FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[amh63]

Amherst's Preview on Bowdoin game on the Amherst Athletic website.  Sorry, but have to wait for one of my IT sons to show me the way to link it. 
Thanks all about the possible condition of Whittier Field.  Will know soon enough.  Remember the mud bowl up in Williamstown when the game ended in a tie...and the ball floated in the end zone(Nov. 1995). Game and practices covered  by The NY Times for three days as a feature series.  It pushed Williams to seek funds for the fine field they have now. 
Talking more wrt fields...the Wesleyan grass field has a drainage problem.  It can get sloppy after a heavy rain and/or during a rainstorm.  Have walked in puddles by the visitor stands going to get refreshments.

[lumbercat]

Irony reigns-

There are 3 remaining grass fields in the conference and each of those teams are at home tomorrow- However, no indication of excessive rain so all should be ok......though Whittier conditions are worrisome.

Say it ain't so---------
great and respected Whittier Field will hopefully not  be further damaged given compromised Turf conditions- (FERTILIZER with nitrogen is not a crime outside the Bowdoin community)

Hoping Whittier will not be in bad shape again for the Royal and Ancient Maine State Series.......

Good night Mort Soule, Jim Lentz and Mike Linkovich wherever you are.

The Garnet Bobcat hovers again in Brunswick. Long live the Boiled F'n Owl!

[Nescacman]

Week 2 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings

Not much movement in the rankings this week with Tufts and Wes switching spots. We don't think we have ever seen such a disparity between the top 5 and the bottom 5.

1. Amherst (1-0, Last week:1): Nice pre-season win for the Purple Moose last week.
2. Hartford State (1-0, LW: 2): Rumor has it that HS Admin is afraid to have a night game for obvious reasons.
3. Tufts (1-0, LW: 4): Tufts is the beneficiary of 2 missed Wes FGs and some inopportune Wes penalties despite being outplayed for most of the game.
4. Wesleyan (0-1, LW: 3): Picked up in '17 where they left off in '16. They need to be more disciplined to fulfill their manifest destiny.
5. Middlebury (1-0, LW: 5): We are not sold on the UNLV transfer/Fawn's little bro. 5 TD passes against the JV doesn't count.
6. Bates (0-1, LW: 6): Last team in the country to still run the triple option...
7. Colby (1-0, LW: 7): Played in perhaps the worst D3 game we have ever seen. Without QB Harrington, this team is going nowhere fast.
8. Hamilton (0-1, LW: 8): Maybe its time for the HCOF to head back to Alfred.
9. Conn College (0-0, LW: NR): Camels without a formal team would still beat Bowdoin and Williams.
10. Bowdoin (0-1, LW: 9): Just an awful football team. Did Bowdoin secretly give up football in the off-season? One reason we think they are troubled...they have exactly 1 player on their roster from the football rich state of NJ. Scan the rosters of the best teams in the 'CAC and you will find their rosters loaded with NJ talent.
11.Williams (0-1, LW:10): Former HCOF Kelton actually figures out a way to do something he never did in Keltonville losing 2 games in a week and dropping to 0-5 at Shorter. When was the last time this guy actually won a game? Mark your calendar....off the Shorter football schedule...December 17th is the D2 championship game. See 7 above. Ephs horrible last week. This program has sunk to a new low. Won't see a W until 2017, at least.

[Vandy74]

Week 2 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings

Not much movement in the rankings this week with Tufts and Wes switching spots. We don't think we have ever seen such a disparity between the top 5 and the bottom 5.

1. Amherst (1-0, Last week:1): Nice pre-season win for the Purple Moose last week.
2. Hartford State (1-0, LW: 2): Rumor has it that HS Admin is afraid to have a night game for obvious reasons.
3. Tufts (1-0, LW: 4): Tufts is the beneficiary of 2 missed Wes FGs and some inopportune Wes penalties despite being outplayed for most of the game.
4. Wesleyan (0-1, LW: 3): Picked up in '17 where they left off in '16. They need to be more disciplined to fulfill their manifest destiny.
5. Middlebury (1-0, LW: 5): We are not sold on the UNLV transfer/Fawn's little bro. 5 TD passes against the JV doesn't count.
6. Bates (0-1, LW: 6): Last team in the country to still run the triple option...
7. Colby (1-0, LW: 7): Played in perhaps the worst D3 game we have ever seen. Without QB Harrington, this team is going nowhere fast.
8. Hamilton (0-1, LW: 8): Maybe its time for the HCOF to head back to Alfred.
9. Conn College (0-0, LW: NR): Camels without a formal team would still beat Bowdoin and Williams.
10. Bowdoin (0-1, LW: 9): Just an awful football team. Did Bowdoin secretly give up football in the off-season? One reason we think they are troubled...they have exactly 1 player on their roster from the football rich state of NJ. Scan the rosters of the best teams in the 'CAC and you will find their rosters loaded with NJ talent.
11.Williams (0-1, LW:10): Former HCOF Kelton actually figures out a way to do something he never did in Keltonville losing 2 games in a week and dropping to 0-5 at Shorter. When was the last time this guy actually won a game? Mark your calendar....off the Shorter football schedule...December 17th is the D2 championship game. See 7 above. Ephs horrible last week. This program has sunk to a new low. Won't see a W until 2017, at least.

