Tag: Max Chipouras

Shaking Things Up: Week 5 Power Rankings

 Week 5 Power Rankings

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

(3) 1. Amherst (5-0)

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

(4) 2. Trinity (4-1)

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

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

(1) 3. Williams (4-1)

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

(2) 4. Tufts (4-1)

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

(6) 5. Middlebury (3-2)

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

(5) 6. Wesleyan (3-2)

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

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

(7) 7. Hamilton (2-3)

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

(8) 8. Colby (0-5)

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

(10) 9. Bowdoin (0-5)

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

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

(9) 10. Bates (0-5)

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

Everybody Likes a Spoiler: Week 5 Stock Report

Stock Report 10/15/17

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

Stock Up

Hamilton’s Legitimacy

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

Middlebury’s Game Management

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

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

The Way Things Should Be

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

Stock Down

Williams Rush Defense

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

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

Maine Football

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

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

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

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

Overview:

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

Key for Trinity: Rush Defense

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

Key for Tufts: Secondary and Linebackers

Greg Holt should be ready to go this weekend.

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

Trinity X-Factor:

Max Chipouras ’19

RB Max Chipouras

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

Tufts X-Factor:

Mike Pedrini ’21

RB Mike Pedrini

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

Everything Else:

The Coop is going to be rocking on Saturday.

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

Predicted Score: Trinity 24 Tufts 17

Can we keep the upsets coming? Week 4 Weekend Preview

Week 3 brought us some score lines that were not be expected to say the least. Hamilton came out of nowhere to take down Wesleyan and Williams was able to keep Trin at bay, which previously seemed impossible. I, for one, am extremely excited about these upsets which changed the landscape of a previously extremely predictable NESCAC football season. Here’s to week 4, and hopefully a few more unexpected results.

Wesleyan (1-2) @ Colby (0-3)

The last time that Wesleyan had a losing record through week 3 was all the way back in 2009, after a week 3, 16-13 overtime loss to none other than the Colby Mules. Wesleyan’s poor start was not expected to say the least. After coming out guns blazing in week 1 versus Midd, the Cardinals just haven’t had what it takes to finish out a game. A wildly unexpected loss to Hamilton last week has brought Wesleyan to a crossroads They can either devolve as a team here and turn a potential NESCAC championship season to a wate, or they can analyze their issues and salvage what they can. Wesleyan allowed Hamilton QB Kenny Gray to tear them apart last weekend, accounting for 4 TDs. Although Colby is not known for their passing game, there is clearly some sloppy D that needs to be corrected by the Cardinals. Additionally, the run game has looked below average for Wesleyan, averaging barely over 3 yards an attempt last weekend. We know Wesleyan’s offense can be potent based upon week 1 but they just haven’t seemed to have the same fire the last two weeks. A game against the Mules should be a good opportunity for Wesleyan to work on their issues and figure out what needs tweaking. Despite this, don’t sleep on Wesleyan against teams like Amherst and Williams, they still may have what it takes to dethrone the top teams in the league.

Wesleyan has very little shot at a ring after their shocking loss in week 3, but how will they respond?

Colby comes in to this contest 0-3, which is never a good sign. The Mules certainly made progress against Midd last week, which was a close 10-7 score until late in the 4th quarter when the game absolutely exploded to result in a 31-14 finish. Freshman QB Matt Hersh got his first career start and established a semi-effective passing game for the Mules, accounting for 182 yards and 2 TDs while allowing 2 interceptions. RB Jake Schwern was the workhorse per usual, having nearly 30 carries but only resulting in 82 yards. CJ Hassan and Chase Goode were each able to record a pic for the Mules, both of which helped keep the game close until late. It’s very hard to win a football game when you turn the ball over 5 times and the Mules know that better than anybody. Ball security is a major issue and has not seemed to be addressed thus far this season. Colby should take this weekend as an opportunity to steal a game from a struggling Wesleyan team. As we learned last week, anything can happen.

Colby is coming off a surprisingly competitive game against Midd. Now they play a team with weakened spirits.

Score Prediction: Wesleyan 38 Colby 14

Williams (3-0) @ Bates (0-3)

Williams has to be feeling good after taking down defending champs Trinity in Williamstown last weekend. Their defense was terrific, holding Trinity to only field goals until a minute left in the 4th quarter. A previously intimidating Bantam offense looked weak against the Ephs. Ben Anthony and TJ Rothmann were both able to pickoff wonderboy Jordan Vazzano and their offense didn’t turn over the ball once. Williams has established their dominance in the CAC and should have an extremely easy time this weekend against a Bates team that has given up 47 and 52 points in their last two matchups. Bates gave up 59 to Trin and Williams beat Trin, by the transitive property, this game could be ugly. Expected QB Bobby Maimaron to continue being dominant and the Williams D to continue to shut down their opponent, this game should be an easy one for the Ephs.

Bates had another rough week in Medford, allowing 37 points unanswered in the second half. To give the Bobcats some credit, they did give Jumbos fans a scare with their 14-10 halftime lead. QB Brendan Costa was decent, throwing for 160 yards and a TD, but it was not nearly enough to counter Tufts. Their run game was abysmal, only picking up 38 yards as a team, 30 of which were Costa’s. When your QB accounts for 96% of your total offense, you’re going to be pretty easy to stop. Without a real running back, Bates’ offense is stagnant at best and the Jumbos were able to figure that out at halftime and exploit the hell out of it. If I were the Bobcats I would brace for impact because it’s going to be another rough week in Lewiston.

Score Prediction: Williams 52 Bates 13

Trinity (2-1) @ Hamilton (1-2)

Trinity needs to lock down this weekend to keep their championship hopes alive.

A week ago this time, this would’ve been a completely different ballgame. Trinity was 2-0 and absolutely rolling. They had scored 94 points and only given up 16 through two weeks, those are some wild numbers. It seemed as if nobody could stop them, until they took a trip to Williamstown. Jordan Vazzano looked completely different, throwing 2 pics and only completing 14 of his 43 attempts. RB Max Chipouras was held to 3.6 yds/attempt and 0 touchdowns. What happened to that electrifying offense that we know and love (or hate)? Their defense took a hit too, not recording a single turnover and allowing 4.5 yards/play. Has Trinity lost its edge, or is Williams simply far better than we had thought? We’ll have the answer to that question after Saturday’s game.

