Because we are busy writing papers and problem sets for much of the week, we let ourselves off easy by letting you read and watch what others have produced.
NESCAC- First of all, if you don’t read the NESCAC weekly release, you are missing out on a treasure trove of statistics and information. http://nescac.com/sports/fball/2014-15/reports/NESCAC_FB_092814.pdf
Bowdoin- A Polar Bear-centric photo gallery is up from the game Saturday against Amherst, including this cool shot of Bowdoin’s Branden Morin ’16 getting airborne because of Amherst’s Nick Kelly ’17.
Hamilton- The Hamilton Football Facebook page has photos from the game at Wesleyan available.
Trinity- The Bantams have already put out their preview of this weekend’s game against Hamilton. You should also go read their profile on senior safety Mike Mancini ’15.
Tufts- Ever wanted to see cool aerial shots of Medford combined with highlights of Tufts homecoming victory? Probably not, but now you can.
The biggest change a team can make from week to week comes after week 1 and leading into week 2. Nothing can replicate game speed, and after coaches are able to look back at game tape for the first time and make adjustments, teams can look very different. Consider in week 1 last year Williams got blown out by Colby 31-6. Then a week later Trinity needed two A.J. Jones ’14 touchdown receptions in the fourth quarter to keep the Ephs from ending the Trinity home winning streak. More on the Williams-Trinity matchup later.
The overarching story line to watch this week is how teams perform on the road. In our opinion, only one team (Wesleyan at home against Hamilton) can be considered the favorite at home. The last time four road teams won in one weekend was actually this same week two years ago with the exact same slate of games. A home underdog springing an upset would mean a disturbance in the early season hierarchy, even if it is a momentary blip.
Three to Watch
1. Quarterback Austin Lommen ’16 (Williams)- I know that we focus a lot on Lommen and Williams prospects for improvement, but this is the week that we really learn how far Lommen can take the Ephs. Last week he was able to lean on a great defensive effort and running attack against Bowdoin. He was efficient going 18-27 for 184 yards and one touchdown. Still Trinity will make him do a lot more in order to beat them. They have the strength to slow down running back Alex Scyorcurka ’14 enough to make Lommen have to make throws. It is clear that Lommen has great chemistry with his high school teammate Steven Kiesel. He will need to find the open receiver as Kiesel will likely face tight coverage from either Mike Mancini ’15 or Brian Dones ’17.
2. Linebacker Addison Pierce ’17 (Middlebury)- The Panther defense rose to the occasion last week especially in the run game, and Pierce was a player who had a breakout game. He played a lot freshman year finishing fifth on the team in tackles, but last week was special. He totaled ten tackles including three and a half TFLs (tackles for loss), equal to his total TFLs for all of 2013. The Panthers got penetration into the backfield all day from their linebackers stopping Kyle Gibson and co. before they could get momentum. This week is another interesting matchup for the Midd defense against a Colby offense that actually ran the ball effectively against Trinity.
3. Running back Ivan Reese ’17 (Bates)- Last week Amherst shut down the inside running game for Bates holding Reese to only 19 yards on 10 carries. In fairness, Amherst was perfectly designed to shut down the interior given all the talent up front on defense. 19 yards should be by far the least amount of yards that Reese gets in any game. The interior of the Tufts defense should not present the same problems Amherst did so look for Reese to be fed the ball early and often in the home opener for Bates. The offense needs to improve on their execution from week one in order not to waste another great performance from the defense.
Austin Lommen ’16 in action against Bowdoin (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
The Picks
Game of the Week- Trinity (1-0) at Williams (1-0)
Williams fans are riding high after opening their new field with a thumping of Bowdoin. A victory this week would put them into a tizzy. The Bantams are feeling pretty good themselves after taking it to Colby in the second half to run away with the win. Our writers Sean Meekins ’15 and Carson Kenney ’15, both Trinity students, put Williams above Trinity in their power rankings. Maybe it was just a psychological play to fire up the Bantams, but the point remains that after week one, this matchup got a little more interesting.
As we mentioned above, Williams almost shocked Trinity in Hartford last year. The stats tell us this was not the result of any fluke luck. The teams had essentially the same amount of yards, first downs, yards per play, and penalties. The difference was Williams’ four turnovers to Trinity’s one. The play of the game came when Brian Dones ’17 picked off Tom Murphy ’15 in the final minute to set up the winning touchdown for Trinity.
