John Ballard – Nothing But NESCAC

Can the Madness Continue?: Weekend Preview 9/21

The inaugural week of the NESCAC football season was one of the more unpredictable and exciting weeks of football we’ve had in quite some time. Trinity losing on the opening week? Check. Trinity somehow not scoring double digits? Check. Multiple first-time starting quarterbacks impressing in their debut? Yup. A game-winning drive with well under a minute on the clock to ensure an upset? You got it. Once the dust settled, behemoths Trinity and Williams found themselves in the cellar of the conference standings, essentially needing to win out in order to get back in the race for the NESCAC Championship. This week’s slate features some important matchups with title implications, and a few trap games in which relatively large favorites will have to hit the road for the first time this season. Let’s get right into it.

Amherst (1-0) @ Colby (0-1), 1 pm, Waterville, ME

It wasn’t pretty, but the Mammoths found a way to take down the Bobcats after trailing at the half for the second consecutive season. Quarterback Ollie Eberth ‘20 connected with his favorite target James O’Regan ‘20 (five receptions for 140 yards) early and often, including a pair of 40+ yard touchdown passes. Eberth’s passing efficiency was slightly alarming considering the senior completed less than fifty percent of his passes; nonetheless, he finished with 234 yards through the air and another 68 on the ground, which isn’t too shabby for an opener. Along with O’Regan, Luke Mallette ‘20 caught five passes for 49 yards and sophomore tailback Brandon Huff ‘22 emerged as a solid receiving option out of the backfield, snagging three receptions for 43 yards. On the defensive side, the Mammoths came out a little sluggish but locked things down in the second half, shutting out the Bobcats for the remainder of the game. Defensive backs Matt Durburow ‘21 and John Ballard ‘20 combined for 20 tackles, and Joe Kelly ‘21 brought the heat on the defensive line with seven tackles and a forced fumble. More impressively, sophomore linebackers Matt Schiano ‘22 and John Schiano ‘22 answered any questions about the uncertainty at the position entering the season, combining for 14 tackles (2.5 tackles for loss) and 1.5 sacks.

Many (including myself) expected Colby to compete with Wesleyan this past Saturday, but the defense looked like swiss cheese against a sophomore quarterback making his first career start. The Mules D’ allowed a porous 454 yards in their opener, and failed to generate any sort of pressure for the entirety of the game. The run defense was especially pitiful as the Cardinals gashed their way to 237 total rushing yards at around 6 yards per carry. That’s not good news considering the Mammoths averaged 4.5 yards per carry against a much more stout Bobcat defensive line. One bright spot for the Mules was senior running back Chris George ‘20; the first-year starter totaled 104 yards on 18 carries, and the Mules should make it a priority to feed their tailback in order to make life easier for quarterback Matt Hersch ‘22.

Amherst improves to 2-0 as they total over 225 yards on the ground and catch the Mules secondary napping with some deep shots to O’Regan.

MK: Amherst 28-7
RM: Amherst 34-17
SS: Amherst 28-17
HC: Amherst 34-21
CC: Amherst 31-13

Writers’ Pick: Amherst

Wesleyan @ Hamilton, 1pm, Clinton, NY

Not many people knew what to expect of sophomore quarterback Ashton Scott ‘22 considering he did not complete a pass his freshman season, but boy is he on every single NESCAC coaches’ radar after his performance against the Mules. Scott threw for 217 yards with three touchdowns and added 76 yards on the ground on just 13 rushing attempts, one of the best performances from the quarterback position of the week. A multitude of sophomores contributed in the offensive onslaught against Colby, including a pair of running backs in Charlie McPhee ‘22 (nine carries for 53 yards along with four receptions) and David Estevez ‘22 (ten carries for 54 yards). Ten different Cardinals caught a pass from Scott, led by Matthew Simco ‘22 (4 rec, 65 yds, TD) and Delando Clarke ‘21 (3 rec, 59 yds, 2 TD’s). Scott’s arm might be asked to do more this time around against Hamilton, who stifled Bowdoin’s ground game and held them to under 100 yards rushing. Linebacker Carmine Bruno ‘20 made plays all over the field with a whopping 15 tackles (two TFL), and defensive lineman James Ball ‘21 registered 1.5 sacks. Running back David Kagan ‘20 exploded against the Polar Bears to a tune of 195 yards and three touchdowns on just 20 carries, and I expect his workload to increase by 5-10 touches in order to slow the game down and wear down Wesleyan’s defensive front.

