Tag: Ian Dickey

Put It Over the Fireplace: The Postseason Awards Blog

Darrien Myers and Trinity ran away with the title this weekend in Hartford (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Darrien Myers and Trinity ran away with the title this weekend in Hartford (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

First of all, congratulations to Trinity on an amazing season. In a league that featured four real threats to win the NESCAC title this year, Trinity was dominant from start to finish. The Bantams had the most consistency of any team, and it was this consistency that brought the championship trophy back to Hartford. This marks Trinity’s 7th 8-0 season in the current format, with Amherst and Williams being the only two other schools to put together perfect seasons. Congrats Trinity on another phenomenal season. We’ll discuss your accomplishments in greater depth tomorrow, but for now, let’s get to the awards.

The actual awards will be coming out presently, so these are less of a blog necessity and more of an excuse for Rory and I to talk about NESCAC football all day on a Sunday instead of doing homework. The main evidence that we used to make our decisions was statistics, as our biggest weakness as bloggers is our inability to watch every game at once. However, we also tried to spread the wealth fairly evenly throughout the league. There is of course a natural bias towards more successful teams (better teams tend to have better players), but we looked to get every school represented. The toughest call was probably QB, as Middlebury’s high volume passing attack led to Jared Lebowitz having by far the highest numbers. But we couldn’t overlook Puzzo’s consistency and performances in big games.  As always, any complaints can be directed to our “Suggestion Box.”

Image result for recycling bin
We recycle our suggestions here at Nothing But NESCAC.

First Team Offense:

QB: Sonny Puzzo (Trinity)

(16 TD, 4 INT, 186.5 YD/G, 60.1)

RB: Chance Brady (Tufts)

(17 TD, 1099 YD, 137.5 YD/G, 5.4 Y/A, 0 fumbles lost)

RB: Max Chipouras (Trinity)

(7 TD, 910 YD, 113 YD/G, 5.8 Y/A)

WR: Conrado Banky (Middlebury)

(925 YDS, 115.6 YDS/G, 12 TD)

WR: Darrien Myers (Trinity)

(485 YD, 69.8 YD, 8 TD)

WR: Bo Berluti (Amherst)

(498 YD, 62.3 YD/G, 8 TD)

WR: Devon Carrillo (Wesleyan)

(349 YD, 49.3 YD/G, 13 TD *twelve rushing*)

TE: Bryan Porter (Bowdoin)

(310 YD, 14.1 Y/C, 2 TD)

OL: Chris Simmons (Trinity)

OL: Joe Wilson (Wesleyan)

OL: Beau Butler (Wesleyan)

OL: Joe Farrah (Trinity)

OL: Gian Calise (Tufts)

First Team Specialists

PK: Eric Sachse (Trinity)

(13-13 FG, 38-38 XP)

P: Justin Foley (Bates)

(81 P, 37.9 Y/P, 20 IN20)

RET: Darrien Myers (Trinity)

(9 KR, 22.7 Y/KR, 1 TD, 17 PR, 14.6 Y/PR)

First Team Defense

DL: Tyler Harrington (Bates)

(34 TKL, 6.5 SCK, 9 TFL)

DL: Micah Adickes (Tufts)

(32 TKL, 4.5 SCK, 5.5 TFL)

DL: Robert Wood (Middlebury)

(28 TKL, 5 SCK, 9.5 TFL)

DL: Patrick Fabrizio (Bowdoin)

(19 TKL, 4.5 SCK, 7.5 TFL)

DL: Jordan Stone (Wesleyan)

(26 TKL, 4.5 SCK, 7 TFL)

DL: Niyi Odewade (Amherst)

(32 TKL, 4.5 SCK, 9.5)

LB: Mark Upton (Bates)

(87 TKL, 7 SCK, 14 TFL, 1 INT)

LB: Greg Holt (Tufts)

(98 TKL, .5 SCK, 6 TFL)

LB: Parker Chapman (Amherst)

(66 TKL, 2 SCK, 2 FF, 1 INT)

LB: John Jackson (Middlebury)

(61 TKL, 7.5 SCK, 11.5 TFL, 2 FF, 1 INT)

