FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[MidDay]

Thanks Vandy, not enough of us on the Board!

[Nescacman]

HCOF Ritter is very fortunate to have been bailed out despite making one of the worst play calls we can remember in recent memory at a crucial time in an important game...but of course, he is a coaching genius...our correspondents are working on getting a view into his thinking...IOHO, dumb, dumb, dumb...HCOF Ritter did not deserve to win that game...nice job by the MID players coming through and persevering despite their HCOF's poor/boneheaded decision making....Ritter must have had the LM's and the points...shame on him.....as punishment, he will have to spend the 2020 season as HCOF at UBates...

Football is a funny game.  Coach Ritter is "very fortunate to have been bailed out" by the same player whose ad lib interception turned an arguably questionable decision into a poor/boneheaded one.  He "didn't deserve to win that game" even though he continued to call the plays that won it.  It's a funny game.  Not funny ha ha, mind you, but funny.

I like your game beverage of choice amh63.  I run with the Classic crowd myself.

Vandy, although we concur with your comment, how was the "Genious's" play call an "arguably questionable decision"? One of our correspondents was watching the end of the game with a top current/former NESCAC HCOF and to quote them, "one of the worst play calls I have ever seen..."....but they won, they are still unbeaten, and the sun is shining this AM in Vermont...

Nescacman,

I stand by my choice of words.  "Arguably" means "in the face of all evidence probable, but not completely certain."  We're talking about the decision to call a pass play, not the play's end result. Yes it's probable that running the ball would have set up a chip shot FG attempt had it failed to gain first down yardage or a TD, but keep in mind that Jernigan, your proposed sure-handed middleman, had already coughed up two fumbles during the course of the game and the Amherst defense had knocked another ball loose as well.  The lack of certainty, however, was proven back in the third period with about six minutes remaining when following a failed attempt at 3rd and 1 from the 11 yard line, Massengill's ensuing FG attempt was blocked.   Besides, we both know that if that pass had gone for a TD "boneheaded" would be "gutsy," or maybe just "innovative."

I doubt that Bob Ritter considers himself a coaching genius: he knows he stepped in a pile and came out smelling sweet, and I know you use the term for sarcastic effect; but I once attended a football game in Nashville where coach Bryant made so many boneheaded decisions that the Commodores rolled back the Tide.  History shows the Bear's reputation remains untarnished.

There's still a lot of football to be played.  Go Panthers!
[/quote]

Not sure your view would be the same if MID ended up losing the game, which they very easily could have....

In this era of analytics, which is the higher percentage option???....1). Passing from the 10 yard-line as the clock is running down and trying to score a TD or....2), Running the ball and centering it for a game winning 27 yard FG by one of the top kickers in the NESCAC....and for those that didn't see the play, MID had the ball on the AMH 10 with about a minute left, threw a pass and it was intercepted with the score tied sending the game into OT...

[maineman]

Does anybody know the status of the two Midd offensive lineman, Woodring was one of them, who were injured in the Amherst game?

[Zlax45]

Does anybody know the status of the two Midd offensive lineman, Woodring was one of them, who were injured in the Amherst game?

One of them literally was throwing up on the field that is why he was removed from the game late in the game.

[MidDay]

Does anybody know the status of the two Midd offensive lineman, Woodring was one of them, who were injured in the Amherst game?


They'll both be back.

[maineman]

Does anybody know the status of the two Midd offensive lineman, Woodring was one of them, who were injured in the Amherst game?


They'll both be back.

That's excellent news.  Thanks.

[GameBall14]

E
Not piling on in asking this ... but what do the Trinity fans believe is happening with their team?   I don't doubt that they might end up 7-2 but they sure haven't looked very good so far.

Those Vermont teams must have an advantage in recruiting, talent, and their SAT optional admission standards is what happened. Right? Vermont State(Middlebury) is spending more money on football. It's got to be some off the field advantages that others have over Trinity.  smdh.

Or I guess the uber commitment to football must not have been as strong as years past, right?

Or maybe the karma from those post blowout scoreboard shots finally caught up to them?

Or maybe the squash team took 2 or 3 of HCOF Jeff's annual 30 "c-band" slots...

If you look at the recruiting classes at Trinity from a numbers standpoint the junior and senior classes at HS are probably two of the smaller classes during the Devanney era. New admissions director who didn't understand what football meant on Broad Street.

[IslandTime]

WES 4-0

Preseason officially over.....
Time to see if the Cards can hang.

[MidDay]

WES 4-0

Preseason officially over.....
Time to see if the Cards can hang.

