FB: Empire 8

[Bombers798891]

I'm not really on a high horse, just tired of whining!  Maybe we get our butts kicked in the first round, but if someone is so concerned about E-8 performance in the playoffs, then make the playoffs.  I think that is a reasonable observation.

That's funny because I remember you doing the exact same thing last week...

Not about another team's performance or lack thereof!

And isn't it a "reasonable observation" to say that Alfred has contributed a fat load of nothing on the national scale and the same fans that had given up on them a week ago are now upset that other people aren't effusive with praise for their team?

I don't care if anyone praises us.  I mentioned no such thing.  So on that point I have no idea what you are talking about.  And I don't know what we are supposed to contribute on the national scale(?).  I'm not sure what you are getting at there unless it was another Alfred poster who was wondering about our lack of national recognition.  I purposely avoided that whole discussion

Sorry, I think that was Saxon8 who played the no respect card a few weeks ago. You guys have come out of the woodworks this past year...I wonder why...

[fisheralum91]

funny
its been 7 hours and im still furious
everything riding on a game and the d might as well have stayed in the locker room.
poor coaching and execution.
unfortunately they have 9 months to figure out what the hell they did wrong.

[AUPepBand]

Sorry, I think that was Saxon8 who played the no respect card a few weeks ago. You guys have come out of the woodworks this past year...I wonder why...

This was not likely to be the year for Saxon posters to "come out of the woodwork." AU has exceeded Pep's expectations with a 7-2 record; not so much with the record, but certainly in earning wins over Springfield, Fisher and Ithaca all in the same season...and losses at RPI and at home against UR. And, really, Pep has seen only a few random occasional Alfred posters on the boards. The stalwarts have been:

Saxontad has been on the boards a long time, even before Pep, registering in Sept. 2003.
Pep registered in September 2005.
msarge7 registered in October 2005.
AUKaz00 followed suit in October 2006.
AlfredSaxon8 registered following his senior season in late November 2008.

So really, through thick and thin, wins and losses, these Alfred posters have been around awhile...and have always been on the bandwagon...even when it has veered off into a ditch.

On Saxon Warriors!

[sjfcards]

I understand how you feel 91. I was at the game and I was and am seriously disappointed with the effort from the Fisher D today. Just awful. I am on crutches for a while, and that was a long ride and uncomfortable several hours for that effort.

[theoriginalupstate]

I understand how you feel 91. I was at the game and I was and am seriously disappointed with the effort from the Fisher D today. Just awful. I am on crutches for a while, and that was a long ride and uncomfortable several hours for that effort.

Yeah, what bothers me is that in the two biggest games of the year they failed to show up in the beginning of the game, failed to make adjustments during the game and failed to make plays when it mattered the most.

If they came out, played well and lost both games it wouldn't sting nearly as much. Honestly how do you allow an average of 48 points (55 and 42) with the playoffs on the line?

The time of possession difference was pathetic, it was 39 to 21.

The offense wasn't much better, allowing 6 sacks and turning it over 4 times. 

The offense had a chance to make it a one score game w/ 3 minutes left in the 3rd after a stop on 4th down at midfield.  Fisher's offense goes 3 and out with 3 questionable play calls right in a row followed up by a 17 yard punt (I'd say it was a bad punt but he averaged 21 yards a punt that day and 29 on the year, he was horrible all year).  SC takes the ensuing drive, marches down the field and goes up by 3 TDs.

[Ethelred the Unready]

I understand how you feel 91. I was at the game and I was and am seriously disappointed with the effort from the Fisher D today. Just awful. I am on crutches for a while, and that was a long ride and uncomfortable several hours for that effort.

Yeah, what bothers me is that in the two biggest games of the year they failed to show up in the beginning of the game, failed to make adjustments during the game and failed to make plays when it mattered the most.

If they came out, played well and lost both games it wouldn't sting nearly as much. Honestly how do you allow an average of 48 points (55 and 42) with the playoffs on the line?

The time of possession difference was pathetic, it was 39 to 21.

