FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[rams1102]

Does anybody have any info on the NJAC for Football this year? How do you think it will shake out?

I know with the price of gas, there are some Red Hawk Games I won't make    And I think they are gong to be a tough team this year !!

Why do you say the Red Hawks will be a tough team?

[catchball]

Does anybody have any info on the NJAC for Football this year? How do you think it will shake out?

I know with the price of gas, there are some Red Hawk Games I won't make    And I think they are gong to be a tough team this year !!

Why do you say the Red Hawks will be a tough team?

By tough I mean I think they are going to be good, I think you'll see kids that have been waiting their turn, step-up and surprise some people. I'm not sure how they stand as far as quarterbacks go, there was a walk-on that tried out at Rutgers that came to spring training. Not bad, but not great. He may get a shot, unless someone else shows up in August ready to play. I think thier backfield is strong, Bliss at RB and Scott at FB, both proved that they can play last year when they filled in for injured palyers.  I think you'll see more passes out to the FB this year than before, Scott has hands like glue, I've hardly seen him drop any passes that get thrown his way, even when they threw to him as a freshman. Bliss, well his actions speak for himself, quick and always finds a hole to pickup yardage.
I will state, and I always mention this every week, that the only way any of this is going to happen is if the O-line plays hard and stays with their blocks.

Just my 2 cents  8)

[rams1102]

catchball,

Thanks for your comments. Was the Rutgers walk-on mobile or a pocket passer like Jump? I think a mobile QB will give us the best shot. I really think the team has come a long way since Coach G. cleaned house a few years back. The offense needs to be less predictable. Your comment on the O-line is right on. We have some replacing there to do. Can't wait for the season to start. It's very tough to get any info. Thanks for your input.

LET'S  GO  MIGHTY  RED  HAWKS  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DanPadavona]

The 2008 Cortland Schedule is online:
http://cortlandfootball.com/sched.htm

With Brockport and Morrisville joining the NJAC in 2008, there are a lot of changes to Home-Away splits.  I notice Cortland will be traveling to Kean and TCNJ for the second consecutive season, while Montclair will be coming to Cortland again. 

Also interesting is the Cortland - Rowan matchup is in mid September, as opposed to the final weeks of the season as in past years. 

The Biggest news for Cortland fans - Alex Smith will return at quarterback for 2008. 

[catchball]

catchball,

Thanks for your comments. Was the Rutgers walk-on mobile or a pocket passer like Jump? I think a mobile QB will give us the best shot. I really think the team has come a long way since Coach G. cleaned house a few years back. The offense needs to be less predictable. Your comment on the O-line is right on. We have some replacing there to do. Can't wait for the season to start. It's very tough to get any info. Thanks for your input.

LET'S  GO  MIGHTY  RED  HAWKS  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rams,

Here is the scoop and I'm not sure why,but, Coach isn't looking for a scrambler when it comes to a QB. Kid recruited from Toms River North where their QB runs, a lot,and this it what I was told by the boys parents, when the kid asked G if he had any running plays for him, answer no. The kid is going elsewhere. So my thoughts are they they are looking for a pocket QB just like jump, hence my comments about more passing to the backs this year. Which in the many years I have been watching MSU, i've yet to see them throw a decent screen pass out of the backfield.
Hopefully that will change, again, the o-line has to be solid for it to work. This will allow them to be diverse in their play calling and keep the opposing defense on their toes.

[rams1102]

catchball,

Thanks for your comments. Was the Rutgers walk-on mobile or a pocket passer like Jump? I think a mobile QB will give us the best shot. I really think the team has come a long way since Coach G. cleaned house a few years back. The offense needs to be less predictable. Your comment on the O-line is right on. We have some replacing there to do. Can't wait for the season to start. It's very tough to get any info. Thanks for your input.

