FB: Empire 8

[Mr. Ypsi]

SU is very, very fast on defense. Fisher needs to be hitting on all cylinders Saterday.

Totally agree. To me the game comes down to the Fisher offense vs. SU defense. My gut tells me the Fisher defense will do enough to keep them in the game, so the question is if Fisher can score against the SU D, to force Salisbury into situations they are not comfortable in. A few early touchdowns will put pressure on Salisbury to pass the ball to stay in the game.

It seems to me Fisher has struggled to build leads against teams until later in the game, so they may have to flip that script to come away with a win this weekend.

I think it is clearly the game of the week in conference, so hopefully it is a good one.

Aside from St. Thomas @ Bethel (and possibly UW-Plattesville @ UW Stevens Point) I think this is the game of the week nationally.

[AUPepBand]

Wow. Just returned from my annual Vegas vacation and my BENGALS are now 2-4!   Looks like we will have to run the table to finish .500. Not sure what happened this past Saturday but at least it didnt come down to the last minute.

Back home next week to face Frostburg.

Go BENGALS!!!

The Bengals left everything they had at Yunevich Stadium. After digging a 20-0 hole, they fought back and TWICE were within a PAT of winning the game. Both times, AU somehow found a way to block it. The Bengals were pumped after their first two outings...Whitewater knocked them down, but losing to Pep's Saxons after a tremendous effort had to have been disheartening.

Meanwhile, Pep is wondering whether the Saxons can come back from a lackluster mediocre performance at Butterfield where it appeared the Bombers were wearing cleats and the Saxons were in sneakers. (Pep's side yard pick-up football games were oft spoiled by the "jock" who showed up wearing cleats and totally dominated the play, while us guys in sneakers just got pushed around a lot.

On Saxon Warriors!

[Saxon73]

Pep,

I am curious as to your thoughts on the Saxon running game.  As I understood there was several returning linemen and of course, the three returning more than capable, running backs.  It seems we would be seeing a more effective ground game.  I admit I am not as knowledgeable on the overall subject and would appreciate your insight.   

[sjfcards]

Does anyone have the link to the video feed of Fisher/Salisbury? I can't find it on the E8tv page.

[MrCardinal]

Does anyone have the link to the video feed of Fisher/Salisbury? I can't find it on the E8tv page.

I can't find video link anywhere.  All I have it Gene and Pete here http://player.tritonmedia.com/entercom/WROCAM

[boobyhasgameyo]

Fisher loses in a tough one to Salisbury.  Final score SU 42 Fisher 35. 

It's disappointing to me how slighted Salisbury has been this year.  New QB in an unconventional offense loses in a close one to a decent Christopher Newport team during week 1.  It happens - option teams can dramatically improve as the players become more comfortable in the offense.  Then they lose a game they clearly should have won on a 4th and forever hail mary pass against Wesley.  99 times out of 100 they win that game. 

Those are their blemishes.  They absolutely steam rolled their first two E8 opponents.  I still maintain that had the Wesley hail mary not been completed, this matchup would have been between #19 Fisher and somewhere inside the top 15 Salisbury.  Instead Fisher was really in a minimal gain/lots to lose position heading into today. 

If they win?  Well Salisbury has 3 losses and clearly they aren't that great.  If they lose?  Well Salisbury is probably pretty decent after all.  Let's put them at like #23 and maybe Fisher even drops out of the top 25 altogether.  I just think Salisbury is a lot better than they have been getting credit for this year.  Fisher didn't lose to just a fair team today. 

[D3MAFAN]

Fisher loses in a tough one to Salisbury.  Final score SU 42 Fisher 35. 

It's disappointing to me how slighted Salisbury has been this year.  New QB in an unconventional offense loses in a close one to a decent Christopher Newport team during week 1.  It happens - option teams can dramatically improve as the players become more comfortable in the offense.  Then they lose a game they clearly should have won on a 4th and forever hail mary pass against Wesley.  99 times out of 100 they win that game. 

Those are their blemishes.  They absolutely steam rolled their first two E8 opponents.  I still maintain that had the Wesley hail mary not been completed, this matchup would have been between #19 Fisher and somewhere inside the top 15 Salisbury.  Instead Fisher was really in a minimal gain/lots to lose position heading into today. 

If they win?  Well Salisbury has 3 losses and clearly they aren't that great.  If they lose?  Well Salisbury is probably pretty decent after all.  Let's put them at like #23 and maybe Fisher even drops out of the top 25 altogether.  I just think Salisbury is a lot better than they have been getting credit for this year.  Fisher didn't lose to just a fair team today.

I think it would be so bias of the pollsters to drop SJF out of the Top 25, as you aforementioned, Salisbury is actually a Top 25 team as SJF. However, because of the poor showing in the region in the playoffs, it is already assumed our good teams aren't as good compared than other regions good teams.

[gterror]

Fisher loses in a tough one to Salisbury.  Final score SU 42 Fisher 35. 

It's disappointing to me how slighted Salisbury has been this year.  New QB in an unconventional offense loses in a close one to a decent Christopher Newport team during week 1.  It happens - option teams can dramatically improve as the players become more comfortable in the offense.  Then they lose a game they clearly should have won on a 4th and forever hail mary pass against Wesley.  99 times out of 100 they win that game. 

Those are their blemishes.  They absolutely steam rolled their first two E8 opponents.  I still maintain that had the Wesley hail mary not been completed, this matchup would have been between #19 Fisher and somewhere inside the top 15 Salisbury.  Instead Fisher was really in a minimal gain/lots to lose position heading into today. 

If they win?  Well Salisbury has 3 losses and clearly they aren't that great.  If they lose?  Well Salisbury is probably pretty decent after all.  Let's put them at like #23 and maybe Fisher even drops out of the top 25 altogether.  I just think Salisbury is a lot better than they have been getting credit for this year.  Fisher didn't lose to just a fair team today.

