Tag: Sonny Puzzo

Football End-of-Year Awards: The Definitive Edition

The committee of two has met and after much deliberation has made their decisions. All decisions on awards are final and complaints should be addressed to 472 Smith Union, Bowdoin College. Or the comments section works, too. If you want, take a look at our Mid-Season Awards to see what’s changed. Lastly, these are our own personal opinions of who should win each award. They are not predictions on what we think the NESCAC coaches will decide.

Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics
Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics

Offensive Player of the Year: Quarterback Matt Milano ’16 (Middlebury)

“Another Middlebury quarterback? Really original pick there guys.” Well, Milano didn’t really leave us with much of a choice given how he performed in the month of the year. In fact here are Mac Foote’s stats from last year and Milano’s from 2014.

Player A: 179-289 (61.9 percent), 2004 yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, 24 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.

Player B: 259-421 (61.5 percent), 2766 yards, 6.6 yards per attempt, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions.

Player B has a huge lead in yards overall and a slight lead in touchdowns, but Player A was better in yards per attempt and threw a quarter of the interceptions. You could probably tell, but Player A is Foote and Player B is Milano. We don’t put the comparison there to argue that Milano had a better year than Foote did last year, but we just want to put the numbers there so people don’t say Milano was merely a product of the Middlebury system.

The junior took a little time to get settled, but once he did, Middlebury morphed into the hottest team in the NESCAC. Milano put up 18 touchdowns over the last four weeks to go with just one interception, and his yards per attempt rose every week from Week 3 until the end of the season. His play is made even more impressive by the fact that the Panthers averaged only 2.6 yards per rush, worst in the NESCAC, putting even more pressure on the gunslinger. Milano should be even better next year when he and most of his receivers return.

Also considered: Tyler Grant ’17 (Bowdoin), Chudi Iregbulem ’15 (Trinity), Jesse Warren ’15 (Wesleyan) and Mark Riley ’16 (Bates)

Jake Bussani '14 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Jake Bussani ’14 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Defensive Player of the Year: Safety Jake Bussani ’14 (Wesleyan)

The NESCAC website only lists the top 50 tacklers, and Bussani falls well short of making that with only 30 tackles on the year. So how does a player who was only sixth on his own team in tackles win DPOY?

Well, first of all, Bussani won by the narrowest of margins over a host of other worthy players. Then it is important to understand Bussani’s role in the Wesleyan defense; a role that requires him to patrol the deep part of the field. He did that to near perfection with seven interceptions and five pass breakups. Bussani also returned two of his interceptions all the way back for touchdowns. Also, he was part of a secondary that was a good rung or two above everyone else and allowed a minuscule 124.0 yards per game through the air.

Bussani and teammate Justin Sanchez '17 smother Alex Way '16 in the Cardinals' Week 8 shutout. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Bussani and teammate Justin Sanchez ’17 smother Alex Way ’16 in the Cardinals’ Week 8 shutout. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

Conference coaches know how good of a player he is considering he has made the All-NESCAC team three times already. Last year his stats were even less impressive with 27 tackles and four interceptions. Given how he has been even better this year, the coaches should recognize him once again.

Also considered: Chris Tamasi ’15 (Amherst), Jaymie Spears ’16 (Amherst), Dan Pierce ’16 (Middlebury) Mark Upton ’17 (Bates)

Coach of the Year: EJ Mills (Amherst)

Head Coach EJ Mills (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
Head Coach EJ Mills (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

Below is the conversation that we had when talking about Coach of the Year. We weren’t planning on publishing it at the time, but it’s just so juicy that we could not resist.

Adam: Alright, Coach of the Year is another interesting one. Ritter has a strong argument because of how well Middlebury did, but I think Mills deserves it.

Joe: Amherst was expected to be near the top again and Middlebury was supposed to be much worse this year.

Adam: Maybe so, but Amherst went through a lot to be undefeated. They played three QBs and switched their lead running back as the season went along. In close games they went 5-0 which is a testament, too, to Mills’ coaching. When I look at Amherst’s season it seemed like they always played a little better than I was expecting or somehow managed to win games when they got outplayed. The coach deserves credit for that.

Joe: I guess. I just feel like the Coach of the Year award is almost equivalent to a team overall achievement award, because we can’t quantify from the outside how much of a team’s success is due to the coach. I expected Amherst to beat everyone but Trinity and Wesleyan at the beginning of the year. As the year went on I got to realizing that Amherst was the best team, but I was always skeptical of Middlebury. I had them middle of the pack but they clearly overachieved. I don’t want Mills to win just because he coached the best team.

