The Top 10 Eastern Region teams of the D3football.com Era

[Tags]

Nate Kmic was a man beast on that day so they did not need an air game.

Indeed, and for the past two years in the playoffs, Larry Kehres has ridden him until team can slow him. Just look at the playoff rushing totals.

The kid is a great back, no doubt about it. He ran harder than anyone I've seen in person that's for sure. Let's remember that his line was gigantic & very talented as well - nobody handled Fisher's front like that all year long, and the backers had a helmet on them most all game as well. It was an impressive showing for their line, and when you give a back like Kmic an opportunity he's going to burn you, which he did.

[pg04]

And to think I was going to put Reile in my Key offensive players for Fisher.  I wonder if that would have stirred anything up, eh tags?

[Tags]

And to think I was going to put Reile in my Key offensive players for Fisher.  I wonder if that would have stirred anything up, eh tags?

You're opinion doesn't have to be the same as mine PG - you're obviously entitled to your own thoughts on that.

[pg04]

And to think I was going to put Reile in my Key offensive players for Fisher.  I wonder if that would have stirred anything up, eh tags?

You're opinion doesn't have to be the same as mine PG - you're obviously entitled to your own thoughts on that.

What is this a new leaf for you tags? A new season, a nicer tags??

[Tags]

And to think I was going to put Reile in my Key offensive players for Fisher.  I wonder if that would have stirred anything up, eh tags?

You're opinion doesn't have to be the same as mine PG - you're obviously entitled to your own thoughts on that.

What is this a new leaf for you tags? A new season, a nicer tags??

Eh, not really - just don't want to beat a dead horse ya know.

Edit: Of course, the signature will remain 

[pg04]

Boy that horse is rotting by now!

[Tags]

Indeed - a new year PG.

[K-Mack]

very tough call, since winning the east doesn't automatically make you the best team, but winning is everything right? Consider this 'gro taking the easy way out.

Since I've only read up through this post, I'll take the easy way out too, by sitting back and watching what everyone else comes up with. Offseason = I get to play the role of reader.

In any case, in response to the earlier question about the NESCAC, I would say that league compares favorably (as in equally) to some of the other top private school teams in the East Region that I've seen. Hobart '05 is a good example of a team I think top NESCAC teams would have gone toe-to-toe with, and that team went toe-to-toe with the best East teams of that year. I think to make the true East Region list you would have to look at a couple Wiliams teams, including this past year's, and some of those Trinity teams. Not sure if Amherst had an undefeated in the D3 era, but they're worth checking out.

With playoff Ws being key criteria here ... well, let's just say that furthers my annoyance with the whole NESCAC not participating thing.

I think considering Wilkes '06 better than Rowan '06 is a fine move, and both the '99 and Clock Year Rowan teams were pretty damn good.

Not that thrilled with RPI's '03 run compared with how some other East teams fared in their semifinal matchup, but they did lose to the national champion.

[K-Mack]

Nate Kmic was a man beast on that day so they did not need an air game.

Indeed, and for the past two years in the playoffs, Larry Kehres has ridden him until team can slow him. Just look at the playoff rushing totals.

The kid is a great back, no doubt about it. He ran harder than anyone I've seen in person that's for sure. Let's remember that his line was gigantic & very talented as well - nobody handled Fisher's front like that all year long, and the backers had a helmet on them most all game as well. It was an impressive showing for their line, and when you give a back like Kmic an opportunity he's going to burn you, which he did.

OK,
I did skim some of the Mount Union/SJF stuff ... and while I always give credit for SJF hanging in there with MUC, I think there is some merit to the 'not at full strength/holding back' argument.

It only really made sense after seeing both the MUC/SJF game and then a week later the MUC/UWW game. For a team to run for 400-some-odd yards one week and then pass the ball as well as they did in the Stagg Bowl does open some eyes.