We witnessed an absolute stunner last weekend as Hamilton was able to pull out a last-second upset against Wesleyan. QB Kenny Gray was amazing to say the least, passing for 193 yards and 4 TDs. RB Joe Park made good use of his attempts, rushing for 103 yards on only 18 attempts. A Continental offense that had been held to only 16 points in their first two games had suddenly come to life. Now the question is, can this kind of offense be sustained against an elite defense such as Trinity? Despite their loss last week, Trinity has still only allowed 12.7 pts/game and it will not be an easy feat to take them down. Hamilton’s defense was solid, picking off QB Mark Piccirillo once and doing just enough to keep their newfound offense in the game. Although Wesleyan’s offense is solid, Trinity will be a whole ‘nother beasts for the Continentals to conquer. I’d keep this game on upset alert, but no promises.

Score Prediction: Trinity 31 Hamilton 17

Tufts (3-0) @ Bowdoin (0-3)

Another week, another win for the Jumbos. Tufts have continued to prove that they have one of, if not the best, defenses in the league. They made easy work of Bates in their 47-14 victory. Although fans may have had a bit of a scare at halftime, as they were down 14-10, a change of strategy allowed Tufts to put up 37 points while allowing none in the second half. The Jumbos spread the ball around efficiently, having 4 different players rush for touchdowns and 2 different receivers hauling in TDs. All in all, it was a pretty easy week for Tufts. Whenever you have nearly 350 more yards of offense than your opponent things are going well, and things are going very well in Medford. I think Tufts has the most well-rounded team in the NESCAC and they have proved that in every week of play. Similar to Bates, Bowdoin shouldn’t be much of a challenge for the Jumbos. Expect another crooked scoreboard and another solid week for Tufts.

Rounding out the 0-3 CBB teams is Bowdoin. One positive aspect that the Polar Bears can take away from last week’s 24-12 loss to Amherst is that QB Austin McCrum looks like he’s starting to settle in and had a much better week than his first two. His 242 yards and 2 TDs are a solid stat line, but unfortunately he didn’t have any help from the running game. After a monster week 2, RB Nate Richam just couldn’t get anything going in week 3. He rushed for a mere 30 yards on 16 attempts, miles away from his 288 yard, 2 TD performance against Midd. It seems as if Bowdoin has one side of their offense going one week and the other the next. If they were able to get both the running and passing game going simultaneously, this may be a completely different team. Defensively, there was not much to write home about. When you allow 493 yards per game, the worst in the league, you don’t give your offense much of a chance. For Bowdoin, and Bates and Colby for that matter, it’s pretty clear that they only thing they have to compete for this year is the CBB crown. For Bowdoin fans that means praying for upsets until the last two weeks of the season, when the games actually count.

Score Prediction: Tufts 54 Bowdoin 14

New Number One: Week 3 Power Rankings

Finally we got a little bit of excitement. NESCAC football can feel very predictable at times, but this weekend flipped the script on us. Williams gritted out a win over former #1 Trinity and Hamilton absolutely shocked Wesleyan to drop them to 1-2, essentially removing them from title contention. Bowdoin battled with Amherst, Bates led Tufts at halftime, and Colby stayed within 3 points of Middlebury until the fourth quarter. This type of weekend is exactly what we were hoping to see more of, and fortunately it took just three weeks to get here.

(3) 1. Williams (3-0)

Frank Stola ’21 is tied for the league lead with 4 receiving touchdowns

They say that in order to be the best you have to beat the best. Well, there’s no doubt that Williams earned it this week. The most potent offense in the league came to town following a 59-point outburst in Week 2 and was stymied by this young Eph defense. There’s no question that QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 put together a fine effort and WR Frank Stola ’21 had an outstanding game catching passes, but the story of this one was the defense. LB TJ Rothmann ’21 is putting together an early case for defensive player of the year, grabbing an interception and a fumble recovery against Trinity to go along with a game-high 15 tackles. Williams is hot right now and they’ll likely improve to 4-0 after their visit to Lewiston this weekend.

(2) 2. Tufts (3-0)

The Jumbos started out slow against Bates, even trailing 14-10 at the half. Whatever Coach Civetti said to his team at halftime clearly resonated, because they proceeded to score 37 unanswered points in the second half. QB Ryan McDonald ’19 had another solid game passing for 207 yards and adding another 161 on the ground. The receiving corps has looked very deep so far, with 5 different players who have caught at least 5 passes on the season. The defense continues to look solid, although a bit shaky at times against the Bobcats. LB Greg Holt ’20 is picking up right where he left off from his All-NESCAC campaign last season, pacing the team with 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks. They, too, should get to 4-0 after a date with Bowdoin in Week 4. 

(4) 3. Amherst (3-0)

Amherst is one of the 3 remaining unbeaten teams, although I haven’t been particularly impressed with their body of work so far. A 24-14 win over Bowdoin is not the greatest win on paper, but they are getting the job done. QB Ollie Eberth ’20 had an incredibly efficient game against the Polar Bears in which he went 19-26 with 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, while adding 78 yards with his legs. WR Bo Berluti ’19 continues to serve as the top target for Eberth, as he racked up 97 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 3. What makes the Mammoths especially scary is their stout defense. Their pass defense isn’t anything particularly special, but they have only allowed 28 yards per game on the ground so far this season. I’m very intrigued to see what Amherst will look like when they face Middlebury in a much more difficult matchup than their first 3 weeks.

