FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[nescac1]

I should not even respond, but I have to correct the record with Charlie yet AGAIN.  Raymond and his staff have not been perfect, but QB is a position they have recruited very well.  First of all, QBs can of course be hard to project and every program has a bunch of them on the roster who end up being converted to other positions or never having a shot to really play.  Even mighty Trinity has had a few years - quite recently - where it struggled a bit with QB play notwithstanding multiple highly touted recruits on the roster.  As for Raymond, some of the guys who were QBs in high school were quite clearly not really recruited as projected QBs in college (Charlie seems weirdly fixated on players who have never been in the top two guys on any Eph QB depth chart, ever).  But he has brought in a several prominent QB recruits.  First, he has to get massive credit for Maimaron, only one of the best and most impactful QBs in Williams history.  Bischoping was a solid back-up who was stuck behind him for four years.  Colin Schofield was a highly touted recruit who didn't work out I guess and quit the program; sometimes, that happens. 

The two QBs who have played this year were certainly well regarded as recruits, I'd say. Dickinson had some low D1 looks and Wallace was Gatorade POY in Connecticut.  Now, they haven't had great success so far, and maybe never will (although a long ways to go for both of them), but they also have not played very much between them.  I mean, you mention Kennon and Tauber, who have been good this year, but both had serious growing pains last season, it's worth noting.  Sometimes it just takes time to figure things out at that position.  And Raymond also has another QB committed for next year who looks like he could be quite good. 

To me, the one position where I would really like to see Williams get more stars in wide receiver.  Frank Stola is the only receiver who has even sniffed all-league level play in the Raymond era.  You see these Tufts, Trinity, Midd, Wesleyan receiving cores (in their better years) and they will have 2-3 stars on the field together, makes it very tough on a defense.  The Ephs haven't had that for a LONG time, going back really to 2010 ... and this translates to CBs too, since a lot of recruits are WR/CB recruits who could play either in college.  Also not a position where Williams has been loaded for quite some time. 

[Charlie]

I should not even respond, but I have to correct the record with Charlie yet AGAIN.  Raymond and his staff have not been perfect, but QB is a position they have recruited very well.  First of all, QBs can of course be hard to project and every program has a bunch of them on the roster who end up being converted to other positions or never having a shot to really play.  Even mighty Trinity has had a few years - quite recently - where it struggled a bit with QB play notwithstanding multiple highly touted recruits on the roster.  As for Raymond, some of the guys who were QBs in high school were quite clearly not really recruited as projected QBs in college (Charlie seems weirdly fixated on players who have never been in the top two guys on any Eph QB depth chart, ever).  But he has brought in a several prominent QB recruits.  First, he has to get massive credit for Maimaron, only one of the best and most impactful QBs in Williams history.  Bischoping was a solid back-up who was stuck behind him for four years.  Colin Schofield was a highly touted recruit who didn't work out I guess and quit the program; sometimes, that happens. 

The two QBs who have played this year were certainly well regarded as recruits, I'd say. Dickinson had some low D1 looks and Wallace was Gatorade POY in Connecticut.  Now, they haven't had great success so far, and maybe never will (although a long ways to go for both of them), but they also have not played very much between them.  I mean, you mention Kennon and Tauber, who have been good this year, but both had serious growing pains last season, it's worth noting.  Sometimes it just takes time to figure things out at that position.  And Raymond also has another QB committed for next year who looks like he could be quite good. 

To me, the one position where I would really like to see Williams get more stars in wide receiver.  Frank Stola is the only receiver who has even sniffed all-league level play in the Raymond era.  You see these Tufts, Trinity, Midd, Wesleyan receiving cores (in their better years) and they will have 2-3 stars on the field together, makes it very tough on a defense.  The Ephs haven't had that for a LONG time, going back really to 2010 ... and this translates to CBs too, since a lot of recruits are WR/CB recruits who could play either in college.  Also not a position where Williams has been loaded for quite some time.

If you look at any roster any team has a few solid QB. Middlebury and Trinity always bring in extra QB and it has panned out. Wesleyan has two QB and grooming another. You will see what Middlebury has done this year in replacing Jernigan. Trinity has 6 on their roster and word has it one QB whom they are rwally excited about. Tufts last year had a few and now look Berluti has emerged as a top QB. Williams has taken two QB both not projected at being QB this year they have taken another in this years recruiting class but surely will take him a few years to get ready. All I am saying is you have to keep recruiting to stay on top and clearly Wlliams has missed the mark in recruitment.