Adam: My argument would be that it wasn’t necessarily clear that Amherst really was the best team. Middlebury got better as the year went along and I think mostly because Milano got more comfortable. I didn’t expect he would get so good so fast and that is why I think Middlebury finished with six straight wins. Obviously coaching matters there, but just seems like the player still has a lot of agency, also.

Joe: True….splitting hairs here at this point. I think both are great coaches and just like talking about it.

Drew Jacobs (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
Drew Jacobs (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

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

There wasn’t an absolute standout first year this season that burst onto the scene like QB Sonny Puzzo last year or LB Tim Patricia ’16 the year before, but Jacobs was productive for the pass-heavy Panthers, and among first-year players he was first in rushing yards and third in receiving yards. His production was all over the map, as his total yards went 113, 55, 43, 154, 62, 82 and 8, as he left the game early in Week 7 and sat out all of Week 8. With another year under his belt, though, Jacobs could turn into one of the league’s best backs, but he will still have to fight off the presence of teammate Jonathan Hurvitz ’17 and classmate John Jackson ’18 for playing time.

Also considered: Slotback Frank Williams ’18 (Bates), K Zach Altneu ’18 (Hamilton), RB/KR Amman Weaver ’18 (Hamilton), WR  Mbasa Mayikana ’18 (Colby)

Zach Trause (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Zach Trause (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

Special Teams Player of the Year: KR/PR/RB Zack Trause ’15

Ike Fuchs ’17 made a push for this award in Week 7 when he broke a Wesleyan record with five field goals in one game (and by going 7-7 FG and 8-8 XP in the last three weeks), but Trause’s body of work is enough for him to get the nod. Though most of the fireworks came in Week 2 when Trause followed up his third quarter kick return TD with a punt return TD early in the fourth quarter to seal the Jumbos’ victory, he was an explosive returner all year. His 32.1 yards per kickoff return were tops in the NESCAC and seventh in all of Division-III. Players need 1.2 attempts per game to qualify for leaderboards, so Trause failed to qualify with only eight punt returns, but if he had qualified, his 19.6 yards per punt return would have placed him fifth in the nation.

Trause taking back a punt 49 yards to the house against Bates in Week 2. (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Trause taking back a punt 49 yards to the house against Bates in Week 2. (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

Also considered: Ike Fuchs ’17 (Wesleyan), WR/KR/PR Ryan Rizzo ’17 (Middlebury) and K Phillip Nwosu’ 15 (Amherst)

Feel free to tell us how wrong we are in the comments section.

Panthers Make Rude Guests in Hartford: Stock Report 10/26

Every streak will end at some point, and Trinity’s vaunted home winning streak of 53 games finally came to a stunning finish on Saturday. Like any streak of such length, the Bantams endured many close calls before Saturday, but the Panthers sucked out any potential drama long before the final whistle. Middlebury scored the first 20 points of the game, and a Brendan Rankowitz ’15 touchdown catch with 6:07 left made it 27-7, essentially ending the game.

So just how did Middlebury manage to take down the unbeatable Bantams? Well, considering the margin of victory, the simple answer is that Middlebury just outplayed Trinity. From a more philosophical point of view, this was speed beating size. The Trinity starting offensive line averages 280 pounds while the three down lineman for Middlebury average 247 pounds. That didn’t matter as Middlebury was still able to get to the ball.

Trinity finished the game with 85 yards rushing on 38 attempts, a 2.2 yards per carry average. The last time Trinity was held to under 100 yards rushing was October 2, 2010 when Williams held the Bantams to 87 yards rushing. Not coincidentally that was also a loss for Trinity. The 85 yards was the lowest total in a game since October 11, 2008 when Tufts (yes, Tufts) held the Bantams to 50 yards rushing. (Of course in that game Trinity threw for 470 as well to win a wild overtime game 28-27.)

The fact that the two top tacklers for Middlebury were defensive backs tells us that while the Panthers won the line of scrimmage, they didn’t do it conventionally. Waves of defenders threw themselves at the point of attack on running plays without exposing any lanes for cutbacks. Trinity’s longest run in the game was 19 yards.

