FB: Empire 8

[XREDDRAGON77]

Bengalsrule,
I didn't listen to the game yesterday. Can you confirm that it was actually a close game at the end? , Was Cortland at the 7 going in with 2 min to go for a tying score? Congrats on a big win!

[sjfcards]

Is there any update out there about how Fisher made out with injuries after week one? I am still not sure how the targeting call/ejection impacts the next game, but I thought I heard somewhere that because he was kicked out in the second half, he will have to sit out the first half next weekend (a big loss against a team that can throw like W&J.

[Bombers798891]

Bengalsrule,
I didn't listen to the game yesterday. Can you confirm that it was actually a close game at the end? , Was Cortland at the 7 going in with 2 min to go for a tying score? Congrats on a big win!

Cortland was intercepted in the endzone, from the 7, with about 2:30 to go.

They then self destructed. After stopping BSU on a 3rd and 1 with about 1:50 to go at their own 26, they took a personal foul. Rather than getting the ball with a minute and a half to go at say, their own 35, they got it back on their own 25 with five seconds to go.

Stat of the game: Cortland ran for 67 yards on the first play of scrimmage, and finished the game with 75.

[sjfcards]

The new top 25 is out. Fisher moved up from 24 to 19. Salisbury drops all the way from 16 to out of the top 25. I knew they would drop after a tough loss, but didn't think they would fall quite so far.

[Bombers798891]

The new top 25 is out. Fisher moved up from 24 to 19. Salisbury drops all the way from 16 to out of the top 25. I knew they would drop after a tough loss, but didn't think they would fall quite so far.

I think it might be the WAY they lost, that raised some concerns about the overall quality of the team. I don't know much about Christopher Newport, except that they were apparently too far down to become ranked after beating the 16th ranked team on the road.

But any time a triple option team is breaking in a new "quarterback" and averages only 2.8 yards per rush and has as many passing yards as rushing yards, I'd be wary. Clearly Salisbury's D is still legit, but if the Salisbury QB is going to rush 14 times for 33 yards, well, you can only win so many games 10-7.

[fisheralum91]

Nice jump for the Cardinals in the rankings this week!
Another tester against a very hungry W&J team that looks to avenge a tough loss to Fisher at home last year.
Much will depend defensively on the "targeting" call that took place Sat. in Ohio.
Here is hoping that there is some appeal process as it seemed to be a bad call.

[sjfcards]

Nice jump for the Cardinals in the rankings this week!
Another tester against a very hungry W&J team that looks to avenge a tough loss to Fisher at home last year.
Much will depend defensively on the "targeting" call that took place Sat. in Ohio.
Here is hoping that there is some appeal process as it seemed to be a bad call.

W&J will be totally different test for Fisher this week. The team likes to air it out, and will test that young secondary. Otterbein seemed content to stick with the run game, even though they got nothing from it. The D-line will need to put some pressure on the QB this week to assist that secondary with a very different test.

For the Fisher Offense we will need to see some steady improvement. I didn't think the Otterbein D was all that bad, and Fisher moved the ball fairly well. Coaching out some of the penalties may make life easier for Fisher this week.

[fisheralum91]

Any scuttlebutt on Moore?

[D3MAFAN]

Okay,

My thoughts on some of the key games in the E 8 this past weekend. I was very impress with both SJF and Utica. I like how SJF has utilized its athletes. Looks like the defense did really well, anytime you hold an opponent scoreless, that is always a good thing. As for Utica, I like the fact that they were well balanced, if they can do that they can win some tough games this year. As for Salisbury, I kind of thought that they would have a dropoff this year and as Pat and Keith mentioned in the podcast, it is hard to reload at the offensive line position, especially when you run the option offense and have a new QB. Buff State seems to have started off with a good win this year, but can they continue it over the next 4 weeks? As for the rest of the league, Hartwick and Ithaca beats both Husson and Moravian, which I expected, no surprises there. Frostburg State doesn't show up against Geneva, 47 - 3

[sjfcards]

We may have talked about this before but I really have mixed emotions about how teams like Fisher or Buff State have put their schedule together. I appreciate that they want to challenge themselves, and that they will get better by playing good teams, but it seems so risky for your postseason chances. If Fisher wins 2 of the first 3 this year that would be a good start. But then if they slip up in one conference game (which they always do) they are in that 2 loss area where a bid is questionable at best.

I like that they take on the challenge, and if either team is that good, they will beat the teams in front of them, but playing quality teams week after week with no real cupcakes it makes it difficult.

[Upstate]

Speaking of cupcakes...

In Fisher's game notes before Otterbein in had a section titled "No Cupcakes Here"...

Having Rochester drop the series and Fisher putting that in their game notes made me happy...

[lewdogg11]

Speaking of cupcakes...

In Fisher's game notes before Otterbein in had a section titled "No Cupcakes Here"...

Having Rochester drop the series and Fisher putting that in their game notes made me happy...

I would like to think that St John Fisher's goal isn't to just 'make the playoffs' but rather to establish itself as a top 10 program. some pretty crappy teams 'make' the playoffs. Otterbein, W & J, and Cortland I don't think are the best of the best but are all pretty good. If Fisher loses to any of them, it's proof that they aren't of the quality they want to be. I think the scheduling is brilliant in the sense that it will either prepare them to smoke the E8 teams and give confidence that they should go far in the playoffs, or it lets them know they still aren't there yet.

[fisheralum91]

Holy cow,
Gene and Peter on the Front page of d3.com!
Great report boys!!!

[boobyhasgameyo]

Even when Fisher literally was a top 10 team for a couple of seasons they would still lose to teams they were better than.  Hartwick in 2007 stands out in my mind.  It was the only regular season loss for that 11 win team.  To me just because you finish a season undefeated doesn't mean you've arrived - it could just mean your conference isn't that strong.  Heck even two years ago Fisher beat previously undefeated Johns Hopkins and Delaware Valley in the playoffs with relative ease. 

So I think if Fisher were to lose to a W&J and still end up winning 12 or 13 games...they are at the level they wish to be     

[Pat Coleman]

Holy cow,
Gene and Peter on the Front page of d3.com!
Great report boys!!!

Yep. I've been referring to them as the Backlit Boys but obviously we are very happy when schools/broadcasters put together a D3report for us!