(1) 4. Trinity (2-1)

For the first time in a very long while, the Bantams looked very vulnerable. The problem is not their defense, as they’re top 3 in every major defensive category. The problem is that their offense seems very discombobulated right now. After obliterating Colby’s run defense, RB Max Chipouras ’19 hasn’t looked like the same all-world running back that he’s looked like in the past, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry against Bates and Williams. QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 completed just 14 of 44 passes against Williams, and he has a 41% completion percentage this season. Not only is this the lowest among all starters in the league, but it’s shockingly low for the starting quarterback on what is supposed to be one of the league’s best. 37 of Vazzano’s 43 completions have been to either Jonathan Girard ’21 or Koby Schofer ’20, so opposing teams are starting to realize that Trinity really doesn’t have a ton of offensive weapons at the moment. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond against a Hamilton team that is coming off a huge win in Week 3.

(5) 5. Wesleyan (1-2)

What a brutal 2-week stretch it has been for the Cardinals. After outplaying Tufts and losing on account of a pair of missed field goals, they respond by allowing a blocked punt to be returned 26 yards for a touchdown with a minute and a half left to lose to Hamilton. Yikes. Looks like special teams needs some work. The Wesleyan offense has looked pretty good, with QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 having another terrific season, and a group of receivers that has already somewhat exceeded expectations. It’s the other side of the ball that has really hurt them. Their allegedly intimidating defense looked awfully porous against a Continental team that had really been struggling to score coming into the game. Although their title chances may already have slipped away, I think the Cardinals are still a very talented team who will figure things out and get back on track. They’ve got a great opportunity to start doing just that with a matchup against Colby.

(6) 6. Middlebury (2-1)

The Panthers are very fortunate that they’ve had matchups with Colby and Bowdoin each of the last two weeks, because they clearly don’t know what’s going to be done about the quarterback position. QB Jack Meservy ’19 is clearly the guy they want, but he has struggled mightily, throwing just 5 touchdowns compared to 7 interceptions through parts of 3 games. Backup QB Will Jernigan ’21 has done a fine job so far, but he is more of a running threat and forces Middlebury to move away from the pass-heavy style that they love. The bottom line is whoever they choose needs to find their stud pass catchers. It’s also tricky that they face an Amherst team this weekend whose run defense has been light years better than their pass defense thus far. They’ve done just enough to win these past two weeks, but it’s time for the Panthers to face their first real test since they were smacked by Wesleyan in the season opener.

(9) 7. Hamilton (1-2)

The Continentals finally broke into the win column in a very big way this past weekend. After really struggling in their first two games, QB Kenny Gray ’20 had a much better outing, throwing for 4 touchdowns and evenly spreading the ball around to 5 different receivers. Freshman RB Joe Park ’22 had a breakout game, rushing 18 times for 104 yards and forcing the Wesleyan defense to respect the run so that their receivers were actually able to get open. This was a huge step up from having 7 total rushing yards through the first 2 weeks. The defense wasn’t perfect, but DB Ian Esliker ’21 came up with a timely interception and rookie DB Christian Snell ’22 made the play of the week by blocking a Wesleyan punt and recovering it for a touchdown with just a minute and a half left to play. This is the Hamilton team that I was expecting to see this season, so stay tuned to see if they can put together another huge performance against a Trinity team that’s reeling after their first loss this weekend.

(7) 8. Bowdoin (0-3)

WR/QB Griff Stalcup ’21 is making  very smooth positional change

I have to admit I’ve been somewhat impressed by Bowdoin these last two weeks. QB Austin McCrum ’20 is steadily improving and former starting QB Griff Stalcup ’21 is finding his niche as one of the team’s most effective wide receivers. He caught 11 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown against Amherst, and he certainly opens up a plethora of options for trick plays. They held the Mammoths to 24 points, which is a respectable effort and they’ve found their defensive leader in LB Joe Gowetski ’20 who currently leads the league with 32 tackles. As we mentioned in their team preview, the Polar Bears are making an effort to stay the course. They continue to improve each week and develop different facets of their game. They’ll play host to Tufts this weekend, providing another opportunity to get better as they get to the back half of their schedule. Keep an eye on the score in Brunswick on Saturday.

(8) 9. Bates (0-3)

I was so excited when the Bobcats took a 14-10 lead into the locker room at halftime against the Jumbos on Saturday. I thought this could be the breakout win for a young team with a new coach. Alas, Tufts came out and poured on 37 points while not allowing Bates to get past the 50 yard line once in the entire second half. There were some positives, like seeing the emergence of WR Kody Greenhalgh ’20 (yes, the same Kody Greenhalgh that plays guard on the basketball team) who caught 6 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. DB Anthony Costa ’21 tallied his second interception of the season and continues to see success in his first season since being converted from QB. Unfortunately, the Bobcats are facing a similar problem that they have in recent years: the offense can’t seem to get anything going, so the defense stays on the field the entire game and gets run to death. Something needs to change and I’m sorry to say that the change will probably not start this weekend, as they’ll take on the new number one team in the league.

(10) 10. Colby (0-3)

Coach Cosgrove should be very pleased with what he’s seeing from his team right now. They certainly don’t have the same talent that some of the top teams do, but his team is competing and starting to find a rhythm. QB Matt Hersch ’22 went 20 of 35 for 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, which was a pretty good effort in just his first career start, especially against a strong team like Middlebury. The Mules rely heavily on RB Jake Schwern ’19 who is having a very fine year as he sits at 5thin the NESCAC in rushing yards while adding 2 touchdowns. Their record may not indicate it, but things are starting to look promising up in Waterville. The Wesleyan Cardinals represent their next challenge, as they’ll make the trek up I-95 to visit Alfond Stadium.

Forget what you think you know: Week 3 Stock Report

Week 3 Stock Report

Stock Up

Purple Cow Magic: Not only did the Ephs knock off the perennial NESCAC champs, but they did so with two different QBs. Bobby Maimaron had a great game, throwing for two TDs and running for nearly 100, but got knocked out of the game for a play after taking a hit. In his brief absence, first year backup QB Jackson Bischoping casually threw a 49 yard TD pass to Frank Stola. So even if their start QB were to go down, they still might be the favorites at the 1/3 point to win the conference. Watch out, NESCAC, there’s a new squad on top.