Matt Minno '16 hauls down one of his three touchdowns in the Panthers' victory. Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)
Matt Minno ’16 hauls down one of his three touchdowns in the Panthers’ victory. Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)

Not having Sonny Puzzo on the roster for Trinity hurt the Bantams because Foye is not a runner. Puzzo gave the Trinity offense a little more diversity and defenses had more difficulty keying on one player. Spencer Aukamp ’18 has the running capabilities to replicate Puzzo, but Aukamp is not as polished of a passer. Henry Foye ’15 was able to come back from a touchdown deficit last week against Bowdoin, but he is not a quarterback capable of leading a team back from the hole Trinity found themselves in early in the second half.

Meanwhile, Matt Milano ’16 played a nearly perfect game. He went 25-36 for 286 yards. Though he threw one interception, he made up for it with four touchdowns. Matt Minno ’16 reemerged from the shadows last week against Bates, and he confirmed that he is back with his best game of the season: a three touchdown, 90 yard day. Milano actually played better than Mac Foote ’14 did last year when Middlebury beat Trinity in Vermont. Throw out the debacle against Amherst, and Milano has been stellar.

The running game led by Drew Jacobs ’18 was nothing special, but it did enough to keep Trinity honest. The Bantams could not load up on 3rd and long and come after Milano, especially because the Middlebury offense is designed to get the ball out quickly.

Finally, credit should be given to the Middlebury special teams which had two big plays early in the second half. The first was a gutsy on-side kick call coming out of the half. Rather than giving Trinity the ball back with the score 13-0 Middlebury, the Panthers dialed up an onside kick that they recovered. Two plays later, Milano hit hit Minno for his third touchdown of the game. The next drive Trinity tried a fake punt on 4th and 2 from their own 43-yard line, but Middlebury was not fooled at all. Michael Budness ’15 gained only one yard and the Trinity gambled failed.

The last time Trinity lost at home was to Williams in September of 2001. Every Trinity football player starting with the class of 2006 until the class of 2014 was undefeated at home. The thing for Trinity is that their path to a NESCAC championship remains unchanged. If they can rally and beat Amherst and then Wesleyan, they will at least earn a share of the NESCAC title. With only two weeks to still go, both Connecticut schools have now lost when before the season it looked possible that both would go undefeated until they faced each other.

Stock Up

Safety Dan Pierce ’16 (Middlebury): Seems like every week we highlight another Panther defensive player that has emerged as a cog in a defense that has become the strength of Middlebury. Pierce had a great all around game totaling 12 tackles and two interceptions. He had the play of the game midway through the second quarter. With Middlebury up 7-0, the Bantams drove the ball down to the five yard line. Then Pierce picked off Henry Foye ’15 in the end zone and returned it 71 yards to the Trinity 29-yard line. Four plays later, Middlebury punched it in to go up by two touchdowns forcing Trinity out of their comfort zone. Pierce now leads the Panthers in tackles on the season and is fourth overall in the NESCAC. We know it is early, but given that players like Pierce, Tim Patricia ’16,  and Nate Leedy ’17 will all be back on defense along with Milano leading an offense that will return all of its playmakers with the exception of Rankowitz, Middlebury should be the favorite entering next year.

Wide Receiver Steven Kiesel ’15 (Williams): Saturday was just another ho-hum day for the senior receiver as he finished with five catches, 62 yards, and a touchdown that ended up being the difference in Williams’ 21-14 victory. Kiesel’s performance was notable because of how normal it has become. He has had at least five receptions in all but one of Williams’ games and now leads the NESCAC in receptions for the year. With the Ephs backed up on their own one, Austin Lommen ’16 went to his favorite target and hit Kiesel for a 32-yard gain that ended with Kiesel’s touchdown catch. The Williams running game has struggled for long stretches of this season, and Kiesel has been the most reliable source of offense for the Ephs. It might be a longshot given they are only 2-4, but Williams can salvage their season starting Saturday with a big upset over Wesleyan.

Quarterback Matt Cannone ’15 (Bates): The CBB picked up right where it left off last year in terms of excitement. The Bobcats QB returned just in time to get the Bates offense moving. He was still bothered by his ankle so that he was not much of a threat out of the pocket, but Cannone still played admirably. He went 18-32 for 203 yards and four touchdowns. His main target was Mark Riley ’16, but with the game on the line he used Riley as a diversion and went to Frank Williams ’18. On 4th and goal, Cannone found Williams for the game tying touchdown with under a minute left. Then in overtime the same connection worked again for a 25 yard touchdown and the victory. The win gives Bates the early lead in the CBB with the Bobcats visiting Bowdoin this week. Now Cannone will look to seal the CBB.

