Category: Football

Mid-Season Awards – The Definitive Edition

Four weeks gone, four to go, and a whole lot of fun still to be had. The time has come to recognize a few of the players, coaches, and even teams  that have been living it up in the first half. And by living it up we mean making the NESCAC their own personal fiefdoms. Little fiefdoms where they carve up the opposition with the help of their teammates

Alright we’ll stop with the fiefdoms thing and get onto the awards.

Offensive Player of the Year: Running Back Chudi Iregbulem ’15 (Trinity)

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Courtesy of Trinity Athletics

Our preseason pick Wesleyan’s LaDarius Drew ’15 might be out for the entire season because of a foot injury, and Iregbulem has emerged from obscurity to be the clear winner at the halfway point. Well, not completely from obscurity, considering we did tab him as our dark horse contender before the year started. He ran for 137 yards in 2013, and came within three yards of that in his first game alone. He averaged “only” 84 yards the next two weeks before busting out for 184 yards and four touchdowns against Tufts on Saturday. The senior from Torrance, California waited his turn behind Evan Bunker ’14 and Ben Crick ’14 until this year. That is the way that Trinity works. They lose somebody, it’s next guy up every time. If Iregbulem keeps up his play, he will do something Bunker never did, win Offensive Player of the Year.

Consider this award also recognition for the Trinity offensive line that is the best in the league.

Also Considered: Jack Doll ’15 (Tufts), Jesse Warren ’15 (Wesleyan), Mark Riley ’16 (Bates), Alex Scyocurka ’14 (Williams), and Tyler Grant ’17 (Bowdoin)

Defensive Player of the Year: Safety Ryan Newson ’15 (Bates)

Courtesy of Bates Athletics
Courtesy of Bates Athletics

Newson is another player who has stepped into big shoes and in some ways out performed his predecessor. Andrew Kukesh ’14 was an All-NESCAC player multiple times for Bates, and the Bobcats have found a replacement just as good. Newson is one of three players to have four interceptions already, and he is also making a lot of tackles from his safety position. His 37 total tackles (24 solo) place him ninth in the league. The Bates staff knew what they had last year when they decided to move Kukesh to linebacker for  some games and get Newson on the field as much as possible. The Bates defense has played very well keeping the Bobcats in games despite their 1-3 record.

Also Considered: Jake Bussani ’14 (Wesleyan), Jaymie Spears ’16 (Amherst), Mike Stearns ’17 (Tufts), Addison Pierce ’17 (Middlebury), and Paul Johnson ’17 (Amherst)

NESCAC Rookie of the Year: Running Back Drew Jacobs ’18 (Middlebury)

Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics
Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics

Every year this is the most wide-open race, and we don’t even try to predict it before the season begins because coaches are loathe to reveal which freshmen will be big time performers before the season begins. Jacobs has lapped every other freshman in terms of production in the first half. He is seventh in the NESCAC in total rushing yards, but he really makes his mark in the receiving game as a running back. Jacobs has the fourth most yards from scrimmage in the NESCAC. He has brought some shiftiness to the Middlebury running game that has helped the offense become more balanced. This is the race most likely to change given that freshman usually see increased playing time in the second half as they gain more practice reps.

Also Considered: Reece Foy ’18 (Amherst), Drew Korn ’18 (Bates), Zach Altneu ’18 (Hamilton), Mbasa Mayikana ’18 (Colby), Bryan Vieira ’18 (Trinity), and Andrew Sisti ’18 (Bowdoin)

Special Teams Player of the Year : Kick Returner Zack Trause ’15 (Tufts)

Courtesy of Tufts Athletics
Courtesy of Tufts Athletics

Nobody else has been as dynamic as Trause in the open field through one half of the year. He ranks second in the nation in kickoff return average at 39.6 yards per return and third in the nation in punt return average at 22.4 yards per return.. His game of the year came against Bates when he returned both a kickoff and punt for a touchdown to propel Tufts to their exciting victory. He has come close to two other touchdowns as well with the kicker bringing him down once both against Bowdoin and then last week against Trinity. Teams might start to kick away from him given his proficiency and tendency to make teams pay every time they do.

Also Considered: Joe Mallock ’15 (Williams), Michael Dola ’15 (Middlebury), David Kurey ’15 (Bates), and Devon Carillo ’17 (Wesleyan)

Coach of the Year: Jay Civetti (Tufts)

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Courtesy of Tufts Athletics

No story has been better than Tufts in the first half of the NESCAC season. The Jumbos broke out from their 31-game losing streak with two straight wins to begin the season. Both games at home saw capacity crowds in Medford. The first win was a great moment for Tufts, but Civetti deserves more credit for turning his team around and getting them ready for their Week 2 game against Bates. That win to bring the Jumbos to 2-0 signaled that real change is afoot at Tufts. Civetti has seen a lot of losing at Tufts, and he is likely to still see a good deal more, but right now the program looks pointed in the right direction with him at the helm.