The offense wasn't much better, allowing 6 sacks and turning it over 4 times. 

The offense had a chance to make it a one score game w/ 3 minutes left in the 3rd after a stop on 4th down at midfield.  Fisher's offense goes 3 and out with 3 questionable play calls right in a row followed up by a 17 yard punt (I'd say it was a bad punt but he averaged 21 yards a punt that day and 29 on the year, he was horrible all year).  SC takes the ensuing drive, marches down the field and goes up by 3 TDs.

I really don't mean to start anything, but I've been reading this with some detachment as I don't have a rooting interest in any of the teams involved (headed south in a few hours for a trip to see the REAL AU play Georgia) and it's a little funny that there is absolutely no acknowledgment that there was another team on the field against Fisher.  Again, I wasn't there and wasn't following the game, but my expectation at this level and with what was on the line, adjustments were made and they were countered.  But you guys make it sound like Fisher was the only team with players and coaches (very Yankee-like).  Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other guys.  They kicked your team up and down the field, much like a lot of top ranked teams in D1 yesterday. Think Utah might be disappointed?   It happens.  Doesn't mean it would happen 10 out of 10 times, but give the other team some credit for being better than you at least for a day

[saxontad]

I understand how you feel 91. I was at the game and I was and am seriously disappointed with the effort from the Fisher D today. Just awful. I am on crutches for a while, and that was a long ride and uncomfortable several hours for that effort.

Yeah, what bothers me is that in the two biggest games of the year they failed to show up in the beginning of the game, failed to make adjustments during the game and failed to make plays when it mattered the most.

If they came out, played well and lost both games it wouldn't sting nearly as much. Honestly how do you allow an average of 48 points (55 and 42) with the playoffs on the line?

The time of possession difference was pathetic, it was 39 to 21.

The offense wasn't much better, allowing 6 sacks and turning it over 4 times. 

The offense had a chance to make it a one score game w/ 3 minutes left in the 3rd after a stop on 4th down at midfield.  Fisher's offense goes 3 and out with 3 questionable play calls right in a row followed up by a 17 yard punt (I'd say it was a bad punt but he averaged 21 yards a punt that day and 29 on the year, he was horrible all year).  SC takes the ensuing drive, marches down the field and goes up by 3 TDs.

I really don't mean to start anything, but I've been reading this with some detachment as I don't have a rooting interest in any of the teams involved (headed south in a few hours for a trip to see the REAL AU play Georgia) and it's a little funny that there is absolutely no acknowledgment that there was another team on the field against Fisher.  Again, I wasn't there and wasn't following the game, but my expectation at this level and with what was on the line, adjustments were made and they were countered.  But you guys make it sound like Fisher was the only team with players and coaches (very Yankee-like).  Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other guys.  They kicked your team up and down the field, much like a lot of top ranked teams in D1 yesterday. Think Utah might be disappointed?   It happens.  Doesn't mean it would happen 10 out of 10 times, but give the other team some credit for being better than you at least for a day

Very good points.  But please don't label all of us who live north of the Mason-Dixon as Yankees.  I am a displaced (though I have to admit it's been a long time) southerner who still counts Virginia, even from this distance, as home.  And I hope the "other" AU can hold it's own against a riled Alabama later this year.

[theoriginalupstate]

I really don't mean to start anything, but I've been reading this with some detachment as I don't have a rooting interest in any of the teams involved (headed south in a few hours for a trip to see the REAL AU play Georgia) and it's a little funny that there is absolutely no acknowledgment that there was another team on the field against Fisher.  Again, I wasn't there and wasn't following the game, but my expectation at this level and with what was on the line, adjustments were made and they were countered.  But you guys make it sound like Fisher was the only team with players and coaches (very Yankee-like).  Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other guys.  They kicked your team up and down the field, much like a lot of top ranked teams in D1 yesterday. Think Utah might be disappointed?   It happens.  Doesn't mean it would happen 10 out of 10 times, but give the other team some credit for being better than you at least for a day

When AU manhandled SJF I gave credit to the AU coaches and players for being a step ahead of SJF all day and the players came to play.

