FB: Empire 8

[JQV]

Pep.  I like Ruggerio and I have heard good things about Luke Herrington that transferred in from Fisher and had a few carries against the Larries.

[E8]

You will like Herrington as a player.  Might not be the most athletically gifted running back, but the guy runs hard and you cannot bring him down with one guy.

[E8]

Gettin excited about this weekend. I am really interested to see how Fisher shows against a team with presumably much less talent than the team they played last week. I think this is a big swing game for the rest of the year. If they look impressive and really roll, then I think they can get it going and have a big season. If they come out slow, and struggle to put Buff State away, well we may be looking at another season like last year.

Obviously the IC/Union game is the big one of the weekend. I will take IC by 10 in that one. I am pulling for a good clean game that the bombers can come out on top in. It is always a big game when a team that should be up toward the top of one league takes on a similar team in another conference. I think the E8 is a superior conference to the Liberty league, but this weekend should give a good idea of that balance.

You should be excited, as should all fans be excited because this Fisher team is much different than last year.  I was able to watch some film on Buffalo State this weekend.  They have an awfully big offensive line, and their running back is the real deal;  He will break your arm if you try and arm tackle him.  Fisher needs to focus on gang tackling this week.  I personally don't believe  that their QB is very strong.  He has a VERY strong arm,  but is NOT that mobile and Fisher can cause HAVOC if State choose to run the option against them.  He is not a consistent passer but he can hit a long ball and beat you deep in a moment's notice.   Their Offensive Line will be nowhere NEAR the ability of what Fisher just experienced only days ago.    But with Coach Jerry Boyes back on the sideline, he will have his team prepared.  A prepared Boyes team is a dangerous team.   Fisher's talent will showcase this weekend EARLY.  This is not a must win for Fisher in terms of E8 standings, but it is a MUST win for confidence.   This game will be a snapshot into how the rest of the season pans out for SJF.   Buffalo comes off of a high scoring affair last week against New Jersey and after Buffalo watches the MUC game on tape this week, Fisher should be ready for  an attempt by Buffalo to try and expose the middle of the deep field early.  They will think they can.

[sjfcards]

Thanks for the update. I think you are right on with the idea that this game is sort of a statement game for Fisher. No matter what the schedule had been, and through a lot of Fisher's own doing, the idea that they are the team to beat in the East Region has taken a slip. This board and others all say that they are talented, and they can do things...BUT.

I would like to see Fisher really come out and make a statement early. Showcase some of their ability and take control of the game with a spirited effort. Historically the crowds have been fairly large for Fisher at home in night games, and I hope, with all the students back, this one will be no different. I will be there to see with my own eyes what Fisher can do with this team.

I am interested to see how all the teams in the E8 follow up a strong weekend the last time out. We should have a lot to talk about come Saterday night.

[John McGraw]

The Fisher-Buff State game will be on Time Warner Sports on Saturday night at 7:00 PM. It's channel 26 in the central New York market.

[skunks_sidekick]

You had a chance to watch film?  Soooo...you are a player, coach, or what? 

[Bombers798891]

Thanks for the update. I think you are right on with the idea that this game is sort of a statement game for Fisher. No matter what the schedule had been, and through a lot of Fisher's own doing, the idea that they are the team to beat in the East Region has taken a slip. This board and others all say that they are talented, and they can do things...BUT.

I would like to see Fisher really come out and make a statement early. Showcase some of their ability and take control of the game with a spirited effort. Historically the crowds have been fairly large for Fisher at home in night games, and I hope, with all the students back, this one will be no different. I will be there to see with my own eyes what Fisher can do with this team.

I am interested to see how all the teams in the E8 follow up a strong weekend the last time out. We should have a lot to talk about come Saterday night.

I'm so glad Buff State is not our problem to deal with (yet). Boyes' teams are always well-coached, prepared, with a great game plan and are never easy to beat. They, moreso than even Cortland in some ways, were the main reason Ithaca missed the playoffs so many times in the mid/late 90's. Not to mention they short-circuited Jim Butterfield's last great team at Ithaca in 1992.

