Nothing But NESCAC

Can’t Stop the Stampede: Week 6 Power Rankings

Week 6 Power Rankings

Not a lot has changed from last week, although there were a few notable results from Week 6. Tufts grabbed a big win from Williams and Wesleyan looked like they had absolutely no fight in them at all. Even Colby finally got into the win column in a thrilling victory over Hamilton. Unfortunately Amherst is still number one, but we’ve still got a ton of excitement ahead of us in the final 3 weeks. See where each team is as the title race heats up:

(1) 1. Amherst (6-0)

Now that the Mammoths have reached the back half of their schedule, they deserve a lot more recognition for what they’re doing. Wesleyan is a good team that has put up a lot of points this year, and they could only muster 101 total yards against this terrific defense. To take this a step further, 104 of those yards were passing yards. Yes, this means that Amherst held the Cardinals to -3 rushing yards. This entire defensive unit is downright scary, especially when it comes to the run game. They currently lead the league in total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, points allowed, and sacks which basically means that if you want to beat them then you’ll have to throw the ball, but you also won’t have very much time to do that so you’ll probably end up losing anyways. Things start to get pretty exciting this weekend when Amherst hosts Tufts in a game that will definitely have an effect on the league championship.

(2) 2. Trinity (5-1)

There is only one takeaway from Trinity’s 48-6 victory over Bowdoin but it’s a big one: 6 games into the season the Bantams went with a different starting quarterback. I don’t know whether it was due to injury or the poor play of Jordan Vazzano, but rookie QB Seamus Lambert ’22 got the start and went 22 of 29 for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns to just 1 interception. He spread the ball around to 7 different receivers and given his 76% completion percentage, he essentially solved the two largest problems that the Bantams were facing at the quarterback position. A matchup with Middlebury isn’t a cakewalk, so keep an eye on who’s under center this weekend for Trinity.

(4) 3. Tufts (5-1)

RB Dom Borelli ’19 did it all against the Ephs

Congrats to the Jumbos who kept their title hopes alive by knocking off Williams on Saturday. It wasn’t easy however; with the game deadlocked at 21 going into the half, both defenses came out of the locker with much more energy. A passing touchdown by starting RB Dom Borelli ’19 in the third quarter ended up being the only score of the second half and was enough to propel them to victory. Tufts is a team I’d be very afraid of because they clearly can find all sorts of ways to score and they relentlessly keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks with their outstanding group of linebackers. They have a real shot at taking home the crown, but they need a win this weekend at Amherst in our game of the week.

(3) 4. Williams (4-2)

The past two weeks haven’t been good to the Ephs who have now dropped their last two games. QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 ran for 135 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough as he could only manage 107 yards through the air. Leading WR Frank Stola ’21 caught 9 passes but for just 44 yards and no scores, showing the lack of vertical threats present in the game against Tufts. As a fan (and as a fellow human being) I’m bummed that TJ Rothmann ’21 is out with a broken jaw because he is an impact player on the defensive end and this unit is reeling without him. Williams now finds themselves in the same position they were last year – the good news for us is that last year they took down Amherst in their final game to prevent the Mammoths from winning the championship. Could it happen again this year? They say history repeats itself…

(5) 5. Middlebury (4-2)

What a wild turn of events for the Panthers. One week after bringing home a huge win against Williams they were just an extra point away from heading to overtime against a winless Bates squad. It was a pretty solid effort on the offensive end, but the defense wasn’t really able to stop a Bobcat offense that ranked last in the league in almost every category. It’s possible (and I certainly hope) that this game says more about Bates than it does about Middlebury, because the Panthers have just started putting things together. QB Will Jernigan ’21 is really coming into his own, going 17-26 for a career-high 266 yards and 3 touchdowns on Saturday. I think this game was just a stumble and that Midd is surely going to be prepared for a big matchup against Trinity.

(6) 6. Wesleyan (3-3)

It’s never a good thing when you’re punting out of this formation

Losing 33-3 to one of your rivals on Homecoming Weekend is a bad look. Finishing a game with negative rushing yards is a bad look. Possessing the ball for 10 fewer minutes than your opponent is a bad look. Week 6 was not a good one for the Cardinals, to say the least. As the streakiest team in the league Wesleyan has had a lot of ups and downs, so we’ll go ahead and throw this one in the “down” category. The defense wasn’t good, Piccirillo couldn’t get anything going vertically, and there was no rushing attack whatsoever. I don’t mean to be too harsh, but this team was supposed to be a title contender. No way did anyone think that they’d have 3 losses before playing Williams and Trinity. They do still have one game left with Bowdoin, but all I’m saying is that ending with a losing record is a bad look.

(7) 7. Hamilton (2-4)

The long bus ride must have gotten to them because the Continentals did not show up to play against Colby this weekend. The Mules have been playing well and are certainly on the rise, but Hamilton has more talent and frankly should have won this game. QB Kenny Gray ’20 couldn’t get anything going in the air and a solid effort running the ball wasn’t enough to make up for it. WR Joe Schmidt ’20 hasn’t been the same difference maker that he was last year and it’s hard to say whether that’s a result of a down year from him, Gray, or both. Probably both. Whatever the case may be, Hamilton has to refocus for their matchup with Williams or else they’re in danger of really embarrassing themselves.

(8) 8. Colby (1-5)

RB Jake Schwern ’19 is doing a great job taking some of the pressure off of first year quarterback Matt Hersch

I’m going to say nearly the exact opposite for Colby that I said for Hamilton. Things are looking good in Waterville. First of all, the Mules’ secondary receives more credit than it has gotten this year. This unit allows just 159 passing yards per game, which is second to just Trinity for fewest in the league. They did a terrific job containing the prolific arm of Kenny Gray and have quietly been putting together a fantastic season. On top of this, QB Matt Hersch ’22 continued to look excellent, orchestrating several impressive drives culminating in the final drive that resulted in the game-winning field goal. Whatever Coach Cosgrove is doing up there is working and they’ll look to keep it up this weekend in their first CBB matchup with Bates.

(10) 9. Bates (0-6)

They had their chances. The Bobcats trailed 28-6 late in the first half and came roaring back within 1 before ultimately losing 35-34 to the Panthers on Saturday. They had 3 full possessions while down a point and were unable to put the finishing touch on a remarkable effort. It turned out that the blocked extra point from Bates’ first touchdown of the day made the difference, and Middlebury escaped with this one. QB Brendan Costa ’21 looked very legit, finding 6 different receivers for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding another 111 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Bates’ offense goes as Costa goes, and on this day Costa had it going. All they can ask for is another performance like this one, and they could really use it in a rivalry matchup with Colby in Week 7.

(9) 10. Bowdoin (0-6)

I know you can’t expect much when you’re a weak team playing against one of the league’s best, but the Polar Bears have to be disappointed with what they’ve gotten out of QB Austin McCrum ’20 so far this year. When you transfer from a Division I school there’s obviously a lot of hype, especially at a position as important as quarterback. With a league-worst 13 interceptions to go along with the fewest yards per attempt and lowest efficiency rating among starters, McCrum is showing us why he ended up in Division III after all. Bowdoin takes on Wesleyan this Saturday, followed by Bates and then Colby in the final two weeks. That gives them 3 chances to end their losing streak that currently sits at 23 games. Good luck, fellas.

