FB: Liberty League

[Bartman]

Copied from Eastern Region Fan Poll:

Quote from: Bombers798891 on Yesterday at 04:42:26 pm
Yes, moving on...

This IC/Hobart matchup will be very interesting when you consider:

Hobart has yet to play a road game
The Bombers have had an extra week to prepare
Ithaca's made some significant changes from the early weeks (Nabi being the obvious one)

Bart is still the favorite in my mind, but it's going to be a good one. Forecast is for upper 50s and rainy

Bombers,
     This is truly an exciting game for many reasons. Bartman played his Freshman season against Ithaca as a walk on. Excited to get into his first game, Bartman played on the Dline and was double teamed all the way to Trumansburg(a small town 11 miles to the North) on the first play...the IC lineman laughed at poor Bartman as he wondered why this never happened to him in High School ....Bartman has respect for the Bombers but no love ....it is time to avenge that brutal and unfeeling double team by the current Statesman(I would love to be on the field, but I have lost my eligibility....fortunately ).....possess the Butt this Saturday and make the rookie IC coach yield to the skill and power of the 2017 Statesman and have him experience something no Ithaca HC has experienced....... a loss to the Statesman on a field overlooking Cayuga Lake! GOBART....The official and less emotional analysis to follow later in the week on the LL board

[Bartman]

ITH does a good job on his blog commenting on the Hobart/Ithaca matchup at Butterfield tomorrow(http://gohobart.blogspot.com), so I won't go into too much detail other than Hobart is 4-21 against Ithaca since the first meeting in 1961, which is the worst winning percentage Hobart has against any school where we have played 20+ games. The record since 2000 is 3-3 thanks to Coach Cragg; however the record at Ithaca is 0-12. Ithaca has had an extra week to prepare for Hobart, but I think Coach Cragg and his OC Coach Drach have some new looks to introduce to the IC defense that they have been saving for the LL season(aka ..the games that really count). It will be interesting to see how much the Hobart pass defense has jelled since the Brockport game, as the young Bombers will try to live up to their name . Good luck to both teams tomorrow..but looking forward to ending the Butterfield streak .   
As far as the rest of the LL OOC games, I am predicting a clean sweep...SLU over WNE, Union over Mooville and yes, even Rochester over Becker. The SLU and Union picks are upsets no matter where you look(Hansen, Comphuterratings), but these are the kind of wins that the LL needs for strength purposes.

[Bombers798891]

That was a super illuminating interview in a lot of ways. Nice job guys.

The most interesting thing to me was Swanstrom's talk about how, because the Bombers are focusing on changing things up, they aren't focusing on a super specific game plan for each opponent. That's something that instinctively makes sense, but you don't really think about it until you hear it. It's one of the many reasons why fans who constantly call for coaching/scheme changes bother me. You can't just install things overnight.

I also like how Swanstrom, for the most part, seems to brush off the historical stuff that we as journalists sometimes focus on. That's not meant as a criticism to the interviewers, as I know things like 5 and 25 and 0 wins at Butterfield are interesting in telling a narrative. But it makes me think back to one of his first interviews where he was asked (and I'm paraphrasing both the question and the answer) how it felt to be included with names like Butterfield and Welch, and his answer was simply that he hasn't accomplished anything here yet, so he didn't really consider it. I know sometimes we as journalists like it when coaches give the narrative answer to these stories, but I think it's just what IC's program needs.

Swanstrom clearly has knowledge of, and respect for, Ithaca's history, and he's proud to be a part of it. And that's important for lots of reasons. But he's trying to stake his own claim, and move the program in the direction he wants it to go, and that's not going to happen if he spends even one second thinking about how Hobart has never won here*.

*I'm assuming that the reason isn't something like Springfield/Salisbury, where playing on the grass has some sort of affect on what they're trying to do, and just the result of the quirky randomness of football since Hobart and Ithaca got on relatively equal footing program wise

I also really liked his answer to the question of the long-term program goals. I often find it eye-rolling when coaches talk about "unless you're in the locker room, you can't see it" because it often serve as a way to dismiss a reporter's intelligence and legitimate analysis. But hearing his answer to that question makes me even more convinced that his decision to go for it on 4th-and-10 in the Alfred game was the right one. 

Sometimes a decision like that is just about the math. "How likely are we to pick up this first down?" vs "How likely are we to get a quick stop?" But sometimes, it's about laying a groundwork for something bigger. That answer makes me think that he was going for something bigger when he left the offense out there.

All in all, this makes me super excited for next week, but honestly even more so for next year. I think he's going to get this program better each year.

