Quarterback Noah Nelson ’19 came out of nowhere to win NESCAC POTW Honors. (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
The NESCAC football season has brought us all of the drama and excitement that we could have asked. And while the standings are largely where we thought they’d be at season’s beginning, and many of last year’s standouts have built upon their impressive resumes, nevertheless there have been a myriad of surprises, as well.
Like the ending of the Departed – wait, maybe that’s a bad example. Like the big reveal of Darth Vader’s true identity in The Empire Strikes Back – do anyone of the younguns playing in the NESCAC today even know what I’m talking about – some things we just never see coming. And with that in mind, below are the five biggest surprises of the 2015 NESCAC football season, in order from “Oh no, someone ate the last Oreo” to “My car is gone, my girlfriend broke up with me and my house burnt down – I just saw it on Facebook”.
5. There Are Freshmen All over the Leaderboards
And that doesn’t even count last week’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week, Bowdoin QB Noah Nelson ’19, who isn’t eligible for the leaderboards despite a 328-yard, four-touchdown performance in Week 4. Amherst (Jack Hickey ’19) and Middlebury (Diego Meritus ’19) both have ball carriers in the top-10 in rushing yards per game, and Tufts’ Dom Borelli ’19 has shown some flashes of talent. On the receiving end, Middlebury’s Conrado Banky ’19 has turned a couple big plays into 64.8 YPG receiving, good for ninth in the NESCAC. On the defensive end, LB Phillippe Archambault ’19 (Bowdoin), LBs Ryan Neville ’19 (Colby) and Sam Friedman ’19 (Colby), DL Tyler Hudson ’19 (Hamilton) and DB Colby Jones ’19 (Hamilton), LBs Dagon Picon-Roura ’19 (Trinity) and Shane Libby ’19 (Trinity), and DB Alexander LaPiana ’19 (Tufts) are all making immediate impacts for their new squads. Every year some first-years make their mark right away, but it’s always impressive to see, and the number of contributors this year has been particularly large
4. The Tufts Jumbos Are 3-1, with a 34-27 OT Loss vs. Trinity
Sure, we predicted a 4-4 season for Tufts and they’ve won the games we expected them to. They also scraped by Hamilton and Bates by a total of four points. So we shouldn’t really be surprised by where Tufts stands right now. But then again, they did almost beat a 3-0 Trinity team that had yet to allow a point on defense. Maybe, just maybe, this team is getting better. And better yet, they’re starting to believe that they belong. For a team that hadn’t won a football game since Sept. 15, 2010 before last season, they seem to have arrived and become relevant at last.
3. The Wesleyan Rushing Attack
The Cardinals’ returned All-NESCAC running back Lou Stevens ’17 and brought back the formerly-injured LaDarius Drew ’15 to the backfield for this season. I would have bet my entire bank account (that probably sounds more impressive than it is) that at least one of those two would be running roughshod over the NESCAC already.
And yet, in Week 1 Jaylen Berry ’18 led the Cards’ attack with 122 rushing yards on 21 carries (5.8 YPC) and Drew and Stevens combined for just eight carries. On the season, Berry, quarterback Gernald Hawkins ’18 and slot receiver/Wildcat QB Devon Carrillo ’16 have all rushed for more yards than Stevens and Drew, and Drew has only played in two games this season, meaning that he is not recovered from his injury in 2014. Stevens finally got it going a week ago, running for 117 yards on just 12 carries including a 40-yard rumble, but it’s fairly obvious that we’re not going to see a workhorse emerge in the Cardinals’ backfield this season, with Head Coach Dan DiCenzo electing to spread out the carries.
2. The Maine Schools are a Combined 1-11
We had all three projected for either two or three wins, so the CBB was expected to be weak this season – but not this weak. If not for an offensive explosion from a newcomer at QB, Bowdoin could easily be 0-4 and the CBB would be 0-12. Something needs to change, because this kind of disparity is not good for the Maine schools or the league as a whole. Of those 11 losses, only three have really been close. Hopefully things turn around down the stretch, but that remains to be seen.
1. Passing Is up in the ‘CAC – and by a lot.
Last year, only two teams finished the season with over 200 YPG through the air – Middlebury (265.0) and Tufts (234.5). This season, through four games, EIGHT teams have at least 200 YPG passing, led by the Panthers (314.0) and capped with the Wesleyan Cardinals (200.8). From where is this difference coming? We thought, with the graduation of some top passers in Jesse Warren ’15 and Jack Doll ’15, that passing might be down this season. But on the contrary, passing is way up. The top-five passing defenses from a year ago are the same, and Trinity, Middlebury, Amherst, Williams and Wesleyan are performing similarly to a year ago. But Hamilton, Bates and Tufts, in particular, are relinquishing too many yards through the air. Even though Bates only threw for 110 yards against Tufts in Week 2, the Jumbos are allowing 290.0 YPG through the air. But it’s not just the lackluster performance of the Jumbos defense against the pass, but the arrival of some impressive QBs. Sonny Puzzo ’18 and Reece Foy ’18 are the league’s No. 2 and No. 3 passes to-date.
For awhile now the theme has been three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust in the NESCAC, but that appears to be changing.
Between the marching band and the bursting fall foliage, there were plenty of distractions at the Williams-Bates game. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Amherst got the most impressive win of the season on Saturday over Middlebury, but that doesn’t change the top of the rankings. Things played out generally as expected, especially down the bottom half of this list. Therefore there isn’t a lot of movement this week.
Trinity (3-0; Last Week: 1)
Still yet to let up a point on defense, the Bantams steam rolled past the Hamilton Continentals for a 29-4 win. Trinity has dominated all season, making easy work of their opponents so far. Safety Paul McCarthy ’16 had yet another pick to make it four for the season, a year after seeing the field for only short spurts. I’m not expecting much to change this week, even against undefeated Tufts.
Amherst (3-0; Last Week: 3)
Why not put Amherst first, given that they haven’t lost in forever, it seems? Well, last year doesn’t matter, and I think Trinity has been the most impressive team. Amherst proved they belong at 1b) in the polls as they put a beating on Middlebury. The Amherst defense held Middlebury to 21 net rushing yards and sacked Matt Milano ’16 five times for a total loss of 40 yards. Amherst should stroll to 4-0 as they take on Colby on Saturday. This team could very well end being better than last year’s edition.
Middlebury (2-1): (Last Week: 2)
It was just a matter of time before this team got knocked down given their issues. A lackluster rushing game plagued them vs. Amherst, just as it has all season. The difference was that the Jeffs closed down the passing game the further the game went along. One indication of how bad the Panthers have been running the ball is that they have only four first downs from running the ball, compared to 41 first downs through the air. An intriguing game against Williams looms, a matchup that went to overtime last year.