DB: Spencer Donahue (Trinity)

(46 TKL, 3 SCK, 3 FF, 2 INT, 5 Break-ups)

DB: Tim Preston (Tufts)

(28 TKL, 5 INT, 6 Break-ups)

DB: Ian Dickey (Colby)

(52 TKL, 1 FF, 3 INT)

DB: Kevin Hopsicker (Middlebury)

(37 TKL, 1 TFL, 2 INT)

DB: Nate Taylor (Wesleyan)

(19 TKL, 1 TFL, 3 INT)

DB: Joe Frake (Bates)

(43 TKL, 2.5 TFL, 3 INT)

Offensive POY: Running Back Chance Brady ‘17  (Tufts)

Chance Brady
Chance Brady ’17 (Courtesy Tufts Athletics)

If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of picking Brady for this award, just ask any of the corpses he left strewn all over Middlebury’s field on Saturday. Middlebury and Tufts’ matchup had tremendous championship implications, but it also effectively decided the Offensive POY race. Brady and Jared Lebowitz were the two front runners heading into the game. Lebowitz struggled in the first half before mounting an impressive comeback in the second, and Brady absolutely buried the Panthers throughout afternoon. He had five total touchdowns (three rushing, two receiving), including three in the decisive second quarter that saw Tufts take a 34-7 lead into halftime. Brady eviscerated the entire league this season, and his work put him in the NESCAC history books – on Saturday, Brady set the record of most rushing touchdowns in a single season with 17. What a stud.

Defensive POY: Defensive Back Spencer Donahue ‘17 (Trinity)

Spencer Donahue
Spencer Donahue ’17 (Courtesy Trinity Athletics)

It is the mark of a truly great defensive back when they can have an impact on the activity in the backfield as well as in coverage, effectively putting their finger on the pulse of the game in all areas on the field. At times this season it seemed like there were three or four Spencer Donahues running around all over the field; that’s how dominant he was from the safety position. He was particularly effective at getting into the backfield, recording three sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss. Donahue wraps up a tremendous career with an 8-0 season, and we think he should take home some personal hardware as well.

Rookie of the Year: Greg Holt ‘20 (Tufts)

Greg Holt
Greg Holt ’20 (Courtesy Tufts Athletics)

As one great defensive player leaves in Donahue, another one rises up in Greg Holt. Holt led the entire league in tackles with 98, and was the centerpiece of a defense that helped the Jumbos surprise many in the league and finish at 7-1. Early in the season Holt didn’t really get into the backfield, recording no sacks or forced fumbles in the first four games of the season despite 14 and 20 tackles in his first two college games. However, something clicked in the second half of the year, and Holt tallied .5 sacks and six tackles for loss over the final four games. Holt gives the Jumbos a player to build a defensive dynasty around.

Image result for steve holt
There is no relation between Greg Holt and Steve Holt…that we know of.

Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney (Trinity)

Not a very tough call here. If your team finishes 8-0 with an average margin of victory of over 24 points, your status as coach of the year is pretty hard to argue. Trinity was the best team wire to wire this season (even though it took a couple weeks for the geniuses over at NbN to put them at #1 in the power rankings), and look poised to continue their run next year.

Another Undefeated Team Will Fall: Week 4 Weekend Preview, 10/13

Courtesy of Amherst Athletics
Courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Editor’s Note:

Below is the weekend preview for this week. Colby Morris wrote the bulk of this article, but Pete Lindholm added in the section about the Tufts-Trinity game. If you’re looking for more in-depth analysis of this game (our pick for this week’s game of the week), check it out here. After two weeks of our writers making predictions before each weekend, here is how everyone stacks up:

Rory Ziomek: 9-1

Pete Lindholm: 9-1

Liam O’Neil: 9-1

Colin Tiernan: 9-1

Colby Morris: 9-1

Sid Warrenbrand: 9-1

Nick DiBenedetto: 9-1

Pretty boring that everyone is on the same page, but the field should start to separate after this weekend. Now, on to Colby and Pete’s analyses…

 

