FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[RollPants24]

No Wood, No Kennon = 0 Offense.

Embarrassing Day For Midd

[lumbercat]

I'm gonna start this off by giving credit to Wesleyan. They completely outplayed Middlebury today and 100% deserved to win the game. They were impressive and the better team today, no doubt about it.

Having given credit where credit is due... what the hell was Coach DiCenzo whining about at the end of the game?? Yelling loudly enough that everyone could hear him from the stands on the other side of the field because Middlebury was running pass plays?? Down 36 with over 5 min left?? Why would you not throw the ball?? You don't pass if you're up big or there's less than a minute to go. But any team in America at any level would throw the ball there. He was also whining and screaming at officials when it was 43-7.

Then after the game Coach Mandigo goes to shake his hand and he starts getting upset again. It was genuinely confusing why in a blowout win he would act like such a [fill in the blank, I don't want my post getting taken down].

I again will credit the Wesleyan team today, and I wish the best for their student-athletes moving forward. Congrats to the Wesleyan fans on this board too, nothing but respect and appreciation for my fellow posters. Coach DiCenzo, on the other hand, should be embarrassed.

Geez- that doesn't sound like DiCenzo to me....hope he's not taking a page out of Devanneys book.

[Nescacman]

We'll have much to say about Week 1 action around the NESCAC both here and on our podcast, Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast over the next couple of days.

However, we did want to (objectively) address the situation that occurred late in the 4th quarter of the game between Wesleyan and Middlebury. Wesleyan was up 43-7 late in the 4th quarter. The game was clearly in hand for Wesleyan, and frankly, the score could have been much worse than it was. Complete domination by the Cards in all phases of the game.

What has become customary and normal in college and pro football is when the losing team is in a no win situation (which Middlebury clearly was), the two teams run the ball to get the game over with as quickly as possible to avoid injuries. Not sure we 100% agree with that mind set, but that is football in 2024. Wes was on the opposite side of the situation in 2023 up in Medford (and in Hartford as well, for that matter) and ran the ball consistently late in the game to "get out of Dodge" without getting student-athletes injured. Unfortunately, HCOF Mandigo didn't get the memo and continued to throw the ball late in the game, which is what got Coach Dice upset (when Wes got the ball, they ran it). BTW, HCOF Mandigo nearly got two of his receivers hurt when they came across the middle late in the 4th quarter when he continued to press the issue. After the game, as the two coaches met at the 50-yard line, HCOF Doug went after Coach Dice aggressively (see below video). Perhaps HCOF Doug was upset that he's never beaten Dice as an HCOF??? Not sure, but the video speaks for itself.

In any event, boys will be boys. It was a great day to be a Cardinal. More to follow.

[MapleBBQChicken]

We'll have much to say about Week 1 action around the NESCAC both here and on our podcast, Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast over the next couple of days.

However, we did want to (objectively) address the situation that occurred late in the 4th quarter of the game between Wesleyan and Middlebury. Wesleyan was up 43-7 late in the 4th quarter. The game was clearly in hand for Wesleyan, and frankly, the score could have been much worse than it was. Complete domination by the Cards in all phases of the game.

What has become customary and normal in college and pro football is when the losing team is in a no win situation (which Middlebury clearly was), the two teams run the ball to get the game over with as quickly as possible to avoid injuries. Not sure we 100% agree with that mind set, but that is football in 2024. Wes was on the opposite side of the situation in 2023 up in Medford (and in Hartford as well, for that matter) and ran the ball consistently late in the game to "get out of Dodge" without getting student-athletes injured. Unfortunately, HCOF Mandigo didn't get the memo and continued to throw the ball late in the game, which is what got Coach Dice upset (when Wes got the ball, they ran it). BTW, HCOF Mandigo nearly got two of his receivers hurt when they came across the middle late in the 4th quarter when he continued to press the issue. After the game, as the two coaches met at the 50-yard line, HCOF Doug went after Coach Dice aggressively (see below video). Perhaps HCOF Doug was upset that he's never beaten Dice as an HCOF??? Not sure, but the video speaks for itself.

In any event, boys will be boys. It was a great day to be a Cardinal. More to follow.