Changes to Tradition: Week 6 Stock Report

Stock Report 10/22/17

Stock Up

Tufts’ Title Chances

Obviously this isn’t a slight to Amherst, they are still the favorite and will be at the top of tomorrow’s power rankings, but Tufts is making serious moves. After handing Williams their second consecutive loss by a score of 28-21, Tufts now sits at 5-1 and is just one game back from first place. Since they play Amherst this weekend, they control their own destiny if they win out. Now, I still don’t think that the Jumbos would be the favorite this weekend as the game is in Mammoth territory, but Ryan McDonald and the strong Tufts receivers are looking ready to take us all to upset central this weekend.

Tufts is playing as a team like Chance Brady ’17 did as an individual.

Colby’s CBB Chances

Although Hamilton has been consistently inconsistent, they are far more talented than some of the other Maine teams, and Colby’s win last weekend (23-21) was a turning point in their program history. This was their first win over a non-Maine team since October 22nd, 2016, and shows that perhaps Coach Jack Cosgrove has something in the works for this team. Matt Hersch ’22 threw for nearly 300 yards and connected with ten different receivers to lead them to a win against the Continentals who were fresh off of a win against Wesleyan, who beat Midd, who beat Williams. Does that mean Colby beat all those teams by the transitive property? Not quite, but it was a big win, and the first one of the Cosgrove era.

Bates QB Brendan Costa ‘21

I had never seen Costa play in person until last weekend, and after looking at the box scores in his career, I had assumed he was just a run first player. I thought that last year, his stats were the product of the system Bates ran, and although they tried to switch to more of a pass first system this year, I thought their lack of pass success was due to Costa’s inability to throw. Although he hasn’t thrown for over 177 yards, reaching that season high this weekend, his arm is big and once he gets more on the same page with his receivers Bates could have a dangerous offense. He had several impressive touchdown passes, leading his receivers well and throwing an incomplete downfield bomb showing his arm strength. He also clearly has speed and is super shifty, so once the Bobcat blocking improves, they could be dangerous.

Stock Down

Wesleyan’s…everything

The Cardinals have lost a lot of credibility in recent weeks.

It’s been all downhill for Wesleyan since their week one win against Middlebury. They are 2-3 for the last five weeks and have only beaten teams from Maine. The previously beastly Mark Piccirillo has looked not only human but even weak at some points, throwing for just 104 yards against Amherst last weekend. Yes, Amherst has the best defense in the NESCAC (yes, I said it, Amherst parents) but he really dropped the ball, ensuring their elimination. He didn’t account for a touchdown and neither did anybody else on the Cardinals, and the entire team rushed for just 3 yards. Wait, no, they rushed for -3 yards. Yikes.

Williams’ Grit

I’d like to exclude TJ Rothmann from this stock down on the disappointment of how Williams has played in recent weeks. They have looked young, undisciplined, and overmatched against teams they are simply more talented than. Reports said Rothmann was only questionable last week rather than designated as out after suffering a broken jaw…so he is definitely not soft. Bobby Maimaron threw for just 107 against Tufts and no receivers tallied up over 44 yards. Yes, Maimaron ran for 135 yards on the ground, but that’s the point—they have the talent to win every game they play, but unless they figure it out and put a whole game together, especially on defense in the secondary with their linebackers, they will be just a team with potential.

Week 6 Game of the Week: Williams @ Tufts

Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves: Williams @ Tufts Game of the Week Preview

Overview:

When Tufts beat Wesleyan in Week 2 and Williams beat Trinity in Week 3, the collective eyes of the league circled this game on their calendar. It appeared that this game would be the biggest game of the season, a potential matchup of 5-0 teams beginning their championship sprint to the finish. Not to say that Tufts was expected to cruise through Trinity, but there was still a decent chance this would be a battle for 1^st place. But after Week 5 everything has dramatically changed. Tufts dropped their first contest of the year in Hartford to Trinity, and Middlebury shocked Williams on their own field, and both teams dropped to 4-1. Now both one loss teams, this game is an elimination game. The winner of this game will continue their pursuit of a NESCAC championship, and the loser will compete to be the best of the rest. Needless to say, there’s a lot on the line.

Key for Tufts: Front 7

Tufts’ defense has been anchored on their ability to get to the quarterback. With 15 sacks on the year, they lead the league. They have 3 out of the 10 players in the league with 2+ sacks in DE Jared Ahsler ’19, and LBs Stephen Timmons ’20 and Greg Holt ’20. Keeping the pressure on and refusing to let QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 sit back with time for Williams will force him out of the pocket and hopefully allow for their ballhawking duo of DBs Tim Preston and Alex LaPiana ’19 to do their thing.

Greg Holt and the Jumbos are heading in looking for revenge after falling in week 5.

Key for Williams: Health

There was a lot that went wrong for the Ephs in their first loss of the season to Middlebury last year. Their struggles against dual threat QBs continued (more on that in a little), and they got dominated at the line of scrimmage. But they were missing starting CB Amhyr Barber ’19 at the beginning of the game, and proceeded to lose star LB TJ Rothmann ’21, S Jake Kastenhuber ’21, and lead running back TJ Dozier ’21. The way it looked, Middlebury would’ve beaten a healthy Williams, but a dinged-up Williams doesn’t have a great chance this week. Barber and Kastenhuber are expected back this week, and Williams has a ton of confidence in freshman RB Carter Bagel in place of Dozier (11 touches for 61 yards against Midd), but Rothmann is doubtful with a sprained jaw (not a typo), and that would be a huge loss. Rothmann is in the running for best LB in the league not named Andrew Yamin and is the engine that makes this defense go. They need to be as close to 100% as possible.

Can the Williams defense and Luke Apuzzi survive without TJ Rothmann?

Tufts X-Factor: WR Jack Dolan ‘19

Tufts has increased its passing yards in every week this year, but it should come as no coincidence that their three best weeks have come with Dolan returning to the lineup after missing the first two games. They averaged 140.5 yards through the air without him and have now averaged 262.3 with him. He leads the team in receptions and TDs and is second in yards despite playing two less games. Dolan adds a completely different dimension to a Tufts offense that has already taken another leap this year with the continued development and production of QB Ryan McDonald ’19. McDonald and their committee of running backs are going to give Williams fits but if Dolan is able to stretch the field and add some verticality they’re going to be really hard to stop.

Williams X-Factor: QB Bobby Maimaron ‘21

It’s been a weird year for the reigning Freshman of the Year. Maimaron actually leads the entire conference with 7 rushing touchdowns, and has thrown 6 TDs to only 2 INTs, both of which came last week in their loss to Middlebury. Coach Raymond chose to run the ball down Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby’s throats, rather than boast their QBs stats like the rest of the league does, so the numbers don’t tell the whole story. It seems like Maimaron is being limited in his playmaking abilities. Before last week, his best passing performance was 12-25 for 154 yards for 2 TDs, numbers which are way too low for a passer of Maimaron’s caliber. Against Midd, once they fell behind and Dozier got hurt, they took the leash off and let it fly, and Maimaron went 20-38 for 239 yards. Hopefully this caught the coaching staff’s attention because if that Maimaron shows up on Saturday they’ll have a really good chance to win. He is the rare player in this league that has the ability to sway games by himself, they just need to let him.