It may take some time, but Boyes could build that team up to be an East player. He's done it before. They were 17 shades of awful in the late 80's, at least compared to IC. Then all of a sudden, we couldn't buy a win against them.

Although they're not going to help our conference, I'm excited for what his return could mean for the region. Especially if they stick to playing Fisher and stay the heck away from Ithaca 

[JQV]

I think that is a little misleading Bombers.  Those were good Buff State teams but IC always played them after Cortaca after some genius thought Cortaca should be the second-to-last week of the season.  Hard to know how much was Good Buff State and how much was the inevitable post-Cortaca letdown.

[E8]

The Fisher-Buff State game will be on Time Warner Sports on Saturday night at 7:00 PM. It's channel 26 in the central New York market.

Right, but please turn down the TV and turn up sports radio 950, ESPN. 

[AUKaz00]

The Fisher-Buff State game will be on Time Warner Sports on Saturday night at 7:00 PM. It's channel 26 in the central New York market.

Right, but please turn down the TV and turn up sports radio 950, ESPN. 

What kind of broadcast radius does 950 have at night?  Pep and I will be driving caravan back from Jersey and I'd love to tune in as soon as I can gain a signal (if at all).

[E8]

The Fisher-Buff State game will be on Time Warner Sports on Saturday night at 7:00 PM. It's channel 26 in the central New York market.

Right, but please turn down the TV and turn up sports radio 950, ESPN. 

What kind of broadcast radius does 950 have at night?  Pep and I will be driving caravan back from Jersey and I'd love to tune in as soon as I can gain a signal (if at all).

I have been able to pick it up in Geneva before.

[fisheralum91]

cool---950 WIBX outta Utica---nice

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Knightstalker]

KS regrets to say he will have to bow out of his guest appearance with the Pep Band.  Due to weather and moving to a new apt KS is completly tied up this weekend and can't fit the game in.  KS hopes to play with the Pep band in the future.

[Bombers798891]

I think that is a little misleading Bombers.  Those were good Buff State teams but IC always played them after Cortaca after some genius thought Cortaca should be the second-to-last week of the season.  Hard to know how much was Good Buff State and how much was the inevitable post-Cortaca letdown.

You make a fair point, but I don't agree with it completely. From 1992-1999 IC went 3-7 against Buffalo State and 0-4 on the road. Schedule issues or no (and you're right that putting Cortaca the second to last game of the season was idiotic) the Bombers struggled mightily against the Bengals.

And remember, all of Ithaca's in that time frame were one-score wins (16-15, 10-7 in 2OT, 21-13) whereas at least a few of Buff State's wins (33-17, 24-6, 26-14) were a tad easier.

All I'm saying is, it was never, ever, easy for Ithaca to beat Buff State, even with the "better" team, and quite often, Ithaca found themselves on the losing side of a tough game. They've had teams they've struggled to beat over the years, but other than Cortland, I don't think any other team was so difficult to beat, for so long.

That's a testament to how good of a coach Boyes was/is. Those teams were never intimidated coming into IC, and they had a swagger about them, especially at home. Tough, tough team.

I think SJF gets a bit of a break, at least this season, in that the game is early. We were always stuck playing them late in the year, and they always seemed to be on a three or four-game winning streak, and as you pointed out, we were coming off of Cortland. Fisher's got them in a (relatively) good spot.

[Jonny Utah]

I was on the losing end of many Buff St. battles.  They were a different team in the early 1990s and simply got worse as the decade went on.  But two of the best d3 players I have ever seen played at Buff St.  Running back Perez Dinkins and QB Tracy Bacon were great football players.  Im sure bombers798891 remembers them.

And DE Nate Van Ostrand was by far the best defensive player that I have ever personally went up against 1 on 1.  Great player.

And Im not too sure of the size of some of the older teams (1980s), but from what I gather, Ithacas olinemen were never that big, even on the national championship teams.  Buff St. was one of the only teams in the ealy 1990s that had 6'6+ 300 lb+ offensive linemen when most teams still had the 6'0 250 lb linemen.  I know Ithaca ran mesh option during the championship years but they were not that big from what I am told.

Maybe U89 can add some input on d3 size in the 1980s.....