FB: Liberty League

[Ice Bear]

These closeup camera angles are atrocious

Absolutely brutal hazz. Almost as brutal as our 5 turnovers and our offense's absolute ineptitude. Our offensive line continues to play great football, but our skill players can't execute in the red zone and on top of that, they are turning the ball over with reckless abandon. I have never been so frustrated with an NCAA win as I am with today's W.

Congratulations to the Union College defense as you continue to be the reason this team is relevant. I am incredibly proud of this defense. Let's hope RB Michael Fiore is ok.

I got nothing but love for the Union offense. Sure, the turnovers were tough and need to get cleaned up, but the O moved and held the ball and kept DVU off the field. That DVU defense was fierce, and one of those TOs was a fluke, one was a kid fighting for the goal line, and the last was just a BS late/no whistle.  I get the frustration, but a NCAA win is a NCAA win is a NCAA win.  I'll be grateful I get to watch these guys at least one more week.

Once again Palooza you provide a more balanced view of Union. Today I felt similar to the way I used to feel watching games, way too emotionally involved. After some time and a nap lol, I think it would be more fair to say that I was just very frustrated today.

Last week I was frustrated with our inability to put more points on the board, specially our struggles in the red zone. That carried over to this week, add on 5 turnovers, and I was just very frustrated. Granted these issues came against two tough defenses and the results were a Shoes win and an NCAA win. Pretty darn good and I appreciate your more positive perspective.

[Jonny Utah]

just got home from Ithaca/Springfield.  Ithaca clearly had a game plan to run the ball and win the TOP battle.  And they did big time.  Springfield is not as good as they were last year and it showed.  It must be maddening being a fan of that team watching them down 21-0 in the 4th quarter running fullback dive at midfield getting stuffed for the 25th time in a row.  Springfield had nothing on offense, one of the worst outputs I've ever seen from that team against Ithaca.  Looks like Union did the same thing and I'm sure Ithaca watched that film and learned from it.

I know Ben Stola is the player of the league in the LL and an AA candidate but wow is #8 Derek Slywka a player.  Kid is like 6'3 220 safety who hits like an LB.  I think that kid is the AA on this team.  He forced a fumble on Springfields last drive that was one of the hardest hits I've ever seen live. 

No clue what to expect from Randolph Macon but I give this Ithaca team a chance against them.

[UfanBill]

One negative for the Garnet today. Union's hard running, TD making RB Michael Fiore went down with an apparent knee injury in the 2nd half. It didn't look good as he was in an air cast and on crutches postgame.

[Machiavelli]

So with 35 seconds left before halftime Union leads 10-6 when Del Val fakes taking a knee and runs a jet sweep for a gain of 12 yards which prompts a pass on the next down. But Union safety James Gillespie picks it off and returns it for a TD. Thanks Del Val.

Bill - I told you that DelVal had no passing game (and couldn't stop the pass) so 8 in the box would stop the run against DelVal's backup RB. I was actually surprised at DelVal's effectiveness at times running the ball with Union knowing that's all DelVal had. Now go get Johns Hopkins. Not a senior laden team and were almost beaten by Muhlenberg and an average Franklin & Marshall team. Without one of the perennial monsters in the bracket and with Union's vast experience........I see a possible semifinal appearance for Union.

I never got a thanks (like I did from Ice Bear) for the high school football, DelVal and Doylestown info, but I hope that you got to hangout in our great little town. But shhhhhhhh, far too many people are finding out about this place and moving here, especially the liberals!!

I love that you come to a forum where you're already pretty universally disliked, make a bunch of excuses for your vastly overrated NCAA darling football squad, and then bring up POLITICS! Take your trust fund, your 'Logarithms', and your self-proclaimed riches and beat it. Take the L from your wannabe half-assed football conference like a man.

Rule #117: Anyone who brings up politics on a division 3 football message board is admitting how much of a loser that they are in life. Take a hike.

Mach - Once a clown, always a clown you are. A wannabe and never was. DelVal played Mount Union very tough in a national quarterfinals appearance last year as they did North Central and Brockport in the last few years. I expect nothing less from both Union and Ithaca.

As far as universally disliked, UFanbill, unionpalooza and Ice Bear showed none of that here nor on the MAC board and thanked me for my detail on not only the Aggies team (which they said was spot on), but on my detail of beautiful Doylestown and the DelVal campus. So shhhhhhhhhhhh.

