Tag: Devante Reid

Now We Go: Weekend Preview 10/26

This has been one the most bizarre NESCAC football seasons we’ve had in a while. Realistically, Middlebury iced the league with its win at Amherst in Week 4, and the last two weeks have been an absolute snooze fest. We have had Week 7 circled on our calendars all season and all offseason, and now we have arrived here, and these games have almost no championship implications. But because of the nature of the games—the Little 3 and CBB kicking off, while Trinity takes on Williams, there is still a ton of on field action to get excited about.

Bates (0-6) @ Colby (0-6), Waterville, Maine, 1:00 PM

The collective state of Maine will finally put one in the win column this week as two of its three winless teams face off in Waterville on Saturday. It is very exciting that both of these teams finally have a chance to really compete, and the CBB is a great point of pride amongst these three schools. Realistically, this game is probably the CBB championship as Colby and Bates both seem to be about a step higher than Bowdoin, but obviously anything is possible. While Colby and Bowdoin is considered the biggest rivalry of the three, this game will carry a little extra weight as Colby’s victory over Bates last year ended the Bobcats’ CBB streak at 4 and gave Colby its first since 2005.

This game is all about Colby QB Matt Hersch ’22. Hersch, last season’s co-ROY, should be the best player on the field, but he hasn’t taken quite the jump that most were hoping for—just 5 passing TDs and 7 INTs, while throwing for 207 yards a game, 5th in the conference. Bates is last in the league in allowing 247 passing yards a game, so this will be Hersch’s best chance to put up some numbers and give his team their best chance to win a game. But the Bobcats have talent too—an offense that is trending in the right direction after surprisingly putting up a season high of 388 yards of total offense against a top notch Williams defense on the road. QB Brendan Costa ’21 threw for a career high 241 yards while making some plays on his feet. I had the chance to see this team play in person* and was very surprised by the talent their offense possesses—it is the depth that hurts them. This game should be neck and neck.

*Editor’s note: I took the liberty of finding the article from last year when then-NbN editor Colby Morris made a similar comment after the Bobcats’ visit to Middlebury. Clearly the talent is there with Costa, but consistency is the key.

Picks:
RM: Colby 24, Bates 20
HC: Colby 28, Bates 14
SS: Colby 28, Bates 20
CC: Bates 26, Colby 20
MK: Bates 28, Colby 24

Writers’ Pick: Colby

Middlebury (6-0) @ Bowdoin (0-6), 1:00 PM, Brunswick, Maine

The only snooze fest in an otherwise great slate of games will pit the league’s best vs. the league’s worst. Middlebury is coming off arguably their best performance of the year, a statement win against their only true remaining challenger in Wesleyan, 45-21. QB Will Jernigan ’21 seems like he is improving by the week, a scary thought for the rest of the league who is hoping to see them lose 2 out of their last 3. NESCAC fans should remember Bowdoin RB Nate Richam-Odoi ’20 running for a whopping 288 yards against this team last year in a game that the Polar Bears led at the start of the 4th quarter, before surrendering the final 14 points and losing 37-24. Unfortunately for Bowdoin, this isn’t the same Middlebury team—now rejuvenated by a new QB, new RB, and significantly improved defense. If Middlebury is going to drop a game or two, it certainly shouldn’t be this one.

Picks:
RM: Middlebury 34, Bowdoin 10
HC: Middlebury 41, Bowdoin 14
SS: Middlebury 35, Bowdoin 3
CC: Middlebury 42, Bowdoin 10
MK: Middlebury 38, Bowdoin 7

Writers’ Pick: Middlebury

Wesleyan (5-1) @ Amherst (4-2), 1:00 PM, Amherst, MA

The Little 3 opens up in Amherst this week between two teams who all of a sudden find themselves up against the ropes after both suffering the worst losses of their seasons last week. For Wesleyan it was obviously their only loss of the season but despite the fact that they were obvious underdogs, it was the way they were trounced by Middlebury that really gave some cause for concern. Will Jernigan ’21 and the Panthers carved up Wesleyan’s defense to the tune of 529 yards, allowing big play after big play after big play. For Wesleyan, QB Ashton Scott ’22 didn’t necessarily fail the first test of his career, but he didn’t pass it either—16-31 for 261 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, mostly yards accrued at the end of the game while Midd was content to keep everything in front of them. He and this defense will need to step it up against Amherst.

For Amherst, oof. The Mammoths suffered just their second ever loss to the Hamilton Continentals on a last second Hamilton FG by K Sam Thoreen ’22, a game in which they allowed 14 points in the last 4 minutes, and 11 of those in the final minute. All sorts of mistakes combined to give Hamilton this game from Amherst—bad turnovers, questionable timeout usage, and the nail in the coffin: a blocked punt that gave Hamilton the ball on the AMH 27 with 29 seconds remaining. I think Amherst is better than Wesleyan, but this game will be decided almost entirely mentally. Which team is able to erase last week’s loss and move ahead towards taking the decisive first game in the Little Three.

Picks:
RM: Amherst 28, Wesleyan 17
HC: Amherst 27, Wesleyan 17
SS: Amherst 28, Wesleyan 24
CC: Amherst 27, Wesleyan 21
MK: Amherst 31, Wesleyan 13

Writers’ Pick: Amherst

Hamilton (3-3) @ Tufts (3-3), 1:00 PM, Medford, MA

A huge game for two teams still hoping to end the season with winning records. Both teams end the season with Middlebury and either Bates or Colby, so this game looks to be the difference between 4-5 and 5-4. Both teams come into this game riding high. For Tufts, it was an ungodly 662 yards of total offense in a 49-0 against Bowdoin. Yes, I know it’s Bowdoin but 662 yards is 662 yards. QB Jacob Carroll ’20 seems to have really begun to settle in as a passer, now up to 3rd in the conference with 235 yards per game, and it is showing with his blossoming group of receivers—OJ Armstrong ’21, Frank Roche ’20, and Brendan Dolan ’21 have all continued to put up numbers as the year has gone on.

For Hamilton, as we just touched upon, it was a historic win over Amherst, just their 2nd ever and first since 1992. They have a real chance to end the season with a winning record for the first time since 1996, when they went 5-3. It feels like they are on the cusp of taking the jump into the next echelon of talent in the league. But it just doesn’t feel like we know what team to expect on a week to week basis for the Conts, who were gifted the game by Amherst—outgained 488-326, lost TOP 32:57-26:59. We will find out on Saturday if it was enough momentum to cover over some misleading results.