Middlebury at Williams, 1:30 PM, Williamstown, MA

Let’s look at the positives for Williams going into this weekend: It’s a home game. It’s a blunt and harsh analysis, but there aren’t many highlights so far for the Ephs. Their best game was a 9-7 loss to Colby and now they go home to face the hottest team in the ‘Cac. The Panthers had a statement win over Amherst last weekend – especially impressive due to their superb special teams play – eliminating the last weakness in an already strong team. At 3-0 Middlebury should waltz to a win as Williams is on par with both Bowdoin and Colby, whom Midd beat handily. This will be another tough test for rookie QB Jansen Durham ‘20 as he looks to find Adam Regensburg ‘18 through the solid Midd secondary. Regensburg, listed as a DB, is a special teams and offensive weapon, and might just hurt his back trying to carry the team in Williamstown. Prove me wrong Williams.

RZ: Middlebury – 45, Williams – 7

PL: Middlebury – 38, Williams – 10

LO: Middlebury – 40, Williams – 14

CT: Middlebury – 45, Williams – 3

CM: Middlebury – 34, Williams – 3

SW: Middlebury – 38, Williams – 10

ND: Middlebury – 38, Williams – 10

Editor’s Note: I never seen a more popular 38-10 score prediction in my life.

 

Bowdoin at Hamilton, 12:00 PM, Clinton, NY

Jimmy Giattino '17 makes a play on the ball against Trinity (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics/Michael P. Doherty).
Jimmy Giattino ’17 makes a play on the ball against Trinity (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics/Michael P. Doherty).

This has the makings for one of the most competitive games going into the weekend, as each 0-3 team vies for their first win. While Pete picked Hamilton to beat Wesleyan during week two, Hamilton got dominated, as they are on the wrong side of a cumulative score of 105-12 through their first three contests. Unlike Hamilton’s experience thus far, Bowdoin’s 0-3 record doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Sure, they got blown out by Middlebury in week one, but then didn’t do quite as badly against Amherst week two, only losing by three possessions to a great team. Last week against Tufts, the Polar Bears’ offense showed some real prowess, as RB Nate Richam rushed for his first career touchdown. If it wasn’t for an ugly third quarter, the Polar Bears would’ve had a real shot. Granted their defense has been prone to allowing huge offensive days out of opposing teams thus far, but Bowdoin should be able to hold off Hamilton’s weak attack. I’m predicting that the Polar Bears will find their way into the warm, sunny win column.

RZ: Bowdoin – 17, Hamilton – 20

PL: Bowdoin – 10, Hamilton – 20

LO: Bowdoin – 17, Hamilton – 24

CT: Bowdoin – 16, Hamilton – 13

CM: Bowdoin – 24, Hamilton – 7

SW: Bowdoin – 21, Hamilton – 13

ND: Bowdoin – 28, Hamilton – 13

 

Wesleyan at Bates, 1:00 PM, Lewiston, ME

Frank Williams was this week's offensive player of the week after a huge game against Williams (Courtesy of Josh Kickers/Bates College)
Frank Williams was this week’s offensive player of the week after a huge game against Williams (Courtesy of Josh Kickers/Bates College)

The Bobcats finally made their jump into the win column last weekend against Williams, thanks to a big breakout performance by Sandy Plashkes ‘19. For the first time he showed that he can throw the ball pretty well, quadrupling his previous two games’ passing yards by going 10-24 for 240 yards and 4 TDs. He already showed us that he can fly, breaking off a big 57 yard run against Trinity, and had another 27 yard run last weekend, emerging as a dual threat QB. While their win against Williams doesn’t prove much, they had a similar outcome against Tufts that Wesleyan did, showing that they should be able to compete well this weekend. Wesleyan has rattled off two dominant wins in a row, and Nate Taylor ’18, who broke out with two picks, will be ready to pounce again on Saturday. Wesleyan has only allowed 213 yards per game this year, and with their streaking offense led by team passing and rushing leader Mark Piccirillo ’19, they should be able to hold off the dangerous Bates team. Wesleyan shouldn’t struggle to score, and if they can contain Plashkes, they should come out on top.

