FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Nescacman]

Looks like the boys at Nothing but NESCAC didn't have much confidence in Hamilton in their fantasy league as they missed two of the biggest producers of the week in QB Rosenberg (30-for-50, 320 yards, 2 TDs and 62 yards on ground) and receiver Ensley (14 catches for 189 and a TD); both are sophomores. With a very capable head coach with a strong D3 background and his two coordinators this team will not be the league's punching bag for long.

Good to know somebody is paying attention to our league! In the future maybe we'll even include some of you posters that are interested...
Very true that we missed on them in week 1. Hard to fault us on Ensley considering he had five receptions in 2013. Both have now been added onto rosters and will come into play this week though the Wesleyan defense is a slight step up in competition from Tufts.

I would think any Hamilton players would be a marginal play this week against the Wes D. If you open up NESCAC FF to your fellow board brethren, count me in!!!

[AUPepBand]

Looks like the boys at Nothing but NESCAC didn't have much confidence in Hamilton in their fantasy league as they missed two of the biggest producers of the week in QB Rosenberg (30-for-50, 320 yards, 2 TDs and 62 yards on ground) and receiver Ensley (14 catches for 189 and a TD); both are sophomores. With a very capable head coach with a strong D3 background and his two coordinators this team will not be the league's punching bag for long.

When Puccio arrived in Alfred in 2004, the Saxons improved from 5-5 to 8-3 with the same QB. Pep saw a dramatic improvement in the QB's decisions and under Puccio's guidance, became a very proficient passer and team leader. AU QBs have been very productive under Puccio. Pep is not surprised by Rosenberg's performance.

[FightingCards]

Sorry to you Wesleyan front running apologists but the Whales comments made direct condescending reference to Tufts....he made no reference to home or away games or a tough schedule - stop the excuses- he openly implied that it would be tougher this year for Wesleyan minus the "privilege" of opening with Tufts.....total BS.
I'm not a Tufts guy but I will state here that Civetti will succeed at Tufts- he's got some skill in the passing game and while he puts the rest of his scheme together he will win some games.
Tufts is going to throw the ball 60 times a game this year--Forgotten Jack Doll will be a leading NESCAC QB .......if he wins the starting job......that's how deep the Jumbos are at QB.......Civetti has at least 2 other QBs within a whisker of being the starter but I say Doll starts and if they give him some time to throw he surprises many in the CAC.

Although I don't have "a dog in this fight", let's be objective for a second before we kill Coach W for "dissing a team that has not won a game since 2010. He was being honest and frankly truthful. Wesleyan's schedule starts with defending co-league champ Middlebury coming off of 2 back to back 7 win seasons who is replacing a team that has lost 31 straight games. in addition, Wesleyan beat Tufts handily last year in Medford with essentially the same team that they are putting on the field tomorrow against Middlebury. Just based on those facts alone, how can you not honestly say that Wesleyan's schedule is harder in 2014 than it was in 2013. Throw in the back to back trips to Maine against 2 decent opponents (Bates and Colby) versus playing Hamilton and Bowdoin on the road last year (and not back to back) and it just adds to Coach W's comment about the schedule being tougher this year. Before we kill someone for "dissing" someone, let's look at the facts. Coach W deserves better than that. And the people on this Board are smarter than that.

[ContinentalsMan]

Who care what people say? The best way to shut people up is go out and win. This is football, not Mahjong!   

[amh63]

Some info in the quiet period before the prediction/ previews are posted.
Amherst has a video of the Bates game.....go to the YouTube badge on the athletic section of the website.  HFC Mills praise the Bates team...expected the Bobcates to go for two points after their TD.
Two group of game photos.  In the one of the game...saw QB Lippe dressed for the game.  In the other of the Amherst fans in the stands....May have sighted a Williams scout!
Be interested to see who will be the starting QB for Amherst in the Bowdoin away game.  Polar Bears are always tough when the two schools meet.  Oh yes...Coach Mills does let slip his approach to the coming games.....treats each one as a championship game!...my take.

