FB: Empire 8

[boobyhasgameyo]

I personally think Wesley scrimmaging against themselves would be much more beneficial when preparing for a D1 school.  I sincerely doubt it felt anything like a real game, so it's not like the backups were getting genuine real game experience. 

I personally felt like Fisher experienced some post Alfred State hangover this week.  I couldn't imagine what it would be like to go from that game to playing a team like Charlotte.  Luckily they have an extra week to forget about it. 

[Upstate]

The offense put up a season high 538 yards, the defense didn't allow 100yds rushing and of the 246 yards passing...half of it was on two plays.

They played well yesterday. They blocked a punt, Chambers had some good returns and they even punted well!

They let up two big plays on Defense and on Offense they got stuffed at the 1, Chambers had a fumble in his own end of the field. I'm not going to hold that INT against Fenti, it was the first of the year and he was taking a shot at the endzone after the blocked punt. He was being aggressive and going for the proverbial "Kill Shot" to put the game away.

You have to give Buff St credit though, they kept hanging around with big play after big play. They weren't really consistent on offense, it was mostly the QB playing backyard football and either chucking it deep or running around trying to make a play.

This is a team that beat IC and SU, so it's not like this was Hartwick or Alfred St.

Mistakes and big plays happen during every game and Fisher rebounded and had an answer for each one today.

[boobyhasgameyo]

Agreed on a lot of that Upstate, especially for the kill shot interception.  You could see they were going to try and swing momentum even further on that play, and I always ding them for their ultra conservative play calling.  So that was a nice attempt. 

Didn't realize that was their QB's first start at the college level?  Bengals, do you know if the previous starter was hurt or if they just made a switch? 

Maybe they felt like a mobile quarterback who could run some option plays would be the better play against Fisher.  If so, I think they were right.  He had wheels and it burned the Fisher D a few times. 

[D3viewer]

Congrats to Ithaca. Their defense lived up to it's rep and shut down the Brockport offense. Held the conf leading rusher to 81 yards and 2.8 yards a carry.
Surprised to see Tyrone Nichols not get any carries and then saw the roster and he's now a LB.but didn't play. On a colder day..thought maybe he being a bigger back would be a useful changeup to Andrews who is a tough runner, but not quite as big..more of a cut back slasher. Before last season.Nichols was highly touted by the coaching staff as being a big strong back who had a bright future. Guess not. They must think Shireem Cobb is better.
Last time Brockport played Ithaca in 2011 it was about 90 degrees out and Brockport couldn't run the ball with a young offensive line...3 years later in the cold.looks like not much has changed.
The big negative for Ithaca (despite their offense not being super effective either statistically) was giving up 6 sacks. Yikes.

[boobyhasgameyo]

What are Ithaca's strengths offensively and especially defensively?  The times I have watched them this year I thought their offensive line was fantastic, but allowing 6 sacks yesterday puts that into question.  Bombers, I'd be interested in your take. 

On the defensive side, do they create a lot of pressure with their front line or are they more of a great coverage team?  If Fenti has a lot of time to throw then all he really has to do is throw it in the general vicinity of our wide outs and the vast majority of the time I would bet our WR's are going to win that battle. 

It seems that some weeks a defense has stopped our formidable running game, or our equally dangerous passing game.  But there has yet to be a defense to limit both.  I'm interested to see what Ithaca can do. 

[AUPepBand]

What are Ithaca's strengths offensively and especially defensively?  The times I have watched them this year I thought their offensive line was fantastic, but allowing 6 sacks yesterday puts that into question.  Bombers, I'd be interested in your take. 

On the defensive side, do they create a lot of pressure with their front line or are they more of a great coverage team?  If Fenti has a lot of time to throw then all he really has to do is throw it in the general vicinity of our wide outs and the vast majority of the time I would bet our WR's are going to win that battle. 

It seems that some weeks a defense has stopped our formidable running game, or our equally dangerous passing game.  But there has yet to be a defense to limit both.  I'm interested to see what Ithaca can do.

Pep will say that it all depends on which Bomber squad takes the bus ride to Rachacha. If it's the Bombers that played error-free ball and controlled the line of scrimmage at Yunevich Stadium, they will give the Cardinals a game. If it's the Bombers that were outgained on the ground and gave up 241 yards passing at Frostburg State to a QB that went 5-for-21 for 20 yards passing against Alfred, then Pep will go on record as saying the Cardinals will punch their ticket to the dance.

On Saxon Warriors!

[Upstate]

Hopefully we don't see a repeat of last years 5 turnover performance (also had a punt blocked)...

I haven't seen anything like last years game before, Fisher couldn't hold into the ball at all...

If Fisher takes care of the ball they'll be in good shape for the auto bid...