RZ: Wesleyan – 27, Bates – 21

PL: Wesleyan – 17, Bates – 13

LO: Wesleyan – 27, Bates – 10

CT: Wesleyan – 33, Bates – 17

CM: Wesleyan – 20, Bates – 17

SW: Wesleyan – 28, Bates – 17

ND: Wesleyan – 28, Bates – 17

 

Colby at Amherst, 1:00 PM, Amherst, MA

Coming off of their first loss in three years, I do not expect Amherst to waste any time in starting a new streak. They are going to be angry and determined to keep the NESCAC crown, and with only one loss, it’s still possible for them. This means bad news for the visiting Mules as they roll into away territory riding a two game losing streak, after an important, albeit shaky, season opening win against Williams. Jabari Hurdle-Price ‘17 is one of the bright spots for Colby as both a rushing and receiving threat, leading the team with 440 all purpose yards on the year. If Colby is going to make this close, which would be a small miracle, they will need to see some more INT’s from their DB’s Will Caffey and Ian Dickey like in week one. It is bad news for the Mules that third stringer turned starter Nick Morales ‘19 did as well as he did last weekend, and if not for a late pick vs. Middlebury, he would’ve had a flawless day. Jack Hickey ‘19 continued to show that he is a TD machine, making me wish that he was on my fantasy team instead of the disappointing Lamar Miller of the Texans. If Colby can’t stop him, Amherst will surely roll to another blowout win in their quest to climb back up the NESCAC standings.

RZ: Colby – 3, Amherst – 30

PL: Colby 3, Amherst – 45

LO: Colby 7, Amherst – 42

CT: Colby – 14, Amherst – 27

CM: Colby – 6, Amherst – 35

SW: Colby – 7, Amherst – 42

ND: Colby – 7, Amherst – 34

 

Tufts @ Trinity, 1:30 PM, Hartford, CT

For a longer preview of this game, check out Rory’s piece.  It’s not better written or particularly well-researched, but it is longer and does exist (Editor’s note: Pete is just jealous that I actually have a stake in this game).  Anyway, the Bantams’ eyes lit up last weekend when Middlebury ended Amherst’s reign of terror atop the league.  Trinity has flown under the radar this year as Middlebury and Amherst have battled at the top of the league, but the boys from Hartford have been as impressive as either of those two squads.  Quarterback (and rejected Godfather character name) Sonny Puzzo ‘18 leads the offense, with heavy aid from running back Max Chipouras ‘19.  Of course, it’s important to note that Trinity has played three of the worst teams in the league thus far.  Tufts is far from that ignominious status.  The Jumbos also come in at 3-0, with a quality win over Wesleyan under their belts.  However, they barely eked out a 12-7 win over Bates, whom Trinity put in their front pouch like a mother kangaroo to the tune of 38-7.  Tufts’ offense is dominated by rushing duo Chance Brady ‘17 and Ryan McDonald ‘19, who have scored six of Tufts’ eight touchdowns.  However, Trinity’s more balanced offense and stout defense should be able to overcome that attack.  Look for the Bantams to win handily.

RZ: Tufts – 13, Trinity – 21

PL: Tufts – 14, Trinity – 28

LO: Tufts – 24, Trinity – 26

CT: Tufts – 23, Trinity – 24

CM: Tufts – 10, Trinity – 31

SW: Tufts – 16, Trinity – 14

ND: Tufts – 10, Trinity – 31

Turnaround time for the Mules? Colby Season Preview

Preseason All-American Jabari Hurdle-Price '17 will be the focal point of the Colby offense once again in 2016 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics).
Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 will be the focal point of the Colby offense once again in 2016 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics).

Projected Record: 1-7

Offensive Starters(*Six returning)

QB: Gabe Harrington ’17*
RB: Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17*
WR: Ryder Arsenault ’17
WR: Alex Kramer ’17*
WR: Mark Snyder ’18
TE:  Braden Wilson ’17
LT: Shane Normandeau ’19
LG: Will Julich ’17
C: Mike Roberts ’17*
RG: Anthony Cappellino ’17*
RT: Larry Patrizio ’17*

Defensive Starters(*Seven returning)

