FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[amh63]

Seems to me that this season, the Hamilton team tends to play better in the second half.  In the Bowdoin game it was 15-0 at the half, Bowdoin.  Hamilton out- scored the Polarbears 20- 15 in the 2nd half.  A faster start in games is needed, IMO.  The team has talent.  Just a thought...nothing more.
Amherst coaches must work on minimizing mental errors for the talented Cardinals arriving for the Homecoming Game at Pratt.  Little Three Game.  Actually, the second half of the season will be...tough.  Glad Wes and Trinity are at Home this year

[RetiredMule]

I m going to avoid voicing further opinions on the Colby-Amherst game as they have been well stated throughout by amh63 and NewtoNescac.  My frustration runs into another week.  Hopefully this week we can extend Hamilton's losing streak, otherwise it will be a long quiet bus ride back from Clinton to Waterville.

[NewtoNescac]

RetiredMule - I share your pain. My hope is the Mules can win at Hamilton this coming Saturday, and continue the winning ways for the remainder of the season. This Colby team is capable, so let's hope they can do it.

[polbear73]

It is striking how tough the bottom half of the league has played the top this year, with the exception of Bowdoin.  Bates has to be the best 0-4 team in a long time and Hamilton (after taking Wesleyan to the 4th quarter and going to OT with Tufts) and Colby not far behind, if they are. Understanding that this is no consolation to these teams and their supporters, but NESCAC is as competitive as I can remember, despite the usual teams at the top. 

[gridiron]

Colby should be in the unique position of comparing each of the so-called "top tier" teams, as the only team to have faced each during the first four weeks of this season. 

According to one starting offensive lineman for the Mules I ran into Sunday:

Trinity is the best for sure.  Amherst second with a very impressive and effective defensive line.  Middlebury gets by on their sophisticated offensive passing schemes but has lots of other weaknesses.  Wesleyan is big and strong with the potential to be better, but the "bigs" up front are not as effective as they could be.  May be due to inexperience, training or perhaps discipline.

Admittedly, not a wide sample of opinions but thought worth sharing as the perspective is objective and relates directly to the teams this season.

[NewtoNescac]

Gridiron - Having been at all 4 Colby games, I think that assessment of those 4 teams is accurate.

And, to echo an earlier post, very little separates the "lower tier" teams from the upper.

With respect to Colby in particular, and contrary to the scores, they could have won any of their first 4 games.

As a previous post indicated, the offense needs an identity. They have the players, but Michaeles needs to utilize them better with his schemes and play calling. He us a really nice guy, but it's time to show he's a good HC/OC.

I have some quick suggestions, in case he reads this stuff.

First, get Lipani in the game mostly in the slot with Hurdle-Price, not in place of him. Go to trips and throw bubble screens and rub routes, and run him out of the backfield a bit too. Think, Danny Woodhead. Give the defense 2 quality runners to worry about.

Also, empty your backfield at times to empty the box more. That will open it open for your QB to run effective draws, after you throw some passes. You can also motion 1 of your slot guys and run option.

Lastly, out of your empty spread with twins left and trips right, roll your QB right, have your right outside receiver run post rubbing the defenders, the inside receiver runs a out pattern, and the other inside receiver run a corner. That gives you short and long patterns, and the option of the QB tucking it and running. I wish they tried this on the 2 unsuccessful 2 Pt conversions vs. Wesleyan that cost them the game.

I know this is a long post, but the former coach in me came out.

[amh63]

Checking the weather report for the Amherst game on Sat....maybe a foolish thing to do considering the rapid NE climate swings this time of the year.  Actually, planning the wardrobe...it can get cold watching sporting events...especially soccer when the wind is blowing.  Wife and I heading north early...on Thursday.  To be joined by my daughter's family on the weekend...it is Homecoming.  Planning to refresh my grand daughter's wardrobe with Purple and White...loves football and cheers well.  Full slate of sports with the Cardinals as well as volleyball going on...so parking will be hard. Number of old friends to meet up with and parents of players.  Oh yes, the game.
First, believe it was the Wes game two seasons ago that Amherst lost its last game on Pratt. My class tent was on the left side of the path to the new field house...able to see the team come and go.  Strange, do not even remember the score of the game..a lost.  Do remember talking to old alums like myself by the Wes tailgate in front of Coolidge Cage as HC Whalen was waiting for the buses to arrive. The Amherst alums present...the Cage had food and music awaiting...all shook Coach Whalen's hand and congratulated him and his team on the win.  Remembered his smile and huge hands.  He wanted the Little Three Win...a chance for the title.  Expect to see him on the sidelines this weekend..then again maybe not.  Expect a battle ahead...but believe Amherst's balanced attack and attacking defense will prevail over a young Wes team.
To the Colby fans on the board...I can say I understand a little of your frustrations...and hopes.
Colby had a streak of wins over Amherst...'92-'95...the dark age period for Amherst.  A rebuilding of the football program soon followed...one that brought HC Mills to Amherst as the DC..from WPI.  He became the HC when the HC took the same job at Yale.  Those years was the period when my sons were in school..at Amherst.  They are sport participants/fans and had roommates that were captains of teams.  Yet those years soured them a bit on following football. 

