FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[amh63]

Strange as this may sound....but Bowdoin has been playing tough at Pratt in recent visits.
Taking off today.....have lectures and seminars to attend at Amherst before the game on Sat. 
Seems I need to think about my dress again...Fall weather...cold evenings.

[NewtoNescac]

P'bearfan, I share your hope, as well. If they were playing a lesser team, I'd be more optimistic. Playing Amherst away is just a tall order. But we can hope.

[polbear73]

At the risk of sounding like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, I share P'bearfan's comment but have to agree with NewtoNescac's prediction. I think that Coach Wells is moving in the right direction, but have to acknowledge that this will take time. Hopefully Bowdoin will improve every week, but this one could indeed be worse than the predicted score.

[AUPepBand]

Nescacman, great writeup and agree that Hamilton can win at least two games this season. Today, despite you picking them to lose, will be very interesting considering they have Tufts at home and should have beaten  them in Boston last year. The attitude seems to have changed among the players though the school itself still gives the team little or no support and there is little or no confidence in the athletics director. No need to put the number out there but the overall Hamilton sports program has to be among the worst in all of the NCAA. The AD along with the administration has promised for more than a year and a half changes in the entire athletic program but there has been really nothing done except for a new locker room which only came because of a gift of a former football player and replaced a locker room that was disgusting and a health hazard. Head coach Dave Murray, however, has brought in new uniforms, helmets and a new overall look and he is the school's lone hope for a winning program. Lot of players gone from last year's squad though most of the ones that played returned. The key for Hamilton will be finishing, whether it be a play, drive, quarter or game. With games against Wesleyan and Trinity around the corner, the key to the season really is today against Tufts. There is no reason why they can't beat the Jumbos. They have them at home, there is certainly enough talent in Clinton and Tufts hasn't won a road game in what, almost five years. If Tufts wins it will be another setback for a Hamilton program that needs to get the monkey off its back much like Tufts did against them last year. I think we will all get a chance to see what Murray and his staff are made of today at Steuben Field. He won at his last school but came from a poor academic school at Alfred where he could take anyone. These are his coaches and he has a year under his belt and we will get a chance to see today what he can actually do in D3's top academic league. Murray has enough to win four games this season and perhaps even pull up a upset over one of the big four and they don't have to play Amherst. If Hamilton was ever going turn a corner where the players start learning to win, a good start would be today. Hopefully, it's AD and administration will be on hand today to watch and if a win does come see what kind of difference it can make at the school. Hamilton wonders why it is not a top 10 or now even top 15 liberal arts college. It is not just all about academics and or building some fancy theatre and arts building. It is about trying to be the best at everything. Ask Harvard or I like what Mercedes goes by: Best or Nothing!

say what?

ContinentalsMan:

[saxontad]

Nescacman, great writeup and agree that Hamilton can win at least two games this season. Today, despite you picking them to lose, will be very interesting considering they have Tufts at home and should have beaten  them in Boston last year. The attitude seems to have changed among the players though the school itself still gives the team little or no support and there is little or no confidence in the athletics director. No need to put the number out there but the overall Hamilton sports program has to be among the worst in all of the NCAA. The AD along with the administration has promised for more than a year and a half changes in the entire athletic program but there has been really nothing done except for a new locker room which only came because of a gift of a former football player and replaced a locker room that was disgusting and a health hazard. Head coach Dave Murray, however, has brought in new uniforms, helmets and a new overall look and he is the school's lone hope for a winning program. Lot of players gone from last year's squad though most of the ones that played returned. The key for Hamilton will be finishing, whether it be a play, drive, quarter or game. With games against Wesleyan and Trinity around the corner, the key to the season really is today against Tufts. There is no reason why they can't beat the Jumbos. They have them at home, there is certainly enough talent in Clinton and Tufts hasn't won a road game in what, almost five years. If Tufts wins it will be another setback for a Hamilton program that needs to get the monkey off its back much like Tufts did against them last year. I think we will all get a chance to see what Murray and his staff are made of today at Steuben Field. He won at his last school but came from a poor academic school at Alfred where he could take anyone. These are his coaches and he has a year under his belt and we will get a chance to see today what he can actually do in D3's top academic league. Murray has enough to win four games this season and perhaps even pull up a upset over one of the big four and they don't have to play Amherst. If Hamilton was ever going turn a corner where the players start learning to win, a good start would be today. Hopefully, it's AD and administration will be on hand today to watch and if a win does come see what kind of difference it can make at the school. Hamilton wonders why it is not a top 10 or now even top 15 liberal arts college. It is not just all about academics and or building some fancy theatre and arts building. It is about trying to be the best at everything. Ask Harvard or I like what Mercedes goes by: Best or Nothing!

say what?

