FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[ContinentalsMan]

HUGE NEWS FOR HAMILTON ... Suspended Georgia running back and former Heisman Trophy frontrunner Todd Gurley will be suiting up for the Continentals on Saturday ... he will be selling autograph footballs before the game ...

[P'bearfan]

Hamilton -1 Bowdoin----It took a great performance by Caputi to silence the "Brunswick Vultures" who have now shifted their ateention to front running with the promising Bowdoin Basketball program. They had recently taken to grandstand dissing their football program with intense criticism and allegations of nepotism following a tough start with a young team....we call those guys Howard Cosell clones, frontrunners, where I come from. Understandable that they have retired from the board since Coach Caputi stuck to his guns and Caputi Jr came up big. A hint for you PB second guessers, the TEAM did not play well in the first 2 games but the TEAM, led by QB Caputi's toughness and leadership turned things around in Brunswick last week.......those are the qualities you deemed irrelevant earlier on this board.

Lumbercat - interesting perspective.  For me this had nothing to do with Mac Caputi's character, toughness, work ethic, leadership or any other qualities - nor was it about nepotism - which I never claimed.   It had to do with Mac Caputi's performance throwing the ball effectively.

Also, I disagree with your statement that Bowdoin's HFC "stuck with his guns" regarding QB position and therefore proved me (and presumably others) wrong.  It's very clear that after the Williams game, the coach played the QB who was more productive with the offense and very importantly more efficient in passing.  It just so happens that this was a different player in each game.

And since even after reading your post I'm still not sure what "front running" is it's hard for me to respond to that.  What I've done on the basketball board is look at what the statistics from last year say it took to win in the NESCAC, what each team has lost via graduation and transfers, make my best assessment of which teams have the biggest holes to fill and how likely it is that they can fill them.   

Many basketball posters disagree and point out limitations of my analysis and assessment - which is fine with me.  I just tend to start with the data and do my best to see what it points out.

[P'bearfan]

For those who are interested, below are the statistics that back up my argument regarding the Bowdoin QB situation:

Mac Caputi 2013 passing:  107 - 210 (51%) 4TD;  8INT; net passing yds/ game:5.4

Mac Caputi 2014 passing:
vs Williams:  19-36 (52.8%); 0TD; INT; net passing yds / game: 3.2
vs Amherst:  14 - 21 (66.7%); 0TD; 2INT;
vs Tufts:   20-25 (80%); 0TD; 0INT; net passing yds / game: 8.4
 

Through much of the Williams game, QB Caputi was consistently throwing behind or over the heads of his receivers - and this still resulted in a slightly BETTER than average game for him in term's of completion %.  And let's be honest a 51-53% completion rate isn't very strong. 

So during the Williams games the starting QB was playing as well as he was historically capable, the offense had been stalled all game and late in the 4th quarter the game was completely out of reach.   IMHO, it's hard to justify not using the back up QB in that situation.

In the first half of the Amherst game, Mac Caputi was 4-7 through the air (57.1%) with an INT - again slightly better than all of 2013 at least in term's of completion rate but the offense couldn't sustain a drive.    Drakeley was given a chance and moved the offense very well although he fumbled on the goal line right before the half. Drakeley played much of the 3rd and 4th quarter and moved the team but couldn't score.

Mac Caputi came in late in the 4th when the game was out of reach and played very well moving the team down the field for it's first touch down of the year - and boosting his passing completion rate to 66.7% for the game.  Mac Caputi's passing performance late in the second half was much better than in the Williams game or in 2013.

Against Tufts Mac Caputi had a brilliant game.  He completed 20-25 passes (80%) and had net passing yards of 8.4.  I had no qualms about him starting that game based on his performance in the Amherst game and IMHO he has solidified that staring spot based on his performance.

[NothingButNESCAC]

Nothing but NESCAC-
Thanks for your kind words but again have to commend you guys for your work- enjoy it immensely. You put a lot of work into your postings.
At the risk of getting totally killed I suggest that you guys need to monetize your Nothing but NESCAC endeavor...a lot of work is being expended by you guys and you need to be paid for your work.....don't believe subscribers to this board would object to a nominal payment for the quality NESCAC coverage that you provide.

