FB: Liberty League

[tecmobowler]

Dirty, dirty, dirty.....

[UfanBill]

OK, this board was down for awhile so I had to wait to eat crow. Ithaca showed once again that they're Union's Daddy. AJ Wingfield thoroughly outplayed Donovan Pacatte despite Pacatte's efforts to do it all himself. The Union offensive game plan was poor. They had nothing else to try when running the RBs didn't work, except running the QB. Union's subpar special teams cost them points and despite the breaks the Bombers gave them by committing stupid penalties they could not sustain any offense. I'm most disappointed that Union with it's big O-line and tough running backs have no real clue how to pick up a 3rd and 2. Throw the ball? Pacatte was 11-30 with some of them just ugly.

Of course then there was Wingfield getting hurt. What could have been a huge break for Union became another fizzle out I guess, because I didn't actually see it. The IC.TV feed decided that was when it was going to fizzle out too. Congratulations to the Bombers and I hope Wingfield is OK.     

[unionpalooza]

Just a brutal loss for Union.  The defense played its butt off, holding IC to just 17 points, but just way too many crucial mistakes, over and over, to defeat a strong team like the Bombers.  Two roughing the passer penalties that let IC stay on the field, and a terrible unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on an OL in the red zone killed a great opening second half drive; 75 yards in penalties total.  Four points lost on a missed FG and XP.  Ithaca was better coached and more disciplined, and comes away with a hard fought and well deserved win.

The Union coaching staff will need to do some soul searching on offense.  They put the game on Pacatte's back and, even when it was clear he was playing more poorly than he's every played, they left it there.  They just ran the same 3-4 Pacatte running plays over and over, and while he had a little success, it was never enough to sustain drives.  He ended up with 22 carries for 3.0 rush, while Anderson - who rushed for 200+ last week — got just 8 carries.  In the passing game, he completed just 35% of passes, most of which were balls thrown way off target, into the ground, etc.  But there were no adjustments or fallback plans on offense, and it was painful to watch; Union went 2-19 on third down.  A lot of credit goes to a tough Ithaca defense that stopped what Union showed them, but I can't help but wonder how this game would have gone with a better, more resilient game plan.

I was very impressed by Ithaca's defense; the offense looked good but not great, about on par with Rochester last week.  (People should not sleep on the Bees offense; they probably have the best set of playmakers in the league.). It wasn't clear how bad the Wingfield injury at the very end of the game was, but I have to think that the defense and running game will get them past Rochester even if they have to do so without him.  But I don't see this Ithaca team making a deep run like last year.

Looks like the Union-Hobart and Union-RPI games will be a dogfight.  Based on today I think Union's defense gives them a fair shot at both games, but TBD whether the coaching staff can find an offensive identity for this team and stick with it.  If not, I think this Union team may struggle against two more good defenses.

Finally, last thought I promise:  I this game really bears out the Ithaca scheduling philosophy.  They were battle tested and knew what to fall back on during crunch time.  Union really suffered from not having had any experience with its offense tested by a strong defense and having to figure out how to adapt real-time.

[IC798891]

Sloppy game on South Hill. Union's slopiness has been outlined, but Ithaca had two long TD runs called back on penalties, neither drive resulted in points. And they missed a FG as well.

Ultimately, my thoughts:

1. Union's final penalty was inexcusable. 1:40 isn't a lot of time, but it's enough for a drive.
2. Ithaca continues to be the most battle-hardened of the Big 4 in the LL.
3. IC's defensive line is getting better every week
4. Pacette reminds me a lot of Wingfield. Tough runner, great leader.

Ithaca has played the three toughest teams in the LL and two ranked non-conference opponents. Four of those 6 games have been on the road. And they are 5-1. Toerper can flat out coach.

The rest of the LL did as expected, and must hope for chaos.

[unionpalooza]

Sloppy game on South Hill. Union's slopiness has been outlined, but Ithaca had two long TD runs called back on penalties, neither drive resulted in points. And they missed a FG as well.

Ultimately, my thoughts:

1. Union's final penalty was inexcusable. 1:40 isn't a lot of time, but it's enough for a drive.
2. Ithaca continues to be the most battle-hardened of the Big 4 in the LL.
3. IC's defensive line is getting better every week
4. Pacette reminds me a lot of Wingfield. Tough runner, great leader.

Ithaca has played the three toughest teams in the LL and two ranked non-conference opponents. Four of those 6 games have been on the road. And they are 5-1. Toerper can flat out coach.