Running back LaShawn Ware ’17 (Hamilton): Sometimes, you have to admit that you’ve made a mistake. At the beginning of the season, in our Breakout Players of 2014 article, we highlighted Hamilton backs Rico Gonzalez ’16 and converted safety Jeff Hopsicker ’15. Gonzalez hasn’t been much of a factor all year, and had two carries against Williams. Hopsicker started out as the team’s primary back, but has seen his carries total dwindle ever since Week 2. When we spoke with head coach Dave Murray at the beginning of the year, he highlighted the speedy Ware as someone who could make an impact, but we just saw too much competition in the backfield. Well, Ware now leads the team in rushing yards and yards per carry, and racked up a career-high 115 yards against Williams. It looks like Murray has settled into a two-headed attack, with Ware moving the ball down the field and Amman Weaver ’18 getting the chances to punch it in near the goal line. It’s another lost season for the Continentals, but there will be weapons back in 2015.

Stock Down

Tufts Offensive Execution: A few stats from the Tufts-Amherst game: Tufts first downs – 11, Amherst first downs – 12. Tufts total yards – 249, Amherst total yards – 244. Tufts return yards – 78, Amherst return yards – 93. So how was this game 30-3 in favor of the Jeffs? As the Tufts website notes, every single Amherst scoring drive started in Tufts territory. Seventy-nine of those return yards came on interceptions for Amherst, with Chris Gow ’16 returning one Alex Snyder ’17 pass to the house. The Lord Jeff defense is very good and known for their takeaways, but this was another level. A big reason for that was because Jack Doll ’15 did not start and only threw the ball six times. It would have been extremely difficult for the Jumbos to upset Amherst at home with the Jeffs smelling a conference championship, but the offense let down a defense that played much better than the score indicated.

Bowdoin Secondary: One week after allowing Henry Foye to enjoy his best game of the season, Jesse Warren ’15 threw for five touchdowns against the Bowdoin secondary. Early in the game Bowdoin was getting pressure, but Warren converted two third downs of more than 12 yards on the first touchdown drive. For the game Wesleyan was 10-17 on third down. The Polar Bears have had problems slowing down the opposition’s passing attack all year with teams finding ways of making big plays consistently. Though Jay Fabien ’15 was slowed, Josh Hurwitz ’15 stepped up and had three touchdown catches. The Bowdoin secondary will have to rise to the occasion and stop Bates’ Riley on Saturday.

Colby’s Depth: The brutal opening schedule robbed Colby of a good deal of their players, and in an effort to get their best talent on the field, wide receivers Luke Duncklee ’15 and Nick Joseph ’15 have started playing on defense as well. Many NESCAC players went both ways in high school so they are somewhat used to it, but doing it in college is especially hard because it is much harder to take any plays off. The duo played well Saturday totaling 14 tackles between them, but it was not enough for Colby to hold off Bates. Advocates for expanding the current roster to more than 75 players might point to Colby’s issues as evidence. It is possible that the issue comes up again in conversations between coaches and administrators, but schools are unlikely to look at this one instance and consider it enough reason to change a longstanding rule.

 

Trinity Team Preview – The Bantams Try to Keep Streaking

Editor’s Note: This preview was co-written by Trinity seniors Carson Kenney ’15 and Sean Meekins ’15.

2013 Record: 6-2

Returning Starters: 16 (8 offense, 6 defense, 2 specialists)

Offensive Overview:

Losing the explosive trio of Evan Bunker ’14, Ben Crick ’14, and A.J. Jones ’14 to graduation will not make it easy on the Bantams offense this year; however they are very optimistic about avenging last season’s 6-2 record. There is a major QB battle that seems to have Henry Foye ’16 leading the pack. Hayden Jardine ’17, Ryan Murphy ’17, and highly touted recruit Spencer Aukamp ’18 are also in the QB mix for this season. Chudi Iregbulem ’15 and Jacob River ’15 are hoping to pick up where the dominant running back tandem of Crick and Bunker left off. Returning starters, Chris Ragone ’15 and Ian Dugger ’16, are going to be the main targets for Foye.