[lumbercat]

Charlie is a plant- nobody thinks like that or has those writing skills.

[Jonny Utah]

Charlie is a plant- nobody thinks like that or has those writing skills.

lumbercat there are several coaches/parents/players/Athletic staff workers on this board.  Great for inside information on a lot of teams/coaches but there lot of disingenuous conversations because of it as well.

[Nescacman]

I should not even respond, but I have to correct the record with Charlie yet AGAIN.  Raymond and his staff have not been perfect, but QB is a position they have recruited very well.  First of all, QBs can of course be hard to project and every program has a bunch of them on the roster who end up being converted to other positions or never having a shot to really play.  Even mighty Trinity has had a few years - quite recently - where it struggled a bit with QB play notwithstanding multiple highly touted recruits on the roster.  As for Raymond, some of the guys who were QBs in high school were quite clearly not really recruited as projected QBs in college (Charlie seems weirdly fixated on players who have never been in the top two guys on any Eph QB depth chart, ever).  But he has brought in a several prominent QB recruits.  First, he has to get massive credit for Maimaron, only one of the best and most impactful QBs in Williams history.  Bischoping was a solid back-up who was stuck behind him for four years.  Colin Schofield was a highly touted recruit who didn't work out I guess and quit the program; sometimes, that happens. 

The two QBs who have played this year were certainly well regarded as recruits, I'd say. Dickinson had some low D1 looks and Wallace was Gatorade POY in Connecticut.  Now, they haven't had great success so far, and maybe never will (although a long ways to go for both of them), but they also have not played very much between them.  I mean, you mention Kennon and Tauber, who have been good this year, but both had serious growing pains last season, it's worth noting.  Sometimes it just takes time to figure things out at that position.  And Raymond also has another QB committed for next year who looks like he could be quite good. 

To me, the one position where I would really like to see Williams get more stars in wide receiver.  Frank Stola is the only receiver who has even sniffed all-league level play in the Raymond era.  You see these Tufts, Trinity, Midd, Wesleyan receiving cores (in their better years) and they will have 2-3 stars on the field together, makes it very tough on a defense.  The Ephs haven't had that for a LONG time, going back really to 2010 ... and this translates to CBs too, since a lot of recruits are WR/CB recruits who could play either in college.  Also not a position where Williams has been loaded for quite some time.

If you look at any roster any team has a few solid QB. Middlebury and Trinity always bring in extra QB and it has panned out. Wesleyan has two QB and grooming another. You will see what Middlebury has done this year in replacing Jernigan. Trinity has 6 on their roster and word has it one QB whom they are rwally excited about. Tufts last year had a few and now look Berluti has emerged as a top QB. Williams has taken two QB both not projected at being QB this year they have taken another in this years recruiting class but surely will take him a few years to get ready. All I am saying is you have to keep recruiting to stay on top and clearly Wlliams has missed the mark in recruitment.

Can't believe we are going to defend the Purple Cows and HCOF Raymond, but here goes...Williams is exactly one year removed from an undefeated 9-0 season, a league championship, and a Little 3 Championship...they were far and away the best team in the league last year...after losing the best player in the league (Maimaron) and several other perennial all-league performers (Stola, Rothmann et al), they were no doubt going to see some amount of drop-off...add into the equation starting a new QB, dealing with injuries, and running into some teams that are playing very well, we're not at all surprised that they are where they are...however, let's not bury the Ephs...Raymond is a good coach and recuriter and he has administration support at one of the best colleges in America...he's one or two players away from being right back in the mix...the Kelton years were an exception and we would be shocked to see Williams approach that level of ineptitude again in our lifetime....Charlie, we would not underestimate the Ephs or bury them...we're certainly not...

[Nescacman]

Charlie is a plant- nobody thinks like that or has those writing skills.

lumbercat there are several coaches/parents/players/Athletic staff workers on this board.  Great for inside information on a lot of teams/coaches but there lot of disingenuous conversations because of it as well.

