FB: Empire 8

[ExTartanPlayer]

Brockport released their schedule today.
http://www.gobrockport.com/schedule.aspx?path=football
Open w Oberlin OH. Not sure how they swung that. Oberlin is a not very good program out of the NJAC..small private college..almost opposite of Brockport..(largish PE centered state school)
Should be almost a scrimmage type deal for them to prepare for Games 2 and 3 : heavies Cortland and SJF. 2 huge games early in the season. Looks like the Courage Bowl game will be a 6 pm kickoff at Brockport.  Then another night game @ Utica. Home vs Frostburg (breather ?) and back to back road games at Hartwick (meh) and Alfred (good one). Home against IC (always tough) and then they drew the short straw w a long azz trip to Salisbury in Nov. Finish up @ home vs Buff St in the I 90 Bowl.
Good..balanced schedule.
The things that stand out to me are Cortland and SJF right off the bat (Game 2 and 3); 2 straight night games (SJF and Utica); and  a "Perfect Storm" trip to the Grand Banks (or Flemish Cap) of the E8....a Nov road trip to Salisbury.

PS..long time HC Rocco Salomone to be the new DC at Susquehanna PA. They were 1-9 last year..oof..good luck.

I am sure you meant NCAC, but a couple year's back Oberlin upset a very good Wabash team and kept them from the playoffs, so Brockport better bring their "A" game. I think the matchup against Oberlin is actually a good thing, even though it is the first game of the season, it gives us the few cross matchups between regions. As far as the trip to Salisbury, Brockport has been there before and won the last time they played in Salisbury. I think that game could go either way, you may face an option attack that has found itself or an attack that isn't doing so well. I like the game against SJF for homecoming, that should be very exciting.

Oberlin is a bit of an oddball that can't really be judged on record alone.  Yes, they've lingered around the middle-bottom part of the NCAC for the last several years, but they've been hamstrung more by a lack of depth than anything (they've had 35-40 players on the roster the last few seasons).  They have had some very good individual players (2012 QB Mandel and WR Witjes could have played for anybody in D3) and pulled off some impressive wins (last year, they beat Case Western handily in the season opener; as D3MAFAN recalled, in 2012 they pulled a shocking upset of a good Wabash team - at Wabash - and kept them out of the playoffs; in 2011 they almost beat Wabash a week after playing the second half of the CWRU game with a running clock because they were out of healthy offensive linemen).

Point is, they're not a typical underachieving-stuck-in-the-muck program, but really a program that makes an awful lot out of limited talent and resources (their NCAC peers really ought to be burying Oberlin, but they're not, Oberlin manages to win a couple every year).  With their depth issues, they're kind of a high-ceiling, low-floor team.  If they're totally healthy and gunning for you, they're dangerous.  They will return an excellent QB and two solid RB's from last season's team; as always, line depth will be an issue.  Should Brockport win this game handily?  Probably, yes.  But Oberlin is a team that the NCAC folks have learned never to count out.  It remains to be seen if this will continue, as their HC resigned after last season after a few years of consistently putting a surprisingly-competitive team on the field with just 40 or so guys.

[Jonny Utah]

Ithaca released its football schedule. No surprises with opponents, given the conference reshuffling. But no PA teams on the schedule is a rarity, especially given how the Bombers recruit there and get good players from the state. I know they can still recruit it, I'm just surprised.

Four of the first five at home, four of the last five on the road, including the final three. The Bombers have not had a lot of success with these setups in the past. (Who can forget last year's Hartwick debacle?). But I've also never been a fan of them. Since I don't go to road games, it almost feels like the season is over after seven weeks.

It was either Union or Moravian. Although, Ithaca recruits in PA. I think playing against Union is a better matchup, definitely looking at both teams historically. Other than that, playing a PA school other than that of Muhlenberg, Delaware Valley, and Lebanon Valley, it doesn't help the program improve its schedule. Now going back to recruiting, it may hurt next years upcoming class, but not this years, especially after a solid season from the Bombers and a good showing in the playoffs. Also, Frostburg State is nothing but 10-15 minutes from PA, so they may consider them their PA team this year.

I think playing in the albany area is much more important than playing anywhere else, but i think the recruiting advantage would be small either way.

[rams1102]

Just curious, the Montclair schedule came out and Alfred was not on the schedule. I thought it would be a home and hoe series.

[AUPepBand]

Just curious, the Montclair schedule came out and Alfred was not on the schedule. I thought it would be a home and hoe series.

Who you calling a hoe? 

Pep doesn't recall whether it was a two-year contract but rather is thinking it was a one-year deal to help each team to get a 10th game. Last Pep knew, the Saxons have only nine games for 2014 with two available dates in the 11-week scheduling window, Week 1 and not sure the other one....early October(?)

On Saxon Warriors!