Picks:
RM: Tufts 27, Hamilton 24
HC: Tufts 27, Hamilton 24
SS: Tufts 17, Hamilton 14
CC: Tufts 31, Hamilton 24
MK: Tufts 28, Hamilton 21

Writers’ Pick: Tufts

Williams (5-1) @ Trinity (4-2), 1:30 PM, Hartford, CT

The two league leaders in total offense, total defense, scoring offense, and scoring defense will face off in Week 7 in a game with almost no championship implications. Yup, you read that right. You could very well make the case that these are our two best teams in the league, a case that Haven laid out quite well in his GOTW preview. This game really is a toss-up—they have both played the same 6 teams, so the stats tell the same story. Williams has the best run offense; Trinity has the best run defense. Trinity has the best scoring offense; Williams has the best scoring defense. A true coin flip. A game like this is going to come down to who makes the most plays and who makes the least mistakes. When it comes to playmakers, they are littered all over the field. Williams’ rushing trio of QB Bobby Maimaron ’21, RB Dan Vaughn ’22, and RB Joel Nicholas ’23 occupy the three best yards per carry in the league, all over 6.5 YPC. At WR, you have OPOY frontrunner WR Frank Stola ’21 and his league leading 125 yards per game and 12 touchdowns going up against the dynamic trio of Girard, Schofer, and Reid, all of whom are inside the top 10 in receiving yards as well, while Reid, Stola, and Girard are 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively in yards per catch. 

When it comes to making the fewest mistakes, you have to give the edge to Williams, especially in the QB department. Trinity QB Seamus Lambert ’22 might have the best arm in the league (1st in yards per game) but he is tied for 2nd with 7 INTs, while Eph signal caller Bobby Maimaron ’21 is impressively tied for 11th with 2 INTs, in a 10-team league. I’ll leave the rest of the details to Haven, but this game has all the makings of being the true game of the year—I don’t think you’ll see a better product of football on any field all season in the NESCAC. Williams has a few more injuries, and of course, this game is in Hartford, where the Ephs have not won since 2001. In Williamstown or even a neutral side, I think this game belongs to the Ephs, but on the road, it’s anybody’s call.

Picks:
RM: Williams 34-31
HC: Trinity 31-27
SS: Trinity 24-17
CC: Trinity 24-21
MK: Trinity 24-20 (author’s note: I hate this pick)

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

It’s Only Getting Better: Weekend Preview 10/12

Before we get down to it I just wanted to update everyone on the current standings for our writers picking the winners of every game. We’ve been fairly successful, although we still haven’t quite reached the exciting part of the year. Ryan is still the only one to have correctly predicted the final score of any game, as he picked Amherst 27-13 over Bates in Week 1. There’s still a lot of football left to play so we’ve got plenty more to come, but this is where we’re at as of now:

Matt Karpowicz: 16-4
Haven Cutko: 16-4
Ryan Moralejo: 16-4
Cameron Carlson: 15-5
Spencer Smead: 14-6

Colby @ Middlebury, 1pm, Middlebury, VT

This weekend’s slate of games does not offer a ton of intrigue, and it doesn’t help that it includes this matchup of the hottest team in the league playing probably the coldest. Colby was the one CBB team to not finish within a touchdown of their opponent last week in a shutout loss against Williams. Colby’s defense, led by LB Marcus Bullard ’21 who is second in the league in tackles, actually held up pretty well. Only Middlebury has held the Ephs offense to fewer points this season and they forced Maimaron and company to go 2 of 9 on third down. Unfortunately, the offense could not reward their defense’s commendable play and failed to cash in on an advantage in time of possession. The Mules did not turn the ball over, but punted five times and missed two field goals. That’s just extremely uninspiring football. They will need to do better than 237 yards of total offense and especially focus on converting third downs if they expect to have a chance against a strong Middlebury defense. 

The strange thing about Midd’s wild win over Amherst last week was that both teams had clear opportunities deep in enemy territory to just kick a field goal and win, but neither of them could do it. Middlebury is obviously happy being undefeated no matter how they get there, but they have to be thankful that a traditionally-executing Amherst team decided to outdo Midd’s late game miscues with one of their own and help hand the Panthers the win. Middlebury has gotten by this year with strong all-around play more than big names, but RB Alex Maldijan ’23 deserves recognition for coming in as a freshman and putting up 125 yards and 2 TDs in the biggest game of his college career. He currently leads the NESCAC in rushing and will be a big part of Midd’s success for the next few years. Expect him to continue his success against a run defense that allowed 227 yards on the ground last weekend. QB Will Jernigan ’21 has also enjoyed a nice season so far; he made up for a big interception in the first overtime last week by leading the game winning TD drive in the second. Unless the Colby offense wakes up in Vermont on Saturday, don’t expect a close one.

SS: Middlebury 31, Colby 6 
HC: Middlebury 28, Colby 10 
MK: Middlebury 28, Colby 14
CC: Middlebury 35, Colby 10
RM: Middlebury 33, Colby 10

Writers’ Pick: Middlebury

Trinity @ Bates, 1pm, Lewiston, ME

Expect Bates to come out fired up for this one. They’re in the dirty Lew coming off their best offensive performance of the season in a close loss to Tufts, who allowed 20 fewer points to Trinity in week one than they did to the Bobcats. We finally got to see what QB Brendan Costa ’21 can do, as he completed 19 of 28 passes with a touchdown and also ran for 62 yards on the ground. RB Christian Sanfilippo ’21 made the most of his carries, getting 6 for 11 yards…with three touchdowns. Props to Christian, because you’d be hard pressed to find a league where the guy second in rushing touchdowns is 36th in yards. Fullback numbers at their finest! We will see if Bates’ performance is a fluke when they meet a Bantam defense allowing the fewest yards per game in the league. Trinity is also the only team to allow fewer than 100 yards per game on the ground, led by their strong linebacker unit of Sean Smerczynski ‘20, Brian Casagrande ‘22, and Daniel Negron ‘20. Look for guys like DE Jimmy Christiano ‘21 and S Matt McCarthy ‘21 to be making plays on Saturday as they have all season. 