I think what goes unnoticed too much is the loss of O linemen.  SU lost about 3 very good OL going into this year.  So in addition to a new QB, new super back/full back and slot backs; they also had a lot of new parts overall.  It is still a bit of work in progress, but they are starting to gel.  The defense got ripped today in the passing game, but has looked very good to this point.

The first game vs Newport was a competitive game, but there were a lot of things to work out overall.  Credit to Newport they had a great game plan and the big guys up front on their DL were beasts.  They also held the ball almost the entire 2nd half.

IMO this loss takes nothing away from Fisher.  I wouldn't be surprised if they won the conference or at minimum still make the playoffs as an At Large.

[dewcrew88]

Why this conference is so good, any team can give another a real scare on any day.

[dewcrew88]

UC starting drive at their own 3

[pumkinattack]

Fisher loses in a tough one to Salisbury.  Final score SU 42 Fisher 35. 

It's disappointing to me how slighted Salisbury has been this year.  New QB in an unconventional offense loses in a close one to a decent Christopher Newport team during week 1.  It happens - option teams can dramatically improve as the players become more comfortable in the offense.  Then they lose a game they clearly should have won on a 4th and forever hail mary pass against Wesley.  99 times out of 100 they win that game. 

Those are their blemishes.  They absolutely steam rolled their first two E8 opponents.  I still maintain that had the Wesley hail mary not been completed, this matchup would have been between #19 Fisher and somewhere inside the top 15 Salisbury.  Instead Fisher was really in a minimal gain/lots to lose position heading into today. 

If they win?  Well Salisbury has 3 losses and clearly they aren't that great.  If they lose?  Well Salisbury is probably pretty decent after all.  Let's put them at like #23 and maybe Fisher even drops out of the top 25 altogether.  I just think Salisbury is a lot better than they have been getting credit for this year.  Fisher didn't lose to just a fair team today.

While I think Sals is a good team, this analysis may take a beating if Rowan holds onto their 17-3 lead over Wesley early in the 4th quarter.

[AUKaz00]

Final from Mayberry, 49-28 Saxons.  Outside of turnovers, there was very little defense for the first three quarters today.  I wouldn't be surprised if we decided to change our name, since the normal D has been missing from the Saxons so far this year.

[boobyhasgameyo]

Fisher loses in a tough one to Salisbury.  Final score SU 42 Fisher 35. 

It's disappointing to me how slighted Salisbury has been this year.  New QB in an unconventional offense loses in a close one to a decent Christopher Newport team during week 1.  It happens - option teams can dramatically improve as the players become more comfortable in the offense.  Then they lose a game they clearly should have won on a 4th and forever hail mary pass against Wesley.  99 times out of 100 they win that game. 

Those are their blemishes.  They absolutely steam rolled their first two E8 opponents.  I still maintain that had the Wesley hail mary not been completed, this matchup would have been between #19 Fisher and somewhere inside the top 15 Salisbury.  Instead Fisher was really in a minimal gain/lots to lose position heading into today. 

If they win?  Well Salisbury has 3 losses and clearly they aren't that great.  If they lose?  Well Salisbury is probably pretty decent after all.  Let's put them at like #23 and maybe Fisher even drops out of the top 25 altogether.  I just think Salisbury is a lot better than they have been getting credit for this year.  Fisher didn't lose to just a fair team today.

While I think Sals is a good team, this analysis may take a beating if Rowan holds onto their 17-3 lead over Wesley early in the 4th quarter.

I know what you are saying PA but it doesn't change what I said.  If Salisbury would have beaten a Wesley team that was then ranked in the top 5 and were 4-1 heading into today - they would have been a top 15 team entering this matchup.  That's what I meant. 

Comparative scores can be a dangerous game.  Especially this year with how crazy things have been.  For instance Salisbury and Hobart have a common opponent in Utica.  Hobart won 34-21 while Salisbury beat them 34-0.  Does that mean that Hobart would have lost to Wesley by a wider margin had they played?  Then that means that Rowan must be better than both Hobart and Wesley if they beat Wesley today. 

I don't believe any of that by the way.  I'm digressing anyway.  I just think with the way the polling typically works out if Salisbury were 4-1 with their only loss in week 1 against Christopher Newport they would be a fairly high ranked team already.     

[pumkinattack]

It's not a comparative score thing.  I don't think Wesley is the same top 5-6 team they've been the past number of years that can go toe to toe with MUC and UMHB, so a loss to them (Sals) is a little different than in past years - less dismissible.  I get the heuristic you are trying to portray and Fisher and Sals are both far better than anyone on Hobart's schedule this year, but I also think both Wesley and Sals are not as strong as in prior years, so the loss to Sals (and let's not forget it went from 21-14 to 42-28, a 28-7 run by Sals before the last minute TD by SJF) isn't quite as easy to waive off as you are portraying, IMO. 

Who cares, though.  This "soft" or qualitative analysis probably won't matter come pool C time if you can win the rest of your games in which you will be favored surely.  Take care of business and you probably get a pool C (especially if W&J finishes strong and wins the PAC).  I'm just not there on the case your making here and don't think it impacts the rest of your year now that the game is over.

At least you have a pool C shot.  If Hobart blows a game down the stretch they're staying home (and deservedly so) which would be a waste of a fairly good team.

[middlerelief]

I've always thought the E8 was one of the better conferences in D3, (MIAC I think is probably the best), partly because of diversity of champions, and E8 teams tend to do damage in the Tourney.  However, watching Salisbury roll through what appears for a third straight season, is giving me pause on that opinion. If E8 was as solid as I've always believed, you wouldn't have a team roll through it the way the Guls are.  Disappointing to say the least.