FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[westcoastDad]

Glad i said they were "specialists".  Lol.  Doesn't matter...this battle of unbeatans was decided fairly.  Both teams could have won but for a few key plays. 

[westcoastDad]

Gotta go unbeaten to lay claims of being the best.  Good luck!

ote author=jburrell21 link=topic=4146.msg1758552#msg1758552 date=1475979748]
I would like to give a shout out to the best coaching staff in the "CAC (Ritter, Caputi, Mandigo, et.al.) for their victory today.  The streak is over.  Cheer boys cheer!
[/quote]

[PolarCat]

The most consistently amazing play I have seen this year came from a player you won't see written up, because there are no stats for what he did.

Williams FY QB Jansen Durham got absolutely CRUSHED today, over and over and over again.  In a game that saw some monster hits, the Bobcat secondary did a great job in coverage (well, except for a big blown coverage in the first quarter) and the young Eph OL could not handle the swarming Cat DL and LB's.

The result was young Durham (who is built more like Doug Flutie than Ben Rothlesberger) got viciously sacked more times than I could count.  But the young man got up, dusted himself off, and stepped right back into the fray.

If NESCAC gave an award for Offensive STONES of the week, Durham would own it.  Once he gets a decent OL in front of him, he's going to be pretty special.

[westcoastDad]

and still was able to put up 17 points to make it a good game. 

The most consistently amazing play I have seen this year came from a player you won't see written up, because there are no stats for what he did.

Williams FY QB Jansen Durham got absolutely CRUSHED today, over and over and over again.  In a game that saw some monster hits, the Bobcat secondary did a great job in coverage (well, except for a big blown coverage in the first quarter) and the young Eph OL could not handle the swarming Cat DL and LB's.

The result was young Durham (who is built more like Doug Flutie than Ben Rothlesberger) got viciously sacked more times than I could count.  But the young man got up, dusted himself off, and stepped right back into the fray.

If NESCAC gave an award for Offensive STONES of the week, Durham would own it.  Once he gets a decent OL in front of him, he's going to be pretty special.

[frank uible]

The number one quality required of a QB is courage - because if he lacks it, the team won't play for him. It is wished the same could be said for our political leaders.

[Vandy74]

Gotta go unbeaten to lay claims of being the best.  Good luck!

ote author=jburrell21 link=topic=4146.msg1758552#msg1758552 date=1475979748]
I would like to give a shout out to the best coaching staff in the "CAC (Ritter, Caputi, Mandigo, et.al.) for their victory today.  The streak is over.  Cheer boys cheer!

[/quote]

I included this in a PM I sent you about 10 minutes ago westcoastDad.  I've been meaning to post it for quite some time now.  The above mentioned Middlebury OC Caputi spent 13 seasons as OC at Williams working with an HC guy named Farley.  The Ephs went 88-13-3 during his tenure, including 4 of Farley's 5 undefeated seasons.  He knows how it's done.

[Vandy74]

The number one quality required of a QB is courage - because if he lacks it, the team won't play for him. It is wished the same could be said for our political leaders.

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you if you're young at heart.

On a more realistic note, anyone who doesn't think Williams football will return to form doesn't know Williams football.  And I have no love for Williams football.

[polbear73]

I don't either, vandy, and it's only a matter of time.

[westcoastDad]

PolBear, I must say yesterday's loss to the Panthers has been a new expeerience.  The Amherst class of 2018 had not loss until yesterday.  My son usually calls after a game.  Only a text this time.  A one word text. 

Looking forward to this last debate tonight.  Looking forward to the Donald saying something off the chart.  Did anyone watch Alec Baldwin on SNL last night (a few hours ago)?  Oh my....

Good luck Trump camp. 

Hillary?  Ugh....

[IslandTime]

Baldwin as Trump was the funniest thing SNL has done in years! Had me crying.

Trump....ugh

[PolarCat]

Trying to figure out if theres a way i can vote for Pence without voting for Trump.  He seems to be the only non-weasel on either ticket.

Bucket of ugh.

[polbear73]

Now that we're three weeks into the season, it's interesting to note which of the top 5 teams DON'T play, thanks to the archaic 8 game season.  Of the three undefeated teams, Middlebury has an advantage as they don't play Wesleyan, playing Bowdoin instead.  Trinity doesn't play Colby (played Bates), Tufts played and beat Wesleyan, doesn't play Hamilton; Amherst beat Hamilton, doesn't play Bates; and Wesleyan lost at Tufts, substituting Middlebury. 

