FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[nescac1]

The Mammoths have had a lot of bad luck this season for sure ... they've had some good fortune in other seasons, that's football.   Still a very talented squad, but seem to be down too many playmakers right now with the top two returning TBs not playing this season, the defensive star injured (I assume) and now O'Regan, easily the top offensive weapon, apparently injured.  If he is out the next two weeks, that ain't good for Amherst, as Trinity and Williams can both be inconsistent on offense, but bring it on D.  On the other hand after losing three straight heartbreakers, perhaps they are due ...

[JEFFFAN]

Should have been more clear - I don't think that the Jeffs have experienced bad luck this year.  Not one bit.  I think that they lost a lot from last year in terms of talent and have simply not been able to replace it adequately.   The losses of OReagan and Kelly are unfortunate because they are their two top players, but every team has injuries.   If they go 4-5 this year - which is what I fully anticipate at this point - it wont have anything to do with bad luck.

[NBC93]

JEFFFAN,
The Hamilton loss was at the end of regulation.
I agree, the loss at LB has been tough to recover from. The positive side is that Amherst is running the ball effectively as a team. With at least 2 good QB prospects ready to step in next year along with another year of growth for a young LB core, I think the Mammoths will improve in the little areas that have hurt us in these close games. As as special teams play. I dont know what the answer is at this point.

[SpringSt7]

To me it seems that the lack of consistency at the running back position for Amherst has caused Eberth to need to make more throws and more plays than he is comfortable making. Last season he had 10 TDs and just 1 INT, but he threw the ball 23 times a game. This year: 13 TDs and 11 INTs, on 27 throws a game. Huff has come on strong as the year has gone but he's only carried the ball more than 15 times just once--they haven't been able to ride him like they rode Hickey.

[JEFFFAN]

No argument on the running game, Eberth, and the special teams play.   Huff has been good but it has forced Eberth to throw the ball more and ineffectively.  He clearly is pressing back there which is causing IMHO the significant increase in interceptions.   I have to believe that watching the defense give up so many more points than last year also has caused him to press - human nature.   Just not as good as he has been ...

I realize now how much I took for granted that kicker they had 3-4 years ago who was pretty reliable from close to 40 yards - forget his name.  Mills isn't quoted very much but he has referenced on a few occasions that he doesn't have much confidence in the kicking game.   Needless to say, that lack of confidence has been warranted.

Yes, time to move on as a Jeffs fan.  Rest of the year largely irrelevant unless someone from Williams wants to try to convince me that "it is still Amherst vs Williams!"  Sort of.  I don't think that game means as much without a NESCAC or even Little 3 crown to play for.

[Nescacman]

Didn't have grand expectations for this year's team and they are living up to those expectations!   Strange that they have lost three straight overtime games to field goals - not sure when that ever happened before? - but having watched a lot of those games I cannot honestly say that they should have won any of them.   Between losing five very good starters including the all-timer Yamin on D from last year and then - the crusher - Joe Kelly not playing right now, the defensive cupboard is too bare.   They are giving up huge chunks of yards, something I don't see changing versus Trinity and Williams.  Could be the first losing season for the Jeffs in a long time.

They will be back.  EJ is too good a coach to let this become a common occurrence.

Agreed they will be back..EJ is one of the best coaches in the NESCAC...

[DC 53]

https://athletics.hamilton.edu/sports/fball/2019-20/releases/20191027gbhn9p

[Nescacman]

Should have been more clear - I don't think that the Jeffs have experienced bad luck this year.  Not one bit.  I think that they lost a lot from last year in terms of talent and have simply not been able to replace it adequately.   The losses of OReagan and Kelly are unfortunate because they are their two top players, but every team has injuries.   If they go 4-5 this year - which is what I fully anticipate at this point - it wont have anything to do with bad luck.

For the record, the LMs have not had a losing record since 1993....

Hartford State hasn't had a losing record since 1998....

and while we are at it...Hamilton hasn't has a winning season since 1996...

Our prediction is the LMs end up with a losing season, HS finishes above .500 and Hamilton gets that elusive winning season...

[lumbercat]

Some good football yesterday in the league as NESCACMAN has stated.

It's been a long time since Ive seen this kind of parity. With the exception of the Maine teams it's great to see the league at this competitive level.

Some random thoughts at this point in the season-

-How can Trinity have 3 losses. Devanney must be apoplectic down there. How can that recruiting arsenal yield this result.