Colby’s future: Okay, while a 31-14 loss seems pretty brutal, this game against Middlebury was much closer than the box score indicated. It was 10-7 in the fourth quarter against an inconsistent but undeniably talented Panther team (I mean they even have an offensive lineman, Colin Paskewitz, who can force a defensive fumble—check the box score if you don’t believe me). QB Matt Hersch had some ups and downs but threw to six different receivers, giving Coach Cosgrove some real weapons to work with this season.

Hamilton, for better or worse, looks like they’ll gut it out.

Hamilton’s Grit: Well, we have certainly bad mouthed the Continentals and QB Kenny Gray in recent weeks. After all, they didn’t show us a whole lot in the first two games of the season, but they shocked everybody by taking out the Wesleyan Cardinals, one of the frontrunners for NESCAC champs. Gray boasted a 1-4 TD-INT ratio going into week three, but threw for four scores and ran for 56 in their 33-29 upset. DB Christian Snell also made a huge impact by blocking a punt and recovering it for a TD, hustling his team into the win column. We talked about the veteran presence on this team, and it is now clear that despite some early duds, they do want it.

Stock Down

Tufts D: While the Jumbos were able to pull out the victory against Bates, there was a time when they had their perfect record in question. They were down 14-10 at half and Bates looked like they were going to be able to keep up. Of course, Bates was not a match for the Jumbos, allowing a whopping 37 second half points, but a turnover free game doesn’t bode well for the Jumbo defense. They let a team who hasn’t been able to muster any offensive progress all year to score in the air and on the ground and against a stronger opponent, they may have been bested with such an effort. Tread carefully.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Bantams play on their heels, but at just 2-1, they have an uphill battle.

Connecticut muscle: Neither the Bantams nor the Cardinals could stave off their week three competition. Wesleyan allowed 357 yards of total offense compared to the 413 they racked up and still lost. A costly pick from Mark Piccirillo, and bad special teams play were the game changers for a team that looked as if they cold go undefeated entering week three. Losing to a bottom tier team is not only shocking to everybody else but devastating to their championship hopes. Punter Sam Han averaged just 27.1 yards per punt, not exactly flipping the field for his defense. The Bantams had similar issues, allowing a slew of rushing and passing yards to a body of different players. They couldn’t figure it out and neither could star transfer QB Jordan Vazzano who threw two picks. Even super human Max Chipouras couldn’t break off many big plays with his longest run of the day coming at just 18 yards, tallying an impressive 135 yards but averaging 3.6 yards per carry after a crazy workload of 38 carries. TJ Rothmann owned the Bantams, forcing a fumble and intercepting Vazzano, effectively ending the Bantams’ early 2018 dominant start.

All in on the third hand: Week 3 Game of the Week

Week 3 Game of the Week—Trinity @ Williams: The Season Starts Now

Overview: 

With all respect due towards Tufts, Wesleyan, and Middlebury, this is the first game of the season with true championship implications. While it isn’t necessarily an elimination game, it is going to be really hard to imagine the loser of this game winning its final 6 games to stay in the championship hunt. It’s safe to say this is a must win game if either side hopes to get fitted for rings when November rolls around. On paper, this should be a great game. Both teams come in at 2-0, comfortably handling both of their first two opponents. So far, they have both boasted a stellar run game and showed the potencies of their passing game while still leaving more to be desired. These two teams played each other close in a 17-9 Trinity win in Hartford, but now that we return to Williamstown, this contest should be even closer.

Key for Williams: Passing Game 

8-18 for 110 yards and 0 Touchdowns. That was Bobby Maimaron’s line on Saturday vs. Colby. Definitely not what you’d expect from the reigning Rookie of the Year and top 3 quarterback in the league against any team in the league, let alone Colby. The numbers don’t tell the story for a few reasons. First, there were far too many drops from Williams’ normally sure-handed receiving corps, and it was pretty clear that the game plan was to pound the rock on the ground the whole game, which didn’t give Maimaron many chances to be aggressive in the air. Lastly, and most importantly, was the absence of Frank Stola, their star sophomore WR who was out with a concussion. They looked totally different with their top weapon out. The dynamism and versatility that has quickly become a staple of Coach Raymond’s offense was completely missing. All signs point to Stola returning for Saturday, but they’re going to need him at 100% if they want to be able to put up points in this game. Some people would point to the overwhelming success the combination of Maimaron and RB TJ Dozier ’21 have had running the ball through two games as a reason not to feel the need to rely on the passing game too heavily, but the running game is an unknown commodity until proven otherwise. There’s running the ball against Bowdoin and Colby, and there’s running the ball against Trinity. The passing game needs to show up.

Key for Trinity: Linebacker Play

As I just mentioned, Williams loves to spread everything out and challenge opposing defenses to cover them all over the field. They’ll run the ball with 5 different people, including jet sweeps to their tight end. They’ll hurry to the line and march down the field in 5 plays, or they’ll run 8 read options in a row. It’s scary to think that their offense is so young, but they’re able to run pretty much all of the plays they want to run with this personnel, a far cry from when Trinity last played in Williamstown. The Bantam linebackers are going to be asked to do a lot of different things. They’re going to need to cover short, shifty slot receivers and backs out of the backfield, as well as deal with a dual-threat QB. Now obviously, their defense is coming into this game feeling pretty good, as they have allowed a whopping 0 (zero) points in their first two games, but just like Williams’ run game, they’ll have a chance to prove how good they really are against their first real competition on Saturday. I don’t doubt that they will. Between Negron ’20, Picon-Roura ’19, and Martillotti ’19, they have plenty of talent, and—needless to say—the track record to prove it.

Williams X-Factor: LB/DE Austin Thomas ‘19

With the way Trinity has looked on offense to this point, there were a lot of directions to go here, but I’m going to go with the safe pick of the guy who has the potential to cause the most problems for opposing offenses. Thomas isn’t the best linebacker on this defense, nor is he the best defensive end, but his ability to line up as both has brought him and his team a lot of success. Though it’s only been two games, he actually leads the team in sacks with 1.5, and his 7 tackles aren’t bad for someone at his position who hasn’t played much in the second half of these blowouts. If Thomas can get to Trinity QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 a few times and assist in the mighty task of containing RB Max Chipouras ’19, it’ll make life a lot easier for the rest of the defense, because they’re going to have their hands full.