Let's hope this year's championship is won on the field, not because a team didn't play another contender. 

[amh63]

polbear73....good point.  Amherst plays all the contenders....Tufts, Wesleyan, Trinity and Middlebury...and as cited earlier, the top candidates away.  It is what it is...there was a three way tie for the CAC title not so far back with the point you brought up coming to play.  Still a lot of games to go.  Amherst will regroup and go for a share of the Nescac title.
WestCoastDad....at least your USC team won . 
Talk about young QBs getting pounding.  The late game between Florida State and the U of Miami was a battle.  The FSU freshman QB had to go to a recorvery tent twice while I was watching...getting hit often and hard.  It was a D1 game in Miami between schools that recruit hard for the same players in Florida and there were a number of players ejected for hits.  Ugly game that had high stakes. 
Reading the game stats and stories around the conference, several things jump out.  There is Young talent throughout the teams that are getting PT.  The coaches around the CAC are getting their share....Middlebury is an example with its WRs and kickers.  Heck, Amherst young QB had more passing yardage than the Gold Helmet Winner QB of Midd. 
Coaches around the league recruit to the offense and defense "style" they have had success with in the past.  Amherst plays a 3-4 defense.  They play no huddle quick pace offense.  Going to a T formation or  a QB under the center approach will not happen unless there is cause.....losing seasons.
One thing for sure....Coach Mills and others should be given credit for having a New kicker go for a 50 yd plus field goal early in the contest.
Another thing I have noticed....WE are all engaged but opinionated would be coaches on this board .

[NESCAC.Football.Observer]

So I watched the Amherst at Midd game online, and talked to 2 current Amherst Football parents......

First.... Congrats to the Panthers.... They deserved the win.

But anyone who is honest and watched that game and knows football has to admit that the Amherst Special Teams cost Amherst the game.

The Amherst starting punter was horrendous and deserved to be benched after a horrible first half.  And he should have been assessed an intentional grounding penalty, instead of it being ruled an incomplete, when he dropped the ball on a good snap (at the end of the first half) and was trying to avoid losing an additional 20 yards. 

The announcers said K Wall punted in the 2nd half, was bad for a couple  too, then the frosh P ended with the last 3..... but the game stats don't show Wall kicking.   

Regardless.... the combined effort by the LJ punting specialists was horrible. Certainly not what they've been used to in seasons' past!!!!

K Wall only kicked off, was average at best, and seems to have lost "place kicking" to starting SS Rak.

Wall's lack of leg combined with poor kick return defense led to GREAT average post kick return position for the Midds.

Combo the above with, despite the sack stats, an inability of the Amherst DL to put pressure on the Midd QB, plus WR play - except for All League slot back Boehm - that was subpar..... well.... it added up to too many mistakes for a win vs a good team.

Amherst players need to regroup and realize they just aren't as good as they thought they were......

Midd QB is the real deal, too!!!!!!

[westcoastDad]

Polar Cat ......you're not the only voter trying to figure that one out.

Amh63, you have to know that Sunday morning coaches are undefeated!  You're right, EJ must have known he had a good PK to go for a 52 yarder.  Only problem is that he must have forgotten when we were on the 30 first and 10 at end of game.  As for the uptempo read option.....let's go back to the first half.  AMHERST had the ball 1st and goal inside the 5.  From the shotgun they nailed us for losses twice.  It takes too long for ball to get into the backs and hands and the defense knows exactly what to do.  On 3rd down we put the QB under center and gave him a lead blocking back.  Hickey waltzed into the end zone. 

Nice feedback N.F.O.   We allowed their QB lots of time.  But he also bought himself time because he was elusive on his feet.  Our secondary needed to be on their "A" game to stop the savvy Middlebury 5th year junior.  He graduated HS in '12....redshirted at UNLV before transferring.   So, he's mature and talented.   Morales played incredible.  He got his team 26 points. 

But, our defense was against it all day because of field position and truly just wasn't consistent enough.  That last roughing the passer in the 4th was a bonehead play by Amherst.  It was 3rd and long and incomplete
Fresh new set of downs and much better field position followed. 

Amherst undisciplined and paid for it!

Home crowd attendance 3300!!??  I wish NESN would find a way to show the home crowds.  It would help for a recruit to see that somebody does attend the game.