FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Doid23]

If losing two games is Karma for Trinity, how would you metaphysically describe the Bowdoin win-loss record? It must be a real Valley of Hinnom.

References only found on the NESCAC board   ...

[SpringSt7]

Thanks for the info / corrections SpringSt7.  Glad Dozier may be rounding back into shape.  As for Rothmann, hope he is OK, he's had a tough run of injuries the last few years, and concussions are always scary. 

Agree that the interior of the Ephs' offensive line is a strength.  It's interesting that after all the injuries, Raymond put his most experienced lineman on the inside, including moving a starting tackle, to make sure the middle will hold.  Raymond had been planning, apparently, to start a frosh at RT, and the senior starting there in his place is still newish to the position.  Meanwhile, a frosh has been thrust into a starting role at LT right now, which is typically considered the "premier" position on the line.

I'm also told that the Freeman injury is no longer considered season ending. No clue when exactly he could be back or if they want to risk incorporating either him or Rooney or both back into the mix when healthy too late in the year, but Freeman should be available.

[nescac1]

Good to hear, SpringSt7.  At the very least, good to add depth, always needed as the season progresses, via those two guys if they become available.  The oline has looked better and better as guys have settled into new roles, and if they continue to grow as a unit going forward, it would be hard to make the case for a change.  I'd STILL love to see the Ephs figure out a consistent number two receiving option ... the "watch Stola burn two guys draped all over him and thread a perfect pass to him in the end zone" play has worked pretty well so far, but I'm not sure it can work every week! 

[Grabowski]

Something I'll be doing the rest of this season: at the road games, pick up a t-shirt of the opposing program.  Good way to support this great league of ours while making my T drawer more awesome—wish I thought of it when my son was younger...

[Nescacman]

Something I'll be doing the rest of this season: at the road games, pick up a t-shirt of the opposing program.  Good way to support this great league of ours while making my T drawer more awesome—wish I thought of it when my son was younger...

You should start with this shirt...

[Nescacman]

2019 Week #4 NESCACMAN Picks

Welcome to Week #4 in the NESCAC...in the league where they "pay to play"....4-1 in week 3....not a great slate of games other than our GOTW in the battle of the two unbeatens...here are this week's picks and spreads:

TTUN at Colby College: Ho hum.....first of the weekend blowouts...

TTUN 35 Colby 14
Point Spread: TTUN -17.
Weather: Sunny. High of 57.

Tufts University at University of Bates (Lewiston Campus): Just what the Jumbo's need....HCOF Hall on his way 0-13...UBates is horrid, slightly less horrid if Costa plays...

Tufts 24 UBates 7
Point Spread: Tufts -13.
Weather: Sunny. High of 58.

Hamilton College at Hartford State: HS gets it done in the Coop.....if Schmidt plays, game could be closer...

Hartford State 38 Hamilton 17
Point Spread: Hartford State -17. 
Weather: Sunny. High of 61.

Wesleyan University at Bowdoin College: Could get very ugly in Brunswick...total mismatch...Wesleyan's last warm up before the real season begins...Coach Dice won't let this team look ahead...

Wesleyan 48 Bowdoin 7
Point Spread: Wesleyan -28.
Weather: Sunny. High of 58.

NESCAC Game of the Week

Middlebury College at Amhurst College:  Battle of the unbeatens...game could go a long way to determining the league champ....both defenses are playing well...LMs are tough to beat at home...very even match-up on paper...game will come down to turnovers, who can run the ball better and penalties....we'll go with the home team in a close, defensive battle...

Amhurst 17 MID 14
Point Spread: AMH -1. 
Weather: Sunny. High of 60.

NESCACMAN's Picks (winners)
2019 Season: 11-4
2018 Season: 36-9
2017 Season: 35-10
2016 Season: 32-8
2015 Season: 30-10
2014 Season: 30-10
2013 Season: 32-8
Career: 206-59 (.777 winning percentage)

[ColbyFootball]

NESCACMAN You said Tufts when you meant Middlebury in your pick. No biggie. I make tons of typos etc. posting. On your picks, I agree will all of them except Trinity Hamilton. My heart tells me this will be Murray's breakthrough game. At the very least I expect it to be close. And, I can see an upset.

