FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[rams1102]

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 crashin 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.

Cortland returns 10 on "O" and 10 on "D". The top 2 teams in the NJAC are Rowan / Cortland with the edge to Rowan, but also keep in mind that Montclair / TCNJ could suprise. That's why the NJAC is a crazy Conference. The talent over the past 10 years only takes us 2 deep in the playoffs at best. The talent appears not to be at elite levels the past 10 years. The last time we has this was when Rowan was the Beast of the East. I think the new conference in 2015 will shake some things up.

The E8 should be a very tough conference this year. Fisher, Ithaca, Salisbury. What happened with the coaching change at Alfred?

All that being said, I can't wait for the season to start.

[CNU85]

Great reading all the comments. I need to learn the mascots and also everyone on this board and what team they follow. Going to be fun!

Wesleydad should be around some more too, I suspect. Great guy!

[ITH radio]

I believe AU's former head coach was hired by Hamilton in the NESCAC. Conts have been a mediocre program for a while (went 0-8 last season) so guessing the alumni / AD wanted to build up the program to compete with the Bantams and Jeff's...

[@d3jason]

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.

Yeah, but UMHB did that to almost everybody last year. They were a fourth and goal at the three from being national champions.

I haven't seen the Dragons in person since the playoffs in '12. They are a physical football team, but I think they need to get faster at the skill positions to make noise in the playoffs.

[rams1102]

Congratulations to C.J. Conway - Montclair State  1st Team D3 Football Preseason All-American at CB.

[CNU85]

Congratulations to C.J. Conway - Montclair State  1st Team D3 Football Preseason All-American at CB.

Congrats!!! And nice...check this out....the schools that will make up the NJAC next year have 5 All-Americans this year....Wesley (2); Salisbury (1); Montclair St (1) and CNU (1)

Gonna be a power conference for sure!!

[D3MAFAN]

Congratulations to C.J. Conway - Montclair State  1st Team D3 Football Preseason All-American at CB.

Congrats!!! And nice...check this out....the schools that will make up the NJAC next year have 5 All-Americans this year....Wesley (2); Salisbury (1); Montclair St (1) and CNU (1)

Gonna be a power conference for sure!!

Yes, a big congrats to those young men.

[MSU Pride]

The RB at MSU this year is the truth and a good kid, Denzel Nieves, he turned it on at the end of the year, he is at full speed first step, teams will have to play 8 in the box which should really free up our receivers, I have no doubt MSU will be in contention this year.

"KEEP POUNDING"

SAM MILLS

[CNU85]

Just a few questions for folks on this board.....

Based on this year's conference members....who are the rivals of each school?
When things change next year:
1. Who are you glad to see leave (or leave behind)
2. What do you think about the teams coming into the conference?
3. What new rivalries are you looking forward to or think will develop.

I know CNU and Salisbury are rivals already, even not being in the league. SU handed CNU a loss in the very first game in CNU history. A few years later CNU went up to a 10-0 SU team in playoffs and won. We've played Rowan several times and Wesley a couple.

Anyway, just interested in some opinions as I start to become acclimated to the NJAC! Thanks for the feedback!

And I hope nobody on here posts phrases like "than and only than". just sayin' 

[MSU Pride]

Pretty Much, Montclair, TCNJ, Cortland and Rowan all dislike each other, recently Kean has come into the equation since two stud former MONTCLAIR STATE FOOTBALL players took over the program and they started wining. Everyone of these teams can catch a little bit of fire and run the NJAC, usually with some real nail biters along the way, very hard hitting games. Me personally when I was in college, my biggest rival was probably Rowan but man did I really hate Cortland, it was a war, very tough team, little on the dirty side at times with some of the high lows and chop blocks but always a solid showing.

Recently, Montclair and Montclair South I mean Kean LOL, seem to really be creating a very serious and very real rivalry.

Good luck to all the teams in the NJAC, wish you all a successful and healthy year in the trenches just not so much when you play MY MIGHTY RED HAWKS!!!!!!!!! COACH G, THE DON HOLDS THE MOST WINS OUT OF ANY ACTIVE D3 COACH IN THE COUNTRY!!

"KEEP POUNDING"

SAM MILLS

[rams1102]

Hey Fred,

Hope all is well. The Don is getting old, recruiting sub par and the offense is soooooooo predictable. Please tell me that the Don has found the fountain of youth. Tell me that I'll have fire in my belly after the Del Val game. What is the real outlook for us? The NJAC coaches first 3 picks were the same as my picks, but then Kean, M-Vill, and TCNJ did not make sense. Your thoughts. See ya on the 6th.

Dave !!!

[TheOsprey]

Just a few questions for folks on this board.....

Based on this year's conference members....who are the rivals of each school?
When things change next year:
1. Who are you glad to see leave (or leave behind)
2. What do you think about the teams coming into the conference?
3. What new rivalries are you looking forward to or think will develop.

I know CNU and Salisbury are rivals already, even not being in the league. SU handed CNU a loss in the very first game in CNU history. A few years later CNU went up to a 10-0 SU team in playoffs and won. We've played Rowan several times and Wesley a couple.

Anyway, just interested in some opinions as I start to become acclimated to the NJAC! Thanks for the feedback!