-Of the teams I've seen in person Middlebury is the best team in the league without question.The addition of a great FY RB combines with a passing attack that once again surpasses any aerial scheme in the NESCAC in the past 10 years. Air Houdini- Air Ritter. I originally thought Jernigan might be an inferior successor for the great Panther aerial tradition. I was wrong and I announced that the day I dubbed the QB in honor of Howard Cosell:  "One Joe Wille Jernigan"

-Civetti is still a great coach and a great program builder despite some difficulties this year. Interesting  to chronicle Civettis coaching career......Rocky start, lost 28 games in a row, originally struggled with administrative support, almost lost his job, takes a cut in pay, new AD comes to Tufts, new President comes to Tufts both with support and commitment for Athletics and Football, Civetti is then blessed with new commitment and increase in resources and funds, gets a nice raise, turns program around, competes for NESCAC title..........
Fast forward to this year. Now Coach Civetti is faced with a new dilemma in his evolution as HCOF- he worked like hell to build his program and fielded a team last year that was loaded with very good seniors so now he faces another rebuilding challenge on a smaller scale but the tables turn again which depicts the life of a HCOF.
At the end of the day Civetti has done great job with that program and will be in the mix on Ivy and Patriot jobs as long as he sustains the positive results at Tufts.

-Colby-Bates game yesterday turned out to be a good one. Colby dominated the first half but took a breather late in the half with a 23-0 lead. With Colby executing a lot of premature cheers and celebratory stuff on their sideline with the big lead Bates kept ginding. QB Costa threw a great 47 yard TD as time expired in the half. The Bobcats gained some momentum. Bates then came out in the 2nd Half with 2 unanswered TDs while holding Colby scoreless. With the score  23-20 Costa put together another great drive late in the fourth quarter. Costa capped the comeback with a beautiful throw to end zone for an apparent 26-23 lead but the play was called back by a phantom holding holding call on the other side of the field totally away from the play.
Congratulations to the Mules but they were very lucky to get the W. Coach Cosgrove is a legend in Maine but the defensive adjustments by Coach Hall shut down the Mules in the second half and had Colby retreating on their heels and barely hanging on with an effort riddled with mistakes. Great coaching job and adjustments by Bates Coach Malik Hall against the revered Maine legend Coach Cosgrove on both sides of the ball.




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[Vandy74]

Lost in the excitement of Saturday's great football action was that Middlebury's decision over Bowdoin marked HCOF Bob Ritter's 100th win as the Middlebury mentor.  Ironically, win #1 was at Bowdoin as well.  He's had only one losing slate since taking over in 2001 and since that (3-5) 2005 season his Panthers are 81-32. 

[nescac1]

Thoughts on Williams:

The defense is playing at a very high level.  Even if the Trinity Oline is down from usual levels, with the level of talent there, to hold Trinity (who was leading NESCAC in most offensive categories) to one yard per carry while sacking the QB six times is nuts ... and they did that all without Rothmann, who I hope is back for Little 3 play.  The team is much deeper than last year, and better able to deal with at least some of the injuries that affect everyone by this point in the season.  Anthony / Michalik are an elite safety duo, the Ephs have three dependable corners, and the LB unit is incredibly dynamic, four guys who are all over the field, and good depth.  The young Dline, while lacking a major star (although Ian Devine is growing into one) has been improving and does a good job occupying blockers so the LBs can make plays.  The unit is bigger and better able to sustain position than last season. 

On offense, the last few weeks teams have obviously focused heavily on Stola, which has allowed other guys to emerge.  Justin Nelson has been massive for the team of late after barely touching the ball most of the year.  Tyler Spiezio has developed into a major red zone threat with five catches - all for TDs! - in his last three games.  I'm most impressed by Dan Vaughn.  He's a hell of an athlete, having played QB, then WR, now TB.  He's improved tremendously over the course of the season, and I've been impressed with how physical and natural an inside runner he's become.  And I'd guess his pass attempt vs Trinity won't be his last.  At least something else for a defense to worry about.  That being said, it would be nice to find a way to get Stola the ball the next few weeks .

The biggest concern heading into the last two weeks is the health of the three interior Oline spots.   Last year, Amherst and Wesleyan murdered Williams up front, and the Ephs have shuffled six different guys between those three spots this season, due to injuries suffered at some point by 5/6. But while that would have been fatal last year, the improved depth there has at least made it more manageable, even if not ideal. Hope still that most of those guys are available and closer to 100 percent next week, but again, at this point of the season everyone has injuries. 

Last point: on one of the biggest plays of the season, the coaches trusted in frosh Harshbarger, a guy who had one touch the entire season, to run in a two point conversion on a trick play.  Not many coaches would have made that call, taking the ball out of the hands of Maimaron entirely in favor of a first-year.  Gutsy.  Raymond saved a few tricks for Trinity (including a flea flicker attempt that went nowhere), hope he didn't use them all up!