Jonny, congratulations on Ithaca's success thus far this year...several big games to come but the Bombers are looking good! Looking forward to the Cortaca Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

[Jonny Utah]

Charlie is a plant- nobody thinks like that or has those writing skills.

lumbercat there are several coaches/parents/players/Athletic staff workers on this board.  Great for inside information on a lot of teams/coaches but there lot of disingenuous conversations because of it as well.

Jonny, congratulations on Ithaca's success thus far this year...several big games to come but the Bombers are looking good! Looking forward to the Cortaca Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

[jmcozenlaw]

Charlie is a plant- nobody thinks like that or has those writing skills.

lumbercat there are several coaches/parents/players/Athletic staff workers on this board.  Great for inside information on a lot of teams/coaches but there lot of disingenuous conversations because of it as well.

Jonny, congratulations on Ithaca's success thus far this year...several big games to come but the Bombers are looking good! Looking forward to the Cortaca Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

With a #2 seed in the East, this could be the team to knock out one of the Big Four and make it to the national semifinals.

[maineman]

That's not to say that's the ONLY reason the Ephs have struggled to start the year, but it's certainly the biggest one by far.  Losing two top receiving targets and two elite offensive linemen, plus losing some great coaching talent on the offensive side of the ball, had really hurt.  The defense has also really missed the elite LBs who graduated but has, frankly, underperformed based on the talent on hand.  At times the D has played well, especially vs. the run, but it has struggled with blown coverages from week one, it's just crazy how open receivers have consistently been at critical points in games.  Three first years (due to a combo of injuries and performance) have gotten more and more time in the secondary which might be a good sign for the unit's future but is generally not where you want to be at this point in the season.  Hopefully the Ephs can figure out who their QB is this week vs. Hamilton and have a bounce-back week. 

One concern for the Ephs long-term is that the last few recruiting classes have been small.  The Ephs have only 54 non-seniors on the roster, so next year's roster (assuming some natural attrition) is likely to be well below 75 guys.  Tough when some other schools have over 90 .... but still, there is enough talent on hand that if the Ephs can develop or find another great QB (easier said than done!), they can be back in the NESCAC mix after what's turning into a disappointing year.  Especially with Amherst still struggling and some absolutely LOADED senior classes departing Tufts, Wesleyan, Trinity, and maybe others after this season ... 

As for Amherst, the Mammoths have also struggled mightily at the QB position the last few years.  But Amherst has rarely had elite QBs (usually more the very solid game-manager type); usually they are, however, absolutely loaded at the OL and TB positions, which no longer seems to be the case.  Amherst seems to have an especially weak senior class, very few senior starters, so not inconceivable they can bounce back, especially if they can improve at QB as well.

I will say last year Midd had Jernigan at QB and while a down year for Middlebury at least stability at that position. At least they have Kennon a Junior playing and Tauber a Senior playing. Both have played well enough to lead Middlebury to a 4-0 record.

So who is going to play QB for Midd this week?  Was Tauber hurt or just replaced?  If hurt, will he lose out to Kennon?

How about the weather?  Do we have a potential for some rescheduling of games?

[Nescacman]

That's not to say that's the ONLY reason the Ephs have struggled to start the year, but it's certainly the biggest one by far.  Losing two top receiving targets and two elite offensive linemen, plus losing some great coaching talent on the offensive side of the ball, had really hurt.  The defense has also really missed the elite LBs who graduated but has, frankly, underperformed based on the talent on hand.  At times the D has played well, especially vs. the run, but it has struggled with blown coverages from week one, it's just crazy how open receivers have consistently been at critical points in games.  Three first years (due to a combo of injuries and performance) have gotten more and more time in the secondary which might be a good sign for the unit's future but is generally not where you want to be at this point in the season.  Hopefully the Ephs can figure out who their QB is this week vs. Hamilton and have a bounce-back week. 

One concern for the Ephs long-term is that the last few recruiting classes have been small.  The Ephs have only 54 non-seniors on the roster, so next year's roster (assuming some natural attrition) is likely to be well below 75 guys.  Tough when some other schools have over 90 .... but still, there is enough talent on hand that if the Ephs can develop or find another great QB (easier said than done!), they can be back in the NESCAC mix after what's turning into a disappointing year.  Especially with Amherst still struggling and some absolutely LOADED senior classes departing Tufts, Wesleyan, Trinity, and maybe others after this season ... 

