FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[NESCACFball24/7]

I think NFL Survey showed that most players want to play on grass.
It was either that or it revealed that most are just on it. :-(

Nobody wants to plays on Wesleyans grass. Ive heard from multiple players they would rather play in their buddies front yard especially towards the end of the season. The fact that nobody has made weseleyan put any money into putting grass or betters suited for athletics or even trying to maintain it is ridiculous. Especially this year when they cant even play on it when it rains even a little bit. Nobody cares how old or historic their quad is if its a mud pit by week 4.

[Nescacman]

I think NFL Survey showed that most players want to play on grass.
It was either that or it revealed that most are just on it. :-(

Nobody wants to plays on Wesleyans grass. Ive heard from multiple players they would rather play in their buddies front yard especially towards the end of the season. The fact that nobody has made weseleyan put any money into putting grass or betters suited for athletics or even trying to maintain it is ridiculous. Especially this year when they cant even play on it when it rains even a little bit. Nobody cares how old or historic their quad is if its a mud pit by week 4.

It's called home field advantage and frankly, the field was fine this past Saturday. No mud, decent footing, and in very good shape. Since 2018, Wes has played exactly two games on the turf at Citrin instead of at Andrus (both Wes wins, we might add). If there are torrential rains, Whales and Dice will not hesitate to move games there in the future. It was not necessary to do so last Saturday as evidenced by the 65 combined points between the two teams. As an aside, the odds of Wes adding plastic grass to the historic center of campus are somewhere between slim and none.

[Nescacman]

NESCACMAN In-depth Special Feature

As we head into the home stretch of the 2023 season, we thought it would be interesting to look at the contenders for this year's championship and see how they compare in two key categories: how have they played against each other and how many quality wins they have against teams with a .500 record or better. 

                          Record against Top 4 Teams   Quality Wins (Against .500 teams or better)

Middlebury                       1-1                                               2              

Hartford State                  1-1                                               2

Tufts                                1-1                                               2

Wesleyan                         1-1                                               2

[Pat Coleman]

Pre-Covid, most of the schedule rotated every 2 years (home and home). For example, in 2018 and 2017, the Jumbo's opened up against the Alexander Hamilton's and before that, they opened up against Wes. Not sure why that suddenly stopped...

This was because the NESCAC played just eight games and scrimmaged against the ninth team. So, Tufts would scrimmage Wesleyan and play Hamilton, or scrimmage Hamilton and play Wesleyan.

[Charlie]

NESCACMAN In-depth Special Feature

As we head into the home stretch of the 2023 season, we thought it would be interesting to look at the contenders for this year's championship and see how they compare in two key categories: how have they played against each other and how many quality wins they have against teams with a .500 record or better. 

                          Record against Top 4 Teams   Quality Wins (Against .500 teams or better)


I think it is safe to say that Tufts is the more dominant team ending the year. I would not be the least bit surprised if Tufts does not blow out Middlebury the last game of the season. There should be however no Co-Champions NESCAC must come up with a solution it just looks bad. In addition any league if not having playoffs in the event of a tie the team that one the head to head competition would be crowned champs.



Middlebury                       1-1                                               2              

Hartford State                  1-1                                               2

Tufts                                1-1                                               2

Wesleyan                         1-1                                               2

[Nescacman]

Pre-Covid, most of the schedule rotated every 2 years (home and home). For example, in 2018 and 2017, the Jumbo's opened up against the Alexander Hamilton's and before that, they opened up against Wes. Not sure why that suddenly stopped...

This was because the NESCAC played just eight games and scrimmaged against the ninth team. So, Tufts would scrimmage Wesleyan and play Hamilton, or scrimmage Hamilton and play Wesleyan.

With all due respect, sir, that's not the case. First off, the NESCAC went to a 9 game schedule 2017 and Tufts opened with Hamilton that year. So the schedule did rotate with a 9-game schedule. Second, when there was an 8-game schedule, Wes did not scrimmage against the team they did not play during the regular season. In recent years, Wes would scrimmage against Hartford State. We can't speak to other NESCAC schools but definitely not the case with Wes. Yes, Wes would scrimmage a team they would play later in the season. Strange but true and it would definitely promote some gamesmanship in terms of who would play and what plays you would show your opponent. When our generation played in the 80's, we scrimmaged Princeton, Central CT State (similar but not the same as Hartford State), Albany State, and WPI to name a few schools. We scrimmaged no NESCAC schools. And in those days, with an 8 game schedule, we would play 7 games in conference and 1 out of conference game. Coast Guard was always Wes's out of conference game in the 80's (it was WPI in the 70's) and we would rotate 2 NESCAC schools on/off the schedule.