NM – thank you for your perspective.

I don't think I agree that running the ball to run the clock out has become "customary" in college football. Yesterday, NC Central was passing down 38-10 to UNC with 5 min to go, Northern Iowa threw it in the final minute down 34-3 to Nebraska, and Purdue passed it with 7 min left down 66-7 to ND. And that's just three games out of many more examples. Furthermore, the difference between the Wesleyan games you highlighted last year and this matchup is the time of the season. When it's Week 1, you want to get some type of offensive cohesion/success to build on. I think it was perfectly reasonable for Midd to want to try to get something going before heading to Brunswick (where frankly if they play like they did yesterday, they will get beat badly).

Your video is only showing up as a still photo for me, but I imagine it involves Coach Mandigo walking briskly toward the middle of the field. I'll concede he certainly played a role in the escalation of their post-game interaction, but to be honest I'd be upset too if someone had (in my opinion, totally unnecessarily) been yelling at me in front of a thousand people.

This also does not address how later that drive when the official threw a flag for a hit on a defenseless receiver, Coach DiCenzo threw a temper tantrum until they picked it up. I'm not sure I disagreed with him on the call, but I was unimpressed by the demeanor in a blowout game. Notice Coach Mandigo did not get even a tenth as angry when at 37-7 a dubious defensive delay of game penalty on a field goal attempt gave Wesleyan a first down (the call itself is not the point, we can all agree officiating did not decide this game).

I've given you and your team props for the W, and I certainly stand by that. However, I stand by my critique of Coach DiCenzo as well. It's not a character judgment (I listened to your podcast and heard his respectful and thoughtful interview), but that was poor form yesterday.

[lumbercat]

I wasn't there and did not see what occurred but I will say the best coaches never let negative emotions pervade during or after a blowout win.

[Bantamsdad69]

Just caught the highlights from yesterday's game, and Ty Richardson was absolutely on fire for Tufts! The sophomore cornerback snagged two crucial interceptions against Bowdoin, talk about a game-changer. It's clear he's stepping up big time this season. He is Jaden Richardsons younger brother, The Richardson family's football legacy is seriously impressive.

[Pat Coleman]

I definitely don't agree that that has become customary and I have not seen that memo.

[MP3]

I think it's more like, No Ritter, No offense.
In 2022 under Ritter, Kenon completed 60% of his passes while throwing 24 TDs and 4 INTs.  In 2023, post Ritter, that dropped to 55% completed passes and 17 TDs and 13 INTs.  Meanwhile, Woods went from 938 yards and 11 TDs in 2022 to 718 yards and 6 TDs in 2023.
This was covered up by great defense and some good fortune that got Mid a piece of the league championship last season.  But yesterday the offensive coaching deficiencies were exposed.
I know it's hard to replace a coach like Ritter, but you need to do better than this.

[Scoops]

Strange opening week in the league. Can't say that I was expecting any of the results that we got. Wesleyan crushing defending champion Middlebury at Midd is certainly the headline, but there were stories in every game. A depleted Colby team hanging in against Trinity. A promising young Hamilton team getting waxed by a suspect Williams offense. A surprise starting QB at Amherst leading the mammoths to a win. And a nightcap of a near upset by Bowdoin over Tufts. What a great way to welcome back the 'CAC!

[nescac1]

I'm trying to remember the last NESCAC season which didn't feature at least one angry coach confrontation related to something that occurred at the end of a blowout ...

[lumbercat]

I'm trying to remember the last NESCAC season which didn't feature at least one angry coach confrontation related to something that occurred at the end of a blowout ...

The other conflicts that you reference were brought about by losing coaches. The beef that occurred on Saturday was said to be incited by the winning coach in a blowout which seemed strange to me.

[Nescacman]

2024 NESCACMAN Week 1 Power Rankings

Welcome to our Week 1 Power Rankings. Week 1 was very interesting in the NESCAC. Although most of the expected winners this week held serve, we think some of the final scores may have surprised the NESCAC faithful.

In our weekly rankings, the only movement was Williams (moving up) based on their thrashing of Hamilton and defending champ Middlebury (moving down) based on their historic, epic loss at home to Wesleyan.

