FB: Empire 8

[D3MAFAN]

Pat while I understand that due to the results of this years games the Fisher OOC schedule is good not great,
the decision to schedule these teams was made last year under the assumption that they would have similar levels of success.
IE top three in conference, 9-1 record, and Conf Champ.
What other criteria would you have them check?

Cross purposes here. Nobody is knocking SJF's attempt to schedule good teams, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Thank you. At least somebody is reading what I'm actually talking about.

Yeah this has happened to Fisher before, they scheduled a series with a team coming off back to back playoff appearances in Kings. Kings then went in the tank and turned out to be dog meat during their entire series (and still are)...

Fisher gets an A for effort in scheduling but so far it didn't turn out the way many people had hoped. Still plenty of time in the year for those teams to make a turnaround though...

I see your point, but at the beginning of the year, I expected Cortland to be 1-2 at this time, W&J to be 3-1 and Otterbein to be 1-2 based on preseason talk. So, to say that these teams aren't what we thought they were is kind of contradicting what we thought earlier. Yes, some may have had Cortland beating Buff State, but Buff State beat them last year and then Otterbein losing to John Carroll was expected by some, I guess that with them not putting up a fight in their two losses is the blame. Nevertheless, it is only been 4 weeks into the season and we have a long way to go.

[msarge7]

  When you need to do research on AU, start on this site with Pep!  Hey Pep, how much of the storied 108 year history of AU have you been a part of??!!

[Bombers798891]

I really think two things have me down on the Red Dragons, and by extension, Fisher's win over them

Cortland's showing against WP was disappointing. WP is a mediocre to poor team. They haven't been over 5-5 since at least 1998, and haven't been any better than 4-5 in the NJAC since then. Cortland was in a close game at home in the 4th.

Cortland's loss to Buff State doesn't look great after the Bengals lost these last two. The Bengals are 2-2, and 4 of their last 6 are on the road. They're not exactly looking like world-beaters.

[AUPepBand]

                                                                                                                                           118
When you need to do research on AU, start on this site with Pep!  Hey Pep, how much of the storied 108 year history of AU have you been a part of??!!

Pep may have been carried in to his first AU football game at Merrill Field when he was in diapers...born in December 1955...you do the math. Of course, it "depends" on when Pep was potty-trained. 

Pops attended his first Alfred University football game when he was 9....in 1937. He's missed probably THREE home games since, and dragged his four brats to a good number of away games, too! Pops was at Brockport Saturday night and said he enjoyed the second half and the fireworks after. Pep told him the fireworks display was not likely intended for his enjoyment...nor for anyone else from Alfred.

Get the fight song ready!

[sjfcards]

  When you need to do research on AU, start on this site with Pep!  Hey Pep, how much of the storied 108 year history of AU have you been a part of??!!

Pep may have been carried in to his first AU football game at Merrill Field when he was in diapers...born in December 1955...you do the math. Of course, it "depends" on when Pep was potty-trained. 

Pops attended his first Alfred University football game when he was 9....in 1937. He's missed probably THREE home games since, and dragged his four brats to a good number of away games, too! Pops was at Brockport Saturday night and said he enjoyed the second half and the fireworks after. Pep told him the fireworks display was not likely intended for his enjoyment...nor for anyone else from Alfred.

Get the fight song ready!

That may be one of the coolest things I have heard on this page. I had my 6 week old son at the Fisher/C-State game this past weekend (his first game), and I hope we can share Fisher football like Pep and his dad...awesome stuff. +k

[AUPepBand]

  When you need to do research on AU, start on this site with Pep!  Hey Pep, how much of the storied 108 year history of AU have you been a part of??!!

Pep may have been carried in to his first AU football game at Merrill Field when he was in diapers...born in December 1955...you do the math. Of course, it "depends" on when Pep was potty-trained. 

Pops attended his first Alfred University football game when he was 9....in 1937. He's missed probably THREE home games since, and dragged his four brats to a good number of away games, too! Pops was at Brockport Saturday night and said he enjoyed the second half and the fireworks after. Pep told him the fireworks display was not likely intended for his enjoyment...nor for anyone else from Alfred.

Get the fight song ready!