As for Amherst, the Mammoths have also struggled mightily at the QB position the last few years.  But Amherst has rarely had elite QBs (usually more the very solid game-manager type); usually they are, however, absolutely loaded at the OL and TB positions, which no longer seems to be the case.  Amherst seems to have an especially weak senior class, very few senior starters, so not inconceivable they can bounce back, especially if they can improve at QB as well.

I will say last year Midd had Jernigan at QB and while a down year for Middlebury at least stability at that position. At least they have Kennon a Junior playing and Tauber a Senior playing. Both have played well enough to lead Middlebury to a 4-0 record.

So who is going to play QB for Midd this week?  Was Tauber hurt or just replaced?  If hurt, will he lose out to Kennon?

How about the weather?  Do we have a potential for some rescheduling of games?

Maineman...our sources at the Weather Channel tell us that Saturday around the NESCAC will be a beautiful Fall day. In that all of the teams play on turf, ex-Wesleyan, this week's rain should not be a factor. Wesleyan's game is a twi-light game so they will have an extra 5-6 hours for the field to dry out. Andrus should be fine by game-time Saturday.

[maineman]

That's not to say that's the ONLY reason the Ephs have struggled to start the year, but it's certainly the biggest one by far.  Losing two top receiving targets and two elite offensive linemen, plus losing some great coaching talent on the offensive side of the ball, had really hurt.  The defense has also really missed the elite LBs who graduated but has, frankly, underperformed based on the talent on hand.  At times the D has played well, especially vs. the run, but it has struggled with blown coverages from week one, it's just crazy how open receivers have consistently been at critical points in games.  Three first years (due to a combo of injuries and performance) have gotten more and more time in the secondary which might be a good sign for the unit's future but is generally not where you want to be at this point in the season.  Hopefully the Ephs can figure out who their QB is this week vs. Hamilton and have a bounce-back week. 

One concern for the Ephs long-term is that the last few recruiting classes have been small.  The Ephs have only 54 non-seniors on the roster, so next year's roster (assuming some natural attrition) is likely to be well below 75 guys.  Tough when some other schools have over 90 .... but still, there is enough talent on hand that if the Ephs can develop or find another great QB (easier said than done!), they can be back in the NESCAC mix after what's turning into a disappointing year.  Especially with Amherst still struggling and some absolutely LOADED senior classes departing Tufts, Wesleyan, Trinity, and maybe others after this season ... 

As for Amherst, the Mammoths have also struggled mightily at the QB position the last few years.  But Amherst has rarely had elite QBs (usually more the very solid game-manager type); usually they are, however, absolutely loaded at the OL and TB positions, which no longer seems to be the case.  Amherst seems to have an especially weak senior class, very few senior starters, so not inconceivable they can bounce back, especially if they can improve at QB as well.

I will say last year Midd had Jernigan at QB and while a down year for Middlebury at least stability at that position. At least they have Kennon a Junior playing and Tauber a Senior playing. Both have played well enough to lead Middlebury to a 4-0 record.

So who is going to play QB for Midd this week?  Was Tauber hurt or just replaced?  If hurt, will he lose out to Kennon?

How about the weather?  Do we have a potential for some rescheduling of games?

Maineman...our sources at the Weather Channel tell us that Saturday around the NESCAC will be a beautiful Fall day. In that all of the teams play on turf, ex-Wesleyan, this week's rain should not be a factor. Wesleyan's game is a twi-light game so they will have an extra 5-6 hours for the field to dry out. Andrus should be fine by game-time Saturday.

Thanks, NESCACMAN!  I think the Bates-Bowdoin game is under the lights, too.

[Nescacman]

That's not to say that's the ONLY reason the Ephs have struggled to start the year, but it's certainly the biggest one by far.  Losing two top receiving targets and two elite offensive linemen, plus losing some great coaching talent on the offensive side of the ball, had really hurt.  The defense has also really missed the elite LBs who graduated but has, frankly, underperformed based on the talent on hand.  At times the D has played well, especially vs. the run, but it has struggled with blown coverages from week one, it's just crazy how open receivers have consistently been at critical points in games.  Three first years (due to a combo of injuries and performance) have gotten more and more time in the secondary which might be a good sign for the unit's future but is generally not where you want to be at this point in the season.  Hopefully the Ephs can figure out who their QB is this week vs. Hamilton and have a bounce-back week. 