Also Considered: Mike Whalen (Wesleyan) and EJ Mills (Amherst)

Chudi Iregbulem ’15 Rises to Prominence

After losing star running backs Evan Bunker ’14 and Ben Crick ’14, the Bantams needed to turn to someone who would take over their dominant roles. Chudi Iregbulem ’15 has risen to the occasion. Iregbulem racked up one touchdown in his first three years at Trinity, so nobody knew what to expect out of the mysterious running back this year. Well, needless to say, Iregbulem has dominated the NESCAC. In his first game he scored three touchdowns in a rout against Colby. Iregbulem earned NESCAC Player of the Week honors, which sparked some chatter around the league. Three touchdowns for any player is outstanding, but for Iregbulem’s first start, it was downright impressive. Some might have said it was beginners luck, but Iregbulem answered with another dominant performance at Williams. He ran over Williams for three touchdowns, and caught one through the air. This established Iregbulem as a dominant player within the league. Hamilton seemed to have the answer for the Bantam back in Week 3, but he adjusted to rip through Tufts in Week 4. His best game by far came against Tufts this last week. Iregbulem earned another NESCAC Player of the Week award, and rightfully so. He ran for 184 yards, and found his way into the end zone four more times.

After not playing much his first three years, Irregbulem finally has the starting role, and he credits his success to multiple things.

“I’d say the biggest reason is the hard work I put in in the offseasons, knowing I would eventually get my chance. Also, due to the fact that we always have one of the strongest offensive lines in the league year after year.”

As of now, Iregbulem leads the league in touchdowns and has made his presence known. Many skeptics felt that Trinity would be at a major loss without their two running backs, but Iregbulem has silenced those skeptics. As the schedule strengthens down the stretch, Trinity is going to need their new star running back to come to play and continue his domination of the NESCAC. Trinity has came back from last years disappointing season with a vengeance, and much of this success has been a result of the commanding play by Iregbulem and their brick wall of an offensive line.

None of this would be possible without the holes big enough to drive a Cadillac through, created by the offensive line. Led by Matt Porter ’16, Joe Magardino ’15, Matt Flynn ’15, and Jake Golden ’15, the Bantam’s O-Line has paved way for the team to average 265.2 rushing yards per game. The two biggest questions of this year’s team were, how would the quarterback position perform, and how would the running game respond to the loss of Crick and Bunker? So far, both of these answers have been answered because of the guys up front.

Irregbulem is leading the league in every rushing category, and unseen in the box scores, has broken off a couple of huge runs that have swung the momentum of games. A perfect example of this is during last week’s game against Tufts. Tufts was giving Trinity a game as the Bantams found themselves looking at a 4th and 1 on the Tufts’ half of the field, in no man’s land (too far for a field goal, too close to punt). Irregbulem ran between the left side of the line, easily gained the yardage for a first down, then went on to make a safety miss and scored easily. Porter, a Junior from Chicago, IL has anchored the left side and has been playing just as an important role as Irregbulem in Trinity’s 4-0 record so far.

Porter says, “this year the line has more chemistry and we trust each other more. We are all confident and have the trust of the other skill position players.”

It should be no surprise to anyone why they have the trust of the rest of the team. Trinity leads the NESCAC in yards per game, averaging 413.5 ypg.

Trinity is currently 4-0 and getting hot at the right time. With Middlebury, Amherst, and Wesleyan to finish the season, the Bantams will have to play nearly flawless down the stretch. However they are not overlooking this week’s Bowdoin team who, despite being 2-2 and looking sluggish at times, tends to give Trinity difficulty.

“They always give us trouble” said Coach Devanney when talking about this week’s matchup. However, this year’s team knows what it’s going to take if they are going to reclaim the NESCAC title after missing out last year.

From Irregbulem: “I’d say that on offense we have an underdog mentality primarily because nobody in the league knew what to expect from our offense with the loss of Bunker and Crick. We’ve made it a mission to make a statement every game and play like we have a chip on our shoulder. In past years we played complacent at times because the offensive unit had been dominant for so long. But this year there’s a renewed sense of urgency and preparation for each game.”

If the O-Line keeps creating Moses parting the Red Sea type holes and Irregbulem keeps finding his way through them into the end zone, Trinity should put themselves in good position to reach Week 8 still undefeated and with a chance to take the NESCAC title.

The Halfway Pole – Stock Report 10/13

If you missed it, we recapped every game Saturday in our wrap-up, and now in the Stock Report we get into some hard analysis of the weekend. The top three of Wesleyan, Amherst, and Trinity, had to sweat things out for about a half before their superior depth and skill wore down their opponents attempting big upsets.

With half of the NESCAC season now over, trends are clear. New players are still emerging, and injuries are beginning to really be felt. Here’s your Stock Report.

Stock Up

Quarterback Max Lippe ’15 (Amherst) – After seeing the vast majority of the snaps in 2013, Lippe did not see the field at all in the first three and half games this year. That was until Coach EJ Mills turned to Lippe with the offense unable to generate anything against the Colby defense. The senior responded brilliantly in his first snaps completely changing the look of the Amherst offense. The Jeffs scored four offensive touchdowns in the second half with Lippe going 7-9 for 142 yards and throwing two touchdowns. Mills said that injuries limited Lippe early and that is a big reason why he had not played yet this year, but the senior was still the third quarterback to come off the bench on Saturday behind Alex Berluti ’17 and Reece Foy ’18. From his first throw Lippe looked completely in control, and played some of his finest football at Amherst. The Jeffs have been unable to settle on any QB in the last two years, but the reemergence of Lippe could not have come at a better time. This Saturday Amherst travels to Wesleyan in the biggest game of the season so far.