It doesn’t make a lot of sense that Trinity is only 2-2 given that they have dominated in many of the game’s biggest statistics as always. QB Seamus Lambert ‘22 leads the league in passing yards and is tied for the lead in touchdowns, showing that this offense is still as potent as any. On top of that, the Bantams still top the NESCAC in points and yards per game. Bates is also last in pass defense, and that doesn’t bode well coming into a matchup with the best receiving corps in the league. So while Bates may feel like they have a better chance than usual to beat Trinity for the first time since 1975, these cats need to understand that Trinity has been a few turnovers and penalties away from leading the pack as they almost always do. In addition, it’s looking like Trinity’s sophomores are forming the core of the team. Lambert, Casagrande, Devante Reid ’22, and others have a lot of football ahead of them, so don’t expect the Bantams to fall off very far from their usual dominance. Bates has reason to be feeling good about this weekend, but they just haven’t been consistent enough for this to be the year they snap the streak.

SS: Trinity 28, Bates 13
HC: Trinity 35, Bates 13
MK: Trinity 48, Bates 10
CC: Trinity 52, Bates 6
RM: Trinity 44, Bates 16

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Bowdoin @ Amherst, 1pm, Amherst, MA 

We’re still in the middle part of the season before the best teams and the worst teams start to play each other, and that leaves us with ho-hum matchups like this one. Both teams are coming off games in which a win was very much within reach. Amherst had a late lead and then squandered opportunities in crunch time to beat Middlebury in a classic, while Bowdoin opened some eyes by coming within a touchdown of undefeated Wesleyan. Polar Bears RB Nate Richam-Odoi ‘20 once again carried the offense, accounting for 177 of the team’s 282 total yards. He will need to have a similarly huge performance if Bowdoin wants to have any chance in this game. On the other hand, QB Austin McCrum ’21 has yet to really get going this season and that has really limited Bowdoin’s offensive capability. Amherst’s defense is likely going to focus on stuffing the talented Richam-Odoi, so McCrum should have some opportunities to connect with guys like Greg Olson ‘21 and Bo Millett ‘21 against a pass defense that’s surprisingly second to last in the league. Unfortunately for Bowdoin, their defense may have an even taller task this weekend as the unit that allows the most yards per game will need to figure out how to stop the lethal combo of Ollie Eberth and James O’Regan. 

Amherst has not been a terribly exciting team this season and they err more towards the middle of the pack in most statistical categories, but they make up for it by playing relatively mistake-free football. They are always disciplined and well-coached, so it was surprising to see them let the biggest game of the season slip away as they did last weekend. Nonetheless, we cannot ignore that they were that close to beating the championship front runner, so we have to assume that they will come out firing on their home turf and let Eberth go to work behind a traditionally strong O-line. DL Joe Kelly ’21 has stepped up and done a great job filling the void left by Andrew Yamin; he currently leads the league in solo tackles and sacks. He will help control Richam-Odoi and force Bowdoin to engage their pass game a bit more. I think Bowdoin’s close game last week exposed Wesleyan’s weaknesses more than it did Bowdoin’s strengths. Expect the Mammoths to get back on track at home.

SS: Amherst 28, Bowdoin 10
HC: Amherst 27, Bowdoin 7 
MK: Amherst 41, Bowdoin 6 
CC: Amherst 35, Bowdoin 6
RM: Amherst 27, Bowdoin 7

Writers’ Pick: Amherst

Hamilton @ Williams, 2pm, Williamstown, MA

Williams has looked sharp since their opening week loss at Middlebury, winning the first three games of a five-game stretch in which they are home four times. It’s too bad that they don’t get another crack at Middlebury, because this is a team with the talent to run the table and definitely the chance to beat the Panthers in a future matchup. Alas, all the Ephs can do is take care of business and hope Midd falters. This week they face a Hamilton team that definitely looks improved, but still in their own tier above the CBB teams and below the teams competing for a title every year. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Hamilton did keep up with Trinity on the scoreboard until late, but Kenny Gray ’20 completed fewer than half his passes and RB David Kagan ’20 fell way off from his usual production this season and only managed 18 yards on 14 carries. That’s not going to get it done against the league’s top scoring defense. Given that Hamilton only managed 10 points against Wesleyan and that Williams shut out Colby last week, it’s hard to feel good about their offense on Saturday unless WR Joe Schmidt ’20 comes back and puts up big numbers. 

Williams’ offense did not have one of their better weeks last week, but you can’t blame Coach Raymond for once again taking a run-heavy approach a week after they totaled nearly 400 yards on the ground the week before. They wore Colby down with RBs Dan Vaughn ’22 and Joel Nicholas ’23 each getting 13 carries and averaging 8.5 and 7.1 yards on each carry, respectively. This offensive strategy has gotten Williams wins so far and it keeps Bobby Maimaron safe. Additionally, establishing the run game will open up holes for WR Frank Stola, who is in the OPOY running and leads the NESCAC in receiving yards and touchdowns. While Hamilton looks to be more competitive with non-CBB opponents thus far, their offense has not shown enough promise for anyone to feel good about their prospects against an Ephs defense allowing only 8.8 points per game. Williams has made a habit of finishing in the top 3 without a ring lately, and this season could be looking like more of the same. They could make a great case for the NESCAC to offer postseason play, but that’s a discussion for another day. 

SS: Williams 35, Hamilton 27
HC: Williams 31, Hamilton 10
MK: Williams 31, Hamilton 14 
CC: Williams 31, Hamilton 14
RM: Williams 37, Hamilton 20

Writers’ Pick: Williams

Tufts @ Wesleyan, 6pm, Middletown, CT

It’s fitting that the rare NESCAC night game is also our Game of the Week. The excitement of this game stems from the fact that includes probably the league’s two most perplexing teams thus far. Tufts has been wildly inconsistent, beating Trinity and playing Amherst close but also getting smoked by Williams and barely holding off a late game rally by Bates last weekend. Wesleyan is 4-0, but they have only played the league’s four worst teams and they did not do themselves any favors by only beating Bowdoin by a touchdown (the game was tied with 6 minutes left). That makes this game a tough one to pick- we don’t yet know what the result is when Wesleyan plays a good game against a good team. Another offensive weapon did emerge for the Cardinals, as RB Glenn Smith ’21 scampered for 108 yards and a big touchdown on a day where the talented young QB Ashton Scott ’22 did not have his best day. It’s yet to be determined whether or not kicker Mason Von Jess ’23 will be the next Eric Sachse or Steven Hauschka, but he has been a major special teams asset so far and his kicking ability could end up being a deciding factor in this game. 

