Eastern Collegiate Football Conference

[NED3Guy]

Only one league team in action this weekend, when Castleton hosts Alfred State for Homecoming in Vermont.

I suspect the Spartans will have their way with them, and probably put up some crazy numbers. Alfred State hasn't scored an offensive point since the first quarter in week 1. (Shut out this week, held to a safety against Husson) The big question is if the Spartans will give Alfred State the 2014 Anna Maria treatment and throw a long TD pass from their all-conference QB for their last TD in a 65-9 route?.

Castleton v Alfred State will round out the non-league games for the ECFC teams. We saw a few good wins for the leauge this year...what has been the best out of conference win for the ECFC this year?

I'm torn between Becker over MIT or SUNY vs Kings Point. Always nice to beat an NCAA Tourney team, but wins for the ECFC vs Liberty League have been few and far between (Norwich over SLU last year, maybe Norwich over WPI in the past as well???)

[d3fan142511]

Best Non Conference win i think is Becker beating MIT. For a program like Becker that is a huge win considering there History. It s great to beat a Liberty League Team but SUNY has always played well against Kings Point. 4-3 in last 7 games. They did just break there 3 game losing streak to them but two of the three games were won by a total of 6 points.

This weeks game i went 5-2. Missing on Gall and SUNY Maritime.

Power Rankings ( NO Changes)
1. Husson
2. Castleton- Even with loss to Salve this team is still 2nd best team in Conference
3.  SUNY
4. Becker
5. Norwich
6. Mount Ida
7. Gall
8. Anna Maria

Going into conference play two sleepers are Norwich and Mount Ida. Both these teams always finish in the top 3 in the conference. Mount Ida also started out 0-3 last year and came back to set up Title game shot vs Husson last week of the year.

I am very interested to see what Becker can do this year in conference play. It would be a nice change and great for the program that has been in the cellar of the ECFC since it began.

Husson is still the favorites and should carry the ECFC banner for the 2nd year in a row.

[NED3Guy]

With relatively little on field action this weekend to speculate about, I'm curious to see what others think about the future of the ECFC.

While the conference in fine now from an AQ standpoint (and will remain fine when Norwich leaves in a few years), it is easy to speculate that other conferences in the region will be looking for teams and will look towards the ECFC to find them.

Does a desperate Liberty League see Castleton's proximity to New York and reach out to them? Does SUNY-Maritime become an appealing team for the LL?

Any of the Mass schools would seem to be prime targets for the NEFC to poach on...assuming they make an effort to remain a conference.....

Obviously 100% speculation, but fun to discuss nonetheless.

[d3fan142511]

I think it all depends on NEFC. Teams like Mount Ida, Becker and Anna Maria would fit the standards of that league (Non State Schools) It would make the travel for these schools alot easier to. Most Likely Zero overnight trips.

The main question is will the NEFC take teams like that.

What about New England College? Did they join a league already? If not i can see the ECFC taking them as a replacement for Norwich.

If the ECFC does crumble in regards to the other leagues taking teams for the AQ the below makes the most sense geographically.

NEFC
1. Curry
2. Salve
3. Endicott
4. Nichols
5. WNEC
6. Mount Ida (ECFC)
7. Anna Maria (ECFC)
8. Husson (ECFC)
9. Becker (ECFC0
10. New England College

Liberty League
1. Hobart
2. Rochester
3. RPI
4. Union
5. St. Lawerence
6. Castleton (ECFC)
7. SUNY (ECFC)

Galludet gets the rare boot and goes Independent or joins the NJAC

[Bombers798891]

With relatively little on field action this weekend to speculate about, I'm curious to see what others think about the future of the ECFC.

While the conference in fine now from an AQ standpoint (and will remain fine when Norwich leaves in a few years), it is easy to speculate that other conferences in the region will be looking for teams and will look towards the ECFC to find them.

Does a desperate Liberty League see Castleton's proximity to New York and reach out to them? Does SUNY-Maritime become an appealing team for the LL?

Any of the Mass schools would seem to be prime targets for the NEFC to poach on...assuming they make an effort to remain a conference.....

Obviously 100% speculation, but fun to discuss nonetheless.

I'll say this: Given how little improvement we've seen from ECFC teams against quality/decent teams from good conferences, I'd much rather see them scattered across conferences than sucking up a playoff bid a much better team could take. It looked like Gallaudet was making some strides in that department in 2013, but last year was a step back, IMO. I hope they can at least reverse it in 2015...and judging solely on the scores of Husson's games from last year, they seem to be, at least a bit

[d3fan142511]

Picks for week

Only one game

Castleton beats up on Alfred State big

[Boxer7806]

I like it. ECFC takes a back seat this week so the NESCAC can get some love with their first week of play starting up. Seems like a solid strategy here.

