FB: Empire 8

[Upstate]

Worst game in person was at Hartwick in 07.
Traveled down to watch a "no brainer" with a sloo of Fisher Parents only to not only hate the "cage" but watch a fantastic season and dream dashed.  I couldnt get out of there fast enough.   Tho I stayed and ate dinner with the players and parents- the overwhelming comment---the play that lost the game-----they ran in practice a million times and that was the one time it didnt work...ugh

Is that the play where they sent in Tommy Hammel in at QB and they tried a QB keeper?

[fisheralum91]

Yep..
To this day the players were confident in it....
The Fisher faithful on the other hand..............

[Bombers798891]

Yep..
To this day the players were confident in it....
The Fisher faithful on the other hand..............

I'm always skeptical when I hear that. I remember Jeff Welch telling me IC had some unstoppable 2 point conversion pass play years ago, which of course, never saw the light of day. At least you guys tried yours, but I always wonder, if these plays are so outstanding, why do we never see them except once a decade and half the time hear "That was the one time it didn't work"? I mean, I understand that defenses adjust to things they see, but are these plays really "You only get one shot at it" deals? That seems like an awfully inefficient use of practice time and coach brainpower. But I admit, you guys played and I didn't, so maybe I'm totally wrong (It happens often)

[fisheralum91]

Its funny.
Looking back at it I know that we all probably went nuts on Coach Vos on this very forum on that decision to run that play, but now that the dust has settled, and hindsight being 20/20.......The kicking game back then was not very good, and if the players drank the coolaid---what the hell- run the trickeration......
If it worked he would have been lauded as "ballsy" and confident.

[AlfredSaxon8]

Its funny.
Looking back at it I know that we all probably went nuts on Coach Vos on this very forum on that decision to run that play, but now that the dust has settled, and hindsight being 20/20.......The kicking game back then was not very good, and if the players drank the coolaid---what the hell- run the trickeration......
If it worked he would have been lauded as "ballsy" and confident.

I saw a lot of game film from that matchup on both sides of the ball. Fisher was too talented to let it come down to the last play. Fisher should have rolled through that Hartwick defense. To a certain extent, I wasnt suprised Hartwick beat IC that year. Juvan was very inconsistent and the offense suffered because of that. But Fisher was better than losing like that.

[Bombers798891]

Its funny.
Looking back at it I know that we all probably went nuts on Coach Vos on this very forum on that decision to run that play, but now that the dust has settled, and hindsight being 20/20.......The kicking game back then was not very good, and if the players drank the coolaid---what the hell- run the trickeration......
If it worked he would have been lauded as "ballsy" and confident.

I saw a lot of game film from that matchup on both sides of the ball. Fisher was too talented to let it come down to the last play. Fisher should have rolled through that Hartwick defense. To a certain extent, I wasnt suprised Hartwick beat IC that year. Juvan was very inconsistent and the offense suffered because of that. But Fisher was better than losing like that.

I don't blame Juvan for that loss. He played pretty well, and they scored 30 points. That's enough for the team to win. I think the Wick's reluctance to give the ball back to Ithaca at the end of that game has some meaning. If they were confident in the defenses ability to make a stop, they'd have kicked it back to them.

[fisheralum91]

Saxon 8- You are absolutely correct.
Sitting in the parking lot- I think that many of us that were tailgating thought that the outcome of the game was a forgone conclusion.
God I just remember a 1.5 hour trip home seething about that loss.
The season turned out nice, but what a tough loss.
It was a weird scene all around...The cage isnt my favorite place anyway..and then to be heckled and have a Fisher parent tripped was the icing on the cake that evening in Oneonta. 

[AUPepBand]

It occurred to Pep that the kicking game, with the graduation of four-year starter Eric Rockwood, is a real question mark for the Saxons this year.
Pep wonders also what Ithaca will do to replace Andrew Rogowski, how Fisher will replace Chad Manheim and, after a little research, it appears Salisbury and Buffalo State will also be replacing starting kickers.

With 90 recruits arriving next week along with probably 120 returning players, Pep is thinking there's got to be SOMEONE on a 200+ man squad who can consistently kick extra points (Rockwood hit 50 in a row). Countdown to camp...7 days and counting.

