FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[AlDavisStill]

I gave Stanky Frank and Williams my sincere blessings this morning at 9:43 showing my support for some upsets. 👏👍

[Vandy74]

Lumbercat,

He really did execute beautifully.  But, that was a clear intentional grounding with about 40 secs to play at mi5dfield don't you think?  Middlebury should have gotten either a sack or the call.  Instead the refs rules incomplete?  smh.  There was nobody around that pass.

He took full advantage of the missed call though.

I thought it was clearly intentional grounding.  That said, Middlebury benefited throughout the game from Williams penalties instead of simply getting the job done themselves.  The team that wanted it the most won today.  I've been watching Middlebury play Williams since I was old enough to toss the pigskin around with my dad.  I'm very disappointed, but not particularly surprised.    Congrats to the Ephs.  Bobby Maimaron has to be the NESCAC Player of the Week.

[nescac1]

Classy post Vandy plus one.  Can't argue re the grounding, but in all events an amazing fourth quarter.

Williams could lose its last four, and Raymond still has to be COY for the job he's done.  Unreal.  But the Ephs are against all odds a contender now.  Why stop winning?

[westcoastDad]

I would post the pic of the play but seems the file is too large.  There wasn't anyone within 10 yards of him when he backhanded that throw

[westcoastDad]

Did Banky play for the Midds?  I couldn't see the feed clearly today (for the Amherst telecast either)

[nescac1]

Banky didn't play.  Didn't stop the Midd receivers from shredding the Ephs all day.  Midd's passing game was fairly unstoppable; in particular the many third and long conversions were impressive.  But to their credit the Eph D was strong on the goal line and on the last two Midd drives.  (Other than two 15 yard penalties on the last drive, neither of which I'm sure what happened on). 

[nescac1]

Game-winning play:

https://youtu.be/dBi9xLXRemA

[westcoastDad]

Game extending play was that blown call.  Midds did not get home cooking.

Maybe 3 plays prior the Midds LB had an INT dead to rights.  Somehow he whiffed. 

Was the day for the Ephs

[PolarCat]

• Bobby Maimaron is the real deal.  Hard to believe this kid is a FY.  INCREDIBLE poise, reads and checks down like an SEC QB, great legs, and fearless.  All of you who hold Sonny Puzo, Mac Foote, et. al. in high esteem, take note:  If Bobby stays healthy for 4 years, he's going to rewrite the record books.  If he was 3 to 4 inches taller, he could be playing at Bama, Florida State or Notre Dame.

[PolarCat]

Surprisingly good game in Middletown today.  Bates jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Cards, slipped to 21-20 after a missed PAT, then bounced back with a 43 yard FG with 6 seconds left in the half to take a 23-21 lead into the locker room.

I wasn't there but I think there must have been a frenzied conference among the coaches and coordinators at halftime.  "Hey, we're ahead.  What do we do?"  "I don't know, I don't know!  What do we do?"  "Moe, Larry, Cheese!  Moe, Larry, Cheese!"  In the second half, the OC veered away from the game plan that worked in the first half, and went back to running on 1st and 2nd downs, and throwing on 3rd.  The DC said, "Hey, let me help you out.  I'll have the CB's play 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, so the Cards can bubble screen us to death."  It worked.

Nothing against the Cards.  They are a FINE team, and we are rooting for them to beat the Bants.  But it was fun to see the 'Cats play up to the potential we loyal fans thought they had.  Until Curly, Moe and Larry reverted to form.  Ah, well.  Fun while it lasted.


 

[Bucket]

Between Young Bucket's fall soccer schedule and my PA duties for Midd's soccer team, I don't get over to many football games at the best venue in the NESCAC, but this afternoon was an exception, and boy, what a game.

Hats off to the Ephs for both resuscitating their program and for the clutch win today. My heart is with the Panther players and my friend Bob Ritter, who are surely hurting, but I'd be remiss not to acknowledge the effort and achievement on the other sideline.