Everything Else:

There are a lot of question marks in this game, but they also seem to require answers from Williams. Their health, their offensive play-calling, and their experience and maturity were all tested last week. We’re going to learn a LOT about them and their super sophomores when they come to the Ellis Oval on Saturday, which is not a fun place to play if you’re the road team. Their performance against Middlebury does not bode well for them, as the Tufts’ offense is essentially the same look just with superior personnel across the skill positions. Will Jernigan is no Ryan McDonald but he still killed them with his ability to throw and run. Tufts is a veteran team with a history of winning—they went 7-1 two years ago, they are no strangers to this kind of game. They should win this game. But if Williams comes out and finally realizes that just about no one in this league can cover WR Frank Stola ’21, and they target him 18 times, they could still outshoot the ‘Bos. Let Maimaron loose and see what happens. But there are too many holes right now for Williams to come in and get a road win. They should get dominated on each side of the ball for the second week in a row, and until proven otherwise, I expect they’ll struggle against another dual-threat QB.

Final Score: Tufts 27, Williams 17

2018 Midseason Awards Update

Midseason NESCAC Awards

At this point in the season, we usually see a couple of teams separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Through six games, Amherst is the only undefeated team remaining (although their strength of schedule to date is nothing to scream about). Trinity and Tufts loom in the background with just one loss. The parity at the top of the table allows for some exciting MVP predictions, so without further ado, here they are:

Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney, Trinity

Initially, I penciled in Mark Raymond of Williams, but after last Saturday’s hiccup against Middlebury and this past week’s loss to Tufts, I’m siding with Jeff Devanney of Trinity. After securing NESCAC Championships in 2016 and 2017, Coach Devanney has his side right in the thick of things in 2018. There were some questions surrounding Trinity’s offensive identity heading into their 2018 campaign: how would Coach Devanney utilize Rhode Island transfer Jordan Vazzano ‘21? Could Vazzano gel quick enough with star running back Max Chipouras ‘19 and the wide receivers? Through five games, it’s safe to say the Bantams are having no problem moving the ball and finding the end zone. The offense is by far the most effective in the league, averaging 38.4 ppg. Despite Vazzano’s completion percentage ranking dead last in the NESCAC, his passing yards/game and throwing yards per attempt lead all starting quarterbacks. In addition, Chipouras is the only running back in the NESCAC to average over 100 ypg. The defense isn’t too shabby either, stifling opposing rushers to a mere 71.4 ypg. The 13-year head coach has things rolling again in Hartford, and they have the personnel to secure their third straight NESCAC Championship.

Defensive Player of the Year:

TJ Rothmann ‘21, LB, Williams

Rothmann is the heart and soul on defense for this young Eph squad. He had a fantastic freshman season at Williams, landing on the All-NESCAC 2nd Team Defense. The Massachusetts native is third in the NESCAC in tackles and has both an INT and a forced fumble/fumble recovery. His Defensive MVP stock took a slight hit, however, after suffering a broken jaw in the Ephs 21-10 loss to Middlebury two weeks ago. Rothmann was questionable all week before being ruled out for Sunday’s game against Tufts and if his season isn’t over he could improve his stock here. I have absolutely no idea how this is possible, but props to the kid for doing everything to help his team.

2. Taj Gooden ‘21, DL, Wesleyan

Gooden had an immediate impact as a freshman defensive lineman for Wesleyan last season, finishing third on the team in tackles for loss. The sophomore from Brooklyn, New York has taken a huge leap this season and cemented himself as one of the league’s dominant interior forces. He ranks second in the conference in both sacks (5) and tackles for loss (11). His best performance of the year came against Colby, where he racked up four tackles for loss along with two sacks. If Wesleyan gets hot and finishes in the top third of the table while Gooden keeps performing at this level, the sophomore could sneak his way up to the top spot.

Andrew Yamin ‘19, DL/LB, Amherst

There’s no sugarcoating it: this dude is an absolute unit. The reigning DPOY isn’t quite on pace to match last season’s ridiculous numbers (13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss) but he still leads the NESCAC in both those categories (6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss). The senior from Cheshire, Connecticut is a huge reason why the Mammoths allow a league-best 7.8 ppg, in addition to limiting opponents to a mere 43.3 ypg on the ground. Yamin had a quiet game for his standards two weeks ago at Colby (two tackles, one tackle for loss), but came back strong with a sack against Wesleyan.

Honorable Mentions: Greg Holt ‘20 (Tufts), Jared Ahsler ‘19 (Tufts), Corey Jean-Jacques ‘19 (Trinity)

Offensive Player of the Year:

Jonathan Girard ‘21, WR, Trinity

Girard is the best wide receiver in the ‘CAC, and it’s not even close. He blows away his competitors in yards per game and averages a ridiculous 24.2 yards per catch. His six touchdowns leads the NESCAC; in fact, the only category in which he isn’t at the top is in receptions, and even there he’s third. If Girard continues on this torrid pace, Trinity will be extremely tough to defend; opposing defenses will have to respect the Bantam passing game, leaving holes for Max Chipouras to exploit.

Bobby Maimaron ‘21, QB, Williams

Maimaron took the league by storm last season, leading the Ephs to a remarkable 6-3 record after the team finished the 2016-2017 campaign winless. The sophomore wonderkid led Williams to a huge victory against Trinity, vaulting them to the top of the table. Could Maimaron actually engineer one of the craziest turnarounds in NESCAC football history – leading a team who finished 0-8 two years ago to their first NESCAC Championship since 2010? The answer to that question will have to wait (probably until next year), because the Middlebury and Tufts defenses showed that Maimaron is indeed human. After accounting for twelve total touchdowns/zero turnovers in his first four games, the Ephs’ QB turned the rock over three times in their first defeat of the 2018 season. Maimaron didn’t really bounce back against Tufts, throwing for 0 TDs and barely over 100 yards. He needs to end the year on a very strong note to really be in the conversation.

Ryan McDonald ‘19, QB, Tufts

While the second and third place spots in both the DPOY and OPOY are underclassmen, it’s the seniors who take the top slots – for now. In this case, Tufts quarterback Ryan McDonald has led the Jumbo attack with both his arm and legs. McDonald is first in the ‘CAC with 16 total touchdowns, and averages just under 260 total yards per game. In their 38-24 loss to Trinity two weeks ago, McDonald outdueled Jordan Vazzano, throwing for nearly 300 yards combined with three total touchdowns. He had a strong performance in the Tufts win against Williams which was pivotal for the OPOY race. With 3 games left, McDonald is definitely the frontrunner.

Honorable Mentions: Ollie Eberth ‘20 (Amherst), Max Chipouras ‘19 (Trinity), Mark Piccirillo ‘19 (Wesleyan)

Big Spreads and Small Hopes; Week 6 Weekend Preview

Well folks we are just over halfway through the season and are getting a pretty clear idea of how the conference is going to shake out. Teams have separated into three tiers and it is pretty easy to see where each team lies. The top four teams all have at least four wins, Amherst leading the way with five. Secondly, there are the 3 mid-tier teams, all hovering right around the .500 mark. Finally, we have the three winless teams, all of whom happen to reside in the same state. These three tiers make predictions much easier, almost always if a higher-tier team is playing a lower one, they will win by a significant margin. That being said, it is football and there are some unexpected upsets every now and then. Let’s hope for more unexpected results as we roll into the final half of the season.

