FB: Liberty League

[lewdogg11]

Maybe RPI just thoguth they would give it a practice run for the playoffs this year, so they can kick the field goal instead of going for it???  Maybe it had nothing to do with Union at all...

Ouch -- You and RS81 love to beat that dead horse -- except you're much funnier at it.

I was being half serious though.  Putting points on the board is always nice, especially when you have a lead.  If the kick was blocked and returned for a td the other way, i'd probably feel different, but special teams is such a HUGE part of the game when the playoffs come around, maybe RPI was trying to be a solid team, putting on the sure points.  I know a field goal doesn't seem like sure points for you guys this year, but it SHOULD be.  This is college football after all.  I have no qualms with it at all. 

[Senor RedTackle]

will there be any of this by the Rev and TGP if 'Bart doesn't put together a complete game??

['gro]

Gro fought the law-yer (Rossi) and the law won.  Just wanted to disagree to see the response.

p.s. Still a good call by coach King.

[Union23]

Its sad that a great game, rivalary, and tradition like the Union Rpi game has come down to this discussion of racial slurs and who has more class? Anyone who has played in the Shoes game knows how intense the game is and all the sub plots that exist making the game that more intense. I dont know what happened in the game but for example I remember me and Logidice jawing back and forth but off the field we hung out a few times and had some good laughs. This game brings out the worse I feel in players at times because so much is built upon this game. The rivalry is so engrained in us that a hatred develops.

[Frank Rossi]

Gro fought the law-yer (Rossi) and the law won.  Just wanted to disagree to see the response.

p.s. Still a good call by coach King.

I would agree, but Mrs. King refused to give me a cookie again. 

[Jonny Utah]

Gro fought the law-yer (Rossi) and the law won.  Just wanted to disagree to see the response.

p.s. Still a good call by coach King.

I would agree, but Mrs. King refused to give me a cookie again. 

+K to gro,

and Frank I was hoping for a detailed analysis on your negative deduction techniques on how you figured this out.

[labart96]

will there be any of this by the Rev and TGP if 'Bart doesn't put together a complete game??

In a word - yes.

To quote Coach Cragg:

"Earlier, I would have said we're going to have a real tough time with RPI. Now, we have a shot," Cragg concluded. "We've gone down there and won before. I don't have any problem thinking we can go down there and beat them on their field."

BTW - last time RPI beat Bart on '86 was back in 2001 (in the UCAA dayz) by a score of 35-29.

TGP will crank out a RPI-Bart preview later this week.  Given the stakes on the line with this one, it deserves an extra day or so of prep.

[Frank Rossi]

will there be any of this by the Rev and TGP if 'Bart doesn't put together a complete game??

In a word - yes.

To quote Coach Cragg:

"Earlier, I would have said we're going to have a real tough time with RPI. Now, we have a shot," Cragg concluded. "We've gone down there and won before. I don't have any problem thinking we can go down there and beat them on their field."

BTW - last time RPI beat Bart on '86 was back in 2001 (in the UCAA dayz) by a score of 35-29.

TGP will crank out a RPI-Bart preview later this week.  Given the stakes on the line with this one, it deserves an extra day or so of prep.

Oh, so you were just winging it on ITH last night???  I see.  I guess you did sound a little unprepared....

NOT.

['gro]

Gro fought the law-yer (Rossi) and the law won.  Just wanted to disagree to see the response.

p.s. Still a good call by coach King.

I would agree, but Mrs. King refused to give me a cookie again. 

Gro can see it now:

Engineers Keep Shoes, Lose Cookies
Schenectady, NY 2009
The wife of RPI head coach Joe King was accosted by unknown assailant in the hours before the annual RPI/Union Dutchman's Shoes game.  Mrs. King was passing out cookies to RPI alumni, family, and friends - a tradition she has completed for years - when a man in a garnet colored dress shirt came out of nowhere and snatched the tray of cookies from her hands. Mrs. King was unharmed, but the cookies were never found. The only evidence left at the scene was a set of handwritten notes containing complex playoff scenarios for various division III football teams. By the way RPI won 45-0.

[PBR...]

wow...laying some heavy pages and roadwork on the pages since the game on the '86...figured there would be some good natured ribbing and man all kinds of flinging frozen  cat turds and accusations.....whew the economy and tomorrow's vote day got everyone on edge....pbr is just gonna kick back and chill a little...

[Senor RedTackle]

To quote Coach Cragg:

"Earlier, I would have said we're going to have a real tough time with RPI. Now, we have a shot," Cragg concluded. "We've gone down there and won before. I don't have any problem thinking we can go down there and beat them on their field."

.........NEWSFLASH............HOBART COACH MIKE CRAGG THROWS THE GAUNTLET DOWN AGAINST RPI.......................NEWSFLASH............................

[Frank Rossi]

To quote Coach Cragg:

"Earlier, I would have said we're going to have a real tough time with RPI. Now, we have a shot," Cragg concluded. "We've gone down there and won before. I don't have any problem thinking we can go down there and beat them on their field."

.........NEWSFLASH............HOBART COACH MIKE CRAGG THROWS THE GAUNTLET DOWN AGAINST RPI.......................NEWSFLASH............................

Funny -- His head is laying right where there were cows and rocks last week...

[Frank Rossi]

RPI by 30 this Saturday.  Book it.

