FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[The_Mighty_Chicken]

Looks like there's some free real estate in Nescacman's head for any bantams looking to settle down or invest in some property

[Charlie]

Congratulations to the true (and only deserving) 2023 NESCAC Football Champions, your Middlebury Panthers. Great season (minus one week) and amazing job by first year HCOF Mandigo and the Middlebury student-athletes.

As the saying goes..."to be the champion, you have to beat the champion".

So Nescacman why is the IVy League who have three co champions this year Harvard , Yale , Dartmouth. This is also after Yale beat Harvard yesterday and still get a share of championship. Perhaps now the Ivy League will make a change in this insane set up and NESCAC will follow. Maybe extra game playoff or something this is ridiculous.

[Charlie]

Trinity Football

It was clearly evident after yesterdays drubbing of Bowdoin that Trinity is way above the other NESCAC teams in terms of talented players , development and Coaching. Bowdoin was completely off its game yesterday. The only highlight was the first drive when they scored a touchdown and took the lead 7-0.

Bowdoin was completely outplayed. More importantly out coached. Why in the world when you have the best QB and WR in the league would you leave Sean Clapp 6"4 who can jump in man to man coverage against a Aise Bream a 5" 6 CB who cant jump. It was a pitch and catch all day. It was so bad that on one Touchdown throw Clapp actually picked the player up and shook his hand because it was so futile in trying to guard him.

Trinity totally man handled Bowdoin. They not only played more physical than Bowdoin but clearly had the size differential over Bowdoin. Now I understand they are the powerhouse of the league and Bowdoin is a bottom feeder in the league but these other schools need to put a better product on the field. The sad part is that the Trinity WR are all returning next year. Despite 30 seniors graduating at Trinity the future looks bright. The last two recruiting classes are stacked at Trinity on both sides of the lines. In addition theses players got valuable playing time and experience this year due to the multiple blowouts that occurred.

As I said in past posts the QB is the biggest question at Trinity with a University of West Virginia transfer being dubbed QB of the future with I beleive 3 years eligibility left. He looked sharp in pre season but ended up breaking an ankle. They get another talented reeciver back from injury next year who would have been rookie of the year this year. I also think the key to this program is with all that talent the Coaches create a consistent winning culture where everyone wants to win hard to find at the D3 level of play. I think this is more incredible since most really don't see the field until there Junior and Senior years.

[lumbercat]

You can watch a few clips from the Trinity-Wesleyan game here, but what really caught my attention were the postgame quotes by Nescacman's all-time favorite Bantam, who also happens to be Trinity's all-time leader in:

Touchdowns
Yards
Completions
Completion %
Total offense

Despite the frequent criticism, Fetter currently leads the league in all but one of those categories as well. I tend to agree with SpringSt's notion that he has been underappreciated. Most of those Trinity passing records were held by Joe Shield '85 (who was drafted by the Packers and spent 2 seasons in the NFL)... his last season was 39 years ago! Fetter is far from the only Trinity QB to play with a talented roster, but his numbers stack up with the best NESCAC QBs ever.

Middlebury's Donald McKillop, the league's all-time leader in passing yards, averaged 291 yards and 2.06 TDs per game, He also threw 44 interceptions. The Panthers record in the seasons he played was 21-11.
Fetter, with one game left, has averaged just 18 fewer yards per game (273) but nearly a full TD more per game (2.81) while throwing just 14 picks. His career record as a starter is 24-2.

You don't have to like Fetter, and I'm guessing his latest comments won't endear him to any of our Wesleyan faithful, but his play has more than earned some respect.


I honestly don't have the energy for another admissions debate. However, I do want to add that I too strongly disagree with G&P's claim that Trinity wins because they "work harder". If only he had stopped at this conclusion which I feel is much closer to the truth of the matter:

In my opinion, great coaching, great recruiting, great player development, and a great football tradition play a much more substantial and significant role in Trinity's consistent success.

Good post 9-0

Agree- Let's get off the admissions thing. I only wish every NESCAC team would adopt the Bants admissions approach and provide Tutors for their Football players like Trinity does. I respect their commitment to the Football players.