Quarterback Kenny Gray ‘20 had a disappointing performance having completed less than 50 percent of his passes this past weekend, but the senior avoided turning the ball over and found the endzone through the air and on the ground. He’ll have to improve upon that performance a significant bit in order to spring the upset against the visiting Cardinals, but with Scott entering his first road game as a starter, the Continentals will surely be confident they can pull out a victory. In the end, however, I think Wesleyan’s offense looked too explosive against Colby, and Hamilton’s offense putting up 37 points is more of an indictment of Bowdoin’s atrocious defense. Scott once again completes over 60% of his passes for 220 yards and two scores while adding 50+ yards on the ground, and the Cardinals pull away late to escape Clinton, New York with a win.

MK: Wesleyan 27-17
RM: Wesleyan 31-20
SS: Wesleyan 31-10
HC: Wesleyan 24-10
CC: Wesleyan 28-14

Writers’ Pick: Wesleyan

Bowdoin @ Trinity, 1pm, Hartford, CT

Seamus Lambert struggled under center in Week 1, but will he still be there in Week 2?

The second worst defensive performance of the NESCAC football slate in Week 1 belonged to the Polar Bears. Allowing 403 total yards against the Continentals is not what Coach Hammer wanted to see with a matchup against a very ticked-off Bantams squad, who lost their NESCAC opener for the first time since 1995. In the upset of the week (and possibly the 2019 season), Trinity failed to eclipse double digits and fell to Tufts 14-8. Neither quarterback found any success: Seamus Lambert ‘22 was 15/26 for a mere 111 yards (1 TD, 1 INT) before being benched in favor of last year’s opening-day starter Jordan Vazzano ‘20. Vazzano wasn’t much better, throwing an interception with less than three minutes left as the Bantams were marching deep into Jumbos territory. Despite their offense being stagnant for a majority of the game, Trinity had three chances in the fourth quarter to take the lead, and blew each opportunity. Brian Casagrande ‘22 penetrated the Jumbos’ offensive line and recorded a safety to make it a one score game with about 12 minutes remaining. After receiving the ball back inside the Jumbos 40 yard line, the Bantams were stifled on a 4th and 1 attempt and turned the ball over on downs. Vazzano’s interception would turn out to not be the game-clincher as the Trinity defense would force a quick stop in order to give the offense one more crack. After leading a drive all the way inside the Jumbos’ 10 yard line, Vazzano was sacked and the game-clock ran out of time.

The defense played extremely well in limiting the Jumbos to under 300 yards of total offense and will have no trouble shutting down Austin McCrum ‘21 and Nate Richam-Odoi ‘20. The latter needs to be a focal point this week for the Polar Bears, as he had a tough time sledding against the Continentals. McCrum was relied on to throw the ball way too much last week, and as we saw last season, the junior quarterback is prone to turnovers when his throwing volume increases. Moral victories will be all the Polar Bears are concerned with on Saturday.

