FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[P'bearfan]

My point is that Bowdoin has risen significantly in national ratings over the past 10 years at a time when their Football program has ascended to it's all time abyss. This set of circumstances reinforces the anti jock faction in Brunswick especially among the Bowdoin faculty. It's a feather in Bowdoins academic cap..... so who needs an expensive Football program???.....we are #4!

Lumbercat - thanks for your response but your argument still doesn't work for me.

From 1980 - 2014 Bowdoin has only had 5 winning seasons.  That's 5 winning seasons out of 35 (14%).  Based on your argument Bowdoin should have seen a dip in the number of winning seasons after it's rise in academic standing in the last 10 years.  That's just not the case - the fact is there have been very few winning seasons in the last 35 years. Go back to 1960 and there you only add 5 more winning seasons (10 out of 55 or 18%).

Unfortunately Bowdoin's football team simply hasn't had a sustained winning tradition in a very long time.  Hopefully that will change going forward.

[PolarCat]

So Polarcat, if we follow your logic, how does that explain the success of Amherst and Middlebury who are both "small, ultra-selective schools like Bowdoin" (to quote you)? If we follow your logic, Tufts and Wesleyan should win the league every year.

It would be great if you DID follow my logic.

Amherst and Middlebury are traditionally successful programs.  As such, they have an automatic edge in recruiting top talent.

The issue on the table isn't how a successful program stays successful.  It's how a program in the bottom half of the conference can turn itself around?  My premise is that such a turn-around is easier for a bigger school, with a more diverse student body, and lower thresholds for their A and B bands than for a smaller college.  And having an AD who can allocate tips from other sports to football sure doesn't hurt.

Good luck to your daughter at Wes.  Like Hamilton Football, the only way that program can go is up.    Hopefully, a new coach and the Whale's commitment is all it will take to make that happen.

[lumbercat]

PbearFan

What "doesn't work for you"?   Very simply put-  Bowdoins academic rating, today, is the best ever.
The Bowdoin Football program, today, is at its all time bottom.
Spare me your 40 year stats--Lets open it up to other Polar Bears in this forum to say when the Bowdoin program was worse than it was at the end of last year when they gassed Caputi. 
This sets up a scenario where the Football detractors in Brunswick have more momentum than any other time in recent memory.....that's my point, does that "work for you"?

[NewtoNescac]

Many factors enter into having a winning program. But I am convinced the single most important element is a HC that can recruit, and can move his players to be "all in" individually and as a team. And if you have some obstacles, like an Administration that is less than supportive, work that much harder to get past it. A guy like Tom Brady didn't cry about being passed over at Michigan for too long, and then in the NFL Draft. He simply worked that much harder to be a winner, and overcome the obstacles.

Any NESCAC program can win. They just need to want it bad enough. Tomorrow we will get a few more questions answered. Talk is cheap. I want to see it. Enjoy the night, and tomorrow's games.

[P'bearfan]

What "doesn't work for you"?   Very simply put-  Bowdoins academic rating, today, is the best ever.
The Bowdoin Football program, today, is at its all time bottom.

What doesn't work for me is that you are claiming both a correlation and causation when neither exist.

[D3pc]

I am not a true NESCAC guy but I can tell you this about the new coaching staff at Bowdoin...

JB Wells is a good recruiter in the new England area. He also feels reenergized and is estatic to be back in the NESCAC where he played.

Tom Blumenauer (OC/QB coach) is an excellent recruiter from the Long Island area. He recruited many of the guys at St Lawrence who are currently seniors and Juniors and have turned that team into a top 25/top 40 team including two all-americans last year.

Shem Bloom (DC) was the recruiting coordinator at Middlebury before all three were at Endicott last year. They have gotten some good players up in Vermont and I see no reason why he can't do the same for Maine.

Caputi was a nice guy, but not qualified to be a collegiate head coach. This program will struggle until the new staff can get their guys in and develop them which will take a few years. But there is no way they continue to win 1-2 games after the next 1 or 2 seasons.

[NewtoNescac]

D3pc, I like your take on the Bowdoin situation. I am hoping they get it going. I too think Wells will. Enjoy today's day of college football. Nothing better.

[polbear73]

Thanks for the information on the Bowdoin staff, D3pc; it jives with the somewhat insider information I received during the hiring process.  These men can unquestionably coach as evidenced by their building the Endicott program from the ground up.  But they will need players and how they work with Bowdoin Admissions remains to be seen.  I have it on good authority that Wells had received assurances that he will receive 4 or 5 "coach's picks" per year; I don't know how that fits within the band system or what that really means, but a lot of us have taken it to mean that there may be some new flexibility and as a good omen for the program.  Time will tell. 

[NED3Guy]

I'm new to posting on here but have followed this board for years.

Keep hearing about the anti jock sentiments at Bowdoin. Is this anti jock or anti football? Don't other Bowdoin teams do well, generally speaking? I'm far too lazy to look it up, but feel like basketball and lacrosse teams have been good in recent years.

I only ask because just giving them "5 coaches picks a year doesn't mean the five guys they want will want to be there. If campus wide culture of anti jock feelings is being cultivated up there, the challenges are far greater than 5 coaches picks will fix.

[quicksilver]

I'm new to posting on here but have followed this board for years.