[Nescacman]

NESCACMAN In-depth Special Feature

As we head into the home stretch of the 2023 season, we thought it would be interesting to look at the contenders for this year's championship and see how they compare in two key categories: how have they played against each other and how many quality wins they have against teams with a .500 record or better. 

                          Record against Top 4 Teams   Quality Wins (Against .500 teams or better)


I think it is safe to say that Tufts is the more dominant team ending the year. I would not be the least bit surprised if Tufts does not blow out Middlebury the last game of the season. There should be however no Co-Champions NESCAC must come up with a solution it just looks bad. In addition any league if not having playoffs in the event of a tie the team that one the head to head competition would be crowned champs.



Middlebury                       1-1                                               2              

Hartford State                  1-1                                               2

Tufts                                1-1                                               2

Wesleyan                         1-1                                               2

Lumber, you know what we want for Christmas? We want Charlie to properly learn how to use the quote feature...

[ItsATuftSituation]

2023 NESCACMAN Week 6 Power Rankings

Down to the last 3 weeks of the season with a three-way tie at the top of the league and only one other team with a realistic chance at the NESCAC title. Middlebury, Tufts, and Hartford State all control their own destiny. If any of them win out, they win at least a share of the NESCAC Championship. Hartford State has two challenging games remaining on their schedule: they travel to Bowdoin and Wesleyan. Middlebury, of course, hosts Tufts in week 9 in a game that could be for all the marbles in the NESCAC,  and they travel to hot and cold Colby this week. Tufts hosts Colby in 2 weeks and finishes up at Middlebury. Wesleyan, with two losses, will need help to get into the mix. If Middlebury or Tufts stubs their toe prior to week 9 and the remaining team with one loss in that contest losses in week 9, then the Cards can gain a share of the NESCAC crown when they beat Hartford State at home in week 9.

This week we only saw one upset when the inconsistent Colby Mules lost to Hamilton...in other action, we saw Tufts beat the Lord Mammoths, Wesleyan defeated the Polars in a close game, the Ephs got crushed by Hartford State, and Middlebury beat UBates. NESCACMAN goes 4-1 with our weekly picks...We are now 23-7 on the year.

Here are our NESCAC rankings for Week 6 based on our poll of league wide correspondents:

1). Middlebury Panthers (9 first place votes)(5-1; Last Week Rank: 1): Another impressive win by the Pants as they rolled the winless Kitties...Kennon was impressive throwing for 353 yards, 4 TDs and no interceptions...5 TD passes on the day to 5 different receivers...DPOTY candidate DL Tomas Kenary was impressive with 6 tackles, 4.5 TFL, and 3.5 sacks...MID had 5 sacks on the day...MID kicker was NESCAC STPOTW based on 6 for 6 on PATs and 2 for 3 on FGs...Middlebury travels to Colby this week.

2). Hartford State Roosters (5-1; Last Week Rank: 2): Roosters back in a major way by routing the Ephs...scored 41 answered points...held Williams to 3 of 16 on third down and 7 straight series where it was 3 (or 4) and out......Roosters travel to Brunswick this weekend to face the Polars.

3). Tufts Jumbo's (1 first place vote)(5-1; Last Week Rank: 3):  Tufts wins 5th straight game over the Lord Mammoths...score 34 unanswered points against the reeling LMs...Tufts defense held Amwurst to 9 first downs and 171 yards of total offense...Tufts QB Berlutti was NESCAC OPOTW, threw for 3 TDs, and rushed for another...Tufts did not allow a sack again...Tufts travels to Hamilton this week.

4). Wesleyan Cardinals (4-2; Last week Rank: 5): Wes back in the win column as they score 35 unanswered points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters...2 defensive TDs for the Cards...Wes LB Jake Edwards is the NESCAC DPOTW as a result of his 59 yard fumble recovery scoop and score and 11 tackle performance...Wesleyan moves onto Little 3 competition this week...Defense holds Bowdoin to 2 of 4 chances in the red zone...Wes hosts the Lord Mammoths on Andrus in the annual homecoming Little 3 game this week.

5). (tie) Colby Mules (3-3; Last Week Rank: 4): Up and down Mules lose a must win to the Alexander Hamilton's...will have a very difficult time having a winning season with Tufts, MID and Bowdoin their remaining 3 games...Outgained Hamilton but could only muster 2 FGs...Mules host the Panthers and will try to play spoiler in the NESCAC title race this week.