[JEFFFAN]

http://nothingbutnescac.com/?p=7735&fbclid=IwAR2MqHiPD_rM7csCzFdPxBEKT7O7IM4aXkCfT81I74VxMlO9Y4aA_9OOoZU

[NBC93]

I only watched the last few minutes of the Midd-Trinity game but I noticed Midd went 3 for 15 on 3rd down. That's not a good look on a stat sheet. Having not witnessed the offense first hand, I'm not sure how I feel about the matchup with Amherst's defense but so far I am optimistic.
Offensively, I feel like Mills and company keep things pretty basic early in the season until games that have championship implications. Maybe that's just coincidental to the natural flow and growth of the team but hopefully this is the week that Amherst opens up on offense.
Looking forward to Sarurday's games!

[Nescacman]

NESCACMAN You said Tufts when you meant Middlebury in your pick. No biggie. I make tons of typos etc. posting. On your picks, I agree will all of them except Trinity Hamilton. My heart tells me this will be Murray's breakthrough game. At the very least I expect it to be close. And, I can see an upset.

Yup, you got us....and we"d love to see the Conts do it but not in the Coop...

[JEFFFAN]

I only watched the last few minutes of the Midd-Trinity game but I noticed Midd went 3 for 15 on 3rd down. That's not a good look on a stat sheet. Having not witnessed the offense first hand, I'm not sure how I feel about the matchup with Amherst's defense but so far I am optimistic.
Offensively, I feel like Mills and company keep things pretty basic early in the season until games that have championship implications. Maybe that's just coincidental to the natural flow and growth of the team but hopefully this is the week that Amherst opens up on offense.
Looking forward to Sarurday's games!

From an Amherst perspective, I generally don't worry too much about the defense year in and year out because that is the domain of Mills and he tends to put his best athletes on the defensive side of the ball.   Year in and year out the defense is pretty solid - at best borderline great, at worst good.  Yamin was a huge loss, however, as he would be one of the top defensive players ever for the Jeffs.  I love how Kelly and Safford are playing this year - really stepped up.   

I do worry about the offense, especially running back.  I really like what Huff did last week - I thought that he showed really good quickness to the hole.  I am not as enamored with Eckelkamp.  Recognizing that he is not the speed guy, he is still slow to the hole and so far is running more East-West than North-South.   That hopefully changes over time but for now not much productivity from him.   That leaves Eberth, who has been an extremely productive quarterback for the Jeffs since he became a starter.   They are depending upon him to do a ton this year as both a runner and passer, more than they have over the past two years when they had the stud RB and WR who both graduated.   If I was Middlebury, I would put a spy on Eberth and double team Reagan and force Amherst to go plan B.   If they are successful with that, I see Middlebury winning a close game with neither team reaching the 20s from a scoring standpoint.   If Amherst can get some yardage out of Eberth and Reagan is at all productive, I see them winning by three.

Absent a major differential in turnovers or special teams play ...

[amh63]

Am going to sit back and avoid a nervous breakdown watching the game on Sat. 
Picking up on JEFFFAN's point of a possible double team on Amherst's WR, I think Amherst has several other WRs' that can breakout in the game.  Hope Amherst has solved the kicking "game".  The special team play will be the difference.  There has been in the past...future star RBs were discovered via the special teams.
Hope it will not be a three "coke" game for me .

[SpringSt7]

I like Amherst tomorrow. What Middlebury has done to start the season has been incredibly impressive, but I'm just not sold yet. They're all around solid and don't beat themselves, but that too is Amherst's calling card, and they're better at it than Midd is. There's no way Eberth will throw 4 picks tomorrow like Lambert did. In a game like this, on the road, you need great individual performances, and I don't know who that guy is for Midd. Jernigan's improvement has been impressive, but he's getting a lot of praise for some rather average to below average statistical showings--averaging 3.3 yards per carry and completing less than 50% of his passes against Williams and Trinity combined. I could be wrong and they could absolutely win, it should be a close game and a great game, but this Amherst team, despite underwhelming so far, seems like they play the perfect style to win this game.

[Vandy74]

If  Panther RB Alex Maldjian performs at the level he's maintained throughout the first third of the season I like Middlebury's chances today.  Jernigan has a large corps of receivers.  Joe Willie Namath was inconsistently accurate in his day but, like Jernigan three games in, completed the ones needed to win. 

On a superstitious note, the last Panther QB to win on Pratt Field was named McKillop, not Foote, Milano or Lebowitz.  The Mac Foote lead 2013 squad, that would win it's other seven games, was handed it's helmet to the tune of a 37-16 loss that wasn't really that close.  It's time to end this losing string.

[magicman]

In case any of you missed this. Here's a link from the NCAA showing the football players from DIII that are on 2019 NFL rosters.

https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2019-09-02/players-diii-football-programs-2019-nfl-rosters