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

['gro]

Good work all around PG.

Nice to see RPI'01 get a HM slot.  '99 was probably the better team but '01 was the 1st year of the spread offense, and we were coming off of the 3-6 debacle of 2000.

That was a crazy season (gro's senior year). Shirley cancelled the coast guard game due to 9-11 after both coaches agreed to play, we beat then #10 Union, we beat Hobart with "The Miracle on '86 Field", We somehow got the #1 seed in the east, then the Evil Empire (Ithaca) rolled us in the 2nd round.

The Miracle on '86 Field
Trailing 29-21 midway through the fourth quarter, RPI put together a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard plunge by sophomore quarterback Dan Cole. The two-point conversion failed and the Statesmen led, 29-27, with 4:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. After holding Hobart to just two yards on the next series, the Engineers got the ball back on a punt with 2:57 showing on the clock.

Starting at their own 15-yard line, the Engineers went 71 yards on five plays, including a juggling 56-yard catch by Evan Cochran, to set up first-and-10 from the Hobart 14-yard line. The Statesmen forced three incomplete passes and a Rensselaer field goal attempt. The visitors surged the line and blocked the attempt, but RPI’s holder, sophomore Mike Defilippi, picked up the ball and outran the Hobart players to the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:56 remaining. A two-point conversion made the score 35-29 and senior defensive back Chris Speck ended Hobart’s final drive with an interception with 51 seconds left.

[realistic]

Yea I guess the league as a whole might not be the best, but Colgate and Lehigh are two of the best 1-aa teams in the country the last 10 years.

And JQV is right, Colgate made the national championship game a few years ago.

Didn't they make it two years in a row?  Or at least the semi's?  They had a stud RB. 

[JQV]

While they're not going to make these sorts of lists due to missing the playoffs, the best Ithaca team I have seen (since 1999 when I arrived at the school) by far was the 2004 version.  The offense was simply electric at a time when Ithaca's defense was still the main attraction.

A tough one point loss on the road to Brockport, and a controversial double overtime loss to Fisher on the road.  Seems it should have been enough to get in, as there were a couple two loss teams that squeaked into the tournament.  I really thought that squad could have gone a long, long way.

A friend close to the program also wanted to nominate the 2004 Bombers. 

I avoided them for two reasons: 1) I never saw them play and (2) they didn't make the playoffs.

I think if you evaluate the way they played down the stretch, there may be no comparison.  The 2001 Bombers were more consistent but the 2004 team finished in a way that no team has in quite a while.  Good call Tecmo.

[PBR...]

Yea I guess the league as a whole might not be the best, but Colgate and Lehigh are two of the best 1-aa teams in the country the last 10 years.

And JQV is right, Colgate made the national championship game a few years ago.

Didn't they make it two years in a row?  Or at least the semi's?  They had a stud RB. 

lehigh was especially good about 5 years ago and made several runs late into the playoffs,  until their coach moved on to greener pastures. current coach is good but they have seemed to lost that edge the previous coach had. (sorry i cant remember his name off the top of my head)

[gordonmann]

Great work on this, PG.  It's a very creative, effective way to engage people during the off season.  And you did an outstanding job with the analysis.

For what it's worth, I agree with your top 2 teams.  That 2001 Rowan team was very, very good.

I'd be curious to see what other regions would posit as their Top 10.

[JT]

The North might be a little hard to compile 

[gordonmann]

True.  It would probably be a pretty anticlimactic process focused more on which Mount Union team was the best.  I'm not sure how much fans of other schools would enjoy that.

[labart96]

Good work all around PG.

Nice to see RPI'01 get a HM slot.  '99 was probably the better team but '01 was the 1st year of the spread offense, and we were coming off of the 3-6 debacle of 2000.

That was a crazy season (gro's senior year). Shirley cancelled the coast guard game due to 9-11 after both coaches agreed to play, we beat then #10 Union, we beat Hobart with "The Miracle on '86 Field", We somehow got the #1 seed in the east, then the Evil Empire (Ithaca) rolled us in the 2nd round.

The Miracle on '86 Field
Trailing 29-21 midway through the fourth quarter, RPI put together a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard plunge by sophomore quarterback Dan Cole. The two-point conversion failed and the Statesmen led, 29-27, with 4:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. After holding Hobart to just two yards on the next series, the Engineers got the ball back on a punt with 2:57 showing on the clock.

Starting at their own 15-yard line, the Engineers went 71 yards on five plays, including a juggling 56-yard catch by Evan Cochran, to set up first-and-10 from the Hobart 14-yard line. The Statesmen forced three incomplete passes and a Rensselaer field goal attempt. The visitors surged the line and blocked the attempt, but RPI’s holder, sophomore Mike Defilippi, picked up the ball and outran the Hobart players to the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:56 remaining. A two-point conversion made the score 35-29 and senior defensive back Chris Speck ended Hobart’s final drive with an interception with 51 seconds left.

Ugh - TGP would smite Gro for the painful reminder of this debacle, but TGP will (grudgingly) give credit were credit is due.

Mucho K+ to PG for setting up this thread!

[Ralph Turner]

The North might be a little hard to compile 

I want "The 10 Best non-MUC North Region Teams of the Modern (D3football.com) Era".

[pg04]

Thanks everyone, it was fun to research as well, and I have found it hard to disagree with any of the points made by anyone here.  It's good to  get everyone in the football spirit!   

[union89]

PG04.....great work...thanks for the effort!!

[Tags]

True.  It would probably be a pretty anticlimactic process focused more on which Mount Union team was the best.  I'm not sure how much fans of other schools would enjoy that.

Eh, always fun debating who the "best of the rest" would be. Or arguing which 9 out of the 10 would go to what specific MU squad

[Tags]

are you kidding me.... I Grew up in Amsterdam...as a kid I idolized Justice Smith...I had a copy of the SI issue he was on a long time ago......

I forgot you grew up there - do you know AJ Sainato?

[rams1102]

pg04,

Great job on the the Top 10 Teams in the East. It was nice to discuss football during a time when the boards are pretty quiet. It was nice to see Montclair-03 make the Top 10 Honorable Mention. That was a talented team. We needed to clean house the next year and Coach G. did it. The comeback really started last year. With Wilkes, Springfield and Wesley out of the blocks this year it will definitely be interesting and not to forget Rowan, Cortland and the rest of the NJAC. Thanks again for a great time !!!

[superman57]

are you kidding me.... I Grew up in Amsterdam...as a kid I idolized Justice Smith...I had a copy of the SI issue he was on a long time ago......

I forgot you grew up there - do you know AJ Sainato?

I know of him...he was older than me... I grew up playing soccer with his sister...man she schooled all the guys