MK: Trinity 34-0
RM: Trinity 48-7
SS: Trinity 35-6
HC: Trinity 45-13
CC: Trinity 42-6

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Middlebury @ Bates, 1pm, Lewiston, ME

Middlebury’s 17-13 upset of Williams was dwarfed in significance due to the Tufts-Trinity game, but the Panthers’ defense made a statement to the rest of the NESCAC world that their squad is a serious contender for the Championship in 2019. They did exactly what was needed to be done in order to take down the Ephs: shut down Bobby Maimaron ‘21 and the running game. The Panthers limited the Ephs to just 101 yards on the ground, and Maimaron ran 16 times for a mere 39 yards. Linebacker Pete Huggins ‘21 was flying around the backfield constantly, totaling 13 tackles (five TFL’s) and two sacks. Linebacker Wyllis McKissick ‘21 recorded his first interception of his career as well as his first offensive touchdown on a two-yard reception from quarterback Will Jernigan ‘21. With no Pete Scibilia ‘21 for reasons unbeknownst to the Nothing But NESCAC writers (assuming some sort of injury), Jernigan did more than enough to will the offense to victory; trailing by 3 with just 30 seconds left, the junior scored on a five-yard quarterback keeper to propel the Panthers into the win column. Jernigan found success on the ground (21 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown), but freshman running back Alex Maldijan ‘23 struggled in Scibilia’s absence (21 carries, 49 yards).

Liam Spillane had a very solid Week 1 out of the Bobcat backfield

The same offensive and defensive formulas will be applied this week when the Panthers hit the road and take on the Bobcats. Junior quarterback Brendan Costa ‘21 is respected as more of a runner rather than a thrower; despite completing 23 of his 38 attempts, most of his completions were either of the wide receiver screen variety or swing passes. I thought Bates came out with a solid game plan against the Mammoths, but shortened offensive possessions due to turnovers forced the defense to take the field on short rest. Running back Jaason Lopez ‘21 had two of those fumbles in the second half in addition to one at the beginning of the game, but expect him to bounce back in a big way on Saturday, ready to atone for last week. Liam Spillane ‘21 (11 car for 55 yds, 2 rec for 10 yds and a TD) and Tyler Bridge ‘23 (4 car for 40 yards) round out the trio of tailbacks for the ‘Cats, and all three are capable of changing the game with a single carry.

Costa has weapons on the field if he can get the ball downfield to them. Christian Olivieri ‘22 (6 receptions for 58 yards) is turning into a reliable ball-catcher and tight end Isaiah Saunders ‘21 has the potential to catch 3-5 passes a game if he can consistently get open. Freshman Mohamed Diawara ‘23 is electric when in space and caught three passes against Amherst, but he showed his physicality with an absolutely thunderous crackback block in the second quarter. He’s an immediate impact player, and Bates will need him ready to go in order to pull off the upset.

It’s no surprise that Middlebury’s defensive plan will be to stack the box and keep an eye on Costa’s scrambling ability, forcing the junior to beat them with his arm. I really do think this is a trap game for the Panthers because of the volatility of their offense (specifically Jernigan), but I just can’t pull the trigger. Middlebury’s defense will once again win them the game, but it won’t be easy.

MK: Middlebury 20-10
RM: Middlebury 24-20
SS: Middlebury 24-10
HC: Middlebury 35-24
CC: Bates 27-21

Writers’ Pick: Middlebury

Tufts @ Williams, 1:30pm, Williamstown, MA

I’ll keep this one short because it’s our Game of the Week, but no one could have predicted Tufts to knock off the three-time defending champions in Week 1. What an awesome feeling that must have been for first-year starter in senior Jacob Carroll, who waited his turn behind Ryan McDonald and finally got his chance on the big stage. Tufts has everything going for them heading into Williamstown, but my gut tells me the high from beating Trinity won’t last past Saturday. After stumbling on their own feet against Middlebury, Williams knows this game is a must win. Starting the season 0-2 is essentially a death sentence, so expect Maimaron, Frank Stola and co. to set the tone early and grind out some yards against a solid Jumbos defensive front.

