FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[dirtybirds8-0]

Wish I could get up there for that...should be an interesting day.  Make sure to give us your read on the team, post scrimmage.  Talk to you soon.

[gordonmann]

Wow...nothing like playing your rivals in a scrimmage and then at the end of the season.

At least you get a clear measure of progress.

[camper]

im going to go out and say that colby goes ( with a break or two) 8-0 and that trinity suffers a week two loss to williams and finishes at second with the ephs. i know im going to catch some flak from all the trinity supporters on this page but i think that this is colby's year. trinity may be the trendsetter in the NESCAC but stranger things have happened...

[Trin9-0]

Camper: Bold prediction, but not out of the realm of possibility.  I too think Colby has a shot at Williams, and possibly even an undefeated season. Furthermore, if Williams does lose week 1, you know they'll be fired up to play the following week at Trinity to avoid back to back loses. 

However, the fact that the game is in Hartford makes it that much harder for the Ephs.  The Bantams have gone 16-4 at home since 1999 and are a perfect 12-0 in "The Coop" since the new synthetic field-turf was put in at the start of the 2002 season. The AVERAGE score of those 12 games... 38-4

Williams has no doubt been the toughest out at home for the Bantams during that stretch, a 10-0 Trinity win in 2003. And they will likely give Trinity the best game this year (with the possible exception of week 7 @ Amherst).

Is it possible for Trinity to finish 2nd in the NESCAC this year? Sure, but I think a more plausible scenario is a two-way tie for 1st. Who knows, maybe two NESCAC schools finishing with 8-0 records would add some momentum towards getting at least a 9 game schedule.

One things is for sure, Williams has the toughest schedule to start the 2005 season.

[weightman]

8-0;

     90% that I'll be at the Wms Amherst scrimmage.  If I go I'll share some observations.

[formerbant10]

Is Colby really gonna be that good???  I know not playing Trinity makes their season a lot easier, but 8-0??? that's pretty serious. 

[dirtybirds8-0]

I agree Former, my prediction is that colby losses to Williams by two touchdowns and finishes second in the league. 
            Listen, I know we are using this 8-0 business very causually but lets be honest, it is very difficult to have a perfect record in the NESCAC.  The fact that Trinity has back-to-back 8-0 seasons is remarkable!  However, if you look back on the last two seasons, the 2003 team had some very close calls, and relied on their defense to take them to an 8-0 season.  Last year was an exception, with both the defense and offense dominating the league.  Before 2003 it had been 10 years (1993) since Trinity had an 8-0 season.  Seasons like the past two for Trinity are rare in the NESCAC and I dont see any other teams dominating for 8 straight games to have an undefeated season.  There will be some close games, and there will also be some major upsets....this will be a great season, but please respect the fact that an 8-0 season is very difficult to accomplish.

[Trin9-0]

Dirty: Actually there have been 9 undefeated season in the NESCAC in the just past 15 years.  That means more than half of the seasons since 1989 have had an undefeated team win the title. Though keep in mind, over that span, it has only been either Trinity or Williams that have accomplished it.

And though I do know from experience how difficult it is to finish a season with a perfect record... It appears that it is not such a rare occurance in the NESCAC. (at least in recent history)


1989 Williams 8-0
1990 Williams 8-0
1993 Trinity 8-0
1994 Williams 8-0
1995 Williams 7-0-1
1998 Williams 8-0
2001 Williams 8-0
2003 Trinity 8-0
2004 Trinity 8-0

[dirtybirds8-0]

I am actually suprised that Amherst has not had an 8-0 season in the last 15 years, and Middlebury was very good for several years as well.  I guess if you look at past performance as a good indicator for the future [Frank] then Colby does not have a great chance at an 8-0 season.  Trin8-0 why do you think only Williams/Trinity have been able to accomplish perfect seasons in the last 15 years?  What makes a perect season possible?  Clearly there has to be a combination of events that Williams and Trinity have solved which other NESCAC programs have not.

[Trin9-0]

Dirty: Though Amherst has not had an undefeated season in the past 15 years, they have come close.  Amherst was 7-1 in 1996 but lost their final game 19-13 to Williams. The Lord Jeffs came up 1 win shy again in 2000 when they, along with Colby and Middlebury, all finished 7-1. The next year, 2001, Amherst again finished 7-1, again losing to Williams 23-20 in OT.

In addition to the 2000 season, Middlebury also got close in 1992, with a 7-1 record.  (The one loss, a 43-0 shallacking by Trinity.)

Colby had another 7-1 season in 1994 but their undefeated season was also spoiled by Trinity in a 17-15 loss.

Even Wesleyan and Tufts have had a 7-1 seasons since '89.  In 1997 the Cardinals only loss was to Amherst 36-14, and the Jumbos fell to Williams 42-7 in 1998.

Also Williams went 7-1 in 1991, 1993, 1997, 1999 and 2002

Trinity went 7-1 in 1989, 1996 and 2002

As for why only Williams and Trinity have been able to finish the season undefeated in the past 15 years, the answer is simple:

Recruiting, Recruiting, Recruiting!

(also great coaches in Dick Farley, Don Miller and Chuck) Priore

[dirtybirds8-0]

Trin8-0 : Thank you for the history lesson, I would have looked it up myself but I'm to lazy.  Besides, I know you like to that kind of stuff.  I guess it comes down to the fact that there is always going to be Williams and Trinty to compete with to have a chance at an 8-0 season, and to this point they have been the spoilers (and Amherst).

[eph69]

did anyone go to the games today???

[dirtybirds8-0]

Notre Dame game was great...but what about the NESCAC?  Trin8-0, how was the Weslyan scrimmage? and I beleive someone else went to the Williams scrimmage?

[saul]

    Just wondering if folks think that Amherst might give Trinity a pretty tough game later this season. Somebody did mention it in passing, but I think the Jeffs will give Trinity a tougher game than Williams will this season, mainly because the game will be in Amherst. I know Amherst is overmatched on paper but in D3 football just about anything can happen and home field means a lot. What do you think?

[nessy]

Was @ the colby/bates scrimmage today.  Colby looked flat the first O and D series and Bates thought they were playing for the championship.  Needless to say, the adrenaline wore off and Colby woke up.  Bates marched down the field on their first position with several good runs and two passes, including a nice 3rd and 10 conversion inside the Colby 30.  After scoring, they forced Colby to punt after failing to convert on 3rd down.  After that it was all Colby, they had scoring drives of 99 yards and 70 yards.  A touchdown was called back on an inadvertant whistle when the back judge thought the QB was going to be sacked.  Colby's D shut Bates down for the rest of the afternoon.  Bates QB and TB both looked good while their WR #17 was outstanding (all in that first series).
Colby's O line dominated, springing their TB for a 55 td run on the 99yd drive and their QB hit every eligible receiver at least once during the event.  Bates was held to one first down the remainder of the day.  Colby got consistant pressure on the QB and the linebackers stuffed every hole and the DB's were all over recievers.  This may be the best team Colby has fielded in some time.  Good size and experience up front along with lots of talented playmakers at the skill positions.  I thought their D would drop off after last year, but they don't seem to be missing a beat.  Their field goal kicker also kicked a 45 yard field goal into the wind.  Bates looked bigger and faster than past years and their QB has a stronger than average arm.  They give some teams trouble this year, but will probably finish in the middle of the pack.  Lack of speed and size in the secondary will hurt them.  A weak kicking game will come back to haunt them.