Michael Budness ’15 is going to be a key-returning factor for the Bantams offense. Budness will fill the roll as the wildcard in the offense because he is able to line up at many positions. Brendan Oliver ’15 will return at tight end hoping to also play a major part in the offense this season. The rest of the offense is going to need to step up this season to be the major contender in the NESCAC, but none will be more important then the always consistent offensive line. Tackles Matt Porter ’16 and Will Lynner ’16, guards Connor Flynn’16 and Connor Golden ‘15 and center Joe Magardino ’15 all return. The line has had major success in past years, and looks to continue it success behind captain Magardino. As long as the O-Line stays healthy the Bantams’ offense will have major success.

Defensive Overview:

With a lot of returners including four of the five top tacklers from last year, expect a big year for the Bantam defense. Linebackers Rob Gau ’15, Mike Weatherby ’14, Tom Symanzski ’15, and Frank Leyva ’16 , who missed a lot of the year last year due to injury, look to anchor a D that ranked third in the NESCAC last year in yards per game. Gau and Weatherby combined for 88 tackles last year (16 for a loss), and Symanski was an All-NESCAC linebacker. This year’s freshmen class of backers is also one of Trinity’s best in recent history. As for the secondary, Mike Mancini ’15 is back at free safety, and Brian Dones ’15 will try to lock down receivers at corner. Mancini totaled 48 tackles last year while Dones finished 11th in the nation with 1.8 passes defensed per game. Word out of camp is that sophomore Cornerback Yosa Nosamiefan ’17 is impressing people with his improvement over the summer. Look for him to see time at corner this year across from Dones. Safety Casey Tanner ’15 and Paul McCarthy ’16 will also help stabilize a Bantam secondary that looks to make big plays.

Up front defensively the Bantams will rely on DE Preston Kelly ’16, NT Kyle McGuire ’15, and DE Lyle Baker ’15. Baker had 27 tackles in the 2012 campaign before missing all of last year. His return along with Kelly and McGuire returning should give offenses around the league plenty of trouble establishing any sort of running game. Coming off a year where Trinity ranked sixth nationally in defensive pass efficiency, expect this veteran laden defense to help ease the pressure placed on the offense which is the biggest question mark for right now. If the defense is able to stay healthy, and the offense is able to limit turnovers and control the time of possession, look for the Bants to make a hard push for the NESCAC title.

Courtesy of Trinity Athletics
Courtesy of Trinity Athletics

Three Big Questions

1. Who will be the starting QB?

Junior Henry Foye is leading the pack up to this point, but it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds. Sophomores, Jardine and Murphy, are looking to be potential candidates behind Foye. Spencer Aukamp is going to have a major eye on him this year, as the New Jersey recruit is also looking to contend heavily for the QB battle. People are hyping up the QB battle due to Puzzo’s departure but Foye (who started 5 games last year, all of them wins) can flat out ball too.

2. Can the veteran linebackers continue to show consistent success?

Gau, Weatherby, Szymanski, and Leyva are all returning linebackers. These linebackers have had immense success in the past and hope to continue to anchor the consistently dominant Bantams’ defense. As long as everyone stays healthy the Bantams will be able to control NESCAC offenses.

3. Can offensive tackle Matt Porter stay healthy?

Porter is without question one of the best tackles in the conference. The question is, will he be able to stay on the field to protect Foye more often than not? He missed time last year due to a sprained knee that was suffered in the middle of the season and will play a very important role this season in anchoring an offensive line that is one of the league’s best. With an offense that lost playmakers, the O-Line will need to be tough up front and create holes early in the season to allow Rivers and Iregbulem to get their feet under them and get going. If Porter is able to stay on the field for the majority of the year, expect the running game to flourish.

Team MVP: It’s no question that Trinity will rely on their offensive line after losing starters at key positions, namely running back. Bunker and Crick were one of the greatest 1-2 punches at RB that the NESCAC has ever seen.  The receiving core is also experienced and will play a big part in Trinity’s success this year. However none of this is possible without the O-Line. Led by Porter, Magardino, Golden and  Flynn, the Bantams offense will be able to take off if the line continues their dominance in the trenches. The backs will be able to establish the running game which will in turn allow Foye to air it out, meaning good things for the Bants.

Biggest Game of the Year (Sean)

Oct. 25 against Middlebury.

Every game at home for the Bantams is a big game because of the 51 game winning streak, and Middlebury shocked the Bantams in Vermont last year in a controversial game that left the Bantams with a bad taste in their mouths. Not saying that game cost the Bantams their season, but in the short eight game sprint, they cannot afford another mishap leading into their last two major games. The Bantams need to be looking at Amherst in the following week of the season with a 6-0 record. That is why the October 25th game is so vital. The Bantams are playing a good Middlebury team, so they must make their presence known.

