FB: Liberty League

[sjfcards]

Good start for Fisher up 14-0 close to the end of the first. Look good so far.

[UfanBill]

Very disappointed that Union could not pull out a win today losing 14-9 to Ithaca. They largely outplayed Ithaca, especially in the second half BUT found a way to lose. A fumble and scoop to the house was Ithaca's ONLY really positive play in the second half but it was enough. Union had numerous chances with great field position all day but couldn't make enough big plays. 

[Bartman]

Disappointing loss for the Dutchman...but it looks like they were ready to play and will win their share this year

RPI looks like they are 2 minutes from a victory over Norwich

Great win by Hobart offense against a very tough Brockport squad...419 yards passing by Sweeney(31-46) with 2 TDs to Shed (hopefully first 2 of many this season) ...Hobart defense had their hands full after Harper was ejected with Andrews run game and Brockport QB played a strong game.....I think both of these teams will do very well this season.... Hobart coaching decision to fake point from their own 1 YD line was crazy stupid and almost cost the game.....Cragg is lucky Sweeney saved his a**. GO BART

A decent day for the "LL Remainers"

[dlippiel]

Congrats to WPI, SLU, RPI, and Hobart on there wins today.

Dlip is currently on his way back from Ithaca. He could not be more proud of what he saw from his Dutchmen today. They certainly couldn't make the BIG play when they needed to however the product he saw on the field today was VERY encouraging. For Union this is a journey and for the Dutchmen D to play the way they did (2 ints, solid pass coverage, and at least three tipped passes) is a very good sign big picture wise. The O started slow, Cascione really struggled with his accuracy today but never quit, and the O line got stronger as the game progressed. Dlip LOVED the run first game plan that was consistent and clearly paid off in the second half. There was no panic and Dlip feels the coaches planned  within the talent of the players they have to a T.

There will probably be a couple or more W's this season, however for Dlip in 2016 the wins and losses are irrelevant. It's the growth, maturation, and development of a team identity he is looking for.

To Dlip this was by far the best Union game he has seen his Dutchmen play in quite a long long time. Lot's of positives and of course still lots to build on.

[Bartman]

Congrats to WPI, SLU, RPI, and Hobart on there wins today.

Dlip is currently on his way back from Ithaca. He could not be more proud of what he saw from his Dutchmen today. They certainly couldn't make the BIG play when they needed to however the product he saw on the field today was VERY encouraging. For Union this is a journey and for the Dutchmen D to play the way they did (2 ints, solid pass coverage, and at least three tipped passes) is a very good sign big picture wise. The O started slow, Cascione really struggled with his accuracy today but never quit, and the O line got stronger as the game progressed. Dlip LOVED the run first game plan that was consistent and clearly paid off in the second half. There was no panic and Dlip feels the coaches planned  within the talent of the players they have to a T.

There will probably be a couple or more W's this season, however for Dlip in 2016 the wins and losses are irrelevant. It's the growth, maturation, and development of a team identity he is looking for.

To Dlip this was by far the best Union game he has seen his Dutchmen play in quite a long long time. Lot's of positives and of course still lots to build on.

No worries Dlip...they will win their share this year ....looks like they scared the p*** out of Ithaca at Butterfield...

[ITH radio]

Wk 1 recap is up:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ith/2016/09/04/in-the-huddlle--liberty-league-football-talk-show

[Eagle322]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

[Bartman]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

Eagle , rooting for the Dutchmen to revive this year(except for Hobart game ). Picking them to end streak on Saturday.

[UfanBill]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

While it's great that the "staff" thinks they should have won the game. The "team" found another way to lose. Union has lost numerous games they "should have won" in the last few years. They haven't won an out of conference game since a 2009 ECAC win over Hartwick. That's a six year string of 17 straight O/C losses. Many of those games they "should have won". The new staff needs to find a win. Now to THIS game. Last year W. Conn. jumped out to a 21-0 lead and while Union rallied to close it to 31-27, they used a ball control offense rushing for 347 yds to win handily 48-33. I do not predict that W.Conn. will find it so easy this time. The Union defense, both run and pass, showed great improvement vs Ithaca last week.  Importantly the special teams coverage looked more organized and aggressive. W.Conn beat Hartwick 35-31 last week by PASSING for 425 yards. I look for Union's improved secondary to limit them Saturday and for "U" to break that O/C streak 23-20.

[Jonny Utah]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

Knew they should have won the game?  Interesting.  IC was one bad QB decision from being up 21-3 in the 3rd.  Don't get me wrong, I though Union may have been the better team even, but they shouldn't have won the game, not with that QB and offense.

[UfanBill]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

Knew they should have won the game?  Interesting.  IC was one bad QB decision from being up 21-3 in the 3rd.  Don't get me wrong, I though Union may have been the better team even, but they shouldn't have won the game, not with that QB and offense.

Actually I agree with Eagle, Union should have won the game. Union QB Nick Cascione after being a pitiful 2/12 for 25 yds. in the first half was 11/15, 145 yds in the second. Union had a huge time of possession edge 33:08/26:52. Ithaca won the game solely thanks to a "scoop and score" that gave them their 14 points. THEIR offense and QB were the ones that stunk it up in the second half.   

[Jonny Utah]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

Knew they should have won the game?  Interesting.  IC was one bad QB decision from being up 21-3 in the 3rd.  Don't get me wrong, I though Union may have been the better team even, but they shouldn't have won the game, not with that QB and offense.

Actually I agree with Eagle, Union should have won the game. Union QB Nick Cascione after being a pitiful 2/12 for 25 yds. in the first half was 11/15, 145 yds in the second. Union had a huge time of possession edge 33:08/26:52. Ithaca won the game solely thanks to a "scoop and score" that gave them their 14 points. THEIR offense and QB were the ones that stunk it up in the second half.   