For certain, Garcon had a broken hand against SJF and had 1 catch for 3 yards. I've seen on SJF's website where it says Steve Stepnick shut him down. I don't think that's really the whole story. They took a couple shots with Garcon early and missed, but when they established the run, they basically never went back to that.

Whether you think it was because Kehres is a super-genius who realized he could beat SJF by being one-dimensional and knew he would need to pass to beat UWW, and therefore show as little as possible (assuming UWW had a way to see that game since 2 week old tapes are usually what teams get in the playoffs) ... or if you just think that they happened to have success running and felt they didn't need to go back to Garcon ...

... fact is, dude was lights-out at the Stagg Bowl. Looked like he'd never been injured. Game-breaking speed and moves in the open field and sure hands. He looked nothing like that against SJF, and whether that was due to chance or acting or scheme or some combination of the three, no one heals that much in a week.

Not even sure he played all that much after the 1st quarter against SJF, and he is a major part of their offense.

I agree that if MUC could have been up more than 19-14 they most certainly would have been. But by the same token, if they had been trailing or desperate, or not having so much success running the ball, they most certainly would have tried to involve Garcon more, and he is a major, major difference-maker, as the past two Stagg Bowls prove.

Also, to the comments about Kmic and his line ... I think "it all starts up front" is a major reason behind MUC's success over the years. You almost never see a QB or RB get touched in the backfield, and most of us know how much easier it is to pass without consistent pressure, or how much easier it is for an RB to get running downhill, and to avoid unexpected hits that cause fumbles once he has a few seconds to secure the ball, see what's in front of him and hit his hole.

That line last year was phenomenal. I wish I could explain it in more technical terms, but I'm not much of a technique guru when it comes to line play.

[labart96]

In any case, in response to the earlier question about the NESCAC, I would say that league compares favorably (as in equally) to some of the other top private school teams in the East Region that I've seen. Hobart '05 is a good example of a team I think top NESCAC teams would have gone toe-to-toe with, and that team went toe-to-toe with the best East teams of that year. I think to make the true East Region list you would have to look at a couple Wiliams teams, including this past year's, and some of those Trinity teams. Not sure if Amherst had an undefeated in the D3 era, but they're worth checking out.

TGP agrees with K-Mack on this assessment.  Especially since most kids who are looking at NESCAC schools are also probably going to have places like Union and Hobart on their list.  Hamilton is Hobart's #1 overlap and Trinity is definitely a top 10 overlap with Hobart as well.

However, the fact that NESCACs remain an island to themselves and don't play non-conf nor playoff games, trying to rate them will always be conjecture vs. reviewing teams that either play head to head or have common opponents.

Still, TGP thinks an argument (albeit not a particularily strong one) could be made for the inclusion of certain NESCAC teams on this list on the low end (8-10) of the scale.

[labart96]

you know what though, those oac folks are so defensive if you ever say anything even close to quesioning Mt Union it seems like its almost no use talking to them.

And Ive seen enough Mt. Union over the years to know that they can make the 2nd best team in the country look like one of those Alaskan 7 man eskimo football teams. 

JU -

Yeah, TGP had the gall to comment on a post stagg thread that the MUC dbs often had UWW receivers open behind them for good chunks of the game (and UWWs QB overthrew them on at least 2 wide open TDs) and was blasted for it by the MUC faithful. 

TGP never said that UWW should have won the game (MUC was clearly the better team), but TGP was really surprised how personally some of the OAC posters seemed to take what was meant as just a passing comment based on one fan's (and former DB) observations.

Per K-Mack's OL mention above - they appear to have an almost NFL-esque zone blocking scheme down pat.  They move off the line of scrimmage with such speed and quickness, it's really something to behold.  It's almost vintage Denver Broncos-esque.

[Tags]

[open some eyes.

For certain, Garcon had a broken hand against SJF and had 1 catch for 3 yards. I've seen on SJF's website where it says Steve Stepnick shut him down. I don't think that's really the whole story. They took a couple shots with Garcon early and missed, but when they established the run, they basically never went back to that.