No question Fetter has been a great QB- personally I'll take Sonny Puzzo in a close game but that's just my personal opinion. A lot tougher than Fetter who seems to project a bit of a pampered image. Puzzowould run a cornerback over and jog back to the huddle with no fanfare.

As far as G&Ps obsession with a dedicated Football weight room and Trinity guys being "jacked". Lets move on from that too.

Is that true - that Trinity provides tutors for the football team?  Do they do that with other teams?

Yes

There may be tutorial help available to others but nothing like the program the have for Football. It's a great program.

[Bucket]

Congrats to Hartford State and Middlebury on being co-NESCAC champions. However, if we examine the two teams in-depth, it is clear Hartford State was the more dominant program. Simply check the scores of the two teams games, Hartford State obliterated every other opponent besides there singular mishap. Sean Clapp is certainly a candidate for OPOTY with 74 receptions, 1169 receiving, and 14 TDs. The thing that makes those stats even more impressive is the fact in almost every game he only played a measely 2 or 3 quarters due to HS utter pulverization of teams like Weirdsleyan. Spencer Fetter should be the only other possible candidate. Please correct me if im wrong. HS has been screwed over many times this year by the NESCAC, and if they get this one wrong it will be a disgrace.

LOL.

[NescacFam]

Congrats to Hartford State and Middlebury on being co-NESCAC champions. However, if we examine the two teams in-depth, it is clear Hartford State was the more dominant program. Simply check the scores of the two teams' games (. or semicolon) Hartford State obliterated every other opponent besides there (their) singular mishap. Sean Clapp is certainly a candidate for OPOTY with 74 receptions, 1169 receiving (yards), and 14 TDs. The thing that makes those stats even more impressive is the fact in almost every game he only played a measely (measly) 2 or 3 quarters due to HS utter pulverization of teams like Weirdsleyan (Wesleyan). Spencer Fetter should be the only other possible candidate. Please correct me if im (I'm) wrong. HS has been screwed over many times this year by the NESCAC, and if they get this one wrong it will be a disgrace.

Consider yourself corrected.

[NESCACFball24/7]

Any predictions for all league teams now that the season is over?

[Bantam4life]

Although it is not our style to get into back and forth with other posters, we have to respond:


3. Not sure you understand how the pass interference rule works in college. It is different than the NFL. Even if that double pass was pass interference in the end zone (which it was not) it would not have put the ball on the 1 yard line. This is not the NFL. In college, it's either a 15 yard penalty (if the play is longer than 15 yards...if less than 15 yards, the penalty goes to the spot of the foul) or half the distance to the goal line, which is what it would have been in this case. In all cases, it is an automatic first down.

As we said, congratulations to the Mules. They played well, came away with the win, and broke the 10-game Wes winning streak against them.

I'm not sure anyone understands the pass interference rules! I don't think your explication is quite right either.  My understanding is that Defensive PI is exempt from the traditional "half the distance" enforcement except in the corner case where the ball is snapped at the PLUS 2 (eg, a team in the redzone snaps the ball at the opponent's two-yard line, defensive PI is committed in the endzone, the team on offense now gets first and goal at the 1). But if the team snaps the ball at the opponent's 15-yard line and defensive PI is committed in the end zone, the team on offense gets a first down at the 2, not half the distance.

LM Student....sort of correct....from the NCAA Football Rulebook...

