Atlantic Central Football Conference/Independents

[XSUGull]

My unprofessional expert picks for Week 4:
XSUGULL season record: 6-3-2*

Salisbury at Delaware Valley
I gave my thoughts on Salisbury in an earlier post. If you missed it I talked about the Sea Gulls' fumbling issues and their decline in the pass game (compared to last year) through the early part of the season. I'm not too sure that coach Wood & co. are as worried about the drop in the passing attack as much as they are about putting the ball on the turf 11 times in the first three games. The weather is calling for rain which shouldn't hamper the SU ground game (albeit, they could be more likely to fumble). I don't think the Sea Gulls will be looking too far ahead, especially after Del. Valley shocked Wesley a few weeks back. This could be a defensive battle with a few big plays from Salisbury deciding the outcome. Salisbury 21, Delaware Valley 13.

Widener at Frostburg State
I'm sure that no one on the Bobcats roster was surprised when they defeated SUNY-Brockport last week but I sure was. It's good to see FSU getting back to where it once was in the ACFC. I still have difficultly picking the Bobcats to win. I think its close but I like Widener in this one. Widener 27, Frostburg State 14.

Apprentice at FDU-Florham
Apprentice was fairly balanced on offense last week as they scored one touchdown every quarter on its way to a 28-10 win. FDU has a one-point win over TCNJ and a one-touchdown loss to Alfred under its belt. If Apprentice can continue to be balanced on offense I think they can get the win. Apprentice 24, FDU-Florham 14.

[gordonmann]

If any Wesley fans are bored with the bye week...

No. 6 Salisbury
vs.
Delaware Valley

Broadcast begins with pregame coverage at 12:40 pm, kickoff at 1 pm.  Click here to listen.

Broadcasts require Windows Media Player 9.0 or later to listen.

NJLincolnLion:

I'll even throw in a Kyle Myrick reference for you.

[@d3jason]

Gordon ---
Is Rissinger back at d-end for the Aggies yet? He could be a boost for the Del Val defense.

The field should be in good shape. It held up well after the Iona game and looked great for the Wesley game.  I don't think the field will be a quagmire, the ball will just be wet and slippery.

Should be a good contest. I agree with XSUgull, turnovers and Salisbury's ability to make plays in the pass game will be big factors.

I wasn't impressed with the Aggie run game (stop Cook before he gets going), but Isgro is terrific. He keeps a lot of plays alive with his feet but also is very accurate from the pocket. SU should go after him and make him get rid of it quick. He has some sure-handed receivers but nobody that's going to run away from the speedy Gull secondary.

Salisbury has a brutal schedule, they may slip up one of these weeks, but it's hard to tell whether it will be this this one.

I think Widener/Frostburg is a close game. I may even give the Bobcats the edge. The Pride has quarterback problems, the starter isn't going to beat you with his arm. The run game hasn't been very good either and FSU has always played good defense. Nine points against Wesley and seven against a NC Wesleyan team that lost a lot from last year, 14 points may win this game for FSU.

It looks like FSU's QB has been very efficient this year so far. He'll need to be on Sat., Widener blitzed Wesley alot last week out of their 3-4 alignment. The Bobcats will need to make them pay by hitting some big plays down the field. That's something they've struggled with in recent years and even if last week's win there didn't appear to be many big yardage plays.

Finally, Frostburg is a tough place to play. The Bobcats are always tough at home. It'a long trip to the middle of nowhere.

[wesleydad]

gordan, if any wesley fans are bored and are within a 2 hour drive, they should go to the game.  nothing against your broadcast as i have heard you before and you do a fine job, but seeing it live will give us a chance to see how we stack up against salisbury.  we know what wesley looked like against delval, tale of 2 halves, so we can find out what will need to be done to beat salisbury.  i will be making the trip up since it is only an hour for me.  pawesley, let me know if you are making it, i should get there about 12, unless the rain that did not come the last 2 days decides to show up tomorrow.

xsu, i am not sure what frostburg has on defense, but after watching widener last week i would be surprized if they scored 14 much less 24.  not many weapons on offense.

dont know about any other wesley fan, but it doesnt feel like the season even started yet with the missed week and the bye.  games every week from here on out

[PA_wesleyfan]

wesleydad

I am not going to get to the game.  I have to work and then I have a previous engagement to make up for missing last week 

  btw Harrah's Chester treated me the same as Dover Downs does 

[gordonmann]

WesleyDad:

True enough.  Can't blame me for trying to drum up listeners though. 