[NothingButNESCAC]

Excited about the article we have up today about Wesleyan's Donnie Cimino who overcame a rough summer injury to get back to full strength this fall.

http://nothingbutnescac.com/2014/09/25/when-a-jaw-breaks-donnie-cimino-15-fights-back-from-summer-injury/

[amh63]

Amherst's preview of the Bowdoin game in Maine is posted on it's athletic website..have to look for it. . Check out the podcast interview with the coach.   Writeup is straight forward.  Seems Berluti will get more game experience.

[NothingButNESCAC]

Let's get some lines out for this week. All lines are in relation to the home team.

Amherst at Bowdoin (+13)- First, putting this line here pains me and I think an argument can be made that this game will be closer because as Coach Mills said, Bowdoin always seems to play the Jeffs tough. Still the 13 points is about how much the Amherst offense can move the ball this week.

Bates at Tufts (+6)- Weird quirk in the schedule puts Bates on the road for a second straight game while Tufts has its second home game. Last year Bates needed a last minute touchdown to escape at home versus Tufts. Could the Jumbos really start 2-0? Possibly 3-0 since they have Bowdoin next week...

Middlebury at Colby (+3)- Intriguing game. Give Middlebury the edge after Colby collapsed in the second half. Will the Mules be able to get off the mat for this one? Look for improvement from Matt Milano after making adjustments from week 1.

Hamilton at Wesleyan (-16)- The only home favorite this week, Wesleyan should roll. Have not heard if Drew is playing this week which gives this line more uncertainty. He plays, he probably breaks a couple long runs and Wesleyan wins really big. Otherwise they just win comfortably.

Trinity at Williams (+5)- Struggled with this line somewhat for the game of the week. Tough to tell after just one week how good both of these teams are. Trinity is better than it played in first half but are they really as good as they looked in the second against Colby? Adam Datema being out is a big blow for Williams chances of stopping Trinity's running attack.

[FourMoreYears]

Let's get some lines out for this week. All lines are in relation to the home team.

Amherst at Bowdoin (+13)- First, putting this line here pains me and I think an argument can be made that this game will be closer because as Coach Mills said, Bowdoin always seems to play the Jeffs tough. Still the 13 points is about how much the Amherst offense can move the ball this week.

Bates at Tufts (+6)- Weird quirk in the schedule puts Bates on the road for a second straight game while Tufts has its second home game. Last year Bates needed a last minute touchdown to escape at home versus Tufts. Could the Jumbos really start 2-0? Possibly 3-0 since they have Bowdoin next week...

Middlebury at Colby (+3)- Intriguing game. Give Middlebury the edge after Colby collapsed in the second half. Will the Mules be able to get off the mat for this one? Look for improvement from Matt Milano after making adjustments from week 1.

Hamilton at Wesleyan (-16)- The only home favorite this week, Wesleyan should roll. Have not heard if Drew is playing this week which gives this line more uncertainty. He plays, he probably breaks a couple long runs and Wesleyan wins really big. Otherwise they just win comfortably.

Trinity at Williams (+5)- Struggled with this line somewhat for the game of the week. Tough to tell after just one week how good both of these teams are. Trinity is better than it played in first half but are they really as good as they looked in the second against Colby? Adam Datema being out is a big blow for Williams chances of stopping Trinity's running attack.

Broke even last week ... the Bowdoin offense killed me ...
(their defense must have been on the field 50+ minutes and with their backs up against the wall)
... and that late Middlebury TD didn't help. 

Oh well!