Also shoutout to OJ Armstrong for the Jumbos, Go Raiders*

MK: Williams 20-13
RM: Williams 23-17
SS: Tufts 17-7
HC: Williams 30-24
CC: Williams 24-16

Writers’ Pick: Williams

The Road Back from Heartbreak: Amherst Football Preview 2019

2018 Record: 8-1

Projected 2019 Record: 7-2

Projected Offensive Starters (*5 Returning)

QB – Ollie Eberth ‘20*

RB – Biafra Okoronkwo ‘20

WR – Turner Garland ‘21

WR – James O’Regan ‘20*

WR – Joe Masterson ‘21*

TE – Justin Berry ’20*

C – Dan Papa ’20*

RT – Brendan Coleman ’20*

OL – Jacob Ayyub ’21

OL – Nick Diprinzio ’22

OL – Peter Jerome ’20

Projected Defensive Starters (*4 Returning)

CB – Avery Saffold ‘20*

CB – Ricky Goodson ‘21

DB – John Ballard ‘20*

DB – Matt Durborow ‘21*

LB – Matt Schiano ‘22

LB – John Schiano ‘22

LB – Manny Malone ‘22

DL – Alex Katchadurian ‘20

DL – Joe Kelly ‘21

DL – Flynn McGilvray ‘22

DL – Greg Franklin ‘20*

Projected Specialists (*2 Returning)

PK – Henry Atkeson ‘20

P – Henry Atkeson ‘20*

KR/PR – Joe Masterson ‘21*

Offensive MVP: QB Ollie Eberth ‘20

The Amherst offense entirely revolves around it’s 6’2’’, 185 lb dual-threat quarterback. A two-year starter, Eberth enters his final campaign with the Mammoths in search of an elusive NESCAC Championship, one that slipped through his fingers in 2018 after suffering Amherst’s lone loss of the season against Trinity. Despite falling short of the ultimate goal, the Massachusetts native had a season to remember, finishing second in passing yards per game and fifteenth in total rushing yards en route to an All-Conference First Team selection. James O’Regan ‘20 is back to receive the bulk of Eberth’s targets in the passing game, but losing fellow wide receiver Bo Berluti ‘19 (44 rec, 610 yds, 4 TD’s) certainly hurts. On the ground, the combination of Eberth and running back Biafra Okoronkwo (95 carries for 581 yards and 4 TD’s in 2018) will be the focal point for Coach Mills and the Mammoth offense. All in all, Eberth is the true conductor on the offensive side of the ball and will be counted on time and time again to carry the Mammoths with his arm and legs in 2019.

Defensive MVP: DL Joe Kelly ‘21

Senior Greg Franklin is the lone returning starter on the defensive line for Amherst, but it’s Kelly that i’m selecting to break out in wake of two-time NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year Andrew Yamin’s departure. He finished second on the team (and tied for sixth in the conference) with 4.5 sacks as just a second-teamer, and with Franklin likely receiving most of the attention early on in the season, Kelly could burst onto the scene. He finished the 2018 season on a strong note, registering at least .5 sacks in five of his last six games. With another spring/summer of refining his game and improving under the tutelage of defensive wizard Coach Mills, Kelly is my pick to emerge as the star of the defensive line.

Biggest Game: November 2nd vs. Trinity

Amherst could very well be undefeated when they welcome the reigning NESCAC Champions, the Trinity Bantams, on senior day. Last season’s matchup ended up serving as the de-facto Championship game, with the Bantams snagging a 27-16 win after Max Chipouras ‘19 busted a game-clinching 70 yard run with under three minutes left in the fourth quarter. An early tilt with Tufts will be a tough game, but I’m not as high on the Jumbos after the departure of Ryan McDonald ‘19. Even without Chipouras, the Bantams are still the team to beat in the NESCAC, so the rematch between these two football giants will surely be one of the most entertaining matchups of the 2019 season.