That may be one of the coolest things I have heard on this page. I had my 6 week old son at the Fisher/C-State game this past weekend (his first game), and I hope we can share Fisher football like Pep and his dad...awesome stuff. +k

Of course you meant like Pep and his dad share Alfred University football. Thanks for the +K, sjfcards, back at ya!

[Bombers798891]

Since almost no one played this weekend, I'll forgo my rankings for a preview of E8 action this week:

Ithaca vs. Team Boltus- I suppose Hartwick could actually be good and not just 3-0 because they played two ECFC teams and an NJAC bottom-feeder. But I highly doubt it. Offensive issues are still present for Ithaca, but I don't think the Wick's going to average 20 yards a completion against Ithaca's secondary. Somehow, Hartwick has managed to not convert on six extra points this season. Even if the rest of it were even, teams going against Ithaca with less than stellar special teams rarely get good results. Bombers win 30-13.

Frostburg vs. Fisher-- Ugh. This thing will get ugly quick. Fisher 48-7

Alfred vs. Buff State-- After a no-show against UW-W, the Bengals looked flat for 55 minutes against Ithaca, and then lost a heartbreaker. If they're down two defensive lineman against Alfred (two players were ejected from the last game. I don't know the conference rules in full, but if Buff State's "kicker" plays Saturday, I'll be really angry) and Casey Kacz is as banged up as he looked, I think the Bengals will fall to 2-3. The one caveat is that the Saxons have started very slowly the last couple weeks. Still, with the game in Alfred, and a big time playmaker at QB, I like the Saxons, 31-16

Salisbury at Utica-- Saving the best for last. I am really, really, interested in this game. Utica's at home, with an extra week to prepare for a tricky offense, and they didn't exactly roll over for Hobart two weeks ago. Sure, they've allowed 70 and 63 points against Salisbury the last two seasons, but the Gulls are averaging just 22 points a game this season, and the triple option is clearly not at the level it was those years. Upset special: Pioneers 31-28, and a week of endless debate as to if this win means they've arrived or if Salisbury is just down.

[AUPepBand]

Since almost no one played this weekend, I'll forgo my rankings for a preview of E8 action this week:

Ithaca vs. Team Boltus- I suppose Hartwick could actually be good and not just 3-0 because they played two ECFC teams and an NJAC bottom-feeder. But I highly doubt it. Offensive issues are still present for Ithaca, but I don't think the Wick's going to average 20 yards a completion against Ithaca's secondary. Somehow, Hartwick has managed to not convert on six extra points this season. Even if the rest of it were even, teams going against Ithaca with less than stellar special teams rarely get good results. Bombers win 30-13.

Frostburg vs. Fisher-- Ugh. This thing will get ugly quick. Fisher 48-7

Alfred vs. Buff State-- After a no-show against UW-W, the Bengals looked flat for 55 minutes against Ithaca, and then lost a heartbreaker. If they're down two defensive lineman against Alfred (two players were ejected from the last game. I don't know the conference rules in full, but if Buff State's "kicker" plays Saturday, I'll be really angry) and Casey Kacz is as banged up as he looked, I think the Bengals will fall to 2-3. The one caveat is that the Saxons have started very slowly the last couple weeks. Still, with the game in Alfred, and a big time playmaker at QB, I like the Saxons, 31-16

Salisbury at Utica-- Saving the best for last. I am really, really, interested in this game. Utica's at home, with an extra week to prepare for a tricky offense, and they didn't exactly roll over for Hobart two weeks ago. Sure, they've allowed 70 and 63 points against Salisbury the last two seasons, but the Gulls are averaging just 22 points a game this season, and the triple option is clearly not at the level it was those years. Upset special: Pioneers 31-28, and a week of endless debate as to if this win means they've arrived or if Salisbury is just down.

Pep just visited the Empire 8 website and, lo and behold, there's this thing called the "E8 Ejection Policy":

I. Ejection/Disqualification Policy
a. Any Empire 8 student-athlete or coach that is ejected from an athletic contest (conference or non-conference) will be suspended from the team's next contest (conference or non-conference). If the contest is the last game of the season, the individual will sit out the first contest of the next season. In sports where playing rules require the individual miss the next game when ejected (i.e. soccer) an additional game suspension will not be implemented by the conference. In situations when the coach is the only first responder, they may be permitted to be at the site of play when they serve their suspension, but not to coach, with permission granted from the conference office.