Hamilton (2-3) @ Colby (0-5)

Hamilton found themselves on the right side of a blowout for the first time in a long time. The Continentals dropped 62 points on Bowdoin, the second highest total in their 128 years of football. QB Kenny Gray was absolutely incredible. He completed 74% of his passes, totalling 293 yards and 4 touchdowns in their air. Additionally, he contributed 8 rushes for 87 yards. David Kagan and Mitch Bierman added a touch down each while Joe Park added 2 of his own. Will Budington was Gray’s main endzone target, hauling in three touchdowns on the day. It was clear that Bowdoin had no answer for the Hamilton offense and Hamilton took advantage of that. Bowdoin tried to stay in the game initially, only trailing by 11 at halftime. After a few second half adjustments Hamilton was able to shut down the Polar Bears completely, not allowing a single point in the second half. Hamilton has now established itself as a middle of the league program and they have another opportunity to trash a lesser team this weekend. If the Continentals are in similar form on Saturday, things may go their way in Waterville.

Colby has lost 5 straight games to start the season, but not all losses are created equal. Their 35-9 loss to Amherst last weekend was to be expected, but they seem to have more and more positives to build off of as the season goes along. QB Matt Hersch continued to look solid for the Mules despite playing arguably the best team in the conference. Hersch completed 28 passes, resulting in 212 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers are not too shabby considering that he is a freshman, in his 3rd ever start, playing an undefeated team. Their defense left more to be desired as they allowed Amherst to jump out to a 28-0 lead at the half. A much improved second half saw the Mules only allow 7 points and even record a turnover, but the damage had been done a while ago. Colby has been overpowered from the start in each of their previous matchups, but perhaps that is not true this weekend. Despite their blowout last week, Hamilton seems to be the weakest opponent that the Mules have faced to this point. With constant improvement and a decrease in opponent quality, maybe the the Mules can pull off a surprise win at home.

Score Prediction:

Hamilton 31 Colby 24

Bates (0-5) @ Middlebury (3-2)

Conrado Banky might just have his way with the Bobcat defense at home this weekend.

Bates was clearly overmatched by Wesleyan last week, dropping the contest 44-13. The big play plagued their defense, allowing 4 touchdowns on plays of 30 or more yards. Although their defense did give up quite a few big plays, they made one of their own on a 68 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. In fact, their defense scored half of their points. QB Brendan Costa was basically a non-factor in the game, only amassing 78 yards in the air. Their ground game was equally unimpressive, totaling 79 yards between 5 different carriers. With only 157 yards of offense as a team, Bates never give themselves a chance. After a surprising victory, as a result of much improved defense, Midd will be another tough task for the Bobcats.

Middlebury’s victory over a previously undefeated Williams has to be the upset of the season so far. After Williams beat Trinity, it seemed as if they were the lead candidate for conference champs. Midd was able to turn that narrative around by handing them a clinical 21-10 loss. QB Will Jernigan took over the game, running for one of Midd’s touchdown and throwing for the other two. RB Peter Scibilia was fantastic as well, putting up 143 yards on the ground. The defense is truly what shined for the Panthers this weekend. They held Williams to their least points scored on the season and was able to pick off QB Bobby Maimaron twice as well as force a sack-fumble. Midd was able to shut down the player with the most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in the league, a big turnaround from giving up 52 points to Wesleyan opening weekend. Midd is red hot right now and I would not expect an 0-5 team like Bates to be able to stop them. This should be a fun weekend for Midd fans up in Vermont.

Score Prediction: Middlebury 38 Bates 9

Trinity (4-1) @ Bowdoin (0-5)

The Bantams are going to keep chugging along this weekend.

Trinity bounced back nicely last week, earning themselves a 38-24 come from behind win against Tufts. The Bantams allowed Tufts to jump out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter, but were able to take control after that. The majority of Trin’s scores came on their ground game. QB Jordan Vazzano rushed for 2 while Max Chipouras and Devante Reid added scores of their own. Vazzano tacked on 220 yards and a touchdown in the air for good measure. After the first quarter the Bantam defense took over, not allowing Tufts a point in the second or third quarter. This was a great momentum shifter for Trinity after suffering their first loss of the season in the previous weekend. The Bantams have proved that they can still beat anyone in the conference and still have an opportunity to clinch yet another conference championship. After last week, Bowdoin should make for very light work.

There are not many positive comments to make about the Polar Bears after they allowed themselves to be demolished by mid-tier program such as Hamilton. Their defense could do absolutely nothing to slow down the Continentals and it more than showed in the scoreline. QB Austin McCrum was able to record 3 touchdowns but continues his woes by being picked off 3 times as well. RB Brendan ward couldn’t get much going either, picking up 81 yards and not reaching the end zone. When you turn the ball over 4 times, as Bowdoin did, you don’t give yourself much of a chance to win. When you allow over 500 yards of offense and 8 touchdowns, you give yourself absolutely no shot at a win. It probably won’t get much better this week as Bowdoin has to face a Trinity team that may be the most talented in the league.

Score Prediction: Trinity 55 Bowdoin 17

Amherst (5-0) @ Wesleyan (3-2)

Andrew Sommer and the Stampede are coming to take their sixth win in as many chances this weekend.

Amherst continued their dominance last week in a 35-9 win over Colby. Amherst played a very simple and efficient game and was able to take home an easy win. QB Ollie Eberth continued to look excellent for the Mammoths, he threw for 194 yards and completed 3 touchdowns. Eberth was able to add another touchdown on the ground to add on to an excellent day. RB Biafra Okoronkwo had an absolute day of it, rushing for 185 yards and a touchdown of his own. Everything about Amherst’s offense was working and they were able to manipulate Colby’s defense with ease. The defense was equally as impressive, forcing the Mules to punt 5 times as well as forcing them to turn the ball over on downs on 4 separate occasions. This Amherst team seems to be the most complete program in the conference and the fact that they are undefeated reflects that. Although Wesleyan is a better team than Colby, there is nothing to prove that Amherst have slowed down at any point this season, or that anyone can beat them.

Wesleyan didn’t face many challenges in their 44-13 win over Bates last weekend. The Cardinals were able to put up 23 points in the third quarter alone while limiting the Bobcats to only one score in each half. It only took QB Mark Piccirillo 10 completions to find the back of the endzone on 3 separate occasions. Piccirillo, Charlie McPhee and Sean Penny were also able to score on the ground, rounding out the 6 touchdowns for the Cardinals. 2 of Piccirillo 3 touchdowns went to WR Dario Highsmith, making him the most targeted red zone receiver on the day. Defensively, Wesleyan was terrific. They only allowed the Bates offense to score on them once, while their other touchdown was on a fumble recovery. Wesleyan stuck to their game plan and it played dividends. Although everything seemed to go Wesleyan’s way last weekend, it will likely be a different story this weekend. Nobody is yet to be Amherst and the Cardinals are likely not going to be the first one. While Wesleyan has appeared to be a dominant team at points in the season, they have not shown that against the top-tier teams in the conference. This weekend is another chance for them to dismiss that narrative and show they can run with the big dogs.

Score Prediction: Amherst 28 Wesleyan 13

Shaking Things Up: Week 5 Power Rankings

Week 5 Power Rankings

This is exactly the week we’ve been waiting for. Finally we get to see some games with real championship implications and a good number of changes to the rankings. Williams and Tufts both suffered their first loss, and they’ll have a chance to battle it out next weekend in a game that will essentially remove one of them from title contention. Trinity played their way back into the conversation and Amherst found their way back to the top through very consistent play against the easier portion of their schedule. From here on out there will be games every week played between some of the top teams, so this is where we start to get some excitement. As usual, each team’s ranking from last week is in parentheses next to their new ranking for this week. Things are looking quite a bit different than they were just a week ago.