And I hope nobody on here posts phrases like "than and only than". just sayin' 

Glad to see Cortland go--  very strong team most years!! 

All the teams coming in will create a superconference like no other.  It is going to be great every week!! 

Rowan will be everyone's rival.   TCNJ would be the Profs natural rival though.

LET'S PLAY FOOTBALL!!!!!!!

[MSU Pride]

Dave,

Hope all is well with you buddy!! Well recruiting has gotten a little harder because it's no longer MSU and Rowan at the top of the Mountain, TCNJ  and Kean certainly are in the middle of the recruiting battles. Also, contrary to what people might think and I'm sure we'll get some type of response from the TCNJ posters, admissions has grown very tough over the years. Wesley, Albright, Del Val, many of these private schools who the NJAC faces have very lenient standards with getting in a football player, I'd like to see their graduation rate of football players but that's a whole other story. That said, we are going to be very competitive, you are going to see a well well balanced team with some of the best coaching in the bizz, does he still have the fire? Yes!!! he has all the fire needed to will this team an NJAC championship and beyond.

My thoughts on the year, this team reminds me honestly of 2003, there are I believe 15 seniors on the team, all of whom who had played a fair amount over the years but I don't believe any of them have reached their ceiling, so there is the unknown factor (2003). They have a RB who is at top speed his first step, think Chris D'Andria. They have two tight ends at 6'4 240, a returning offensive line, a returning QB who will face competition in camp, a defense with veterans, an All American CB a solid line backing core and from what I heard some pretty good d lineman and a few transfers. Don't be surprised if this team comes firing out of the gate, I am very excited to see how this unfolds!

I'll save you a beer buddy, btw I don't know if it was just for home coming last year but the actual police of Montclair did not allow us in the train station parking lot, so we all went to the top of the garage which was actually a pretty nice setup and over looks the field, we had some cold ones there. So if that is the case this year, come up to the garage and we'll have a cold one!

best!

Fred 





Hey Fred,

Hope all is well. The Don is getting old, recruiting sub par and the offense is soooooooo predictable. Please tell me that the Don has found the fountain of youth. Tell me that I'll have fire in my belly after the Del Val game. What is the real outlook for us? The NJAC coaches first 3 picks were the same as my picks, but then Kean, M-Vill, and TCNJ did not make sense. Your thoughts. See ya on the 6th.

Dave !!!

[phil]

Dave,
Hope all is well with you buddy!! Well recruiting has gotten a little harder because it's no longer MSU and Rowan at the top of the Mountain, TCNJ  and Kean certainly are in the middle of the recruiting battles. Also, contrary to what people might think and I'm sure we'll get some type of response from the TCNJ posters, admissions has grown very tough over the years.

OK, you got me, I just couldn't resist. MSU's mean SAT scores are near the bottom of the New Jersey NJAC schools – besting only Kean. And Kean was in deep do-do concerning their Middle States Accreditation not so long ago. Obviously, this SAT score thing didn't sit well with the administration because they've now become the first NJ state school to make SATs optional. A policy that failed at Drew.

With an undergraduate population of over 16,000 and SATs optional, you would think that the admissions office wouldn't become too much of an issue on the gridiron at Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene.

[CNU85]

Dave,
Hope all is well with you buddy!! Well recruiting has gotten a little harder because it's no longer MSU and Rowan at the top of the Mountain, TCNJ  and Kean certainly are in the middle of the recruiting battles. Also, contrary to what people might think and I'm sure we'll get some type of response from the TCNJ posters, admissions has grown very tough over the years.

OK, you got me, I just couldn't resist. MSU's mean SAT scores are near the bottom of the New Jersey NJAC schools – besting only Kean. And Kean was in deep do-do concerning their Middle States Accreditation not so long ago. Obviously, this SAT score thing didn't sit well with the administration because they've now become the first NJ state school to make SATs optional. A policy that failed at Drew.

With an undergraduate population of over 16,000 and SATs optional, you would think that the admissions office wouldn't become too much of an issue on the gridiron at Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene.

I see this conversation is carried on all boards at one time or another. A huge debate on USA South for years was public vs private schools. As I am learning about the NJAC, let me throw some CNU info out there, so you guys will know about us as well. (Or tell me to shutup!! hahaha)

CNU - Started in 1960 as a 2 yr branch of William $ Mary. Became 4 yr College in late 60's. Became a university around 1990 or so. Didn't have dorms until the 90's. Then in 1996 the current President came in. A former US Senator. He was a Hampden Sydney grad and law school grad at Washington and Lee. He embarked on a vision. 18 years later.....about $1.3 billion in capital improvements later....and CNU has drastically changed. 3rd in public school average SAT scores in Virginia at a little over 1200. W&M and UVA are #1 and 2. He has changed not only the school but the community. You can check out school stuff at CNU.edu or athletic dept stuff at cnusports.com.

You can skip the SAT if you wish, but I believe you need to be in top 10% of your class. I'm not real sure about that.

Last year, every sports team had a winning record except women's tennis and their recruiting class this year was ranked #15 in nation. Overall the department had a 69.4 winning %. 

Anyway- just some tidbits about who is joining you guys in football next year.