Biggest Game of the Year (Carson)

Nov. 1 against Amherst.

After losing to Amherst last year in somewhat dramatic fashion, the Bants are eager to get back on the field with the Lord Jeffs. In NESCAC football, every single game is incredibly important, however this will be the biggest game of the year. Aside from wanting revenge from last year, this game is also the last home game for Trinity of the year, which hopefully means the last chance to extend their winning streak at home. If the Bantam’s are still in contention for the title come November 1st, expect Hartford to be buzzing as Amherst makes the trip to the Coop.

Best Tweet of the Offseason: Not many NESCAC teams can claim they made SI. #NPITC

Trinity reloads instead of rebuilding, and despite the loss of stars from 2013, the Bantams will be right back in the thick of the title race.

What the Best Games of 2013 Could Mean for 2014

Obviously the best place to start when prognosticating for 2014 is last season. We don’t really have anything else to go on. Yet remember these games can only tell us so much. A large amount of randomness is at play especially with 18-22 year olds.

Without any further ado, here are the five most important games of last season along with what stories and statistics carry importance into this season.

5. November 2: Williams 14 (2-6) at Wesleyan 16 (7-1)

Wesleyan survived a major scare in this game as their offense had major struggles against Williams. The only Cardinal touchdown of the game came on a one play four yard drive after a freak series of events led to Williams punting from their one yard line. Donnie Cimino ’15 returned the punt all the way to the four yard line, and LaDarius Drew ’14 ran it in the very next play. A late Williams rally fell short when Jake Bussani ’14 intercepted a pass with less than three minutes remaining.

What it means: People point to the improvement Williams made each week when they talk about a possible rebound this year. This game stayed close mostly because Wesleyan could not convert in the red zone settling for three field goals. Still Williams got nothing from their running game and lost the turnover battle by 2. Combine that with the game being at Williams this season, and this could be the hardest game on Wesleyan’s schedule.

4. October 19: Wesleyan 20 (7-1) at Amherst 14 (7-1)

People still didn’t quite believe that Wesleyan was for real when they faced off against Amherst. After this game everyone knew the Cardinals were a threat to run the table. Though Amherst slowed down Drew and Kyle Gibson ’15 a good deal, Jesse Warren ’15 played flawlessly while his Amherst counterparts at QB struggled. Wesleyan was up 20-7 before Amherst scored a touchdown in the fourth, but Max Lippe ’15 threw an interception to seal it for Wesleyan.

What it means: The same reason why Wesleyan should worry about the Williams game should comfort them for the Amherst one: it will be in Middletown. A lot of other factors however, point to Amherst having a better shot in 2014. The 2013 game is a hard one to figure out. Wesleyan won the turnover battle 4-0, time of possession 35:56-24:04, and had three fewer penalties for thirty less yards. Yet Amherst won the first down battle 19-14, third down efficiency (Amherst 7-14, Wesleyan 3-15), and total yardage 355-310.

This was the game where Amherst’s quarterback struggles were most apparent, and it cost them the game. Head Coach EJ Mills has said he hopes and expects one of Lippe or Alex Berluti ’17 to grab the reins this year. If they do that, then the Amherst offense will be able to offset any possible drop in play from what was a fantastic Jeff defense in 2013.

3. October 26: Trinity 24 (6-2) at Middlebury 27 (7-1)

This was another wildly entertaining game that came down to Mac Foote ’14 making all the throws in the final drive before Nate Leedy ’17 sealed the win with an interception as time expired. The game appeared to be over when Middlebury turned the ball over on downs with less than three minutes remaining. The Panther defense stood tall and forced a punt before Foote took over. The two teams combined for eight attempted fourth down conversions. It took Foote 64 attempts to throw for his 310 yards because he only completed 29 throws. Evan Bunker ’14 had one of his worst games as a Bantam rushing for 28 yards on 13 attempts.

What it means: The biggest reason Trinity lost was ten penalties for 115 yards including four that lead to first downs for Middlebury. They controlled the line as 23 of Middlebury’s 100 rushing yards came on a broken play where Middlebury punter Michael Dola ’15 rushed for a first down. Middlebury will have to rely much more on their running game, but they will struggle against the best defenses in the NESCAC.

Another big takeaway was that Puzzo really carried the Trinity offense in this game. He made plays with his arm and legs accounting for 287 yards of offense. With him, the 2014 Trinity offense could have been very good, but now there a lot of questions surrounding that side of the ball for the Bantams.