Courtesy of Megan Robertson (Amherst '15)
Courtesy of Megan Robertson (Amherst ’15)

Wesleyan Defense – We have mostly concentrated on the negatives with Wesleyan because they are not playing at the same level that they were in 2013. Those struggles however have been limited mostly to the offensive side of the ball. The defense is playing as good, if not better than last year. They are allowing the same amount of points, 14.0, and 16.1 (256.6 to 240.5) fewer yards per game compared to last year. Also, they are making more big plays as they are on track to finish with 20 takeaways and 18 sacks (17 takeaways and 15 sacks in 2013). The biggest difference is the three defensive touchdowns they have already recorded. Jake Bussani ’14 has returned two interceptions for scores. And it would be four defensive touchdowns at this point if a block in the back penalty had not negated a Donnie Cimino ’15 interception return on Saturday. The final third of the Wesleyan secondary’s triumvirate, Justin Sanchez ’17, recovered the fumble that led to Wesleyan’s clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.

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Running Back Drew Jacobs ’18 (Middlebury) – The Panthers got the thrilling overtime victory over Williams on Saturday, and Jacobs was the player who kept the offense moving. He rushed for 81 yards and caught eight passes for 68 yards. He also caught the tying touchdown pass with under a minute left in the game. Jacobs has been huge for a Middlebury team that lost a lot of its talent in the ground game after last year’s starting running back Matt Rea graduated and dual threat Joey Zelkowitz ’17 decided not to play this year and focus on lacrosse. The Marblehead, MA native leads the Panthers in rushing yards and is second in receptions and yards. Middlebury has shown much more commitment to the running game.  Jonathan Hurvitz ’17 also carried the ball 18 times on Saturday and it looks like Middlebury has found two backs they can rely on and keep fresh.

Stock Down

Receiver Mark Riley ’16 (Bates) – We don’t associate great receivers with run-heavy Bates, but Riley brought consecutive games of more than a 140 receiving yards into Saturday. Then the Wesleyan secondary shut him out holding him to no yards. Riley was working without his starting QB Matt Cannone ’15. Backup Patrick Dugan ’16 performed admirably filling in, but Wesleyan made it a point of emphasis not to let Riley behind them and make big plays. Without Riley to lead the passing game, the Bates offense only mustered 164 yards. Despite not getting any yards on Saturday, Riley still leads the NESCAC in receiving yards with 349 – 77 more than anyone else.

Bowdoin Special Teams – When Tyler Grant ’17 showed off some top end speed to go 39 yards and put the Polar Bears up 30-17 with 2:06 remaining in the game, it looked over in Clinton. Then Amman Weaver ’18 took the kickoff 85 yards to bring Hamilton back to within one score. Then Bowdoin couldn’t keep Hamilton from blocking a punt with under 15 seconds left to give the Continentals one last chance at the victory. Those few mishaps nearly wiped out another good performance from the Bowdoin offense. Grant and Dan Barone ’16 have emerged as go-to playmakers for the Polar Bears who are now back to .500 after sneaking out the victory over the Continentals

Teams that Kick to Zack Trause ’15 (Tufts) – Will NESCAC teams ever learn? Trause is a beast in the return game, and letting him get the ball in space is asking for a big play for Tufts. Trause only touched the ball twice on special teams Saturday, but one was a 77 yard punt return. DON’T KICK HIM THE BALL! The schemes that Tufts runs on these returns are also top notch as they give a lot of misdirection. It did not make a big difference in the game Saturday because the Trinity run game once again showed that stopping it might require a brick wall being installed on the field. Still, teams should stop giving Trause any chances. If they do try to, don’t be shocked if Tufts starts to do crazy things like lateral the ball back to him if it’s a pooch kick.

Contenders All Survive – Saturday Wrap-up

Well, we watched a good twelve hours of sports yesterday that made us remember why we love October so much (how was your Saturday?). The first five hours were spent with a NESCAC game (or a few) streaming on a computer. We said it would be a somewhat boring day so of course two of the crazier games this year happened. Here is your wrap-up.

Bowdoin (2-2) 30, Hamilton (0-4) 24

The first game of the day was a wild one at the end. The teams scored 22 points in the final 2:24 with three attempted onside kicks and a Hail Mary to boot. The craziness started when, after a Hamilton TD made it 22-17,  the Continentals recovered an onside kick, only to see it erased by an offsides penalty. Bowdoin managed to recover the next attempt and Tyler Grant ’17 scored two plays later to put Bowdoin up 30-17 with 2:06. Then Amman Weaver ’18 took the ensuing kickoff back to the house, but Bowdoin once again recovered the onside kick attempt. Bowdoin had to punt with under 30 seconds left and saw Hamilton block it to take over at the Bowdoin 27 yard line with nine seconds left. Bowdoin finally clinched it when Dan Johnson ’15 intercepted Chase Rosenberg ’17 in the end zone with three seconds left.

Bowdoin has a complete game recap or you can watch the entire game on the Hamilton stream. Start it at the 2:48:00 mark to see the end of game craziness.

Wesleyan (4-0) 24, Bates (1-3) 10

The Cardinals sweated this game out as the Bobcats proved to be worthy adversaries despite playing without their starting quarterback Matt Cannone. Wesleyan struggled to move the ball on the ground except in the wildcat as Devon Carillo ’17 gained 92 of their 143 yards as the wildcat quarterback. This was a 17-10 game in the fourth quarter before Wesleyan converted a short field off of a fumble recovery into a touchdown on a screen from Jesse Warren ’15 to Jay Fabien ’15. The Bates website has a full recap and photos from the game.