5). (tie) Bowdoin Polar Bears (3-3; Last Week Rank: 6): Bowdoin loses on the road...Bowdoin gave up 35 unanswered points to the Cards in the 2nd and 3rd quarters which included 2 defensive TDs by Wes...Bowdoin's offense outgained Wes 542 to 254, had 30 first downs to the Cards 16, and doubled up time of possession (40 mins to 20 mins)...Penalties and turnovers continue to plaque the Polars (10 penalties for 64 yards and 2 key turnovers)...Bowdoin only 2 of 4 in the red zone (blocked FG and goal line stand by Wes)...QB Andrew Boel threw for 431 yards and  4 TD passes, including 3 to Brendan King, but the turnovers killed him (INT and fumble)...LB Koy Price had another good day for the Polars with 2 TFL, 1 sack, and 1 pass break-up...Polars host Hartford State in Brunswick this week.

7). Amwurst Lord Mammoths (2-4; Last Week Rank: 7): Lord Mammoths lose to the Jumbo's at home...Amwurst offense only mustered 9 first downs and 171 yards of total offense...Amherst offense was challenged both running and passing...Lord Mammoth punter was the star of the day...LMs were 4 of 15 on third down...the LM defense, which had been playing decent, gave up 426 yards of total offense including 206 yards on the ground...This week they travel to Middletown to face the Cardinals in a Little 3 battle.

8). Williams Purple Cows (2-4; Last Week Rank: 8): Ephs pecked at home by Hartford State...Gave up 41 unanswered points to the Roosters offense...Eph offense was 3 of 16 on 3rd down and 0 for 3 in the red zone...QB Owen McHugh was once again the Ephs leading rusher with RB Mario Fischetti on the shelf...Longest running play was 14 yards for the Ephs...Ephs on track to have their second straight losing season...Ephs will try to get back on track at UBates this weekend.

9). Hamilton Alexander Hamilton's (1-5; Last Week Rank: 10): HAM gets their first win on the road against the Mules...The Alexander Hamilton's QB Luke Kurzum did it all on the ground and through the air (TD pass and TD run)...No TFLs or sacks for HAM defense....Alexander Hamilton's host the surging Jumbo's in Clinton this weekend.

10). University of Bates Bobcats (Lewiston Campus)(0-6; Last Week Rank: 9): UBates loses to the Pants...Trailed 31-7 at the half...MID rolled up 523 yards of total offense on UBates...MID threw 5 TD passes...5 sacks against UBates...UBates went to FY QB Seneca Moore and he was their leading passer and rusher...Not sure why MID was throwing bombs late in the 4th quarter up 41-7...Will try to get win #1 this weekend in Lewiston as they host the Purple Cows.

I was looking into the numbers, and as many of you all know Tufts offensive line has allowed one sack all season. Very impressive. The thing we've noticed watching games on the NSN broadcasts is their mobility in space and also how efficient they've been in not taking penalties. The team as a whole is one of the least penalized teams in the entire nation, and obviously that helps keep the group ahead of the sticks. Not a ton of 3rd and longs on obvious passing downs, which kind of makes defenses have to at least think of a RPO or run. I really do fee like the sack number is more of an entire offensive number than just offensive line, though the line has been very good. On the other side of the ball, Tufts passing defense has forced QBs to hold the ball a little longer, allowing for their blitz packages to get home more often lately.

Really excited to see how the end of the season finishes up.

[Scoops]

"Home field advantage." "Mud pit." "Injury risk." Same difference...

I think NFL Survey showed that most players want to play on grass.
It was either that or it revealed that most are just on it. :-(

Nobody wants to plays on Wesleyans grass. Ive heard from multiple players they would rather play in their buddies front yard especially towards the end of the season. The fact that nobody has made weseleyan put any money into putting grass or betters suited for athletics or even trying to maintain it is ridiculous. Especially this year when they cant even play on it when it rains even a little bit. Nobody cares how old or historic their quad is if its a mud pit by week 4.

It's called home field advantage and frankly, the field was fine this past Saturday. No mud, decent footing, and in very good shape. Since 2018, Wes has played exactly two games on the turf at Citrin instead of at Andrus (both Wes wins, we might add). If there are torrential rains, Whales and Dice will not hesitate to move games there in the future. It was not necessary to do so last Saturday as evidenced by the 65 combined points between the two teams. As an aside, the odds of Wes adding plastic grass to the historic center of campus are somewhere between slim and none.

