FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[D3MAFAN]

Just heard over on the WIAC board that TCNJ will be facing UWW on 9/20. Anybody from TCNJ know if this is true or just speculation?

[Pat Coleman]

Just heard over on the WIAC board that TCNJ will be facing UWW on 9/20. Anybody from TCNJ know if this is true or just speculation?

It's true, it's on UWW's schedule.

[Joe Vasile]

As a TCNJ Alum, I'm very excited for this game.  It shows to me that Coach Dickens is committed to starting to bring the program back.

[TheOsprey]

Hey Joe, how's Widener's squad looking this year?  Rowan for an opener should be a good gauge!

[rams1102]

Hey Joe, how's Widener's squad looking this year?  Rowan for an opener should be a good gauge!

Hey, 55 days till the season starts. Starting to get a little itchy. Gotta get ready for the Pick Em's and try to figure out what will happen to my Red Hawks this year. A friend of mine was in Lake George on vacation, called me an said you wouldn't believe this, that he ran into a guy with an MSU t-shirt on. His son played in the late 90'S. He was surpriesed to find out how bland the Red Hawks have become. I guess I will leave it at that. Time to get back to the old days. 

[bleedpurple]

As a TCNJ Alum, I'm very excited for this game.  It shows to me that Coach Dickens is committed to starting to bring the program back.

A lot of respect for TCNJ for not only scheduling the game, but for reciprocating with a visit to UW-W in 2016.  I agree that it is a very positive sign regarding Coach Dickens and the potential future of the program. I know I will be wishing the Lions great success (except against UW-W).  I have always been baffled by how few coaches seem to take this approach. 

[redhawks]

One of the reasons teams don't schedule a team that is a consensus  top 10 is cost. Some D3 teams limit costs but not having overnight trips. The second reason is a team can schedule a mediocre out of conference game that is in region and win that and can lose one in conference game to go 9-1 to give them a good argument if they don't get their conference automatic bid.

With the NJAC bringing in Wesley, I can see more teams from the NJAC scheduling lower quality OOC games because the strength of the conference.

[jknezek]

In region no longer matters as all D3 consists of in region now. The mediocre OOC point is as valid as ever. As more conferences go to 9 or more conference games SOS becomes almost an irrelevant 50% for everyone. So that extra win could be the only hope for an increasingly rare Pool C bid. If D3 keeps growing a 32 team tournament will either become all conference champions or the AQ system will need to be rethought. We aren't too far away from having to mandate larger conferences which will further erode the ability to quantitatively compare teams through OOC games. An interesting problem that looms in the not so distant future.

[rams1102]

All this talk about out of conference schedles is fine, but when you recruite like people should come here, that is the problem. When will Montclair wake up? Montclair will soon become a bodum feeder of the NJAC. As long as our Soccer, Field Hockey, Softball and Lax teams do well the Football program flies under the radar. This really breaks my heart. 

[D3MAFAN]

In region no longer matters as all D3 consists of in region now. The mediocre OOC point is as valid as ever. As more conferences go to 9 or more conference games SOS becomes almost an irrelevant 50% for everyone. So that extra win could be the only hope for an increasingly rare Pool C bid. If D3 keeps growing a 32 team tournament will either become all conference champions or the AQ system will need to be rethought. We aren't too far away from having to mandate larger conferences which will further erode the ability to quantitatively compare teams through OOC games. An interesting problem that looms in the not so distant future.

Maybe have teams play at max of 7 conference games, with at least 2 OOC games and establish a conference championship game at the end of the season.

[CNU85]

I will be a little active on this board this year as next year CNU gets to play with some big boys! It should be interesting. We have played 2 teams from the NJAC that I am aware of...maybe one or two more I am not recalling. My radio broadcast career at CNU consists of 1 game as I was filling in for the regular color commentator. That was in 2007 vs Rowan and CNU won 23-17. Great game. I remember prior years playing Rowan and they came out of the locker room at CNU with a player (I think a LB) playing the bagpipes. Pretty cool.

Then in 2011 we played Kean in the playoffs. We lost 34-10. The game was extremely competitive and CNU had all the stats, except the stat that matters most. Kean scored 3 times in the final 1:23 of first half. I think I started drinking at halftime as I listened on the radio.