Get the fight song ready!

[sjfcards]

I had a thought on the best single moment of the last ten years. As a Fisher fan, I don't think much will ever top Jimmy Smith's punt return against Rowan to open the scoring in that East Region Final. Growney was packed and as loud as I have ever heard it that day, and that was the signature moment of that game. The game ended up being a rout, but that first TD was just awesome.

[AUPepBand]

I had a thought on the best single moment of the last ten years. As a Fisher fan, I don't think much will ever top Jimmy Smith's punt return against Rowan to open the scoring in that East Region Final. Growney was packed and as loud as I have ever heard it that day, and that was the signature moment of that game. The game ended up being a rout, but that first TD was just awesome.

Pep was at that game with Kaz00 and Lurch from the band. How do you spell B-O-R-I-N-G? Rowan brought nothing. No spark. No spunk. No spirit. One fat fan. Profs skipped class. Pep had anticipated a dog fight. Instead, it was a Garbage Plate that highlighted the day. 

On Saxon Warriors!

[fisheralum91]

Pep and Cards,
I too was at that game....While tailgating over in Haffey parkg. lot Rowan fans were filing in hooting and hollering about the "beast from the east" and how they couldnt understand why they had to travel to this "cupcake college"....Well last I checked - it took most of the Rowan faithful about a qtr to start packing their crap up!

[Bombers798891]

Pre E8 days, but whatever. Ithaca cleaning RPI's clock on the road in the 2001 playoffs. This was the year RPI played something like four games and still got to play at home in the playoffs.

Ithaca had their backup quarterback, and were missing so many defensive backs that Jeff Welch had to play corner in certain spots. Mike Welch came in with a brilliant game plan--backup RB Dave Maddi caught 10 passes--and Ithaca led 27-3 before a late garbage time TD by RPI. I was sitting on the RPI side (accessibility issues, not trolling) and their fans were literally screaming "cover the running back!"

Best part was there were a lot of IC fans at the game, and at the end, they all started chanting "We want Rowan" for minutes on end. (Of course, Rowan beat us 48-0, but still) It was the first IC playoff game I had gone to since the loss in the national semifinals in 1994, and it was awesome

[pumkinattack]

How 'bout this stinkbomb from the LL:  http://hwsathletics.com/news/2009/11/7/HFB_1107093054.aspx

On 2001.  Hobart lost 3 games that year, 6-42 to Union (who obviously cheated), 13-52 to IC and 29-35 to RPI in a game where they outscored us 14-3 in the 4th quarter to comeback and win.  It was the second year in 3 that RPI put up 8-0 seasons on weak schedules, but it worked well for them back then. 

[Bombers798891]

How 'bout this stinkbomb from the LL:  http://hwsathletics.com/news/2009/11/7/HFB_1107093054.aspx

On 2001.  Hobart lost 3 games that year, 6-42 to Union (who obviously cheated), 13-52 to IC and 29-35 to RPI in a game where they outscored us 14-3 in the 4th quarter to comeback and win.  It was the second year in 3 that RPI put up 8-0 seasons on weak schedules, but it worked well for them back then.

I was at that Hobart-IC game, and have no idea how things went that bad.

[AUKaz00]

I had a thought on the best single moment of the last ten years. As a Fisher fan, I don't think much will ever top Jimmy Smith's punt return against Rowan to open the scoring in that East Region Final. Growney was packed and as loud as I have ever heard it that day, and that was the signature moment of that game. The game ended up being a rout, but that first TD was just awesome.

Pep was at that game with Kaz00 and Lurch from the band. How do you spell B-O-R-I-N-G? Rowan brought nothing. No spark. No spunk. No spirit. One fat fan. Profs skipped class. Pep had anticipated a dog fight. Instead, it was a Garbage Plate that highlighted the day. 

On Saxon Warriors!

What I remember about that game was that it was in the 60s all week leading up to the game, so it was probably in the 70s down in Glassboro.  Then Friday night a cold front came in and it was 20 with a strong breeze by saterday.  I still feel like Rowan was half-defeated when they stepped off the bus.