Wesleyan (2-1; Last Week: 4)
Wesleyan kept its fans on their feet (and caused them to grow some gray hairs) as they pulled off a 24-21 win over Colby. Gernald Hawkins ’18 drove down the field from the Wesleyan 34-yard line with four minutes to play, eventually connecting with Devon Carrillo ’16 for a game winning 35-yard touchdown pass. That the running defense all of a sudden was porous raised plenty of eyebrows. The young Cardinals are still figuring out how to put that talent to good use. Wesleyan takes on Bates next week, which could be close given that the average margin of victory in the Cardinals’ three games so far is just 3.3 points.
Williams (2-1; Last Week: 5)
After an excruciating loss to Trinity in Week 2, the Ephs were able to put up enough points to beat Bates 16-14. They weren’t to get much going on the ground, but Austin Lommen ’16 threw for 309 yards, albeit with two interceptions. The Ephs ran the ball 26 times in order to milk up the clock, but were largely ineffective. More balance will be needed to keep the aggressive Middlebury defense at bay.
Tufts (3-0; Last Week 6)
Yes they are undefeated, but the combined records for the teams they have beaten is 0-9 (Bowdoin, Bates and Hamilton). They looked much stronger against Bowdoin, but they still barely escaped from the Bobcats and Continentals. This week will test how close the Jumbos are to competing on both sides of the line of scrimmage against an elite team. From here on out, the Jumbos will have a tough schedule as they face Trinity, Williams, Amherst, Colby and Middlebury. The Jumbos have a lot to prove.
Bates (0-3; Last Week: 7)
Bates picked up 232 rushing yards of a total 298 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per carry in a heartbreaking loss to Williams. For the first time, the rushing attack gained some traction with quarterback Patrick Dugan ’16 leading the way with 74 yards. With six fumbles (two lost) on the day, the Bobcats have shown they can run, they just need to hang on to the damn football. It isn’t often that Bates loses the time of possession battle by 8:56 like they did against Williams. The schedule doesn’t get easier as the Bobcats go on the road at Wesleyan in Week 4.
Hamilton (0-3; Last week: 8)
It is hard for a team to move up in the power rankings when they face off against Trinity, but the Continentals do deserve credit for scoring on the Bantams, even if it wasn’t on offense. Look for this to be Hamilton’s final week in the eight spot. They take on Bowdoin this week and are looking for their first win in over three years. This is a team that is going to come out very hungry, sensing a beatable and beaten-down Bowdoin squad.
Colby (0-3; Last Week: 9)
The Mules finally showed some fight Saturday against Wesleyan as they lost on a late fourth quarter touchdown. The continued struggles of quarterback Gabe Harrington ’17 are becoming harder and harder to ignore. In all three games he has averaged less than 4.0 yards per attempt and has zero passing touchdowns with five interceptions. Even with the running game having success against Wesleyan, he went 15-34. The hard stretch to open the season concludes against Amherst.
Bowdoin (0-3; Last Week: 10)
The Polar Bears trailed the whole game, and ended up losing 43-24 against Tufts. Their inability to run the ball and stop the run hurt them again. The old adage that football games are won at the line of scrimmage is true in the NESCAC. Coach JB Wells is still looking for his first win, and as the weeks go by, the possibility that it won’t come until 2016 is becoming more and more distinct.
Our season long vanity project rolls on into week three with ever improving results. Emerging studs like Jack Hickey ’19 are rapidly getting snagged off of the waiver wire, but there is still plenty of talent to be mined going forward. Let’s look at the results.
Matchup 1: Joe over Adam 114-112
Joe
Adam
Pos.
Player
Pts
Pos.
Player
Pts
QB
Matt Milano
14
QB
Austin Lommen
17
QB
Alex Snyder
11
QB
Reece Foy
21
RB
Kenny Adinkra
13
RB
Jack Hickey
11
RB
LaShawn Ware
9
RB
Chance Brady
30
WR
Ryan Rizzo
-1
WR
Pat Donahoe
6
WR
Devon Carrillo
27
WR
Mike Rando
5
TE
Bryan Porter
2
TE
Alex Way
6
FLEX
Jabari Hurdle-Price
26
FLEX
Shaun Carroll
0
FLEX
Conrado Banky
7
FLEX
Jackson McGonagle
10
D/ST
Middlebury
5
D/ST
Wesleyan
1
K
Charlie Wall
6
K
Ike Fuchs
5
BE
Lou Stevens
2
BE
Gernald Hawkins
19
BE
Pat Dugan
10
BE
Ryder Arsenault
0
BE
Tyler Grant
0
BE
Nick Kelly
4
119
112
Feeling like George Bush after the 2000 election because of how close this one was. Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 and Chance Brady ’17 basically cancelled each other it with their big days. So Devon Carrillo ’16, who I have long had a definite soft spot for, made the difference because of his receiving ability this week. Adam should be most upset about Shaun Carroll ’16 not getting any points because he is usually good for at least a couple running the ball. More than anything, our high scores tell me that week by week we are getting a handle on the NESCAC fantasy landscape.
Matchup 2: Nick over Carson 86-70
Carson
Nick
Pos.
Player
Pts
Pos.
Player
Pts
QB
Sonny Puzzo
9
QB
Gabe Harrington
8
QB
Jared Lebowitz
0
QB
Tim Drakeley
13
RB
Frank Williams
11
RB
Diego Meritus
6
RB
Nick Gaynor
1
RB
Connor Harris
5
WR
Matt Minno
13
WR
Darrien Myers
7
WR
Mark Riley
6
WR
Dan Barone
19
TE
Rob Thoma
5
TE
Trevor MIletich
4
FLEX
Ian Dugger
8
FLEX
Ben Kurtz
0
FLEX
Jack Cooleen
2
FLEX
Jaylen Berry
7
D/ST
Amherst
14
D/ST
Trinity
12
K
Charlie Gordon
1
K
Eric Sachse
5
BE
Neil O’Connor
2
BE
Matt Hirshman
2
BE
LaDarius Drew
0
BE
Alex Berluti
0
BE
Jon Hurvitz
1
BE
Raheem Jackson
0
70
86
With each passing week, newcomer Nick DiBenedetto is looking smarter and smarter. His win this week moves him to 3-0, and he did so in part because of strong production from the Bowdoin duo of QB Tim Drakeley ’17 and receiver Dan Barone ’16. The key for him is that every guy is getting a little bit of production, allowing him to win close matchups. For Carson, his first pick LaDarius Drew ’15 is not healthy and didn’t play this weekend. Priority number one for him is finding a second quarterback since Jake Lebowitz ’18 is not seeing the field enough. Carson will likely also try to get Trinity running back Max Chipouras ’19 off of waivers in order to get his first win.
Things are good in Medford these days. The Jumbos are 3-0. (Photos Courtesy of Alonso Nichols/Tufts University)
AL: Alright, enough about that Amherst-Middlebury game as there was plenty of other football played. The one score that caught my eye was Wesleyan sneaking by Colby 24-21. For the second straight week the Cardinals needed a late touchdown to take the lead, and both weeks it was Devon Carrillo ’16 who was responsible for it.
