FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[amh63]

NCF...you may be correct, but I did not feel I should point that fact out in fear for my health .  I would like to see the return of the "150" pound football teams that the Ivies and the service academies had in the old days.  I recall that a number of Harvard houses had such teams.  I remember that Harvard "recruited" a QB from a house team for its varsity team.  Of course the teams in the 60's did not have huge linemen as teams have today.
R. Moores of Midd did have a healthier profile....listed at 6'6" and 315 pounds.

[Pat Coleman]

NCF...you may be correct, but I did not feel I should point that fact out in fear for my health .  I would like to see the return of the "150" pound football teams that the Ivies and the service academies had in the old days.  I recall that a number of Harvard houses had such teams.  I remember that Harvard "recruited" a QB from a house team for its varsity team.  Of course the teams in the 60's did not have huge linemen as teams have today.

Those teams still exist. It's called Sprint Football these days.
http://www.sprintfootball.com/

[AlDavis]

Week One Offshore Opening Lines ( For Entertainment Purposes Only)

Trinity        - 5 1/2
Bates          54

Amherst     - 11 1/2
Hamilton      50

Middlebury   - 16 1/2
Bowdoin       49

Williams        - 10
Colby            48 1/2

Tufts             54
Wesleyan     - 17

4 Road Favorites.... some respect on Bates.....is it true that Tufts -Wesleyan game starts at 6:00 pm......Colby could be a sleeper Dog week 1.

[amh63]

Tufts ....I noticed the "night"game start also.  Strange, I had not noticed lights available at the oldest football field around and I have attended games in Middletown for decades.  Just blind/ un observing , I guess.   Maybe it will be the start of something new in the conference though night games in New England are not appealing in November.

[iamhuge]

Tufts has an enormous incoming freshman class with some legit offensive firepower included.

[AlDavis]

Tufts has an enormous incoming freshman class with some legit offensive firepower included.

So You then like Tufts plus the 17 week one at Wesleyan......that good to hear for Tufts , they should be able to recruit better than they have for the convenience of their location , I wonder why they don't do a Prospect Camp

[FourMoreYears]

Week One Offshore Opening Lines ( For Entertainment Purposes Only)

Trinity        - 5 1/2
Bates          54

Amherst     - 11 1/2
Hamilton      50

Middlebury   - 16 1/2
Bowdoin       49

Williams        - 10
Colby            48 1/2

Tufts             54
Wesleyan     - 17

4 Road Favorites.... some respect on Bates.....is it true that Tufts -Wesleyan game starts at 6:00 pm......Colby could be a sleeper Dog week 1.

I'll take Trinity, Amherst, Bowdoin, Williams, Wesleyan.
Reserve the right to change should the lines change. ;-)

[lewdogg11]

Tufts has an enormous incoming freshman class with some legit offensive firepower included.

HUGE!!!!

[AlDavis]

Definitely a market for NESCAC Football action ....lines are good for the phone call and early action welcome to fine tune lines .....need some of this inside knowledge on what The JUmbos has coming in for firepower.

[amh63]

Fourmoreyears....do I deduce a Polar Bear fan here?   Bold pick!

[AlDavis]

well he likes them + 16 1/2 .....so either he thinks Bowdoin will score more than their usual 10 or so points or he thinks the game will be a dead under and hold Middlebury to less than 30 points....also in response to that Wesleyan game being at 6:00 , maybe they are playing that game to show off their new field behind the athletic center as they just refurbished the Track and new Turf Field.

[nescac1]

It's wayyyyy too early to set lines for the first week, until we at least see pre-season rosters.  Lots can happen: injuries, transfers, impact frosh, defections, etc. etc.

But based on last year, here are the big off-season questions for NESCAC squads:

(1) Will Trinity's running game remain dominant with a rebuilt offensive line?  Trinity's defense will be spectacular as always, led by a loaded LB group.  But Trinity loses 4 out of 5 offensive linemen to graduation.  The Bants do return one of the most accomplished backfields in NESCAC history, with three all-NESCAC runners (two first teamers) returning.  The question is, will they be as effective behind an almost entirely new offensive-line?  The Bants generally mint all-NESCAC blockers, so my guess is the Trinity running game won't miss a beat.  The Bants also will have an untested QB, so there will be a lot of pressure on the RB's to dominate.  Trinity also has questions at secondary after losing two first-team all-NESCAC guys, but the Bants' front seven will be the best in NESCAC which always helps. 