The rest of the LL did as expected, and must hope for chaos.

.

That last penalty was truly awful.  I get you're going for the block but you have to be situationally aware - coaches should have drilled that from the sideline.

Any sense of how bad the Wingfield injury is/was?

[tecmobowler]

I'd be very surprised if we saw AJ in pads again this year.

[unionpalooza]

I'd be very surprised if we saw AJ in pads again this year.

That sucks, esp. for a fifth year guy.  Heck of a tough kid - I can't image he's ever slid on a run, at any level.

[XREDDRAGON77]

Had the IC /Union game on in between the Cortland /Alfred game. What happened to IC's qb?

[tecmobowler]

Ithaca QB got hit scrambling up the middle for 3-4 yards. Not sure if it's his knee or ankle but things were just sort of dangling on lower leg when he got helped off.

[IC798891]

You have to be situationally aware - coaches should have drilled that from the sideline.

Bingo. At 4th and less than 5, from the plus side of the field, it's a no-brainer that you try to draw them off.

And again, yes, Union's offense had been largely stagnant all game. But you don't have to get the block. There was still time for a drive

[tecmobowler]

The Union defensive lineman that instigated the riot, then immediately sprinted off the field to allow his teammates and Ithaca to deal with the chaos that ensued wins LL Moran of Year Award.

[tecmobowler]

Ithaca DLine is one of the best I've seen in my twenty five years down here. OLine a good group of passblockers too.

Feel like the lousy weather effected Union quite a bit. Had a lot of open receivers that they just didn't connect with. Their punter is good. Their kicker had a tough day.

[IC798891]

Ithaca DLine is one of the best I've seen in my twenty five years down here. OLine a good group of passblockers too.

Feel like the lousy weather effected Union quite a bit. Had a lot of open receivers that they just didn't connect with. Their punter is good. Their kicker had a tough day.

Agreed. They don't have gaudy sack numbers, but they create havooc

[unionpalooza]

Ithaca DLine is one of the best I've seen in my twenty five years down here. OLine a good group of passblockers too.

Feel like the lousy weather effected Union quite a bit. Had a lot of open receivers that they just didn't connect with. Their punter is good. Their kicker had a tough day.

Yeah, I wondered whether Pacatte had a problem throwing in the rain.  He threw poorly last week, also in the rain.

Btw, did you catch a number on the instigator at the end of the game?  Union did the same thing when Salisbury was in victory formation in the 2019 playoffs.  It was lame then, and lame this time.  Especially for a D that played so well all day.

[Ice Bear]

Some thoughts on today.

First and foremost I hope that Wingfield is going to be ok. I am a big fan and really hope he is ok and able to come back this season.

Congratulations to IC on the much deserved W this afternoon. IC has a very physical and well coached defense that is tough as nails. They only allowed Union's offense to look comfortable for very small periods of time and usually only between the 20's. I was very impressed by the Bombers airing it out. Klein is quite good and Wingfield is the definition of a competitor. If I'm being honest, I knew Union was overmatched after the first five minutes. It was a tough pill to swallow but I give so much credit to IC and couldn't be happier for them.

IMHO Union was outplayed in every facet of the game today. Even with IC taking some penalties, dropping some balls, and an untimely fumble, Union was able to do little. While holding IC to 17 the D got many breaks with with dropped passes and an unsportsmanlike call on Osbourne after he burned a track of flames down the field for a TD. I like their fight up front and their fight to adjust to IC's sudden air attack. They just gave up too much.

I'm going to say it, Pacatte's accuracy issues really hurt this team today. Credit the IC D stuffing Fiore and Anderson time and again. I agree wholeheartedly with Palooza that Union's offensive game plan was not strong and there was no back up plan. I will say Donovan is a tough competitor and I do like him. The young man battled. Union as a whole paralleled Kurt Bavaqua as they couldn't hit water today if they fell out of a boat. They were simply defeated by a superior team who I believe should have won by 2 more scores.

I want to also give credit to the IC broadcasters. My goodness those young people do a fantastic job! I couldn't be more impressed. The Ithaca College community as a whole should be very proud.

Well, the battle for second place begins for Union, Hobart, and RPI. Right now I see a much clearer picture of where the teams sit in the LL.

1.) Ithaca College
2.) RPI
3.) Hobart
4.) Union
5.) Rochester
6.) SLU
7.) Buffalo State

Congratulations to all the winning teams in the LL today. Positive thoughts and hope will continue for A.J to be ok and get back on the field this season.