NESCAC Championship Game: With the incoming game this weekend featuring Amherst and Trinity, we have just about as close to a league championship game that we will ever get. While the Bantams do have one loss, incurred at the hands of the streaky Williams team, with a win over the Mammoths, they would jump up into first place and would have control of their own fate, while Amherst would remain undefeated with a win and would clinch the NESCAC championship.
Coach Cosgrove and the Mules: The Colby Mules just keep doing it. They knocked off Bates easily this past weekend, reaching two wins and capturing an early lead in the CBB race. Freshman QB Matt Hersch has had flashes of potential throughout the season, but RB Jake Schwern really had himself a day this past weekend. He rushed for an absurd 226 yards and three touchdowns, accounting for all of the Colby points and nearly all of their yards. The secondary also shut the Bobcats passing game down stone cold and denied any attempt to make an impact from their talented QB who had his stock rated upwards last week. Costa threw for just eight yards before being lifted from the contest and Colby racked up over 100 more offensive yards than their opponent. Patrick Yale and the secondary are going to put up their best fight against the Jumbos this weekend, although I’m not going so far as to say they will win in Medford. They might keep it close, but their eye should really be on week nine’s game against Bowdoin to capture the CBB crown.
Ben Weisel ’21 and the rest of the Mules have to by hyped by their two consecutive wins. One more and its a streak.
The Power of the Undefeated: Amherst football is alone at the top and the favorite to win the crown, regardless of Trinity’s convincing win over Middlebury. Their defense is nearly unstoppable and their 13 points allowed this past weekend are a season high if you can believe that. Andrew Sommer and Andrew Yamin are a terrifying duo for any offense to stare down, and whichever QB Trinity uses this weekend will be in for a rude welcoming into their first game against the Mammoths.
Sock Down:
Panther Pride: There isn’t a whole lot of good to say here, Midd fans. Nobody could get any offense going. QB Will Jernigan may have a thumb injury, the offense couldn’t get the ball to their playmaker Conrado Banky who didn’t have a catch for the first time basically ever, and nobody averaged more than 2.5 yards per carry on the ground. The Midd team had about half of the snaps on offense that they usually do and didn’t even make it to 100 total yards of offense compared to over 500 from Trinity. While they were an underdog in this game, it’s safe to say that they didn’t come close to covering the spread on this 48 point loss.
For the love of god, please, somebody, get the ball to Conrad Banky.
The Race for the Crown: Although we have an awesome matchup between Trinity and Amherst on the way this weekend, the other games in the conference mean little else other than for pride. After Tufts and Middlebury fell to Amherst and Trinity, respectively, it basically narrowed the race to two teams. Williams gave us all hope for a multiple horse race in the beginning of the year when they knocked off the Bantams, but injuries and inconsistent play have dragged them down throughout the season in their losses to Midd and Tufts—both upsets. Tufts has over performed but just didn’t quite have the depth on defense to hold off Amherst. It would be amazing if the NESCAC had playoffs like a normal conference to eliminate the drastic effect of one outlier performance, but I digress.
Overview: This game of the week features two high profile NESCAC teams going head to head. Both Tufts and Amherst are title contenders and their changes may hinge on their performance this weekend. Amherst has absolutely rolled through their opponents this season, winning each of their contests by double digits. Tufts has also fared well, their only blemish being a loss to an extremely talented Trinity team. This game will decide whether Amherst maintains their control of the conference or whether there will be a 3 team tie for first heading into week 8. All eyes should be on this game this weekend.
Keys for Tufts: Tufts’ Rush Defense
In their last two games the Jumbos have given up a combined 7 touchdowns on the ground, which is an unlikely statistic for a 5-1 team. While their defense has been able to keep the lesser teams in the conference at bay with ease, against Williams and Trinity it was made clear that Tufts does have a few flaws. Amherst is second in the league with 15 rushing touchdowns so this is not an error the Jumbos can overlook. Amherst QB Ollie Eberth has been fantastic not just in the air but on the ground as well so the Tufts secondary will need to be on high alert at all times. This game is make or break for Tufts so they need their defense to lock it down and keep their chances to win and their chances for a title alive.