I sat in front of an Eph parent; we spent the better part of the second-half complementing each other's offense (and particularly the QB play). Early in the fourth, I remarked that the team with the ball last would win. On that final drive, I was hoping I was wrong, and said as much, when I congratulated my new friend on his son's victory. 

Yes, shoulda been grounding on the near-sack-throw-to-no-one on the final drive, but refs blow calls. The late-hit, personal foul on Williams on Midd's final drive looked just as iffy to me, and also could have ended the game in the Panthers' favor if Midd had been able to sustain the drive.

Great game, even one that ended with my buddy OldGuy saying to me as we bumped into each other on the way out, "Darn."

[NESCAC.Football.Observer]

Between Young Bucket's fall soccer schedule and my PA duties for Midd's soccer team, I don't get over to many football games at the best venue in the NESCAC, but this afternoon was an exception, and boy, what a game.

Hats off to the Ephs for both resuscitating their program and for the clutch win today. My heart is with the Panther players and my friend Bob Ritter, who are surely hurting, but I'd be remiss not to acknowledge the effort and achievement on the other sideline.

I sat in front of an Eph parent; we spent the better part of the second-half complementing each other's offense (and particularly the QB play). Early in the fourth, I remarked that the team with the ball last would win. On that final drive, I was hoping I was wrong, and said as much, when I congratulated my new friend on his son's victory. 

Yes, shoulda been grounding on the near-sack-throw-to-no-one on the final drive, but refs blow calls. The late-hit, personal foul on Williams on Midd's final drive looked just as iffy to me, and also could have ended the game in the Panthers' favor if Midd had been able to sustain the drive.

Great game, even one that ended with my buddy OldGuy saying to me as we bumped into each other on the way out, "Darn."

Kudos to this poster.....  the no call on the supposed grounding was a makeup for the horrid " late hit" out of bounds that extended the Midd drive when the Ephs had stopped the Midds late in the 4th.

Bottom line is you can't blame a game on one (non) Call....   a game is the sum of all the plays.

I find it interesting, as a game attendee, that no one is saying "what a horrible decision by the Midd coaching staff to give the ball back to the Ephs after the  decision at 3:13 left.  3rd and 13 from Midd 46 with the best QB in all of D3 and Midd runs the ball wide?!?!?  3 yard gain, 4th down, and the punt is a touchback for the Ephs to start at the 20.  Rest is history.

Funny part is Midd had 2 other "against the book" 4th down plays in the 3rd and 4th quarters that they converted.... aggressive plays...... and then they became wussies when the chips were down.....


Made no sense. 

[Vandy74]

  the no call on the supposed grounding was a makeup for the horrid " late hit" out of bounds that extended the Midd drive when the Ephs had stopped the Midds late in the 4th.

Bottom line is you can't blame a game on one (non) Call....   a game is the sum of all the plays.

I find it interesting, as a game attendee, that no one is saying "what a horrible decision by the Midd coaching staff to give the ball back to the Ephs after the  decision at 3:13 left.  3rd and 13 from Midd 46 with the best QB in all of D3 and Midd runs the ball wide?!?!?  3 yard gain, 4th down, and the punt is a touchback for the Ephs to start at the 20.  Rest is history.

Funny part is Midd had 2 other "against the book" 4th down plays in the 3rd and 4th quarters that they converted.... aggressive plays...... and then they became wussies when the chips were down.....


Made no sense.
[/quote]

Yes it did.  It was clock management, just like when MC ran the ball on three consecutive plays from the Wesleyan 14 with 1:59 left in the game.  Williams had just called their last TO at 3:18.  Taking a chance on an incomplete pass wasn't a wise gamble regardless of the skill of the QB who didn't have his best clutch receiver available.  As for the touchback, Rye's punt traveled 52 yards to find the endzone.  It bounced and rolled in Williams' favor unfortunately.  Them's the breaks what is. 

[westcoastDad]

Trinity is very beatable. 

[Pat Coleman]

Game-winning play:

https://youtu.be/dBi9xLXRemA

Here's one with the end zone angle -- Middlebury was very close to knocking this ball down!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWG2cc4id6Y