One concern for the Ephs long-term is that the last few recruiting classes have been small.  The Ephs have only 54 non-seniors on the roster, so next year's roster (assuming some natural attrition) is likely to be well below 75 guys.  Tough when some other schools have over 90 .... but still, there is enough talent on hand that if the Ephs can develop or find another great QB (easier said than done!), they can be back in the NESCAC mix after what's turning into a disappointing year.  Especially with Amherst still struggling and some absolutely LOADED senior classes departing Tufts, Wesleyan, Trinity, and maybe others after this season ... 

As for Amherst, the Mammoths have also struggled mightily at the QB position the last few years.  But Amherst has rarely had elite QBs (usually more the very solid game-manager type); usually they are, however, absolutely loaded at the OL and TB positions, which no longer seems to be the case.  Amherst seems to have an especially weak senior class, very few senior starters, so not inconceivable they can bounce back, especially if they can improve at QB as well.

I will say last year Midd had Jernigan at QB and while a down year for Middlebury at least stability at that position. At least they have Kennon a Junior playing and Tauber a Senior playing. Both have played well enough to lead Middlebury to a 4-0 record.

So who is going to play QB for Midd this week?  Was Tauber hurt or just replaced?  If hurt, will he lose out to Kennon?

How about the weather?  Do we have a potential for some rescheduling of games?

Maineman...our sources at the Weather Channel tell us that Saturday around the NESCAC will be a beautiful Fall day. In that all of the teams play on turf, ex-Wesleyan, this week's rain should not be a factor. Wesleyan's game is a twi-light game so they will have an extra 5-6 hours for the field to dry out. Andrus should be fine by game-time Saturday.

Thanks, NESCACMAN!  I think the Bates-Bowdoin game is under the lights, too.

Yup, 5:30 PM start @ UBates (Lewiston Campus) so at least the second half will be under the lights...not sure what kind of webcast rating they'll get since they will be competing with the Wes/Tufts showdown for viewers...

[The Ghost of John Wesley]

Coach Coyne from Bates with Noontime

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/noontime-sports/id1524845530?i=1000582295305

Can't wait to listen....made us think about the Wes coaching tree..a shot that within the next two years 40% of the NESCAC HCOF's will either be Wes alums or very strong Cardinal connections:

1. Coach Dice: Current Wes Head Coach
2. Coach Matt Coyne: Former Wes D Coordinator, Wes Grad, and Current UBates HC
3. Coach Doug Mandigo: Former Wes D Coordinator, brother of Coach Bill Mandigo-Wes alum, current MID women's hockey coach and probably the greatest college women's hockey coach of all-time, Current Mid D Coordinator/Associate HC and potential future Mid HC
4. Coach Shea Dwyer: Current Colby O Coordinator, Wes Grad, and potential future Colby HC

We're sure that warms many of your hearts! #rollcards

It's a bit of a stretch to include Mandigo in this Wes coaching tree. He had a 3-4 year stint in Middletown with the prior regime (Hauser, et al), during which time the teams were abysmal (.500 record in '07 being the high water mark). He's had great success as the Midd DC, of course, but he's not a product of the current Whalen/DiCenzo coaching tree and it would be the mother of all stretches to attribute his current coaching success with the dreadfully painful years at Wes in the late aughts.

Mr. Wesley, welcome to the Board!!!

Not to correct a fellow Cardinal, we were careful to not call it the "Whales/Dice" coaching tree (which we agree and it's a fact that Doug was not part of), but rather we said Wes Alums or strong Wesleyan connections...between Doug's years coaching at Wes and his brother being an alum, we would consider that a strong connection, although you can certainly choose to disagree...

As far as Doug's years at Wes, we would (strongly) place the blame on Doug's lack of success (and Coach Hauser's as well) on the shoulders of the Wes administration at the time...it's tough to win games in this league without any institutional support to speak of...we know other Boardsters can certainly relate to that issue...to bring up a Frank U. quote (think it was Frank although it might be the Boston area HS Coach that chimes in periodically)...."It's all about the Jimmy and Joe's, not the X's and O's"...