(3) 1. Amherst (5-0)

To the dismay of pretty much everyone besides Amherst and their fans, the Mammoths are number one. The last remaining unbeaten team took care of Colby this weekend to close out the weak half of their schedule and they now sit alone atop the league. It won’t be easy, as they still have to play Wesleyan and Trinity on the road and Williams and Tufts at home. Amherst’s linebackers are playing on another level from everyone else right now, as Andrew Yamin ’19 leads the league with 5.5 sacks and Andrew Sommer ’19 has a sack and two interceptions to go along with 26 tackles, which is second on the team. Tailback Biafra Okoronkwo ’20 has really stepped up in the past two games, logging 271 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown in the absence of lead RB Jack Hickey ’19 who as missed the past two games with a sprained MCL. Fortunately he returns just in time for the Mammoths visit to Wesleyan for their first Little Three matchup.

(4) 2. Trinity (4-1)

The Bantams have started to look like themselves again since their first loss to Williams in Week 3

Trinity came up with their first huge win of the year, taking down Tufts 38-24. After trailing 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, they went on a 38-3 run before allowing another touchdown late in the fourth. This is the type of win characteristic of a championship team. Tufts had been playing some of their best football, and the Bantams took it to them in front of a raucous home crowd at the Coop. RB Max Chipouras ’19 looked much improved from previous weeks, carrying the ball 29 times for 164 yards and a touchdown. I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but 9 of the team’s 10 receptions belonged to either Koby Schofer ’20 or Jonathan Girard ’21 and they accounted for all but 5 of the team’s receiving yards. This guys really must just be that good, because you’d think opposing teams would realize the game plan at this point. I guess that’s why I’m here writing and not on the field. The Bantams will face a much easier opponent in Week 6 when they head up to Maine to take on Bowdoin.

(1) 3. Williams (4-1)

I have to admit; I didn’t see this one coming. Williams looked like the team to beat after some decisive victories against the league’s weaker teams and a huge win over Trinity in Week 3. On Saturday the Ephs allowed Middlebury to run all over them, with the Panthers amassing 278 yards on the ground and absolutely dominating time of possession. QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 had a decent day throwing the ball, but a few untimely turnovers combined with a nearly nonexistent rushing attack really cost them. We’ll also have to keep an eye on the injury to LB TJ Rothmann ’21 since he has been undoubtedly the best defensive player on the team, and one of the best in the league. The story is the same for Williams as it is for most of the other top teams at this point – a very tough schedule from here on out. No reason to hang their heads after just one loss because their championship hopes are still very much alive. The road continues this weekend when they hit the road to play Tufts in another huge matchup.

(2) 4. Tufts (4-1)

It was a tough week for the Jumbos who had the tall task of playing Trinity on the road. The defense struggled to keep up with a loaded Bantam offense, allowing Trinity’s three-headed monster of RB Max Chipouras, WR Koby Schofer, and WR Jonathan Girard to run away with this one. This was the first time all season that this unit looked vulnerable, and it was mostly on the ground. Yes, Trinity’s two top receivers had big games, but Vazzano only completed 10 passes so most of their game plan was via the run. The Jumbo offense didn’t look terrible, but Tufts simply could not manage to get much going on the ground so QB Ryan McDonald was forced to throw the ball more than they would have liked. Like Williams, Tufts will look to put this game behind them because it’s looking like a one-loss team could end up taking or at least sharing the crown. This gets even more exciting because Tufts and Williams are both in the same position now as they prepare to square off this weekend in Medford. Talk about a big game.

(6) 5. Middlebury (3-2)

Wow. What an effort from Middlebury. It was like a completely different team took the field against Williams on Saturday. The Panthers controlled the entire pace of the game behind QB Will Jernigan ’21 who is really starting to come into his own. The sophomore completed 18 passes and found 7 different receivers for a total of 162 yards and two touchdowns, all while adding 94 yards and another touchdown with his legs. Perhaps the biggest story was that the defense that had really struggled this season was able to remain strong and make big plays when they needed to. They came up with two interceptions, fumble recovery, and a crucial stop on 4^thand 2 all deep within their own territory to prevent Williams from putting points on the board. It’ll be important to see if the Panthers can duplicate this type of performance, because they have a chance to do some damage as a spoiler late in the year with matchups against Trinity and Tufts still remaining. They shouldn’t have too much of a problem with Bates this weekend.

(5) 6. Wesleyan (3-2)

QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 is doing everything he can to carry the Wesleyan offense

The Cardinals are starting to look like themselves again after a tough stretch in the early weeks. WR Dario Highsmith ’20 had a huge game against the Bobcats, catching 4 passes for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 is starting to look like the same guy we’ve seen in the past, although he’s been running the ball much more than he has over the course of his career. This is likely due to a thinner receiving corps, but he has had quite a bit of success averaging 5.6 yards per rush on 68 attempts and 3 rushing touchdowns. The defense has been solid but it isn’t the same dominant unit we’ve seen from Wesleyan in recent years. That said, they’re still a very strong team capable of beating anyone, and they’ll try their luck this weekend when the only undefeated team left comes to town in the form of the Amherst College Mammoths.

(7) 7. Hamilton (2-3)

The offensive performance of the year thus far now belongs to the Continentals. I don’t care who you’re playing against, 62 points is legit. Hamilton’s offense looked very “top tier” against Bowdoin, led by QB Kenny Gray who completed 23 of 31 passes for 293 yards and 4 touchdowns. This is the Kenny Gray I thought we’d see more of this year. He was absolutely dominant and was aided by 213 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns from his supporting cast. The Continentals picked off four passes, two of which were by DB Sam Bowen ’20. Allowing 27 points isn’t anything to write home about but we’re now getting a chance to see the big-play ability present in this defense. Hamilton is in a great position to steal a win from a top team, but first they’ll have a chance to build on the win last week with a visit to Colby in Week 6.

(8) 8. Colby (0-5)

Amherst is a tough matchup for anyone, and the Mules pretty much did what they were expected. The Mammoths shut down the run game, but it was another very promising game throwing the ball by QB Matt Hersch ’22 who finished 28-47 for 212 yards and a touchdown. He has now put up some very impressive numbers in his limited time so far and he’s done it against some very good defenses. They were pretty unsuccessful running the ball against Amherst, but they have relied heavily on the performance of RB Jake Schwern ’19 and will continue to do so as they begin to face weaker opponents. They have an intriguing matchup with Hamilton this weekend in a game that could end up being fairly close. The Mules should go into this game with a newfound sense of confidence now that they’re finding their identity and finally get to take on someone their own size.

(10) 9. Bowdoin (0-5)

LB Joe Gowetski ’20 has been one of the lone bright spots, leading the NESCAC with 47 tackles

The game plan with QB Austin McCrum ’20 is evidently to throw the ball as much as possible. He attempted 54 passes on Saturday against Hamilton, completing 31 of them for 279 yards, but throwing 3 interceptions in the mean time. This game served as a microcosm for McCrum’s season to this point. He has thrown the ball 37 more times than anyone else in the league this season, but owns a TD:INT ratio of 6:9 and his longest completion has been just 31 yards. At times Bowdoin’s offense has looked good, but too many mistakes have taken them out of opportunities to score. I don’t think anything really needs to be said about a defense that just got obliterated by the 4^thworst team in the conference. Sadly they’ll have to take on the league’s best offense in Trinity, so they’ll have to make some serious changes or else we could see another big number on the scoreboard at the end of this one.