Team Slogan for 2019: #Crankit

Not the most creative slogan I’ve come across in recent years, plus there’s too many ways to run with this hashtag in a negative connotation. Rating: 4.5/10

Everything Else:

Despite the talent on this squad, there are undoubtedly glaring holes on both sides of the ball. On the offensive end, the Mammoths lost three starters on the line. Juniors Eric Papa and Brendan Coleman will be tasked with leading the group, but Amherst will have to find five guys that can gel together and protect their quarterback. There are questions amongst the receivers as well; O’Regan and Berluti combined for 83 of the team’s 124 receptions, but the latter graduated in the spring. The only other player with double digit receptions last season was tight end Justin Berry ‘20 (11 receptions). Masterson was electric in the return game during 2018, but he’s being thrust into the WR2 position despite catching a mere eight targets last season. Masterson and others such as Turner Garland ‘21 and Brendan Popovich ‘20 need to emerge to give Eberth options and keep opposing defenses honest.

Matt Albino ‘21 and Greg Franklin ‘20 are looking to create havoc on the defensive line in wake of Andrew Yamin’s departure

Defensively, the Mammoths are strong at the back end. Three of the four returnees on defense reside at the corner and safety positions, and there is plenty of depth. The major question revolves at linebacker. In addition to Yamin, (who was more of a pass rush specialist despite being listed at the BUCK position), Amherst has to replace two more starters (Andrew Sommer ‘19 and John Callahan ‘19) and key reserve Jack Barrett ‘19. The quartet of linebackers accounted for 189 tackles, 15 sacks, and four interceptions. That is A LOT of production to replace in one season, and trusted to take over are (from what I can tell) three sophomores that have minimal playing experience. One possibility to ensure some more stability to the position is moving corner Ricky Goodson ‘21 back to outside linebacker; he played linebacker in high school, so at the very least he would bring knowledge to the position. I’m not too worried about the defensive line position – despite the lack of returning starters, guys like Kelly, Alex Katchadurian ‘20 and Flynn McGilvray ‘22 were key role players on last year’s team and will fill the void.

Looking at the schedule, I do think it will take time for the Mammoths to find their footing on both sides of the ball; their opening two games are perfect to work out the kinks, as they host Bates before traveling to Colby. If the Mammoths can beat the Jumbos (which I believe they will), they have a real shot at entering the Trinity matchup at 7-0. Trinity is still the clear favorite to repeat as NESCAC Champions, but Amherst has the pieces and talent to run the table early and give the Bantams a run for their money.

Week 4 Game of the Week—Amherst @ Middlebury: Season on the Line

Overview:

Amherst is ready for their first test of the young season. They also love their new catch phrase “Crank it”

This game has major championship implications for both teams and could be highly contested depending on what the Panthers bring to the table. Middlebury needs to win out to have a shot at the NESCAC crown and this is their first test since week one in doing that. They gave fans quite a scare in back to back weeks, making their wins against Bowdoin and Colby tight matchups for the first time in a long time. They have plenty of offensive skill position weapons and a nearly impenetrable O-line, a solid secondary and linebacking core, but need to find a way to get the ball to their playmakers. Amherst, on the other hand, controls their own fate in the championship race and is about the face their first test of the season. Their win against Hamilton looks better now that the Continentals knocked off Wesleyan and played closely against Tufts, but Bates and Bowdoin were never a threat to the Mammoths. This game should reveal the direction that each team is heading for the second half of the year.

Key for Amherst: Secondary

Durborow and the rest of the secondary are going to bring it tomorrow.

Avery Saffold, Nate Tyrell, Matt Durborow, and John Ballard will start this weekend, but the Mammoths have plenty of depth in the third tier of their defense. Second string DB Ricky Goodson already has a pick, and this group should bring the heat on the Panthers this weekend. Of course, I still believe Midd has the best group of pass-catchers in the conference (tight ends included), they just haven’t been getting the ball lately. If Amherst can continue the trend that opposing secondaries have brought against Middlebury, the Mammoths will be fine. If they cannot capitalize on QB mistakes and make picks when they need to, the Midd team might just grab ahold and take the reins.