"PENALTY—Team A's ball at the spot of the foul, first down, if the foul
occurs fewer than 15 yards beyond the previous spot. If the
foul occurs 15 or more yards beyond the previous spot, Team
A's ball, first down, 15 yards from the previous spot [S33].
When the ball is snapped on or inside the Team B 17-yard
line and outside the Team B two-yard line, and the spot of the
foul is on or inside the two-yard line, the penalty from the
previous spot shall place the ball at the two-yard line, first down
(A.R. 7-3-8-XIV).
No penalty enforced from outside the two-yard line may
place the ball inside the two-yard line (Exception: On the Try
when the snap is on or inside the three-yard line, Rule 10-2-
5-b).
If the previous spot was on or inside the two-yard line, first
down halfway between the previous spot and the goal line (Rule
10-2-6 Exception).
Pass Interference: Summary
ARTICLE 9. a. Either Team A or Team B legally may interfere with opponents
behind the neutral zone.
b.    Players of either team legally may interfere beyond the neutral zone after
the pass has been touched (A.R. 7-3-9-I).
c.    Defensive players legally may contact opponents who have crossed the
neutral zone if the opponents are not in a position to receive a catchable
forward pass.
1.    Those infractions that occur during a down in which a forward pass
crosses the neutral zone are pass interference infractions only if the
receiver had the opportunity to receive a catchable forward pass.
2.    Those infractions that occur during a down in which a forward pass
does not cross the neutral zone are Rule 9-3-4 infractions and the
penalty is enforced from the previous spot.
d.    Pass interference rules apply only during a down in which a legal forward
pass crosses the neutral zone (Rules 2-19-3 and 7-3-8-a, b and c).
e.    Contact by Team B with an eligible receiver involving a personal foul that
interferes with the reception of a catchable pass may be ruled either as
pass interference or as a personal foul with the 15-yard penalty enforced
from the previous spot. Rule 7-3-8 is specific about contact during a pass.
However, if the interference involves an act that ordinarily would result
in disqualification or ejection, the fouling player is disqualified or ejected
from the game.
f.    Physical contact is required to establish interference.
g.    Each player has territorial rights, and incidental contact is ruled under
"attempt to reach...the pass'' in Rule 7-3-8. If opponents who are beyond
the line collide while moving toward the pass, a foul by one or both
players occurs only if intent to impede the opponent is obvious. It is pass
interference only if a catchable forward pass is involved.
h.    Pass interference rules do not apply after the pass has been touched
anywhere inbounds by an inbounds player or has touched an official. If
an opponent is fouled, the penalty is for the foul and not pass interference
(A.R. 7-3-9-I).
i.    After the pass has been touched, any player may execute a legal block
during the remaining flight of the pass.
j.    Tackling or grasping a receiver or any other intentional contact before the
receiver touches the pass is evidence that the tackler is disregarding the ball
and is therefore illegal.
k.    Tackling or running into a receiver when a forward pass obviously is
underthrown or overthrown is disregarding the ball and is illegal. This
is not pass interference but a violation of Rule 9-1-12-a, which carries
a penalty of 15 yards from the previous spot plus a first down. Flagrant
offenders shall be disqualified or ejected."

Our assessment of the play in the Wes/Colby game:
1. It was not pass interference as a result of contact
2. The pass was not catchable which by rule nullifies pass interference.
3. This was a double pass. Our read of "h" above is that pass interference is not relevant on a double pass play. No pass interference.
[/quote]

NM-

Leave the the champions (Hartford st and Midd) to discuss your rules. Bants played outstanding yesterday. Unfortunately had an off day again st Midd but it hyped the Bants up. Much better than what happened in Midd Town this year. All respect. See you at Jesse-Miller in November 

[JEFFFAN]

No bias but I am with NESCACMAN.   Middlebury beat Trinity in the head to head battle.   They deserve the championship mantle!

[bantamweight]

Congrats to Hartford State (Trinity) and Middlebury on being co-NESCAC champions. However, if we examine the two teams in-depth, it is clear Hartford State (Trinity)was the more dominant program. Simply check the scores of the two teams' games Hartford State (Trinity) obliterated every other opponent besides....,

Consider yourself corrected.

NescacFam you missed a few. Your ass is showing.

[NescacFam]

Congrats to Hartford State and Middlebury on being co-NESCAC champions. However, if we examine the two teams in-depth, it is clear Hartford State was the more dominant program. Simply check the scores of the two teams games, Hartford State obliterated every other opponent besides there singular mishap. Sean Clapp is certainly a candidate for OPOTY with 74 receptions, 1169 receiving, and 14 TDs. The thing that makes those stats even more impressive is the fact in almost every game he only played a measely 2 or 3 quarters due to HS utter pulverization of teams like Weirdsleyan. Spencer Fetter should be the only other possible candidate. Please correct me if im wrong. HS has been screwed over many times this year by the NESCAC, and if they get this one wrong it will be a disgrace.