Lumbercat, we do really appreciate the kind words and as college students we have thought somewhat about how to monetize it. At this point we are more than OK without getting any money for it because some of us house hopes for continuing this type of work in a professional setting somewhere in the future. So NBN is almost like an elaborate internship for us.

Still, I can supply an address for any donations that people on this board would like to send along!

Oh, and our power rankings for this week are up. http://nothingbutnescac.com/2014/10/10/week-three-power-rankings/

[amh63]

GridIron.....the correct info for the Colby game is posted.  I checked after the SID sent me a note.  Enjoy.
Seems there is some tension among the posters.   Hope it does not get to the point of the Soccer board where one poster was thrown off.  Believe it will not happen here.....having so many civil and mature posters.
Seems capitalism is well on this board...but do not know how to take the post wrt to signed footballs in Clinton. Anyone..help...including the poster.  Some funding support of the program?

[P'bearfan]

Seems there is some tension among the posters.   Hope it does not get to the point of the Soccer board where one poster was thrown off.  Believe it will not happen here.....having so many civil and mature posters.

I get the distinct feeling that I'm glad I'm not a soccer fan.

[Bantsfan]

If you do get detoured in the streets around Trinity, we strongly suggest locking your car doors and windows and not stopping if you happen to get rear ended. Failure to follow these suggestion could lead to a carjacking or worse, death. 

Ouch.  You're gonna hear from banfan on that post, for sure.

Totally off-topic: Did anyone see Vinatieri recover his own onside kick tonight?  Most amazing kicker play I have ever seen.  At least, the most amazing one that didn't involve a snow plow.  Worth catching it on the halftime highlights.

EDIT: It was actually Pat McAfee who pulled the onside.  Still an amazing play from Special Teams.

[/quote]

PolarCat - Bantam fans don't mind that kind of comment - it's human nature to point UP when you shoot 

[PolarCat]

PolarCat - Bantam fans don't mind that kind of comment - it's human nature to point UP when you shoot 

Well I certainly suspected there was a lot of "shooting UP" in Trinity's 'hood.  Guess it's good to have that confirmed.   

Continentals Man, thanks for the levity.  Well played sir!  (For amh63: Todd Gurley was suspended from the University of Georgia football team, after allegations surfaced that he was selling autographed memorabilia - including footballs - for profit.  That's strictly against the NCAA rules, though Johnny Manziel faced similar accusations.  I'm guessing your CIA contacts have been too busy chasing ISIS to keep up with DI football this week). 

[PolarCat]

Seems there is some tension among the posters.   Hope it does not get to the point of the Soccer board where one poster was thrown off.  Believe it will not happen here.....having so many civil and mature posters.

Ha!  You may THINK we're civil and mature.  But come back in 3 weeks when we are chasing all those punk kids off our lawns!

A little controversy and give-and-take are good things for a message board.  It's all been good-natured (I think), and we're nowhere close to descending into the uncivil abyss.

[Nescacman]

2014 Week #4 NESCAC Preview and Power Rankings

Welcome to Week 4 in the NESCAC..."the league where they pay to play".

Last week, as a result of technology, we were able to see all 5 games since we stayed close to home and did not go on the road. That enabled us to get a better sense of where each of the teams in the 'CAC stand at the almost halfway point of the season. This week, we are on the road again heading to Maine from our home base in New Jersey (the home of the best HS football in the country) to catch some exciting NESCAC action in person. Week #3 was highlighted by a Bates win over the Williams "Keltmen", Bowdoin getting their first win of the year over previously unbeaten Tufts, Hamilton College playing Trinity very tough before succumbing (will this be the week that Coach Murray gets his first 'CAC win?), and the Lord Jeffs beating Middlebury in our GOTW. A couple of story lines we are watching this week: who should be number one: Trinity or Wesleyan, how many games will the sinking SS Ephmen win in 2015 (we think the over/under is 2; the HCOF watch is in full swing), will this be the week that the Conts get their first win of 2014 (we say "yes") and will Amherst and Wesleyan both be 4-0 for their Little 3 clash in week 5 (again, a resounding "yes").