Trinity X-Factor: QB Jordan Vazzano ‘21

No reason to get cute here, this is a huge game for Vazzano. The heir to Sonny Puzzo’s throne announced his presence to the rest of the league with a 20-36, 353 yard, and 5 touchdown performance against Bates. But the week before he was just 9-26 against Colby, and 97 of his 210 passing yards came on one pass to WR Jonathan Girard ’21. We don’t really have enough of a sample size to make any bold statements about him, but it’s clear that Vazzano has the ability to put up big numbers. If worse comes to worst and he’s not ready to play with the big boys yet, they can hand it off to Chipouras 35 times and take their chances, which isn’t too bad of a strategy against most teams in the league. But against this Williams run defense, it would be huge if they could get the Jordan Vazzano that showed up against Bates.

Everything Else: 

It really is close to impossible to predict this game. Both teams have played two opponents who just aren’t in their stratosphere when it comes to talent and ability, so trying to go off of either of those games for this preview seems kind of pointless. Trinity ran up some bigger numbers than Williams but that really speaks more to their depth than anything else, neither team’s first-string defense has allowed a point yet. It would be natural to side with the back-to-back champs for the sake of caution, but it isn’t that easy. This is the biggest game in Williamstown in a while, the first time in several years that they are legitimately playing a game with championship implications. I’m not going to lie and say that Farley-Lamb Field is the hardest place to play, but you would definitely feel better for the Bants if this game was in Hartford. This game is going to be really close and it’s might be as simple as who gets the ball last. I don’t feel great about it, but I know what to expect from a Trinity team in a game of this magnitude, and I think I trust their weapons on offense a little more than Williams’. The Bantam train rolls on.

Final Score: Trinity 27, Williams 20

 

 

Figuring Things Out: Week 2 Power Rankings

There wasn’t a ton of change from Week 1 to Week 2, but there were some noteworthy events this week. Wesleyan and Tufts put on a defensive clinic with the Jumbos coming out ahead, Bowdoin gave Middlebury a scare, and Trinity, Williams, and Amherst looked as good as anyone. It’s still a bit early to easily sort out the teams at the very top and very bottom, but there are certainly some trends starting to appear. Next to each team’s ranking you’ll see their ranking from last week in parentheses to get a better sense of what changed over the weekend:

(1) 1. Trinity (2-0)

I gave Jordan Vazzano ’21 a hard time last week for not absolutely shredding a Colby defense that is one of the weakest in the league. Well he made up for that and more, taking home NESCAC offensive player of the week honors in the process. The redshirt sophomore went 20-36 for 353 yards and 5 touchdowns, adding a sixth on the ground. This is exactly what the Bantams were looking for especially since the Bobcats did a solid job limiting Max Chipouras ’19 to just 86 yards on 23 carries. Wide receivers Jonathan Girard ’21 and Koby Schofer ’20 were absolutely lethal, combining for 347 yards and 5 touchdowns and accounting for 18 of the team’s 22 receptions. The defense was also superb, only allowing 3 points until the final 5 minutes of the game when the Bates offense finally found the end zone (the other TD was a pick 6 in the first half). Trinity is putting it together just in time for their visit to Williamstown to take on the surging Ephs.

(3) 2. Tufts (2-0)

The Jumbos were rocking some pretty sweet baby blue uniforms against Wesleyan the other night, and QB Ryan McDonald ’19 took full advantage

Tufts proved me wrong in Week 2, as I didn’t think they had the defensive strength or offensive versatility to take down a team as strong as Wesleyan. I know, it’s a bold move to put them ahead of both Williams and Amherst, but they have now had two very impressive wins. QB Ryan McDonald ’19 showed that he is more versatile than we may have thought, connecting with 7 different receivers and only rushing for 23 yards after a run-heavy game last week. What impressed me the most, however, was their defense. Wesleyan was coming off a 52-point outburst against Middlebury, looking nearly unstoppable. The Jumbos were able to keep QB Mark Piccirillo in check, holding him to 189 yards in the air and no touchdowns. Wesleyan dominated time of possession, as they had the ball for nearly 37 minutes of game time. Tufts’ defense refused to quit, and I’m very impressed by them. They’ll host Bates this weekend in a game that shouldn’t pose too much of a problem as they look to move to 3-0.

(4) 3. Williams (2-0)

The Ephs continue to look good as they trounced Colby 36-14. QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 rushed for 4 TD’s, while RB TJ Dozier added 160 yards on 19 attempts and a TD of his own. There wasn’t much of a passing attack, granted they didn’t really need one, but if I were an opposing team I’d force Maimaron to throw the ball since he hasn’t eclipsed 146 passing yards yet this season. Safety Luke Apuzzi ’20 has emerged as the top player in the secondary, leading the team with 2 pass break ups and an interception. LB TJ Rothmann ’21 continues to be on a tear, recording 6 more tackles against Colby and leading the team with 14 on the season. After getting a few of the weaker teams out of the way, Williams will play host to Trinity on Saturday in a game that very well could have championship ramifications.

(5) 4. Amherst (2-0)

It took the Mammoths a little time to warm up but they eventually took it to Hamilton, winning by a score of 37-14. QB Ollie Eberth ’20 doesn’t fill up the stat sheet, but with the help of stud tailback Jack Hickey ’19, they find ways to win. Hickey is currently 4thin the NESCAC in rushing, and he does most of the heavy lifting for the offense. Linebacker Andrew Yamin ’19 continues his dominance on the defensive side, leading the league with 4 tackles for losses, also adding a sack and 9 total tackles. Amherst isn’t the flashiest team, but they’re able control the game with solid quarterback play and a very imposing defense. They’ve started the season with most of the bottom tier of the league and will continue that trend this weekend against Bowdoin in Brunswick. Look for the Mammoths to get to 3-0.

