FB: Empire 8

[AUPepBand]

Wow first!
Thats awesome!

Number 4 is 9 and sleep is juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust getting back to where it needs to be

Haha! Number 4 here is 22.....and sans license, Pep is NOT getting sleep where it needs to be.

Dear friend Jared Cooper and wife Chrystal, whose 18-month-old daughter has adopted me as a surrogate grandpa of sorts, are parents of a 7 lb. 2 oz. boy TODAY! Welcome, Elijah Amare Cooper, to the Alfred University family!

....And wishing all the best to Bombers798891! +K

[AUPepBand]

So what can a Fisher fan expect from Buff State? I will admit I know next to nothing about them, and have not seen them play yet this year. My wife made a comment to me the other day about how i have not been talking her ear off about that weeks opponent and how I think Fisher should deal with them. I think most of it comes down to my kids being older so I can now bring them to games with me, and as a result I have been at 3 of Fisher's first 4 games. Not sure I could have pulled that off a couple years ago, but it has lead to a lot less time on my computer watching all the other E8 teams play.

And I think I missed it before when Bombers said he has 3 weeks before he has a baby! Congrats man! first one?

Having seen the Saxons play at Coyer Field a couple weeks ago, Pep will suggest that a Fisher fan can expect a heavy dose of Dale Stewart...and he's the real deal. Probably didn't get an accurate picture of the Bengals' passing potential as the weather, at least during the first half, was not conducive to anything much beyond 10 yard passes. Kyle Hoppy was not on the field. Ertel struggled but only threw eight passes as Buff State only had the ball for about 16 minutes, good for 37 plays.

Pep will say that Buffalo State's defense was a far cry from last year's when the Bengals statistically had the best defense in the Empire 8.

One can never really tell with Buffalo State....expect a dog fight....er....cat fight!!

[Upstate]

Yeah not sure what to make of Buff st either...

They were very explosive last week vs Mo'Ville. Hitting big play after big play on the ground with Stewart/Jones and in the air with Johnson...

They did not look like the same team that was largely ineffective vs AU (credit to AU of course)...

Defensively they came out and dominated Mo'Ville but after the mustangs switched QBS the defense didn't seem to play as well...

The Bengals forced Fisher into one of their worst offensive days in recent memory last year so I don't think they can take them lightly at all...

Should be a great game! Where is Bengalsrule?

[AUPepBand]

Yeah not sure what to make of Buff st either...

Should be a great game! Where is Bengalsrule?

He's probably working overtime preparing for an election or something like that!?!

[Upstate]

Talk about a turnaround from last year.

In the first 4 games last year Fisher was outscored by 22 points per game (16-38).

This year over 4 games it's almost reversed as they're outscoring opponents by 17 points a game (40-23).

They got almost next to nothing in terms of QB play last year with Naton and Catan. Natan took the vast majority of the snaps last year. He was 64th in D3 in QB efficiency (138.6), completed 57% of his passes (140/242), averaged 184 yards a game while having a 16/6 TD to INT ratio over 10 games.

This year he's 10th in D3 in QB efficiency (181.7), he's completing 63% of his passes (72/113), is averaging 281 yards a game and has a 13/2 TD to INT ratio in 4 games.

You have to wonder if his ACL injury in 2014 had an effect on his 2015 season. He's making a ton of plays with his legs this year. Vs Olivet he had a 44 yard run, vs Springfield he had a 7 yard TD run, vs Cortland he had 4 runs for first downs and vs Brockport he had 2 TDs, runs of 19 and 14 yard runs in the 2nd half that helped spark the come back. He's finally looking like the QB we saw 3 years ago when he went 14/23 for 294 yards and 2 TDs in his first career start vs Buff State. He's producing on a level Fisher hasn't seen since Tim Bailey's senior year.

[Bengalsrule]

Yeah not sure what to make of Buff st either...

Should be a great game! Where is Bengalsrule?

He's probably working overtime preparing for an election or something like that!?!

You are soooo right on that 1 Pep!  Tis the season. I hope to take a min and watch my BENGALS on TV this Saturday though!

Something tells me that coach Boyes will have his kids up for this game.  I can't remember the last time our BENGALS stepped onto a visitors field who was ranked 14th in the country. I do remember the last time they stepped on to a visitors field who was ranked #1 though!!  In either case it should hopefully be a good 1  (i hope)! I wound up leaving the Alfred game before the 3rd quarter was over!

I will say that not having 1st team all E8 DB Rey Jordan return this year definitely hurt the D, however Rey wanted to return to basketball so one Buff State teams loss is another teams gain (plus he is 1 heck of a defender on the court) !