Amherst (4-0) 35, Colby (0-4) 10

This was a 3-0 game in favor of Colby after one half, but quarterback Max Lippe ’15 entered the game for his first appearance of the season and changed the Amherst offense. After a Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn ’16 interception, Lippe entered and on his first attempt completed a 68 yard pass to Brian Ragone ’16 to set up the first Amherst touchdown. From that point on Amherst rolled with a Ned Deane ’15 interception return for a touchdown to make it 28-10 on the first play of the fourth quarter essentially ending it. For Colby, the game was like a broken record of their entire first half where they stayed close for a while before fading late. Amherst has a complete game recap or you can watch highlights featuring analysis from Head Coach EJ Mills below.

Trinity (4-0) 35, Tufts (2-2) 14

We came within one point of exactly nailing this score (we had Trinity 34-Tufts 14), as the Bantams used a big second quarter to move past Tufts. The Jumbos took the lead after another long Zack Trause ’15 punt return led to a short touchdown, but after that Trinity’s run game took over. Chudi Iregbulem ’15 led the way with 184 yards and four touchdowns. The home winning streak for Trinity now stands at 53 games. A fake punt pass from Michael Budness ’15 to Bryan Vieira ’18 helped give Trinity their second touchdown and the lead they would never relinquish.

Here is the full game recap.

Middlebury (2-2) 23, Williams (1-3) 20

The last game of the afternoon was also the closest as it took overtime to decide this one. The first half was a defensive battle with another 3-0 score, this one in favor of Williams. The Panther defense, like they have done all year, got Middlebury going with a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Will Bain ’15. Williams was up a touchdown late in the fourth quarter but could not close the game out on offense giving the Panthers back the ball with a little over two minutes remaining. That was all the time Matt Milano ’16 and company needed to tie up the game. In overtime Williams got the ball first and stalled inside the five yard line before settling for a field goal. A beautiful pass from Milano to Brendan Rankowitz ’15 won it for Middlebury and sent the entire Panthers team into the end zone in celebration.

Complete game recap and photos can be found if you follow the link.

Keep on Trucking- The Weekend Preview

The NESCAC season is incredibly short compared to most other conferences, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any lulls. This weekend offers what looks like one of the sleepier slates on the NESCAC schedule barring a huge upset somewhere. Compounding those potentially lopsided matchups are that many NESCAC schools are on fall break meaning student crowds (already usually pretty small) will be practically non-existent.

That does not mean there won’t be plenty to watch later today. Everything starts at noon with Hamilton looking for their first win against a Bowdoin team trying to get to .500, and it will end with the Route 7 battle between Middlebury and Williams. We’ll be giving live updates and analysis on every game on Twitter (@cacsportsblog).

Two  to Watch

1. Running Back Kyle Gibson ’15 (Wesleyan) – Gibson was the secondary part of the two headed running attack last year, and the injury of LaDarius Drew ’15 means Gibson has become the primary back. So far his yards per run average is down 2.7 yards from 2013 in large part because Gibson has not been able to have any runs over 30 yards. Sure he is still third in the NESCAC in rushing, but that is nowhere near the level that Wesleyan needs from him. That surprisingly anemic running attack is the biggest difference between this year’s Cardinals team and the 2013 version. Bates has been the second best team against the run so far this year, and a breakout game from Gibson would be huge for the Cardinals confidence going forward.

2. Quarterback Chase Rosenberg ’17 (Hamilton) – The sophomore QB looked like he might be primed for a huge year after throwing for 320 yards in the season opener against Tufts, but he has taken a step back since then against Wesleyan and Trinity. His past two games he has completed fewer than 50% of his passes, but he could have a bounce back game today. On the season opposing quarterbacks are averaging 240 yards per game and are completing 70.2% of their passes against the Bowdoin defense. Last year Rosenberg had one of his best games against Bowdoin throwing for 269 yards. A performance similar to that would end the losing streak for Hamilton.

The Picks

Game of the Week – Middlebury (1-2) at Williams (1-2)

Any time the Game of the Week features two teams under .500, that tells you everything you need to know about what type of week it is. That isn’t to say that this game does not offer any intrigue. Middlebury won this matchup by a touchdown last year despite Williams holding the ball for 35+ minutes.

The Ephs will need that type of performance if they are somehow able to upset Middlebury. Williams has not looked at all like the same team since Week 1. Granted Bowdoin did not give much in the way of resistance in that game, but Williams still appeared to be a complete football team then. Now Williams needs to turn things around in a hurry if they want to keep another season from spiralling downwards.

Middlebury is simply hoping that the shutout their offense had last week was a product of a great defense and tough throwing weather. The Panthers are still only the eighth best rushing team in the NESCAC but they have shown much more commitment to the ground game. Williams can be attacked on the ground so the time of possession should be much closer this year.

In the end Middlebury is simply a better team. They know they are much better than their record indicates and will use this game to start a second half upswing.

Prediction: Middlebury 28 over Williams 13

Bowdoin (1-2) at Hamilton (0-3)- The Bowdoin running game exploded last week against Tufts, and Hamilton is tied with the Jumbos for seventh in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. Don’t expect Tyler Grant to repeat his performance from Week 3, but the Polar Bears should still have success on the ground.

On the other hand, Bowdoin’s defense has allowed the most yards per game and is tied for ninth with the Continentals in points allowed per game. So both offenses will have a chance to break out this week (or keep rolling in the Polar Bears’ case).

Prediction: Hamilton 24 over Bowdoin 17.