Tufts’ offense needed to wake up at some point, and Bates’ horrid defense was their alarm clock. Coach Civetti made himself look like a genius with his two-QB offensive approach. Jacob Carroll ‘20 had a strong game with 223 yards and two touchdowns, and Trevon Woodson ’23 was a sharp 5-6 with another touchdown while also averaging 6.3 yards a carry on the ground. Implementing multiple quarterbacks frequently is a strategy prone to scrutinization, so we’ll see if that will be a pattern continuing this week or if Civetti felt he could experiment a little bit against lowly Bates. Wesleyan is not a defense you want to mess around against, especially with DL Taj Gooden ’21 back in the lineup. This is our Game of the Week so we will have additional coverage, but it should be a good one and everyone else in the league will have finished their games and be able to watch Wesleyan try to keep pace with Middlebury in the race for the title.

SS: Tufts 21, Wesleyan 20
HC: Wesleyan 28, Tufts 21 
MK: Wesleyan 24, Tufts 17
CC: Wesleyan 28, Tufts 14 
RM: Wesleyan 27, Tufts 16

Writers’ Pick: Wesleyan

Who Are The Real Contenders?: Weekend Preview 9/28

Editor’s note: In addition to the weekend preview I wanted to update everyone on how our writers have been doing in picking the winners of each game. The majority of the games have been pretty easy to pick, but there have definitely been some early surprises. Our predicted scores have typically been pretty close to the actual scores, but Ryan Moralejo is the only writer to have correctly predicted the score of any of the games so far. Hopefully it doesn’t get any easier!

Matt Karpowicz: 8-2
Haven Cutko: 8-2
Ryan Moralejo: 7-3 (1 correct score)
Spencer Smead: 7-3
Cameron Carlson: 7-3

Colby @ Hamilton, 12pm, Clinton, NY

If we picked our Game of the Week based solely on competitiveness rather than championship implications, this game would absolutely be in the running. However, both of these teams have yet to prove that they belong in that conversation. Hamilton has been the one team the CBB schools have been reasonably within reach of beating in recent years. If any of the Maine teams want to get respect outside of the CBB, they need to start by beating Hamilton. Colby was able to do this last year, which suggested that they may be trending towards competitiveness in the middle tier of the league. However, starting off 0-2 and only putting up 10 points in each game has provided everyone with a reality check. Hamilton will provide less of a challenge for the Mules than Wesleyan and Amherst, so this is Coach Cosgrove’s best chance yet to show the league what his team can do. They will need to contain Continentals RB David Kagan, who has gotten off to a terrific start this season in leading the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Hamilton also leads the league in total rushing yards. Both teams have talented QBs who will be looking to prove themselves this Saturday. If you aren’t focused on end of season results and just want to see competitive NESCAC football, this should be an entertaining game to watch. 

Hamilton proved that they can (sometimes) compete with the league’s middle tier last season when they beat Wesleyan. Colby has not been able to show this with any team outside of the CBB except in their victory last year against Hamilton. On top of that, having to make the seven hour haul across New England never makes a team’s task easier. Hamilton has shown a little more offensive firepower this season (albeit mostly against Bowdoin), so I’ll take them in a tight one. 

SS: Colby 31, Hamilton 17 
CC: Colby 24, Hamilton 21 
HC: Hamilton 24, Colby 20 
MK: Hamilton 28, Colby 21 
RM: Hamilton 34, Colby 24

Writers’ Pick: Hamilton

Bowdoin @ Williams, 1pm, Williamstown, MA

Austin McCrum is doing everything he can to keep the Polar Bears competitive

You have to feel for the Polar Bears. Having to visit a Williams team that just put up 44 on Tufts certainly is not ideal…especially not coming off a game where you got 60 pieced. The scary thing is that the Williams offense very well could be just as good as Trinity’s this year. Polar Bears, just try to make it through these next couple weeks injury-free and you will (hopefully) get to play some close games at the end of the season. I hate to kick Bowdoin while they’re already down, but it’s very difficult to find any bright spots from their performance last week. It’s promising to see that they have some balance in their offense, with six players registering a carry and seven registering a catch. Now, the next step is for these guys to do this more often and maybe take that ball into the endzone while they’re at it. Easy, right?

I wish I could say that this is a trap game for Williams, but at this point I honestly think it would be a reach to even call it that. The Ephs’ offense showed what they were capable of last week and absolutely shredded a solid Tufts defense. Bobby Maimaron and Frank Stola looked like Montana and Rice, linking up for 13 completions, 233 yards and 4 touchdowns. They also got their run game going, as both Maimaron and RB Dan Vaughn were within 10 yards of the century mark. Even kicker Andrew Schreibstein (whom I personally ripped on after his brutal first week) stepped up big time. He was 3/3 on field goals and 5/5 on extra points while earning Special Teams Player of the Week. The CBB contests can’t come soon enough for Bowdoin. 

SS: Williams 38, Bowdoin 7
CC: Williams 42, Bowdoin 7
HC: Williams 42, Bowdoin 7 
MK: Williams 35, Bowdoin 6 
RM: Williams 49, Bowdoin 10

Writers’ Pick: Williams

Amherst @ Tufts, 1pm, Medford, MA

This is another game that was under consideration for our Game of the Week. While it very well could live up to all expectations, it’s hard to feel good about Tufts’ chances after Williams absolutely had their way with them last week. At the same time, we still can’t forget that it’s a Jumbos team that also held Trinity to eight points just a week earlier. This inconsistency is the opposite of what Amherst has shown us so far, as they have played solid football since a rocky first half at Bates and have wins against the Bobcats and Colby under their belt. It’s been the usual suspects making plays for the Mammoths. Senior QB Ollie Eberth and classmate James O’Regan have already connected for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Tufts shut down Trinity’s three headed monster of receivers in their first game, but got lit up by Bobby Maimaron and Frank Stola of Williams a week later. If the Jumbos’ week one caliber defense returns, Amherst will have their hands full- the Mammoths have had a bit of a cakewalk so far. However, Coach Civetti’s first priority should be figuring out who Tufts will start under center. Trevon Woodson replaced Jacob Carroll in the midst of the beatdown last weekend and completed 12 of 17 passes, but also threw a pick. Neither quarterback has shown a ton of promise yet, so this week of practice will likely be a big factor in determining who gets the start on Saturday. Whoever we see out there would be smart to throw the ball to WR OJ Armstrong, who sits third in the league at 13 receptions and added a touchdown last week to boot. If the Jumbos cannot create holes for RB Mike Pedrini, they will need to rely on Armstrong and likely Woodson to make plays. Amherst’s defense does not look like they have fallen off since losing Andrew Yamin, only allowing 11.5 points per game. While we have not seen Tufts’ offense play to its potential, it’s a safe bet to say that they will have a little more firepower up their sleeve than Bates and Colby did. 