2. November 2: Trinity 16 (6-2) at Amherst 17 (7-1)

Trinity had just lost a heartbreaker to Middlebury, but this was even more devastating. The Bantams allowed only 56 yards rushing, had seven more first downs, and held the ball for 36:44. Yet this was a close game that, in the words of Lee Corso, came down to special teams. Amherst converted a short field after a poor punt into a 44 yard Phillip Nwosu ’15 field goal. Then after Trinity scored a touchdown to go down one, Ben Rosenblatt ’17 missed the extra point to give Amherst the stunning victory.

What it means: 2013 was a down year for Trinity, but the two games that they lost were by the thinnest of margins. Consider the fact that Trinity only went 3-15 on third down conversions yet still outgained Amherst by 113 yards. Trinity did just about everything you want to do when you are on the road except win the turnover battle.

Amherst relied so heavily on their defense in 2013 to make plays in big moments. Landrus Lewis ’14 and Max Dietz ’14 are both gone after snagging three interceptions apiece, but a lot of talent remains including corner Jaymie Spears ’16 and safety Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn ’16. If Amherst is once again hard to throw on, then their defense should be elite given the amount of returning talent in the front seven.

1. November 9: Wesleyan 10 (7-1) at Trinity 40 (6-2)

Trinity blitzed Wesleyan in what many expected to be a crowning day for the Cardinals as the only undefeated team in the NESCAC. Instead, Trinity dominated in all facets of the game on their way to a blowout. The Trinity defense held Wesleyan to under 100 yards on the ground while intercepting Warren three times. Meanwhile, Trinity ran at ease against the Wesleyan front seven averaging over five yards a carry and 249 in the aggregate.

Warren proved many of his detractors right as he failed to rise to the occasion when Wesleyan needed him. The back-breaking sequence for Wesleyan came late in the second quarter down 16-3. After a Trinity field goal, Wesleyan had the ball on their 37 with 3:07 left. Since Wesleyan would get the ball back to start the second half, a score here would have put them right back in the game. The play sequence went incompletion, completion for loss of a yard, interception on third down. Trinity converted the short field into a touchdown on a trick play pass from Evan Bunker to QB Puzzo. They never looked back after their 23-3 lead at half.

What it means: This game, like most others, was won in the trenches where Trinity just walloped Wesleyan. Drew didn’t have one run of more than ten yards and averaged only 2.9 yards in the game. Both Amherst and Williams got close to beating the Cardinal earlier in the year by completing half of the equation and slowing down Wesleyan’s run game. Trinity was the only team that was also able to run the ball up the gut for consistent gains. A large part of the running success came from the ability of Puzzo to rush for 53 yards, but obviously Puzzo is no longer on the roster. Presumed starter Henry Foye ’15 barely ran in 2013.

Unfortunately most teams don’t have the players in order to compete with Wesleyan in a slug ’em out fight. Trinity might not even be able to this year. In fact one of the biggest questions entering the season is just how much we should take away from this game. It’s pretty clear Trinity was ready to play, and they executed their game plan to perfection, but we just don’t know if Wesleyan was over-matched or simply didn’t show up. If it was only an off-game for Wesleyan, then we should expect the Cardinals to run through the NESCAC this season.

Welcome to 2014

Suddenly the calendar has flipped to September, and that means football is everywhere all at once. The NESCAC football seasons starts later than every other conference which makes the wait just a little bit harder. And once it gets here we only get eight Saturdays before we have to wait for 2015. So cherish it and get ready.

The last images of the 2013 season included Trinity running wild over a previously dominant Wesleyan defense, Mac Foote throwing for a bajillion yards, and Amherst’s triumph over Williams for the third consecutive season. The Panthers, Jeffs, and Cardinals ended up splitting the NESCAC title three ways. Bowdoin made it onto ESPN again with their Hail Mary against Colby, and in the process they snatched the CBB away from the Mules and gave it back to Bates for a second straight year. And despite the loss at Trinity to finish the year, Wesleyan enjoyed their first Little 3 title in over 40 years after beating Amherst and Williams.