[Pat Coleman]

Yep, the other open date is Oct. 11:
http://www.d3football.com/teams/Alfred/2014/index

[AUPepBand]

Yep, the other open date is Oct. 11:
http://www.d3football.com/teams/Alfred/2014/index

How do you do this, Pat? Last I knew the 2014 schedule wasn't posted. Heck, the AU athletic department secretary a week or so ago gave me the schedule but could not verify start times. And here you had the answer to my question. Incredible. Thank you!

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Yep, the other open date is Oct. 11:
http://www.d3football.com/teams/Alfred/2014/index

Just wondering, Pat, whether the "Open Dates" on the website are up to date. Saw that Birmingham Southern, Rowan, Wesley, Case (they seem to be looking for games every week), Newport News and Chicago (listed twice) have open dates. Also not sure whether those teams already have 10 games. Just asking...wondering whether there's any chance of the Saxons getting a 10th game (and perhaps even another home game).

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Yeah, so, since it's been nearly a month since my last post, which generated all sorts of silence on these boards, Pep is happy to say that yesterday, five Alfred Saxon football players showed up at Pep's house to assist with spring yard clean-up. Good bunch. Got so much work done...just in time for a nice spring rain.

And, on another note, the AU Pep Band held a pizza/wing party earlier this evening, compliments of AU President Charley Edmondson, in thanks for our support and contribution to the success of the Saxon football team. Thanks, Charley!

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Saxons receive a Pool C bid to the NCAA Championships (in softball)! #2 seed AU will be playing Friday against #3 seed Messiah College in the University of Rochester Regional where #1 seed UR plays #4 seed Marywood University.

The invite came two days after the Saxons, trailing Utica 8-4 going into the bottom of the 7th inning and staring at elimination from the E8 Tournament at Ithaca, rallied for five runs to beat the Pioneers 9-8. AU then shut out host Ithaca 1-0, setting up Sunday's rematch for the E8 title. Ithaca prevailed, 8-0, and, with the E8 AQ  hosts an NCAA Regional. Bombers, as #1 seed will first play #4 Penn State-Altoona, while #2 Rowan plays #3 SUNY-Oneonta.

Should the Saxons and Bombers prevail in their Regionals, they would meet again in the SuperRegionals. The Bombers hold a 3-2 edge on the Saxons in their 2014 meetings.

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

It ain't Saterday today but nevertheless Pep is exited to wish Nick Gatto a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

On Saxon Warriors!

[D3viewer]

Looks like Dave Murray is leaving Alfred to take the HC job at Hamilton. Interesting to say the least.
Does Puccio take over ?

[Bombers798891]

Looks like Dave Murray is leaving Alfred to take the HC job at Hamilton. Interesting to say the least.
Does Puccio take over ?

Is there a source for this?

[AUPepBand]

Looks like Dave Murray is leaving Alfred to take the HC job at Hamilton. Interesting to say the least.
Does Puccio take over ?

Is there a source for this?

http://gosaxons.com/news/2014/5/13/FB_0513140644.aspx?path=football

Official release from Alfred University....guess one can't find a better source than the horse itself!

[AUPepBand]

Here it is, copied and pasted:

ALFRED, NY – Dave Murray has resigned his position of head football coach at Alfred University to take over the same post at Hamilton College, effective June 1.

"I want to thank Coach Murray for the tremendous job he has done in building a championship caliber football program here at AU," said Paul Vecchio, Director of Athletics. "His efforts on behalf of Saxon football cannot be overstated and we wish him and his family nothing but the best. I will move quickly to find his successor and the expectations of our football program to compete for Empire 8 championships and to earn a place in the NCAA tournament field each and every year will not waver."

Murray was appointed the Saxons' head coach prior to the 1998 season. In 16 seasons at AU, he had a record of 108-60, with his 108 coaching victories second only to Alex Yunevich on the school's all-time list. A three-time Empire 8 Conference Coach of the year, Murray led the Saxons to two Empire 8 championships and two NCAA Division III championship appearances (2009 and 2010).

[AUPepBand]

Looks like Dave Murray is leaving Alfred to take the HC job at Hamilton. Interesting to say the least.
Does Puccio take over ?

Pep hasn't had a chance to talk with Paul Vecchio but would surmise that Puccio might be named "interim" head coach in the interim.

Nevertheless, a sad day in Saxonville. 

Murray nearly took the Hamilton job two years ago.

Sixteen years at Alfred...108-60...an outstanding stint...second only to (legendary) Alex Yunevich, a long-time College Football Hall of Fame nominee (177-85-12)...who Pep believes would be in the hall if his last name didn't start with "Y" (near the end of the alphabet).

Took over a program that had dipped to a long-time low of 2-8 in 1997 to become a consistent winner, but always gives credit to the "great kids" that he has coached here at Alfred.

Pep will miss Dave Murray in Mayberry.

On Saxon Warriors!