(2) Who will catch the ball for Middlebury?  Midd has easily the best QB in NESCAC and maybe in the country.  But after graduating two first-team all-conference receivers, including an all-American tight end, a few new faces will have to step up for Midd (Midd graduates over 2/3 of its receiving yards from last season).  Athletic and tall basketball/baseball player Dylan Sinnickson, now playing football as well, may help.  Is Foote so good that it doesn't matter, or were his numbers partially inflated by elite receiving talent? 

(3) Who will win the QB job for Amherst?  Amherst loses a lot on defense (especially on D-line, where the Jeffs graduate two all-NESCAC guys), but E.J. Mills almost always reloads on that side of the ball.  Amherst could be loaded on offense with most of the key skill guys returning, if one of the QB's is ready to join the NESCAC elite.  Both Lippe and Pieterse are highly regarded, and both showed that they have big-time athleticism and arm talent, just need to become more consistent.  If either steps up in a big way, Amherst could be an offensive juggernaut.  But if they stay about even and it creates a QB controversy, that could be a distraction. 

(4) Is Wesleyan ready to contend?  The Cards have the talent and now the experience.  But they didn't beat any of the other top NESCAC squads last year (losing to Amherst, Williams, Trinity and not playing Midd).  The Cards are fortunate to miss Midd yet again this year, but do have to play at Amherst and Trinity.  They need to prove they can win at least one big game before being annointed the next big thing in NESCAC. 

(5) Will Williams rediscover its passing mojo?  Williams typically has one of the elite passing attacks in NESCAC.  Last year, other than Darren Hartwell, the Williams' passing game was a disaster, and now Hartwell has graduated.  The Ephs needs to improve in all aspects: pass protection, accuracy and poise from the QB position, playmaking from receivers, and also play-calling, which didn't fool a lot of opposing teams last year.  Williams still has as much talent as anyone at the WR position with Greg Payton back from injury and hopefully ready to step into a featured role, and guys like Beaton, Brewington, Sime, Brown all with plenty of size, speed, talent, and now experience.  But the Ephs need one of the two returning QB's, or a new face, to play a lot better if they have any hope of returning to the upper echelon of NESCAC squads. 

(6) Is Colby's Luke Dunklee healthy?  He missed all but a few plays of last season.  But Dunklee and Justin Ciero are two of NESCAC's most talented offensive players, and now that Ciero is experienced, if Dunklee has returned to full health they could form as dynamic a 1-2 duo as any in NESCAC.

(7) Who will replace Trevor Smith at Bates?  He was just about the entire Bates offense last year, and took nearly every meaningful snap at QB (for that reason alone, I don't see how Bates can only be a five point dog against Trinity ...)

and from above, (8) does Tufts have any impact players coming in who can immediately change the trajectory of the program?

[FourMoreYears]

Fourmoreyears....do I deduce a Polar Bear fan here?   Bold pick!

Yes, a Polar Bear fan. 

But I always bet with my head and not my heart.

Here's what I am thinking:

* 16 1/2 is a lot of points.
* Polar Bears lost by 24 in Middlebury last year without Joey Cleary on defense, losing starting QB to concussion, and turning ball over 3 times inside their own 27.
* Bowdoin was young last year, and returns 19 of 22 starters this year.
* Middlebury loses some talented players to graduation: skill positions Driscoll, Chapman, Rea, and 3 good OL (Moores, Zhoun, Huguenad) not to mention other good players on the defensive side of the ball.
* Game in in Brunswick, where Polar Bears played Amherst, Trinity and Bates tough last year in losses.

Picking Bowdoin to win outright could be called "bold", I didn't think taking the 16 1/2 was all that daring.

[AlDavis]

excellent....great information....I do like that Dunklee at Colby and I see them recruiting haaaahrdaaah and promoting paradise up there....... game of the year won't happen this year Middlebury- Wesleyan.

[amh63]

Tufts....guess the time of the Tufts-Wesleyan game will be settled soon enough.  The track behind the athletic center is a ways and over a hill from the grass field used for football and baseball.
In seeking info, came upon some trival that may be of interest to posters.  Belichick who played football for the Cardinals, also played lacrosse ....captained the '75 team.  He has a daughter who also played and captained a Wesleyan lacrosse squad. She has been hired as the interim HC of the women's lacrosse team for 2014.  The AD and head football coach is beefing up the sports programs in Middletown.  It will be interesting here to project when the head football coaching job will be passed on to his assistant...the Williams grad.