Keep hearing about the anti jock sentiments at Bowdoin. Is this anti jock or anti football? Don't other Bowdoin teams do well, generally speaking? I'm far too lazy to look it up, but feel like basketball and lacrosse teams have been good in recent years.

. . . .

Bowdoin is fairly solid in most sports, with football being a bit of an aberration. Probably hockey is its best and most popular men's sport but it is competitive or a contender in most other sports.

[polbear73]

Definitely not competitive in football today, down 30-6 at the half to Amherst. Could have been worse but for two goal line stands resulting in short field goals..

[fulbakdad]

I think I would hold judgement on their recruiting abilities for a while.  Recruiting in the NESCAC is totally different than recruiting at Endicott.  My son went to a Prep school that is a large feeder into the NESCAC schools.  I forced him to look at some schools out of that mold just in case the $ situation was out of our reach.  Endicott was one of the schools we looked at.  I don't want to slam the Endicott players here, but the coaches had a lot of flexibility on who they got in.  Very evident on our visit.  I would like to see who they are able to recruit into a NESCAC school before I agree they are successful....

[NewtoNescac]

Feel bad for the Continentals faithful. Another very tough loss for them yesterday. The D seems to have made great strides since last year. But the O is still not getting enough done. But I'm hoping for continued improvement, and think they can grab a couple of wins before the season ends. That would be a great stepping stone.

Also, very tough home loss for Bates.  They were set to take the lead late in the game, but couldn't punch it in from the one yard line. I think they have a good kicker, so I'm not sure why they didn't kick the field goal to take a 2 point lead. Sounds like this loss might be more on the coach, than on the kids.

[P'bearfan]

I wasn't able to watch the game yesterday as I was driving back from my daughter's x-country meet in Tallahassee. 

From the box score there were few bright spots.  Drakeley was very efficient completing 66% of his attempts but most of those must have been screens or short slants across the middle as we only gained 4+ yes per attempt.  What really stood out was the fact that Amherst rushed for 10x the yards that Bowdoin managed.  I assume that's due to the strength of the LJ's O and D lines and how much the P'bears need to improve in those departments.

Let's hope we can turn it around next week.

[PolarCat]

It was a coulda, shoulda, woulda day in Lewiston yesterday.  In front of a huge Homecoming and Parents Weekend crowd, the Bobcats held the Jumbos scoreless in the first half, and took a 14-0 lead into the locker room.  Unfortunately the Jumbo's came out and controlled the second, and escaped from Lewiston with a 1 point victory.

Both sides made some great plays, and both made errors.  The worst performance may have been put in by the refs, but hey, this is NESCAC so we're used to that. 

The Tufts O Line was superb on passing downs, as QB Alex Snyder had all day in the pocket and put on an aerial display.  Snyder connected with Jack Cooleen seven times, including 2 separate 45 yarders, delivered on target with beautiful touch.  280 yards passing on the day, from a whopping 56 attempts.  Snyder has an arm, and I'd be surprised if much-hyped transfer DiBiaso has a chance to get off the bench following this performance.

Despite the Jumbo's favoring the pass, Chance Brady had a decent running day, till being knocked out of the game in the 4th quarter with what appeared to be a concussion.  He's an exciting player, and we wish him well.

Offsetting this performance, last week's NESCAC special teams POTY of the week, Kicker Willie Holmquist really struggled.  Part of this was due to some really bad snaps on his punts (and it was a beautiful, dry day in Lewiston, so wet balls weren't a factor).  But Holmquist had an 8 yard (not a typo) punt; a fumbled snap on another punt for a 16 yard loss deep in Tufts territory, setting up Bates' first touchdown; a 14 yard punt; and a missed 22 yard FG, all in the first half.  Then a fumble in the end zone in the 4th quarter, giving Bates a safety and allowing them to pull within 1 point.

On the other side of the ball, Bates' triple option worked much better this week, with Dugan making some great pitch outs, literally in the process of going to the ground.  The Bobcats showed a balanced rushing attach, with Frank Williams, Sean Carrol, Ivan Reese and Mikoy Nichol all having some impressive, tackle-breaking carries.  Dugan completed 17 of 26 passes for 97 yards in the air.  And the Bobcats' Special Teams were superb.

There were trick plays on both sides. In the second quarter, Tufts had 4th and 4 at the Bates 13, lined up for a FG.  As the ball was snapped, Holmquist broke to his right, the holder flipped him the ball, and he went out of bounds at the Bates 7.  (Four plays later, he missed a 22 yard attempt).  Bates' trick play was a little more daring.  With a 4th and 6 at their own 36, the Bobcats lined up to punt.  But the ball was snapped to Trevor Lyons, who threw a 13 yard strike to Brandon Williams at midfield.  Good stuff.

But the 'Cats killed themselves with mistakes.  Three false starts.  Illegal motion.  Two pass interference calls in critical situations.  Blown coverage by FY defenders that allowed two deep completions, one for a score.  And 2 fumbles.  One killed a first quarter drive on the Tufts 44.  The other turned the ball over for a touchback after the Bates runner had crossed the goal line, for what would have been ago-ahead touchdown with 6:05 to go.

Ultimately, the game came down to the decision to go for it on 4th down, well within field goal range.  Not once, but twice: on 4th and 3 from the Tufts 13, then again on 4th and goal from the 1 with 6:05 to play.  Those decisions left a lot of folks scratching their heads.

Coulda, shoulda, woulda.