In week 3 we went 3-2 with our picks. Tufts looked like the 2013 version of the Jumbos losing to a previously winless Bowdoin squad and Amherst did a nice defensive job in the rain in Vermont. To our credit, we did predict that Bates would beat Williams. Our rankings remain unchanged in the upper tier with continued movement below the "Fab 4".

2014 Week #4 NESCAC Power Rankings

1. Wesleyan (Last Week: #1): We have seen Wesleyan play several times this year. Despite leading the NESCAC in scoring and turnover differential, we feel like they still have not played as well as they can play. Last year they played their best games of the year during the middle part of their schedule against Colby, Bates and Amherst. Perhaps this year, they are saving their best efforts for last against the likes of Amherst, Bowdoin, Williams and Trinity. We'll see. There are some things we really like about this team. Certainly, experience and veteran leadership lead the list. But we also think they have the best secondary in the NESCAC (they lead the NESCAC in INTS and are third in defensive pass efficiency (despite having the most passes thrown against them in the league) and the best QB in Jesse Warren (6 TDs-leads the 'CAC, no INTS and leads the league in passing efficiency and yards per attempt). There are some things that give us pause, however. We do not see the same dominant running game that has been the hallmark of the Cards for the last couple of years. They clearly miss pre-season NESCAC offensive player of the year, LaDarius Drew. Their offensive line is going to have to do a better job as they move into the more challenging part of their schedule. Why we rank Wesleyan ahead of Trinity: 1). The New England Coaches Poll ranks Wesleyan ahead of Trinity...the coaches must know something, right? 2). Despite losing to Trinity last year, Wes returned virtually everyone from a 7-1 NESCAC Championship squad that played one bad game all year. 3). We think the Wes QB is the best QB in the 'CAC (see our NESCAC QB rankings later in this blog for more details) and is far superior to the very mediocre Henry Foye, who would not even be playing if super frosh Sonny Puzzo had not been declared academically eligible. 4). Against common opponents this year, they both played Colby about the same while Wes beat Hamilton handedly (at least on the scoreboard) while Trinity had some problems before dispatching the Conts. 5). Our opinion is Wesleyan has played a harder schedule thus far than the Bantams beating the only quality opponent the two teams have faced, Middlebury in Vermont. This week, Wesleyan travels again to Maine to face Bates. It will be up to Coach W to keep the team focused and not look ahead to their huge Little 3 match-up next week in Middletown against Amherst.

2. Trinity (LW #2): Trinity had a tougher time against Hamilton than we thought they would. Hamilton dominated time of possession, had as many first downs as Trinity, and was +3 in turnover differential. Despite that, Trinity opened up a 19 point second half lead on two big offensive plays and a safety.  Trinity is a good team. No doubt about it. They lead the league in total offense, total defense, are second in points per game (to Wesleyan) and second in points against per game (to Amherst). However, let's be honest here, they have not played the hardest schedule thus far beating three of the weaker teams in the conference (and we still won't think get a true read on this team until they play Middlebury in week #6). We believe the Achilles heal of this team is the QB. QB Foye has very ordinary thus far completing only 54% of his passes and throwing for only 2 TD's. If a game comes down to Trinity needing a long drive in the last two minutes to win the game, we'll put our money on the defense.  This week, Trinity is at home against the Tufts Jumbos.

3. Amherst (LW #3): Quality win for the Lord Jeffs as they beat Middlebury on the road in a driving rainstorm. We love Amherst's league leading defense that has thus far only given up 2 TD's in 3 games. Against Middlebury, the Lord Jeffs defense sparkled holding Middlebury to 67 yards in the air, 129 yards of total offense and only 8 first downs. Sophomore RB Nick Kelly lead the charge on offense running for 141 yards and the games lone TD on a59 yard run. This week the Lord Jeffs return home to face the Colby White Mules.

