FB: Empire 8

[AUPepBand]

Looks like Rankl at AU has hired an OC. Puccio must be out (at least as OC). Scott Linn spent 5 years at Hartwick coaching every defensive position and was asst Hc there his last season.
Spent last season at Rhodes (TN) as DB ST Coord. Coached RB's at AU a few years back (Vinson Hendrix).
Rankl is obviously familiar with him.

Now that he's seen a pic, Pep remembers Scott Linn as a graduate assistant at AU in 2007 and 2008. He came to AU from Albion College where he played fullback four seasons. Puccio along with Josh Miller, Pep would add, went with Murray to Hamilton. Rankl has three full-time assistants to hire and it appears Linn is first to sign on with the Saxons.

On Saxon Warriors!

[sjfcards]

Okay, it's June 4 and Pep has already read Lindy's football magazine (Fisher fans won't like his D3 Top 25) and Pat's story in the USA Today Football Magazine (Fisher, Pep thinks, is in at #10 in the land)...and is thinking that maybe it's time to get some chatter on the E8 boards. Here's Pep's prediction on how the 2014 season will pan out:

Ithaca Salisbury SJF Brockport Buff State Alfred Frostburg Utica Hartwick all tied for first (and last) with 4-4 conference records. Discuss! 

On Saxon Warriors!

Once we get past the whole "Lindy's doesn't really follow D-III football like Pat and the guys do" angle, which is totally valid, one of the things which I think hurts Fisher, at least recently, is that their regular season seems to stand in contrast to their postseason.

Last year Fisher was 5-2, and trailing 20-0 at home to Utica. They looked pretty dead in the water, and if I recall, there were some Fisher fans wondering if perhaps the Cardinals should start Naton for the rest of the season to get a jump on next year. Naturally, they rallied to win that game, stomped Alfred in what might have been a Pool C play in game, and then played extremely well in the postseason, even giving UMHB a scare.

In 2011, they had an 8-2 regular season where the two losses were butt kickings, and a couple of the wins (Buff State, Ithaca) were nailbiters. I saw them barely able to beat the worst IC team in 40 years. We heard endlessly about the "running back playing quarterback". Naturally, they wound up in the final 8 again, because Fisher.

I think the problem is, Fisher spends half the year underachieving and looking like a team that won't even make the playoffs, and the other half looking like a team absolutely no one wants to play. So at the end of the year, the people who don't follow D-III football closely see a 3-loss team and slot them accordingly. Is that fair? No. Is it surprising? No.

Honestly, while I get Salisbury's just a bad matchup for them, I have no idea why these Fisher teams that wind up being really good randomly struggle so much in the regular season. How could they take Dan Juvan to the cleaners every year, but need overtime to beat Jason Hendel? Why in the world are they trailing 20-0 at home to a 3-7 Utica team? Why did they turn the ball over 32 times against IC last year?

We know better than to doubt Fisher, and that usually, the Cardinals are better than they look in Week 7. I question if others do the same

A little late to the conversation, but I wanted to throw in my thoughts on this. As a Fisher fan you hit on the most frustrating part of every fall. The lack of respect seems crazy to is Fisher fans because we watch week in and week out, but to an outside observer (or just an unbiased one) last years tema could be described as a team that snuck in and got hot at the right time. Add to that the snow against JCU and there is reason to doubt.

It is not just the playoff teams either. The 2010 team was IMHO the best team Fisher had and they found a way to lose 2 of their last 3 and miss the playoffs altogether.

Despite being one of the top teams around for several years now, those losses seem to keep non-Fisher people from believing. I can't say they are wrong, but if Fisher can ever put it together for a full run it would love to see where they end up at the end of the year.

[fisheralum91]

Cards,
Lets hope that all of the pieces come together this year.
Remove as many distractions as possible, focus on the goal and attain it.
The first few games will be telling!

[sjfcards]

Has anyone confirmed that Fenti is coming back? I know that was the word last year, but I don't know that we ever heard an official yes or no. Just that he was eligible.

[Bombers798891]

A little late to the conversation, but I wanted to throw in my thoughts on this. As a Fisher fan you hit on the most frustrating part of every fall. The lack of respect seems crazy to is Fisher fans because we watch week in and week out, but to an outside observer (or just an unbiased one) last years tema could be described as a team that snuck in and got hot at the right time. Add to that the snow against JCU and there is reason to doubt.

It is not just the playoff teams either. The 2010 team was IMHO the best team Fisher had and they found a way to lose 2 of their last 3 and miss the playoffs altogether.

Despite being one of the top teams around for several years now, those losses seem to keep non-Fisher people from believing. I can't say they are wrong, but if Fisher can ever put it together for a full run it would love to see where they end up at the end of the year.

This is probably the answer, right?

http://www.d3football.com/top25/2006/final

I'd be tempted to categorize their loss to Springfield that year as a game they should have won, but, given their struggles against Salisbury, I feel like this might just be a program that struggles with option teams. Also, that was a really, really, good Springfield team (on turf).

If I were an outside observer, I'd probably categorize Fisher more as "A team I don't want to see in the playoffs" as opposed to a perennial power, which is where they could be had the regular seasons of 2010, 2011, and 2013 played out more to the team's true ability.