It sounds like they were at the game while you sat at home. So ask mom what time dinner is so that you can turn off the X-box and leave the basement. The next detailed comments that you make about a football team (especially as palooza said........"a perfect bead on the team") will be your first.

Enjoy yourself Mach/He/She/They/Whomever. Mama is calling. She's got meatloaf for you!!

Riiiiiiight...so....can you tell us about your portfolio again? It's been far too long.

[IC798891]

Ithaca dominates Springfield 21-7.

The Bombers lead 14-0 before the Pride get a First down. Springfield gets all of two drives into Ithaca territory.

I thought Springfield not onside kicking the ball at 21-7 was utter insanity. By the time they finally stopped the Bombers, they're on their own 27 with just over 6 minutes to go.

And look, I get that Springfield doesn't have a playbook that has options for a 4th-and-10, but...punting down 14 with five minutes to go is just a straight up white flag during a (technically) still winnable game. As Utah said, I suspect being frustrated being a Springfield fan because they're just not going to be able to adapt to things not working.

Game MVPs:

Jalen Leonard Osborne - There's a reason he was the offensive player of the year for the LL. His 90 yard run was the play of the game, and he finished with 190 yards and two scores.

Darren Brunner- Look, I'm scouting a box score, but

59-yard punt to the 12
55-yard punt fielded at the 15, returned for -2 yards
51-yard touchback
36-yard punt to the 21

That's amazing. Consistently forced the Pride into long fields. Onto Round 2

[Jonny Utah]

Ithaca dominates Springfield 21-7.

The Bombers lead 14-0 before the Pride get a First down. Springfield gets all of two drives into Ithaca territory.

I thought Springfield not onside kicking the ball at 21-7 was utter insanity. By the time they finally stopped the Bombers, they're on their own 27 with just over 6 minutes to go.

And look, I get that Springfield doesn't have a playbook that has options for a 4th-and-10, but...punting down 14 with five minutes to go is just a straight up white flag during a (technically) still winnable game. As Utah said, I suspect being frustrated being a Springfield fan because they're just not going to be able to adapt to things not working.

Game MVPs:

Jalen Leonard Osborne - There's a reason he was the offensive player of the year for the LL. His 90 yard run was the play of the game, and he finished with 190 yards and two scores.

Darren Brunner- Look, I'm scouting a box score, but

59-yard punt to the 12
55-yard punt fielded at the 15, returned for -2 yards
51-yard touchback
36-yard punt to the 21

That's amazing. Consistently forced the Pride into long fields. Onto Round 2

oh yea I forgot all about the punter.  Man was he good.  special teams in general were in favor of the bombers all game.  there was a good wind going away from the scoreboard and I'm a little surprised Toerper chose the wind at his back in the 3rd quarter instead of the 4th?  Maybe because Springfield got the ball first and that's what the chart says to do? 

But yea one of the punts was an amazing spiral with the wind that went 50+ yards. 

[Jonny Utah]

And I'm guessing SC doesn't go for it on 4th down there because if IC kicks a FG it's a 3 score game instead of a 2 score game.  But yea I was thinking the same thing.  SC must have thought their odds of getting 10 yards on a play was slim to none but then again a team like that should have one play up their sleeves that would give them a chance.  I think they knew they were done at that point though too.

[IC798891]

And I'm guessing SC doesn't go for it on 4th down there because if IC kicks a FG it's a 3 score game instead of a 2 score game.  But yea I was thinking the same thing.  SC must have thought their odds of getting 10 yards on a play was slim to none but then again a team like that should have one play up their sleeves that would give them a chance.  I think they knew they were done at that point though too.

Two things I'd add in terms of a break glass in case of emergency play.

1. Why not add a WR end around/reverse going the other way of the option? Little misdirection never hurt anyone
2. Has Springfield ever considered a halfback option pass after the pitch? Again, throw in an extra wrinkle.

I think they simply have to have some kind of a play tucked away for times like that. Like, 21-7 with 6 minutes to go isn't a great chance, especially for a team that can't pass, but I'm a Falcons fans. Stranger things have happened

[Jonny Utah]

And I'm guessing SC doesn't go for it on 4th down there because if IC kicks a FG it's a 3 score game instead of a 2 score game.  But yea I was thinking the same thing.  SC must have thought their odds of getting 10 yards on a play was slim to none but then again a team like that should have one play up their sleeves that would give them a chance.  I think they knew they were done at that point though too.