Bantamweight, I know proofreading isn't your strength so let me help you. The original post quoted here (and all mentions therein of HS instead of Trinity) was made by NESCACBULLY. I recommend asking them why they chose the Hartford State moniker and leave the grammar to the rest of us.

[AmherstStudent05]

I guess I'll take one more shot at this but I really don't understand why the NESCAC keeps flipping back and forth on tie-breaking procedures.

In 2002 (when I was a student), Williams and Trinity each finished 7-1 and were named co-champions. My Williams friends (I have only a very select few) were upset because they beat Trinity that year (but lost to Amherst in a glorious upset for Coach Farley's last game!) and felt that they should win the tiebreaker. But there was no tiebreaker.

In 2018 Amherst and Trinity both finish 8-1 yet Trinity claims the sole crown based on its win over Amherst which all of a sudden counts as a tiebreaker. Now Midd and Trin both finish 8-1 but Midd's win over Trin is not considered a tiebreaker. What gives?? Why keep flipping back and forth on this? Is the rule that Trin wins regardless of the rules???!

I think Amherst should now claim a share of the 2018 title. Seems like we were robbed!

[Charlie]

You can watch a few clips from the Trinity-Wesleyan game here, but what really caught my attention were the postgame quotes by Nescacman's all-time favorite Bantam, who also happens to be Trinity's all-time leader in:

Touchdowns
Yards
Completions
Completion %
Total offense

Despite the frequent criticism, Fetter currently leads the league in all but one of those categories as well. I tend to agree with SpringSt's notion that he has been underappreciated. Most of those Trinity passing records were held by Joe Shield '85 (who was drafted by the Packers and spent 2 seasons in the NFL)... his last season was 39 years ago! Fetter is far from the only Trinity QB to play with a talented roster, but his numbers stack up with the best NESCAC QBs ever.

Middlebury's Donald McKillop, the league's all-time leader in passing yards, averaged 291 yards and 2.06 TDs per game, He also threw 44 interceptions. The Panthers record in the seasons he played was 21-11.
Fetter, with one game left, has averaged just 18 fewer yards per game (273) but nearly a full TD more per game (2.81) while throwing just 14 picks. His career record as a starter is 24-2.

You don't have to like Fetter, and I'm guessing his latest comments won't endear him to any of our Wesleyan faithful, but his play has more than earned some respect.


I honestly don't have the energy for another admissions debate. However, I do want to add that I too strongly disagree with G&P's claim that Trinity wins because they "work harder". If only he had stopped at this conclusion which I feel is much closer to the truth of the matter:

In my opinion, great coaching, great recruiting, great player development, and a great football tradition play a much more substantial and significant role in Trinity's consistent success.

Good post 9-0

Agree- Let's get off the admissions thing. I only wish every NESCAC team would adopt the Bants admissions approach and provide Tutors for their Football players like Trinity does. I respect their commitment to the Football players.

No question Fetter has been a great QB- personally I'll take Sonny Puzzo in a close game but that's just my personal opinion. A lot tougher than Fetter who seems to project a bit of a pampered image. Puzzowould run a cornerback over and jog back to the huddle with no fanfare.

As far as G&Ps obsession with a dedicated Football weight room and Trinity guys being "jacked". Lets move on from that too.

Is that true - that Trinity provides tutors for the football team?  Do they do that with other teams?

Yes

There may be tutorial help available to others but nothing like the program the have for Football. It's a great program.

First off Trinity and I know Tufts have dedicated study halls with tutors for all Freshman and for that matter any football player needing study help. I think this is smart acclimating freshman to the academic rigors of schools. In addition weekly meetings so students stay on top of their academics and assignments.

[lumbercat]

Most/all of the NESCAC coaches  monitor the academic progress of their players weekly.

Trinity provides a direct tutorial program with study hall requirements for their football players specifically.
The only NESCAC Football program that goes to that extent.

[NESCACFball24/7]

Most/all of the NESCAC coaches  monitor the academic progress of their players weekly.

Trinity provides a direct tutorial program with study hall requirements for their football players specifically.
The only NESCAC Football program that goes to that extent.

Like Charlie said, tufts does this as well. Trinity does a lot of things well but not all of it (especially study hall for the football team) is revolutionary lol.