[Bombers798891]

Since it's really slow on the boards, and Cards' recent post got me thinking, I'll throw out a question: You can change the outcome of any one regular-season game your team has played since the dawn of the E8 autobid era (2004). What game do you pick?

[boobyhasgameyo]

A little late to the conversation, but I wanted to throw in my thoughts on this. As a Fisher fan you hit on the most frustrating part of every fall. The lack of respect seems crazy to is Fisher fans because we watch week in and week out, but to an outside observer (or just an unbiased one) last years tema could be described as a team that snuck in and got hot at the right time. Add to that the snow against JCU and there is reason to doubt.

It is not just the playoff teams either. The 2010 team was IMHO the best team Fisher had and they found a way to lose 2 of their last 3 and miss the playoffs altogether.

Despite being one of the top teams around for several years now, those losses seem to keep non-Fisher people from believing. I can't say they are wrong, but if Fisher can ever put it together for a full run it would love to see where they end up at the end of the year.

This is probably the answer, right?

http://www.d3football.com/top25/2006/final

I'd be tempted to categorize their loss to Springfield that year as a game they should have won, but, given their struggles against Salisbury, I feel like this might just be a program that struggles with option teams. Also, that was a really, really, good Springfield team (on turf).

If I were an outside observer, I'd probably categorize Fisher more as "A team I don't want to see in the playoffs" as opposed to a perennial power, which is where they could be had the regular seasons of 2010, 2011, and 2013 played out more to the team's true ability.

I'd say that is pretty accurate. 

[sjfcards]

Since it's really slow on the boards, and Cards' recent post got me thinking, I'll throw out a question: You can change the outcome of any one regular-season game your team has played since the dawn of the E8 autobid era (2004). What game do you pick?

That is a really good question. For me it would probably be the loss to AU in 2010. I really thought that was a good Fisher team and if they had gotten past AU they probably would have gotten into the playoffs, and done what Fisher does when they get there.

The other games that come to mind iate the loss to Norwich in 2004, which probably kept Fisher from a higher seeding and avoiding a good Del Val team, or the loss to IC in 2005. That one still stings and if Fisher wins that game, they are probably in the playoffs as a one loss team.

Maybe another option would be the loss to IC in 2003, but I am not sure that team makes the playoffs even with a win over a good IC team.

Once I started typing they just kept coming to me. Maybe all of them is the right answer.

[ITH radio]

As a Hobart grad I can attest to SJF being a tough matchup in the playoffs.

Any E8 teams switching to those UA "renegade" unis this fall?

[Bombers798891]

There are two for me.

The first, obviously, was Fisher in 2004. That was Mike Welch's best team, and if they win that game, I think they do some real damage in the playoffs. They were deep everywhere, but they blew the end of the Fisher game.

How about Fisher 2008? What happens if that Ithaca team is 10-0? Do they get that elusive East #1, avoid Curry and make a deep run?

[Upstate]

Since it's really slow on the boards, and Cards' recent post got me thinking, I'll throw out a question: You can change the outcome of any one regular-season game your team has played since the dawn of the E8 autobid era (2004). What game do you pick?

For me it's the 31-28 2007 loss to team Boltus...

The way that game ended really doesn't sit well. You either extend the game or keep doing what got you there...

I'm ok with going for the win on the road at the time but bringing in a cold back up QB to run the wildcat and taking the ball out of Kramer's hand's was inexcusable...

They should have finished 10-0 and could have kept MUC out of the bracket...

[fisheralum91]

Upstate completely took my thunder on that one.
I traveled down to Oneonta and met up with the "Dr.s" to have what should have been a solid win to push us over the edge and get the No. 1 seed in the east.
To this day- and after many many discussions with players and parents there is division on the call to go for it....
I ruined my alumni hat that evening as i threw it in disgust into the side of the hill at that dump.
Damn you Hartwick.....Damn you to hell!

[AUPepBand]

Pep is thinking the 28-14 loss at Ithaca in 2005 is one that he'd like back (and perhaps Gatto would like that post back as well). A pick-6 gave the Saxons some hope in the third quarter (and a 14-13 lead). A couple of coverage lapses and the Bombers rally for the win and go 6-0 in the E8. The 13-7 win at Fisher the next week should have gotten AU in the dance, but an error-riddled 36-22 opening season loss at Washington & Lee was a blot on the AU resume.

AU had a sick defense that year with LB Brenton Brady dominating opposing offenses.  The AU offense, with Fisher reject QB Paul Keeley, Elmer "The Train" Newsome and elusive RB (Me And) Julio (Down by the Goal Line) Fuentes, TE Chris Reger....was more potent than previous Saxon squads.

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Alfred bringing in 86 recruits for the 2014 season:
http://www.gosaxons.com/news/2014/6/25/FB_0625144118.aspx?path=football

Head Coach Bob Rankl appoints former AU GA and Hartwick Assistant Scott Linn to his staff:
http://www.gosaxons.com/news/2014/6/25/FB_0625145540.aspx

On Saxon Warriors!

[dahlby]

AUPepBand,
How is the pep band looking for this year! You should post some videos of them this year.
Good luck to your team and most importantly, your band!