Is that the editorial we being used here Nescacman or is there more than one person who doesn't do the research well enough to know that even if Jared and Fawn spelled their names the same way she'd be his mom, or possibly even his grandma from a shotgun wedding?  You need to hire new/better writers.

[AUPepBand]

Week 2 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings

Not much movement in the rankings this week with Tufts and Wes switching spots. We don't think we have ever seen such a disparity between the top 5 and the bottom 5.

1. Amherst (1-0, Last week:1): Nice pre-season win for the Purple Moose last week.
2. Hartford State (1-0, LW: 2): Rumor has it that HS Admin is afraid to have a night game for obvious reasons.
3. Tufts (1-0, LW: 4): Tufts is the beneficiary of 2 missed Wes FGs and some inopportune Wes penalties despite being outplayed for most of the game.
4. Wesleyan (0-1, LW: 3): Picked up in '17 where they left off in '16. They need to be more disciplined to fulfill their manifest destiny.
5. Middlebury (1-0, LW: 5): We are not sold on the UNLV transfer/Fawn's little bro. 5 TD passes against the JV doesn't count.
6. Bates (0-1, LW: 6): Last team in the country to still run the triple option...
7. Colby (1-0, LW: 7): Played in perhaps the worst D3 game we have ever seen. Without QB Harrington, this team is going nowhere fast.
8. Hamilton (0-1, LW: 8): Maybe its time for the HCOF to head back to Alfred.
9. Conn College (0-0, LW: NR): Camels without a formal team would still beat Bowdoin and Williams.
10. Bowdoin (0-1, LW: 9): Just an awful football team. Did Bowdoin secretly give up football in the off-season? One reason we think they are troubled...they have exactly 1 player on their roster from the football rich state of NJ. Scan the rosters of the best teams in the 'CAC and you will find their rosters loaded with NJ talent.
11.Williams (0-1, LW:10): Former HCOF Kelton actually figures out a way to do something he never did in Keltonville losing 2 games in a week and dropping to 0-5 at Shorter. When was the last time this guy actually won a game? Mark your calendar....off the Shorter football schedule...December 17th is the D2 championship game. See 7 above. Ephs horrible last week. This program has sunk to a new low. Won't see a W until 2017, at least.

While Pep thoroughly enjoyed and the Saxons benefited greatly from Murray's sixteen years in Mayberry, Pep also remembers that it took several seasons to establish the winning program that Alfred enjoys today. Alfred has not had a losing season since 2002, Murray's fifth year of coaching the Saxons. Murray has already altered the football culture on the hill...in good time, the Continental transformation will be evident.

Go Continentals!
On Saxon Warriors!

[PolarCat]

Aw, cut Nescacman some slack, Vandy,  It's easy to get confused about the whole family tree thing when your own mother and grandmother are also your cousins.

[Nescacman]

2016 Week #2 NESCAC Preview

Welcome to Week 2 in the NESCAC..."the league where they pay to play". 4-1 in week 1. Looking to go 5-0 in week 2. Maybe the easiest week we have have ever seen picking games. Bad schedule. Weather will be a factor in some games but not enough to cause any upsets.

Bates College at Tufts University: Weather won't slow down the Jumbos running attack. Expect them to pound the ball on the grass in Medford. We believe Bates is the best of the worst but still a notch below. This should be the best of an incredibly bad week 2 schedule.
Tufts 28 Bates 14
Weather: Showers, high 60.

Amherst College at Bowdoin College: Weather will not be a factor here. Expect The Purple Moose to score early and often. This one will get very ugly, despite Coach Mills class. Amherst could show up with their "3's" and still put a wallop on the Polar Bears. Bowdoin' only score will come late against the Amherst reserves. Bowdoin continues their march toward an 0-8 campaign. Too bad they don't play the Ephs. They'll have to wait until 2018 when the 'CAC finally goes to a 9 game schedule (Amen!!!).
Amherst 45 Bowdoin 7
Weather: Cloudy, high 60.