Yamin and Holt are going to be making their case for defensive POY this weekend.
Keys for Amherst: All They Need is Consistency
While Amherst’s undefeated record is a feat in and of itself, their strength of schedule has been one of the weaker ones in the conference to this point. Their opponents combined record is 10-26 and they have only faced 2 opponents with winning records. While they have clearly proved that they are more than capable of getting a dominant victory over the lower tier teams in the conference, Tufts will be one of the first true tests that the Mammoths will face this season. Amherst needs to prove to the rest of the league, and to themselves, that they not only can hang with the top teams in the league but that they are the top team in the league. A win against Tufts will not only silence any doubters, but also put them in an almost sure-fire position to take the crown at the end of the year. If the Mammoths are able to play consistent to how they have thus far this year, they should have no problem notching their 7th straight victory.
Tufts X-Factor:
Greg Holt ’19
LB Greg Holt
Holt has been the heart and soul of the Tufts defense. He leads the team in tackles per game (8.7) by a significant margin, leads the team in forced fumbles (1) and tackles for loss (7) as well as being second on the team in sacks (2.5). Holt terrorizes quarterbacks and linemen alike, always seeming to find a gap in the line. Holt and the rest of the Jumbo defense will need to be on top of their game in order to stop a red hot team like Amherst. If Holt is able to keep up his impressive performance then it will not be an easy day for the Amherst offense.
Amherst X-Factor:
Biafra Okoronkwo ’20
TB Biafra Okoronkwo
Okoronkwo has been an extremely consistent piece of the Amherst offense. With Tufts’ aforementioned rush defense struggles, Amherst will need Okoronkwo to be on top of his game to exploit that weakness. The Junior has run for 83.5 yards per game, which is good for best on the team as well as second best in the NESCAC. He has also tacked on 4 touchdown in Amherst’s 6 games and if he is able to find the back of the endzone against Tufts it will help Amherst’s chances to win exponentially. Nobody has been able to slow down Okoronkwo this year and I would not expect Tufts to be able to shut him down. Okoronkwo is a dominating presence is the backfield and the Tufts defense will need to be on high alert every time that he touches the ball.
Everything else:
In essence, this is it for Tufts. Win and they have an opportunity to overtake Amherst for the league lead but a loss will have them chasing silver (but nothin’s wrong with silver). The Jumbos will need to throw everything that they have at Amherst in order to take down a team that up until now seems to be completely overpowering all of their opponents. Everything is on the line for Tufts so don’t rule anything out on Saturday. For Amherst, this weekend is a chance for them to prove that a double digit win is just another day at the office. There is nothing to prove that anyone in the NESCAC can beat them but there is also nothing to prove that they are significantly better than Trinity or Tufts. They will have the opportunity to disprove that narrative and on their home field nonetheless. Amherst students should get wild and rowdy Saturday afternoon because this is by far their biggest game to date. That is until the Bantams roll into town next weekend.
With each passing week the conference standings are getting clearer and clearer. With only 3 games remaining, 3 true contenders remain. Our other 6 are left to fight for the scraps—some for regional pride, some for the sake of nothing but wins and losses, and a few in hopes of a Week 9 Miracle. This week doesn’t appear to have huge implications outside of Amherst and Tufts, but it has implications nonetheless.
Bowdoin @ Wesleyan
Neither of these teams is going to come into this game feeling very good about themselves. Bowdoin, besides the 23 obvious reasons, was served a 48-6 pasting by Trinity, while Wesleyan was downright embarrassed by their Little Three rival Amherst 33-3, on their own turf. Wesleyan obviously hasn’t had the year it was hoping for, unable to account for WR Mike Breuler ‘18’s departure, but I don’t think they’ve dipped to ‘lose to Bowdoin’ levels of bad. Their defense is strong but for Bowdoin it continues to be all about quarterback play. Austin McCrum ’21 just hasn’t been able to get anything going, most notably in last week’s 17-38, 99 yards, and 4 INT performance. You could make an argument to go back to Griff Stalcup ’21, but he’s been their best WR since switching positions. It’s a lose-lose for Bowdoin and as long as these struggles continue, their chances of winning outside of the state of Maine will be stagnant. Wesleyan shouldn’t feel confident enough in themselves to focus all of their energy on their Week 8 visit to Williams, but they can channel that energy into running up the score on Bowdoin in hopes of building some momentum. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 will look like a better version of himself this week, and the Cardinals will roll.