Some details on "NESCACMAN"...we share a love for all things NESCAC, but especially football, with our fellow boardsters. We love everything about NESCAC...the history, traditions, rivalries, quirky rituals, passion, student-athletes, coaches, students, parents, alumni, tailgates, fields of play, et cetera. Each week, we will present our power rankings and then later in the week overviews, predictions, and spreads on every NESCAC game every week. There will also be some special reports along the way. Please note, we try to be as objective and honest as possible (maybe with a slight tinge of red and black). Our opinions stated here are solely those of NESCACMAN and are not the views or opinions of any institution in the NESCAC or the League itself.

We also co-host a podcast titled "Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast"  along with Chris Grace, the longtime play-by-play voice of the Wesleyan Football Cardinals. Available weekly, the podcast is available on YouTube and Spotify. Please follow us and take a listen. Episode 1 is available now (featuring interviews with  Wesleyan University Head Coach Dan DiCenzo, Bates College Head Coach Matt Coyne, and Bowdoin College LB/DL Koy Price). Episode 2 will be available later this week and will feature Tufts Head Coach Jay Civetti and Wesleyan QB Nico Candido. Should be a great watch/listen. Our weekly show features coach and player interviews, game analysis, rankings, previews, and predictions.
   
1). Tufts Jumbo's (Last Week Rank: 1): Jumbo's escape with a hard fought win under the lights in Medford for their first season opening win since 2019 overcoming 4 turnovers...QB Michael Berlutti looked out of synch at times (but still threw for 300 yards) and the offense did miss RB Chartellis Reece but they came away with the win...Tufts kicker Vaughn Seelicke was the hero of the day for Tufts nailing a school record (tie) 3 field goals...defense did just enough against the one-dimensional, run heavy Bowdoin offense...they will need to work out some things on defense against the more balanced Wesleyan attack in week 2....this week's rematch in Middletown will have an impact on who wins the NESCAC championship this year.

2). Hartford State Bantams (Last Week Rank: 2): Hartford State did enough to get by a "game" Colby Mule squad...defense was stout limiting the Mules to 11 first downs and 237 yards...meanwhile, the offense rolled up 27 first downs and nearly 400 yards of offense...margin of victory should probably have been more...New signal caller Zander Zembrowski was the star of the day for the Bants taking part in both Hartford State scores (pass TD and run TD) and throwing for nearly 300 yards...Bantam OL not as dominant we have seen in past years as they allowed 3 sacks and the team did not clear the century mark in rushing yards...Hartford State is on the road this weekend to face the Frisky Kitties of UBates.

3). Wesleyan Cardinals (Last Week Rank: 3): Couldn't have scripted a better game 1 for the Mysterious Methodists of Middletown...It's one game, but we need to understand the significance of this win for Wes; Middlebury was the defending league champs, has 3 pre-season All-Americans and returned 8 All-NESCAC players...definitely not slouches...first win at Middlebury for Wes since 2015...tied for largest win on the road at Middlebury for Wesleyan in program history...worst loss for Middlebury at home since 1986 (just to do the math, that's 38 years)...Game was more of a blow-out than the scoreboard shows...Wes was effective in all three phases of the game...the offense generated 454 yards of total offense and had 6 plays of 25 yards or more...the defense forced 3 turnovers, had 3 sacks and limited the Panthers to just 7 points....Wes special teams were also stellar blocking a punt for a TD (DB Dylan Connors) and P Gage Hammond averaged over 42 yards per punt and pinned MID inside their 20 yard line 3 times...QB Nico Candido (2 TD passes, 268 yards passing, 48 yards rushing), RB Tyler Flynn (80 yards rushing and 2 TDs), and presumptive NESCAC OPOTW Chase Wilson (5 receptions for 168 yards and a TD) starred on offense...on defense, LB Ben Carbeau, DB Dylan Connors, and DB Nick Donatio (Colby transfer) led the charge in limiting Middlebury to 7 points and 285 yards of total offense...hats off to the Wesleyan offensive line only allowing 1 sack and running for 186 yards against the much heralded Middlebury front 7...one observation, on an uncharacteristically warm Vermont day, Wesleyan seemed to be better conditioned and prepared to play... Middlebury looked gassed all day...some of that is depth but pre-season prep may also have played a role....Wesleyan will have their hands full as they face-off against the Jumbo's under the lights in Andrus in their home opener trying to avenge last year's loss in Medford. 

