FB: Empire 8

[boobyhasgameyo]

Sept. 6    Mount Union College    Away    1:30 p.m.

hmmm...I was under the impression thar MUC was coming to Rochester for some reason

Yeah they are coming to Rochester next year, this will be the 3rd straight year Fisher is making that lonesome drive to Alliance. 

I just don't feel good about this year with the hits we took from graduation combined with the toughest schedule we've ever had.....Yeah I'm thinking ECAC's.  Obviously I hope I'm wrong but I can see Fisher losing as many as 4 games this year. 

[theoriginalupstate]

Obviously I hope I'm wrong but I can see Fisher losing as many as 4 games this year. 

Yeah your wrong, 8-2 at the worst...

[pg04]

Obviously I hope I'm wrong but I can see Fisher losing as many as 4 games this year. 

Yeah your wrong, 8-2 at the worst...

That seems rather optimistic.  There are almost no gimmes on the schedule at all. 

[Tags]

Little blurb about our good friend on the OAC - I personally doubt it, but hey...

http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10793472/2

[theoriginalupstate]

After Garcon's combine performance he'll probably be a 7th round pick....

[boobyhasgameyo]

Obviously I hope I'm wrong but I can see Fisher losing as many as 4 games this year. 

Yeah your wrong, 8-2 at the worst...

haha i like the enthusiasm but I would say 8-2 would be a great success.  Consider a few things...

I don't think I'm saying anything profound by saying the chances are pretty good Mount Union will come away with the W in week one, so for all intensive purposes lets just count that as loss number 1.

Fisher has lost it's starting Quarterback, All American Offensive Lineman and an All American Cornerback, Reile and possibly the other runningback I'm not 100% sure.  Those are some pretty big holes to fill.

Now considering Fisher has never went through the E8 undefeated we will say they will get at least one loss somewhere.  It could be a suprise loss (i.e. hartwick last year, Norwich a few years ago, etc.) Or it could be from a more storied program such as Ithaca or Springfield (which if you look at Springfield's past records they go from good to bad to good to bad to good, and they were bad last year so they will bounce back).  So that's potentially 1 or two losses right there but we will just say one for this argument.

That is 2 losses right there IF things go great for us....We still have to consider the other non conference opponents of Buff State which will be a win, U of R which you honestly don't know how it's going to turn out and would be foolish to count it as an automatic win, and then Salisbury which is a verrrrrry good team and definitely cant' count as a W.

So the way I see it if we end up 8-2 we would so definitely be in because that would mean we most likely lost to Mount Union and then to some team in the E8 but ran through everyone else or better yet lose two out of conference games but sweep the E8 and get the automatic qualifier.  I just don't see that happening however. 

It looks like a 7-3 type of season to me, but I would not be completely shocked if we went one better to 8-2 or one worse to 6-4. 

[superman57]

completly agree booby,  Worst case scenario, I see fisher as a possible 5-5 4-6 team...

I really have no clue who is going to be qb or rb, so that is an immediate question mark, you have to figure fisher will be fine on the o-line because they always are good on the o-line

[fisheralum91]

too many variables to give an educated guess on the season outcome, but 8-2 is very generous----i too am thinking 7-3 or even 6-4

[AUKaz00]

too many variables to give an educated guess on the season outcome, but 8-2 is very generous----i too am thinking 7-3 or even 6-4

Since Pep and I both think Alfred will struggle similarly, I guess it's Ithaca's conference to lose since they would get SC and Hartwick at home (the only other teams that could make a case).

[fisheralum91]

lets see the games first before you crown them!

[AUPepBand]

All right, for lack of anything else to talk about, assuming the Pep Bandwagon's new lease on life is boring to most, Pep will now take a crack at predicting the 2008 season for the Saxons. This is probably against Pep's better judgment, but Pep expects his fellow E8 posters will likewise present a pre-preseason forecast at which all can make their snide remarks.

So here goes, game by game with the Saxons in the not-so-easy-to-predict 2008 season:


Sep. 6  1:00 PM  Ursinus •               AU is fortunate to start at home but against a team coming off back-to-back winning seasons (and AU Asst. Coach Bob Rankl's alma mater), it will be a good test. Pep believes the band will be instrumental in the win as AU traps the Bears, 21-13.