(9) 10. Bates (0-5)

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a student at Bates so I’ve done just about everything I can to avoid putting them in the cellar every week when I write the power rankings. Unfortunately, I couldn’t seem to put of the inevitable any longer. The Bobcats are last in just about every metric on offense and bottom three in just about every metric on defense. QB Brendan Costa ’21 has been very ineffective throwing the ball but I don’t want to place the blame solely on him because the offensive line is giving him little to no time to find his receivers. WR Kody Greenhalgh ’20 didn’t join the team until Week 3 and he’s already the team’s top receiver in terms of yardage and receiving touchdowns. I don’t know what it’s going to take but Bates really needs a spark right now because they’re in danger of losing the CBB for the first time in 5 years. Next up is a visit to Middlebury.

Everybody Likes a Spoiler: Week 5 Stock Report

Stock Report 10/15/17

Just when we get over the halfway point of the season and think we know what’s going on, something changes. Middlebury came out of nowhere to upset one of the league favorites in Williams, and Hamilton erupted for the most dominant offensive performance of 2018. While we still got most of the picks right (4/5), the next few weeks will be all the more unpredictable with higher stakes.

Stock Up

Hamilton’s Legitimacy

Hamilton was one of my picks to move up to the top half of the league this year given their aggressive number of returning players. With such a veteran presence on the playing field, they should be able to beat some younger teams (Bowdoin, Bates, and maybe Midd and Williams) due to lack of mistakes and experience. They should at least put up a fight against some of the tougher teams in the league. While they were dominated by Tufts, Amherst, and Trinity, those are three of the four most talented teams in the league who also have heavy veteran presences. They had four passing and four rushing TDs last weekend against a Bowdoin team that nearly knocked off an inconsistent but talented Middlebury team. They also beat one of the league favorites in Wesleyan, and as a result, while they are clearly not on par talent wise with some teams, I wouldn’t be shocked if they finished above .500.

Middlebury’s Game Management

Peter Scibilia is showing us that he is a NESCAC back to be reckoned with following his 140+ yard performance against Williams.

The first four weeks against Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Colby, and Amherst, the Middlebury Panthers looked rushed, unorganized, and uncertain about their offensive identity. Their talented skill players, depth at both WR and TE, and capable rushers, were not utilized the way anybody envisioned they would be. An injury to senior captain and starting QB Jack Meservy opened the door for Will Jernigan to manage the entire game against Williams. While Meservy flashed talent in the pocket last year and at times this year, their system using both Meservy and Jernigan made it so neither QB could get any kind of rhythm. They out-talented Colby and Bowdoin, but were beat by comparably talented and better managed Amherst and Wesleyan teams. They couldn’t have looked more different against Williams in their 21-10 victory. Jernigan may not have had a sexy passing day in his starting debut, throwing for just 162 yards, but his use of the RPO and QB designed runs had the Eph defense reeling. The Panthers rushed for 278 yards and ate up the clock. They don’t really have a shot at a title anymore, but they could be some scary spoilers and bring the heat in trap games against Trinity and Tufts. Also a not so talked about aspect of the game–their blocking was phenomenal.

The Way Things Should Be

I said that Max Chipouras was the Trinity X-Factor in their game against Tufts. I stand by that pick, and also questioned whether he lost a step after some recent duds of performances. Well, if there’s anything I’ve learned from covering NESCAC football for my four years of college, it’s that Chipouras is the best back in the league and that he should dominate. Thankfully, after his game against Tufts, everything makes sense again. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry on the ground and accumulated 164 yards and a TD, showing us once again exactly what he’s made of.

Stock Down

Williams Rush Defense

Apparently Rothmann broke his jaw on Saturday, and if so, can the Eph defense control the run without him?

After writing that Amherst, Trinity, and Tufts had the best run defenses in the league, Karp gave me a hard time about how his boys in Williamstown deserves some more recognition. He had a good point that some of those other teams hadn’t faced many competent rushers and Williams did limit Chipouras to less than 4 yards per carry, but his claims didn’t hold up against the Panthers. Williams lost their biggest defensive playmaker, TJ Rothmann, to a jaw injury in the first quarter, leaving them without a leader on the field and without any confidence against a young Middlebury rushing attack. Middlebury kept their pace of play quick, and the Williams linebackers and defensive lines got lit up all afternoon, losing control of the game. If Rothmann isn’t good to go next weekend against Tufts, Ryan McDonald could have a big game running a similar style offense to Will Jernigan.

Maine Football

Nate Richam had us all excited after his week two performance against Middlebury, but where has he (and Bowdoin’s O Line) been since then?

I guess this one isn’t as much of a stock down as it is a ‘stock not up,’ since Maine football hasn’t really been too hot lately. Bowdoin gave us all some hope earlier this year when Nate Richam dominated Middlebury on the ground, while Griff Stalcup and Austin McCrum have showed both talent and chemistry with their unique offensive scheme. Colby has made some changes by starting first year QB Matt Hersch and coach Jack Cosgrove has attempted to make his mark on the NESCAC, failing thus far to turn around the Mules program. Bates, like Colby, had high hopes with their new head coach, Malik Hall, but have struggled to transition to the ‘air raid’ offense that was promised, likely due to the lack of a talented passing QB. Colby allowed 35 points with no turnovers on offense, Bowdoin allowed eight touchdowns (although they did turn the ball over 5 times), and Bates allowed 35 points also without turning the ball over on offense. While we don’t expect these teams to have great offensive performances against tough defenses, they will never have a chance if they can’t limit even the not-so-scary offensive attacks that the NESCAC has to offer (Amherst and Hamilton this week). Maybe nobody should win the CBB this year as all the Maine teams are 0-5 and at this point, nobody wants a participation trophy, right?

Even until they aren’t: Game of the Week 10/13

Week 5 Game of the Week — Tufts @ Trinity, 1:30 PM Saturday, October 13th

Overview:

Trinity stays at home this week to try to keep their championship aspirations alive. After losing to Williams in week three, they are one loss away from irrelevance. They stayed alive last weekend, easily blowing through Hamilton (44-7), who beat Wesleyan in the week prior. While the Jumbos also blew through Hamilton in week one (29-2), their game against Wesleyan has been their toughest contest of 2018. Tufts was also played tightly by Bates for three quarters in week three before pulling away for a 47-14 victory. Trinity has looked human and beatable in recent contests, but they have the talent to give undefeated Tufts a run for its money and will not go down easily in their own house with their season on the line.

Key for Trinity: Rush Defense

While the Bantam offense faltered against the Ephs in their loss, their defense was aces all day. They held each of the Eph rushers to under 3.4 yards per carry, which is impressive considering QB Bobby Maimaron is averaging almost a yard per carry more in his other three games and has rushed for six TDs on the season too. If Trinity can keep QB Ryan McDonald and RBs Mike Pedrini and Dom Borelli out of the end zone on the ground it could be a slow day for the Jumbo offense.

Key for Tufts: Secondary and Linebackers

Greg Holt should be ready to go this weekend.

Against Wesleyan, the Tufts defense had seven tackles for losses and 5.5 of those came from either the secondary or the linebackers. In order to stop Trinity’s new signal caller Jordan Vazzano, they will need to step up their pass defense as they have been dominant against the run game. They allow 58.3 yards per game on the ground compared to 173 yards per game in the air. Their defensive playmakers DB Tim Preston, LB Tylor Scales, and DB Alex LaPiana have all four of their INTs on the season while LB Greg Holt leads the team in tackles and tackles for a loss. Those four could make game changing plays against Vazzano who has been prone to throwing INTs in recent weeks.