DE: Ben Hartford ’18
DT: Chris Marano ’17*
DT: Sam Gomez ’18
DE: Henry Wallrapp ’17*
OLB: Justin Lamere ’17*
MLB: Sam Friedman ’19
OLB: Bryan Mcadams ’18*
CB: Adam Balaban ’18*
SS: Will Caffey ’19*
FS: Ian Dickey ’18*
CB: Patrick Yale ’19*

Specialists (*Two Returning)

PK/P: John Baron ’18*

KR/PR: Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17*/Mbasa Mayikana ’18

Offensive MVP: Running Back Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 

Colby’s offense is led by 2015 First Team All-NESCAC running back, Jabari Hurdle-Price. Hurdle-Price had a monster year in 2015 leading the mules in rushing, receiving and returns on special teams. The only factor preventing Hurdle-Price from these numbers in 2016 is the left side of the offensive line, which remains a big question mark for Colby. With consistency on the offensive line for the Mules, expect Hurdle-Price to put up even bigger numbers than he did last season. It will be interesting to see how opposing defenses prepare for the ground attack against Colby, as they were able to find the end zone ten times on the ground and only two times in the air.

Defensive MVP: Safety/Linebacker Ian Dickey ’18

Ian Dickey had a breakout season in 2015 and was second on the team with forty-three tackles. With leading tackler, Stephen O’Grady graduated, the Mules will depend upon Dickey to make even bigger plays for them. Last season, Dickey anchored a secondary that consisted of two freshmen. Having a full season of experience under his belt expect Dickey to have a breakout year for Colby.

Biggest Surprise of Camp: Injury Bug nowhere to be found.

In 2015, Colby lost many valuable players throughout the season via injuries. Losing players to injury coupled with a lack of both depth and experience resulted in a 1-7 season which put them dead last in the NESCAC. This past Saturday, Colby had a joint practice with Bates, and arguably the biggest positive coming out of this is that there were no injuries. Coach Michaeles remains optimistic about his program and knows the capability they have if they remain healthy in 2016.

Biggest Game: Bowdoin at Colby, 12:30 PM November 12, Waterville, Maine (Maine’s Super Bowl)

Colby starts their 2016 season in a hectic fashion. Normally, opening at Williams would be a good thing, but Williams recently hired the former St. Lawrence head coach, Mark Raymond. Raymond is one of the better division three football coaches and is known for his success in turning St. Lawrence into a winning football program. This will not be an easy opener for the Mules. Things do not get easier for Colby as they play Middlebury, Wesleyan and then Amherst in weeks two, three and four.

Fast Forward to week eight: A home CBB rivalry finale against Bowdoin. This game does not only mean a lot to the Colby football program, but it is one of the most highly anticipated events in Maine. In 2015 both teams were 1-6 going into this game and Bowdoin ended up winning 35-13. Colby was unable to score until late in the 3rd which summed up their lack of offense the entire season. Having the home field advantage and experience in both the offense and defense, expect this week eight battle to go down to the wire.

Best Tweet:

I believe the saying goes: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, Colby opponents take warning.”

 

Summary: Colby’s 1-7 season in 2015 was attributed to their inability to find the end zone. They were struck with the injury bug early on and were unable to adjust from there. In order to improve from their disappointing season, Colby will need more production and consistency from their offense as well as to remain healthy throughout. They have the talent to win some quality NESCAC football games, but they need their offense to produce. Although his 2015 numbers are discouraging, coach Michaeles has full faith in senior Gabe Harrington to lead the offense. Harrington had a solid season in 2014 and his performance will determine whether or not the Mules’ offense will succeed. Michaeles also has the option of junior Christian Sparacio who gained some experience in 2015 and will definitely compete for snaps. The one position that has been locked in since the end of 2015 is the starting running back position. Jabari Hurdle-Price looks to continue where he left off last season as he was arguably one of the best athletes in the NESCAC. Hurdle-Price was the only consistent spark in the Mules’ offense a year ago. Behind Hurdle-Price is running back Carl Lipani. Lipani provides Colby with plenty of depth at running back. A big asset for the Mules offense this season is the return of wide receiver Ryder Arsenault. Arsenault missed major time in 2015 due to injury and has been a consistent target for them in the past, leading the team in receptions in2014. Alex Kramer and Mark Snyder will look to compete for reps at wide receiver. Braden Wilson will be at tight end for the Mules after starting the final four games of last season. With improvements in the air attack, Colby could be a dangerous football team on offense.

