FB: Empire 8

[sjfcards]

I am watching the very end of the Cortland/Buff State game on TWC, and the announcers literally spent the last minute and a half of the game saying how it was a good win for Cortland, etc. Incredible win for Buff State.

[pg04]

Not only that, but I think Buffalo State has some sort of market on weird and exciting games. You never quite know what's going to happen with them.

This. I feel like no buff state game ever ends normally

It's been shown that they can be playing Whitewater or some bottom of the barrel team and it doesn't seem to matter!

[fisheralum91]

A wild finish to the opener for sure.

On another note...
Im not sure what to make of having a bye in the second week.
It seemed like Fisher got it going once they shook off the cobwebs and I want them to keep that stride - tough to do when you have a bye before courage bowl x
Chance to look at film is limited as there is only one game in the books (and maybe last years footage) and i would assume that there arent too many cards that are nicked up after one game.....

[boobyhasgameyo]

Mount Union has their bye week in the first or second week of the season every year - FWIW

[fisheralum91]

well then- lets hope it brings us the same result!

[sjfcards]

Mount Union has their bye week in the first or second week of the season every year - FWIW

If UMU does it, it works for me.

[Bombers798891]

Okay so this buff state cortland thing. Cortland has the ball, 3rd down, at the buff state 33 with 54 seconds to go. Forget the whole punt debacle for a second. They managed to lose 13 yards before that play. I just don't get it. Who's calling those plays? How paranoid about a fumble are you that you can't call a sneak or a dive, then punt it out of bounds at the 15? This seems like basic stuff. How little faith do you have in your players?

[wesleydad]

Totally agree Bombers.  I can not imagine how the coaches will get this offense to produce after this.  Why not, as you said, just run the offense.  I didn't look at the stats to see if there were fumbles during the game, but so what.  Your team should be able to run basic dives without fumbling.  Tough way to start a season.

On another note, great day for the E8 as a group.  I watched the Salisbury game and the offense does not look lost, but the defense will give up points.  I will see them live next week against Wesley.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Okay so this buff state cortland thing. Cortland has the ball, 3rd down, at the buff state 33 with 54 seconds to go. Forget the whole punt debacle for a second. They managed to lose 13 yards before that play. I just don't get it. Who's calling those plays? How paranoid about a fumble are you that you can't call a sneak or a dive, then punt it out of bounds at the 15? This seems like basic stuff. How little faith do you have in your players?

According to the box, they lost 8 yards (?!), then had a delay of game penalty. WTF?

I agree, it seems like a FB dive into the line would have kept the ball far enough out that Buff State would not have been able to kick the FG. I know you said setting the punt debacle aside...but I favor teams protecting a lead eschewing any sort of kick at the end of a game. I'd rather take my chances on an opponent hitting a 70 yard Hail Mary than risk a bad snap or blocked kick (both of which are probably more likely than a Hail Mary completion, especially at the D3 level).

[Upstate]

There's situational football and then there is hiding in a shell and hoping not to lose...

Too many coaches play not to lose football and are way too conservative. Stanford, for example, punted on USC's 29 yd line yesterday. THE TWENTY NINE!!! You do that and you deserve to lose...

Fisher went for it on 4th and 10 on OTTs 31 and threw a great timing route to Collochio for a TD! Trust your players to make a play...

Cortland played not to lose and then botched a relatively easy situational football play...

Just not a well thought out situation...

They had no business losing that game after they recovered the muffed Buff St punt...

[boobyhasgameyo]

Oh, my apologies to Frostburg since they won yesterday.  So if Hartwick can come from behind and win today then the E8 will have finished 9-0 after week 1.  But even if they don't win 8-1 still isn't half bad

[Upstate]

Annnnd Team Boltus scores 20 fourth quarter points to win 43-38!!!

[sjfcards]

Annnnd Team Boltus scores 20 fourth quarter points to win 43-38!!!

Wow, great day for the conference.

[ITH radio]

Garcia threw for over 400 yds and had 4 pass TDs. WR Williams had 13 catches for 255 yds and 3 tds.

Both teams came close to breaking 500 yds of total O.

E8 was undefeated in Wk 1. Pretty awesome.

[boobyhasgameyo]

I had a feeling that Hartwick would come back and win their game.  We may not have played against the elite teams of D3 but going 9-0 can't hurt any support for ranking the E8 as the #2 rated conference in the country! 

Also, I am pretty excited (incorrect spelling I know) about the Fisher wide receivers this year.  They look like they are going to be nasty.  Fenti is a good quarterback, not great, but it seems like on some of the deep throws all he has to do is throw it in the general vicinity of the receiver and hope for somebody like Nate N. to go up and get it.  I think they should have went deep more often yesterday.  Otterbein had no answer whatsoever.  I imagine that will be the case for a lot of teams facing Fisher this year, barring injury.