Two things I'd add in terms of a break glass in case of emergency play.

1. Why not add a WR end around/reverse going the other way of the option? Little misdirection never hurt anyone
2. Has Springfield ever considered a halfback option pass after the pitch? Again, throw in an extra wrinkle.

I think they simply have to have some kind of a play tucked away for times like that. Like, 21-7 with 6 minutes to go isn't a great chance, especially for a team that can't pass, but I'm a Falcons fans. Stranger things have happened

Ha yea that's a great way to put it.  SC has definitely run a halfback option pass before, but not sure a trick play would work in this situation.  I think this is a situation where you just have a play you've never shown before out of a formation you've never shown before.  Quick hitch or curl at 9 yards would have done the job but yea you are on the money that they needed to do something here.

[IC798891]

I think this game was a great example of the job IC's coaches have done with Schumm.

He's shown he can throw the ball when needed — the second half against Cortland attests to that. But I think Ithaca smartly realized that Springfield wasn't going to be able to go down the field on them, and rather than ask him to do anything where disaster could strike — like last year's pick 6 that Wingfield threw — they were content to just take the air out of the ball. They're showing faith in him to make plays, but they're also not asking him to be the hero.

As for Union, it's crazy to think that the game really shifted by them allowing a 12-yard rush. Had they stopped Del Valley for 1-yard on that, I can't imagine the Aggies going for it. But Union's defense gave up enough that they pushed their luck, and Union made them pay.

It's hard to make sense of Union's performance. On the one hand, they had two fumbles at the Del Valley 1 and probably should have won by a lot more. On the other, it's not often you get a road playoff win despite being a -3 in turnovers.

As for next week, the transitive property has flaws, but it held up for the LL thus far.

IC beat Endicott, Cortland beat IC, Cortland beat Endicott.
Union beat Springfield, IC beat Union, IC beat Springfield.

So yeah, I have to think Hopkins is the favorite next week against Union. That said, Ithaca was not presenting an offense that Union's going to

As for IC, Springfield's offensive performance is a lot like the NESCAC. It's pointless to extrapolate anything from it to anyone else. Randolph Macon is a big play offense, and we've seen IC be susceptible to that. It burned them against Hopkins, and while they took it away from Cortland, it came at the expense of...everything else. But at the same time, didn't we see Randolph Macon run their conference last year and then struggle to put away a team from Upstate NY in the playoffs?

If I had to guess:

Hopkins 28, Union 13
RM 31, Ithaca 20

[UfanBill]

I think this game was a great example of the job IC's coaches have done with Schumm.

He's shown he can throw the ball when needed — the second half against Cortland attests to that. But I think Ithaca smartly realized that Springfield wasn't going to be able to go down the field on them, and rather than ask him to do anything where disaster could strike — like last year's pick 6 that Wingfield threw — they were content to just take the air out of the ball. They're showing faith in him to make plays, but they're also not asking him to be the hero.

As for Union, it's crazy to think that the game really shifted by them allowing a 12-yard rush. Had they stopped Del Valley for 1-yard on that, I can't imagine the Aggies going for it. But Union's defense gave up enough that they pushed their luck, and Union made them pay.

It's hard to make sense of Union's performance. On the one hand, they had two fumbles at the Del Valley 1 and probably should have won by a lot more. On the other, it's not often you get a road playoff win despite being a -3 in turnoversAs for next week, the transitive property has flaws, but it held up for the LL thus far.

IC beat Endicott, Cortland beat IC, Cortland beat Endicott.
Union beat Springfield, IC beat Union, IC beat Springfield.

So yeah, I have to think Hopkins is the favorite next week against Union. That said, Ithaca was not presenting an offense that Union's going to

As for IC, Springfield's offensive performance is a lot like the NESCAC. It's pointless to extrapolate anything from it to anyone else. Randolph Macon is a big play offense, and we've seen IC be susceptible to that. It burned them against Hopkins, and while they took it away from Cortland, it came at the expense of...everything else. But at the same time, didn't we see Randolph Macon run their conference last year and then struggle to put away a team from Upstate NY in the playoffs?