[AUPepBand]

By the way, Pep watched a rerun of the webcast of the Salisbury-Alfred game last night, and was delighted with the poise of Tyler Johnson down the stretch and the overall play of the Saxons Defense. Overall, a good win for AU. Pep was on the road yesterday and saw only the first quarter of the webcast.

The Saxons' special teams, however, remain ghoulish. A muffed punt inside the 10 yard line, a 5-yard punt albeit against the wind set up the Sea Gulls in the red zone for two of their three TDs and a blocked PAT necessitated the late game heroics. Otherwise, the Saxons may have had similar results as Ithaca against the 'Gulls.

Really baffled by the Cardinals' inability to shut down Salisbury...particularly this season. Against AU, they appeared pretty sloppy. Thrice the Sea Gulls coughed up the ball in the red zone or near the red zone to end otherwise promising drives. AU outgained its host, 339 yards to 253 yards, running 62 plays to the Gulls' 49, and held the ball 35:44 to the Gulls' 24:16. The game-winning 16-play, 72-yard drive consumed the last 8:37 of the game. Trevor Monk's 22-yard field goal with time expiring was redemptive as his PAT early in the fourth quarter was blocked and left the Saxons on the short end of a 21-20 score. (The Gulls missed a 25-yard field goal in the first quarter). Overall, an outstanding effort by the Saxons, now 5-3.

On Saxon Warriors!

[Upstate]

They own us...

I have no other explanation...

[boobyhasgameyo]

That and Salisbury didn't make any stupid mistakes against us.  I was watching the game against Ithaca and they were quite literally tripping over themselves.  They didn't cough up the ball against us at all.  Well, they did once, but the Salisbury player quickly picked it back up.  I think Fisher would have been glad to have a couple of careless Salisbury turnovers or sloppy play.  After all it took Salisbury scoring a touchdown with 18 seconds left to even bring it to overtime. 

Question for you Pep.  Where has kazoo gone this year?  Has he gone the way of Jose, Superman, Tags, MIYH, MIOH, Yanks, etc?  The Fallen as they should be called.   

[AUPepBand]

That and Salisbury didn't make any stupid mistakes against us.  I was watching the game against Ithaca and they were quite literally tripping over themselves.  They didn't cough up the ball against us at all.  Well, they did once, but the Salisbury player quickly picked it back up.  I think Fisher would have been glad to have a couple of careless Salisbury turnovers or sloppy play.  After all it took Salisbury scoring a touchdown with 18 seconds left to even bring it to overtime. 

Question for you Pep.  Where has kazoo gone this year?  Has he gone the way of Jose, Superman, Tags, MIYH, MIOH, Yanks, etc?  The Fallen as they should be called.

Kaz00 is around. It was like old times at the Frostburg State game as Pep and 'z00, with the Dansville H.S. Marching Mustangs carrying the first half music during timeouts, had time for running commentary on the Bobcat-Saxon game. He's got all he can do, with work and family, to keep up with the ERFP every week. Boards certainly are dull without above mentioned posters....and Pep doesn't help. Seems like Pep will post something and there are no replies for days....

[wesleydad]

Pep, nice win for the Saxons in Salisbury.  The gulls are a shell of past years and I still can not imagine how they beat Fisher.  It makes no sense and makes me think that Fisher is a step or 2 below the top of D3.

[Saxon73]

The Saxons got a break when they knocked Dunbar out of the game.  He only had 4 carries before leaving the game. 

[boobyhasgameyo]

Pep, nice win for the Saxons in Salisbury.  The gulls are a shell of past years and I still can not imagine how they beat Fisher.  It makes no sense and makes me think that Fisher is a step or 2 below the top of D3.

Keep focusing on the one game, against a style of play that has forever given Fisher problems, and ignore the other 7 games Fisher has played in this year.  Got it.  Makes perfect sense to me. 

Does the top of D3 run the option?  No?  Then Fisher is probably not a step or two below them. 

[wesleydad]

Pep, nice win for the Saxons in Salisbury.  The gulls are a shell of past years and I still can not imagine how they beat Fisher.  It makes no sense and makes me think that Fisher is a step or 2 below the top of D3.

Keep focusing on the one game, against a style of play that has forever given Fisher problems, and ignore the other 7 games Fisher has played in this year.  Got it.  Makes perfect sense to me. 

Does the top of D3 run the option?  No?  Then Fisher is probably not a step or two below them.

I said it makes no sense thus they must be a step or 2 below the top of D3.  You can't keep ignoring the fact that Fisher lost to a team that is having trouble scoring on any team they have lost to so far.  I am not ignoring the other 7 games, just stating that if they are to compete with the top of D3 they don't lose that game.  Simple as that.