(2) 5. Wesleyan (1-1)

Oh, Wesleyan. They had it. The Cardinals controlled the ball the entire game and had 107 more yards of total offense than the Jumbos. The Tufts defense bent about as far as they could without breaking, and Wesleyan simply couldn’t capitalize. Losing by 3 isn’t ideal, but it feels much worse when you miss two field goal attempts late in the game, one of them from just 27 yards. On paper, the Cardinals outplayed the Jumbos, but a few key plays didn’t go their way and here they are at 1-1. The Wesleyan defense actually did a terrific job, led by LB Will Kearney ’20 who snagged an interception to go along with a pass break up and a team-high 8 tackles. The offense will go back to the drawing board this week in preparation for their matchup with a struggling Hamilton team.

(6) 6. Middlebury (1-1)

Peter Scibilia ’21 rushed for a career-high 184 yards against the Polar Bears

Middlebury put themselves in a dangerous position this past weekend. Trailing by a point at the end of the third quarter against Bowdoin, they benched starting QB Jack Meservy ’19 after his 3rdinterception of the game. Fortunately, backup Will Jernigan ’21 led two touchdown drives to put the Panthers ahead for good and avoid the upset. Midd has really struggled throwing the ball this year, but they were saved on Saturday by their two-headed rushing attack of Drew Jacobs ’19 and Peter Scibilia ’21 who combined for 289 yards on 44 carries. Despite the terrific play of sophomore Jonathan Hobart ’21 who took home defensive player of the week honors, the Panther defense continued to look very vulnerable. They have a lot to figure out right now, so a matchup with the league’s worst team this weekend is an opportunity for them to start fresh.

(9) 7. Bowdoin (0-2)

Middlebury is struggling, but Bowdoin looked immensely better in Week 2 than in Week 1. You can’t talk about this game without talking about the performance of RB Nate Richam ’20. He absolutely decimated the Panther run defense, rushing 30 times for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns, setting a school record for single-game rushing yards. The passing game definitely improved, with QB Austin McCrum ’20 completing 20 of 39 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown, albeit with 3 interceptions. He spread the ball around to 8 different receivers, and connected with Greg Olson ’21 6 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. LB Joe Gowetski ’20 continued to lead the defensive unit, recording 12 tackles including 3 for losses. Although they lost, this was exactly the type of building week that the Polar Bears were looking for. They’re clearly getting better and they’ll look to continue this trend when they host Amherst this weekend.

(7) 8. Bates (0-2)

The Bobcats dropped to 0-2 following a 59-16 loss to Trinity. It’s tough to start the season against 2 of the league’s best defenses (Trinity and Amherst) but the Bates offense really needs to get going. They’re currently 2nd to last in the conference in rushing yards and dead last in passing yards. In fact, they only have 12 first downs on the season, which is exactly half of the next fewest (Hamilton, 24). The Bobcats aren’t turning the ball over at an alarmingly high rate; they just can’t move the chains. Nothing seems to be working and although I’d like to chalk it up to tough opponents, clearly something has to change. The defense hasn’t been terrible by their standards, so the real focus has to be on the offense. That’ll be tough given that they’ll face one of the hottest defenses in the conference at Tufts this weekend.

(8) 9. Hamilton (0-2)

The Continentals need more from QB Kenny Gray ’20

I have to admit, Hamilton is making me regret almost everything I said in my team preview for them this season. With all the pieces they returned from last season and after they had some mild success, I thought they would have a chance to contend with some of the top teams. Oh, how wrong I was. The Continentals looked awful in their season opener against Tufts, and only looked a tiny bit better against Amherst in Week 2. QB Kenny Gray ’20 was 22-37 for 197 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while WR Joe Schmidt ’20 hauled in 7 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. These aren’t bad numbers, but two main things stick out: their defense has really struggled and their ground game has been nonexistent. And by nonexistent I mean they have 7 rushing yards as a team on the season. I’m not joking. Two full games into the season they have compiled a total of 7 yards on the ground. That’s abysmal. They’ll head to Middletown this weekend to take on a Wesleyan team also coming off a loss, so hopefully they can start moving in the right direction.

(10) 10. Colby (0-2)

Talking about all the struggles that Colby has isn’t a lot of fun every week, so I’ll try to focus on the positives this time. The Mules finally benched struggling QB Jack O’Brien ’20 in favor of freshman Matt Hersch ’22 with 5:34 remaining in the first half against Williams. Hersch orchestrated 2 touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, and finished the game 14-18 for 119 yards, finding 7 different receivers. The defense definitely could be worse and LB Marcus Bullard ’21 has had a fine start to his sophomore season as he sits at 6th in the conference with 15 tackles through two games. Middlebury comes to town on Saturday after struggling to beat Bowdoin in Week 2, so this is an opportunity for the Mules to compete and continue to get better as they get closer to the weaker portion of their schedule.

It’s starting to get interesting; Week 2 stock report

Stock Report

Stock Up:

Bowdoin’s Ground Game: Despite their 0-2 record, things are looking up for the Polar Bears. After putting up a measly 6 points on 108 total yards of rushing against Williams week 1, the Bowdoin showed great improvement against Midd. They were able to put up 289 yards of rushing in week two, accounting for 2 of their 3 touchdowns. When I say they put up 289 yards I mean that Nate Richam put up 288 yards and the rest of their team averaged negative yardage. This feat earned Richam NESCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors and may have begun to propel a formerly stagnant Polar Bear offense. After an absolute blowout week 1 Richam nearly single-handedly kept his team in the game week 2 and was nearly able to pull off the road upset against Midd. This kid is legit and I would not be surprised if he is able to help Bowdoin pull off an upset against one of the higher-tier teams later this season.

Ryan McDonald’s Patrick Mahomes interpretation: The Jumbos were easily able to keep Hamilton at bay last week, but QB Ryan McDonald seemed to be somewhat of a non-factor. Some may have been concerned coming into week 2 that he didn’t have what it takes to compete against a talented Wesleyan defense and that Tufts wouldn’t be able to figure out how to put points up on the board. All of those doubts were silenced Saturday night as McDonald was able to effectively spread the ball around to 7 different receivers, resulting in the 2 touchdowns that won the game for the Jumbos. Similarly to last years matchup, Tufts vs Wesleyan was a nail biter and McDonald proved that he has the guts to grind out a touch win against a tough NESCAC opponent.