Final Score: Wesleyan 38, Bowdoin 9
Colby @ Bates
The Bobcats are going to come in hot looking to lay the hammer like Mac Jackson used to, but Colby is the only team with a win in this matchup!
Finally some CBB! Love me some CBB. Two of the three rivals in Maine square off this week as they open up the annual battle for bragging rights and an extra edge in in-state recruiting. Bates is still winless, and Colby grabbed their first win last week behind the increasingly emerging arm of QB Matt Hersch ’22, who is ever so quietly beginning to pop up in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Hersch threw for 288 yards and 1 TD and 1 INT on 27-39 in their 23-21 win over Hamilton, his third straight week of 200+ yards and a score. Colby’s offensive line continues to be porous, allowing another 5 sacks last week. They need to protect Hersch to win this game. It would be easy to take the hot hand and the team that finally won a game, but despite this I’m taking Bates. The Bobcats have owned this rivalry and the CBB as a whole, as last year they became the first team since Colby in 1988-1992 to win it four years in a row. It’s a home game, and these seniors are not going to be the class that ends this streak. I’m not really sure how, but they’re going to find a way to win this game.
Final Score: Bates 27, Colby 20
Middlebury @ Trinity
Midd will look to bring pressure to whatever QB suits up for Trinity this weekend.
This could be a fun one. Middlebury has really turned it around the last few weeks, although a one point win against Bates might not show it. The Will Jernigan ’21 train has left the station, and their spread offense has clicked. Jernigan had his best collegiate game as a passer last week, going 17-26 for 266 yards 3 TDs and 1 INT. But opposing them in Hartford is Trinity and the home of the best offense in the league so far. Trinity switched it up under center last week, opting for QB Seamus Lambert instead of Jordan Vazzano ’21, and it worked as well as they could have hoped, with Lambert going 22-29 for 280 yards and 3 TDs. WRs Koby Schofer and Jonathan Girard reeled in a combined 14 of those balls for over 200 of those yards, announcing that they clearly don’t care who’s throwing it to them. I would imagine Lambert’s accuracy is what got him the starting job and it’s going to keep him there. It’s going to be tough to pick a team that allowed 34 points to Bates, and while Midd has turned things around, they’re not going to beat the Bantams in a shootout.
Final Score: Trinity 42, Middlebury 24
Williams @ Hamilton
Hamilton has been wildly inconsistent in 2018, so can they peak this weekend against Williams?
Is this a trap game for the Ephs? It’s hard to imagine losing two games in a row and still overlooking your next opponent, but after their trip to Clinton, Williams will only have arch rivals Wesleyan and Amherst remaining on the schedule, and their first Little 3 title in almost a decade is all they have left to play for, barring a miracle (I went through all the outcomes in my head and it doesn’t look good). What’s left of this defense is a far cry from the group that held Trinity to 16 points, a feat that is looking more and more impressive by the week. Star LB TJ Rothmann ’21 continues to be on the injury report with a sprained jaw, and they’ve lost DE/LB Austin Thomas ’19 for the season with a concussion. They need some pieces to come together if they want to beat Wesleyan and shock Amherst, but they still have too much talent not to take care of Hamilton, who can’t be feeling great coming off a loss to Colby. Until we know which Kenny Gray ’20 is going to show up for the Continentals, I won’t feel comfortable picking them.
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.
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.
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 1st 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
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
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.
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
Coach 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
TJ Rothmann ’21
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
Taj Gooden ’21
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
Andrew Yamin ’19
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.
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
Bobby Maimaron ’21
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
Ryan McDonald ’19
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)
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.
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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.
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 4thand 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 4thworst 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.
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?