JM: So a couple of thoughts from me about this result. One, I think Colby played pissed off, especially Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17. Two, either Wesleyan isn’t as good as we thought, or, and sorry to keep dragging it back to Middlebury, the Panthers aren’t as good as we thought. The Cards have now played close game’s with teams we thought would be elite and teams we thought would be mediocre. I think it’s mostly a situation of a young team in Wesleyan with a lot of talent going through growing pains, and they’ll get better as the season goes on. My one other observation, and you just brought this up, Devon Carrillo is a beast. In Weeks 1 and 2 it was rushing the ball. This week he finally caught some passes. One way or another he’s going to hurt you. Like this:
AL: Get this: Wesleyan came in allowing just 13.0 YPG on the ground, and Hurdle-Price went for 19 yards on his first carry on his way to 202 for the day. This is an encouraging effort for Colby. Obviously they are 0-3 against Trinity, Middlebury and Wesleyan, but they did look competitive. That and then you have to look at the standings and see your CBB mates Bowdoin and Bates sitting there at 0-3 too.
JM: And it was another tough one for your Bowdoin Polar Bears, losing a whopping 43-24. What’s going on, Al?
AL: Ugghh, the defense has simply not shown up, especially in the first half of the past two games. The Jumbos had 27 points in the first half, and Chance Brady ’17 was able to do basically whatever he wanted. I thought it was going to be different under new coach JB Wells, but these things take time. Real story is Tufts moving to 3-0 I think.
JM: I’m with you, Al. Could Tufts be the real deal? They barely snuck by Hamilton and Bates, but in a way that’s a good thing. The Jumbos actually believe they can win. And that’s the kind of attitude they’re going to need when they go to play Trinity this weekend. This will either be Tufts’ announcement to the league that they’re a contender, or it will affirm our fears that there are really only four teams competing every year for the title.
AL: I’m going to say the Jumbos are still a year away, but Saturday will tell us, obviously. Bowdoin was playing without Tyler Grant ’17, and the Polar Bears picked off Alex Snyder ’17 twice, so you can’t say it was all roses for Tufts. Elsewhere, on Friday I said that I was high on the Ephs because of Austin Lommen ’16, and they leaned on him heavily throwing the ball 47 times in the Ephs’ win. Still, Bates had a lot of chances to win this game, but they haven’t been able to win the close games.
QB Austin Lommen ’16 carried the Ephs’ offense on his right shoulder on Saturday. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
JM: No, and I think part of that is that their offense is one-dimensional. It just doesn’t work in football these days. The athletes on the other side of the ball are too good and too smart. There’s so much film that you aren’t really surprising opposing defenses with that option game.
AL: Patrick Dugan ’16 was 1-14 throwing the ball! Williams has a good secondary, but that is BAD. Bates has always leaned on the run, but they usually are able to get more of a passing game going. Finally, the game we haven’t talked about is Trinity vs. Hamilton. What did you think of that one?
JM: Really just confirmed what we already knew. Trinity’s defense is going to shut down bad teams. While Hamilton had a great showing in Week 1, and nearly upset Wesleyan in Week 2, I think that they’re closer to the offense we’ve seen the last two weeks than the one we saw in Week 1. More than anything, Trinity just has a chip on its shoulder after losing three straight to end 2014. If running back Max Chipouras ’19 is for real, then this team becomes terrifying to face.
AL: This score would have been more lopsided if Colby Jones ’19 (another impact freshman who also returned a blocked extra point for two points) hadn’t intercepted two Sonny Puzzo ’17 throws inside of the Hamilton 20-yard line. I’m a little more optimistic about the Hamilton offense just because I respect the Trinity defense so much. With that being said, Puzzo is coming back to earth.I have my worries about when Triniy has to face a top-four defense.
Jeff Devanney’s defense has yet to allow a point through three games. That’s 180 minutes of football. (Courtesy of Robert LeBel)
JM: I still feel good about Puzzo. He didn’t run much last week, so I don’t know what that’s about. But we saw in person with Foy against Middlebury how the threat of a quarterback taking off and running is a huge weapon. And Puzzo still put up good yardage against Hamilton. Trinity’s calling card is always going to be defense as long as Jeff Devanney is the coach, and that’s how they’re going to win.
AL: I mean the Trinity defense still hasn’t been scored on. Glancing at the standings, clear demarcation with six teams either 3-0 or 2-1 and then four 0-3 teams. With the exception of Wesleyan, I feel like I have a good handle on teams at this point.
JM: Agreed, and things are starting to separate, as you mentioned. Okay, Adam, any last takes on Week 3 in the NESCAC?
AL: Just want to reiterate how much I enjoyed watching the game at Amherst. And that we went 5-0 on picks this week. Definitely want to mention that.
JM: I feel pretty confident in saying that no one else has watched as much NESCAC football as we have this season, Adam. It’s paying off with the picks.
Nobody had Jack Cooleen ’16 (#81) on their team this week. That will change. (Courtesy of Tufts Daily)
It’s been a rough week for me. Losing in fantasy really hurts one’s pride. I studied all off-season for this. Nick didn’t do jack squat. He drafted “Trinity Kicker” during the draft. Are you serious? And yet he smoked me in Week 1.
Well, I think it’s fair to say that I got my revenge against his Bantam counterpart in Week 2. I cleaned the floor with Carson, more than doubling up his Puzzo-led squad. The QB duo of Matt Milano ’16 and Alex Snyder ’17 nearly topped Carson on its own.
The mid-week pickups of Kenny Adinkra ’16 and Devon Carrillo ’16 were pretty profitable, as well. Nick Kelly ’17 sat out with an injury for Amherst, which meant that Adinkra racked up 13 points for me. While I don’t know what’s going on at running back for the Cardinals, with two former All-NESCAC First Teamers filling reserve roles (including Lou Stevens ’17 who is on my bench), I trust that Carrillo is going to get plenty of touches every week with sweeps and in the Wildcat.
There wasn’t much to write home about for Carson. Sonny Puzzo ’18 was solid but less spectacular than a week ago when he tallied 36 points. Otherwise, Bates’ Frank Williams ’18 was the lone bright spot for Carson. Williams’ one-yard TD run in the first quarter was the difference.
See the damage below:
Joe
Carson
Pos.
Player
Pts.
Pos.
Player
Pts.
QB
Matt Milano
26
QB
Sonny Puzzo
15
QB
Alex Snyder
26
QB
Jared Lebowitz
10
RB
Kenny Adinkra
13
RB
LaDarius Drew
2
RB
Tyler Grant
0
RB
Nick Gaynor
4
WR
Ryan Rizzo
12
WR
Neil O’Connor
1
WR
Devon Carrillo
16
WR
Mark Riley
3
TE
Bryan Porter
9
TE
Rob Thoma
2
FLEX
Jabari Hurdle-Price
12
FLEX
Ian Dugger
1
FLEX
LaShawn Ware
1
FLEX
Frank Williams
15
D/ST
Middlebury
17
D/ST
Amherst
12
K
Charlie Wall
13
K
Charlie Gordon
1
BE
Lou Stevens
0
BE
Matt Minno
0
BE
Pat Dugan
7
BE
Henry Foye
0
BE
Mbasa Mayikana
1
BE
Jon Hurvitz
0
145
66
In the much less interesting matchup this week, Nick handily dispatched Adam in a pretty uneventful meeting. Adam made a huge acquisition by picking up Reece Foy ’18 last week, but his 31-point performance on the strength of a 90-yard TD run was not enough to close the gap. Nick didn’t get any standout performances, but his entire roster chipped in enough to take down Adam. Oh, and that Trinity defense … wow.