Speaking of E8... kudos to the lastest plug for the conference!  http://d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2016/re-ranking-the-conferences-for-2016

[D3viewer]

Saturday, October 1

1:00 PM
Utica @ Ithaca
1:00 PM
Buffalo State @ St. John Fisher
1:00 PM
Alfred @ Morrisville State
2:00 PM
SUNY Cortland @ Hartwick

Bye : Brockport

[Upstate]

Saturday, October 1

1:00 PM
Utica @ Ithaca
1:00 PM
Buffalo State @ St. John Fisher
1:00 PM
Alfred @ Morrisville State
2:00 PM
SUNY Cortland @ Hartwick

Bye : Brockport

UC- 41
IC- 13
-Blaise tries to make a statement to the IC higher ups by blowing out the Bombers.

BSC- 21
SJF- 38
-Naton and Collicio have a day and connect for 3 TDs after BSC decide to keep a Safety over Will Coon all game. Stewart and Johnson break off some big plays early but the BSC defense can't keep Fisher out of the end zone.

AU- 37
MO- 14
-Johnson continues his solid play and finds the end zone twice on the ground to go along with 2 TD passes. AUs gritty defense pitches a shutout for 3 quarters but Mo'ville finds the end zone twice in the 4th.

Cortland- 27
Hartwick- 24
- Walker gets the start again at QB and comes out running for his first win. Hartwick throws the ball 60 times and is picked off 5 times in the process, hope they go 1-9.

Brockport's starting defense still allows 34 points to BYE.

[Bartman]

Congrats to E8 for moving up to #3 in Conference rankings on D3.com. Well deserved. Have fun beating each other up for the rest of the season. Hopefully we will play one of you in November 

[sjfcards]

Talk about a turnaround from last year.

In the first 4 games last year Fisher was outscored by 22 points per game (16-38).

This year over 4 games it's almost reversed as they're outscoring opponents by 17 points a game (40-23).

They got almost next to nothing in terms of QB play last year with Naton and Catan. Natan took the vast majority of the snaps last year. He was 64th in D3 in QB efficiency (138.6), completed 57% of his passes (140/242), averaged 184 yards a game while having a 16/6 TD to INT ratio over 10 games.

This year he's 10th in D3 in QB efficiency (181.7), he's completing 63% of his passes (72/113), is averaging 281 yards a game and has a 13/2 TD to INT ratio in 4 games.

You have to wonder if his ACL injury in 2014 had an effect on his 2015 season. He's making a ton of plays with his legs this year. Vs Olivet he had a 44 yard run, vs Springfield he had a 7 yard TD run, vs Cortland he had 4 runs for first downs and vs Brockport he had 2 TDs, runs of 19 and 14 yard runs in the 2nd half that helped spark the come back. He's finally looking like the QB we saw 3 years ago when he went 14/23 for 294 yards and 2 TDs in his first career start vs Buff State. He's producing on a level Fisher hasn't seen since Tim Bailey's senior year.

Naton has been a totally different person this year. I didn't think he was bad last year, but he has been great so far. What I am most impressed with is the touch on his passes. Last year there were games where it looked like he was trying to throw the ball through a wall. This year he has hit receivers in stride, and has made some really good throws. Outside of the Springfield game he hasn't thrown a pick, so his decision making has been really good as well.

It must help that the receiving core has vastly improved this year, and he has several weapons he can go to.

[Bombers798891]

UC- 41
IC- 13
-Blaise tries to make a statement to the IC higher ups by blowing out the Bombers.

Even though Ithaca's offense is capable of allowing Utica to return six interceptions for touchdowns, there's absolutely no way Blaise tries to blow out his former coach in his final season, knowing he's struggling.

Utica 24-6

[fisheralum91]

Do you really think he will pull the reigns?

There is respect, but his kids will want to play!

[Upstate]

I'm not saying Blaise is going to do still be throwing the ball up by 38-10 with under 2 minutes left in the game (even though another Bomber alum does differently) but they're not going to take the foot off the gas until the 4th...

I know IC's defense has been outstanding but they're likely to get worn down in the 2nd half if the offense continues to do nothing...

I still say UC hangs 40 on them and Blaise makes a statement...

[Bombers798891]

Do you really think he will pull the reigns?

There is respect, but his kids will want to play!

First, I think it's going to be 24-6 because I think Ithaca's got a good defense.

Second, I guess my objection is more to the idea that Blaise, with the game in hand, would try to tack on another touchdown for statement purposes, with, let's say, a 34-13 lead. What statement is there to make at that point? You're on the verge of beating Ithaca for the 3rd time in 6 years and move to 5-0. The programs have shown respect to each other (at least as far as I'm aware), and I know the coaches respect each other.

That's generally my feeling of all this stuff, regardless of who's on the winning end or losing end. You make a statement by winning, not by tacking on meaningless touchdowns. I'm a Michigan State fan, and I hated their last-minute TD against Michigan two years ago—and those teams have reasons not to like each other. Then again, I've never had to win over a locker room of players. So I could be wrong.

Tangentially, all it takes is one ****ed off player to decide he doesn't appreciate it and then throw a cheap shot.

[Bombers798891]

I still say UC hangs 40 on them and Blaise makes a statement...

If I were a betting man