We have played Salisbury many times (including CNU's very first game in program history). We beat them on the road in playoffs when they were undefeated. We also got trounced once on my birthday, 58-10. I actually traveled to that game. Nice!

We have also played Wesley a couple of times. Not pretty.

Like most fans, my CNU team can make you jump for joy or cry on any given Saturday. It's fun!

This new NJAC next year is going to be awesome to watch. I can't wait. So, I will be lurking all year just to see what you guys are up to. And being from the south I will close with...

Cheers Y'all!

[rams1102]

Below are my thoughts how the NJAC for 2014 :

1.  Rowan          8-2     6-1  Return 10-O    7-D  =  17
2.  Cortland       8-2     5-2              10-O  10-D  =  20
3.  Montclair      7-3      5-2               7-O    7-D  =  14
4.  TCNJ             6-4     4-3                8-O    5-D  =  13
5.  So. VA          4-6      3-4                9-O    9-D  =  18
6.  Kean            4-6      3-4                6-O    5-D  =  11
7.  Willy P          3-7      2-5                4-O    8-D  =  12     
8.  M-Ville          2-8      1-6                 8-O   7-D  =  15

All comments are welcome.

[redhawks]

1.  Cortland          9-1     7-0               Return QB, RB and WR. Return top 10 tacklers on defense.
2.  Rowan            8-2      6-1               Return QB and WR. DE returns who is a game changer. Have to replace running game.
                                                           Everyone  is  high on them but not Cortland. Don't understand why.
3.  TCNJ                7-3      5-2               Return QB and RBs. Need to replace quality defense losses.
4.  MSU                 6-4     4-3                Lose top layers on defense could be tough to stop offenses. Need better QB play.
5.  Kean               4-6      3-4                Never know with transfers each year.
6.  Mville              4-6      3-4                Best QB in league? Offense should be explosive again. If they play any defense can be a force.
7.  SVA                 3-7      2-5                Complete unknown.     
8.  WP                  2-8      1-6                 Another dismal campaign

Once rosters come out this will most likely change. I see Cortland and Rowan as front runners. Morrisville is my dark horse if they can play any defense and the offense doesn't miss a beat from last year. I can see 2 teams making the playoffs with most teams having competitive OOC games.

[rams1102]

1.  Cortland          9-1     7-0               Return QB, RB and WR. Return top 10 tacklers on defense.
2.  Rowan            8-2      6-1               Return QB and WR. DE returns who is a game changer. Have to replace running game.
                                                           Everyone  is  high on them but not Cortland. Don't understand why.
3.  TCNJ                7-3      5-2               Return QB and RBs. Need to replace quality defense losses.
4.  MSU                 6-4     4-3                Lose top layers on defense could be tough to stop offenses. Need better QB play.
5.  Kean               4-6      3-4                Never know with transfers each year.
6.  Mville              4-6      3-4                Best QB in league? Offense should be explosive again. If they play any defense can be a force.
7.  SVA                 3-7      2-5                Complete unknown.     
8.  WP                  2-8      1-6                 Another dismal campaign

Once rosters come out this will most likely change. I see Cortland and Rowan as front runners. Morrisville is my dark horse if they can play any defense and the offense doesn't miss a beat from last year. I can see 2 teams making the play108offs with most teams having competitive OOC games.

I figured that I bitched enough in the off season and need to look at a positive side for the Red Hawks and also be realistic. I'm figuring that Davies should improve from last years Efficienty rating of 108.6, 115-222-8 for 1,338 yards. I'm praying that O'Connor wakes up and gets creative. Bland does not work. I know that we took a hit losing Avento and Sakari and I hope we did some recruiting in that area. Scopa was big, but we always seem to come up with a running back. We need to get the fire back in our bellies and if O'conner wakes up, 7-3  5-2 could be realistic. We also have TCNJ home. Time will tell.

[ITH radio]

would guess folks are lukewarm on the dragons b/c of last year's 6-5 record while rowan had a first rd playoff shut out b/f crashing into the Cru.

sounds like the Cstate defense returns a lot but will have to do better than the 24.5 ppg allowed last year.