[wesleydad]

pawesley, if that means you left with less than you came with, then that it the way i usually get treated also.

gordan, i understand about drumming up business.  maybe i will see you there.

[Bigtoe75]

In the home games that I have seen at Salisbury, they have had their opportunities in the passing game.  Tillage has dropped a few passes this year, one I remember was in the endzone.  SU will have success in the running game and Delval will be successful passing on SU's defense.  It will be a matter of who is able to hit the big play.

Gordonmann, I'll tune in at 1pm!

[Teamski]

This will be a very interesting game.  Good luck Salisbury!

-Ski

[@d3jason]

SU 7 Del VAl 7 2nd quarter.

Both teams have turned the ball over in the others territory once. Both scored on other possession.

[@d3jason]

Frostburg trials Widener 13-3 in the first quarter. New starter at QB for the Pride this week.

Bobcats have turned it over twice, one a pick 6, the gave Widener the ball at the 20.

[@d3jason]

Salisbury using QB Curley at receiver too. He makes big third down catch on late 2nd quarter drive. That sets up a Sheahin pass to Tillage from 33 yards to put Gulls up 20-14. They miss the extra point.

[wesleydad]

just got back from the delval/salisbury game.  there is no doubt who the better team was today.  delval was able to do what they wanted on offense, run or pass.  i think they had over 450 yards of total offense.  salisbury was not able to contain the run and the cornerbacks got lost on some big plays when it was an obvious passing situation.  salisbury was able to move the ball in the first half, but just like the wesley game the delval coaches made some adjustments and shut down the gulls.  if chandler is hurt and misses any games the gulls defensive front will be in trouble, he did not have a very good game today and delval ran at him as much as they ran away from him.  if i compare the 2 games, wesley/delval and todays game i believe that wesley is clearly better than salisbury.  wesley did not play a very good game with all the penalties and 2 fumbles yet still contained delval's offense and lost with 10 seconds to go.  salisbury has no excuses today, they got beat.  delval is a very good football team and will certainly be ranked this week, i would think in the top 15.  they have to be the favorite in the mac.

looking forward to next weeks game with frostburg.  i see that widener changed qb's and generated some offense today.  time for wesley to start their run to the playoffs.

[Hampton U SID]

not a good day for the ACFC

Builders lose 23-21 at FDU-Florham (two scores in the first six minutes of the fourth - even statistically we rushed for 15 more yards, they passed for 15 more yards, each team had 17 first downs and turned it over twice)

Frostburg rallies and falls, while Salisbury falls at Del Val

[SU Backer]

    Not a good day for my Gulls....I listened to the first half and it sounded like they were doing fine. I had a family function and couldn't listen in on the second half, but it looks like they just plain got beat by DelVal. Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you I guess.  Congrats to DV. Mobile quarterbacks give a lot of teams trouble and we look like we were not up to the challenge today. I thought the #6 ranking was too high going in, and feel somewhere in the 2nd half of the top 25 was more realistic. I think they stay ranked, but in the 15-25 range.  I think that the St John Fisher game will be a gut check game and a must win for SU to get in the playoff hunt. The loss of pre-season All American Jarell Chandler is a big blow, as well as one of the nose tackles being  hurt and out of the rotation for this game, which kills a 3 man front. I think they bounce back this week (sorry NNASID) and beat Newport News. Man I wish they could get in a conference with a AQ, as it is they (and everybody else in the ACFC) face a double edged sword of  having to play a very tough schedule to get playoff consideration, but also only being "allowed" to lose one game to one of those teams to be in the hunt for a at large bid. Is there any thought on getting the independants and non-aq teams together? As a coach it has to be hard to get games and the Conference Championship is pretty diminshed with a 4 team conference.