Saying a team should have won the game is different than saying a team is better, or that a team played better, even saying a team deserved to win a game.  I didn't watch that game you are talking about and I don't think Union should have won it.  They didn't put themselves in the position to win it at any given time.  When they were close to putting themselves in the position to win, they fumbled on one drive, and got sacked twice on the other drive.  Ithaca didn't do that, therefore they should have won the game.

My opinion anyway.

edit:  I didn't know a fumble return for a score "gives" a team 14 points.  Maybe they should have had a running back in there that doesn't fumble? 

[UfanBill]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

Knew they should have won the game?  Interesting.  IC was one bad QB decision from being up 21-3 in the 3rd.  Don't get me wrong, I though Union may have been the better team even, but they shouldn't have won the game, not with that QB and offense.

Actually I agree with Eagle, Union should have won the game. Union QB Nick Cascione after being a pitiful 2/12 for 25 yds. in the first half was 11/15, 145 yds in the second. Union had a huge time of possession edge 33:08/26:52. Ithaca won the game solely thanks to a "scoop and score" that gave them their 14 points. THEIR offense and QB were the ones that stunk it up in the second half.   

Saying a team should have won the game is different than saying a team is better, or that a team played better, even saying a team deserved to win a game.  I didn't watch that game you are talking about and I don't think Union should have won it.  They didn't put themselves in the position to win it at any given time.  When they were close to putting themselves in the position to win, they fumbled on one drive, and got sacked twice on the other drive.  Ithaca didn't do that, therefore they should have won the game.

My opinion anyway.

edit:  I didn't know a fumble return for a score "gives" a team 14 points.  Maybe they should have had a running back in there that doesn't fumble?

Utes with all due respect, I DID watch the game and twice Union "put themselves in a position to win". They had a first and goal in the 3rd qtr that resulted in a FG and another 1st and goal in the 4th that resulted in a missed FG, admittedly after a sack...the ONLY one that Ithaca had in the game. As for the fumble, it was by senior captain Jermain Carn and IMO if this game had the benefit of replay, I believe he was down by contact before the ball came out, BUT... I believe Union not only should have won the game but that they also played better than Ithaca. If you had actually watched the game you might feel that way too.   

[Bombers798891]

Actually I agree with Eagle, Union should have won the game. Union QB Nick Cascione after being a pitiful 2/12 for 25 yds. in the first half was 11/15, 145 yds in the second. Union had a huge time of possession edge 33:08/26:52. Ithaca won the game solely thanks to a "scoop and score" that gave them their 14 points. THEIR offense and QB were the ones that stunk it up in the second half.   

Give me a break. You don't get to handwave away touchdowns like that just because they were scored by the defense. It counts just as much as an offensive score.

Union's five longest drives were 51, 50, 32, 25, and 21 yards. Total: 179 yards
Ithaca's five longest drives were 53, 53, 28, 23, and 17 yards. Total: 174 yards

Both teams offenses were equally inept. Union doesn't get extra special bonus points because its best drives occurred later in the game. Both QBs were lousy for long stretches. Cascione threw better in the second half. He also killed Union's 2nd to last drive when he fumbled a snap and then took a sack, costing the Dutchmen not only a shot at a TD, make their FG attempt (which they subsequently missed) a lot harder.

Don't confuse "could have" with "should have". Union absolutely could have won at the end. But idea that they should have won a game they trailed for nearly 50 minutes is just absurd.

[AUPepBand]

Agreed Dlip/Bartman! This is a new day for Union football. The staff was very encouraged by the team's play and knew they should have won the game. This is a hungry squad that is for sure going to surprise people in 2016!

Roll Dutch!

Knew they should have won the game?  Interesting.  IC was one bad QB decision from being up 21-3 in the 3rd.  Don't get me wrong, I though Union may have been the better team even, but they shouldn't have won the game, not with that QB and offense.

Actually I agree with Eagle, Union should have won the game. Union QB Nick Cascione after being a pitiful 2/12 for 25 yds. in the first half was 11/15, 145 yds in the second. Union had a huge time of possession edge 33:08/26:52. Ithaca won the game solely thanks to a "scoop and score" that gave them their 14 points. THEIR offense and QB were the ones that stunk it up in the second half.   

Saying a team should have won the game is different than saying a team is better, or that a team played better, even saying a team deserved to win a game.  I didn't watch that game you are talking about and I don't think Union should have won it.  They didn't put themselves in the position to win it at any given time.  When they were close to putting themselves in the position to win, they fumbled on one drive, and got sacked twice on the other drive.  Ithaca didn't do that, therefore they should have won the game.

My opinion anyway.

edit:  I didn't know a fumble return for a score "gives" a team 14 points.  Maybe they should have had a running back in there that doesn't fumble?

Utes with all due respect, I DID watch the game and twice Union "put themselves in a position to win". They had a first and goal in the 3rd qtr that resulted in a FG and another 1st and goal in the 4th that resulted in a missed FG, admittedly after a sack...the ONLY one that Ithaca had in the game. As for the fumble, it was by senior captain Jermain Carn and IMO if this game had the benefit of replay, I believe he was down by contact before the ball came out, BUT... I believe Union not only should have won the game but that they also played better than Ithaca. If you had actually watched the game you might feel that way too.   

Just watched the clip of the play in question. He clearly was on his feet and lost the handle when the defender grabbed his arm, reached out to try to retain possession and then went down.

See it for yourself: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ithaca/portal.htm?eventId=307710&streamType=video  (Great portal, BTW)