Middlebury College at Colby College: Another blowout. We watched the Mules beat a hapless Williams squad last week and were not impressed. We expect Lebowitz to have a big day for the Pants, depending on how much he plays. 
Middlebury 35 Colby 7
Weather: Cloudy, high 60.

Hamilton College at Wesleyan University: Hamilton is definitely improved but they don't have the horses to match up.
Wesleyan 31 Hamilton 10
Weather: Cloudy, high 60.


NESCAC Game of the Week

Hartford State at Williams College: Nothing like a good, old-fashioned beat down. Devanney not nearly as nice as Mills. Would not be surprised if this one is worse than we predict.
Hartford State 51 Williams 0
Weather: Cloudy, slight chance of showers. High 60.

NESCACMAN's Picks
2016 Season: 4-1
2015 Season: 30-10
2014 Season: 30-10
2013 Season: 32-8
Career: 96-29 (.768 winning percentage)

[amh63]

Nescacman must be a Jersey Boy!  Do not think NJ players avoid the lovely outdoors that surround the school.  It maybe the playing conditions first...walk through the trees to a muddy field.  Maybe watching to much TV...The last Jersey boy, Tony Soprono went up to Bowdoin for a college visit and had to take out a local.   Maybe I'm watching  to much bad TV shows?
Anyway, Nescacman does do a little public service with his posts.  Plus K

[polbear73]

PolBear 73
I wish the Polar Bears well but if they get significant rain on Whittier it could  be a mess. The receding hairline at Whiitier has been caused by the discontinuation of non organic fertilizers. Like the old days teams will have to switch to the long cleats and bring a ton of towels.

Good thing Bowdoin doesn't have a golf course on campus- they might ruin that too.

As you remember Polbear the Bowdoin fields back in the day we're like golf fairways- the best I ever set foot on. Trimmed to 3/8 inch, looked like AstroTurf on our old game films- fast and firm---How did they let that go? ....no disrespect Polar Bear  but I just don't get the thought process in Brunswick anymore.

No disrespect taken, lumbercat and I agree 100% with everything that you have said.  Whittier Field's condition back then was such that you could putt on it and it had no comparison with any field in New England.  I too don't get the thought process in Brunswick and to say that I'm confused and saddened is not an overstatement.  Right now, things are embarrassing in Brunswick and I feel for Coach Wells and the staff that he brought him. 

Thank you for invoking the names of Soule, Lentz, and Link-they represent an era of which Polar Bears can be proud.  I am lucky to have participated back then.

For today's game with Amherst, perhaps Coach Mills' biggest challenge is to keep it under 70.  I just don't understand. 

[Jonny Utah]

My son (obviously a Jumbo) and who is also black said that it was an awkward position. He personally didn't believe that Politics and Football should be mixed. He believed that in the locker room there were those on the other team that stood and held their hands to heart, those who kneeled and some who sat. He was under the impression it was the schools choice to not have them take the field. I tell you though I feel the thoughtful way our team  handled it was impressive. That being said when the following night my son got a flat in Cambridge on the side of the road I raced to get to him instead of just calling AAA because the fear is real that something could happen to him. He and his team mates just want to play ball and at the end of the day as students do have to follow the schools rules.

Now, my prediction for the champs - My Jumbos of Course! Smile everyone we all love our kids and the joy of watching them play and the competition. Thanks for listening.

What were you afraid of in Cambridge?  There have been 8 shootings this year, but I wouldn't be afraid since most of those shot at were not random shootings.

[Former CAC Coach]

Overcast, but dry morning here at Whittier Field in Polar Bear land...field looks exactly as it was circa 30 years ago, when Former coached in the CAC...expect Purple & White to make polar Cubs fur turn black and blue

[PolarCat]

Watching Tufts Willie Holmquist doing his warm up, in the rain, a full 30 minutes before any other players took the field.  Hit 8 out 10 55 yarders.  😮😮😮

NFL quality leg.

[westcoastDad]

Not to be a stickler but to be a stickler....would be nice if NESN would have their camerasite to show the home crowd in the stands. 

[westcoastDad]

Berlutti out of game.  AMHERST 3rd string QB steps in and delivers 39 yard strike for TD.  24-3 as the Purple Mooose is relying on its stingy defense.  4 sacks already recorded

[polbear73]

31-10, Amherst. Game was never in doubt from the beginning but the young Polar Bears did show marked improvement from last week. Hope Berluti's injury is not serious.