Expecting two Little 3 wars to end the season!

[gridiron]

Lumber, when did Colby's visitors tailgating area shift to its current location? Do the visitors prefer it to the original area near Colby's tailgate? Just curious.

[maineman]

-Colby-Bates game yesterday turned out to be a good one. Colby dominated the first half but took a breather late in the half with a 23-0 lead. With Colby executing a lot of premature cheers and celebratory stuff on their sideline with the big lead Bates kept ginding. QB Costa threw a great 47 yard TD as time expired in the half. The Bobcats gained some momentum. Bates then came out in the 2nd Half with 2 unanswered TDs while holding Colby scoreless. With the score  23-20 Costa put together another great drive late in the fourth quarter. Costa capped the comeback with a beautiful throw to end zone for an apparent 26-23 lead but the play was called back by a phantom holding holding call on the other side of the field totally away from the play.
Congratulations to the Mules but they were very lucky to get the W. Coach Cosgrove is a legend in Maine but the defensive adjustments by Coach Hall shut down the Mules in the second half and had Colby retreating on their heels and just hanging on with an effort riddled with mistakes. Great coaching job and adjustments by Bates Coach Malik Hall against the revered Maine legend Coach Cosgrove on both sides of the ball.




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Maybe the Bates football team was buoyed by the Bobcat 339 Molecule.  If it pans out and cures cancer and Alzheimers then Bates endowment could zoom past Williams and the Bobcats will be the preeminent team in the NESCAC.

[Trin9-0]

I missed basically the entire first half of Trin-Williams (in hindsight, bringing a pair of two year olds to the game wasn't the brightest move, as I spent much of the day chasing them around campus). It was a disappointing afternoon as Trinity couldn't close out the game after coming back from an early 14-0 hole. Special teams was an issue again for Trinity as was the offensive line. Lambert was sacked 6 times and Trin averaged an appalling 1 yard per carry. I'll have to check but 42 rushing yards has to be the lowest single game output in several decades for the Bants. Williams is a very good team and I'd be surprised to see them lose either of their next two games, but Wes keeps surprising me so you never know! Either way, Midd can lock up the league title with a win on Saturday over those plucky Continentals.

Sepaking of Hamilton... I'm sorry, but I just can't let this one slide:

btw, us "dimwits" were on HAM early.

Haha, seriously Nescacman?! Let's take a look back, shall we?

NESCACMAN 2019 Preseason NESCAC Weekly Power Rankings
8 . Hamilton (Final 2018 record: 3-6; projected NESCACMAN 2019 record: 2-7)

Not only did you predict Hamilton to finish with 2 wins this season (one game worse than they ended last year) but you've been terrible at picking their individual games. Against bad teams (Bowdoin and Colby) you had them winning very close games (the average point spread you set for those contests was 3.5 points). The Continentals won those games by an average of 17 points.

You said they would lose to Trin by three touchdowns, yet they kept it within 7. The one time you did predict an upset win for Hamilton, they lost to Williams. And finally, you picked them to lose to both Amherst and Tufts... they won both games. To be clear, I'm not ragging on you for being wrong on Hamilton; they've surprised us all and should be commended. But to say you were on Hamilton early is just patently false.

[bantamweight]

It was a disappointing afternoon as Trinity couldn't close out the game after coming back from an early 14-0 hole. Special teams was an issue again for Trinity as was the offensive line. Lambert was sacked 6 times and Trin averaged an appalling 1 yard per carry. I'll have to check but 42 rushing yards has to be the lowest single game output in several decades for the Bants.

Special teams was a huge problem all day. The OL struggled against a very good defense. I had hoped an improved running game would help the OL and help elevate QB play, but that didn't happen. #6 ran hard but the holes weren't there for long. Williams D was much quicker than the Trin OL. QB play was poor again and much of that can be attributed to poor pass protection. Willimas didn't hesitate to mix blitzes and send 4, 5 and even 6. There were some protection schemes that were head-scratchers. The QB clearly doesn't trust his OL and takes off running even when he does still have time to read and throw. QB also throws the ball up for grabs too often. Holding penalties called back a long run and were a problem again this week.

Defense is improved but the secondary still shows some weakness.

When you can win by having more talent, it is OK to be a conservative play-caller. The play-calling has been uninspired and that was made more obvious by the outstanding play-calling by Williams.

#25 for Williams is an absolute baller.

The biggest issue is that there isn't any sense of urgency. Perhaps winning 3 in a row has led to apathy, but it's time to ramp up intensity.