No team impressed more last week than Jeff Devanney’s Trinity squad. (Courtesy of Robert LeBel)
Well, we went 4-1 in our predictions last week, but pretty much nothing went as expected. We got the Williams-Bowdoin game wrong. It seems as if the Ephs just have the Polar Bears figured out. They’ve now outscored Bowdoin 63-7 over the past two seasons. The Bantams won pretty handily as we thought they would, but we didn’t foresee a shutout coming. Hamilton forced OT before eventually falling to Tufts and QB Chase Rosenberg ’17 went completely bananas throwing the football. We got the spread on the Amherst-Bates game fairly close, so I guess that’s a check in the win column for the NbN staff. But the kicker was really Middlebury-Wesleyan, the Week 1 Game of the Week. I went for an ambitious 35-14 prediction in favor of the Panthers, and while they were able to rack up four TDs, the final score was much closer than I thought it would be.
So let’s take another shot. Week 1 provided us with some good information that will shed some light on the coming weekend.
Four to Watch
1. Wesleyan RB LaDarius Drew ’15 If you just look at the box score, you might think that Jaylen Berry ’18 has taken over as the Cardinals’ feature back, having garnered 122 yards on 21 carries as opposed to Drew’s 35 yards on six carries. However, that Drew didn’t enter the game until the second quarter was suspicious. There must have been a reason that Drew was held out for the first quarter – and I don’t know what it is, but I think it was predetermined for Drew to sit out the first quarter. Whether that’s true or not, by the time he entered the game against Middlebury, Berry had gotten rolling and there was no reason to stop him. I think Drew gets back into the action early on this weekend, and there should be plenty of rushing yards to go around for the Wesleyan backs tomorrow against Hamilton. 2. Hamilton QB Chase Rosenberg ’17 As a freshman and sophomore, Rosenberg started nearly every game, but as a team the Continentals found very little success. He was supplanted by transfer Brandon Tobin ’18 for the start in Week 1 and saw some limited action in the game’s first half, but a leg injury sent Tobin to the sidelines for good just before halftime. Rosenberg couldn’t have capitalized on his chance any better, going 14-23 for 301 yards and three touchdowns and no picks. Rosenberg will likely be the signal-caller tomorrow, so the pressure is on to keep up this level of play. 3. Middlebury RB Jonathan Hurvitz ’17 Head Coach Bob Ritter believes that Middlebury will be able to have an effective rushing attack as the season goes on, but the Panthers showed no evidence of that in Week 1. The passing game was working for Middlebury against Wesleyan in the second half, so it made since to continue to air it out, but 0.45 yards per rush is simply not going to cut it going forward. Hurvitz is the lead back for Middlebury, but Diego Meritus ’19 will see plenty of touches, too, and Matt Cardew ’18 – though he didn’t see the field against Wesleyan – could still make an impact. 4. Williams LB Russell Monyette ’17 Where did this guy come from? Monyette barely played a year ago, but in Week 1 he led the Ephs with six tackles, one for a loss, while filling in for the injured James O’Grady ’16. No word yet on whether O’Grady will be back for Week 2, and if he is we don’t know what Monyette’s role will be. Williams’ Week 2 opponent, Trinity, will look to pound the ball on the ground with multiple weapons, so the onus will be on the Williams linebacking corps to stop this multi-faceted attack.
Game Previews
Bowdoin (0-1) at Amherst (1-0): Amherst, Massachusetts, 1:00 PM
These are two teams coming off of vastly different Week 1 performances. Going into enemy territory is going to be a big challenge for Bowdoin. However, I think both teams regress towards the mean somewhat this week. We’re just learning what Reece Foy ’18 can do as the Amherst QB, and he might turn out to be as good as he was in Week 1, but don’t expect him to look great every single time out. As for the Polar Bears, there wasn’t much to like last Saturday. Still, I think another week to learn a new system, get comfortable with a new coach and to work out some kinks will prove to make a big difference. Will it be enough, though, to surprise the LJs? Doubtful.
Prediction: Amherst 31-Bowdoin 7
Wesleyan (1-0) at Hamilton (0-1): Clinton, NY, 1:00 PM
The Continentals played some inspired football last weekend. Hamilton fans came away pleasantly surprised, I would imagine, and this week we’ve tipped our cap to Coach Dave Murray and crew. There’s reason to believe that things are be turning around in Clinton. That being said, Hamilton played what might have been its best game and still lost to a middling Tufts squad. Meanwhile, Wesleyan looked very tough against Middlebury. I’m extremely impressed by how Coach Dan DiCenzo was able to get a green group so ready to play in Week 1, and that rushing attack is simply deadly. I think the good Hamilton vibes take a big hit this weekend, unfortunately. It’s going to get better, but this game could be ugly.
One thing I can’t predict is who will lead the rushing attack for the Cardinals, but I expect it will be as potent as in Week 1. WR/Wildcat QB Devon Carrillo ’16 is looking like a staple in the Cards’ attack as a sweep/option threat. I wonder if they might try to get him the ball in space with some screens out of the slot this week, as he had zero receptions against Middlebury.
Prediction: Wesleyan 33 – Hamilton 7
Colby (0-1) at Middlebury (1-0): Middlebury, VT, 1:00 PM
At face value this looks like an easy contest for Middlebury. But wait, do I smell a trap game? The Panthers got beat up against a physical Wesleyan team, and next week is circled on their calendars as they will be traveling to Amherst. For some reason, I’ve got a feeling that Middlebury is still shaking off the cob webs a little bit. The statistics don’t necessarily suggest that (except for the aforementioned rushing problems), but the offense doesn’t look to be a full steam yet. Defensively, the nearly 300 rushing yards allowed in Week 1 was very disappointing. That should get better, but will it happen this week? And for Colby, the questions are endless. Nothing went right against Trinity. What happened to that two-headed monster at tailback? And how was Trinity able to rip through the Mules’ D so easily? Perhaps they’ll do better against an aerial attack than they fared against Trinity’s ground game. But I don’t think they do well enough to overcome the home team.
Prediction: Middlebury 28 – Colby 17
Williams (1-0) at Trinity (1-0): Hartford, CT, 1:30 PM
The Ephs surprised us with a beatdown of the Polar Bears last week, but they did the same thing in Week 1 a year ago and ended up 2-6. Will this be a repeat of Williams’ 2014 campaign, or was the 27-7 win in Week 1 truly a statement of a new and improved Ephs squad?