4. Middlebury (LW #4): Tough loss at home for Middlebury. The schedule gets a bit easier for them the next two weeks as they face Williams and Colby before facing Trinity in week #6. Despite the loss of QB Foote to graduation, Middlebury is still among the league leaders in passing offense. Look for new QB Milano to have a big game this week. The defense again looked good against the run and they lead the NESCAC in rushing defense. This week Middlebury travels to Keltontown to face the Ephs.

5. Tufts (LW #5): Despite their first loss last week (and I was getting my "From Winless to Undefeated" headline ready...not), they are still our 5th ranked team. There is however, a huge drop from #4 to #5 in our rankings. We rank Tufts here because they have managed to win 2 games; they are the only team outside of the "Fab 4" that have more points for than against. Tufts is third in the league in points scored and third in total offense. We still think Tufts has a chance to get to .500 this year although they are going to have to beat both Colby and Williams for that to happen. Tough test this week as they travel to Hartford to face Trinity.

6. Bates (LW #7): Nice bounce back win for the Bobcats in hostile territory in Keltontown. This team perplexes us. They play well at times and not so well at other times. We see a complete lack of consistency on offense as evidenced by the fact that they are second to last in the NESCAC in total offense. They are more balanced this year, but the fact that they have not found a "go to" running back (no Bates RB is among the top 10 in rushing in the NESCAC) has hurt them in their option offense. We're really not sure about this team yet. We think that they are going to have to run the ball more effectively to be able to have offensive success and keep Wesleyan's high-powered offense off the field on Saturday.

7. Williams (LW #6): The 2014 HCOF Kelton watch is in full swing. Williams continues its slide down the rankings dropping to number 7 (watch out below). Williams is in the bottom half of nearly every team ranking and is dead last in the 'CAC in rushing defense. The only thing they are doing well in is turnover differential and even that is interesting. They have recovered 4 fumbles in the first 3 games. Most football experts will tell you that recovering fumbles is just luck and you cannot count on them on a consistent basis. Speaking of turnovers, highly touted (at least by the Ephs faithful) transfer Austin Lommen is second to last in the NESCAC in throwing INTS and is dead last in passing efficiency. We also have to make a comment about the Scyocurka situation. In our opinion, Williams should voluntarily forfeit their game against Bowdoin. They used an ineligible player who just happened to also make a material difference in the game. What kind of message does that send? In real life, there are penalties for not getting things approved in time. C'mon man!!! This is the NESCAC after all. Tough week for Williams as they face the tough Middlebury Panthers in Keltontown.

8. Bowdoin (LW #10): Please do not misconstrue the move from #10 to #8. I am not jumping on the Polar Bear bandwagon. Frankly, we think none of the bottom three teams in the league are any good and on any given Saturday would all probably play to a 0-0 tie. In fact, we actually like the Conts the best of the bunch due to the fact that they play hard under new Coach Murray and have some talent. Bowdoin is not good and although they rode the Tyler Grant bus last Saturday (too bad this kid plays for Bowdoin, he belongs on a much better team), we think a heavy dose of reality sets in this week in Clinton, NY. Bowdoin's problems: poor defense (last in the NESCAC in total defense), passing offense (no TD passes in the first 3 games), and turnovers (second to last to Colby in turnover differential). Interesting game as they face Hamilton this week in the battle for the #8 ranking.

9. Hamilton (LW #9): Week in week out the Conts play hard for Coach Murray. We are impressed by their effort. They played Trinity very tough and gave it their all. They need to do a better job running the ball to win some games. Should be an interesting game this week as they face Bowdoin at home and go for 2014 win #1.

10. Colby (LW#8): Tough loss for Colby as they suffered through their third straight loss to Wesleyan. Against Wes, their passing game failed them as QB Harrington went 17-42 with 2 INTS, including one that went for a TD. They rank last in points for and points against. Injuries and transfers have ravaged this team. They head into their 4th straight tough game this week against Amherst.

Week #4 NESCAC Preview

Welcome to week#4! Not a strong slate of games this week with the Fab 4 (Trinity, Amherst, Wesleyan, Middlebury) all expected to win going away. In the consolation game, we like Hamilton to get into the win column for the first time since 2012.