4). Williams Purple Cows (Last Week Rank: 5): Moving up in our rankings this week are the Ephs of Williamstown....Williams rolled it up at home against an overmatched Hamilton Continental squad 42-7... Let's answer the question everyone is asking, are the Ephs they that much better this year? To be fair, Hamilton is not very good, but in our assessment, yes, this will clearly be the best Williams squad since 2021 with the caveat that THEY MUST remain healthy...with that being said, we are "from Missouri" when it comes to the Ephs in 2024...2nd most impressive performance by a team in NESCAC this week (to Wesleyan)...they ran the ball well, played solid defense and for at least one game, avoided injuries...In order for this team to be competitive, as noted in our preview, they will need more consistent play from QB Owen McHugh (5 TD passes on Saturday) and at receiver...at least for one game, they seemed to step up, albeit against inferior competition...Williams deployed more of a committee approach at RB and maybe that is the key to remaining healthy in 2024...Defense was stout only allowing 202 yards of offense for the Continentals, 11 first downs, 2 of 13 in 3rd down situations and 7 points...FY LB Luke Mangini was the leader for the Ephs on defense leading the team in tackles with 8, including 2 tackles for loss...Tougher test for the Ephs this week as they head out on the road to face the Mules of Colby.

5). Middlebury (Last Week Rank: 4): Middlebury slips one spot in our rankings as a result of the aforementioned largest loss at home in 38 years...The defending league champion Panthers were completely out played in all 3 phases of the game despite returning 8 All-League performers..,The defense gave up 454 yards and the offense only garnered 7 points, 80 yards rushing while only converting 2 of 14 chances on third down...New Panther signal caller Brian Moran was very mediocre and a far cry from Middlebury QBs of the not too distant past...With the graduation of Donovan Wood, All-Leaguer Patrick Jamin took on the primary receiving role and was one of the few bright spots on the day for the Pants...All-NESCAC DLs Tomas Kenary and Dave Fillias obviously can play but due to the lack of depth on the DL for MID, they looked completely gassed on a hot early fall day only getting to the Wesleyan QB once all day...the defensive backfield led by 2 All-NESCAC DBs (Stola and Daniel) were repeatedly torched for long gains by a bevy of Wes receivers...meanwhile, the much touted Middlebury offensive line looked very ordinary allowing 3 sacks, numerous QB hurries and not doing much on the ground when it counted including getting stuffed on a crucial 4th and 1 deep in Wesleyan territory at a point in the game that could have shifted momentum in Middlebury's favor...we still think there is enough talent here for Middlebury to be dangerous every week but they will need to turn it around quickly this week as they travel to Brunswick to face the Polar Bears.

6). Bowdoin Polar Bears (Last Week Rank: 6): Good effort for the Polars week 1 at Tufts losing anon a fourth quarter field goal...played hard in a tough opening game match-up...defense looked solid while the offense looked extremely one dimensional leaning heavily on the run...Looked like they missed the graduated skill players (Boel, Eden, Fahey, and King)...QB Robbie Long ran the ball effectively (95 yards rushing, 2 TDs) but passing seems to be a challenge for this team, despite having a stellar receiver in WR Jed Hoggard...Converted QB Sean Ramos was Andre Eden's replacement at TB and had some moments in the game...his presence could create some interesting opportunities for option plays for the Polars during the season...The defense looked solid continuing to deploy HCOF Hammer's pressure, blitz heavy scheme getting to Berlutti twice, forcing 2 INTs and limiting Tufts to 86 yards on the ground...this team will win its share of games this year...they played very hard and looked very motivated to us...this week Bowdoin hosts Middlebury in their home opener on Whittier.