[NED3Guy]

Yes...the ECFC and NESCAC have an agreement so D3football.com East Region writer Tom Haley can show the NESCAC some love in around the region.

Castleton can only play this week because Middlebury is on the road, otherwise they'd be off this week too!

[NED3Guy]

Castleton 35-20 over Alfred State.

Castleton QB was 18-20 with 4 TD's and 1 INT.  Box score makes it looks like starters played entire game. Surprised they could only score 7 in second half....Allowing 20 to Alfred State does not bode well for the Spartans.

HUGE prep week leading into what many would call the ECFC game of the year. Husson coming off of 2 open weeks will either be well rested, or well rusted.

Time will tell.

[d3fan142511]

1-0 in the one game last week.

Power Rankings : No Change
1. Husson
2. Castleton- Beat Alfred State
3.  SUNY
4. Becker
5. Norwich
6. Mount Ida
7. Gall
8. Anna Maria

Game Predictions:

Mount Ida vs Gall- Ida wins there first conference game of the year in where both teams have struggled to score. Even tho the game is in DC, i think Mount Ida will prevail in low scoring game 14-13

Anna Maria vs SUNY- Suny wins big and easily 35-14

Two biggest games in ECFC for the week:

Becker vs Norwich: Is Becker for Real? That is the question ECFC fans will find out this week when they travel to Norwich. Norwich is very tough at home and i think that and with the harder out of conference schedule will lead them to victory. Norwich in a close game 28-24. ( I hope Becker wins this game be nice to see a change at the top)

Husson vs Castleton- Is this the championship in Week 1? It very well could be. I think this will be a slugfest and both teams are going to come out with there best. I am going to go with the defending champs at home 31-28

[H.C.Mosely1895]

^Good picks, though I will take the Bison in the GU/Ida toss-up (and of course I'm pulling for NU on Homecoming weekend  ). A lot of uncertainty heading into this week, which makes for a fun weekend of football! Even in the Castleton-Husson game, I've mentioned before Castleton's momentum, which is evident by them hosting their largest crowd ever last week. It'll be interesting to see how they carry that on the road.

Castleton v. Husson - Husson 38 - 31
Becker v. Norwich - Norwich 17 - 10
Gallaudet v. Ida - Gallaudet 26 - 24
Anna Maria v. Maritime - Maritime 42-14

[NED3Guy]

This Castleton momentum you speak of its nothing new...... It's the same momentum they've had since their program came into exhistance with over 4,000 fans for their 1st game. They receive the most administrative support of any team in the league by far. This is a program that was in an ECAC bowl two years ago, just their 4th year as a program, and baring the one year drop due to the theft scandal (where they lost an all American wr, an all conference qb and many other players) they've been on a steady climb record wise and talent wise.

That said, they have never won a game they weren't expected to win...EVER.

That trend continues tomorrow: Husson 48, Spartans 24.

[H.C.Mosely1895]

True, but having your new football program make news for the theft scandal and then having your coach resign is a good way to stop all the momentum that the program's birth was building. A 1-9 record after competing for the league championship was a thud. The fact that they were able to recover so quickly and again compete at the top of the conference is a testament to the coaching staff, their kids, and the school backing the program (and that pains me to give that much credit to Castleton). But I was surprised by their 5-2 run in conference last year, and the beating they put on my Cadets in the Sap Bucket game felt like an exclamation point on their return. For what it's worth (which is absolutely nothing), I didn't expect them to win that game, and I certainly didn't expect them to blow NU out.

Genuinely curious as I try to get more educated in the broader world of DIII football, what amounts to the "most administrative support of any team in the league by far"?

[NED3Guy]

I guess I don't know enough about the support Castleton gets (or any other team for that matter) to have made that statement....insert foot into mouth.

Look at it this way: Castleton and Anna Maria started football on the same day and have been on extremely opposite paths. For Castleton: a winning record in year 2, bowl game in year 4, 7-3 record in year six....with three different coaches!!!!

Yes the 1-9 season with the Coach leaving probably halted momentum for a few months, but keep in mind he was their second head coach (and went 6-1 in the league the previous year). Coach #1 had it rolling (5-2 in ECFC in second year as a team) but was forced to resign amid ncaa sanctions for financial aid violations.

For a team to go thru all of that, in just their first six years of exhistance and withstand it all to go 7-3 in the first year with coach #3 speaks volumes to the support they must get.

Saying that takes nothing away from the efforts of the past and current  players and staff. They get it done, but they have great support around them that has allowed the program to flourish in a short period of time.

[H.C.Mosely1895]

All good points. Your comparison of Castleton to Anna Maria is really telling. I have no doubt that Castleton's investment in their program has had a ripple effect across the ECFC. For example, I don't think Norwich's multi-million dollar upgrade of Sabine Field a few years after Castleton completed their beautiful field is a coincidence.