$100 ... Amherst -13
$50 ... Bates -6
$75 ... Middlebury -3
$50 ... Wesleyan -16
$25 ... Williams +5

[amh63]

FourMoreYearsyears.....broke even last week.  Does that mean the  8 points spread on the Bates game?
Check out the podcast on the Amherst website if you have not already.  Seems Amherst coach Mills was not happy with his coaching. Amherst had the ball with a little over a minute to go.    Too long to take knee downs to end the game.  "Coaches' book" states that knee downs are taken with 46 seconds left...according to Coach Mills. Run play is called.  Nick Kelly takes the ball and with the inside shut down, he sweeps left outside and runs for a 42 yard TD....giving Amherst the win and an 8 point spread.  Amherst fans happy.  Mills preferred Kelly to take a knee around the 5 yd line!  Better end of the game time management according to Mills.  Coach Mills like his team's effort..it was the execution that needs fixing...coaches need to work on for the  Polar Bears.
Anyway....know little about betting.  See you have your big bet with Amherst at -13 .  Is that the same as NothinBN's line that has Amherst and plus 13?

[FourMoreYears]

FourMoreYearsyears.....broke even last week.  Does that mean the  8 points spread on the Bates game?
Check out the podcast on the Amherst website if you have not already.  Seems Amherst coach Mills was not happy with his coaching. Amherst had the ball with a little over a minute to go.    Too long to take knee downs to end the game.  "Coaches' book" states that knee downs are taken with 46 seconds left...according to Coach Mills. Run play is called.  Nick Kelly takes the ball and with the inside shut down, he sweeps left outside and runs for a 42 yard TD....giving Amherst the win and an 8 point spread.  Amherst fans happy.  Mills preferred Kelly to take a knee around the 5 yd line!  Better end of the game time management according to Mills.  Coach Mills like his team's effort..it was the execution that needs fixing...coaches need to work on for the  Polar Bears.
Anyway....know little about betting.  See you have your big bet with Amherst at -13 .  Is that the same as NothinBN's line that has Amherst and plus 13?

Yes!
Last week the posted line was Amherst favored by 5 1/2 over Bates.  I took Amherst and gave the 5 1/2 points to Bates.  Thus I won the bet when Amherst won by more. (8 to be exact)
NOTHINGBUTNESCAC posts the lines by home teams ... so you this weekend you can take either Bowdoin or Amherst to win AFTER 13 points has been added to Bowdoin's final score.
I hope that makes sense ... all betting tutorials free of charge.

Speaking of which ... where is Al Davis?
Hope to see him at Wesleyan this year ...

[Nescacman]

2014 Week #2 NESCAC Preview and Power Rankings

Welcome to Week 2 in the NESCAC..."the league where they pay to play". Week #1 was a very interesting start to another NESCAC season with a few surprises. Although it is difficult to discern any real trends from one week of football, since the NESCAC season is so short, you have to do some of that. We expected Trinity to beat Colby for their 52nd straight win at home, but did not anticipate the game being so lopsided. We think Colby misses Ciero more than they will admit. We also expected Williams to win their home opener, but thought Bowdoin would put up a bit more of a fight. It looks like they are really going to struggle this year. Continuing with the Maine theme, Bates defense looks as good as advertised and gave Amherst all they could handle. Hats off to the Jumbo's in breaking their long losing streak and winning their first game since 2010. Lastly, our game of the week lived up to the hype. We think Wes and Middlebury are both very good and played an exciting opening day contest in Vermont.

Week 1 was a good start to the 2014 season for NESCACMAN and his staff going 5-0. We were all over the Wes/Middlebury score and were close on several others if not for late scores. Our rankings remain pretty much unchanged in the upper tier with some movement around the fringes.

2014 Week #2 NESCAC Power Rankings

1. Wesleyan (Last Week: #1): The Cardinals won the same way they won 7 games in 2013: controlled the ball winning time of possession by almost 10 minutes, had half as many penalties for 40 fewer yards than Middlebury (a roughing the punter against Middlebury with less than 2 minutes to play sealed the victory for Wesleyan), and were plus 2 in the turnover department (including an INT for a TD). Jesse Warren was his usual productive self throwing for 2 TDs and no interceptions. We think his senior leadership and game tested experience will be a difference maker when they get into the meat of their schedule. Although All NESCAC RB Drew did not play, the running game did just enough to keep Middlebury's D honest. I would expect them to have more success this week running the ball against Hamilton. The Wes receivers played well despite not getting Josh Hurwitz into the mix. We think the defense is as good as advertised and will only get better in the weeks ahead. A key for the Cardinals was shutting down the Panthers on third down with Middlebury only converting 2 of 15 third down chances. Justin Sanchez had a particularly memorable game and was a strong candidate for NESCAC Defensive player of the week with 12 tackles (8 solo) an INT for a TD, a tackle for a loss and a sack. This week, Wesleyan hosts Hamilton in their home opener in Middletown.