Tufts University at Trinity College: Trinity continues with their extended pre-season hosting the Jumbo's as they go for their 53rd straight win at home on the turf. We would love to see the Jumbo's play Trinity close but we don't see it. Tufts can throw the ball, but we think the chances of a shootout here are remote given how well Trinity defends the pass. If Tufts somehow gets Doll rolling and puts Foye into a must throw situation, this could get interesting. We see Trinity grinding it out on the ground and controlling the clock, frustrating the Jumbo's with long tedious drives that keeps the Jumbo's potent offense off the field.

Trinity 28 Tufts 14
Weather: Chance of showers. High in the high 50's.

Wesleyan University at Bates College: Will this be the week that Wesleyan finally puts it all together? The D has played well and has already scored 3 defensive touchdowns including two by defensive player of the year candidate Jake Bussani. The O needs to open it up a bit by throwing the ball down the field to get the NESCAC's third leading rusher, Kyle Gibson, going. Wes will be the healthiest its been all year with several players coming back from injury. That should help, particularly on the banged up offensive line. If Matt Cannone's high ankle sprain is not healed and he can't go, Patrick Duggan will take the reins. Without Cannone, Bates will have a tougher time of it. In any event, they need to find someone else to carry the ball besides either of the QBs. Bates will rely heavily on the defense to keep this close. They also need to hope that Wes is looking ahead to their big game next week against Amherst. My guess is that the Wes coaching staff will keep this team very focused on the task at hand.

Wesleyan 31 Bates 14
Weather: Not a factor.

Colby College at Amherst College: One of the best teams in the NESCAC against one of the worst. Amherst has been offensively challenged this year but we think they turn it around against a porous Colby D that has been hurt significantly by injury. We think Colby will have a tough time scoring on Amherst but may squeak out a TD in garbage time against the Amherst second teamers late. Amherst will run the ball well, control the clock and shut down QB Harrington and the rest of the Colby O. If RB Lipani is back for the Mules, it will make the game slightly more interesting but he is not enough to make a difference.

Amherst 24 Colby 7
Weather: Chance of showers in the AM and then cloudy, high of 60.

Bowdoin College at Hamilton College: We like Coach Murray to get his first NESCAC victory. Two guarantees in this one....the Conts will play hard (again) and Murray will outcoach Caputi. Playing hard will finally payoff for Hamilton. Not sure why this one starts at noon...maybe they want the misery over early?

Hamilton 24 Bowdoin 17
Weather: Not a factor.

NESCAC Game of the Week

Middlebury College at Williams College: Middlebury will attempt to hand the Ephs their second loss at home this year and make them 1-3 overall. Look for QB Milano to go up top and open up the running lanes for frosh Drew Jacobs. We are looking for Jacobs to have a very big day against a Williams D that is last in 'CAC against the run. What makes this game interesting are the ramifications for HCOF. Will a win here be enough to keep his naysayers at bay? What about if they lose? Would they ever fire a coach midway through a NESCAC season? I think that would be unprecedented but not totally out of the question here. Williams will need to limit the turnovers and control the clock pounding it with the NCAA's favorite son RB, Alex Scyocurka.

Middlebury 28 Williams 17
Weather: Not a factor.

NESCAC Man's Picks
Last week: 3-2
2014 Season: 12-3
2013 Season: 32-8

[Nescacman]

Special Feature: NESCAC Signal Callers
Although football is the consummate team sport, we all know that the QB position is key. Without a solid QB, your chances of success are highly diminished. Who are the best QB's in the 'CAC? Whose deserves to start? Who should be benched? We polled our network and this is what we came up with:

1.   Jesse Warren (WES): The model of efficiency leads the league in passing efficiency again this year and does not throw interceptions. Also leads the 'CAC in TD passes. Although Wes doesn't ask him to do it very often, he can throw the ball down the field if needed.
2.   Jack Doll (TUF): Having a great year completing over 70% of his passes and throwing for 4 TDs. He is one of the major reasons Tufts has become respectable this year.
3.   Matt Cannone (BAT): Might be higher if not for the INTs and the fact that Bates still runs the ball a lot. Cannone can run and pass but sometimes takes too many risks and tries to do it all which leads to INTs.
4.   Alex Berlutti (AMH): We are not really sure why Coach Mills insists on rotating in the Freshman Foy (not to be confused with #9 Foye). QB Berlutti can throw the ball well and also is a threat running the ball. Plus, he is a quality kid (we had a chance to spec with him after a game last year).
5.   Chase Rosenberg (HAM): Would be higher if he was more accurate. That will come for this second year starter. He is a star in the making. Remember, he is only a soph.
6.   Matt Milano (MID): Still a bit green, I suspect that he would rank higher at the end of the season. Has played against tough competition so far this year.
7.   Austin Lommen (WIL): Has not lived up to expectations yet, but he has been accurate and seems to have good "mojo" with his HS teammate Giesel .
8.   Henry Foye (TRIN): Fortunately, Trinity has a good running game. They would be in trouble if they needed Foye to win games. He is a game manager for the Bantams and a placeholder for future starter, highly recruited Spencer Aukamp from St. Joe's in NJ. Boy do they miss Puzzo.
9.   Gabe Harrington (COL): Another big strong soph, he will get better. Remember, he was not supposed to start until next year. The transfer of second team all-'CAC QB Ciero moved that up a year.
10. Mac Caputi (BOW): Let's look at the body of evidence. He did         not have a good 2013 campaign, other than one game this year he has not been good (no TD passes), he is not accurate, and he can't run. Enough said. Until Bowdoin gets a QB, they will languish in the second division of this conference.

[lumbercat]

PBear fan-
Very fair comments, just expressing my take on the anti Caputi posts by you and others following a couple of rough outings on the road for your Polar Bears. Felt there was too much negativity and the nepotism thing was unwarranted from my viewpoint.

You are a stats guy and I respect that and I very much enjoy your Basketball posts and team analysis on the Basketball board.

My take is that Caputi is a leader, a team captain and a very tough kid who has unimpressive stats. You are right, he has struggled with the passing game. Based on this he doesn't meet your criteria......based on stats. I know stats don't don't lie but sometimes a coaching decision is made with other considerations in mind and last weeks results confirmed this point- granted, only for that game......but it was a "W" for the PBears, so it worked.....a kid with poor statistical history gutted out a win---good thing they didn't yank him.

Drakely is a soph with little experience so HC Caputi went with experience, leadership and other intangibles....don't believe he was looking at stats. He put the kid out there who he thought gave him the best chance to win and he was right.

I'll throw names a couple of guys who won some football games at the college and pro level without stats....Billy Kilmer and Joe Kapp....neither could throw or run very well but sometimes factors like leadership, toughness and desire can influence the outcome of football games and can have a favorable effect on the overall team effort.

Just my take PBear- geez I'm a Bates supporter and I'm defending Caputi- just thought you guys were a bit over the top in you criticism of your HCOF and QB- good exchange of opinions.

[Pat Coleman]

Seems there is some tension among the posters.   Hope it does not get to the point of the Soccer board where one poster was thrown off.  Believe it will not happen here.....having so many civil and mature posters.

I get the distinct feeling that I'm glad I'm not a soccer fan.

He actually was not thrown off. He was warned and he chose to quit the site rather than change his behavior.

[Nescacman]

Seems there is some tension among the posters.   Hope it does not get to the point of the Soccer board where one poster was thrown off.  Believe it will not happen here.....having so many civil and mature posters.

Ha!  You may THINK we're civil and mature.  But come back in 3 weeks when we are chasing all those punk kids off our lawns!

A little controversy and give-and-take are good things for a message board.  It's all been good-natured (I think), and we're nowhere close to descending into the uncivil abyss.

Lumber and Polar...Cats. Love to continue the Caputi debate tomorrow with you in Lewiston. Where is the best place to grab some sandwiches for a tailgate near the Bobcat Den?

[lumbercat]

NESCACMan-
I will be at the Bates game tomorrow but won't be there in time to gain entry into the Bates tailgate area-----you gotta get to Garcelon field very early to join the great Bates tailgate- it's always a sellout.
Let me see if I can connect you by email- would enjoy meeting you.