I tend to lean towards the former. Maybe this team is better than a year ago, but I also think Trinity is elite. The cream is going to continue to rise to the top in the NESCAC, and I think that divide will become a lot clearer this week with Trinity, Middlebury, Wesleyan and Amherst all picking up wins. Oops, I guess I just spoiled my prediction…
After what seemed like an eternity, NESCAC football returned in triumphant glory on Saturday, and a lot of what we anticipated came to fruition, but there were many surprises, as well.
Today we give you the risers and fallers in our estimation, as well as a few game notes from each contest.
Stock Up:
Hamilton Offense
Tufts isn’t the most stout defense in the NESCAC, but you still have to be impressed with how the Continentals moved the ball and the play of QB Chase Rosenberg ’17 and WR Charles Ensley ’17. After starter Brandon Tobin ’18 succumbed to an injury early in the first half, Rosenberg (the starter for the past two seasons) came on and proceeded to go 14-23 (69.9%) for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. Ensley was on the opposite end of 107 of those yards, and displayed some top-notch athleticism with some of his grabs. His teammate, Pat Donahoe ’16, actually tallied even more yards – 174, to lead the NESCAC – so there may yet be some life in this Continental offense. We’ll wait and see whether or not Tobin returns, and how that might shake up the QB situation.
Connecticut Schools
Despite the loss, the Cardinals proved on Saturday that they still belong to the league’s upper echelon. The Cards ran all over Middlebury, and newly-minted QB Gernald Hawkins ’18 flashed potential throwing the ball, though the results were subpar on Saturday. The defense looks like it barely dropped off, and when you can control the clock and move the ball on the ground as effectively as Wesleyan, you always have a chance to win. Panthers players returned from this one bearing rave reviews of the Wesleyan team as a whole.
Meanwhile, the Bantams looked like they were playing a Pop Warner team on Saturday. A 34-0 win on the road, 439 yards of total offense and only 159 yards allowed. Enough said.
Williams QB Austin Lommen ’16
Expectations are great for former D-I players that transfer down to D-III, and that was true for Lommen last year. The BC transfer was about average last year, completing 60.1 percent of his passes and racking up seven touchdowns against nine picks, but it might be time to buy in on the righty. Lommen went 20-30 (66.7%) for 288 yards, two touchdowns and one pick. Lommen managed the offense well, and the Ephs went 6-8 on third downs in the first half, most of them courtesy of throws by Lommen.
Stock Down:
Bates O-line
Yes, the Bobcats were matched up against an elite D-line from Amherst, but still, their performance in the trenches does not bode well for the rest of the season. Bates needs to churn up yards on the ground in order to win (with the occasional shot downfield to Mark Riley ’16). The Bobcats’ backs gathered 199 yards on the ground on Saturday, but 80 of those came on one Shaun Carroll ’16 scamper. Take that out, and the Bobcats rushed for 119 yards on 45 attempts – a 2.6 YPC average.
Colby Backs
Along the same lines as the above, the Mules were unable to consistently move the ball on the ground. QB Christian Sparacio ’18 had the most success of any ball carrier, racking up 30 yards on seven carries. We are still expecting big things from classmates Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 and Carl Lipani ’17, but it looked like Colby just ran headfirst into a brick wall against Trinity.
Bowdoin
Just to complete the Maine college trifecta, Bowdoin has to go in this spot. The offense was stagnant, and Tyler Grant ’16 didn’t get many opportunities with the Polar Bears trailing for much of their game against Williams. The loss of RB Trey Brown ’16 to injury will prove to be costly, as the Bowdoin coaches were hoping to be able to spell Grant far more this year than last – but alas, it was not to be. It was not a good opener for anyone in the black and white.
Game Notes:
Middlebury 28 at Wesleyan 25
Well, it wasn’t easy, but the Panthers hung on to go 1-0. Matt Milano ’16 wasn’t at his best early on, but was still very, very good. It was interesting that Jared Lebowitz ’18 got just one series. His entry into the game was pre-determined, but we don’t know what went into the decision to not use him for the rest of the game. Regardless, the passing game wasn’t the issue for Middlebury. The running game, however, was not effective. Somehow, the Panthers need to figure out a way to become a multi-dimensional team. They like to use screens to substitute for old-fashioned hand offs, but you still have to be able to give it to your back and let him work once in awhile.
On the other side of the field, Wesleyan competed until the very last. Hawkins has loads of potential at QB, despite his struggles throwing. He’s a fantastic athlete, and when he took off for one 17-yard dash up the gut my jaw physically dropped. Obviously, he’ll need to work on throwing the ball – sort of important for a quarterback. As for the running game, I was really shocked that Jaylen Berry ’18 was used as the feature back, carrying the ball 21 times to LaDarius Drew’s ’15 six carries and Lou Stevens’ ’17 two – not because I doubt the youngster’s ability, but because he supplanted two former All-NESCAC First Teamers as the go-to guy on Saturday. That being said, I would not be surprised if next week Drew ran the ball 25 times for 150 yards, and the same can be said about Stevens. Furthermore, Devon Carrillo ’16 continues to be a threat with his legs in many ways – out of the Wildcat, multiple back sets and on sweeps. Defensively, I have to give a shout out to DE Jordan Stone ’16. He’s a physical beast and had a great game and it showed on the stat sheet as Stone gathered 2.5 sacks.
Amherst 37 at Bates 14
Amherst WR Nick Widen ’17 and the LJs took care of Bates with ease. (Courtesy of Bates Athletics/Phyllis Graber Jensen)
I didn’t watch any game as closely as I did Middlebury-Wesleyan, but nonetheless there was much to be learned from every contest. Reece Foy ’18 got the start for Amherst, and – this is the surprising part – played every snap at QB. Last season Foy and Alex Berluti ’17 opened the season in a time-share until Max Lippe ’15 came back from an injury. That Foy was able to do enough in camp to completely takeover the gig says something in and of itself. Also of note, Kenny Adinkra ’16 got the lion’s share of the carries and was more productive than Nick Kelly ’17. Will that last, or will Kelly return to 2014 form and takeover the feature role as he was expected to do. OR, will the super-talented Jack Hickey ’19 start stealing away more carries?
For Bates, I know that the triple-option is the staple of their offense, but Mark Riley is just incredible. The Bobcats completed 11 passes for 117 yards, and seven of those catches went to Riley for 87 yards. I don’t think that if you put a prime-age Randy Moss on any team in the NESCAC he would take as large of a proportion of the catches as Riley does.
Williams 27 at Bowdoin 7
For the second straight year the Ephs stomped on the Polar Bears. (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics/CIPhotography.com)
Not much went right for the Polar Bears in Week 1. I don’t know whether to credit Lommen or crucify the Bowdoin secondary for the Ephs’ success through the air. Overall, I’m reserving judgement on the Polar Bears.
For Williams, though, you have to feel good about this start. Maybe they’ve put something together in Williamstown right under our noses. Although, I vaguely remember writing something to the same effect one year ago after Williams’ 36-0 beatdown of Bowdoin in Week 1. Maybe Coach Aaron Kelton just has the Polar Bears’ numbers. Maybe he’s taping opposing coaches’ signals with a cell phone camera, and 15 years from now, when Coach is getting fitted for his fourth NESCAC Championship ring, and the twilight is setting on a decorated career, NESCAC officials will bust down the door and point a finger at him and call him a cheater for doing exactly what every other team in the league was doing…
I’m sorry, I wasn’t planning that. (And there’s definitely no illegal filming going on anywhere in the NESCAC.)