Lommen has to avoid making those type of mistakes for Williams to win. Williams will make a strong commitment to running the ball especially given how Carl Lipani ’17 was able to run for 133 yards last week. Some of Williams biggest plays in week one came on screens and draws where they were able to give Scyocurka and Jean Luc Etienne ’15 space to work with. The experienced Trinity linebackers will likely snuff that type of play out meaning the Ephs will have to manufacture big plays down the field.
On the other side of the ball the decisive matchup is between the Trinity offensive line and the Williams defensive front seven. James Howe ’16 will need to get help from his cohorts which might not include defensive tackle Adam Datema ’15 this week. Chudi Iregbulem ’15 and company enjoyed success mainly in the second half after wearing down Colby because Trinity held the ball for 37 minutes. The Williams defense has to make sure Trinity does not get into a rhythm running the ball. These are two teams similar in ethos that have seen every game between them since 2006 decided by eight points or less.
Prediction: Trinity 22 over Williams 17
Middlebury (0-1) at Colby (0-1)- These are two teams both coming off tough losses that look very comparable. The Mules were feeling good at halftime against Trinity down only a safety and getting the ball to start the second half. Then things fell apart pretty quickly and Colby ended up losing 32-7. Middlebury had a chance to tie Wesleyan at the end of regulation before a near blocked punt turned into a game ending roughing the kicker penalty. Colby has to do a better job of not letting up the big play, whether that’s on offense or defense. How the Colby secondary plays against a Middlebury offense that outgained Wesleyan last week will be the difference.
Prediction: Middlebury 31 over Colby 23
Amherst (1-0) at Bowdoin (0-1)-Quick disclaimer/heads up: I am doing the color commentary for this game on the Bowdoin webcast through NSN. Bowdoin could take few positives away from the game against Williams. Expect them to open things up more on offense to keep Amherst off balance because running against the Jeffs is very difficult. Amherst has to cut down on the turnovers that helped Bates almost beat them last week. Keeping Alex Berluti ’17 in the pocket is a must for the Polar Bears. If he escapes and makes one player miss, he can easily rip off a 30 yard run. Bowdoin always seems to play Amherst tough especially in the first half, but it will be tough for them to make enough plays to win.
Prediction: Amherst 20 over Bowdoin 6
Bates (0-1) at Tufts (1-0)- The Jumbos were able to celebrate their first win in four years last weekend, and it will be interesting to see how the team plays this week. Preparation against Bates is crucial, and if Tufts spent too long in the glow of their victory they will be in trouble tomorrow. The Bates running game should get more traction this week than it did against Amherst. This is a must win game for Bates to gain momentum before they face Williams and Wesleyan at home in back to back weeks. Expect the Bobcat defense to really clamp down and frustrate the Tufts offense.
Prediction: Bates 23 over Tufts 13
Hamilton (0-1) at Wesleyan (1-0)- The Cardinals blitzkrieged their first four opponents in 2013, and Hamilton was no exception. This game was over last year after the first drive of the third quarter when LaDarius Drew broke off a 76 yard touchdown run to put Wesleyan up 28-0. It is still unclear if Drew will play this week after missing last week due to injury. Chase Rosenberg ’17 will put the ball in the air a lot again this week for the Continentals, but expect the Wesleyan defense to pick a couple of those passes off.
Losing the explosive trio of Evan Bunker ’14, Ben Crick ’14, and A.J. Jones ’14 to graduation will not make it easy on the Bantams offense this year; however they are very optimistic about avenging last season’s 6-2 record. There is a major QB battle that seems to have Henry Foye ’16 leading the pack. Hayden Jardine ’17, Ryan Murphy ’17, and highly touted recruit Spencer Aukamp ’18 are also in the QB mix for this season. Chudi Iregbulem ’15 and Jacob River ’15 are hoping to pick up where the dominant running back tandem of Crick and Bunker left off. Returning starters, Chris Ragone ’15 and Ian Dugger ’16, are going to be the main targets for Foye.
Michael Budness ’15 is going to be a key-returning factor for the Bantams offense. Budness will fill the roll as the wildcard in the offense because he is able to line up at many positions. Brendan Oliver ’15 will return at tight end hoping to also play a major part in the offense this season. The rest of the offense is going to need to step up this season to be the major contender in the NESCAC, but none will be more important then the always consistent offensive line. Tackles Matt Porter ’16 and Will Lynner ’16, guards Connor Flynn’16 and Connor Golden ‘15 and center Joe Magardino ’15 all return. The line has had major success in past years, and looks to continue it success behind captain Magardino. As long as the O-Line stays healthy the Bantams’ offense will have major success.