2. Trinity (LW #2): Good start by the Bantams, pulling away in the second half and winning their 52nd straight game at home. The offense was impressive garnering 455 yards of total offense including 289 yards on the ground. 11 different Bantams carried the ball and QB Foye threw to 7 different receivers. Despite only leading 9-7 at the half, Trinity scored 23 unanswered points in the third quarter helped by some key Colby mistakes. However, there are some areas of concern for the Bantams. Henry Foye barely completed 50% of his passes, did not throw for a TD and did throw a pick. Highly touted frosh Spencer Aukamp did see sometime, although it was mostly in garbage time. The other area of concern for Trinity was penalties. Trinity was penalized 11 times for 121 yards. That will kill them against the upper echelon of the league. This week, Trinity is on the road at Williams, which should be a very telling game for both teams.

3. Amherst (LW #3): Amherst had a tough opening game against Bates and was very fortunate to come away with a win. Bates could have easily won this game and actually dominated the time of possession and were plus 1 in turnover differential. Soph Alex Berlutti got the start at QB with Senior Max Lippe not seeing any action. A question mark for us was Amherst's defensive secondary with the loss of Landrus Lewis and Max Dietz to graduation. They stepped up and forced 3 Bates INTs. The offensive balance surprised us by both teams. Amherst passed the ball more than we thought they would and Bates threw the ball more than we thought they would (31 passes for Bates...they only threw 127 all last year). This week Amherst travels to Brunswick for a scrimmage against Bowdoin.

4. Middlebury (LW #4): The Matt Milano era has officially begun at Middlebury (or is it the post Mac Foote era?). We expected more balance this year, and we were not disappointed by an almost equal amount of passes and runs. Rookie RB Drew Jacobs ran the ball well. However, for Middlebury to succeed they will need to do a better job of protecting the ball, avoid stupid penalties, and throw the ball down the field a bit more than they did on Saturday (averaging only 5.67 yards per pass attempt). The defense looked good especially against the run although Defensive Coordinator Doug Mandigo had 8 in the box most of the game and was very aggressive off the edge in an attempt to shut down the Cardinal running game and force Warren to pass. Unfortunately, that strategy did not pay off in the end with Jesse Warren connecting on several long passes and several other certain completions were dropped. This week, Middlebury travels to Colby to play the Mules.

5. Williams (LW #5): This team has a lot of talent and they started out as expected with a win. However, before we start announcing the revival of the Williams Football program, let's remember who they played last week. Bowdoin is one of the worst teams in the NESCAC and is especially horrid on the road. This week will be a far better indicator as to where the Ephman stand as they host the Bantams of Trinity. There were several bright spots for the Ephman including the running of Alex Scyocurka and the play of QB transfer Austin Lommen. A couple of things about Lommen. Yes, he transferred from Boston College but keep in mind that he was a walk on. Basically, at private schools like BC, Miami, USC, etc., if you are willing to write a tuition check as a walk on, they'll give you a helmet, let you hold a blocking dummy and allow you to get your butt kicked on the scout team. It's a little different at large public institutions like Oregon, Penn State, etc. since tuition is much less and if they opened up walking on to just anyone one, they wouldn't have enough equipment to go around. We have also watched Lommen's high school films. Although he looks good on film, further research tells us that his high school, the Breck School, plays inferior competition in Minnesota. So before we anoint this guy the next coming of Tom Brady (or even Pat Moffitt), let's see how Lommen plays against Trinity, Amherst, et al. 