Trinity 34 at Colby 0
With Joe Moreno ’19, sadly, out yet again with a torn ACL, Nick Gaynor ’17 has become the team’s top back. From a fantasy perspective though, this is a tricky situation, as Gaynor, Ethan Suraci ’18 or QB Sonny Puzzo ’18 could be the team’s leading rusher any given week. I particularly don’t think Gaynor will see many goal line touches. Gaynor is a converted wideout, and Suraci is a much bigger body. Max Chipouras ’19 – who had just two touches – got a goal line TD on Saturday instead of Gaynor. No matter who’s behind him, the return of Puzzo under center is going to be huge for Trinity. Henry Foye ’16 did a great job when healthy last year, but I think that Puzzo brings elite talent to the QB position.
Tufts 24 at Hamilton 21
The best game of the day came between two perennial doormats that look to be rising from the ashes. Tufts already took the first step a year ago by going 4-4, but with the Jumbos still 0-infinity in their last infinity chances on the road, the Continentals were feeling really good about their chances. And with newly-transferred QB Tobin at the helm, it appeared that Chapter 1 of the fairytale was under way.
Then Tobin left the game with an ankle injury, and everything fell into the hands of Rosenberg, the beleaguered vet. And boy, did he respond.
Rosenberg matched a career-high with his 301 passing yards, the program’s fifth-highest single-game mark. His 21.5 yards per completion and 13.1 yards per attempt were Hamilton records. He threw three TD passes, all in the span of 12 plays in the second half. His receivers, namely Donahoe and Ensley, made some spectacular plays, but let’s give all the credit in the world to Rosenberg for his stellar performance.
Alas, the Hamilton offense could not punch it in with the first possession of overtime. K Zach Altneu ’18 boomed his field goal attempt through the uprights, but Tufts Head Coach Jay Civetti was able to call a timeout just in time, forcing Altneu to kick again, and this time he pushed it wide left.
The Jumbos were conservative on their possession, moving the ball to the six-yard line before Snyder took a five-yard loss to position the football right in the middle of the field. K Willie Holmquist ’17 came up clutch for the Jumbos, who celebrated their first road victory since Oct. 3, 2009.
Aside from Rosenberg, CB Jimmy Giattino ’17 was a beast defensively for Hamilton and DL Tyler Hudson ’19 had an impressive debut. Last year’s tackle-leader John Phelan ’16 saw limited action, rotating with Mickey Keating ’17 at linebacker. We believe Head Coach Dave Murray is trying to protect Phelan who was banged up considerably during camp, but only time will tell if this timeshare continues. And lastly, Tobin’s ankle injury appears to be minor, which keeps the QB conversation in Clinton very intriguing. However, after a performance like that, how Rosenberg could not get the keys to the car for at least one more week is a mystery to me.
And in case you missed it, every road team won! Can you believe it? I don’t know how long it’s been since that happened in the NESCAC. Maybe between the 47 assignments I have this week and the job search I’ll try to procure that information.
No matter what level and in what sport, every year there are players who come seemingly out of nowhere to become superstars. Last year’s breakout studs included Middlebury QB Matt Milano ’16, Trinity RB Chudi Iregbulem ’15, Wesleyan RB Lou Stevens ’17, Bates WR Mark Riley ’16, Trinity DL Lyle Baker ’16 and Bates LB Mark Upton ’17 – and those were just the All-NESCAC First Teamers. Dozens of other players emerged to become integral cogs in their respective machines. Today we clue you in to a few players who could become studs in 2015. These choices are based off of talking to coaches, word of mouth, combing through statistics and the classic eyeball test. An added wrinkle: we’ve added our level of confidence in each player’s ability to take a big step forward this season.
Amherst DT Paul Johnson ’17
DT Paul Johnson (Courtesy of @AmherstCollFB)
Confidence: High
Johnson was no slouch in 2014, playing in all eight games and recording 26 tackles and four sacks en route to All-NESCAC Second Team Honors. However, with some major pieces having graduated from the front seven, including defensive lineman Max Lehrman ’15, Johnson’s presence will be felt more than ever. The 300-pounder will anchor Amherst’s defensive line at nose guard.
Amherst DE Sam Caldwell ’16
DE Sam Caldwell (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
Confidence: Medium-High
Back-to-back with the Amherst d-linemen. As mentioned, Lehrman is out and Caldwell is in. Caldwell probably would have started last season but was slowed down by an injury. Expect the superior athlete to wreak havoc on opposing QBs. Caldwell is strong and if he gets free can run like a gazelle (for a defensive lineman). This unit will be scary once again.
Middlebury WR Ryan Rizzo ’17
WR Ryan Rizzo (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
Confidence: High
You might point to Rizzo’s 29 catches last season, second on the Panthers, and say that by definition 2015 won’t be a breakout. But if you dive in closer, you’ll also see that former teammate Grant Luna ’17 – sidelined by concussions – was next on the Panthers with 27 catches. Why is this important? Because both guys played the same position last season, and Rizzo did nearly all of his damage – 27 of those catches – in the season’s last four games. If he’s healthy – and he did deal with a lower body injury during the spring and summer – he could, hypothetically, double his catches this season. Matt Minno ’16 is likely to draw some double teams outside, meaning the lightning-quick Rizzo will have room to work from the slot.
Also, check out the kid’s new track and buy it on iTunes. He catches passes, hits baseballs and spits fire rhymes.
Devon Carrillo (Courtesy of Devon Carrillo’s Twitter @TAZZ_Devil8)
Confidence: Low
This confidence rating is not based on a lack of talent, but rather the fact that Carrillo probably didn’t know where he was going to play when he came into camp last week – and he still may not know. In 2013 Carrillo was a dangerous return man (15 kicks for a 25.7 average and eight punts for 7.1 yards per return) and the team’s second-leading tackler with 35. Last year Carrillo found himself mainly running Wildcat QB and returning a few kicks (though there weren’t many returns to be had for last year’s Cardinals). I don’t know what to expect out of Carrillo, and Coach Dan DiCenzo has been very coy about his plans for the junior, but I think he will make a big impact, especially with so many holes to fill for the Cardinals. My best guess is that Carrillo becomes a versatile outside backer while still potentially running a few Wildcat plays.
Colby WR Mbasa Mayikana ’18
WR Mbasa Mayikana (Couresty of Sarah Crosby/Bates College Athletics)
Confidence: Medium
Mayikana is another wideout that was good last season – 20 receptions for 193 yards – but there’s potential this season for so much more. Two big-time targets graduated in Luke Duncklee ’15 and Nick Joseph ’15, so Mayikana likely becomes the No. 2 to Ryder Arsenault ’17. Mayikana is also a track star, and he has the ability to stretch defenses, despite lacking great height (roughly 6’0″ or 6’1″).