Wesleyan (3-0) at Bates (1-2)- As mentioned above, the Wesleyan ground game hasn’t been nearly as prolific as in 2013. Given that and the Bobcats success in defending the run, Jesse Warren might be called upon to move the ball against Bates. Regardless, Wesleyan has more talent than Bates and shouldn’t struggle in this game.

Prediction: Wesleyan 35 over Bates 10

Colby (0-3) at Amherst (3-0)- The brutal opening schedule for Colby concludes with this game at Amherst. The Colby offense has only scored seven points in every game, and facing off against the Jeffs’ defense is not going to make this week earlier. For Amherst fans, the QB position is up in the air right now. Poor quarterback play cost the Jeffs their only loss in 2013, and they are hoping EJ Mills can settle on one player instead of going back and forth.

Prediction: Amherst 20 over Colby 7

Tufts (2-1) at Trinity (3-0)- The Jumbo stampede hit a bit of a road block once they had to go on the road to Bowdoin, and things get tougher in Hartford this week. After seeing the Jumbos in person, we can say that we have never seen a team run as many screens as Tufts does. Our guess is that at least half of QB Jack Doll’s ’15 passes were behind the line of scrimmage. Trinity should come out hungry in this one as they always seem to do at home. The streak will end sometime, but it won’t be Saturday.

Prediction: Trinity 34 over Tufts 14

 

Week Three Power Rankings

After week one we had our knee-jerk Power Rankings that put Williams as the number one team in the NESCAC…yikes. Well after three weeks the NESCAC has become much more clear so it is time to take another look.

Our full weekend preview won’t be out until first thing Saturday morning so check back in for that.

1. Trinity (3-0)- Last week the Bantams played well below their capabilities and still beat Hamilton by 12. The Bantams are the most talented team in the NESCAC up and down the roster. The offensive line punished teams while the defense makes big plays. We won’t know really how good they are until they finish against Middlebury, Amherst, and Wesleyan.

2. Wesleyan (3-0)- In the first four games of 2013 the Cardinals beat opponents by an astonishing 35.3 points per game. Through three games the margin of victory has been (only) 17 points per game so they have not shown the same type of dominance. They miss LaDarius Drew ’15 who could possibly miss the rest of the year because of a foot injury.

3. Amherst (3-0)- We have said it before, but this is basically the same team as last year. The defense carries them and the offense relies on big plays to score points. Alex Kelly ’17 has emerged as the workhorse back, but once again the QB position is in limbo with Reece Foy ’18 pushing for time behind starter Alex Berluti ’17.

4. Middlebury (1-2)- Two close loses at home have knocked the Panthers out of the conference race early, but they are still a very good team. The defense was almost able to make enough plays to steal the game last week. Matt Milano ’16 was erratic going 9-31 against Amherst. The offense should get back on track against Williams.

5. Tufts (2-1)- The divide between the top four and everybody else is wide. Tufts certainly did not look like the fifth best team on Saturday, but who else can you put here? Zack Trause ’15 was a tackle by the kicker away from another touchdown against Bowdoin and leads the nation in kickoff return average.

6. Bates (1-2)- Injuries are threatening to hurt Bates in the next couple of weeks so head coach Mark Harriman will have to rely on his depth more than usual. The offense has not had nearly the same amount of punch that it did last year though Matt Cannone ’16 has made major strides as a passer.

7. Williams (1-2)- Well the last two weeks did not go as expected for Williams and the calls for Head Coach Aaron Kelton to be fired are as loud as ever. The team has to rally and find a way to recover quickly.

8. Bowdoin (1-2)- An offense that could not get any points on the board looked sharp against Tufts racking up 463 yards. The defense misses the presence of the three starting linebackers from 2013 as the Polar Bears are allowing six yards per play through three games.

9. Hamilton (0-3)- The Continentals deserve credit for keeping the game against Trinity so tight. The defense is playing at a different level this year allowing the second least first downs per game and tallying the second most tackles per loss per game as a unit.

10. Colby (0-3)- Losing Justin Ciero ’16 to transfer was going to hurt, but that does not explain why the defense has suddenly turned into one of the worst in the league. The Mules have to figure out how to make big plays in the passing game happen.

Bounce Back Time: Stock Report October 6

We know last week we took a drop in production. Much of that was because of a decidedly upsetting uptick in classwork, but excuses won’t cut it. Without a doubt our stock was down last week, but we promise that this week will be different. We went back over the tape, saw some places we could improve on (it involves less procrastinating), and are ready for whatever.

Week three didn’t spring any big upsets on us, but Bates and Bowdoin registered their first wins of the season. Scoring was down around the league in part because of the weather with the Amherst-Middlebury game a slog that ended up hinging on one long Nick Kelly ’17 run.

Stock Report:

Amherst Defense- The Jeffs defense on Saturday stifled the Middlebury attack completely holding them to only 2 yards per play. Defensive lineman Paul Johnson ’17 recorded 2.5 sacks and now leads the NESCAC with 4 on the season. A different player has led Amherst in tackles in each of the first three games. If you still have any doubt about how good Amherst is, consider these statistics. Through three games they have let up two plays of more than 20 yards. One was a 28 yard completion by Bowdoin in the final minute of the fourth quarter when Amherst’s backups were in. The other was a 21 completion by Matt Cannone ’16 to Mark Riley ’16. So essentially only play over 20 yards. The longest running play against Amherst is 14 yards. If the Jeffs can get their offense sorted out, they can beat Wesleyan and Trinity.