What's your prediction on their finish?

[IslandTime]

WES 4-0

Preseason officially over.....
Time to see if the Cards can hang.

What's your prediction on their finish?

Wes' defense is stout and the stength of the squad, it is just hard to replace an all conference, do everything QB in Picarillo. And the little I have been able to discern from watching the Card's on offense it appears that a lot of what they do is determined by how the QB reads the defense and takes what they are giving. A system that would benefit from experience and struggle with the lack of it. I guess that is the case with all positions, but this offense really relies on how the QB reads what the defense presents.

The schedule has been perfect for gaining experience. And the fact they struggled a little with Bowdoin, I feel was a good thing for them. Somewhat of a wake up call going into the meat of their schedule. I am hopeful they drop no more than 2 of their final 5. A 7-2 season would be a huge success for what many considered to be a rebuilding year in Middletown. I predict a 6-3 finish, with the catch being they are Little 3 Champs.

[Nescacman]

2019 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings-Week 5

Two undefeated teams still remain....Wes and MID... Here are this week's rankings:

1). Middlebury (2019 record: 4-0; LW Rank: 1-tie): Fortunate to come away with a win against Amhurst...has won despite 10 turnovers...-1 in net turnovers...amazing how those MID fans have come out of the woodwork...don't count your NESCAC championships before they hatch...still have to play an undefeated Wes squad, a decent HAM team and Tufts who appears capable of playing a decent game here and there...don't look past the Mules...Next game: Colby in Middlebury.

2). Wesleyan (2019 record: 4-0; L| Rank: 3):  Not their best effort against the Polars although they still should have covered the spread....QB fumbled on a sneak at the 1 yard line and one of their receivers dropped an easy TD when they were left wide open...lead the 'CAC in sacks, pass defense and INTs...we will see Saturday night what they are made of...Next game: Tufts in Middletown. 

3). Amhurst (2019 record: 3-1; LW Rank: 1-tie): Tough loss at home vs. the Pants...gave up 469 yards of offense to MID...Eberth's 4 INTs did not help...only 10 of 19 in the red zone for the season...Next game: Bowdoin in Lord Jeffville.

4). TTUN (2019 record: 3-1; LW Rank: 4): Workmen like win against the Mules...they better play better this week...Next game: Hamilton in Willytown.
   
5). Tufts (2019 record: 2-2; LW Rank: 5):  Team struggled to beat UBates on the road...gave up 28 points and 373 total yards of offense...7th in the NESCAC in total O...last in rushing O....feeling the effects of an inexperienced O-line...33% on third down...only 25% in the red zone (4 of 16)...Next game: @Wesleyan.

6). Hartford State (2019 record: 2-2; LW Rank: 6): HAM gave them all they could handle in the Coop...Lead the NESCAC in interceptions thrown..Next game: @UBates.
 
7). Hamilton (2019 record: 2-2; LW Rank: 7):  Played inspired football on the road last week without their best player...the Ephs better be careful...Next game: @TTUN.

8). Colby (2019 record: 0-4; LW Rank: 8):  Do they have an upset in them in 2019?....Next game: @Middlebury.

9. University of Bates (Lewiston Campus)(2019 record: 0-4; LW rank: 9): HCOF Hall 0-13 and counting...don't worry coach, only 14 games left in your UBates coaching career...Next game: Hartford State in Lewiston.

10. Bowdoin (2019 record: 0-4; LW Rank: 10):  One more loss in 2019 and they clinch their 14th straight losing season (6-2 in 2005)...Next game: @Amhurst.

[Nescacman]

https://newenglandfootballwriters.com/d-iii-coaches-poll

[MidDay]

2019 NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings-Week 5

Two undefeated teams still remain....Wes and MID... Here are this week's rankings:

1). Middlebury (2019 record: 4-0; LW Rank: 1-tie): Fortunate to come away with a win against Amhurst...has won despite 10 turnovers...-1 in net turnovers...amazing how those MID fans have come out of the woodwork...don't count your NESCAC championships before they hatch...still have to play an undefeated Wes squad, a decent HAM team and Tufts who appears capable of playing a decent game here and there...don't look past the Mules...Next game: Colby in Middlebury.

2). Wesleyan (2019 record: 4-0; L| Rank: 3):  Not their best effort against the Polars although they still should have covered the spread....QB fumbled on a sneak at the 1 yard line and one of their receivers dropped an easy TD when they were left wide open...lead the 'CAC in sacks, pass defense and INTs...we will see Saturday night what they are made of...Next game: Tufts in Middletown. 