[Frank Rossi]

ECAC® Lambert Meadowlands
Division III Football Poll (#4)
presented by FieldTurf Tarkett

1. Cortland State                   
2. Muhlenberg                       
3. Wesley                               
4. Rensselaer                         
5. Ithaca                                 
6. Washington & Jefferson   
7. Trinity                             
8. Salisbury                           
9. Montclair State               
10. Hartwick 

[labart96]

To quote Coach Cragg:

"Earlier, I would have said we're going to have a real tough time with RPI. Now, we have a shot," Cragg concluded. "We've gone down there and won before. I don't have any problem thinking we can go down there and beat them on their field."

.........NEWSFLASH............HOBART COACH MIKE CRAGG THROWS THE GAUNTLET DOWN AGAINST RPI.......................NEWSFLASH............................

TGP would expect nothing less from Coach.

Moving on - here's a recap for Bart vs. Bizarro #5:

Hobart 31 - Worcester Polytechnic Institute 14

Facing the prospect of elimination from NCAA and League Championship contention, Hobart (6-1, 4-1) played it's best all-around football game of the season last Saturday at Boswell field.  The Statesmen gave WPI (6-2, 3-2) a major reality check by knocking off the upstart Engineers and setting up a championship showdown with Rensselaer (7-0, 5-0) this weekend at '86 Field in Troy, NY.  Adding additional intrigue to this championship game is that it will be the final regular season game ever played at the "'86" as RPI will be moving into their multi-million dollar "East Campus Athletic Village" next year.  

Back to the WPI game:

Hobart played a nearly flawless first half, running out to 24-0 lead behind 185 to WPI's 81 yards of total offense.  The Statesmen offense was lead by JR WR Tyler Vincent (seven catches for 57 yards - Vincent also contributed on special teams booting four punts which averaged 36.5 yards, including two inside the WPI 20 yard line) who filled in very nicely for injured SR WR Zach Schultz.  Vincent caught all three of SR QB Rich Doyle's (19 for 26 passing for 202 yards) TD passes on the day.  Vincent earned a league offensive player of the week award (which he shared with SLU RB Eric Jones) for his efforts last Saturday.  

Although the Statesmen offense did commit three turnovers (two interceptions by Doyle and a fumble by SO RB Andrew Marlier), these mistakes did not come back to halloween-style haunt the Statesmen because of the defense.  Hobart's D shut out WPI for slightly better than three quarters (even more impressive considering WPI had averaged over 26 points per game coming into this contest) and kept the WPI offense more than 130 yards below their season average production.  Hobart, on the other hand, gained 311 yards against #2 total defense in the league.

SR LB Justin Hager was awarded a defensive player of the week award (an honor he shared with RPI's JR DB Tim Acker).  Statesmen FY phenom DB Drake Woodard (who leads the nation in interceptions) caused a one of three WPI fumbles while also adding six solo tackles.  

According to the Finger Lakes Times, the home loss earlier in the season to Union College (3-4, 2-3) fueled the team's last two victories:

"Union definitely left a little bit of a sour taste in our mouth," admitted senior linebacker Justin Hager, who spearheaded the Statesmen with 13 tackles. "It gave us a little time to review what happened and really focus on Kings Point.  It was weighing heavily on our minds, but I think that was a good thing.  It got us more motivated to kind of like start a new season. It led into these last two wins."

"Not only our pride, everything was damaged," added head coach Mike Cragg when thinking back to the Union game. "Not many times have we given one away.  When we walked off the field that day, I really felt we gave one away."

"I don't think our confidence ever wavered, even after the Union game.  We knew we let one slip," Doyle said.  "We really were focused over that bye week.  We didn't mess around.  We just knew coming that we had four games left during the regular season and we had to be at the top of our game." *

The Statesmen racked up 22 first downs and dominated time of possession by nearly 10 minutes (35:11-24:49).  Although the Engineers threatened to make it a game by driving 132 yards on back-to-back fourth quarter scoring possessions, Hobart answered with a final 55 yard, eight play TD drive to kill any remaining Engineer momentum.  SR FS Lance Boyington's third interception of the season - picking off WPI QB Justin Wells (who was held to 19 for 30 passing for 155 yards) on the ensuing third down  - iced the game and allowed Hobart's offense to run out the final six minutes.

For the second straight week, JR WR/K PJ Overdorf (who also caught one pass for nine yards) converted a FG (21 yards) and was perfect on PATs (3-3).  The game also featured some of Hobart's depth with FY TE Matt Marsh collecting a key 22 yard completion in the fourth quarter, converted LB (now FB) SR Tony Siravo gained 25 yards (long of 14) on four carries and one catch for seven yards and FY WR Garth Muratori returning three kick-offs for 90 yards (long of 38).  It should be noted that the Statesmen enjoyed outstanding field position for the majority of the game.  Hobart's average starting field position was their own 47 — an that average jumped to the WPI 40 during the Statesmen's 17-point second quarter.  The Engineers', on the other hand, had an average starting field position from their own 29.

That's it for today.  Back with more LL Championship stuff later this week.

TGP

* Credit to FL Times' A. Brignall.  The full article available at:
   
http://www.fltimes.com/articles/2008/11/03/sports/doc490f21b2ed220393052119.txt