Key for Middlebury: Coaching

Coach Ritter has a tough task this weekend and many difficult decisions ahead of him. His QB play has been inconsistent and disappointing up to this point, but Midd has still stayed afloat these past two weeks. After all, a win is a win, no matter how you get it. So, going into this week, he must have conviction. I can’t remember the last time, if ever, a team won consistently by splitting QB playing time drive by drive. Does he go with the veteran captain, Jack Meservy, who has had difficulty reading defense formations up to this point, or the athletic, versatile, but untested Will Jernigan? He needs to pick one so his receivers can start to get into a bit of a rhythm with the QB. Jernigan saw some first team action this week, but my money would be on Meservy to start the game with a short leash. Peter Scibilia has also been an unexpected weapon up to this point and has helped spark the offense when the air game has stagnated, but does Coach Ritter dare promote a run heavy scheme against the Mammoths? I wouldn’t. If his formula works, he’s a genius.

Amherst X-Factor:

LB/DE Andrew Yamin

Yamin might single handedly stop the Middlebury offense on Saturday in Vermont. He has 12 tackles, six of which were for a loss, and two sacks through three games thus far and should continue to terrorize the run game and drop back on pass formations too. He hasn’t even been as good as he was last year, but should be all over the field this weekend, stopping the suddenly deep Middlebury ground game and disrupting the slot receivers and tight ends.

Middlebury X-Factor:

QB/WR/PR Will Jernigan ’21

While I said I though Meservy would start the game at QB, I’d still put money that Jernigan makes his way behind center at some point. I’m not saying Meservy will throw himself out of the game, but knowing how Coach Ritter has been playing the two of them, even if everything goes perfectly, I’d still expect to see Jernigan at some point against Amherst. His play will make or break this game as he will likely be put right in to a big pressure situation immediately. He has only one TD pass and one INT on the season but also returns kicks, is averaging eight yards per carry, and has two receptions on the season. His athleticism is obvious and he might just pull a Nick Foles and catch and throw for a TD. His ability to run the football also would give Midd just enough play call diversity to give them an edge against Amherst compared to the other teams the Mammoths have played, limiting their effectiveness of shifting between the 3-4 and 4-3.

It might be tough for Scibilia to find running room against the Mammoths.

Everything Else:

This one looks to be pretty one sided in favor of Amherst based on the way that the season has gone so far, but don’t be surprised if the Panthers have a few tricks up their sleeve. After all, the Midd team has a strong history, program, and track record, especially against Amherst (2-0 in the last two meetings) and won’t go down without a fight. Midd is playing on their home turf with what is sure to be a rowdy crowd on a Saturday afternoon. With that said, Amherst has an advantage at QB with Ollie Eberth. Eberth hasn’t done anything spectacular with just 4 TDs, but also hasn’t turned the ball over and has a few solid weapons around him. Jack Hickey should have a field day if the Midd defense allows running room like they did against Nate Richam of Bowdoin and should be the biggest offensive force of the game. For the Panthers, if Conrado Banky, Jimmy Martinez, Maxim Bochman, and Frankie Cosolito can get the ball into their hands, it could get interesting, but they have struggled to connect with the QB early in recent games. If Midd sticks in this one, the special teams play might play a large role too, as K Carter Massengill is off to a solid start and WR Jimmy Martinez has the ability to take any kick to the house.

Predicted Score: Amherst 34 Middlebury 24

The Stampede is Gonna Hunt You Down: Amherst College Season Preview

Amherst has an easy opening schedule and should be ready to go by the time they face a powerhouse opponent.

2017 Record: 7-2

Projected Record: 8-1

Projected offensive starters (*7 returning)

QB – Oliver Eberth ’20*

RB – Jack Hickey ’19*

WR — Will Kelsch ‘19

WR – Bo Berluti ‘19*

WR – James O’Reagan ‘20*

TE — Harry Boeschenstein ‘20

C – Dan Papa ’20*

LG – Jack Tyrell ’19*

LT – Brendan Coleman ’20*

RG – Jack Griffiths ’19

RT – Nick DiPrinzio ’22

Projected defensive starters (*11 returning)