If Tufts’ performances in the last two weeks were reversed, I might feel differently about this game. And it would be especially interesting to see them, Trinity, and Hamilton all get wins this week, which would put six teams at 2-1 while leaving Wesleyan unscathed at the top. Realistically, though, they have not shown me enough on offense for me to predict them outplaying a traditionally strong Amherst D- especially in the midst of a possible quarterback controversy. Amherst is well coached, veteran-led and will be ready for their first legitimate test. 

SS: Tufts 21, Amherst 17
CC: Amherst 20, Tufts 14
HC: Amherst 24, Tufts 13
MK: Amherst 20, Tufts 14
RM: Amherst 27, Tufts 23

Writers’ Pick: Amherst

Trinity @ Middlebury, 1pm, Middlebury, VT

Trinity clearly had some steam to blow off coming into last week’s contest against Bowdoin 0-1, and Bowdoin is a great team to play if you like to blow off steam by scoring touchdowns. The Bantams’ offense woke up and dropped a seemingly effortless 61 points, led by receiver Devante Reid’s four touchdowns. Trinity successfully reminded everyone who the NESCAC’s daddy is, but their backs are still up against the wall and they can’t afford another loss this week against a very game Middlebury team. This is not a team that is used to losing more than one game. In fact, they did not have a losing record at any point in a season from 2001 up until their week one defeat at Tufts. As always, Devanney and company will feel the pressure to continue their tradition of dominance heading up to Vermont. The Panthers will have their own motivation after getting completely obliterated to the tune of a 48-0 loss last year in the Coop. This is our Game of the Week so I won’t go into all the details, but this Middlebury defense is not what it was last year. They sit right behind Trinity at second in yards allowed per game. Trinity will need to come out sharp from the jump if they want to continue their campaign for a four-peat. Fortunately for them, I have enough faith in their traditional success and their offensive weapons to pick them in a good one. 

SS: Trinity 28, Middlebury 24 
CC: Trinity 31, Middlebury 21 
HC: Trinity 27, Middlebury 20
MK: Trinity 31, Middlebury 17
RM: Trinity 27, Middlebury 14

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Bates @ Wesleyan, 1pm, Middletown, CT

Wesleyan has sort of been sneaking under the league’s radar because they have yet to take on the heavyweights. They shouldn’t be slept on, though, because they currently have the best chance to be on top of the standings Saturday night at 3-0. This is looking like a Cardinals team carried by their defense, which is especially impressive given that they had the league’s best defensive player, DL Taj Gooden, on the sidelines in Week 2 while he served a suspension for shoving a referee in Week 1. Even without him, the defense has already recovered two fumbles and picked off six passes (most in the league), so Bates will need to be especially careful with the football. Ashton Scott is looking like the guy under center, passing for six TDs while also rushing for 150+ yards so far this year. 

Tyler Bridge has been one of the lone bright spots for the Bobcats so far

Everyone wants the CBB teams to be more competitive with the rest of the league, so it was disheartening to see Bates get shut out by Middlebury after a promising first week performance against Amherst. Getting a win may be a stretch, but Bates should be doing all it can not to take another step back this week. While their overall stats have not looked good, there are certainly some individual performances to feel good about. Freshman LB Tony Hooks had nine tackles last week, including three for loss. Another freshman (and a Maine native), running back Tyler Bridge has stepped in to take some carries and has shown promise as a 6’3” speedster. So, while the scoreboard may not be what the Bobcats want to see right now, their fans should be excited about the team’s young talent and coach Malik Hall’s ability to recruit. To add insult to injury, Bates’ two top QBs have a concussion and mono, so whoever we see come out as their third stringer will have the pleasure of figuring out Wesleyan’s defense on the road. Hang in there Bobcats, your schedule gets easier. 

HC: Wesleyan 31, Bates 0
CC: Wesleyan 31, Bates 6 
SS: Wesleyan 28, Bates 13 
MK: Wesleyan 31, Bates 7 
RM: Wesleyan 27, Bates 13

Writers’ Pick: Wesleyan

Mixing Things Up: Week 2 Power Rankings

(4) 1. Middlebury (2-0)

6.5 points. That’s what this Middlebury defense is allowing through the first two games of the season. While this number is (in all likelihood) unsustainable as we venture deeper into the season, it undoubtedly sets the tone going forward in addition to letting fellow conference opponents that scoring multiple times on this defense will be quite a challenge. Quarterback Will Jernigan ‘21 didn’t even need to rely on his legs this past Saturday against Bates, as the junior threw for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. What’s more impressive is that despite the absence of running back Peter Scibilia ‘20, the Panther offense is averaging a league-best 23 first downs per game; this number tells me the Panthers are sustaining long drives and winning the time of possession battle, which is key for keeping the defense off the field and rested. That defensive prowess will be challenged mightily at home against the Bantams this coming Saturday.

(5) 2. Williams (1-1)

Yes they’re 1-1, so what? Saturday’s annihilation of Tufts was extremely impressive: the Ephs put up 34 points by half and could have easily hung 50 on the Jumbos. Frank Stola ‘21 had the Jumbos’ secondary on skates all afternoon, breaking multiple school records in receptions (13), receiving yards (233) and touchdowns (4) in a single game. Bobby Maimaron ‘21 also had a fantastic bounce-back game, accounting for nearly 400 all-purpose yards and all five scores. The defense has been superb through two games, allowing a combined 25 points to Middlebury and Tufts, two of the better teams in the ‘CAC. Up next is a Bye, errr, I mean Bowdoin.

(1) 3. Amherst (2-0)

The people down in Amherst won’t be too pleased seeing their undefeated squad behind a one-loss team, and the fact that it’s Williams will further infuriate Mammoth supporters. However, let’s put this into perspective: Williams could easily be 2-0, losing on a last-minute touchdown on the road to Middlebury, then turned around and throttled a team that defeated Trinity. On the other hand, Amherst has defeated bottom dwellers Bates and Colby by 14 points each. Wins are wins, but neither of them was done in convincing fashion. The offense in particular has started slowly and is highly inefficient in the red zone, coming away with points on just three of nine times. Conor Kennelly ’22 went 2/4 on field goals against Bates, and followed up that performance by having a field goal and extra point blocked against Colby. Punter Henry Atkeson ‘20 actually took over for Kennelly midway through the game, converting a field goal before having a 34 yarder of his own blocked. Ollie Eberth ‘20 (on top of not leading a touchdown drive when inside the opponent’s 25 yard line) is only completing 54% of his passes, and has an interception in both games. Tougher defenses await the Mammoths, and this offensive inefficiency will not put them in a position to win the NESCAC Championship. 