ContinentalsMan:

Pep.  I couldn't believe this statement about AU.  My reaction was "this guy has no idea what he is talking about."


On Saxon Warriors!!!

[nescac1]

The Alfred talk brings back a distant memory -- Alfred was the first college brochure I ever received in the mail, and I still remember how much excitement that inspired! 

I too would like to disagree with the NewtoNescac prediction, this time for the Williams-Trinity game.  But I can't.  The best bet for Williams would be a wide-open passing game because I do think given a bit of time Lommen and the Eph receivers could make some noise down the field.  But with the bad weather coming that seems entirely off the table, and Trinity should be able to run the ball down Williams' throat while largely shutting down the Eph running game, which did not impress at all vs. Bowdoin.  Which spells bad news on a day in which it is likely to prove difficult to pass.  The Ephs' VERY green defensive line could be facing a rude a awakening vs. the tough Trinity o-line, and I don't see the Eph running backs having much luck against Trinity's swarming front seven.  I hope at least the Ephs use the frosh RBs more, because, well, why not at least try?   I felt like the Ephs overall had more talent last year and we all know how that turned out. 

Best case scenario for Williams: some of the young defensive linemen are ready to explode onto the NESCAC scene and make some plays in the backfield, Noah Sorrento gets a dozen carries and makes them count, the weather clears up enough for Sime, Brown and Regensberg to make a handful of big plays down the field, and the Ephs get lucky with a few turnovers by Trinity.  Even then, it's likely at best only a close loss for the Ephs.  I hope they prove me wrong!     

[gridiron]

The winning team predictions by Newtonescac over the past two seasons (30 and 10, 32 and 8, if I have that correct) suggests, on average, correct picks on four of the five games each week.  Therefore, another way to look at it is to try to identify his one incorrect pick each week...

With that in mind I'm looking for this week's "mistake".  I'll go with the Bates/Tufts game and suggest Tufts pulls that one out.

The other games are likely to play out as predicted, and I'm hoping the scores are as close or closer than thought.

[JEFFFAN]

How many years does the Williams coach get to turn this around?

[PolarCat]

How many years does the Williams coach get to turn this around?

What do you mean "years"?

[JEFFFAN]

How many years does the Williams coach have left if this team does not get better?

[polbear73]

http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/fball/2015-16/releases/20151001hnr76k

Bowdoin preview of Amherst game.

[Nescacman]

The winning team predictions by Newtonescac over the past two seasons (30 and 10, 32 and 8, if I have that correct) suggests, on average, correct picks on four of the five games each week.  Therefore, another way to look at it is to try to identify his one incorrect pick each week...

With that in mind I'm looking for this week's "mistake".  I'll go with the Bates/Tufts game and suggest Tufts pulls that one out.

The other games are likely to play out as predicted, and I'm hoping the scores are as close or closer than thought.

I think you are referring to our picks (NESCACMAN). Our picks for week 2 will come out tomorrow. Last week we were 4-1. And for the record, we would have gone 5-0 had Wes kicked some XPs and cut down on the penalties.

[Nescacman]

2015 Week #2 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings

Not many surprises, in Week 1, therefore, not much movement in our Power Rankings. The fantastic four (Amherst, Trinity, Middlebury, Wesleyan) all either won or earned style points in losing. What we are watching in Week 2:

-Was Amherst QB Foy's performance in Week 1 the real deal or a fluke?
-Can Middlebury get their ground game going against one of the weak sisters in the league?
-Is this the week that Coach Dice gets his first career win for Wesleyan on the road at Hamilton?
-How many 100-yard rushers will Wesleyan have this week? The over/under is 3.
-Do the Kelton's of Willytown keep the game close at Hartford State?
-Has QB Lommen turned it around in his second year for the Kelton's?
-Does Tufts master Bates and make it two in a row on the road?
-Do Colby and Bowdoin show us anything to believe that either team will get more than one win this year?