[dlippiel]

dlip is feeling that the Dutchmen will certainly have their hands full tomorrow. Mo'Ville has shown some glimpses of being dangerous and dlip thinks the Dutchmen may have to play the best game they have all season to have a chance to win. The O will have to sustain drives and keep the Mustang offense, who put up a ton of points on 3-0 Buffalo State, off the damn field. dlip is hoping the Union D continues it's solid play and steps up and  to frustrate the Mustang O and force them into a couple turnovers.

[UfanBill]

I agree with Dlip. Union will need to play very well on both sides of the ball to win at Morrisville Saturday. Historically the Dutchman have not won recently against the E8 having dropped the last 7 against Ithaca after going 0-4 against Utica. The last win Union's had against an E8 team was in 2011 vs. Springfield and they've switched leagues twice since then. BUT... Morrisville is no Ithaca and Union has seldom been overmatched against the E8. Look for Moo'ville to score. Can the Dutchman match them? Union has shown that they have adequate playmakers. RB Connor Kinzelmann can take it to the house and will be itching to get his first TD of the season although he missed last week with an injury and may not even play. Backups Derek Khnaizir and Travis Demby have proved their worth and surprise Brett Waller came from nowhere last week to show break away speed. QB Nick Cascione continues to show solid improvement and spread the defense with WRs Kaplanoviich, Beal and Brown and TE Hanney having each caught two TD passes. I'm apprehensive about this game and hope Union's prepared to be physical with the Mustangs. If Kinzelmann plays...Union 30-24. If not 27-17 Moo'ville.

[Bartman]

That was a super illuminating interview in a lot of ways. Nice job guys.

The most interesting thing to me was Swanstrom's talk about how, because the Bombers are focusing on changing things up, they aren't focusing on a super specific game plan for each opponent. That's something that instinctively makes sense, but you don't really think about it until you hear it. It's one of the many reasons why fans who constantly call for coaching/scheme changes bother me. You can't just install things overnight.

I also like how Swanstrom, for the most part, seems to brush off the historical stuff that we as journalists sometimes focus on. That's not meant as a criticism to the interviewers, as I know things like 5 and 25 and 0 wins at Butterfield are interesting in telling a narrative. But it makes me think back to one of his first interviews where he was asked (and I'm paraphrasing both the question and the answer) how it felt to be included with names like Butterfield and Welch, and his answer was simply that he hasn't accomplished anything here yet, so he didn't really consider it. I know sometimes we as journalists like it when coaches give the narrative answer to these stories, but I think it's just what IC's program needs.

Swanstrom clearly has knowledge of, and respect for, Ithaca's history, and he's proud to be a part of it. And that's important for lots of reasons. But he's trying to stake his own claim, and move the program in the direction he wants it to go, and that's not going to happen if he spends even one second thinking about how Hobart has never won here*.

*I'm assuming that the reason isn't something like Springfield/Salisbury, where playing on the grass has some sort of affect on what they're trying to do, and just the result of the quirky randomness of football since Hobart and Ithaca got on relatively equal footing program wise

I also really liked his answer to the question of the long-term program goals. I often find it eye-rolling when coaches talk about "unless you're in the locker room, you can't see it" because it often serve as a way to dismiss a reporter's intelligence and legitimate analysis. But hearing his answer to that question makes me even more convinced that his decision to go for it on 4th-and-10 in the Alfred game was the right one. 

Sometimes a decision like that is just about the math. "How likely are we to pick up this first down?" vs "How likely are we to get a quick stop?" But sometimes, it's about laying a groundwork for something bigger. That answer makes me think that he was going for something bigger when he left the offense out there.

All in all, this makes me super excited for next week, but honestly even more so for next year. I think he's going to get this program better each year.

A very thoughtful post. Swanstrom looks like a great pick for the IC program(congrats to the search committee) for the long term and he has already made a mark by beating SLU and going nose to nose with Alfred. I watched the end of the Brockport game and although the score was one sided, I thought the team was plugging away right to the end. I am looking forward to watching the "reset" of  Ithaca football and especially a spirited rivalry with Hobart under Swanstrom.

[dlippiel]

Best of luck today to Union, Rochester, and SLU all facing out of conference opponents. Also best of luck to both Ithaca and Hobart facing off against each other in a LL contest. Dlip is hoping for a great contest that is also injury free for both sides.