Trinity X-Factor:

RB Max Chipouras

Chipouras faces the second toughest rush defense this weekend (Amherst still holds the rush defense crown), and he has his work cut out for him. He has faltered compared to his usual talent in recent weeks and hasn’t done much since he blew up against a mediocre defense against Colby in week one. In the last three weeks, averaging 3.7, 3.6, and 4.2 yards per carry which is paltry for even average NESCAC standards. While he still rushed for two touchdowns last weekend, the strongest rush defense he faced was Williams who still allows an average of over 138 yards per game on the ground. He has yet to face Amherst or Tufts yet and that makes me beg the question, has he lost a step?

Tufts X-Factor:

RB Mike Pedrini

While we all know that Ryan McDonald is going to make an impact on Saturday but the Jumbos will need to diversify their offensive attack to penetrate the Bantam defense. RB Dom Borelli has more carries but Pedrini has three touchdowns compared to Borelli’s one. The pair are both averaging just over 4.5 yards per carry each and have more touchdowns than any other pair of Jumbos besides McDonald. He saw almost no action in their only real battle this year against Wesleyan, rushing three times for just six yards. Ryan McDonald has the ball in his hands the majority of the game, although if the same Bantam defense shows up that narrowly lost to Williams, the Jumbos will have difficulty if their QB is the only one with the ball.

Everything Else:

The Coop is going to be rocking on Saturday.

This matchup looks to be remarkably even. Both teams have top defenses, are in the hunt for a championship, and have strong leaders at QB. There’s no doubt that both Ryan McDonald and Jordan Vazzano are elite NESCAC QBs with 6:2 and 11:3 TD to INT ratios, respectively, and should be duking it out in a tightly contested battle this weekend. Trinity clearly has the advantage between RBs, but McDonald is the main weapon for the Tufts rushing game anyways, so they appear to be near equals there as well. Trinity’s receivers are performing remarkably the last few weeks as Jonathan Girard has taken off with 24.2 yards per catch and 6 TDs, making his mark like Mike Breuler did last season for Wesleyan. No Tufts receivers have more than two TDs and this could lead McDonald to lean more heavily on the run game in light of Trinity’s stellar secondary led by Matt Patry and Robert Levine. Vazzano might struggle against some of the Tufts defenders but he will still undoubtedly find some of his wideout weapons while McDonald may have to try to take all of the offensive explosion into his own hands. Here’s the point—both teams have stellar defenses, but Trinity has more weapons to overcome their opponent than the Jumbos.

Predicted Score: Trinity 24 Tufts 17

Separation in the Standings: Week 5 Weekend Preview

Bowdoin (0-4) @ Hamilton (1-3)

Bowdoin had another rough go of it last week, getting shut out by Tufts 28-0. Their offense was nearly nonexistent, only being able to total 230 yards on the day. Their rushing game continued to struggle heavily, with RB Brendan Ward being the top rusher who was only able to amass 38 yards. In the air QB Austin McCrum was able to pass for 162 yards but it took him 47 attempts to reach that number and he was only able to connect on 21 of those attempts. One positive that the Polar Bears can take away from last week is that they were able to force two turnovers on a very talented Tufts offense. Hamilton is a winnable game for Bowdoin, and they’re not going to have very many of those this year. If Bowdoin is able to go to New York and steal a win from the Continentals it will no doubt put them in the lead for the race for the CBB.

After a surprise win in week 3, week 4 looked very similar to the beginning of the season for the Continentals. They allowed Trinity to score 44 unanswered points to start the game and were only able to get on the board with a garbage time TD in the 4th quarter. Similar to Bowdoin vs. Tufts, Hamilton’s game versus Trinity was basically over before it started. They allowed over 500 yards of total offense to the Bantams while only collecting 213 themselves. There was a clear difference in quality between the two teams that we have seen many times this NESCAC football season. Although last week may have been rough for Hamilton, they have a golden opportunity this week. QB Kenny Gray has showed that he can dominate the lesser defenses in the league and that is exactly what they have in Bowdoin. Facing a team that can’t do much to slow down offense, or generate much of their own for that matter, I would expect Hamilton to come out and seize the opportunity to put big numbers up on the board.

Score Prediction: Hamilton 35 Bowdoin 10

Colby (0-4) @ Amherst (4-0)

Although it was their 4th loss in a row, the Mules made great progress as a team in their 28-20 loss to Wesleyan. Their offense appeared to have some life to it, being able to put up a season-high 344 yards of total offense. The majority of that offense came from Freshman QB Matt Hersch. Hersch looked extremely solid in his second every collegiate start, passing for 277 yards and 3 touchdowns. I can’t remember the last time that Colby’s passing game had some effectiveness to it, so these stats should be very exciting for Mule fans. RB Jake Schwern had a mediocre day, only being able to pick up 66 yards on 21 attempts. Additionally, this is the first time this season that the Colby defense was able to hold their opponent to less that 30 points. While that may not seem like a very impressive stat, progress is still progress. The Mules should look to build on their successes in week 4 in what will be a very tough road game against one of the best teams in the NESCAC.

Amherst kept their win streak going in a decisive 21-0 shoutout victory against Middlebury last weekend. Amherst’s defense was able to completely shut down Midd’s attack, barely allowing them into field goal range at any point in the game. Nobody on Midd was able to rush for more than 34 yards and it took QB Will Jernigan 32 attempts to amass a mere 133 yards. Offensively, once the Mammoths were able to get inside the redzone, they were able to punch it in with ease. RB Chase Trunell picked up the first two Amherst TDs on runs of only 2 and 3 yards. Their final TD came from their QB, Ollie Eberth, on a 15 yard run. Although their offense did not seem particularly overpowering, it was still more than enough to get the job done over a mid-tier team like Midd. Hosting an 0-4 team this week, look for more inflated numbers on offense and continued dominance on defense from Amherst.

Score Prediction: Amherst 28 Colby 7

Wesleyan (2-2) @ Bates (0-4)

Wesleyan was able to hold onto their early lead against Colby last week and snap their two game winning streak. It wasn’t a particularly pretty game, but a win is a win nonetheless. Once again QB Mark Piccirillo was the heart and soul of the Cardinal offense. He put Wesleyan on the board twice in the air to start the game and then added one on the ground for good measure. Out of Wesleyan’s 361 yards of total offense, Piccirillo accounted for 269 yards. RB Glenn Smith was also excellent for the Cardinals, he was on the receiving end of one of Piccirillo touchdown passes and then punched one in from the goalline late on to secure the Wesleyan win. Defensively, it was not the best showing by the Cardinals considering who their opponent was. Colby’s offense was able to make the game close at the end and seemed to fairly easily work their way through the Cardinal defense at point. Although they were still able to secure the win, it is clear that their defense is not at the same level as some of the more elite teams in the conference. This week’s matchup should be very similar to last week and if Wesleyan is able to avoid any major mistakes they should keep their win streak alive.