On defensive, Colby will look to fill the void of leading tackler and captain Stephan O’Grady as well as All-NESCAC defensive end Ryan Ruiz and defensive tackle Harry Nicholas. Replacing the graduated O’Grady will be Sophomore Sam Friedman. As a Freshman in 2015, Friedman recorded nineteen tackles in six games. Additionally, the Mules will look towards senior Bryan McAdams and junior Justin Lamere to produce for them at linebacker. Senior Henry Wallrapp provides experience on the defensive line at strong side defensive end. Replacing Ruiz and Nicholas will be Gerry Nvule, Chris Marano, Sam Gomez and Ben Hartford. Colby’s secondary was filled with underclassmen in 2015. Ian Dickey started all eight games at safety as a sophomore and was second on the team in tackles behind O’Grady. The youngest part of their secondary was Will Caffey and Patrick Yale who started at both cornerback positions as freshmen. These three are locks for starting jobs this season but the other safety position is up for grabs. John Baron will be the place kicker and punter for the mules in 2016. Last season, Baron went four for five in field goal opportunities, including a thirty-seven yarder against Tufts. He was seven for eleven in extra point opportunities. With a more productive offense in 2016, Baron will have more opportunities to put points on the board for Colby.

 

Offense Needs to Make Strides for Mules: Colby Season Preview

ColbyAmherst
The Colby defense makes a goal line stand against Amherst on October 11, 2014. (Courtesy of Mark Box of Clarus Studios)

Editors’ Note: While 99 percent of the work done in these previews is credited directly to the author, the projected records are a decision made together by the editors, Adam and Joe. So if you don’t like it, blame us.

Projected Record: 2-6

Offensive Starters (*Seven Returning)

QB: Gabe Harrington ’17*
RB: Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17*
FB: Rob Murray ’16*
WR: Ryder Arsenault ’17*
WR: Mbasa Mayikana ’18
TE: Glenn Parsons ’16*
LT: Jesse Eddy ’16*
LG: Drew Choos ’16*
C: Mike Roberts ’17
RG: Andrew Ferraro ’16
RT: Larry Patrizio ’17

Projected Defensive Starters (*Four Returning)

DE: Ryan Ruiz ’16*
DT: Chris Marano ’17*
DT: Harry Nicholas ’16*
DE: Henry Wallrapp ’17
OLB: Connor Rozinsky ’16
MLB: Stephen O’Grady ’16*
OLB: Ryan Neville ’16
CB: Adam Balaban ’18
SS: Justin Lamere ’17
FS: Ian Dickey ’18

Offensive MVP: Running Backs Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 and Carl Lipani ’17

Optimism for this season begins with the talented pair of junior running backs. Lipani has played a lot from day one, and he started off last year in a big way with 133 yards on 20 carries against Trinity. Then he was lost for the season after the second game against Middlebury. Hurdle-Price showcased his skills the rest of the season and finished the season fourth in the NESCAC with 553 yards. Both are also capable pass-catchers and will be used there also to help make things easier in the passing game. There will be a lot of carries to go around, and these two could be on the field at the same time at points too. They have pretty overlapping skill sets, but those skill sets are both very diverse and will present defenses with a lot of problems.

Defensive MVP: Linebacker Stephen O’Grady ’16

At least he better be. OK, that is putting too much pressure on the senior, but the biggest weakness for Colby is their back seven on defense, and O’Grady can do a lot to help shore it up. He missed the first four games of 2014 with injury but returned in the second half to record 19 tackles and help Colby to their 2-2 finish . The Mules lost their top two tacklers and need to fill that production immediately. O’Grady had 39 tackles as a sophomore, and he figures to have even more than that from his middle linebacker position. The good news for Colby fans is that O’Grady has looked great in camp and has taken well to being a leader on defense.