LET'S  GO  MIGHTY  RED  HAWKS  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rams,

Here is the scoop and I'm not sure why,but, Coach isn't looking for a scrambler when it comes to a QB. Kid recruited from Toms River North where their QB runs, a lot,and this it what I was told by the boys parents, when the kid asked G if he had any running plays for him, answer no. The kid is going elsewhere. So my thoughts are they they are looking for a pocket QB just like jump, hence my comments about more passing to the backs this year. Which in the many years I have been watching MSU, i've yet to see them throw a decent screen pass out of the backfield.
Hopefully that will change, again, the o-line has to be solid for it to work. This will allow them to be diverse in their play calling and keep the opposing defense on their toes.

catchball,

Maybe I did not explain myself well. What I ment was that we need a QB that can scramble out of the pocket when necessary, like DeGeralamo and the Kid from Bellivelle (his name excapes me). If Jump could not find his receiver, he either forced it or got sacked. We need to keep the Defense honest and IMHO we may have a chance to move to the next level, the D3 playoffs again. I guess back to the drawing board since the kid will not come to Montclair.

[catchball]

catchball,

Thanks for your comments. Was the Rutgers walk-on mobile or a pocket passer like Jump? I think a mobile QB will give us the best shot. I really think the team has come a long way since Coach G. cleaned house a few years back. The offense needs to be less predictable. Your comment on the O-line is right on. We have some replacing there to do. Can't wait for the season to start. It's very tough to get any info. Thanks for your input.

LET'S  GO  MIGHTY  RED  HAWKS  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rams,

Here is the scoop and I'm not sure why,but, Coach isn't looking for a scrambler when it comes to a QB. Kid recruited from Toms River North where their QB runs, a lot,and this it what I was told by the boys parents, when the kid asked G if he had any running plays for him, answer no. The kid is going elsewhere. So my thoughts are they they are looking for a pocket QB just like jump, hence my comments about more passing to the backs this year. Which in the many years I have been watching MSU, i've yet to see them throw a decent screen pass out of the backfield.
Hopefully that will change, again, the o-line has to be solid for it to work. This will allow them to be diverse in their play calling and keep the opposing defense on their toes.

catchball,

Maybe I did not explain myself well. What I ment was that we need a QB that can scramble out of the pocket when necessary, like DeGeralamo and the Kid from Bellivelle (his name excapes me). If Jump could not find his receiver, he either forced it or got sacked. We need to keep the Defense honest and IMHO we may have a chance to move to the next level, the D3 playoffs again. I guess back to the drawing board since the kid will not come to Montclair.

NO, I understood completely and agree, it would ge great to have a QB that can scramble, it opens up a whole new offensive threat.   Eric Ferriol was the kid from Belleville. We'll see what happens and hopefully one of the QB's that have been on the roster for the last 2 yrs or so steps up this season.

[psu80]

Cortlands 2007 roster has Alex Smith listed as a senior. Was that a mistake or did he have another year of eligibility remaining?

[John McGraw]

Technically, he was a senior last year. He started as a freshman in 2004 after winning a quarterback battle with Drew Lascari. Smith played relatively healthy through 2005. Over the last few years he's battled with injuries. In 2006 he played six games and went down against Western Connecticut State. Then last year, he was hurt in the very first game against Morrisville.

If the school pursues it, I'm sure Smith would be granted a medical redshirt for last year and be able to play in the fall. Dan can probably shed more light on the subject since he's in the loop more down there than I am.

[DanPadavona]

Absolutely.  Alex Smith will return at quarterback for the 2008 season.  I want to get in touch with him through email before training camp opens, and put together an interview story for the website.

Alex only played several downs in his senior year last year before being injured in the first half of Game #1.  So he was eligible for a redshirt.  He mentioned to me at the awards banquet that he had a few courses left to take in 2008.

Hopefully the length of inactivity has allowed the knee to heel properly.  If he is 100%, look out.  He seemed really relaxed and confident in his decision, and everyone is aware of his talent.  The only sad part is I felt this was Ray Miles' season to shine, after being named offensive MVP for 2007.  He's going to be a senior too.  But then again, 2007 was supposed to be Alex's season.  They have at least 2 big time quarterbacks backing them up too.  They are loaded at QB.  I cannot remember so much talent at the QB position on a Cortland team in its entire history.