Quarterback Mac Caputi ’15 (Bowdoin)- Running back Tyler Grant deservedly took home NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week accolades for his 43 carries, 208 yards, and 4 touchdown performance, but that should not overshadow the play of Caputi. Many had called for his benching after week one and those calls were even stronger after backup Tim Drakeley ’17 gave the offense a shot of energy against Amherst. Head Coach Dave Caputi (Yes, they are father and son) gave the younger Caputi one more chance, and he responded brilliantly. He went 20-25 for 209 yards averaging 8.4 yards per attempt without a touchdown or interception.  That was after he went 33-57 and averaged only 4.1 yards per attempt in his first two games combined. He made the play that the Jumbo defense gave him and also managed to make a couple of plays with his feet that helped extend drives. Another good performance against Hamilton Saturday could lift the Polar Bears to .500.

Head Coach Dave Murray (Hamilton)- The Continentals have lost the first three games under Murray, but he has been getting rave reviews for his handling of the Hamilton team so far. After a tumultuous few years for the Hamilton program, Murray demands respect and hard work, and the Hamilton has responded positively. On Saturday against Trinity the score was only 3-0 at halftime. For the game Trinity only recorded 12 first downs, and the Bantams are an offense that tends to wear teams down and get a lot of those. Chase Rosenberg ’17 has emerged as a quality QB for Hamilton and the receiving corps has done a great job after losing Joe Jensen ’15. It has been a long time since such positivity has been coming from Clinton, but Murray seems to be the real deal.

Stock Down:

Williams- Now it seems long ago, but in the days leading up to the Williams-Trinity game last week, people really believed the Ephs had a chance to score the upset. They followed up that blowout with another loss on the road to a previously winless Bates team. The offense sputtered especially in the second half which was a major reason for why Bates was able to seal the game with a 14 play, 95 yard drive in the fourth quarter. The Bobcats keyed on the running game for Williams holding them to 2.1 yards per attempt. Austin Lommen ’16 has proven to be an upgrade in the passing game but not the massive one that some expected him to be. With Middlebury coming to Williamstown on Saturday, the Ephs have to get back on track.

Quarterback Gabe Harrington ’17 (Colby)- The sophomore had Colby fans excited before the season as he stepped in to lead the Mule offense. He performed admirably in his first game but has seen his statistics regress in the last two weeks. Saturday he completed only 40.5% of his passes and threw two interceptions. The Colby offense has now scored seven points in each of the last three weeks in part because the passing game has stalled. Some of his struggles can be attributed to the strength of the defenses he has faced. Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Trinity are all very good against the pass. And things don’t get any easier when the Mules go on the road to face the hottest defense in the NESCAC- Amherst.

Kicker Phillip Nwosu ’15 (Amherst)- In the preseason one of the All-NESCAC picks we felt most confident about was Nwosu because of the strength of his leg and accuracy. So far he has struggled going 1-3 on field goals with both misses coming within 35 yards. On the opening drive for Amherst he missed a 30 yard field goal that helped keep the game tied for a long time. Last season kicking was the difference in the Trinity-Amherst game with the advantage going to the Jeffs. Nwosu has to find his kicking stroke again in order to help an Amherst offense that has done very little so far.

10/1 Wednesday Links

Because we are busy writing papers and problem sets for much of the week, we let ourselves off easy by letting you read and watch what others have produced.

NESCAC- First of all, if you don’t read the NESCAC weekly release, you are missing out on a treasure trove of statistics and information. http://nescac.com/sports/fball/2014-15/reports/NESCAC_FB_092814.pdf

Bates- Here are the details to the Bates-Williams game this weekend.

Bowdoin- A Polar Bear-centric photo gallery is up from the game Saturday against Amherst, including this cool shot of Bowdoin’s Branden Morin ’16 getting airborne because of Amherst’s Nick Kelly ’17.

Screen Shot 2014-10-01 at 3.21.41 PM

Hamilton- The Hamilton Football Facebook page has photos from the game at Wesleyan available.

Trinity- The Bantams have already put out their preview of this weekend’s game against Hamilton.  You should also go read their profile on senior safety Mike Mancini ’15.

Tufts- Ever wanted to see cool aerial shots of Medford combined with highlights of Tufts homecoming victory? Probably not, but now you can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lKWhR1Coxo

Also a nice slideshow of some pictures from last week is online.

Williams- The Ephs website has photos of Saturday’s game against Trinity up as well as a preview of the weekend game against Bates.

Stock Report September 29: The Jumbo Uprising

After two weeks the NESCAC is playing out according to preseason expectations. Tiers are rapidly developing and becoming defined. Hamilton, Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby are at the bottom of the league capable of giving teams scares but unable to outplay teams for 60 minutes. Middlebury and Williams are the middle class of teams that beat up on the lower teams but can’t handle the talent of the top flight. Finally Trinity, Wesleyan, Amherst, and Tufts will battle it out for the conference championship… wait a second… that can’t be right.

Tufts?

The Jumbos moved to 2-0 after outscoring Bates 35-7 in the final two plus quarters on their Homecoming. Tufts is clearly not yet one of the top teams in the conference, but their start so far is the best story of the NESCAC season. After years of coming up short, Tufts is riding a wave of momentum that might crest at 3-0 if they can go on the road and beat Bowdoin. That’s getting ahead of ourselves though, here is the week 2 stock report.