2014 promises to excite yet again given the wealth of returning talent across the conference. No team is more stacked with returners than Wesleyan and they look like the most talented team entering the season. And yet, the thumping that Trinity put on them to close out the 2013 season makes us pause before anointing Wesleyan the king of the ‘CAC. Middlebury will try to cement its place as a top-tier program despite the loss of star QB Mac Foote behind a defense ready for the spotlight. Williams looks to return to the the upper echelon, and they might do it because of a transfer at QB. The Maine schools Colby, Bates, and Bowdoin will battle for supremacy up north after an offseason that saw the teams get closer to each other in talent level. Finally, Tufts and Hamilton look to get off the losing skid, and one of them will do just that when they face off in Week 1.

The biggest offseason news surrounded the quarterback position. Way back in July we sent this tweet out.

That turned out to be not quite right. Three QB’s who ought to have been returning and who saw time in 2013 are not on their team’s respective roster this fall. The 2013 NESCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year Sonny Puzzo (Trinity), arguably the best QB besides Foote last year, Justin Ciero (Colby), and formerly highly recruited prospect Nick LaSpada (Bates) all have left school for a variety of reasons. LaSpada was the backup last year so his loss is not so significant, and Henry Foye, who played in all eight games last year, returns for Trinity. Colby joins Middlebury as the two schools with no significant experience in their returners.

Two fresh faces arrive on the NESCAC quarterback scene after transferring from Division 1 schools. While transferring down does not automatically mean success in the NESCAC, Michael Ecke at Colby (via UConn) and Austin Lommen at Williams (via Boston College) both inherit situations where they could easily start immediately.

Wesleyan, with the ultra-efficient Jesse Warren, might be the only team without at question at quarterback heading into camp in 2014.

As mentioned above, one such team with a fluid quarterback situation is Williams. The Ephs tried both underclassmen Tom Murphy and Mark Pomella at QB last season, but the pair combined for two touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Hence the door appears wide open for Lommen. Better quarterback play could be the only thing holding Williams back from competing for a conference title.

Williams has historically been one of the conference’s best programs, but a 4-4 season in 2012 and a disastrous 2-6 record last year has Ephs’ fans searching for answers. But there’s reason for hope. RB Alex Scyocurka, the workhorse of the NESCAC, is back for a fifth-year. The receiving corps is experienced. The entire offensive line has starts under its belt. The Ephs’ 4-3 defense, fourth in the NESCAC in yards per game allowed last season, should improve. Three All-NESCAC caliber players return on the defensive line (DE James Howe was a First-Teamer in 2013). Likewise, the entire battery returns at linebacker. And All-NESCAC Second-Teamer Tom Cabarle is back at safety to solidify the back four.

The Ephs’ played a lot of close games in 2013. But seven-point losses to Trinity and Middlebury, and a two-point heartbreaker at Wesleyan were too much for the Ephs to overcome. If someone can emerge for Williams at quarterback, the Ephs will be a surprise squad in 2014.

If Wesleyan hadn’t squeaked out that two-point victory over Williams in Week 7, they wouldn’t even have had a share of the NESCAC crown. After looking like the conference’s best team for seven weeks, the Cardinals laid a stinker against in-state rival Trinity. The question for 2014 now becomes not whether Wesleyan is the best team in the NESCAC, but whether it is the best team in Connecticut. Despite losing two games in 2013, Trinity clearly showed that at their best the Bantams are a force, especially at home where Trinity has not lost in over a decade (51 games). Wesleyan essentially returns its entire starting roster (more on that in the Cardinals’ preview yet to come), and is the favorite to win the NESCAC. But the Cardinals are not infallible. And they don’t want to be the Buffalo Bills of 1989-1993, dominating through much of the season before crumbling when it really counts. Is Wesleyan the cream of the crop? We won’t be able to answer that question for 11 weeks.

Courtesy of Bates Athletics
Courtesy of Bates Athletics

For those of you who haven’t read us before, welcome. We hope to provide you with the very best NESCAC coverage you can hope for. The NESCAC is a special conference; one where the term “student-athlete” still rings true in that order. As students at NESCAC member schools, we hope to express our love of this amateur game for you in our devoted coverage. We ask for your help in spreading the word about our product and helping us make it as good as it can be. Contact us about great stories, because we know they are innumerable. Follow our coverage of every week’s games, and revel in our committed analysis.

Over the next three weeks we plan to give you every tool you could imagine and hope for in order to prepare you for the NESCAC football season. Team previews, this season’s biggest games, our predictions for the standings and for the end-of-year awards, and heaps of other information and statistics, all leading up to the first Saturday of games. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Thank you.

-Adam Lamont (Bowdoin ’16) and Joe MacDonald (Middlebury ’16), Editors