Hamilton QB Brandon Tobin ’18
QB Brandon Tobin (Courtesy of Pace University Athletics)
Confidence: Low-Medium
All too often fans and media (whoops) get too excited about higher-level transfers coming in and saving the program. However, in this case there is an opportunity for the local (he’s from New York so that counts) boy to make good. Tobin arrives from D-II Pace University, where he was solid but unspectacular as a rookie in six games. (Read about his decision here.) However, while incumbent QB Chase Rosenberg ’17 gets some leeway for having to learn two offenses in two seasons, his overall performance has not been very impressive. Quarterbacks are always saddled with the weight of a team’s wins and losses, and the Continentals have done nothing but lose the past two seasons. It’s possible that Head Coach Dave Murray will try rolling the dice with Tobin if he does well enough in camp.
Bowdoin QB Tim Drakeley ’17
QB Tim Drakeley (Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
Confidence: High
Confidence is high that Drakeley takes on an expanded role – we know, barring injury, that he will be starting. How good can he be is a wide open question. Don’t expect the junior to start flinging it around like the QBs for Middlebury and Tufts, but he throws a good ball and moves well enough in the pocket. It’s a new offense for Bowdoin this season, but they’ll still rely heavily on the run, so Drakeley just needs to be efficient for this offense to work.
As we move to the stretch run, the biggest games of the season are still in front of us. When Wesleyan and Amherst meet on Saturday, more than just the Little Three will be on the line. The winner will have the best victory of the year and a good shot at going undefeated.
All eyes will be on Middletown, but a lot of other games will offer intrigue as well. Bates visits Middlebury in a game that should stay close if the Bates defense can play like they did for the better part of last week. Trinity makes the trip north to Maine for a game that could be tricky against a Bowdoin team that has now won two in a row. The other two games should be close as well.
Three to Watch
Running Back Devon Carrillo ’17 (Wesleyan): The salve to Wesleyan’s running problems might be the Middletown, Connecticut native. Last week Coach Mike Whalen used Carrillo as a wildcat quarterback in certain situations. The formation gave Bates fits with the highlight being a 66 yard run in the second quarter that saw Carrillo weave his way through the Bobcat defense. He accounted for 92 of Wesleyan’s 143 rushing yards (64.3%). After a freshman year that saw him return kicks and be the second leading tackler on defense, his role has shifted to the offensive side of the ball. On the Wesleyan website he is listed as a linebacker, and he played both ways in the first two weeks of the season, but he did not record a tackle last week. If Wesleyan can’t get traction running the ball with Jesse Warren ’15 under center then they will turn to Carrillo for a spark.
Linebacker Tim Patricia ’16 (Middlebury)- The leading tackler in the NESCAC over the last two years, Patricia has seen his production dip slightly as others on the Panther defense have emerged. Yet the junior could have a big game production wise on Saturday against Bates. Linebackers like Chris Tamasi ’15 and James O’Grady ’16 have enjoyed some of their best games this year against Bates because the run heavy offense gives linebackers a wealth of opportunities to make plays. The loss of Ryan Curit ’14 and Shawn Doherty ’14 has hampered Bates so far, but Middlebury will still have to bring their best game on Saturday. The skill level all around the Panther defense is much higher than it was two years ago. The reputation of a finesse team that they gained in past years does not ring true now. Patricia has been a big part of that change.
Defensive Tackle Tom Wells ’15 (Bowdoin)- A 2013 second team All-NESCAC performer, Wells is one of three seniors on the defensive line for Bowdoin that will try to stop the vaunted Trinity running game. The last time the two teams met in Brunswick the Polar Bears held Trinity to 3.4 yards per rush, and Trinity had only a 13-10 lead at halftime. Wells has three tackles for loss on the year, and along with lineman Jake Prince ’15 and Brian Golger ’15, will take on the vaunted Trinity offensive line. Right now the Polar Bears rank last in the NESCAC in defensive yards per rush at 3.9. Against Trinity the front seven will have to step up for Bowdoin to spring an upset.
The Picks
Game of the Week: Amherst (4-0) at Wesleyan (4-0)
Last year this was the game when Wesleyan broke through and showed that they had truly joined the top echelon of the league. A late Amherst rally fell short of succeeding, and two weeks later the Cardinals were celebrating their first Little Three title in 41 years.
Yet Amherst really outplayed Wesleyan in that game but lost for two big reasons – turnovers and field position. Amherst had four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) to Wesleyan’s zero. Then Wesleyan converted two short fields after Amherst punts into touchdowns which proved to be the difference.
Therefore, punter/receiver Jackson McGonagle ’16 and quarterback Max Lippe ’15 are the keys for the Jeffs. McGonagle has a great leg and can boom punts when he hits it right, but he is inconsistent and too often ends up hitting the ball poorly. Lippe reclaimed his position after not playing at all in the first three weeks and changed the look of the Amherst offense. He made good reads and solidified the passing game.
We fully expect Lippe to get the nod to start, but if he struggles Alex Berluti ’17 or Reece Foy ’18 should be ready to go. Lippe went 20-35 for 195 yards and had two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Cardinals in 2013. He spread the ball around last week which is a must against a Wesleyan secondary capable of turning any mistake into six points the other way.
Amherst has likely spent a lot of time in practice getting ready for Carrillo and the wildcat, but stopping it will still not be easy. Whalen likely did not want to run the wildcat so much last week, but the lack of any other running game forced his hand. Losing LaDarius Drew ’15 has cost Wesleyan more than expected with Kyle Gibson ’15 unable to find lanes of space.
Jesse Warren ’15 has proven in the first half that he is not merely a beneficiary of a strong running game and has been the best quarterback in the NESCAC. He set a new personal record in attempts (38) and completions (24 – the first time he has had more than 20) against Bates, making big throws one third down and long.
These are the two best statistical defense in the NESCAC at this point, and both offenses carry heavy question marks. Though it is Wesleyan’s homecoming, students are on fall break so the crowd might be large but not necessarily loud. Amherst hopes that Lippe can continue his play from last week, and we think he makes enough plays to carry them to victory in a low scoring game.
Prediction: Amherst 17 over Wesleyan 13
Bates (1-3) at Middlebury (2-2): The overtime victory for Middlebury last week was thrilling and represented another step in Matt Milano’s ’16 development. Now the Panthers have to turn around and protect their home turf against Bates. No word on whether Matt Cannone ’15 will play, but Patrick Dugan ’16 is capable of making plays as well. Our mid-season Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Newson ’15 will need to play well to keep Milano and company in check. These two teams have played three common opponents and played them similarly.
Prediction: Middlebury 21 over Bates 13
Williams (1-3) at Tufts (2-2): Even though they lost at Trinity 35-14, the Jumbos won respect for how they played the Bantams in Hartford. It took Trinity a while to pull away. Williams looked much better back at home, but the Ephs need to see results soon. Tackling in space is a must for the Williams secondary as Tufts will consistently run screens to their wide receivers. QB Austin Lommen ’16 has to take some of the load off running back Alex Scyocurka ’14. Williams averages the fewest tackles for loss per game on defense and Tufts is allowing the most first downs per game in the NESCAC so the potential is there for some fireworks.
