FB: Liberty League

[Jonny Utah]

U89 who is doing the sugery?

Dr. Louis Jenis at the Baptist.

He is a great surgeon...you will be in good hands!

Thanks pal....

Good Luck U89.  My mother in law is a nurse at the Baptist so Ill make sure the best looking nurses will attend to you while you are there.  You are now on the list of famous people that JU's mother in law will take care of at that hospital.  Here is where you will rank.

1. Paul Pierce
2. Shaq
3. Kevin Garnett
4. U89
5. Steven Tyler

[stimulator]

quote]Special thanks to all of our "In the HuddLLe" listeners last night, and more thanks to those who participated during what ended up being a three-hour show.  If you missed the show last night, you can still listen to the archive at http://www.inthehuddlle.com and hear:

- Frank Rossi and Eric Ren reveal the Top 8 of '08 clips from "In the HuddLLe's" 2008 debut season;

- Interviews with a player from each of the LL schools (except SLU) surrounded by analysis of each school's 2009 chances in the LL;

- Added analysis from James Baker from Los Angeles, CA, and D3football.com's Pat Coleman from Minneapolis, MN, discussing the LL's possible outcomes on an intra-league and inter-league basis; and

- A special unscheduled guest who became a special friend of the show in 2008.

It's worth a listen (or a download to your portable media player through the numerous methods available on the website).  Thanks again for making the 2009 debut episode of "In the HuddLLe" a success -- and please join us on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 7:30pm EDT for our next show, when we analyze LL interleague play from the first two Saturdays of the regular season!

[/quote]

Eric and Frank.  Thanks for a great show and all your collective efforts to provide analysis and promotion to the LL.  Listened with interest to your thoughts on who is going to battle for the LL title. 

Seemed like a "soft" consensus that it looked like Hobart, Union, then RPI with potentially Susq moving into the fray playing a spoiler or even moving into one of the top spots.

Attempting to keep my "go red" bias in check, some league observations.


- Union, Hobart, RPI and Susq all have many starters returning (16 is the fewest)
- Hobart, RPI, and Susq will all essentially be starting a new QB (even if Vella or Palazzi start they have limited game   experience)
- All return good RB's (in the case of Union and Susq featured backs who will see 25 carries a game)
- Hobart and RPI took some hits on D (Hobart NT and LB's, RPI DL)
- Union/Susq D still suspect even with the # of returning players (26 ppg in conference.. Susq D gave up 33 in conference)
- RPI returns entire O line

My point is this.. while I think Susq made a bit of noise late last year I still see it being wide open with Union RPI and Hobart in a deadheat at this point while Susq will need to prove they can stop someone before I see them getting some love.  RPI gets dinged for losing Robertson but Susq and Hobart will be starting either marginally experienced or new QB's.  As mentioned before, Connolly only has 6 games under his belt.

The Stim sees Hobart being very good... playing (winning? a few close ones).  They will be breaking in a new QB and hoping to develop some consistency with the run.  If the LB's play well, they can uncover a QB to give them solid yet not spectacular play and they find a stud to fill Arucks shoes.... they will be solid.  Let's face it Hager was a playmaker and they didn' blow out LL teams last year with Doyle and the O ... their D kept them in many games.  Woodard is a stud and I assume they will reload on D so if they win those games in the balance they may end up on top or at least with a fighting chance for a bid.

Union is the fashionable pick to make some strides.  19 starters from a "successful" team last year and returning (but still young) QB and key skilled players. Coney is very good, Connolly good... at times exceptional play from a freshman, O line solid but loses a few and they will miss the TE.  D returns a bunch but is a question mark.  They gave up nearly 360 yards a game last year. and nearly 250 in the air in conference.  Assuming Connolly builds on his success, and they play more solid D, they will be right there.  That is assuming they also find an answer to their nightmare called special teams.