His broken hand healed between the Fisher game & the Mt. Union game?

[lewdogg11]

very tough call, since winning the east doesn't automatically make you the best team, but winning is everything right? Consider this 'gro taking the easy way out.

Since I've only read up through this post, I'll take the easy way out too, by sitting back and watching what everyone else comes up with. Offseason = I get to play the role of reader.

In any case, in response to the earlier question about the NESCAC, I would say that league compares favorably (as in equally) to some of the other top private school teams in the East Region that I've seen. Hobart '05 is a good example of a team I think top NESCAC teams would have gone toe-to-toe with, and that team went toe-to-toe with the best East teams of that year. I think to make the true East Region list you would have to look at a couple Wiliams teams, including this past year's, and some of those Trinity teams. Not sure if Amherst had an undefeated in the D3 era, but they're worth checking out.

With playoff Ws being key criteria here ... well, let's just say that furthers my annoyance with the whole NESCAC not participating thing.

I think considering Wilkes '06 better than Rowan '06 is a fine move, and both the '99 and Clock Year Rowan teams were pretty damn good.

Not that thrilled with RPI's '03 run compared with how some other East teams fared in their semifinal matchup, but they did lose to the national champion.

This is 100% a statement of subjectivity.  How can you make a statement like that, when the NESCAC teams NEVER play anyone else?  Shoot, I can watch how nasty and talented Boise St. was for the last several years on ESPN, against their own conference, and say how they could definately match up with the top teams in the country.  Just because they look so good against competition with similar standards, does that mean they can match up with the best teams?  You just don't know until they play, and until last year, Boise St. showed that they in fact WEREN'T good enough to be looked at in that top tier.  

No disrespect to Williams and Trinity, MAYBE they are as good, if not better than the other East teams, but HOW can you gauge it with no actual proof?  In the NFL, Arizona and San Francisco looked INCREDIBLE against each other in week 1 last year.  How did they fair against everyone else?

All I'm trying to say is that this is a pointless argument because everything is based on your opinion of how these teams look against each other.  It is impossible to rank them amongst the 'living' because they choose to seclude themselves, play a short schedule, and never venture into unchartered territories, so for that reason, they should be ignored.

The NEFC could hold the same argument if they didn't venture out.  Curry sure looked good last year at 11-0 in the Regular season, but in typical NEFC fashion, they got smoked in the playoffs by Springfield, 42-14.  Would this happen to the NESCAC???  Maybe...Maybe not.  Guess we'll never know.  But until we know, I'll take Hobart in 2005 over any of them.

[JT]

Next up, the #2 and #1 teams.  Which Rowan team grabs the number 1 spot?

Having the benefit seeing both squads.  I'm going with 2001 over 1999.  2001's offense was scary and they hit the playoffs rolling.  You could see fear in the opposing defense. Rowan scored 50.6 ppg while allowing only 19.9.  Some of the 19.9 was scored on the second and third team defense when the game was over in the third quarter. More experence on both sides of the ball.

Good balance 4741 total yards of offense (1,977 rushing/2,764 passing), 57 TD's.

This was perhaps the fastest group of Wr's in school history. Before Bridgewater turned into a muddy mess the Profs were kicking ass 21-7 in the 1st quarter.  Dry or turf field we wouldn't even be talking about the clock today. Note: Last regular game of the season Profs spanked Montclair on turf 53-21, in the cold pouring rain.

On that dry Stagg field... it made me ill just watching the game.

1999 great defense but lacked experience in the offensive backfield.  Rookie QB, rookie FB and RB.  The lack of experience hurt Rowan in the Stagg Bowl.  It was great to end Mount Union's streak, but I think the 2001 would have taken home the title.

[JQV]

KMac

I don't think you need to tell Fisher how nasty Garcon is...they know from experience.