FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[PolarCat]

Friday afternoon escape from the city on the last weekend of the summer?  Yeah, it's bad.  But it was even worse south bound, as a truck fire closed the entire Southeast Expressway.  And Boston drivers can be such lovely human beings when stuck in traffic.  Think of 100,000 Mother Theresa's.  At the wrong time of the month.  With rabies.  And machetes.  And semi-automatic weapons.  Luckily all I saw on my trip North (besides brake lights) was lots of one finger salutes.  And lots of Maine State Troopers running radar.

The complete version of the state motto:  "Maine.  Open for Business.  The Business of Generating Revenue through Speeding Tickets."  Waze saved my bacon a couple of times as I booked it North.

[Pat Coleman]

Friday afternoon escape from the city on the last weekend of the summer?  Yeah, it's bad.  But it was even worse south bound, as a truck fire closed the entire Southeast Expressway.  And Boston drivers can be such lovely human beings when stuck in traffic.  Think of 100,000 Mother Theresa's.  At the wrong time of the month.  With rabies.  And machetes.  And semi-automatic weapons.  Luckily all I saw on my trip North (besides brake lights) was lots of one finger salutes.  And lots of Maine State Troopers running radar.

The complete version of the state motto:  "Maine.  Open for Business.  The Business of Generating Revenue through Speeding Tickets."  Waze saved my bacon a couple of times as I booked it North.

Hah -- I got a ticket last time I was in Maine myself. Covering Bowdoin basketball a few years back.

[amh63]

Full slate of Fall sports at Amherst today...no football...as Middlebury invades...the mighty hordes from the North.
A football related story... Of sorts....habits of coaches before games.  In my times, it was common for Coach Darp to put his players off-campus, away from the crowds/ distractions.  Big bonfires on Friday night, marching through the streets, etc.  Even girls on campus! 
Anyway, relating a story about the planning of Coach Mills when Amherst heads North to Maine to play.(first game at Bates next Sat.). Coach Mills seems to stay at the same Hotel and have the team meal at the same establishments.  The next morning, the team travels to the playing site...not nearby, if I recall.  Timetable seems critical...while traveling.  Thought about the traffic, the Maine Police, etc when reading ""PolarCat Travels"...the Tales of...

[PolarCat]

I'm sure Coach Mills is smart enough to let the hordes of Amherst parents run interference, tying up the troopers so that the team buses can slip past.  I'm equally sure the parents are happy to "take one for the team".

[lumbercat]

Polarcat
Nice job on the Bates Colby scrimmage report- thanks for posting.

[RetiredMule]

To tag along with Polarcat's great post, I will add a couple things (was not able to watch the scrimmages out the Colby side of things. Colby , unfortunately, has a tradition of changing jerseys constantly. For example, I wore single digits on the offensive line for my career. 

Lipani is a RB competing with RB Jabari Hurdle-Price for the starting role. Expect them to split carries this year. That should be a powerful two headed attack. In terms of who was wearing #4 I cannot say at QB.

The Colby-Bates scrimmage is always shades of the actual game. The coaches can say it is a half speed no contact and there will be hard hits. This is a fierce rivalry that is characterized by down and dirty play to win. Look at past contest. Constantly, linemen get into punch matches and verbal arguments. This is the state of any rivalry. The scrimmage always has shades of this.

[P'bearfan]

Waze saved my bacon a couple of times as I booked it North.

A great app that has saved me more than once on trips from Logan to Brunswick (and in Atlanta)

[Rte27Driver]

 Amh63 I'm new and nice to meet you  But with all due respect, there was definitely a "joint practice" today at Amherst between the Ephs and the Jeffs. I'll leave it to you to fill anyone in on what you did or did not see.

[amh63]

Rte27Driver....welcome to the board.  If you are aware of the "joint practice", please provide your observations.  I only recently heard that Pratt Field would welcome another group from up North (see earlier post on visitors). Since I am in Maryland, I have zero info on what occurred.  Historically, there is little info reported out on the Amherst side.  Maybe Williams posters will provide some.
Was refreshments provided?  Number of buses parked....color jerseys worn by the QBs (like no-hit neon signs), etc.
Oh yes, interesting handle....any story behind it?