6. Bates (LW #7): Bates gave Amherst everything they had last Saturday on the road and nearly came away with the upset win. Their defense is going to keep them in a lot of games. However, to turn some of those close games into wins, the Bobcat offense is going to have to play much better. We were a little surprised that Matt Canonne played over Patrick Dugan. We were even more surprised about how much they passed the ball, although we expected a more balanced O in 2014. In 2013, they only threw 127 passes all year (versus 482 rushing attempts). On Saturday, 31 of their 85 plays were passes. They lost their top two RBs to graduation and no one really stepped up in week 1. The defense forced 4 turnovers and that is going to have to continue for Bates to end up with a winning record in 2014. This week they face a rejuvenated Tufts squad in Medford who has a one-game winning streak.

7. Colby (LW#6): A disastrous second half for the Mules led to a disappointing first game. A solid performance by RB Carl Lipani overshadowed a poor performance by their experienced D. The defense has 9 returning starters from a 2013 squad that was third in the NESCAC in total defense and 1st in rushing defense. On Saturday, they gave up 455 yards of total offense. The schedule does not get any easier for them as they host Middlebury in their home opener this Saturday.

8. Tufts (LW #9): I know, I know, they beat Hamilton. But I think Tufts is better and Coach Civetti finally has this team moving in the right direction. Despite 31 loses in a row (1,406 days between wins to be exact), Tufts is on the their first winning streak since 2010. We believe one of the reasons is their offense is far more balanced than it has been in the last 3 years. Tufts is better this year but will that mean more than 2 wins? We'll see. By the way, if you want to be entertained for 6 and half minutes, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEmUc6t5dJQ&feature=youtu.be

9. Bowdoin (LW #8): Tough first week for the Polar Bears. We knew they would not be good, but did not think things were this bad. They need better play from the QB. Until they upgrade that position their offense will languish. Someone is going to have to step up on O (hello, Tyler Grant, are you home?). This team can ill afford to turn the ball over, let alone be minus 3 as they were last Saturday in Williamstown. This week is a real test for them as they host Amherst.

10. Hamilton (LW #10): Tough first week for new HCOF Dave Murray. Coach Murray is a quality coach and will eventually bring some respectability back to Hamilton. However, with not even one full year of recruiting under his belt, 2014 is not going to be the year. This will be a tough week as the Conts face Wesleyan in the Cardinals home opener.

Week #2 NESCAC Preview

As we head into the second week of the 2014 season, there are a few interesting games that we are keeping our eyes on this week. We are anxious to see if Colby can bounce back and give Midddlebury a game. Our GOTW pits Trinity against Williams in Ephtown. We believe Williams is better this year, but so is Trinity. We think the Ephman will come back to earth a bit this week facing a quality opponent in 2014 for the first time. Should be a beautiful fall day with little chance of rain and high's in the low 80's for most of the games.

Amherst College at Bowdoin College: Bowdoin will be 0-2 against the Little Three. I will be shocked if this game is even close. Keys to victory for Bowdoin: They need to control the clock, avoid putting the game in the hands of their QB and getting Grant going on the ground. Keys to victory for Amherst: Show-up. They should be able to get their young players plenty of action in this one.

Amherst 28 Bowdoin 0
Weather: Not a factor.

Bates College at Tufts University: Will Tufts make it 2 in a row? Will Bates run the ball? We like Bates' defense to control the tempo in this one. Tufts more balanced offense is better than it has been and we like QB Doll a lot (he might be the second best QB in the NESCAC) but will have a tough time against the Bates D. If Bates runs the ball more (never thought I would say that), I think they will win on the road. Keys to victory for Tufts: Keep your emotions in check after winning a game and generating some offense.  Keys to victory for Bates: Don't let Cannone or Dugan throw more than 15 passes.

Bates 17 Tufts 7
Weather: Not a factor.

Middlebury College at Colby College: Colby really misses QB Cierro. This week they face a tough Middlebury team looking for win #1. I think they will get it. Keys to victory for Colby: Run Lipani endlessly and get better QB play. Keys to victory for Middlebury: Throw the ball down the field and stop the big play.