It was another tough week for the Bobcats as they were trashed by Williams 31-7. They allowed the Ephs to jump out to an early 17-0 lead in the first quarter and the game was basically over after that. QB Brendan Costa was not able to pass the century mark in the air, falling one short with 99 passing yards on the day. RB Liam Spillane was their top rusher, collecting 72 yards but it took him 24 attempts to do so. Overall, there was not much to write home about for Bates in week 4. There defense didn’t record a single turnover while their offense lost a fumble and Costa was picked twice. It seems as if Bates’ write ups are a broken record at this point. They just don’t seem to be in the same category as the teams they have played thus far and I don’t expect that to change here in week 5. Barring a miracle, it’s going to be another tough weekend in Lewiston.

Score Prediction: Wesleyan 31 Bates 10

Middlebury (2-2) @ Williams (4-0)

Middlebury has shown themselves to be the dictionary definition of a mid-tier team at this point in the season. Against the lesser teams, such as Colby and Bowdoin, they are able to fairly easily take care of business and pick up wins. Against the top teams in the conference, such as Amherst and even Wesleyan, they are overpowered and out matched. Last week’s shoutout loss was an example of the latter. Their offense was lifeless, as it took QB Will Jernigan 32 attempts to throw for a mere 133 yards. Of his 15 completions, none reached the end zone. Their run game was even worse, with 5 players combining to pick up 65 yards on 39 attempts. There was not a lot of upside offensively for the Panthers, but there were some solid takeaways on defense. Midd held Amherst to their second lowest scoring total of the year with 21 points. Additionally, they were able to force a turnover on an Amherst offense that does not give up possession very often. Midd have a tough task ahead of them if they want to stay a .500 team or better after this weekend. Williams is yet to be defeated and it starting to look like it’s going to take some serious luck to do so. Maybe the Middlebury Panthers can summon a little Dillon Panther magic this weekend and dethrone who appears to be the top dog in the CAC.

Another week, another win. That seems to be the motto for the Ephs thus far this season. Last weekend they were able to take the trek up to Maine and keep a winless Bates team at bay with ease. QB Bobby Mamarion was extremely efficient, only tossing the ball 19 times for 2 TDs. RB TJ Dozier ran wild, picking up 151 yards and 2 TDs of his own on only 12 attempts. Mamarion’s favorite target, WR Frank Stola, was able to get in on the fun too. Stola picked up 74 yards and a TD on only 5 catches. The Ephs are absolutely rolling on both sides of the ball and it seems as if nobody can stop them. A home game may as well be an automatic win at this point for Williams as they are 2-0, most notably with a win against defending champs Trinity. This week should be pretty cut and dry for the Ephs. Keep the same game plan and mentality and there should be no reason why they don’t walk away with their perfect record in tact.

Score Prediction: Williams 24 Midd 10

What You See is What You Get: NESCAC Football Roster Pic Power Rankings

NESCAC Football Roster Pic Power Rankings

It’s finally here. The long awaited, much anticipated roster pic article is ready. We can do as much analysis of each sport as we want, but nothing tops looking at the most amusing headshots. There’s no debate that football players have the funniest roster pics, so it was a lot of fun writing this. As always, I looked through literally every picture of every player on every team’s roster and selected the most ridiculous picture from each team. Some teams had better ones than others, but everybody had at least one good one. Enjoy.

10. Andrew Sommer ’19 (Amherst)

Amherst didn’t have the best options, but Sommer provides us with surely the best sideburns in the NESCAC. What makes his picture especially interesting is that not only did he not smile, but he also looks like he’s trying to break the camera with his stare. If I had to guess, I’d say Sommer is that hardo teammate who feels the need to give a motivational speech to the team before the coach gets to the locker room at halftime of every game.

9. Bryan Vieira ’19 (Trinity)

There’s no doubt that Vieira has some awesome flow. We all know it. The light hits his hair at such an angle; it looks like he was sent from the gods. The funny thing is that he absolutely loves his own roster pic. I know this because he hasn’t taken a new one since his freshman year. That’s right, for all we know he could be sporting a man bun, Mohawk, or Afro now that a few years have passed. You can’t sneak this one by us, Bryan.

8. Ian Devine ’22 (Williams)

There isn’t anything too crazy about this one; it’s just a terrific Afro. Devine is the real-life embodiment of the old Head & Shoulders commercial with Troy Polamalu. We hear all this talk about concussions in football these days, but I don’t think Devine has much to worry about with that pillow-like mane squeezed under his helmet.

7. Sam Foley ’21 (Hamilton)

This one is obviously all about the ‘stache. That thing is perfectly trimmed and the way he has it extend down just beyond the corners of the mouth is nothing short of perfection. Foley tried something similar last year, but it wasn’t quite ready for picture day. No chance he was making the same mistake again this year. You gotta respect the effort as the backup quarterback to have a roster pic that blows everyone away. This guy gets it.

6. Shane Normandeau ’19 (Colby)

Shane is the kid who’s just happy to be here. He shows up to practice every day with the same goofy smile, does his thing, and heads home. His teammates sometimes get mad at his relentless cheery attitude and how he always feels the need to say “thanks coach” even when they’re getting yelled at to get on the line for their 7^thconsecutive suicide. But that’s just Shane. The kid who minds his own business and only pisses people off by accident.

5. Steve Barsky ’21 (Tufts)

I can’t quite visualize what Barsky was going for here, but I guess it worked out because it landed him a top 5 spot on our list. It really just looks like he forgot it was picture day, overslept, and ended up getting there with bed head. I guess you could call it the “I don’t care” look. At least that’s what Coach Civetti must have been thinking when one of his players showed up looking like this.

4. Coy Candelario ’19 (Bates)

Coy is a mysterious guy. Few people have seen him and even fewer have actually met him. The only pictures we have of him are his roster pics from the last four years and that’s the way he likes it. His facial hair is very nicely trimmed and honestly I’ve always been a big fan of the musketeer look. I’m not sure if the flash was too bright or if his contacts were bothering him, but we really can’t get a good look at his eyes. Perhaps that’s just what he was going for – doing his best to remain an enigma.

3. Pete Huggins ’21 (Middlebury)

There were a few guys who went with this look, but I like Huggins’ the best because he just looks so grimy. I mean this guy looks like he’s right off the set of a 1980s adult film. What really stands out here is the confidence in his smile. We see plenty of dudes who think they’re funny making a stupid face because they know their roster pic is ridiculous. Here you see Huggins smile as if he doesn’t know that he’s rocking an outrageous Fu Manchu with a missed spot on his chin. Nice work.

2. Russ Gore ’22 (Bowdoin)

Russ Gore knows he’s good looking. It’s no secret. He wakes up at 5:30am every day to dye his sideburns darker and curl his beautiful blonde hair. As Russ will tell you, there aren’t a lot of people willing to put in the work that he does to look this good. I can’t even imagine how much difficulty he has fending off girls at Bowdoin parties. He’s just a middle-part away from looking like Mugatu from Zoolander and we all know how really, really, ridiculously good looking everyone is in that movie.

Mark Piccirillo ’19 (Wesleyan)

I actually hate this picture. I simply had no choice but to put it at #1. If you’re going to go with a grin that cocky then you better be one of the best players in the league. That hair has so much volume you have to wonder if he blow-dries (spoiler: he does). Legend has it at Wesleyan that Mark Piccirillo once entered a Jesus look-alike contest against Jesus himself, and won. The whole grin, beard, and hair combo makes him look like Jack Parkman from Major League II. The way the Cardinals have been playing they could really use a savior and apparently Piccirillo is trying to fill that void. Congrats on the top spot Mark, you earned it.