[P'bearfan]

And, to echo an earlier post, very little separates the "lower tier" teams from the upper.

While I'm very happy with how Bowdoin played this past weekend, it's hard for me to agree with this statement regarding the Polarbears.  I think we ~2-3 years away from competing with the top tier teams.  Hope I'm wrong.

[P'bearfan]

As a previous post indicated, the offense needs an identity. They have the players, but Michaeles needs to utilize them better with his schemes and play calling. He us a really nice guy, but it's time to show he's a good HC/OC.

I have some quick suggestions, in case he reads thus stuff.

Quick question for long time posters - do the coaches actually read this stuff? 

Perhaps I'm projecting my own biases but reading this board would be the last thing I'd spend time doing if I was a coach. 

[amh63]

P'Bearfan....intriguing question!  Give you my take on the matter...and maybe more.
I know of one HC at Amherst who is aware of postings on his sport on these boards.  He may not read them but has an assistant follow it.  He told me that if I wanted to know something to call him...I just shook my head...for many reasons....probably rather to be ignorant and wrong than be informed and silent/ restricted...I guess.
My guess is that in other sports, postings are monitored by someone.
When I was invited up to Amherst during the Bowdoin weekend, I was informed by the school on many plans via  a series of talks/seminars.  One was that in Jan.2016, Amherst will launch an entirely new Website for the 21 th century...think "marketing tool".  First entirely new approach/ structure in the new world of social media to reach the alums, applicants, etc.  All media output now goes through a new staffed up organization....includes the SIDs.  I and others inquired if this was also " data mining" and had security worries.  One Knowledgeable alum was concerned about counting keyboard clicks when some one visits the website...for what purpose....yes it can be done.
Anyway, back to sports.....one coach did say that keeping up with social media contacts has impacted his "office hours"...my term.  I'm sure that all coaches these days caution their players wrt to what they say about team matters via social media outlets.   

[NewtoNescac]

Coaches are human, so I assume they look at this stuff once in a while out of curiosity. One thing I am sure of, they are not reading this board to find out my ideas for running their offense.

[NewtoNescac]

Here are my picks for this coming Saturday. I do this, not because I'm so bright, since most of my picks have been wrong, I like to generate some quality football conversation. So here goes nothing.

Colby 27 - Hamilton 24
My heart tells me it will be a blow out, like last year, but my head tells me otherwise. Last year Hamilton made the grueling trip to Waterville with a broken team spirit, and this year Colby must make that long trip to Clinton. I do think it will have some impact. Couple that with a much improved Continental's team, and it should make for a good game, with the Mules taking it by 3.

Amherst 31 - Wes 14
I think Amherst will be repeating as NESCAC champs this year, and while Wesleyan is young and can do some nice things on both sides of the ball, Amherst is simply too balanced and deep. Next year things may be different, but not this time around.

Middlebury 24 - Bates 14
I am not a fan of Middlebury's one dimensional offense, and a fair defense, at best. Thus my close pick. But, if Bates is smart enough to do anything and everything to stop the pass, and can get the option going, and scoring and eating time off the clock, you could very well be seeing a 24-21 Bates upset. But, they haven't shown it thus far.

Trinity 38 - Bowdoin 17
The freshman Bowdoin QB will continue to show his stuff, but not enough against a physical Trinity defense. I'm also thinking Trinity will score at will on Bowdoin's defense. This is probably the easiest game of the week to pick.

Tufts 20 - Williams 17
Williams will keep it close at home against a Tufts team determined to pick it up after last weeks tough loss. They still have their eye on the prize. Whereas, from week to week, you can't figure out what Williams has it's eye on. Just can't bring myself to pick Williams at this point.

[RetiredMule]

Your lips to God's ears NewtoNescac. I could see a pair of 1-4 Colby and Bates teams in the first leg of the CBB.  God that was depressing to write. 

In other comments, I think the Trinity-Bowdoin spread will be a larger gap than you put forth.  Amherst by ~21 seems right. And I think Tufts win by at least 7.

[NewtoNescac]

RetiredMule - This Colby team can win it's last 4 games, and head into next year ready to compete for a championship. Or, the team can fall apart. This week will show the direction it takes. A few changes need to be made in personnel, and play calling. It is squarely on the shoulders of Coach Michaeles this week and for the last 4 games. 3 of 4 wins is not good enough. They need to run the table, because that's what they're capable of. It's time to get it done.

[P'bearfan]

Trinity 38 - Bowdoin 17
..... I'm also thinking Trinity will score at will on Bowdoin's defense....

Ouch.....possibly true but....ouch.