Middlebury 35 Colby 14
Weather: Not a factor.

Hamilton College at Wesleyan University: Home opener for Wesleyan. This will be a good opportunity for the Cardinals to get some of their younger players varsity experience in preparation for next year as Drew and others rest. We think Hamilton will be competitive in 2016. In the meantime, they are going to get bounced around a bit. Keys to victory for Wes: Show up and stay healthy. Keys to victory for Hamilton: Control the clock and don't turn the ball over.

Wesleyan 42 Hamilton 7
Weather: Not a factor.


NESCAC Game of the Week

Trinity College at Williams College: By far, the most interesting game on the schedule this week. #2 Trinity travels to #5 Williams. As we have said, Williams is improved but so is Trinity. It even looks like they have replaced all NESCAC Evan Bunker with RB Iregbulem. Although I think this game by no means will be a blowout, I think Trinity's experience and coaching will be the difference here. Keys to victory for Trinity: Play their game and minimize the mistakes. Keys to victory for Williams: Throw the ball down the field to their tall receivers to open up the running lanes for Sqcyocurka. Control the clock.

Trinity 27 Williams 17
Weather: Not a factor.

NESCAC Man's Picks
Last week: 5-0
2014 Season: 5-0
2013 Season: 32-8

[Nescacman]

Let's get some lines out for this week. All lines are in relation to the home team.

Amherst at Bowdoin (+13)- First, putting this line here pains me and I think an argument can be made that this game will be closer because as Coach Mills said, Bowdoin always seems to play the Jeffs tough. Still the 13 points is about how much the Amherst offense can move the ball this week.

Bates at Tufts (+6)- Weird quirk in the schedule puts Bates on the road for a second straight game while Tufts has its second home game. Last year Bates needed a last minute touchdown to escape at home versus Tufts. Could the Jumbos really start 2-0? Possibly 3-0 since they have Bowdoin next week...

Middlebury at Colby (+3)- Intriguing game. Give Middlebury the edge after Colby collapsed in the second half. Will the Mules be able to get off the mat for this one? Look for improvement from Matt Milano after making adjustments from week 1.

Hamilton at Wesleyan (-16)- The only home favorite this week, Wesleyan should roll. Have not heard if Drew is playing this week which gives this line more uncertainty. He plays, he probably breaks a couple long runs and Wesleyan wins really big. Otherwise they just win comfortably.

Trinity at Williams (+5)- Struggled with this line somewhat for the game of the week. Tough to tell after just one week how good both of these teams are. Trinity is better than it played in first half but are they really as good as they looked in the second against Colby? Adam Datema being out is a big blow for Williams chances of stopping Trinity's running attack.

Broke even last week ... the Bowdoin offense killed me ...
(their defense must have been on the field 50+ minutes and with their backs up against the wall)
... and that late Middlebury TD didn't help. 

Oh well!

$100 ... Amherst -13
$50 ... Bates -6
$75 ... Middlebury -3
$50 ... Wesleyan -16
$25 ... Williams +5

I'll take Trin Trin and give the points. I am with you on every other game. Would love someone to take the other side of the Amherst action. I don't care about history...Bowdoin is just not good. Spread is way too low unless Berlutti implodes or Caputti benches his son.

[P'bearfan]

9. Bowdoin (LW #8): Tough first week for the Polar Bears. We knew they would not be good, but did not things were thris bad. They need better play from the QB. Until they upgrade that position their offense will languish.

Completely agree.

[P'bearfan]

Amherst College at Bowdoin: Bowdoin will be 0-2 against the Little Three. I will be shocked if this game is even close. Keys to victory for Bowdoin: They need to control the clock, avoid putting the game in the hands of their QB and getting Grant going on the ground. Keys to victory for Amherst: Show-up. They should be able to get their young players plenty of action in this one.

Amherst 28 Bowdoin 0
Weather: Not a factor.

Ouch!  Possibly true but....ouch all the same.