***And btw, as active alums, we share the blame and are committed to never having it happen again...shame on us for not doing something about it until it was too late...

The university and its broader strategic mission(s) have certainly aligned with athletics to a far greater degree in the last decade, and the teams have reaped the benefit. I understand that the shift was a volitional and concerted act. I celebrate it. There were skeptics, but it worked. Had you told me years ago that Wes would win a National Championship in a men's team sport, I would have laughed. It's been impressive to watch, and it seems to be improving other parts of the school, as well. A healthy athletics program can help cure some institutional ailments (fundraising/endowment, application numbers, etc.).

I know institutional support was far weaker in decades prior; not sure if it was at an all-time low at the end of the Bennet administration, but it was probably close. That being said, I don't think we can fully excuse how poor the coaching efforts were in the mid-to-late 2000s. Those were some incredibly uninspired teams. I was always amazed that the staff recruited so deeply into NJ (even at that time), picking up kids every year from northern NJ public schools and occasionally a kid from one of the Catholic powerhouses. I think in several years during that stretch they had more kids from the Garden State than any other school in the league. They weren't stacked with all stars, of course, but they had deep hooks in perennial hotbeds (NJ) and seemed to get a handful of kids each year that were really solid.

But it didn't seem to help, and the program was reeling off 0-8, 1-7, 2-6 years. Player attrition was horrendous: the actual active roster seemed to shrink every week. Many of those solid recruits just evaporated, lost to other sports or those distinctly "Wesleyan" pursuits that carry off young men and women each year (activism, recreational drugs, West African drumming, the Boogie Club, etc.). I think the team was well below the roster limit for several years and probably went years without needing to cut a single player.

I put a healthy share of that blame on coaches. Having watched some of those teams and studied the staff in pregame and on the sidelines, a lot of those coaches were just not into it. I think Hauser is a solid coach, and he had a number of strong years as HC in the late 90s, but by ~04-05 he was burned out. Not sure if there were other factors in play for him, but he didn't seem that passionate about the game or that into the job at the time. That type of ambivalence or aloofness is contagious, and to me it looked like the assistant coaches and the players caught it.

Obviously the average Wes football player of today is a better athlete than the average that populated the teams in the late aughts. One cannot deny the superior recruiting efforts of the last decade. None of those late aught teams were "good", but I don't think they were as bad as they showed. The coaching staff let a lot of those otherwise mediocre or struggling teams go off the rails and become truly terrible. Team attitude during that time was bottom of the barrel--obviously that's a two-sided issue, and even a great coach can't make soufflé out of rotten apples and wormy flour, but I believe that the attitude of indifference started with the coaches.

Now, if you want to argue that the institution prolonged the misery by not forcing a coaching change sooner, I'd agree.

[Nescacman]

2022 Week #5 NESCACMAN Picks

Welcome back NESCAC...It's Week #5 in the league where they "pay to play"...for the first time ever, two NESCAC GOTW...two important games this week in the NESCAC this week as Hartford State faces Middlebury and Tufts plays at Wesleyan!!!

Hamilton College Continentals at Williams College Purple Cows: What's the best antidote for a losing streak? Hamilton of course...Hamilton giving up 36 points a game and only scoring 12...Hamilton, last in the NESCAC in rushing defense, faces the #1 ranked rushing offense of Williams...Purple Cows last ranked pass defense has given up the most pass TDs (10)...who knew the game against the Lord Mammoths for Hamilton would be the battle for last place???...Hamilton still looking for their first sack...when was the last time the Williams and Amwurst were a combined 1-7 through their first 8 games??? Keys to Victory ("KTV") for Williams: Run Forest, Run!!! Ram the ball down the Conts throat...avoid turnovers...KTV for Hamilton: Get 8 in the box on defense, somehow stop the Williams ground game and force the Purple Cows to the air...pass the ball effectively against the porous Williams Pass defense...even in a down year for the Ephs, they'll have more than enough to get by the reeling Continentals...

Williams 28 Hamilton 14
Point Spread: Williams -7 
Weather (weather courtesy of The Weather Channel): Mainly sunny. High 66.