The Jumbos are hot with McDonald under center right now.

Middlebury’s Linebackers: After allowing Wesleyan to move the ball up and down the field against them in week 1, Midd’s D showed up in week 2. Jonathan Hobart, Jourdon Delerme-Brown and Charles Roselle were all able to pick off Bowdoin’s former D1 quarterback Austin McCrum in week 2. These 3 turnovers proved to be crucial in Midd’s one-score victory over the Polar bears. While McCrum was able to throw for over 200 yards, it was due to volume passing as he recorded 39 attempts and was only able to connect on 20 of them, none for longer than 22 yards. This game should give the Panther defense lots of confidence when they come to Waterville to face a Colby team that has been struggling in the air to say the least. While their ground defense could certainly use some improvement, it looks as if Midd has the ability to compete against many of the elite quarterbacks in the CAC.

Stock Down:

Bates’ Defense: The Bobcats looked like a team that could sneak their way into the top half of the NESCAC after holding a solid Amherst team to only 19 points in week 1. Week 2 is a completely different story as they allowed Trinity to march up and down the field with no problem in their 59-16 loss. Bates’ pass defense looked formidable against Amherst, holding QB Ollie Eberth to only 112 passing yards and no touchdowns in the air. Trinity QB Jordan Vazzano on the other hand was able to pick apart the Bates defense with his eyes closed, passing for 353 yards and 5 touchdowns, a ridiculous stat line. If that wasn’t enough, running backs Sloane Lockwood and Max Chipouras combined with Vazzano for 217 more yards on the ground and 3 more touchdowns. Allowing nearly 60 points can be extremely disheartening for any defense and may well cause your defensive coordinator to retire at halftime. Bates will have to improve on almost every facet of their game in order to compete against Tufts next week, who have throw their hat into the running for NESCAC champion after downing a dangerous Wesleyan team in week 2.

Penney and the Cardinals need to step it up after an upset loss to the Jumbos.

Wesleyan’s Goal-line Back, Sean Penney: Penney was Wesleyan’s go-to guy inside the 10 yard line against Middlebury in week 1. He was able to convert 3 touchdowns in just 10 attempts, blowing through the Panther defense when he was called up. In week 2, Tuft’s defense seemed to have his number allowing him only 15 yards on 8 attempts, 0 of which reached the end zone. When the Cardinals needed it most week 2, Penney just wasn’t there to provide the momentum that he did in week one. It looks like it’s time to review the game tape and figure out what exactly he did in week 1 to make him so effective and why he wasn’t against Tufts. As for next week, Wesleyan faces an 0-1 Hamilton team, which may be a perfect opportunity for Penny to work on his craft in an almost surefire win for the Cardinals.

Hamilton QB Kenny Gray: Week 2 was a huge improvement for Hamilton’s Junior QB Kenny Gray. After Hamilton’s offense was unable to record a point against Tufts (their 2 points came on a safety), Gray was able to step it up week 2 and record 2 touchdowns, one in the air and one on the ground. One of Gray’s major issues week 1 was his accuracy. Tufts was able to pick him off 3 times and he was only able to convert of 18 of the 42 chances he took. Week 2 we saw a much improved Gray, completing 59.5% of his passes and limiting a talented Amherst defense to 1 interception. It already seems fairly clear that Hamilton doesn’t have too much of a chance to compete this year, but Gray is trending in the right direction. Perhaps if Gray continues to improve he will be able to lead the Continentals to a respectable record next year in his senior campaign.

Nothing New: Week 1 Power Rankings

With the first week in the books we finally got a glimpse of what each team is looking like this year. Obviously one game is a small sample size, but we’ve learned a thing or two about the league this year. Trinity is still Trinity, Wesleyan is not to be taken lightly, and the bottom of the league is still looking more or less the same. I’m sure this year will bring plenty of surprises like we see every year, but Week 1 didn’t bring too much excitement. There were exactly zero games decided by less than 12 points and besides Bates vs. Amherst none of the games were within 27. So much for more parity this season. Fortunately, this made it a bit easier to do the power rankings, so let’s see where each team falls:

  1. Trinity

The two time defending champs did nothing to make me believe they aren’t still the league’s premier team in a 35-0 drubbing of Colby. RB Max Chipouras ’19 put up a stat line (15 carries, 173yds, 3TD) that would be ridiculous for anyone else, but given his standards I’ll call it “good.” A potential reason for concern is that QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 completed just 9 of his 26 pass attempts for 210 yards, although 97 of those yards were on one play. It was his first game with a new team, but 8-25 for 113 yards sounds a heck of a lot different than 9-26 for 210 yards. Either way, it’s easy to win when your defense doesn’t give up any points, and the Bantams continued to look outstanding on that side of the ball. A matchup with Bates in Week 2 isn’t particularly imposing, so Trinity will have another week to workout the kinks before they head to Williamstown for their first big test.

  1. Wesleyan
Sean Penney ’21 has clearly found a role as the goal line back for Wesleyan

The Cardinals played host to Middlebury in Week 1 and made an absolute statement. Putting up 52 points is absurd even against the weaker teams in the league, let alone the Panthers. We all know how good QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 is, but I was very skeptical given that Wesleyan graduated 4 of their top 5 pass catchers from last season. Well they came out with a very balanced offensive attack that featured 3 rushing touchdowns from Sean Penney ’21, and just 19 pass attempts by Piccirillo. The Wesleyan defense looked excellent as well, and Ben Thaw ’20 put on the defensive performance of the week with 2 interceptions – returning one for a touchdown. Coach DiCenzo showed that he has already found his team’s identity, and will certainly game plan well for their Week 2 showdown at Tufts.

  1. Tufts

I’m not quite sure whether the Jumbos’ 29-2 victory over Hamilton says more about them or the Continentals, but I’m going with the former. This was exactly the type of statement win that Tufts wanted to make in Week 1, highlighted by QB Ryan McDonald ’19 rushing for 98 yards and 4 touchdowns to go along with his 99 passing yards. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the season opener for Tufts was the outstanding effort by their defense. They intercepted 3 Hamilton passes, forced 1 fumble, and had 6 sacks. Granted the Continentals don’t have the strongest offense in the league, but it’s mostly the same personnel that dropped 28 points on the Jumbos in Week 1 last season. Tufts is clearly getting better and their defense will be tasked with slowing down a versatile Wesleyan team that just hung 52 on Middlebury. Mark this one on your calendar, folks.

