FB: Liberty League

[Touchdown Tommy]

Nice win Big Red...

[Apple Jack]

Geez that was nerve racking....should some heart to pull that one out with on 27 seconds to drive the field! 1-0 in the LL!

[Stlarry]

Webcast cut out as Susq scored to cut it to 7 midway through the 4th.  Just saw a final score, SLU won 49-42 in OT.  SLU blew a huge lead in the 4th.  Not good for the blood pressure...

[labart96]

TGP's Frozen Cat Turd Bowl Preview 2007
[TGP's Prediction:

RPI 35 - Hobart 31 (TGP really, really hopes he is wrong on this pick)

TGP hates it when he's right sometimes......

Nice game for RPI.  Give Bart credit for not folding when it was 21-7 in the 3rd quarter.  Too bad we couldn't hold on for the win.

[57Johnnie]

Great win Engineers   

[Frank Rossi]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? RPI??


wow.....................

A real RPI fan who lives 150 minutes away would've actually...ahem...been at the game.

[Touchdown Tommy]

Careful Frank, make #1000 special...

[labart96]

TGP received an email from the Rev post-game.  He indicated that it was Cragg's fault for calling a prevent D that prevented Hobart from hanging onto their lead. 

Ouch.

[Regulator]

still time... RPI at the Fiddy.  RPI at the 38.  RPI at the THREE!!


RPI gains 2 yards to the 1... called LAST time out... 12 seconds left. LET'S GO RED!!


TOUCHDOWN!!!!  35-31 RPI  8.6 seconds left

Reg didn't understand why Hobart would have wasted both timeouts at the end of the game trying to ice RPI?  I mean one would have been fine...why both?  They could have saved that for if they got the ball back.

Did they think they could "double ice" the RPI guys or what?

['gro]

still time... RPI at the Fiddy.  RPI at the 38.  RPI at the THREE!!


RPI gains 2 yards to the 1... called LAST time out... 12 seconds left. LET'S GO RED!!


TOUCHDOWN!!!!  35-31 RPI  8.6 seconds left

Reg didn't understand why Hobart would have wasted both timeouts at the end of the game trying to ice RPI?  I mean one would have been fine...why both?  They could have saved that for if they got the ball back.

Did they think they could "double ice" the RPI guys or what?

yeah that was not smart... the 1st one they just wanted to see what lineup RPI came out of... but then to take a 2nd? did they have 10 guys on the field?

TGP received an email from the Rev post-game.  He indicated that it was Cragg's fault for calling a prevent D that prevented Hobart from hanging onto their lead. 

Ouch.

Yes the prevent was not the way to go.

[Frank Rossi]

Careful Frank, make #1000 special...

I'm delayed 2 1/2 hours on a JetBlue flight from ROC to JFK, so I figured what better time for #1000?  Union made me proud today.  Obviously outsized, the Dutchmen held on to the win with a first-time starter QB.  Someone asked if Union was bad or if Rochester was worse... None of the above.  Rochester played two good games before today and is a team to be reckoned with.  Take nothing away from them.  Union just put together a nice game plan that tried to accentuate their strengths.  The defense also proved their pre-season hype by tackling well -- Rochester couldn't get the running game started.

I'll have more about LL weekend #1 tomorrow, but I wanted to salute Union for a great day in post #1000.  It makes this delay a lot easier to stomach.  In the words of a Mad TV character, "Thanks to U!" 

[Regulator]

So Reg is watching the USC game on non-HD cable and it literally looks like I am trying to watch my TV through saran wrap.  Is anyone else experiencing this?

Why isnt this ish HD?

[Touchdown Tommy]

Reg don't be a clown.  The best game on tonite is the Georgia vs. Alabama game.  It is on ESPN HD...

[mattvsmith]

TGP received an email from the Rev post-game.  He indicated that it was Cragg's fault for calling a prevent D that prevented Hobart from hanging onto their lead. 

Ouch.

Slight clarification, TGP: The Rev did not specify Coach Cragg.  Another coach may have made the decision.  But it is true that The Rev thinks Prevent D was a piss-poor decision.