[John McGraw]

Good to hear about Alex. He's a good kid and I like him and his parents who I exchanged some e-mails with back when I worked at Cortland.

Dan, you're 100% right. I can't remember the last time that Cortland had two very good quarterbacks on the roster. Prior to Alex Smith, J.J. Tutwiler was a two-year signal caller for the Red Dragons. He took over for Ryan McCarthy who quarterbacked the team in 2000. Before that, well, I'm not sure but I'd imagine there never was a two-headed monster at quarterback.

Though, in retrospect, one of Tutwiler's back-ups, Mike Mikolaichik, went on to have a decent career at Buffalo State. Last I heard, he's playing in one of the many Arena Football minor leagues.

[DanPadavona]

It doesn't stop there John.

Remember Dan Pitcher from Cortland High School, the quarterback who re-wrote a lot of the record books?  He transferred from Colgate to Cortland.  Should be a big win-win for everyone involved.  Pitcher gets a chance to compete for a starting role, if not this year then next.  The Red Dragons get another great quarterback.  And you know this will attract a big hometown crowd to watch him compete.  His OL brother is suiting up for Cortland's freshman class too.

There is also something about a I-AA or I-A kid transferring in at QB, who one coach remarked might have the biggest arm of all of them.  They also apparently have a new Fullback - Stef Sair's younger brother.  And 4 offensive linemen all around or over 300 lbs.  And apparently these are all-conference and all-state kids, not just a group of big bellies.  Somebody just posted something on my blog about a 6'7 255 DL'er coming in too.  I'm not sure if it is the same kid, but one of the coaches told me at the banquet, "Wait until you see the monster coming in on the DL this season."  They were really high on him.

I've heard more than one coach say this is the best recruiting class in the history of Cortland State, and that includes 2003's freshmen. 

I cannot wait to see this team in camp.

[JQV]

There is also something about a I-AA or I-A kid transferring in at QB, who one coach remarked might have the biggest arm of all of them. 

This can be a trap DP.  IC had a QB transfer in from UB when I was in school that was way oversold.  I think the same can be said for Boltus at Hartwick (that came from Albany).  He had some great moments but not necessarily a dominating career.  Sometimes, I think kids from from IA or IAA to D3 because they were initially misscouted and should have been in D3 all along.

[AUPepBand]

Pep would like to know whether Dick Puccio still holds any passing records at Cortland State. Since he arrived on the AU staff, the Saxons have enjoyed much better production from the QB position than ever before.

Pep has assured KaZ00, somewhat concerned about AU replacing record-breaking QB Paul Keeley, that so long as Puccio is on staff, AU will have a smart, prepared and poised player calling the signals.

[John McGraw]

This can be a trap DP.  IC had a QB transfer in from UB when I was in school that was way oversold.  I think the same can be said for Boltus at Hartwick (that came from Albany).  He had some great moments but not necessarily a dominating career.  Sometimes, I think kids from from IA or IAA to D3 because they were initially misscouted and should have been in D3 all along.

I wouldn't necessarily lump in Jason Boltus with Billy Feldmier. Boltus has had a very good career at Hartwick and led his team to the NCAA playoffs in 2007. Last year he threw for nearly 4000 yards and 38 touchdowns. Plus he was named the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year. I don't have his numbers from other years in front of me but I know that he's put up big numbers each of the last few years. Granted, before 2007, a lot of those numbers were against second-team defenses, but I think last year's successes atone for that.

As for Pitcher, I wouldn't get too excited just yet. He obviously saw the writing on the wall at 'Gate that he wasn't going to play this season and then he'd have to battle with five or six younger guys on the roster next year to be the starter. I've seen many a great high school player not able to translate that success to the college game. I think he'll be a wait and see though it'd be a wonderful story if he did well.