[Rte27Driver]

There was an unofficial scrimmage at Amherst today. The Jeffs dominated, but the Ephs (whose roster is not updated) had some spittle

[amh63]

Checked a number of Div1 top 25 games yesterday..stayed up late to see those late games.  Watched earlier the GameDay shows where "experts"  and pundits picked the winners around the nation.
Must say here, many many "upset".  Always checked out the uniforms...local U. Of MD.seems to have the most colorful ones...based on the state flag.   On the eve of the start of the conference games, I'm wondering if Anyone...yes, even the most knowledgeable posters will post win-loss predictions here.  I have this feeling that it will be an interesting season.... Like the rise of Tuft's last year.  I believe that Hamilton will win a few games (Amherst does not play them )...contrary to NobthingButnescac's outlook.  Wes is under a spotlight, IMO, as it will be a season with a NEW head coach.  Believe there is pressure at Trinity and at Williams for the coaches to win...to stop the slippage seen last season.  Why?   Both Proud Programs with a long tradition of winning...both with many undefeated seasons...more than Amherst.
Where do I see Amherst?  There is the QB question.  More important, to me, is the Offensive line.  Three starters graduated....plus a solid TE.  Amherst needs to establish a consistent running game.  There are fine runners available...but need the line to open the holes.  With a running game, there is less pressure on the young QBs to get their passing game going.
Amherst is without its all- conferences/ region kicker..another graduation toll .  There is a rumor of a Div1 level kicker..West Coast kid..available.  Hope so.  Some key defensive players have graduated...even in the backfield.  I have been told of talented replacements, div 1 level replacements; a div 1 transfer competing for spots....but do not know of nicks, bruises and early injuries.  All these unknowns...good and bad...they exists every year!  Must reassure myself of Amherst's coaches and the Coach Mills Program.  The unexpected?....that's what makes each NEW season exciting...for me. 
O.K..ready to face Bates..on the road.  So where is the Roster and the Starting Lineups?

[PolarCat]

When does NESCAC require the 75 man rosters to be in place?

I am guessing that those programs with more than 75 bodies will be making their cuts / "gray shirt" decisions today (following the Friday and Saturday scrimmages) and breaking the news to the players tomorrow or Tuesday.  (It's such a glorious Sunday in New England, why ruin any kid's day today?)  I bet final rosters will follow either tomorrow evening, or some time on Tuesday.

Rte27Driver, if you attended the scrimmage, can you offer any comments on the Amherst kicking game?

amh63, like you I watched D1 games last night.  Did you stay up to watch the end of the Cal - Texas game?  Down 45-24 at the end of the 3rd quarter, Texas' red shirt freshman QB survived the most vicious face mask tackle you'll ever see, and led the 'Horns back to 3 straight TD's, 2 of them in the last 3 minutes, including a 45 yard quarterback draw with 1:20 left on the clock. 

Score was 45-44 and I was sure the game was going into OT ... till Texas' kicker missed the PAT.  This is the same senior kicker that was shown hitting an 80-yard (yes EIGHTY YARD) FG in warm-ups earlier this season.  The poor kid must have been on suicide watch last night (though to my untrained eye, it looked like the snap and hold were more at fault than the kicker).  Heartbreaking.

[amh63]

Guess I missed that stirring ending....like Cal though.  USC vs. Standford had a exciting ending too!
Too much excitement...at my age...must be avoided.  Short answer PolarCat...No .
Rte27Driver's response...though appreciated here...reminds me of the kind that Frank U provides.  Somewhat puzzling and brief

[PolarCat]

A Yoda in Training Rte27Driver may be.   Watch the young Jedi we must.

[AUPepBand]

Hey, it's Week 4 coming up in NCAA D3 football and not one NESCAC team has a win to date.

Go Continentals!