The Rev's run-down:

RPI and Hobart are incredibly evenly matched.  Had Hobart won, The Rev could not say that Hobart is beter than RPI.  Likewise, The Rev doesn't think RPI can claim it's better than Hobart.  The Rev thinks this distinction will have to be played out throught the rest of the season.  See below.

Hobart's primary errors:

1. Playing it too safe and dilly-dallying with three minutes to go.  Why run down not enough time and go for a fieldgoal?  Hobart should have tried for the TD, and only done the FG as a last attempt to get points.  They had plenty of time, great field position and the reward far outweighed the risk.

2. Playing "prevent defense."  This is one of Rev's and Rev's Dear Old Daddy's pet peeves: "Prevent defense prevents you from winning."  Look what prevent defense did at the Maginot Line.  And so we copy this losing strategy into football?

3. The RPI QB threw to his left side only twice in the game and Hobart's #6 picked off both passes.  He learned his lesson immediately and passed to his right ALL F-ING DAY!!!

Look, EVERY time Hobart put pressure on the QB, a receiver went up field about 15 yards or so and stood at the sideline.  I mean he stood like a statue and waited.  Hobart's D couldn't catch the RPI QB (even though he is the most awkward human on two legs).  RPI QB simply rolled out and ran away, looked to the uncovered dude standing at the sideline and BOOM: pass completion.  This is how RPI moved the ball up into scoring position with only 2 minutes left until their goalline play at 12.9 seconds.

REDONKULAS!!!

How could Hobart have let this play happen a dozen or so times?  Some half-blind old guy sitting behind The Rev said, "Look, there's the kid standing up the sideline again.  Woop! There they go again!"  It was so obvious, someone at Hobart needs to have his ass whipped after reviewing the tape.  RPI figured out they couldn't pass to the side of the field covered by #6, so why didn't Hobart figure out they needed better coverage on the other side?

4. Hobart's QB is fast and strong.  His problem today was mental.  Had he committed to a decision a split-second earlier on several plays, he would have made mince meat of RPI D.  Half the time, had he just thought to himself, "I should tuck and run this ball NOW."  Instead, it was like he went into an interior dialogue: "To tuck and run, or not to tuck and run?  That is the question.  'Tis nobler to tuck the ball and run, or to suffer an incomplete pass."  By the time he made the decision to tuck and run, it was just a little too late.  This is a mental problem, not a physical one.  This kid is a good, strong QB.  Much better on his feet than RPI's, but RPI's QB was mentally quicker.  Today we witnessed mind over matter.

OK, OK.  Having said all that, the game was one of the most exciting games The Rev has seen in a long time.  Just as TGP said, it was great to see Hobart comeback from being down 21-7 in the 3rd quarter.  That takes some serious focus and determination, and the guys on the turf deserve a hell of a lot of credit for that.  That was great.  Kudos to the RPI team, also.  They played a great game.  And again, these teams are equals.

Now, onto what this can mean to LL...
The Rev would like to see a Frank Rossi "what if" breakdown.

What if Hobart beat Union and Union beats RPI?
What if Rocho beats RPI, but Hobart beats Rocho, and then loses to Union?
What if Rocho beats both RPI and Hobart, yet Union loses to both?

Frank, work your magic.  We want to see the possible LL outcomes.

Posting from beautiful downtown Norwich, NY: The Rev.

[mattvsmith]

P.S. Yes, The Rev's view is clouded by the fact that he has gone out of his way to catch important Hobart games in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and Hobart has lost all three games The Rev managed to see.

The Rev is sick and tired of paying a shizzy airline (that's redundant, since all US airlines are shizzy) to fly a red-eye to SYR only to watch the Statesmen lose.

Seriously, Statesmen, have some courtesy and understand that when a dood flies across the country to see you, he deserves to see you win.  Make a note for 2008.

At least The Rev got a barbecue pork sandwich in the Statesmen Athletic Association tent today.  But The Rev is not sure that the sandwich was worth the cost of a plane ticket.  Last time they served The Rev grilled chicken.