[SpringSt7]

NESCACMAN In-depth Special Feature

As we head into the home stretch of the 2023 season, we thought it would be interesting to look at the contenders for this year's championship and see how they compare in two key categories: how have they played against each other and how many quality wins they have against teams with a .500 record or better. 

                          Record against Top 4 Teams   Quality Wins (Against .500 teams or better)

Middlebury                       1-1                                               2              

Hartford State                  1-1                                               2

Tufts                                1-1                                               2

Wesleyan                         1-1                                               2

Unfortunately for the creator of this in-depth special feature I only see 3 contenders listed with 1 loss that don't also still have to play Trinity. Fortunately for said creator they have 2 Little Three games coming up that they wouldn't trade for any level of true contention.

[Nescacman]

"Home field advantage." "Mud pit." "Injury risk." Same difference...

I think NFL Survey showed that most players want to play on grass.
It was either that or it revealed that most are just on it. :-(

Nobody wants to plays on Wesleyans grass. Ive heard from multiple players they would rather play in their buddies front yard especially towards the end of the season. The fact that nobody has made weseleyan put any money into putting grass or betters suited for athletics or even trying to maintain it is ridiculous. Especially this year when they cant even play on it when it rains even a little bit. Nobody cares how old or historic their quad is if its a mud pit by week 4.

It's called home field advantage and frankly, the field was fine this past Saturday. No mud, decent footing, and in very good shape. Since 2018, Wes has played exactly two games on the turf at Citrin instead of at Andrus (both Wes wins, we might add). If there are torrential rains, Whales and Dice will not hesitate to move games there in the future. It was not necessary to do so last Saturday as evidenced by the 65 combined points between the two teams. As an aside, the odds of Wes adding plastic grass to the historic center of campus are somewhere between slim and none.

13-2 over the last 15 games on Andrus...we'll choose a). Home field advantage.

[The Mole]

Scoops, is it a Napoleon complex? Small hands and feet? Mommy didn't love you ?

"Home field advantage." "Mud pit." "Injury risk." Same difference...

I think NFL Survey showed that most players want to play on grass.
It was either that or it revealed that most are just on it. :-(

Nobody wants to plays on Wesleyans grass. Ive heard from multiple players they would rather play in their buddies front yard especially towards the end of the season. The fact that nobody has made weseleyan put any money into putting grass or betters suited for athletics or even trying to maintain it is ridiculous. Especially this year when they cant even play on it when it rains even a little bit. Nobody cares how old or historic their quad is if its a mud pit by week 4.

It's called home field advantage and frankly, the field was fine this past Saturday. No mud, decent footing, and in very good shape. Since 2018, Wes has played exactly two games on the turf at Citrin instead of at Andrus (both Wes wins, we might add). If there are torrential rains, Whales and Dice will not hesitate to move games there in the future. It was not necessary to do so last Saturday as evidenced by the 65 combined points between the two teams. As an aside, the odds of Wes adding plastic grass to the historic center of campus are somewhere between slim and none.

[Pat Coleman]

Pre-Covid, most of the schedule rotated every 2 years (home and home). For example, in 2018 and 2017, the Jumbo's opened up against the Alexander Hamilton's and before that, they opened up against Wes. Not sure why that suddenly stopped...

This was because the NESCAC played just eight games and scrimmaged against the ninth team. So, Tufts would scrimmage Wesleyan and play Hamilton, or scrimmage Hamilton and play Wesleyan.

2016: Tufts vs. Wesleyan https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2016/index
2015: Tufts vs. Hamilton https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2015/index
2014: Tufts vs. Hamilton https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2014/index
2013: Tufts vs. Wesleyan https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2013/index
2012: Tufts vs. Wesleyan https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2012/index
2011: Tufts vs. Hamilton https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2011/index
2010: Tufts vs. Hamilton https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2010/index
2009: Tufts vs. Wesleyan https://www.d3football.com/teams/Tufts/2009/index

Etc. Yes, in later years of this arrangement, some of the scrimmage pairings got shuffled for travel, but the setup as arranged was you alternated the team you played in the opener, and scrimmaged the team you didn't play.

[Scoops]

Fantastic quip Mole. It's more a pure joy of watching the Cardinals implode year after year, and watching their fans make excuse after excuse to mask their shame. Keep enjoying those little 3 titles guys. The rest of the league REALLY respects your success.

Scoops, is it a Napoleon complex? Small hands and feet? Mommy didn't love you ?

[GroundandPound]

Tufts over Hamilton 5
Wesleyan over Amherst 4
Middlebury over Colby 3
Williams over Bates 2
Bowdoin over Trinity 1
(5 most confident 1 least confident)