Prediction: Williams 34 over Tufts 28
Trinity (4-0) at Bowdoin (2-2): The Bantams take their roadshow north to face off against a Bowdoin team that has turned around their season after a slow start. The announcement by Head Coach Dave Caputi that he would be stepping down at the end of this year could lead to a fired up Bowdoin squad. Trinity has started slow in a lot of their games, but they wear teams down over the course of their season. The weather will be a factor especially on the grass field. Trinity will load the box to stop Tyler Grant ’17 and see if Mac Caputi ’15 can make throws to his receivers in one on one coverage.
Editors Note: the game prediction is by Joe MacDonald.
Prediction: Trinity 35 over Bowdoin 17
Hamilton (0-4) at Colby (0-4): As meetings between two 0-4 teams go, this is a much better game than you might expect. Colby has finished their murderers row of an opening schedule, but the physical toll was heavy with the Colby staff having to resort to playing some players both ways. The Colby offense should be better after having to face four great defense. Hamilton look like they have a very good player in running back LaShawn Ware ’17 who has now lead the Continentals in rushing two of the last three weeks.
Returning Starters: 19 (eight offense, 10 defense, one specialist)
Offensive Overview:
You won’t find a more complete team on either side of the ball in the NESCAC. Eight All-NESCAC honorees return to the Cardinal lineup, four on offense. The Cardinals will lean heavily on the run, as they rushed 353 times last year compared to just 174 pass attempts. LaDarius Drew ’15 ran for 94.5 yards per game last year, and his “back-up,” if it’s fair to call it that, Kyle Gibson ’15 earned Second Team honors by rushing for 73.4 yards per game. If miraculously either of those two workhorses stumble, Lou Stevens ’17 averaged 5.9 yards per carry over his 40 touches. Quarterback Jesse Warren ’15 wasn’t an All-NESCAC recipient, but he had the highest completion percentage and yards per attempt in the league and was second to Mac Foote in TD passes. His only three interceptions came in the season finale at Trinity. Josh Hurwitz ’15 and Jay Fabien ’15 are both in their fourth years as starting receivers. Tight end Jonathan Day ’15 is another All-NESCAC honoree. He serves primarily as a run blocker but was fourth on the squad in receptions last year. The offensive line is stacked as well. Pat DiMase ’15 (Second Team) and Blake Cunningham ’16 line up at tackle, while there is some competition for starting time on the interior, although Taylor Bishop ’15, Shane Scannell ’15 and Austin Frank ’15 are the frontrunners and each has game experience.
Defensive Overview:
The returning depth on the defensive side might even be more impressive than that of the offense. Linebacker Myers Beaird graduated, but starters are back everywhere else. Furthermore, the Cardinals like to rotate players on defense and keep legs fresh, so players up and down the roster have in-game experience. Nik Powers ’15 and grad student Jordan Otis line up at defensive end. Ibraheem Khadar ’15 and Mitch Godfrey ’15 will be on the interior. A host of others will rotate through the defensive line, including Alex Sakhno ’15, Greg Blaize ’16 and Jordan Stone ’17. The linebacking corps is a strength, with leading tackler Alex Daversa-Russo ’16 and Gregg Kelley ’15 back. The third spot will be filled by Jake Siciliano ’15, who opened 2013 as the starter but it was then discovered that he had a stomach tumor. Siciliano’s injury made room for Daversa-Russo in the line up, and having both on the field in 2014 will make the Wesleyan defense that much scarier. In the defensive backfield, grad student Jake Bussani will make a run for his fourth straight All-NESCAC First Team award. Vincent Davis ’15 will be the opposite corner. At safety, two-sport stud Donnie Cimino ’15 returns and is joined by Justin Sanchez ’17 who started in 2013. Lastly, Devon Carrillo ’17 will be on the field as a safety-linebacker hybrid. Carrillo was the team’s second-leading tackler, and was awarded All-NESCAC honors as a return man for his 25.7 yard average on kickoffs. In reality, the defense has more than 10 starters returning. Add Siciliano and Carrillo to the tally, and there are 12 players back who could be considered starters.
Clockwise from top left: Donnie Cimino; Jonathan Day; Jay Fabien; Jake Bussani – Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics
Three Big Questions
1. Can Wesleyan Win the Big One?
After rolling through the first half of the season, outscoring its opponents 163-22, Wesleyan saw some stiffer competition in the final four weeks, and squeaked out victories over its Little Three rivals by a total of eight points. Then disaster struck, Warren failed to take care of the ball as he had all season, the defense imploded, and Trinity closed out its season with a 40-10 beat down of the would-be outright champs. The Cardinals are out to prove that they have become the preeminent program in the NESCAC, and that they can beat big brother down the road in Hartford.
2. Will the Little Three Crown Stay in Middletown?
After a 43-year drought, Wesleyan finally defeated Amherst and Williams in the same season, earning the Little Three championship. Though as mentioned above, the victories were slim. Amherst essentially threw away that matchup with three interceptions and a fumble lost, allowing the Cardinals to get out of Amherst with a 20-14 win, while a late field goal was the difference in Wesleyan’s 16-14 defeat of Williams. Wesleyan will be the favorite in both games but victories will not come easily.
3. Who Steps in for Departed Placekicker Sebastian Aguirre?
Aguirre was arguably the best placekicker in the NESCAC last year, and indeed made the All-NESCAC Second Team for his efforts, and as noted above he kicked the game winner that sealed the Little Three title for the Cardinals. Options to replace Aguirre include backup QB Ike Fuchs ’16, who came into camp atop the depth chart, Corey Phillips ’17 and newcomer John Henry-Carey ’18.
Team MVP: LaDarius Drew. You know that the Cardinals are going to pound opponents with the run game, and Drew will be the team’s workhorse. Expect both him and Gibson to be at the top of the leaderboards in every rushing category. Oh by the way, if healthy Drew will easily become the school’s all-time leader in rushes, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Biggest Game of the Year: Nov. 8 against Trinity
Is there any doubt? These are probably the two best teams in the conference, they are a 25-minute drive up 91 apart from one another, and Wesleyan still has a sour taste in its mouth from last year when the Bantams took the Cardinals’ NESCAC title and divided it into three parts. It’s not impossible that both teams could be undefeated heading into this game.
Best Tweet of the Offseason: The Wesleyan Football Twitter account (@Wes_Football) kept its followers up to date on what a lot of the Cardinals were doing this summer. Kyle Gibson interned at JPMorgan and was offered a full-time job upon graduation, Josh Hurwitz worked with the Celtics organization and Mitch Godfrey was with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod League. But our favorite has to be this series of tweets about how LaDarius Drew spent his summer.
While not an internship, our very own Ladarius Drew '15 sent in this picture of him with his cousin, Milan. pic.twitter.com/DXJZCJeHGw