RPI may be the surprise.  Most I think are looking for a slow start from them.  As Pat said he didn't see them getting up to speed quickly.  That may be accurate in fact Utica scares me.  This year their OOC schedule may play to their favor.  They have talent considerable talent with the two new QB's what they don't have is experience.  If either of these new kids gets comfortable look out... they have that kind of raw ability.  5 starters back on OL will help as well as a good D and solid skill players at RB and WR.  They have a very good PK but the ? will be on the D line.  They get decent play up front and the D will again be strong.

My take.

['gro]

RPI Media Day - Times Union

New stadium, same Kinger quotes.  A few pics of <your name here> stadium and new uniforms for the engineers.

Gro's not real big on the "old timey" RPI logo font that the athletics dept has adopted.  I can picture walking into the new strength and conditioning facility in the ECAV and seeing these guys


I'll give the new logo a shot. I'm ok as long as they don't change it every 2-3 years like Syracuse does.

[maxpower]

Blount suspended for season, playing days over at the big O.

Oregon not appealing.

Quote from AP article:

Kelly said he hoped Blount's ultimate legacy "won't be a YouTube clip of what happened to him on September 3rd in Boise, Idaho."

What happened to him??

[Jonny Utah]

Blount suspended for season, playing days over at the big O.

Oregon not appealing.

Quote from AP article:

Kelly said he hoped Blount's ultimate legacy "won't be a YouTube clip of what happened to him on September 3rd in Boise, Idaho."

What happened to him??

Oregon suspended him didn't they?  What would they appeal?

[Frank Rossi]

After 1Q at Yale - 6-0 Yale

Connolly struggling (2-6 with 2 INTs unofficially).  Union D playing well after giving TD on first defensive play.  Coney with no breakout runs but consistent.  More soon.

[labart96]

After 1Q at Yale - 6-0 Yale

Connolly struggling (2-6 with 2 INTs unofficially).  Union D playing well after giving TD on first defensive play.  Coney with no breakout runs but consistent.  More soon.

Thx Tank.  SLU's 3 turnovers in the 1st qtr lead to 17 IC points.  IC is all over the Larries, 24-0 in early 2nd qtr.  A double monkeystomp is likely.

[dlippiel]

After 1Q at Yale - 6-0 Yale

Connolly struggling (2-6 with 2 INTs unofficially).  Union D playing well after giving TD on first defensive play.  Coney with no breakout runs but consistent.  More soon.

Thanks Frank please keep the updates coming if possible. 2 int's for Connelly. He could be trying to force here we shall see.

[Frank Rossi]

After 2Q at Yale, Yale leads 20-7.

Connolly added a TD near the end of the half to Justin Gallo, but threw a 3rd & Goal INT after U forced a turnover deep in Y territory.  U defense nearly had a goallinr stand, but Yale converted on 4th & Goal from the U3.  Overall, U defense has played decent and the offense has given Connolly time.  More assessment later this afternoon.  Special timing rules likely in effect in the 4th Quarter.

[labart96]

45-0 Final in Canton.  IC dominated in all aspects of the game - 22 first downs to 2, 433 yards to 80, etc.

QB Brian GRASTORF was an impressive 21 for 32 throwing for 288 yards and 3 TDs.  The Bombers D also forced five Larry turnovers which helped IC jump to a 24-0 first quarter lead.  IC never looked back.  A write up (from SLU) is attached below:

http://www.stlawu.edu/athletics/saints/football/story/2820

[maxpower]

Blount suspended for season, playing days over at the big O.

Oregon not appealing.

Quote from AP article:

Kelly said he hoped Blount's ultimate legacy "won't be a YouTube clip of what happened to him on September 3rd in Boise, Idaho."

What happened to him??

Oregon suspended him didn't they?  What would they appeal?

ooops... didn't catch that.

[mattvsmith]

Best smack talk i heard was when the 260 lb running back from fisher was like "dude get out of the way of the pain train" and then proceeded to run over hilmar.

"Pain train" ?  That has to be the G A A A A A A A Y E S T thing I've ever heard.

[labart96]

In other LL OOC action - Susquehanna's RB Dave Paveletz ran for nearly 200 yards (30 carries for 185 yards) scoring three TDs - two rushing and one receiving - in a 24-0 shutout of Moravian College.