If I had to guess:

Hopkins 28, Union 13
RM 31, Ithaca 20

I like everything you say. Yes Union's fumbles were sloppy and concerning but Pacatte"s picks were different.  One was a sideline pattern where the ball got caught up in a strong wind gust.  The other was not his fault at all. He actually threw a good ball leading the receiver to the end zone but Green wax tripped up and the ball was caught by the DB. It looked like PI. The flag was thrown and the DB acted like he knew he was guilty BUT another official 20 yards away came running in and after a long consultation the flag was waved off. Incidental contact.so the pick stood.

Of more pressing concern is an injury to Micheal Fiore. Looked like a serious knee or possible broken leg. It'll be tough not having him for JHU.

[IC798891]

Injuries at this point of the year suck. I'm not talking about being banged up (everyone's banged up now) but the serious injuries Fiore/Wingfield had.

Next man up is a valuable thing for the team to not get too down, but at the end of the day, I believe coaches know their teams, and typically, starters are starters for a reason.

My larger point about the Union turnovers isn't really to say they made mistakes or anything, just that when you have drives end without points like that, it's hard to come away with a win.

Union's had a great year, but Pacette is going to need to have a big game

[Ice Bear]

Injuries at this point of the year suck. I'm not talking about being banged up (everyone's banged up now) but the serious injuries Fiore/Wingfield had.

Next man up is a valuable thing for the team to not get too down, but at the end of the day, I believe coaches know their teams, and typically, starters are starters for a reason.

My larger point about the Union turnovers isn't really to say they made mistakes or anything, just that when you have drives end without points like that, it's hard to come away with a win.

Union's had a great year, but Pacette is going to need to have a big game

Personally, I am quite concerned about the turnovers. Especially since 4 of the 5 were in the red zone. On top of that, looking back at the RPI game, we struggled mightily in the red zone there  as well. To me the priority is to work on the finish. We need to work on possessing the football, two hands always, even if it prevents you from an extra yard. Trusting the process because this offense has shown that they can be potent and dangerous. I inherently believe that Union's offense can be very effective and I'm hoping to see some of that this Saturday. I believe this team is capable.

[Bartman]

Congrats to Union and Ithaca on their wins...you both did what it took to move on. Also congrats to RPI for trouncing Widener. Sorry my Statesmen couldn't make it a LL sweep, but having 3 turnovers to the Pioneers none made the difference in a hard-hitting defensive game. Congratulations to Utica on the win, you deserved it.
As far as this week for Union and Ithaca, you will need to pick it up a notch for JHU and RM. Ithaca will have to let their QB open it up or Hopkins will key on the run. Union, you can't turn the ball over this week. That said, you both have a shot at making it to the next level that would set up a LL rematch. That would be totally cool, although I give it a 25% chance, but then one of you would make the final 4.
  Finally, although not a LL member, I think Cortland could make it to the Mount Union round,  and then  have a punchers chance against the Raiders, IMO.
    Good luck to all.

[ICAlum16]

Has anyone watched RM play at all? What is their MO? They seem to be expolsive on offense and similar to Cortland in many regards. Despite the long travel, I love how this team is battled tested on long road trips. Coach Terp has done a great job getting the boys ready to play on the road. I am sure it is going to be a tough match up and obviously Union has a tough game against Hopkins but, I think there is a realistic chance that the LL road dawgs can come out on top. Excited for a fresh opponent.

As far as some quick analysis from last Saturday, I think it was clear that once Ithaca got on the board twice early it was over. They moved to a more conservative game plan offensively and defensively they were ready to attack the run. I am sure the coaches let them know that after letting up 220+ on the ground to Cortland that would not be acceptable.

Schumm has a powerful arm and is going to be a great downfield passer throughout his career. I want to see IC take shots down the field to #9 Julian Deumaga. I think he is an incredibly talented, big bodied and sure handed receiver that over the last two seasons I have been clamoring for more touches. We are going to need to fight fire with fire this week.

I would also like to say that being able to play on Thanksgiving week is a very special week for the teams. I was fortunate enough to be on the 2013 Ithaca playoff roster when we went and lost a hard fought game to Wesley (23-15, I believe was the final). It is such a fun week to be with your coaches and teammates. You don't have school, you just get to focus on getting great practices, film and lifting in and then soak in the time with your teammates. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that some of the best memories I have are living in a hotel for a week because the IC dorms were closed and just the funny moments that come with that type of togetherness. Regardless of what happens, this is what playing D3 ball is all about. I hope this entire week, every practice, every film, their team Thanksgiving meal, and all the off the field time together is cherished. There is truly nothing like this and makes it all worth it. Go Bombers!