(3) 4. Trinity (1-1)

Bowdoin had no answer for DeVante Reid or the rest of the Bantam offense 

It’s safe to say the Bantams’ offense had some frustrations to let out after failing to eclipse 10 points against the Jumbos. Poor Bowdoin served as a punching bag en route to a 61-7 demolition. Seamus Lambert ‘22 had virtually zero problems throwing the ball, racking up an astounding 391 yards and five touchdowns on a mere 13 completions. Surprisingly enough, the leading receiver for Trinity on Saturday was not Jonathan Girard ‘21 or Koby Schofer ‘20, but sophomore DeVante Reid ‘22. After catching three passes for zero yards against Tufts, Reid burst onto the scene with a monstrous game in which he caught six passes for 246 yards and four TD’s. Trinity clearly boasts the best receiving corps in the NESCAC, and it’ll need all of them to excel on the road in what most certainly is a do-or-die game against Middlebury.

(6) 5. Wesleyan (2-0)

The Cardinals continue to trend in the right direction, but Saturday’s game against Hamilton was (for 45 minutes) a little too close for comfort. Leading 14-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, Ashton Scott ‘22 led an 8 play, 80 yard drive to give Wesleyan a two-score lead, and a late pick-six from Ben Thaw ‘20 finally put the game out of reach. The defense continues to wreak havoc on opposing offenses, forcing a league-leading eight turnovers, six sacks, and is allowing a mere 10 ppg. Scott is completing close to 61% of his passes, and boasts a 6:1 touchdown to interception ratio. He’ll look to keep it going against a very porous Bobcat defense.

(2) 6. Tufts (1-1)

Everything came crashing down for the Jumbos in Williamstown. The same defense that stifled Trinity allowed 503 yards against Williams; in fact, Tufts allowed more yards to Williams in the first half (289) than to Trinity in the entire game (281) (the fact that Frank Stola abused their secondary makes me seriously consider how the WR combo at Trin didn’t make any sort of impact). Furthermore, quarterback Jacob Carroll ‘20 was benched late in the first half for freshman Trevon Woodson ‘23 after completing just 8 passes and tossing an interception. Woodson was more explosive with the ball (12/17 for 124 yards and 13 rushes for 79 yards) but turned the ball over twice. This is not the type of controversy you want to have before facing Amherst, so it will be interesting to see who Coach Civetti rolls out to start the game Saturday. 

(7) 7. Hamilton (1-1)

David Kagan continued to run well for the Continentals despite the loss

As previously mentioned in the Cardinals’ synopsis, the Continentals hung around for 3+ quarters on Saturday before fading off. Running back David Kagan ‘20 had another solid performance, totaling 94 yards on 16 attempts and hauling in seven receptions for an additional 46 yards. Kagan now leads all running backs in yards per game by a sizable margin, and given quarterback Kenny Gray’s ‘20 struggles as of late, Kagan should be getting 25+ touches a game. Until defenses begin to zone in on the run, there’s no reason a guy averaging 8 yards a carry shouldn’t be touching the ball as frequently as possible. Colby’s defense should not only provide Kagan room to run, but the Mules’ poor pass defense should give Gray a chance to redeem himself for his performance against the Cardinals.  

(8) 8. Colby (0-2)

I really thought this team could potentially achieve 4 wins with a few upsets this season, but two weeks in and that thought is far gone. The offense has been just average in terms of yardage gained, but quarterback Matt Hersh ‘22 really struggled against Amherst (155 yards and an INT). The defense has been downright atrocious against teams with solid but not fantastic offensive units, allowing close to 430 yards per game; what’s more concerning is that the run defense is virtually non-existent, allowing 215 yards per game. Hamilton is a winnable game, but if the defensive line continues to allow 200+ yards on the ground, the Mules will leave New York 0-3. 

(9) 9. Bates (0-2)

The losing streak is now at 12 for the Bobcats stretching back to 2017, and Saturday’s no-show against the Panthers provided more questions than answers on both ends of the ball. Bates is averaging a league-worst 6.5 ppg and does not have a quarterback it can rely on to consistently move the ball downfield. Brendan Costa ‘21 is last in the NESCAC in passing yards/game and efficiency rating amongst starters. He was benched for freshman Liam Foley ‘23 midway through Saturday’s til with Middlebury, but he fared no better, going 7-19 for 58 yards. Combined, the two quarterbacks have thrown for 281 yards through two games…eight other NESCAC quarterbacks have single-handedly surpassed that number, and three of them have higher single-game passing yard performances. The run defense is not too shabby, but the secondary (specifically the corners) are playing abysmally at the moment, allowing 264 yards per game. Next week’s visit to Wesleyan should* be easier on the defense, but the offense might see more of the same problems. 

(10) 10. Bowdoin (0-2)

We knew Bowdoin would be near the bottom of the standings upon entering 2019, but 61 points to any opponent is embarrassing. It was like watching an FBS team take on a pretty bad FCS team, to be quite honest. The offense failed to surpass 200 total yards after a respectable showing against Hamilton, and more trouble awaits them when they hit the road to take on Williams. The Polar Bears are averaging well under 100 yards per game on the ground, and desperately need someone in that department to step up and help quarterback Austin McCrum ‘21.

It’s a Dynasty in Hartford: Trinity Football Preview 2019

Editor’s Note: This article was written by one of our new writers this year – Haven Cutko from Trinity. A fun fact about Haven is that he was actually accepted into Harvard as a senior in high school but chose to attend Trinity due to its superior location.