The student-athlete/coach can file for an appeal following the guidelines in the Empire 8 Code of Conduct Violations and Sanction Process (Section IV). A member institution may overturn the game suspension if they provide the conference office a letter signed by their President or a President's Designee expressing their plan to waive the suspension. In the event a member plans to appeal or overturn a suspension, they must immediately notify the conference office of its intent. When this intent has been expressed, the member will be provided two (2) business days for the appeal/waiver to be filed before the coach or athlete is required to serve the suspension. The coach and/or student-athlete may participate in any athletic contests during this two business day period only if the intent has been presented to the conference office. If the member does not intend to appeal a suspension, the coach and/or student-athlete's suspension shall be imposed immediately. A member Athletic Director and/or President has the ability to increase a sanction related to ejection at their discretion. The conference office also has the ability to increase a sanction depending on its nature and severity.

II. Sanctions
Individual members will have the first opportunity to discipline their staff members and student-athletes for code violations, with the exception of the ejection policy. If the institution chooses not to discipline a staff member or student-athlete for a code violation, the matter will be handled by the conference office (Commissioner, Sanction Committee, President or Presidents Council) for action. Violations of the "Code" may result in a warning or suspension from Empire 8 competition. Sanction decisions of the assigned bodies will be furnished within five (5) business days of the receipt of the request. Any one or more of the following actions may take place:
a. Letter to institutional President and Athletic Director
b. Contest(s) suspension for the individual(s) involved
c. Ineligibility of coaches/athletes for all-conference honors
d. Disqualification of an institution for a period of time from serving as a host institution for one or more Empire 8 Championships
e. Suspension from Empire 8 post-season play
f. Suspension from consideration of the conference Automatic Qualifier for NCAA competition
g. Financial penalties that may not exceed $400 for any single sanction or $1,200 for cumulative sanctions. Financial penalties must be voted upon by the Presidents Council.

III. Appeals
A written request to appeal the Sanction Committee's decision must be provided in writing to the Commissioner within two (2) business days from the date of the decision regarding the case (as noted on the letter informing the decision of the penalty). The appealing party may provide any additional documentation or supporting evidence it deems appropriate and relevant with its appeal. The Empire 8 President and Commissioner will hear and rule on all appeals. The decision of the appeal will be provided to the appealing party within five (5) business days of the receipt of the formal appeal.

So, there's the E8 Ejection Policy...the E8 takes sportsmanship pretty seriously. Will be interesting to see what happens.

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Okay, Pep's just talking to himself here, but Pep is trying to do some research on 1. Alfred's greatest comeback, and, 2. the "greatest comebacks" in D3.
From Pep's analysis of the annals, saterday night's exiting win at Brockport State was Alfred's greatest comeback win ever.

And, unless others can come up with anything better, it appears that Salisbury's 34-33 win over Randolph-Macon back in 1984 was the greatest D3 football comeback win, with the Seagulls rallying from a 33-0 deficit.

Pep recalls the Alfred-Fordham game of 1971 when the Saxons rolled up a 33-0 halftime lead, only to see a young QB come off the bench and rally the Rams to what could have been a 34-33 win...but the Saxons blocked the PAT, leaving the game tied at 33-33. The Saxons then drove to the winning touchdown in the last minute, and added a safety for a 42-33 win.

Stay tuned!

[AlfredSaxon8]

Okay, Pep's just talking to himself here, but Pep is trying to do some research on 1. Alfred's greatest comeback, and, 2. the "greatest comebacks" in D3.
From Pep's analysis of the annals, saterday night's exiting win at Brockport State was Alfred's greatest comeback ever.

And, unless others can come up with anything better, it appears that Salisbury's 34-33 win over Randolph-Macon back in 1984 was the greatest D3 football comeback win, with the Seagulls rallying from a 33-0 deficit.

Pep recalls the Alfred-Fordham game of 1971 when the Saxons rolled up a 33-0 halftime lead, only to see a young QB come off the bench and rally the Rams to what could have been a 34-33 win...but the Saxons blocked the PAT, leaving the game tied at 33-33. The Saxons then drove to the winning touchdown in the last minute, and added a safety for a 42-33 win.