Speaking of rushing - the Merchant Marine Academy (MMA) racked up 263 yards and had three different RBs (Alex Coviello 11 rush for 109 yards for 1 TD; Karl Heimbrock 16 rush for 80 yards and 2 TDs; and Adam Leines 13 rush for 66 yards and 1 TD) score in a 38-14 victory over Gallaudet (who btw were held to 0 yards passing - that's not a typo - ZERO).  Although the Bison couldn't pass the ball (literally) they did rush for nearly the same amount of yards (250) as the Mariners.

WPI opened 2009 under the lights and took to air - passing for nearly 300 yards on Salve Regina to win 34-20.  WPI QB Mike Swanton went 23 for 37 with 288 yards and 1 TD.  Swanton also was the Engineers' leading rusher on the day, tallying 73 yards on 15 carries and 1 TD.  

[dlippiel]

In other LL OOC action - Susquehanna's RB Dave Paveletz ran for nearly 200 yards (30 carries for 185 yards) scoring three TDs - two rushing and one receiving - in a 24-0 shutout of Moravian College.

Speaking of rushing - the Merchant Marine Academy (MMA) racked up 263 yards and had three different RBs (Alex Coviello 11 rush for 109 yards for 1 TD; Karl Heimbrock 16 rush for 80 yards and 2 TDs; and Adam Leines 13 rush for 66 yards and 1 TD) score in a 38-14 victory over Gallaudet (who btw were held to 0 yards passing - that's not a typo - ZERO).  Although the Bison couldn't pass the ball (literally) they did rush for nearly the same amount of yards (250) as the Mariners.

WPI opened 2009 under the lights and took to air - passing for nearly 300 yards on Salve Regina to win 34-20.  WPI QB Mike Swanton went 23 for 37 with 288 yards and 1 TD.  Swanton also was the Engineers' leading rusher on the day, tallying 73 yards on 15 carries and 1 TD.  

No offense but is Gallaudet a club team? Anyway congrats to MMA, Susquehanna, and WPI for good starts this week here in the LL. SLU, well, Ithaca is ranked #10, and well, good effort. dlip can never quite figure SLU out. Here is a team that year in and out gets it's ass handed to them on a very consistent basis and yet always seems to get an upset win here or there of a decent team. ****in SLU...

[pumkinattack]

The Susquehanna one is interesting.  I listened to it while at work, so it's not as though I saw them in person but here were my observations:

Paveletz is in midseason form.
New QB (Palazzi) is ok.  Hard to say if he is above average (relative to the league) because 4 of his 11 completions were to Paveletz and it sounded like he didn't always make great decisions. 
The bigger factor is this WR they have who transferred from Navy and apparently was on the team.  He caught 2 or 3 mid length passes and it sounded like he was generally open.  Having a QB who can even pull a Trent Dilfer with a quality wideout and start RB will make them very potent this year.  QB has been a big problem for them the last two years (at least vs. Hobart).
D got decent pressure and shut down Moravian's passing game.

Flip Side:
Moravian sounded like a cellar dweller in the CC this year.  They lost a lot and, I think, were playing a new QB. 
Sus lost two DB's in the game.  At least one is going to be out for a game or more.  The other wass the kid Frank interviewed, but he walked off the field.
Moravian was able to rip off a number of 6-10 yard rushes.  How will SUS run D do against Coney/Costa & Marlier (who I personally think after seeing him 4-5 times last year will have a big year this year, but still split carries with Tritten like Ghodino/Holleran a few years ago)? 

All is all, there were way more positives for SUS than negatives and they seem like they will definitely be in the big four this year.  Moravian seems like they'd be in the SLU/UR/MMA area of the LL this year, but this is an excellent win and shutout. 

Also like to point out that Dickinson pulled out a 4th quarter comeback and dropped 51 pts on Grove City.  I really think the Woodard/OConner matchup is one of the top intrigues in the nations this upcoming week.