Sep. 13  1:00 PM  FDU-Florham •     Having gotten off to an okay start, the Saxon offense, if it is to produce anything comparable to the Keeley Era, it will start this week. AU gets untracked and rolls to a 38-12 win.
 
Sep. 20  1:00 PM  at St. Lawrence •     Never an easy trip for AU, Pep wonders how many times the Saxons can eke out a win in the North Country...It's never easy, but AU pulls it out with a solid defensive effort to take the Larries, 16-7.

Sep. 27  1:30 PM  at Springfield * •      This one could be deceiving. AU rolled last year but a key first half stop turned the tide for AU. Will the Pride turn it up again after a down year? Pep is afraid the Saxons will fall, 24-13.

Oct. 4  1:30 PM  Norwich * •                Pep is confident that the Cadets' 50-piece marching band will not make the trip to Saxonville so the AU Pep Band will go uncontested and play the fight song at will. AU 41, Norwich 13.

Oct. 11  1:00 PM  at Hartwick * •       With Jason Boltus back and the Hawks hovering over their hillside cage, Pep is afraid the Saxons will succumb to Hawk droppings. AU has had the Hawks' number but Saxons may get clawed to death in the cage match. HC 35, AU 22.

Oct. 18  1:30 PM  at Utica * •          A new coach for the Pioneers, Pep wonders what the Saxons will be up against in another road game. AU should pull out a win, 28-17.

Nov. 1  1:00 PM  at Rochester * •      This will be a nasty affair as the Saxons have swatted the Jackets in ECAC contests at Merrill Field the last two seasons. Glad that UR and AU are meeting on the gridiron again. Pep can't pick UR so AU wins, 27-19, thanks to a week's rest.

Nov. 8  1:00 PM  Ithaca * •               Dan Juvan remembers losing at AU a couple years ago and wants to make things right. He certainly got things done at Butterfield in '07. IC rolls, 41-20.

Nov. 15  1:00 PM  St. John Fisher * •      Here's where things get interesting. Fisher has owned the Saxons in their recent rise to the Empire Elite. Saxons pull out a miracle in a fantastic finish, 35-31.


There you have it.....AU finishes a pretty solid 7-3 despite some key holes/roles to fill.

[boobyhasgameyo]

I love ending the season against Alfred, it seems like it always has some pretty big implications.  But I was thinking about Mount Union and thinking hey we get them in week 1.....Maybe they will be rusty.  I'll just ignore the fact their first game last year they had like 50 points in the first quarter or something haha.   They also don't have Garcon and I don't think their other receivers have break away speed so we can finally stack the box against Kmic!  I mean their passing game will still be potent but you don't have the headache of trying to deal with Pierre anymore.  They did lose a lot of starters, but their backups played just as much as the starters last year and did just as well....So who knows how they will be this year.   

[superman57]

don't worry booby, superman is hiring tony soprano, to take care of Kmic, crack a knee before the game and we're all set

[superman57]

Has anyone else seen the AMP'd comercial with Ryan Miller, it is some funny stuff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0kymzcRpeE

[dewcrew88]

UC schedule (complete with 2 road trips to Mass and one to Maine.....)

Date  Opponent  Time/Score     
09/06/2008  Becker College @ Alumni Field - Worcester, MA
Away  2:30 PM
   
09/13/2008  Husson College @ Alfond Field - Bangor, ME
Away  1:00 PM
 
09/20/2008  Homecoming Weekend vs. R.P.I. @ Charles A. Gaetano Stadium
Home  1:30 PM
   
10/04/2008
  Springfield College @ Stagg Field - Springfield, MA
Away  1:00 PM
   
10/11/2008  Mount Ida College @ Charles A. Gaetano Stadium
Home  1:30 PM
 
10/18/2008
  Alfred University @ Charles A. Gaetano Stadium
Home  1:30 PM
 
10/25/2008
  Ithaca College @ Butterfield Stadium - Ithaca, NY
Away  1:00 PM
 
11/01/2008
  St. John Fisher College @ Charles A. Gaetano Stadium
Home  1:30 PM
 
11/08/2008
  Norwich University @ Charles A. Gaetano Stadium
Home  1:30 PM
   
11/15/2008
  Hartwick College @ All-Weather Field at Wright Stadium - Oneonta, NY
Away  1:00 PM   

The usual sked.