Defensive Overview:
With a lot of returners including four of the five top tacklers from last year, expect a big year for the Bantam defense. Linebackers Rob Gau ’15, Mike Weatherby ’14, Tom Symanzski ’15, and Frank Leyva ’16 , who missed a lot of the year last year due to injury, look to anchor a D that ranked third in the NESCAC last year in yards per game. Gau and Weatherby combined for 88 tackles last year (16 for a loss), and Symanski was an All-NESCAC linebacker. This year’s freshmen class of backers is also one of Trinity’s best in recent history. As for the secondary, Mike Mancini ’15 is back at free safety, and Brian Dones ’15 will try to lock down receivers at corner. Mancini totaled 48 tackles last year while Dones finished 11th in the nation with 1.8 passes defensed per game. Word out of camp is that sophomore Cornerback Yosa Nosamiefan ’17 is impressing people with his improvement over the summer. Look for him to see time at corner this year across from Dones. Safety Casey Tanner ’15 and Paul McCarthy ’16 will also help stabilize a Bantam secondary that looks to make big plays.
Up front defensively the Bantams will rely on DE Preston Kelly ’16, NT Kyle McGuire ’15, and DE Lyle Baker ’15. Baker had 27 tackles in the 2012 campaign before missing all of last year. His return along with Kelly and McGuire returning should give offenses around the league plenty of trouble establishing any sort of running game. Coming off a year where Trinity ranked sixth nationally in defensive pass efficiency, expect this veteran laden defense to help ease the pressure placed on the offense which is the biggest question mark for right now. If the defense is able to stay healthy, and the offense is able to limit turnovers and control the time of possession, look for the Bants to make a hard push for the NESCAC title.
Courtesy of Trinity Athletics
Three Big Questions
1. Who will be the starting QB?
Junior Henry Foye is leading the pack up to this point, but it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds. Sophomores, Jardine and Murphy, are looking to be potential candidates behind Foye. Spencer Aukamp is going to have a major eye on him this year, as the New Jersey recruit is also looking to contend heavily for the QB battle. People are hyping up the QB battle due to Puzzo’s departure but Foye (who started 5 games last year, all of them wins) can flat out ball too.
2. Can the veteran linebackers continue to show consistent success?
Gau, Weatherby, Szymanski, and Leyva are all returning linebackers. These linebackers have had immense success in the past and hope to continue to anchor the consistently dominant Bantams’ defense. As long as everyone stays healthy the Bantams will be able to control NESCAC offenses.
3. Can offensive tackle Matt Porter stay healthy?
Porter is without question one of the best tackles in the conference. The question is, will he be able to stay on the field to protect Foye more often than not? He missed time last year due to a sprained knee that was suffered in the middle of the season and will play a very important role this season in anchoring an offensive line that is one of the league’s best. With an offense that lost playmakers, the O-Line will need to be tough up front and create holes early in the season to allow Rivers and Iregbulem to get their feet under them and get going. If Porter is able to stay on the field for the majority of the year, expect the running game to flourish.
Team MVP: It’s no question that Trinity will rely on their offensive line after losing starters at key positions, namely running back. Bunker and Crick were one of the greatest 1-2 punches at RB that the NESCAC has ever seen. The receiving core is also experienced and will play a big part in Trinity’s success this year. However none of this is possible without the O-Line. Led by Porter, Magardino, Golden and Flynn, the Bantams offense will be able to take off if the line continues their dominance in the trenches. The backs will be able to establish the running game which will in turn allow Foye to air it out, meaning good things for the Bants.
Biggest Game of the Year (Sean)
Oct. 25 against Middlebury.
Every game at home for the Bantams is a big game because of the 51 game winning streak, and Middlebury shocked the Bantams in Vermont last year in a controversial game that left the Bantams with a bad taste in their mouths. Not saying that game cost the Bantams their season, but in the short eight game sprint, they cannot afford another mishap leading into their last two major games. The Bantams need to be looking at Amherst in the following week of the season with a 6-0 record. That is why the October 25th game is so vital. The Bantams are playing a good Middlebury team, so they must make their presence known.
Biggest Game of the Year (Carson)
Nov. 1 against Amherst.
After losing to Amherst last year in somewhat dramatic fashion, the Bants are eager to get back on the field with the Lord Jeffs. In NESCAC football, every single game is incredibly important, however this will be the biggest game of the year. Aside from wanting revenge from last year, this game is also the last home game for Trinity of the year, which hopefully means the last chance to extend their winning streak at home. If the Bantam’s are still in contention for the title come November 1st, expect Hartford to be buzzing as Amherst makes the trip to the Coop.
Best Tweet of the Offseason: Not many NESCAC teams can claim they made SI. #NPITC