Stock Up

Middlebury Head Coach Bob Ritter and Offensive Coordinator Joe Early- What everyone wanted to know coming into the season was whether Middlebury had a starting QB that would be able to keep the Panthers in the upper echelon. Matt Milano ’16 has answered those questions, winning NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after leading Middlebury to a decisive 27-7 victory at Colby. Milano deserves a ton of credit, but the Middlebury coaches also are worthy of notice. Head Coach Bob Ritter, who is also the QB coach, has done a masterful job building Middlebury into what it is today. In a league still very run heavy, Middlebury has carved out its own identity in airing the ball out. There is more balance this year as Middlebury ran the ball 49 times Saturday, yet the passing game is where the Panthers shine. Joe Early, now in his sixth season as the offensive coordinator, has done a fantastic job with every Middlebury QB he has coached, and Milano is merely the latest in line. After winning the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Assistant Coach of the Year in 2012, Early could be in line for a head coaching job somewhere soon.

Safety Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn ’16 (Amherst)- Some players are not able to be properly appreciated until you see them in person, and Fairfield-Sonn fits that description. He lacks the size you want in a safety at only 5’10” and 175 pounds, but he more than makes up for it with his speed and instincts. After not playing in week one, Fairfield-Sonn was all over the field making nine tackles (seven solo) and a fumble recovery at the end of the first half that kept Bowdoin from scoring and making it a one score game. All day he was able to come flying up into the box and delivered big hits on Tyler Grant ’17 and the Bowdoin wide receivers in the flat. The Amherst defense has talented players at all of their positions, and Fairfield-Sonn fits great in the defensive scheme to disrupt opponents rhythm and comfort.

 Running Back Zach Trause ’15 (Tufts)- Like last week, Tufts found a way to win in an unusual way with Trause being the hero this week. After a Mark Riley ’16 touchdown reception put Bates up 24-23, Trause decided that he was going to leave his final Homecoming a winner. He took the ensuing kickoff 82 yards to put Tufts back on top. Then a few minutes later he took a punt all the way back to give the Jumbo defense more than enough cushion to work with. Another excited Tufts crowd loved every second of it. This week’s win for Tufts was a much more complete performance. Not many people expected Tufts to win the game, much less pull away and win so comfortably in the end. For Trause and the other Jumbo seniors, the beginning of this season has been validation of everything they have put in over the years.

Stock Down

The Maine Schools- Bowdoin, Colby, and Bates are now a combined 0-6 for the season after they went 11-13 as a group last year. They have been outscored by a total of 130 points in those games. Bowdoin has not looked competitive in either of their games. Colby’s defense has taken a step back despite bringing back nine starters from last year. And while Bates almost pulled the upset on Amherst, the loss to Tufts by 18 points destroyed any of that momentum. The Maine schools have never been forces in the NESCAC, but they look to all be among the bottom of the league right now. The CBB at the end of the season will shape each of their seasons, as it so often does.

Defensive End James Howe ’16 (Williams)- Expecting Howe to replicate last season’s incredible statistics was always a reach because of how team’s would concentrate on him more, but it is safe to say that his first two games have been disappointments. He has eight tackles and one tackle for loss. You can’t argue that the focus on Howe has especially benefited his teammates as Williams hasn’t recorded a single sack yet. Obviously he is only one player and Williams lost 38-0 for a hundred other reasons before Howe’s performance. Some might liken criticism of Howe to that levied against Jadaveon Clowney last year simply because expectations were out of whack before the season began. Williams has to figure out a way for Howe to make an impact every game in order to avoid another drubbing like the one Saturday.

Drama- The average margin of victory in week two was 24.2 points. The top part of the league had no problems with their opponents. The NESCAC has never been known for its parity, and this season has not been any different. The game we expected to be the closest, Williams vs. Trinity turned into a rout with the Bantams flexing their muscles for 60 minutes. Colby not being able to stay close with Middlebury was also a surprise after the Mules hung tight for a half against Trinity. The lone upset this week came from Tufts of course. The rules around recruiting and roster size are supposed to keep every NESCAC team somewhat close to each other in terms of talent, but that has never really been the case.

Weekend Preview: September 27

The biggest change a team can make from week to week comes after week 1 and leading into week 2. Nothing can replicate game speed, and after coaches are able to look back at game tape for the first time and make adjustments, teams can look very different. Consider in week 1 last year Williams got blown out by Colby 31-6. Then a week later Trinity needed two A.J. Jones ’14 touchdown receptions in the fourth quarter to keep the Ephs from ending the Trinity home winning streak. More on the Williams-Trinity matchup later.

The overarching story line to watch this week is how teams perform on the road. In our opinion, only one team (Wesleyan at home against Hamilton) can be considered the favorite at home. The last time four road teams won in one weekend was actually this same week two years ago with the exact same slate of games. A home underdog springing an upset would mean a disturbance in the early season hierarchy, even if it is a momentary blip.

Three to Watch

1. Quarterback Austin Lommen ’16 (Williams)- I know that we focus a lot on Lommen and Williams prospects for improvement, but this is the week that we really learn how far Lommen can take the Ephs. Last week he was able to lean on a great defensive effort and running attack against Bowdoin. He was efficient going 18-27  for 184 yards and one touchdown. Still Trinity will make him do a lot more in order to beat them. They have the strength to slow down running back Alex Scyorcurka ’14 enough to make Lommen have to make throws. It is clear that Lommen has great chemistry with his high school teammate Steven Kiesel. He will need to find the open receiver as Kiesel will likely face tight coverage from either Mike Mancini ’15 or Brian Dones ’17.