3). Amhurst (2019 record: 3-1; LW Rank: 1-tie): Tough loss at home vs. the Pants...gave up 469 yards of offense to MID...Eberth's 4 INTs did not help...only 10 of 19 in the red zone for the season...Next game: Bowdoin in Lord Jeffville.

4). TTUN (2019 record: 3-1; LW Rank: 4): Workmen like win against the Mules...they better play better this week...Next game: Hamilton in Willytown.
   
5). Tufts (2019 record: 2-2; LW Rank: 5):  Team struggled to beat UBates on the road...gave up 28 points and 373 total yards of offense...7th in the NESCAC in total O...last in rushing O....feeling the effects of an inexperienced O-line...33% on third down...only 25% in the red zone (4 of 16)...Next game: @Wesleyan.

6). Hartford State (2019 record: 2-2; LW Rank: 6): HAM gave them all they could handle in the Coop...Lead the NESCAC in interceptions thrown..Next game: @UBates.
 
7). Hamilton (2019 record: 2-2; LW Rank: 7):  Played inspired football on the road last week without their best player...the Ephs better be careful...Next game: @TTUN.

8). Colby (2019 record: 0-4; LW Rank: 8):  Do they have an upset in them in 2019?....Next game: @Middlebury.

9. University of Bates (Lewiston Campus)(2019 record: 0-4; LW rank: 9): HCOF Hall 0-13 and counting...don't worry coach, only 14 games left in your UBates coaching career...Next game: Hartford State in Lewiston.

10. Bowdoin (2019 record: 0-4; LW Rank: 10):  One more loss in 2019 and they clinch their 14th straight losing season (6-2 in 2005)...Next game: @Amhurst.

Hello, from the woodwork!    Yes, Midd fans are enjoying the season.  We're also not even remotely taking the rest of the season for granted.  Obviously, unless the talent advantage is overwhelming, some things need to fall your way to put a string of wins together.  That doesn't mean they don't deserve the wins.  There are no offensive superstars, but the defense is nasty and puts constant pressure on opposing QBs.  The special trait the team has shown so far is resilience.  They've had and lost double digit leads to Williams/Trinity/Amherst, only to come back and make the plays when they needed to.  That earns them their current position in the standings. 

I love your work Nescacman, but can't help but feel your frustration with your 1-3 record on your Midd picks this year. 

[SpringSt7]

Before looking ahead to what appears to be a pretty boring weekend slate of games (although Tufts vs. Wesleyan should tell us a lot about both teams), thought we could check in on what has been a pretty interesting year of individual performances. There seem to be a number of OPOY and DPOY candidates that all have a number of flaws, especially complicated when the top 2 teams record-wise do not have any individuals standing out either. For my money, here's what I would have so far:

OPOY: Frank Stola, WR, Williams--A ridiculous first 4 weeks, has 150 more receiving yards than the next guy, 3 more receiving touchdowns than anybody else, and 2nd in receptions as a primarily downfield threat. The last two weeks Williams has barely tried to throw the ball and he's still been the best player on the field.

DPOY: Joe Kelly, LB, Amherst--Tied for third in the league with 34 tackles, leads the league with 4.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Yamin spoiled us the last two years, it feels like there aren't a lot of eye-popping defensive guys this year but really we're just back to reality. Think you could argue for either Pistorius or Huggins, but they're probably splitting each other's votes right now.

ROY: Alex Maldjian, RB, Middlebury--Only guy in the league averaging over 100 yards a game on the ground, and doing it for the best team in the league. Not even sure who else you could make the case for--Joel Nicholas at Williams has stood out but if you're comparing his stats to Maldjian's it's not even close.

COY--Bob Ritter, Middlebury--Lot of Ritter talk since Saturday afternoon at around 5 PM and understandably so, but that doesn't take away from how impressive the Panthers have been this year. Wins against Williams, Trinity, and Amherst in a year where they really weren't in anyone's championship discussion.

[nescac1]

Agree with all of SpringSt7's picks.  The OPOY is usually a QB or TB, but none have especially stood out this year.  I don't think we have a really great candidate yet, even, for first-team all-league QB. 

Stola's stats are even more ridiculous when considered as a total percentage of the team's (almost non-existent outside of Stola) receiving production, and in light of just how much attention he receives from defensive backfields.  He seems to make a lot of his catches despite safety help.  Drew Michalek is having a very nice year as a defensive rookie for Williams, but his impact doesn't compare to Maldjian's.  The frosh Wesleyan kicker I guess could also be in the conversation, but, probably no better than third after those two.