7). Amherst Lord Mammoths (Last Week Rank: 7): Breakup the Lord Mammoths!! Probably the most excited Mammoth Nation has ever been in a long time after an opening day win against the rebuilding UBates Bobcats. We're sure LM fans will be looking for a move up in the rankings, however, based on a tight win at home against a young Bobcat squad, they'll have to wait until we see a more impressive win...  The offense looked like its old self of the past few years (190 yards total offense, 9 first downs, and 1 for 13 on 3rd down conversions) while the defense played a solid game against UBates...another new QB, Junior Mason Morrow from Iowa, for the LMs... The defense kept them in this one forcing 3 Bobcat turnovers and holding UBates to 182 yards of offense.......All-NESCAC DB Luke Harmon led the defense with 12 tackles, 2 TFL, a sack, and 2 interceptions...Amherst's running game, continues to be an area of concern with only 50 yards on 25 carries (longest carry of 9 yards)...In order for the Lord Mammoths to be competitive in the NESCAC they will need to show more on offense and some semblance of an ability to run the ball ...Good coaching will only get them so far...the schedule actually gets easier this week for the Lord Mammoths as they head out on the road to face Hamilton.

8). Colby Mules (Last Week Rank: 8): The Mules played hard on the road at Hartford State but came away with the expected loss...Colby is very similar to the Lord Mammoths; good defense, a challenged offense, a new QB (Junior Miles Drake) and a lack of play makers...will need to win low-scoring, close games to have a shot at a winning record this which they have not had since 2005...Need to run the ball better (50 yards on 26 carries) to have a shot...WR Duke McNamara was one of the few bright spots for the Mules on offense leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and caught their only TD of the day...Colby faces Williams on Mayflower Hill in their home opener this week.

9). University of Bates Bobcats (Lewiston Campus)(Last Week Rank: 9): Tough start for the Kitties as they played a winnable game at Amherst and nearly came away with the win... They showed improvement on Saturday running the ball effectively (122 yards rushing) and playing solid defense...they will need to protect the ball petter to have a shot at winning games this year...good news is they ran the ball better in game 1 which is a hallmark of the Kitties offense ...Defensively, they were good on Saturday and that will need to continue this week...UBates opens up at home this Saturday against the never easy Hartford State Bantams.

10). Hamilton Continentals (Last Week Rank: 10): What the heck is going on in Clinton? Challenging week 1 for the Continentals in Williamstown....Second year QB Kurzum ran the ball effectively but Soph Nate Wildman, who had some success in 2023 (and changed his number to #1 for 2024) was surprisingly ineffective...Defense was not good against the Ephs (42 points and 459 yards of offense for the Ephs) and needs to show much more...Hope to show improvement in Week 2 as they face the Lord Mammoths in Clinton.

NESCACMAN Offensive Player(s) of the Week: Chase Wilson, Wesleyan/Owen McHugh, Williams
NESCACMAN Defensive Player(s) of the Week: Luke Harmon, Amherst
NESCACMAN Special Teams Player(s) of the Week: Vaughn Seelicke, Tufts/Dylan Connors, Wesleyan

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[Nescacman]

I'm trying to remember the last NESCAC season which didn't feature at least one angry coach confrontation related to something that occurred at the end of a blowout ...

The other conflicts that you reference were brought about by losing coaches. The beef that occurred on Saturday was said to be incited by the winning coach in a blowout which seemed strange to me.

Lumber, we love you but we were there and that is definitely not what went down on Saturday. HCOF Doug (the losing coach) was clearly the aggressor and went after Coach Dice as evidenced by the clip we shared. Frankly, the real issue was HCOF Doug didn't expect to lose like that in Week 1 and was probably a bit testy as a result of getting crushed at home Week 1. Next year at Wes should be fun. At this point, we're moving on to Week 2. We'll leave it at that. Good luck this weekend.

[Nescacman]

Forgot to mention, for our friend Chas...

Wes completed a great weekend on Sunday when the Wes JV beat the Hartford State JV 17-13...good to see the Young Cardinals getting it done. #rollcards

[NescacNewbie]

Nescacman...not questioning your decision, just curious on your thought process on the rankings. How could you only rank Wesleyan at 3 and not 1 with such a dominant win against the league champs. Then while keeping Tufts at 1 when they had such a hard time against Bowdoin and who didn't even have a winning record last year.
Thank you!