2. Linebacker Addison Pierce ’17 (Middlebury)- The Panther defense rose to the occasion last week especially in the run game, and Pierce was a player who had a breakout game. He played a lot freshman year finishing fifth on the team in tackles, but last week was special. He totaled ten tackles including three and a half TFLs (tackles for loss), equal to his total TFLs for all of 2013. The Panthers got penetration into the backfield all day from their linebackers stopping Kyle Gibson and co. before they could get momentum. This week is another interesting matchup for the Midd defense against a Colby offense that actually ran the ball effectively against Trinity.

3. Running back Ivan Reese ’17 (Bates)- Last week Amherst shut down the inside running game for Bates holding Reese to only 19 yards on 10 carries. In fairness, Amherst was perfectly designed to shut down the interior given all the talent up front on defense. 19 yards should be by far the least amount of yards that Reese gets in any game. The interior of the Tufts defense should not present the same problems Amherst did so look for Reese to be fed the ball early and often in the home opener for Bates. The offense needs to improve on their execution from week one in order not to waste another great performance from the defense.

Austin Lommen '16 in action against Bowdoin (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Austin Lommen ’16 in action against Bowdoin (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

The Picks

Game of the Week- Trinity (1-0) at Williams (1-0)

Williams fans are riding high after opening their new field with a thumping of Bowdoin. A victory this week would put them into a tizzy. The Bantams are feeling pretty good themselves after taking it to Colby in the second half to run away with the win. Our writers Sean Meekins ’15 and Carson Kenney ’15, both Trinity students, put Williams above Trinity in their power rankings. Maybe it was just a psychological play to fire up the Bantams, but the point remains that after week one, this matchup got a little more interesting.

As we mentioned above, Williams almost shocked Trinity in Hartford last year. The stats tell us this was not the result of any fluke luck. The teams had essentially the same amount of yards, first downs, yards per play, and penalties. The difference was Williams’ four turnovers to Trinity’s one. The play of the game came when Brian Dones ’17 picked off Tom Murphy ’15 in the final minute to set up the winning touchdown for Trinity.

Lommen has to avoid making those type of mistakes for Williams to win. Williams will make a strong commitment to running the ball especially given how Carl Lipani ’17 was able to run for 133 yards last week. Some of Williams biggest plays in week one came on screens and draws where they were able to give Scyocurka and Jean Luc Etienne ’15 space to work with. The experienced Trinity linebackers will likely snuff that type of play out meaning the Ephs will have to manufacture big plays down the field.

On the other side of the ball the decisive matchup is between the Trinity offensive line and the Williams defensive front seven. James Howe ’16 will need to get help from his cohorts which might not include defensive tackle Adam Datema ’15 this week. Chudi Iregbulem ’15 and company enjoyed success mainly in the second half after wearing down Colby because Trinity held the ball for 37 minutes. The Williams defense has to make sure Trinity does not get into a rhythm running the ball. These are two teams similar in ethos that have seen every game between them since 2006 decided by eight points or less.

Prediction: Trinity 22 over Williams 17

Middlebury (0-1) at Colby (0-1)- These are two teams both coming off tough losses that look very comparable. The Mules were feeling good at halftime against Trinity down only a safety and getting the ball to start the second half. Then things fell apart pretty quickly and Colby ended up losing 32-7. Middlebury had a chance to tie Wesleyan at the end of regulation before a near blocked punt turned into a game ending roughing the kicker penalty. Colby has to do a better job of not letting up the big play, whether that’s on offense or defense. How the Colby secondary plays against a Middlebury offense that outgained Wesleyan last week will be the difference.

Prediction: Middlebury 31 over Colby 23

Amherst (1-0) at Bowdoin (0-1)- Quick disclaimer/heads up: I am doing the color commentary for this game on the Bowdoin webcast through NSN. Bowdoin could take few positives away from the game against Williams. Expect them to open things up more on offense to keep Amherst off balance because running against the Jeffs is very difficult. Amherst has to cut down on the turnovers that helped Bates almost beat them last week. Keeping Alex Berluti ’17 in the pocket is a must for the Polar Bears. If he escapes and makes one player miss, he can easily rip off a 30 yard run. Bowdoin always seems to play Amherst tough especially in the first half, but it will be tough for them to make enough plays to win.

Prediction: Amherst 20 over Bowdoin 6

Bates (0-1) at Tufts (1-0)- The Jumbos were able to celebrate their first win in four years last weekend, and it will be interesting to see how the team plays this week. Preparation against Bates is crucial, and if Tufts spent too long in the glow of their victory they will be in trouble tomorrow. The Bates running game should get more traction this week than it did against Amherst.  This is a must win game for Bates to gain momentum before they face Williams and Wesleyan at home in back to back weeks. Expect the Bobcat defense to really clamp down and frustrate the Tufts offense.

Prediction: Bates 23 over Tufts 13

Hamilton (0-1) at Wesleyan (1-0)- The Cardinals blitzkrieged their first four opponents in 2013, and Hamilton was no exception. This game was over last year after the first drive of the third quarter when LaDarius Drew broke off a 76 yard touchdown run to put Wesleyan up 28-0. It is still unclear if Drew will play this week after missing last week due to injury. Chase Rosenberg ’17 will put the ball in the air a lot again this week for the Continentals, but expect the Wesleyan defense to pick a couple of those passes off.

Prediction: Wesleyan 31 over Hamilton 10

Last week: 5-0

Season: 5-0