2018 Record: 8-1 

Projected 2019 Record: 9-0

Projected Offensive Starters: (*7 returning) 

QB- Seamus Lambert ‘22*

RB- Spencer Lockwood ‘22 

OT- Austin Baiardi ‘20*

G- Alex Wukovits ‘20*

C- Kyle Woodring ‘22 

G- Matt Evans ‘20

OT- Kalvin Guillermo ‘22*

WR- Jon Girard ‘21*

WR- Koby Schofer ‘20* 

WR- Devante Reid ‘22

FB/TE- Joe Samuelman ‘20* 

Projected Defensive Starters: (*6 returning) 

DL- Jimmy Christiano ‘21*

DL- Devyn Perkins ‘20*

DL- Hassan Azeem ‘22 

LB- Daniel Negron ‘20*

LB- Will Dencker ‘21*

LB- Brian Casagrande ‘22 

LB- Sean Smerczynski ‘20 

DB- Matt Patry ‘20*

DB- Matt McCarthy ‘21*

DB- Jalen Weathers ‘22 

DB- Rob Levine ‘22

Projected Specialists: (*2 returning)

K- Kimball Winans ‘20 

P- Ian McDonald ‘20* 

KR- Colin Beaulieu ‘21* 

Offensive MVP: QB Seamus Lambert ‘22 

This was not an easy pick to make, because WRs Koby Schofer ‘20 and Jonathan Girard ‘21 have both probably proven more at this point in their careers. However, they are both elite receivers (arguably the NESCAC’s two best) and they complement each other so well on the field that I’d be remiss to select one over the other for this honor. They also cannot do what they do without a great quarterback, which is what Lambert proved to be as he stepped in after an early season loss at Williams and did nothing but win games while leading Trinity to a third straight championship. Lambert’s stats were not off the charts, but he made accurate throws and showed that he could run the ball as well, posting 75 rushing yards against Bowdoin and 56 against Middlebury the following week. Look for former Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year Spencer Lockwood ‘22 to have a breakout season at running back as well. Lockwood had to play behind Max Chipouras last year, but he still put up 425 yards and 7 TDs getting plenty of garbage time reps in the Bantams’ various blowout wins. As the number 1 back he’ll get a chance to prove himself against the top defenses and their first stringers, which Lambert did from the quarterback position last season. Lambert has all the weapons in place to ball out this season and continue to win games, but if he falls off at all, URI transfer Jordan Vazzano ‘20 will be motivated to win back the starting job he had up until the Williams loss last season. Not many D1 transfers ride the bench in the NESCAC, but it’s hard to sit a QB who came in as a freshman and won every one of his starts as Lambert did. Either way, Trinity’s offense is in great position to make a mockery of their opponents as they have done for the past few years. 

Defensive MVP: DE Jimmy Christiano ‘21

Christiano has steadily improved over his career at Trinity, and with two more seasons to play, the sky is the limit for this burly edge rusher. An all-NESCAC first teamer last season on a loaded defense, Christiano was third in the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss and will be looking to boost both numbers this year. He can force fumbles (3 last year) and he also recorded both a blocked punt and an interception. While the Bantams graduated some strong defensive players, they return another NESCAC first teamer on the other end of the D-line, Devyn Perkins ‘20. With offensive lines having to gameplan for both of those guys, Christiano has an opportunity to have an even better season than his last. He also plays without gloves. Does your favorite defensive lineman do that? 

Biggest Game: October 26th vs. Williams 

These days, Trinity football is at the point where one loss is jarring to everyone associated with the team and the league. When the Bantams lost at Williams last year, they had to refocus and make changes- this was Jordan Vazzano’s last game starting at quarterback before Coach Jeff Devanney switched to Seamus Lambert. Although the team righted the ship and still took home the NESCAC title (would we expect anything less?), the one loss is still a blemish on the record that the Bantams would undoubtedly  love to get back. Williams did not play up to their potential towards the end of last season due to some injuries, but they return a lot of their best players and will be coming for that number one spot this year. This matchup also kicks off a gauntlet of three tough games for Trinity to finish the season: Williams, Amherst, and Wesleyan. If they can pass each of those tests, there’s a good chance a four-peat is in the cards. The matchup with the Ephs in the Coop will be one that everyone in the league has an eye on. 

Best Tweet: 

Real recognize real. Coach Belichick may be a Wesleyan alum, but his son played lacrosse at Trinity and he is clearly smart enough to know who the superior NESCAC program is. It’s possible that Belichick has some other fall commitments, but if he made it to a game in Hartford in the past four years, maybe we’d be preparing to see Max Chipouras on Sundays this season at Gillette. The Patriots are a running back by committee kind of team, right? 

Everything Else:

How dominant has this team been in recent years? Trinity’s senior class currently has more championship rings than total losses in their college careers. If the Bantams can again win the NESCAC championship with one loss or by going undefeated, they will be able to make that claim for the rest of their lives…in addition to achieving a four-peat. While it will feel different for many not seeing Max Chipouras in the backfield, the team returns plenty of talent on both ends of the ball and has to be looked at as the heavy favorite once again coming into the 2019 season. What this means is that every NESCAC team, contender or bottom-feeder, will be aiming to knock Trinity off their throne this fall. As Amherst and Williams have shown the past two seasons, the Bantams are not unbeatable, but another team will need to step up and put together a complete season if anything is going to change. If the Bantams can win their opener at Tufts and get past the other NESCAC heavyweights in their final three games, a fourth ring for Coach Devanney and the boys will be in the forecast in Hartford.

Big Spreads and Small Hopes; Week 6 Weekend Preview

 

Well folks we are just over halfway through the season and are getting a pretty clear idea of how the conference is going to shake out. Teams have separated into three tiers and it is pretty easy to see where each team lies. The top four teams all have at least four wins, Amherst leading the way with five. Secondly, there are the 3 mid-tier teams, all hovering right around the .500 mark. Finally, we have the three winless teams, all of whom happen to reside in the same state. These three tiers make predictions much easier, almost always if a higher-tier team is playing a lower one, they will win by a significant margin. That being said, it is football and there are some unexpected upsets every now and then. Let’s hope for more unexpected results as we roll into the final half of the season.

 

Hamilton (2-3) @ Colby (0-5)

 

Hamilton found themselves on the right side of a blowout for the first time in a long time. The Continentals dropped 62 points on Bowdoin, the second highest total in their 128 years of football.  QB Kenny Gray was absolutely incredible. He completed 74% of his passes, totalling 293 yards and 4 touchdowns in their air. Additionally, he contributed 8 rushes for 87 yards. David Kagan and Mitch Bierman added a touch down each while Joe Park added 2 of his own. Will Budington was Gray’s main endzone target, hauling in three touchdowns on the day. It was clear that Bowdoin had no answer for the Hamilton offense and Hamilton took advantage of that. Bowdoin tried to stay in the game initially, only trailing by 11 at halftime. After a few second half adjustments Hamilton was able to shut down the Polar Bears completely, not allowing a single point in the second half. Hamilton has now established itself as a middle of the league program and they have another opportunity to trash a lesser team this weekend. If the Continentals are in similar form on Saturday, things may go their way in Waterville.