Biggest Surprise of Camp: Smoothness of Transition to New Coaches

So this isn’t your usual pick for this, but Colby has gone through a lot of turnover in its coaching staff in recent years. The Mules are technically on their third Offensive Coordinator in as many years as Head Coach Jonathan Michaeles takes over the play-calling duties. Long-time Defensive Coordinator Tom Dexter is also still around in Waterville. Overall, Michaeles is more than happy with the additions of Coaches Matt Dugan, Sean Conerly, and Alex Kretzschmar. The coaching staff has been able to focus on the players, both on and off the field, and Michaeles is excited about what this group can do going forward.

Biggest Game: Bates at Colby, 1:00 PM October 31, Waterville, Maine

The Mules once again start their season with a murderers row of Trinity, Middlebury, Wesleyan and  Amherst. From there the schedule gets easier, and this game represents the beginning of the CBB. The game last year was a classic with Bates coming back to win 34-28 in overtime in front of a big crowd in Lewiston. QB Gabe Harrington ’17 had one of the more interesting stat lines in this one, going 13-38 (34.2 percent) but also throwing for 234 yards and four TDs. A major challenge for Colby will be slowing down Bates receiver Mark Riley ’16 who had five catches for 109 yards last year. Colby will be primed for this game in a big way, and a win is essential in order to wrest the CBB away from Bates.

Summary:

Last year’s squad was sunk in large part because the front end of their schedule decimated the depth chart with injuries. Even still, Colby was a late Bates comeback away from taking the CBB, and they will have a chance to capture that crown this season if their offense clicks. Harrington is of course the key to all of this. Last year he showed flashes of the phsyical ability to make all the throws, and he finished the season fifth in the league in YPG with 177.9. However, he forced way too many balls and had an 11:9 TD:INT ratio and an ugly 48.5 completion percentage. Michaeles is focusing on letting Harrington make simpler throws. The Head Coach thinks it took the QB a little time to settle into the position, but he was more willing to take what the defense gave him and even began to run the ball a little in the second half. Harrington needs to be more consistent and let his skill players make plays

Elsewhere on offense, the wide receiver position is fine despite the graduations of Luke Duncklee ’15 and Nick Joseph ’15. Ryder Arsenault ’17 takes over as the primary target and will be the first place Harrington looks on most downs. Arsenault ended up leading the team in catches last year with 25 and should surpass that total. Across from him, one of our Breakout Players, Mbasa Mayikana ’18, will also get a lot of chances, especially on deep balls where the track athlete excels. Fullback Rob Murray ’16 has had a very productive camp and will help as a lead blocker and a receiver. Tight End Glenn Parsons ’16 is used primarily as a blocker, but he could become a crucial safety valve in the passing game. Finally the offensive line has the chance to be good, but they could struggle with depth (a concern for many NESCAC teams) as the season goes along even though Michaeles wants to start the season rotating some positions along the line.

As mentioned above, the defense lost a lot of talent, and the strength of the unit is clearly on the defensive line where four year starter and captain Ryan Ruiz ’16 is the anchor. The Colby defense struggled in part because of their inability to create turnovers or sacks, and they lose defensive back Jason Buco ’15 who was responsible for seven of the nine total turnovers. The defensive line will have to be not only stout against the run, but also find a way to consistently get to the quarterback in order to keep the inexperienced back end of the secondary get exposed too often. Jack Muntu-Caron ’17 might not start at defensive end, but he is an intriguing talent after having three sacks in just five games.

The secondary is going to be an adventure early on, and the game against Middlebury in Week 2 will be extremely difficult. Ian Dickey ’18 and Justin Lamere ’17 finished the season starting a couple of game, and their experience is important there. Neither registered much in the way of pass defense, but they did a good job coming up against the run. Last year receivers Joseph and Duncklee both saw time at defensive back to help shore up the back line. The Mules were a middle of the road pass defense a season ago, and the hope is that the new guys are coached up quickly.

Michaeles has shown he is more than flexible and will work hard to get the 22 best athletes on the field in some way. That might mean moving somebody like backup QB Michael Ecke ’17 to wide receiver or cornerback if the need arises. The Mules have some talent and they could find themselves in some exciting high scoring games if Harrington develops in his second year. Ultimately that tough schedule and inexperienced defense will cause issues and keep the Mules from climbing back into the middle of the pack.

Best Tweet: This is what we call ‘playing to your strengths.’