdoin support for its teams . .

Quote from: quicksilver on October 24, 2024, 09:57:02 AM

Quote from: Nescacman on October 23, 2024, 09:58:11 PM

Quote from: lumbercat on October 23, 2024, 09:27:21 PMI'm a distant but long time observer of Athletics at both Purple schools. From the bleachers I will say I've always felt a different vibe when attending random Football, Basketball and Baseball games at Amherst and Williams over the last 35 years.
Williams is a much more friendly and supportive Athletic environment.
Seems like there is often a distraction at Amherst or some counter group(s) that just isn't totally supportive of athletics and specifically Football.
Reminds me of Bowdoin in that regard.

The Williams administrative and academic community seems to embrace Athletics as great supplement to the overall student experience. They seem less intimidated by Athletics and helmet sports  which, to me, is the litmus test of a school with truly open and diverse offerings for the students as a whole.

We've been attending both home and away NESCAC games for a long time. And not just football...

Lumber, Bowdoin may be turning the corner. Saturday was, by far, the best atmosphere we have ever seen for a sporting event on the Polar campus. Kudo's to the Bowdoin student body as well as the alums, parents, profs, et al for coming out and supporting the team (we know it was "parents weekend" so that certainly helped). Supporting the student-athletes makes a (big) difference.

It is not a new thing for large and enthusiastic crowds to attend Bowdoin football games. There is deep and strong alumni support no matter how poor the product on the field has been. And Bowdoin does turn out in big numbers for its marquee sports like men's hockey and women's basketball. Apparently you have never attended a packed-to-the-rafters Bowdoin-Colby hockey game or a women's basketball play-off game or you wouldn't be co-signing Lumbercat's bleak assessment of Bowdoin support for its teams . .

Silver, we weren't "co-signing" Lumber's commentary, merely commenting (positively) on the turn-out and atmosphere on Saturday. Take it for what it was, a compliment. We're glad to hear that there is support for other sports as well. Speaking from experience, we haven't always seen it but maybe we just went to the wrong games or sports. We always like to see support of the student-athletes. As you know, they deserve it.

Will also add that a Bates night game is one of the most fund environments i've played in

Congrats to Lutz and Tomlinson.  Both are having outstanding seasons so far.
https://caasports.com/documents/2024/10/19//Report_Book.pdf?id=6634  pp. 22-23

Tomlinson 1st Recpts per game; Lutz 10th
Tomlinson 5th Rec. yds per game; Lutz 2nd
Tomlinson 8th TDs; Lutz 4th

One thing to be said as previously alluded to about my take on Wesleyan's finish to the year: I cannot wait to see the Ephs play in Middletown. Although Wesleyan ended up playing spoiler in Williamstown on homecoming, watching the film of that game you saw complete physical domination by both the Williams Offensive and Defensive lines. Those units for the Ephs return a majority of the same players from last years game (minus 2 starters on the OL). More experience at the skill position sets the Ephs up well for a matchup with Wesleyan.

Nescacman,

I believe this has been discussed on the board prior. At many schools of higher education, especially NESCAC's, it is no secret that many administration and faculty don't exactly believe football plays a role on campus. And many of these members would probably prefer to do away with a football team. While maybe jokingly, I think your point about the mascot change is very indicative. This name change was part of a bigger trend in academia of wokeness. As these feelings of animosity grew, COVID gave these schools both financial and social backing/excuses to start to trim these things they don't like. Many schools straight up cut sports. Furman University in SC terminated both their mens baseball and lacrosse teams in the Summer of 2020. The reason cited was "budget concerns." Both sports had incredible alumni backing and support. Not to mention Furman's endowment was upwards of $800 million. Furman didn't see a purpose for the sports on campus so they backdoored a way to get rid of them.

I believe many schools are incredibly fortunate to still have programs, especially Amherst. I think that speaks to Amherst's alumni support and backing. It would be very interesting to see what is going on at Amherst behind closed doors. Maybe someone can infiltrate the Amherst admin.

- Honcho, NESCAC Legend

Quote from: EphsML on October 24, 2024, 12:05:06 PMOne thing to be said as previously alluded to about my take on Wesleyan's finish to the year: I cannot wait to see the Ephs play in Middletown. Although Wesleyan ended up playing spoiler in Williamstown on homecoming, watching the film of that game you saw complete physical domination by both the Williams Offensive and Defensive lines. Those units for the Ephs return a majority of the same players from last years game (minus 2 starters on the OL). More experience at the skill position sets the Ephs up well for a matchup with Wesleyan.

That was a crazy game with each team having 4 turnovers. Wes via 1 int and 3 lost fumbles out of 5 and Wil with 2 int and 2 lost fumbles out of 3.  Wes scored 14 in the 4th qtr off 2 fumble recoveries. Heartbreaking loss but on a positive note I am almost over it.

Quote from: EphsML on October 24, 2024, 12:05:06 PMOne thing to be said as previously alluded to about my take on Wesleyan's finish to the year: I cannot wait to see the Ephs play in Middletown. Although Wesleyan ended up playing spoiler in Williamstown on homecoming, watching the film of that game you saw complete physical domination by both the Williams Offensive and Defensive lines. Those units for the Ephs return a majority of the same players from last years game (minus 2 starters on the OL). More experience at the skill position sets the Ephs up well for a matchup with Wesleyan.

Should be a great game and a large crowd in Middletown. Just to put the Wes/Williams game in proper perspective. By the Williams game last year, Wesleyan's defensive line was completely ravaged by injury and Wes was playing 3rd level guys. Despite those injuries, they mounted a furious comeback in the 4th quarter and came away with the win. Wesleyan has now won 10 of the last 11 games against the Purple Cows, including the last 5 on Andrus. The sole loss was to the Bobby Maimaron led team in Williamstown in 2021. We'll add that he was one of the best leaders we have ever seen play in the NESCAC. May not have been the most physically talented QB to ever play in this league, but his leadership was second to none. Since Dice became Head Coach in 2015, he has only lost once to his alma matter. Wes has a big game this weekend against the Lord Mammoths so first things first.

NM

I believe looking back at the Wesleyan Defensive Line during that game they had a 2023 2nd Team All Nescac Player and 2022 2nd Team All Nescac Player both in the starting lineup. I do not know about you but that does not scream like 3rd level guys?