Stay tuned!

We had a pretty good comeback in the ECAC game against U of R in 06 or 07. Cant remember the deficit but it was a nice comeback that resulted in an OT win.

[AlfredSaxon8]

I watched the first half of the AU-Brockport game and gave up at half.  I just read the final score about 5 minutes ago and couldn't believe it!!  WOW!!  I'm planning on traveling to the Hartwick game at home.  Hope to see you there Pep.

Hey Sarge! I was blessed to (be in a wedding and) miss the first half but saw most of the second half (excepting the Bain INT, when Pep lost internet connection for some unknown reason). Pep will be looking through the record books to see if that was AU's biggest comeback win...

On Saxon Warriors!

Pep, can you get the stat's from the miracle at Geneva, Hobart game - Fall 1971 ?  Not quite as many points but comeback made in a lot less time.

Off the top of Pep's head, in the "Miracle at Geneva" in 1971, AU was down 21-7 and in a 4th and plenty from their own 24 yard line with 6 minutes and change to go....Bob Young, out of punt formation, tossed a pass to his unchecked WR brother Charley, who went 76 yards for a TD to pull AU to within 21-14. AU stopped Hobart then proceeded to drive probably 60+ yards for the tying score. At that time, it was like "kissing your sister" as there was no OT, but (the legendary) Alex said, "We're gonna score again." The winning TD came in the last minute. Pep was there.

Pep checked records and, aside from the Miracle at Geneva, the best Saxon comeback win he can see was against the University of Rochester back in 2006 when AU came from down 34-19 to tie the game and go on to win in OT, 40-34. So saterday night's comeback win arguably was the biggest comeback win in AU's storied 118-year football history.

Stay tuned!

Just read this post, you answered my question before I asked it!

[bleedpurple]

I know it's not even in the East Region, but without a crazy comeback, UW-W's part in the "purple" national landscape may have been short-lived. Down 28 to 10 in the 4th Quarter at LaCrosse in 2007, the Warhawks came back to win the game and went on to win their first National Championship.  Here is a video chronicling "The Comeback". The hit on the UW-L QB at the 4:46 mark of the video is still remembered by many as important of a play as any during the entire UW-W Stagg Bowl run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kCFi7zB20o

[AUPepBand]

I know it's not even in the East Region, but without a crazy comeback, UW-W's part in the "purple" national landscape may have been short-lived. Down 28 to 10 in the 4th Quarter at LaCrosse in 2007, the Warhawks came back to win the game and went on to win their first National Championship.  Here is a video chronicling "The Comeback". The hit on the UW-L QB at the 4:46 mark of the video is still remembered by many as important of a play as any during the entire UW-W Stagg Bowl run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kCFi7zB20o

Thanks for that, bleedpurple....+K 

[Bombers798891]

The Bombers have never had a comeback greater than 14 points. They've erased bigger deficits (19 against Brockport comes to mind) but wound up losing all those games.

So I guess last year's Union game is probably the biggest, considering they trailed by 14 with 6:23 to go*, though they needed overtime to finish it off. Ithaca also trailed Fisher by 14 with 10:10 to go in the 4th and won in OT

Side note: I know it makes for better drama, but I really hate the way stories write comebacks. In football, they often use the last play before the touchdown and say "They trailed by 14 with 2:49 to go." That's true, of course, but it sort of paints an incomplete picture in my mind of how the comeback went.

[ExTartanPlayer]

The Bombers have never had a comeback greater than 14 points. They've erased bigger deficits (19 against Brockport comes to mind) but wound up losing all those games.

So I guess last year's Union game is probably the biggest, considering they trailed by 14 with 6:23 to go*, though they needed overtime to finish it off. Ithaca also trailed Fisher by 14 with 10:10 to go in the 4th and won in OT

Side note: I know it makes for better drama, but I really hate the way stories write comebacks. In football, they often use the last play before the touchdown and say "They trailed by 14 with 2:49 to go." That's true, of course, but it sort of paints an incomplete picture in my mind of how the comeback went.

Agreed!  I've always thought it made more sense to either do what you did OR say something like "Ithaca scored with 2:49 to go to cut the 14-point lead to seven, but still needed..."