With SC offense it's kind of a different story, the don't do much differently from week to week.  They run their offense and say stop us if you can.

[bomber3]

Congrats to Alfred on making NCAAs.  Just wasn't Ithaca's day yesterday and AU capitalized on our mistakes.  I almost wish Fisher won so it doesn't sting so much.  Actually on second thought, nah!

I know some Bomber posters have higher expectations than I do and expect the team to go 10-0 every year but if you told me the team continued the winning season streak and won the Jug, I would call that a pretty successful season.  The team still has the opportunity to do that.  Obviously NCAAs are the ultimate prize but I wouldn't classify the season as a failure if we win Saturday.  Hopefully the team regroups and understands the magnitude of this game, even if it only involves bragging rights (and Cortland's pool C chances if they don't win their tiebreaker).  Go Bombers!!

[clandfan]

Cortland is not a lock for bid.  They have opportunity for Pool A if all falls in place but they won't know this until AFTER Cortaca game...so, Cortaca is huge because if Montclair loses and Rowan wins, bye-bye pool A.  Only chance for a pool C bid will be a Cortaca victory.  Big game...as it always is.

[bomber3]

Yes, I know its huge for Cortland.  Ithaca it is for bragging rights and to help knock Cortland out of a Pool C bid.

[sjfcards]

I'm with upstate. It is not that I don't want to give SC credit. They played well on offense, but they didn't exactly stop fisher's offense either. Nor did they do anything that would surprise Fisher when they had the ball. They were ahead 21 points late in the 4th quarter, and gave fisher a play with a chance to tie with 1 second left. I don't think it is what SC did that made Fisher struggle so much yesterday.

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that SC did not deserve to win the game yesterday. They did. But, Fisher (at least the coaching staff) looked like they took the week off.

[Bombers798891]

I know some Bomber posters have higher expectations than I do and expect the team to go 10-0 every year

Really, I don't know that I've seen anyone say that they expect the team to go 10-0. Granted, I know there are seasons where I personally look back and wonder why they didn't because they wound up losing to teams that weren't as good as we thought (2008) or teams that could have gone 10-0 had one or two plays gone differently (like the 2001, 2004, and 2005 teams)

But thinking a team could/should have gone 10-0 after the fact is much different from expecting them to before the season, which is something I've never seen from a Bomber poster. But maybe I've blocked it out.

To the rest of your post, yes, considering the black void that is the running game, I think a 7-3 season would be a great accomplishment, not to mention it could knock Cortland out of the playoffs and send their seniors packing without a Cortaca win.

The question is, how will the Bombers respond? I think it would have been better for the team had Fisher won, because then their loss to Alfred wouldn't have been them "blowing" a shot at the NCAA's.

Cortland's not really a "road" game by traditional standards, but Ithaca's looked pretty awful away from Butterfield this season. While your 7-3 scenario isn't bad, going 6-4 with a loss to Cortland after starting 3-0 would be a disappointment

[Frank Rossi]

Here are the ECAC Bowl-eligible teams (declared, will not play 11 games prior to the ECAC game and can finish at or above .500 in either overall or conference record):

Cortland State 8-1 (8-1)
Maine Maritime 8-1 (6-1)
Western New England 8-2 (6-1)
Framingham State 8-2 (6-1)
Norwich 8-2 (5-2)
St. John Fisher 8-2 (3-2)
Springfield 7-2 (3-2)
Mount Ida 6-3 (5-2) *
RPI 5-3 (3-2)
Hobart 5-3 (3-2)
Curry 6-4 (4-3)
Plymouth State 6-4 (4-3)
Salve Regina 6-4 (5-2)
Utica 5-4 (0-4)
Castleton State 5-4 (5-2)

* - Cannot Host

This is by far the most eligible ECAC Bowl teams we've seen declared and still alive this late in many years.

[maxpower]

I know some Bomber posters have higher expectations than I do and expect the team to go 10-0 every year

Haha, weren't you the one swearing to us that IC had a shot at the pool C with 2 losses?