Bowdoin College Polar Bears at University of Bates (Lewiston Campus) College Bobkitties: C-B-B game...UBates has won 9 of the last 10 meetings between these two rivals...UBates coming off HCOF Coyne's first collegiate win...Polars will try to bounce back after a bad effort against Tufts (4 turnovers, gave up 559 yards of offense to Tufts)...Polars will try to break 3-game losing streak...Polars are middle of the pack in just about every statistical category but the end result has not changed...KTV for UBates: Avoid the interception, establish some semblance of a running game...stop Eden, Boel and Fahey...KTV for Bowdoin: Need to get the running game going...need to protect the ball better...Bowdoin wins a close game on the road as HCOF Hammer goes for Bowdoin career win #4 (FYI...he's never won more than 1 game in a season in Brunswick)...

Bowdoin 24 UBates 21
Point Spread: Bowdoin -3 
Weather: Clear. Low 42.

Amwurst College Lord Mammoths at Colby College White Mules: The Lord Mammoths come into this game winless, in last place in the NESCAC and riding a 6 game losing streak dating back to 2021...Lord Mammoth's are last in the league in scoring, last in total offense, 9th in rushing offense, 9th in rushing defense, last in passing efficiency, last in first downs, 9th in third down conversions, and only 1 passing TD all year......White Mules are coming off a stinging defeat at the hands of Wesleyan last week...defense has been decent, offense has not been great...Colby is 2-0 at home...KTV for Amwurst: Try to get the offense going...keep the game close to build some confidence...hold on for dear life in the 4th quarter...KTV for Colby: Mix it up on offense...score 20 points...we think Colby has way more talent than the Lord Mammoths and DPOTY candidate Julian Young will have a monster day for the White Mules...

Colby 24 Amwurst 10
Point Spread: Colby -10
Weather: Morning clouds will give way to sunshine in the afternoon. High of 66.

NESCAC Games of the Week

Tufts University Jumbo's at Wesleyan University Cardinals: Both teams playing well coming in...Wes is #1 in scoring offense...Tufts is #1 in total offense...defense is a different story with Wes #2 in total defense while Tufts is tied for #7...despite the stats, we expect a shoot-out...Wes has won the last 4 meetings on Andrus field dating back to 2005...KTV for Tufts: Score early and often...establish some level of running game so Wes can't just sit on the pass...defense needs to step up...KTV for Wesleyan: Put pressure on Berluti and keep him contained....Repeat from David Estevez's record setting 2021 performance...keep doing what they have been doing on offense getting lots of players involved and mixing it up...the difference in this one is the Wes defense is superior to the Jumbo's...we think Wes wins in an instant classic under the lights at home...would not be at all surprised to see an OT game...

Wesleyan 34 Tufts 31
Point Spread: Wesleyan -3
Weather: Clear. Low 47.

Hartford State Bantams at Middlebury College Panthers: Our other GOTW, this one pits the last two undefeated teams against each other...winner jumps to 5-0 and a lead in the standings...Middlebury #1 in scoring defense while Hartford State is #1 in total defense...Bantams only allowing 38.8 yards per game on the ground...and have only allowed 2 sacks...offense got going for MID last week with a new QB at the helm..KTV for Hartford State: Do something no one else has been successful at this year against MID, score in the red zone...Stop the Pants passing game...KTV for Middlebury: Control the clock...get to Fetter who doesn't like getting hit...we think Hartford State gives MID their first loss of the year in a tight one on the road...

Hartford State 20 Middlebury 17
Point Spread: Pick 'em
Weather: Abundant sunshine. High of 64.

NESCACMAN's Picks (winners):
2022 Season: 14-6 (4-1 last week)
2021 Season: 33-12
2020 Season: 0-0
2019 Season: 33-12
2018 Season: 36-9
2017 Season: 35-10
2016 Season: 32-8
2015 Season: 30-10
2014 Season: 30-10
2013 Season: 32-8
Career: 275-85 (.764 winning percentage)

Follow us on Twitter @realnescacman

[Nescacman]

We're sure that Panther Nation was happy to see our pick for the game tomorrow...sooner or later, we're bound to be right on the Pants...should be a great game...if the game was in Hartford, we think this one would be a no-doubter, but it's not so we'll see...

As close as you are going to get to play-off weekend in the NESCAC...