[Bartman]

Best of luck today to Union, Rochester, and SLU all facing out of conference opponents. Also best of luck to both Ithaca and Hobart facing off against each other in a LL contest. Dlip is hoping for a great contest that is also injury free for both sides.

dlip.....good luck to the Dutchmen today, both Union and SLU have tough road challenges..if both you guys win it will really signal some great games coming up in the  LL....Yellow Jackets to swarm today as well.....way too nervous to comment on the IC/Hobart game

[UfanBill]

Union hangs on to beat Morrisville 28-27 thanks to a late missed extra point. The Dutchman are now 4-1 headed into their Liberty League schedule. The Dutchman have overcome 4 long road trips and the loss to injury of 1st team LL running back Connor Kinzelmann to get off to a solid start. The biggest difference I see is that Union has found a way to win...something they were unable to do recently. Even without Kinzelmann and with a totally new O-Line, QB Nick Cascione has been solid. The receiving corp has been excellent and the D has done just enough. Union is even getting good special teams play. PK Jonathan Schnaible is making his kicks, Tyler Barnes punts are not being returned and speaking of returns, WR Griffen Beal ran back a kickoff 95 yards for the deciding score against M'ville. The first Union kickoff return TD in what, 15 years!!! Next week St. Lawrence, and a HOME GAME finally.

[Bartman]

  .....OOC game loss today to E8  Ithaca....I sure hope we don't let them into the Liberty League.....oh no, they're in this year?....but they were only supposed to be in so we could keep the automatic NCAA qualifier...damn...their good...it would have been better if Skidmore started a football team

[ITH radio]

I feel bad for Sweeney. He (and Shed) will break all the records at Hobart, but only one playoff game in three seasons? Really disappointing.

[Bartman]

I feel bad for Sweeney. He (and Shed) will break all the records at Hobart, but only one playoff game in three seasons? Really disappointing.

Really disappointing, but Ithaca played very well.....ya gotta win....I think Swamstrom did a great job getting his team ready.....Hobart defense was like a rubber band in the first half,,,,but this was a very different IC team with Nahbi and Gladney in the mix....oh well, try to win out and keep your fingers crossed for help

[Bombers798891]

Full IC thoughts:

The Bombers might be in the driver's seat in the LL (or at least sharing it with RPI) but they are just 2-for-15 in the red zone TD wise and 5-for-15 overall, a reminder that this offense is still a work in profess. But on the other hand, it shows they are leaving a lot of points on the field, and it's not really possible to be that poor there all year. Even getting it to 50% would make this offense a force. They're putting up a ton of yards.

Defensively, there haven't been a lot of big plays, but they're getting it done. Shutting down Sweeney and Shed (relatively) is a feat.

They have not gotten much out of the return game, but the talent is there.

Tristan Brown had a great game, which is nice to see. He's now over 2,000 yards for his career, and has had a great career. Fitting that he scored the game winner. This season may turn into the Nabi to Gladney show, so it's important to remember other contributions. Bauer and Zazzara also made some big catches.

[Bartman]

Full IC thoughts:

The Bombers might be in the driver's seat in the LL (or at least sharing it with RPI) but they are just 2-for-15 in the red zone TD wise and 5-for-15 overall, a reminder that this offense is still a work in profess. But on the other hand, it shows they are leaving a lot of points on the field, and it's not really possible to be that poor there all year. Even getting it to 50% would make this offense a force. They're putting up a ton of yards.

Defensively, there haven't been a lot of big plays, but they're getting it done. Shutting down Sweeney and Shed (relatively) is a feat.

They have not gotten much out of the return game, but the talent is there.

Tristan Brown had a great game, which is nice to see. He's now over 2,000 yards for his career, and has had a great career. Fitting that he scored the game winner. This season may turn into the Nabi to Gladney show, so it's important to remember other contributions. Bauer and Zazzara also made some big catches.

Once IC stops shooting themselves in the foot in the red zone , this offense will really be top notch. It is also clear that they worked with the Oline and the running game with Brown during the BYE week....teams can always choose to double Gladney, but if the other pieces are working IC will have something really special by the end of the year.

[IC-Films]

Once IC stops shooting themselves in the foot in the red zone , this offense will really be top notch. It is also clear that they worked with the Oline and the running game with Brown during the BYE week....teams can always choose to double Gladney, but if the other pieces are working IC will have something really special by the end of the year.

It is an indisputable fact that the Bomber's offense has issues in the red zone, and I think most of that came when the offense was still one-dimensional; Nabi to Gladney, and occasionally Vito or Zazarra, rinse & repeat. Now that they have some semblance of a running game (as seen in the second half of this game), and Nabi is spreading the ball around more (Jack Yule, Trevor Bauer, and Nick Cervone all had some of their first receptions this game), they will have a wider menu in the red zone.

Here are the highlights from yesterday, and one of the most exciting games I have ever been to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11hsQAltMzI