FB: Empire 8

[sjfcards]

What if it's part of the regular playbook?

For example, Coach Cragg sends a FR WR/Punter on his first play in college football and he successfully runs a fake.  4 down to get 10 baby, so you SJF-fers better be prepared for it come 9/25. 

I remember a fake punt Hobart tried to run on Fisher in the playoffs a few years back that did not go so well for Hobart. Ahhh, Memories.

[pumkinattack]

Yep, went to that game, it was inside the 10 I believe (or maybe right outside it), which led to an easy score for Fish.  That was a tough matchup because I really believe Bart was the second best team in the East that year and really hot going into the playoffs, only to get a #2 v. #5 matchup at SJF.     

Live by the sword, die by the sword, but it's put Bart in the NCAA's seven times since 2000 and I personally love Coach Cragg, so I'll take the occasional miss. 

[Old IC Voice]

Max wants to know why no one is talking about the 41-yd. TD pass on Saterday from.... WR Dan Ruffrage? That was pretty fun to watch. It didn't look like it had the distance, but it was far enough out of the reach of the Union CB not to matter... definitely the play of the game from my perspective.

Ruffrage did it once last year, too. That was the one bright spot from the trip to Springfield last year, given Scalice and Ardoin both going down for the rest of the season and the Pride running the option like Tom Osborne's Nebraska teams. Also, I remember Tayer Ashkar doing it at Butterfield against Fisher in '07 after being converted from QB to WR.

For his conservative reputation, Welch DOES have a bag of tricks he can draw from.

[Touch The Rock]

You beat me to it oldicvoice. IC ran the the same play last year against the pride. Welch always has those kinds of plays in. There's usually 2 or 3 he can go to at any time. Then, occasionally by game plan he'll add a new wrinkle.

Go wick. That's all I have to add about the Norwich playoff conversation.

[AUKaz00]

Just got a call from my dad, who is not a sports guy, from Tropicana Field.  Seems my mom decided on a whim that she wanted to catch CC vs. Price, so they drove up from Venice for the game.  Viper would be proud, but I'm just confused.

[tecmobowler]

The distinction needs to be made regarding Ithaca's running game that it (at least in my eyes) is a run blocking issue... Ardoin runs a 4.4ish 40 time and can bench a truck.  Once they find him some holes... look out.

[Touch The Rock]

Ardoin will be an absolute beast before its over. That kid has all of the tools.

[Bombers798891]

Max wants to know why no one is talking about the 41-yd. TD pass on Saterday from.... WR Dan Ruffrage? That was pretty fun to watch. It didn't look like it had the distance, but it was far enough out of the reach of the Union CB not to matter... definitely the play of the game from my perspective.

Ruffrage did it once last year, too. That was the one bright spot from the trip to Springfield last year, given Scalice and Ardoin both going down for the rest of the season and the Pride running the option like Tom Osborne's Nebraska teams. Also, I remember Tayer Ashkar doing it at Butterfield against Fisher in '07 after being converted from QB to WR.

For his conservative reputation, Welch DOES have a bag of tricks he can draw from.

Well, yeah, every coach has plays he CAN call. But the Bombers went into a shell up 28-7. They only rushed 3 or 4 and still got beat on passes, and with about 5 1/2 minutes to go, up 8, I thought he got really conservative.

I understand Rogowski's had a bad season thus far. But looking at a first and 14 at the Union 37, it seemed like there were two options. Run three times and punt the ball, or try to pick up a couple of first downs to get into FG range and ice it. Zappia had gone 21 of 31, which means you were probably going to be better off throwing it. Union had three timeouts left and they wound up getting the ball back with 3:59 to go and a timeout.

I just don't think you go into clock killing mode unless you have a chance to really kill the clock even without a first down. A team with 6 minutes to go and three timeouts will happily let you run it into the line three times and take the ball back.

Now, the last drive is a different story (3 mins to go, Union with one T.O), but even then, the Bombers couldn't pick up a first down.

The inability to ice a game and run out the clock is going to hurt IC at some point

[bomber3]

Ruffrage played some quarterback in high school so its no surprise.  I was a little surprised they used the play in a non-conference game as opposed to Fisher or Alfred.  Also his fumble was the first of his career, including high school so I wouldn't expect it to become a trend. 

[AUKaz00]

Remember two weeks ago when folks were lamenting the lack of Bomber posters?  It's nice to have some balance to the Fisher faithful again!

It's not nice getting a call from my dad when Reid Brignac yanks a walk-off, division flipping jack off Sergio Mitre.  Seriously, where were Wood and Joba in that game?  At least they'll be rested so they can pitch while down 8-3 tomorrow...

[sjfcards]

Joba is usually the reason they get down 8-3. Seriously, look at the numbers. Dude just isn't that great.

[dlippiel]

Max wants to know why no one is talking about the 41-yd. TD pass on Saterday from.... WR Dan Ruffrage? That was pretty fun to watch. It didn't look like it had the distance, but it was far enough out of the reach of the Union CB not to matter... definitely the play of the game from my perspective.

Max, dlip thought it was a very cool play but in all honestly the coverage was so badly blown, that to dlip, it was more of a defensive breakdown than an amazing offensive play. Hats off to IC for calling it though.

[theoriginalupstate]

Results (thanks to JU) for pick ems are posted as well as this weeks games on the pick em board...

[boobyhasgameyo]

Seriously where is the pick em board.  I feel like I am taking crazy pills. 

[AUKaz00]

Joba is usually the reason they get down 8-3. Seriously, look at the numbers. Dude just isn't that great.

What is this 1994?!?  Yes Joba's ERA looks terrible, but his WHIP is in line with his career average and his fielding independent stats look solid.  This year's he's been victimized by a slightly higher batting average on balls in play and an unsustainably low strand rate.  Now, something happened around 100 innings pitched last year that has affected him and dropped him from being a potentially elite pitcher to an above average one.  Coincidentally, 100 innings was his total innings in 2008, so it could have something to do with that or he just happened to mess up his arm at that point in time.