 

Colby has lost 5 straight games to start the season, but not all losses are created equal. Their 35-9 loss to Amherst last weekend was to be expected, but they seem to have more and more positives to build off of as the season goes along. QB Matt Hersch continued to look solid for the Mules despite playing arguably the best team in the conference. Hersch completed 28 passes, resulting in 212 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers are not too shabby considering that he is a freshman, in his 3rd ever start, playing an undefeated team. Their defense left more to be desired as they allowed Amherst to jump out to a 28-0 lead at the half. A much improved second half saw the Mules only allow 7 points and even record a turnover, but the damage had been done a while ago. Colby has been overpowered from the start in each of their previous matchups, but perhaps that is not true this weekend. Despite their blowout last week, Hamilton seems to be the weakest opponent that the Mules have faced to this point. With constant improvement and a decrease in opponent quality, maybe the the Mules can pull off a surprise win at home.

 

Score Prediction:

Hamilton 31 Colby 24

 

Bates (0-5) @ Middlebury (3-2)

 

Conrado Banky might just have his way with the Bobcat defense at home this weekend.

Bates was clearly overmatched by Wesleyan last week, dropping the contest 44-13. The big play plagued their defense, allowing 4 touchdowns on plays of 30 or more yards. Although their defense did give up quite a few big plays, they made one of their own on a 68 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. In fact, their defense scored half of their points. QB Brendan Costa was basically a non-factor in the game, only amassing 78 yards in the air. Their ground game was equally unimpressive, totaling 79 yards between 5 different carriers. With only 157 yards of offense as a team, Bates never give themselves a chance. After a surprising victory, as a result of much improved defense, Midd will be another tough task for the Bobcats.

 

Middlebury’s victory over a previously undefeated Williams has to be the upset of the season so far. After Williams beat Trinity, it seemed as if they were the lead candidate for conference champs. Midd was able to turn that narrative around by handing them a clinical 21-10 loss. QB Will Jernigan took over the game, running for one of Midd’s touchdown and throwing for the other two. RB Peter Scibilia was fantastic as well, putting up 143 yards on the ground. The defense is truly what shined for the Panthers this weekend. They held Williams to their least points scored on the season and was able to pick off QB Bobby Maimaron twice as well as force a sack-fumble. Midd was able to shut down the player with the most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in the league, a big turnaround from giving up 52 points to Wesleyan opening weekend. Midd is red hot right now and I would not expect an 0-5 team like Bates to be able to stop them. This should be a fun weekend for Midd fans up in Vermont.

 

Score Prediction: Middlebury 38 Bates 9

 

Trinity (4-1) @ Bowdoin (0-5)

The Bantams are going to keep chugging along this weekend.

Trinity bounced back nicely last week, earning themselves a 38-24 come from behind win against Tufts. The Bantams allowed Tufts to jump out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter, but were able to take control after that. The majority of Trin’s scores came on their ground game. QB Jordan Vazzano rushed for 2 while Max Chipouras and Devante Reid added scores of their own. Vazzano tacked on 220 yards and a touchdown in the air for good measure. After the first quarter the Bantam defense took over, not allowing Tufts a point in the second or third quarter. This was a great momentum shifter for Trinity after suffering their first loss of the season in the previous weekend. The Bantams have proved that they can still beat anyone in the conference and still have an opportunity to clinch yet another conference championship. After last week, Bowdoin should make for very light work.

 

There are not many positive comments to make about the Polar Bears after they allowed themselves to be demolished by mid-tier program such as Hamilton. Their defense could do absolutely nothing to slow down the Continentals and it more than showed in the scoreline. QB Austin McCrum was able to record 3 touchdowns but continues his woes by being picked off 3 times as well. RB Brendan ward couldn’t get much going either, picking up 81 yards and not reaching the end zone. When you turn the ball over 4 times, as Bowdoin did, you don’t give yourself much of a chance to win. When you allow over 500 yards of offense and 8 touchdowns, you give yourself absolutely no shot at a win. It probably won’t get much better this week as Bowdoin has to face a Trinity team that may be the most talented in the league.

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Score Prediction: Trinity 55 Bowdoin 17

 

Amherst (5-0) @ Wesleyan (3-2)

Andrew Sommer and the Stampede are coming to take their sixth win in as many chances this weekend.

Amherst continued their dominance last week in a 35-9 win over Colby. Amherst played a very simple and efficient game and was able to take home an easy win. QB Ollie Eberth continued to look excellent for the Mammoths, he threw for 194 yards and completed 3 touchdowns. Eberth was able to add another touchdown on the ground to add on to an excellent day. RB Biafra Okoronkwo had an absolute day of it, rushing for 185 yards and a touchdown of his own. Everything about Amherst’s offense was working and they were able to manipulate Colby’s defense with ease. The defense was equally as impressive, forcing the Mules to punt 5 times as well as forcing them to turn the ball over on downs on 4 separate occasions. This Amherst team seems to be the most complete program in the conference and the fact that they are undefeated reflects that. Although Wesleyan is a better team than Colby, there is nothing to prove that Amherst have slowed down at any point this season, or that anyone can beat them.

 

Wesleyan didn’t face many challenges in their 44-13 win over Bates last weekend. The Cardinals were able to put up 23 points in the third quarter alone while limiting the Bobcats to only one score in each half. It only took QB Mark Piccirillo 10 completions to find the back of the endzone on 3 separate occasions. Piccirillo, Charlie McPhee and Sean Penny were also able to score on the ground, rounding out the 6 touchdowns for the Cardinals. 2 of Piccirillo 3 touchdowns went to WR Dario Highsmith, making him the most targeted red zone receiver on the day. Defensively, Wesleyan was terrific. They only allowed the Bates offense to score on them once, while their other touchdown was on a fumble recovery. Wesleyan stuck to their game plan and it played dividends. Although everything seemed to go Wesleyan’s way last weekend, it will likely be a different story this weekend. Nobody is yet to be Amherst and the Cardinals are likely not going to be the first one. While Wesleyan has appeared to be a dominant team at points in the season, they have not shown that against the top-tier teams in the conference. This weekend is another chance for them to dismiss that narrative and show they can run with the big dogs.

 

Score Prediction: Amherst 28 Wesleyan 13