  1. Williams

Bobby Maimaron ’21 is a weapon. Let’s make that very clear. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns, while tacking on 78 more yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. He can seemingly do anything, but he doesn’t have to because the Ephs boast one of the best receivers in the league in Frank Stola ’21 and one of the best running backs in the league in TJ Dozier ’21. Oh, and don’t forget about linebacker TJ Rothmann ’21 who looks like one of the most promising defensive players in the league. Notice anything these guys all have in common? They’re only sophomores. Look out NESCAC, Williams is here to stay. Mark Raymond is turning this program back into a dynasty and I, for one, am very afraid. They’re ready to be in the conversation with the conference’s elite because their championship window is just opening.

  1. Amherst
Bo Berluti ’19 was the only Mammoth receiver to get anything going against Bates

A 19-7 victory over Bates isn’t the most impressive feat, but a win is a win. Plus, the Mammoths had no idea what to expect from a team that completely changed their schemes on both sides of the ball. Amherst is still Amherst and they’ll find ways to grind out wins. Jack Hickey ’19 is a workhorse out of the backfield, racking up 22 carries for 137 yards against the Bobcats. Ollie Eberth ’20 completed 9 of his 13 passes to his two favorite targets, Bo Berluti ’19 and James O’Reagan ’20, but there don’t seem to be too many reliable options beyond those two guys. Fortunately, their defensive unit is as good as any, so they don’t need to be putting up 30+ points every game to be successful. They’ll host a Hamilton team in Week 2 who looked like a JV squad against Tufts, so if that performance is any indication then this one should be a cake walk for the Mammoths. Editor’s Note: 5th?! Cmon, Cam. They have the best defense in the league and returned their whole lineup. I guarantee they move up in week two.

  1. Middlebury

Middlebury showed us that they still have quite a bit to figure out. They did not come to play against Wesleyan and got ripped apart. I know that the suffocating defense of the Cardinals is a nightmare for opposing teams and Mark Piccirillo is pretty good, but the Panthers couldn’t even keep it within 30? Not a great start. Their defense was abysmal, and the offense couldn’t pick up the slack either. Seemingly the only bright spot was that 9 different receivers had multiple receptions, indicating that the pass-heavy offense that they’re known for is still very much in effect. Jack Meservy ’19 showed promise by completing 25 of 43 passes and 2 touchdowns, but also threw 3 picks and didn’t have a single completion for more than 18 yards. I’m confident that the Panthers will start to put things together, but this game should serve as a wakeup call. Luckily they host Bowdoin this weekend, so they’ll have an opportunity to continue finding out what works and what doesn’t.

  1. Bates

The Bobcats should feel about as good as you can feel after a 19-7 loss. Amherst is one of the league’s best, and Bates refused to go away. In fact, it was still a one score game with 5 minutes left to play. The defense looked very solid, led by DB Jon Lindgren ’20 and LB Pete Daley ’19 who had 12 and 8 tackles, respectively. The new offense is going to need a bit more work as they were only able to muster 7 first downs the entire game. Someone besides QB Brendan Costa ’21 is going to have to step up on offense, because he’s the only one making plays at this point. It’s not good when your punter has almost triple the amount of punt yards as you have in total offense. Yes, the Mammoths play very tough defense, but so does Trinity, who the Bobcats will face in Week 2. The expectations shouldn’t be too high for this one, but after a solid showing in Week 1 Bates should continue to focus on making progress. It’s the little victories.

  1. Hamilton

Apparently I was way too high on Hamilton going into this season. They returned a ton of key offensive players including QB Kenny Gray ’20, RB Mitch Bierman ’21, and WR Joe Schmidt ’20 who all did damage in 2017. I thought this would put them in position to have a breakout season and while this still could happen, it looks much less likely. Their offense put up a goose egg and was actually bailed out by their defense to avoid the shutout. Not to say that their defense played particularly well, but allowing 29 points isn’t a terrible effort. Alex Ganter ’19 looked solid, recording 7 tackles and 1 sack that resulted in the safety. Needless to say, the Continentals have a lot to figure out right now, as they’ll go back to the drawing board in preparation for their visit to Western Mass this weekend to take on the Mammoths.

  1. Bowdoin
Austin McCrum didn’t look like a quarterback who once had D1 potential this past weekend

As Colby mentioned in the Stock Report, there has to be a bit of disappointment from Polar Bear fans after a poor performance from transfer QB Austin McCrum ’21 in their season opener against the Ephs. Bowdoin needs to establish their offensive threats after losing their top two receivers from last season in Nick Vailas ’18 and Bryan Porter ’18. RB Nate Richam ’20 looked serviceable, but they really could not get anything going on offense at all. Linebackers Liam Dougherty ’21 and Joe Gowetski ’20 had decent games, but they ran into a hot Williams offense that dominated the game from start to finish. It’s a tough road ahead for the Polar Bears who face Middlebury, Amherst, and Tufts over the next three weeks. They’ll try to take baby steps each week to improve steadily until they reach the weaker portion of their schedule later in the season.

  1. Colby

The last two spots in the power rankings could go either way, but I put Colby in the cellar because of their inability to score a single point in Week 1. The game plan against Trinity was clearly ground and pound, as RB Jake Schwern ’19 carried the ball 29 times for 108 yards. QB Jack O’Brien ’20 only threw for 93 yards, and the Mules actually had 5 players with negative rushing yards. The defense could have been worse, but it’s hard to judge given that the Bantams had their reserves in for the entire second half. It’s hard to play the league’s best right from the get-go, and the result was pretty much as expected. Like Bowdoin, their upcoming schedule does not look promising so the focus will be on progress. Colby hired Coach Cosgrove for a reason, and he can’t be asked to produce results this quickly. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?