1. Amherst (LW #1): Solid opening week win for the Lord Jeffs as they took the first step towards their second straight NESCAC championship. The question at the QB position seems to be resolved, for now. As the competition stiffens, we will see if Coach Mills resists the temptation to go to Berlutti. The defense looked as good as ever after giving up an opening drive TD.

2. Middlebury (LW #2): The Panthers maintain their #2 ranking, despite coming very close to an opening game upset at the hands of the upstart Fighting Methodists. We still think this team relies way too much on the pass and it will be tough for them to beat Amherst and Trinity without at least the semblance of a running game. QB Milano picked up where he left off at the end of last year and looked very good. Maybe Middlebury can trade D1 transfer Jared Lebowitz to Wesleyan for one of their 4 or 5 all-world running backs? Just saying...

3 (tie). Wesleyan (LW tie #3): Despite the loss, very good start for Coach Dice. Despite graduating 27 seniors and 18 starters, he had the new look Cardinals ready to play. If not for an inordinate amount of penalties and uncharacteristically being on the wrong side of the turnover ratio, Wes was 3 XPs away from sending this to OT (plus they had a TD called back as a result of a penalty). The Wes running attack looks formidable, young, first year QBs Hawkins and Piccirrillo (2014 Connecticut HS Player of the Year) looked surprisingly poised and the defense looks as good as ever (the passing D won't face anyone remotely close to Milano the rest of the year). The defense with Sanchez, Daversa-Russo, Stone (my pick for 'CAC DPOTY) & Company will be just fine. Even more impressively, the newly formed offensive line played well and we really like the new, no-huddle offensive scheme (they ran 80 plays and generated 464 yards of total offense).

3 (tie). Hartford State (LW tie #3): Returning QB Sonny Puzzo picked up where he left off before he took his forced exile from HS. The team will have to show us something against a decent team before we jump on the 'State bandwagon. And for the record, a big win versus Williams this week (which we all know will happen), will not get us on that bandwagon.

5. Tufts (LW #5): Congrats to the Jumbos on their first win on the road in 5 years. This week they go for 2 in a row in a very interesting game in Lewiston.

6. Williams (LW #7): Beating a new coach with a group of players that he did not recruit is not a reason in our mind to jump up and down. However, they did handedly win on the road and that is worth something, right??? We moved them up one place based on that but think a huge dose of reality will set in this week when they travel to the Coop. 

7. Bates (LW #6): Bates needs a win in the worst way this week against Tufts having to go on the road the next two weeks to play in Willytown and Middletown.

8. Hamilton (LW #8): Played well in defeat against Tufts. We think they are going to have their hands full against a hungry and aggressive Wesleyan eleven.

9. Bowdoin (LW#9): Not a good showing against Williams. This week they go on the road to play Amherst. Good luck.

10. Colby (LW#10): See above but substitute Trinity and Middlebury. That's the good news. The bad news is the schedule does not get any easier with Wesleyan and Amherst in weeks 3 and 4.

[Nescacman]

How many years does the Williams coach get to turn this around?

What do you mean "years"?

We are on the same page Polercat. Unless the HCOF pulls a rabbit out of his hat and runs the table, he's a goner. Should not be difficult for the Armchair QB Club to open up their wallets and bring in a big time coach that can turn it around in a hurry in Willytown.

[gridiron]

The winning team predictions by Newtonescac over the past two seasons (30 and 10, 32 and 8, if I have that correct) suggests, on average, correct picks on four of the five games each week.  Therefore, another way to look at it is to try to identify his one incorrect pick each week...

With that in mind I'm looking for this week's "mistake".  I'll go with the Bates/Tufts game and suggest Tufts pulls that one out.

The other games are likely to play out as predicted, and I'm hoping the scores are as close or closer than thought.

I think you are referring to our picks (NESCACMAN). Our picks for week 2 will come out tomorrow. Last week we were 4-1. And for the record, we would have gone 5-0 had Wes kicked some XPs and cut down on the penalties.

Apologies to Nescacman.  Waiting for your predications this week.