CB – Nate Tyrell ’19*

CB – Avery Saffold ’20*

DB– John Rak ’19*

DB— John Ballard ’20*

LB – Jack Barrett ’19*

LB – John Callahan ’19*

LB —Andrew Sommer ’19*

DE/LB – Andrew Yamin ’19*

DL – Greg Franklin ’20*

DL – Matt Albino ’21*

DL – Blaine Fox ’20*

Projected specialists (*2 returning)

PK – John Rak ’19*/Andrew Ferrero ’19

P – Henry Atkeson ’20*

KR/PR – Avery Saffold ’20/Trey Jarmon ‘20

I wouldn’t want to face this team, I’m sure some other NESCAC foes feel the same way.

Offensive MVP:

RB Jack Hickey ‘19

Hickey will look to make a name for himself this season as the best tailback in the NESCAC. Max Chipouras has held the title the last few seasons, but Hickey has been hot on his tail. The Mammoths should hold possessions longer than the Bantams this year with a better QB, and Hickey’s strong O-line anchored by Dan Papa, Jack Tyrell, and Brendan Coleman should open up holes for him to run in. He averaged a ridiculous 6 yards per carry and totaled 640 yards on the ground and nine TDs. He split carries with Hasani Figueroa last year, limiting his overall touches, but since Figueroa is out of the picture, Hickey could figure to handle a bigger workload and surpass Chipouras as the NESCAC lead rusher.

Defensive MVP:

DE/LB Andrew Yamin ’19

As Amherst switches between the 3-4 and 4-3 defense, Yamin switches between defensive end and linebacker, called the buck position. He was one of many reasons why Amherst had the best defense in the league in 2017 and should likely hold that title in 2018. They are masters at stopping the run game and Yamin’s versatility should really shine through in his final campaign as he looks to best his All-NESCAC and All-New England season with 54 tackles, 13.5 sacks and take the Mammoths back to the promise land. There is a statistical discrepancy, however, as Herosports posted that he only had 12.5 sacks, but regardless, he is any NESCAC QB’s worst nightmare.

Regardless of how many sacks he had in 2017, Yamin will terrorize opponent QBs this season.

Biggest Game: November 3rd @ Trinity

Amherst needs to take this one from the Bantams, and if everything I’ve said before this point is correct, they should beat them with some attitude. Assuming all else goes to their plan, this game could be an explanation point in a dominant season and it would show that Amherst hasn’t just come to win, they’ve come to embarrass the conference in 2018. Watch out chickens, it’s time to get plucked.

Best Tweet:

https://twitter.com/AmherstCollFB/status/1036300487295942656

I don’t know how you could best a video of an offensive lineman catching a punt, so there’s no need to try. Amherst has some inspiring material on their twitter that really got my blood pumping for football, but Dan Papa couldn’t have looked more graceful on this reception and if he ever got back there during a game, I think I’d lose it.

Everything Else:

Ollie Eberth did a remarkable job in his first campaign as a starter last season, pushing former NESCAC POY Reece Foy mostly out of the picture. He did a great job of finding his two favorite targets in Bo Berluti and James O’Reagan and should continue to do so this year with a receiving corps falling second only to Middlebury. Amherst has the most balanced offensive attack of any team with both ground and air games that should rank among the league’s best, making them particularly difficult to defend.

Eberth should continue the success he put up in 2017.

Amherst’s team really looks scary to opponents on the defensive side. Last season they ranked second with 103.6 yards per game allowed on the ground and have many returners for the new season. Nate Tyrell and All-NESCAC CB Avery Saffold should anchor the secondary which is just another strong point in a loaded team that ranked #1 in the conference with just 168 passing yards/game allowed. K/DB John Rak and John Ballard should each improve on their past seasons and limit most of the NESCAC receivers. The Amherst red zone defense was their only weak point last season, allowing the fourth most total point at 19.2 per contest but allowing the fewest yards. That trend might change though as Jack Barrett, John Callahan, and Andrew Sommer will return in the linebacking core and Greg Franklin, Matt Albino, and Blaine Fox will set up on the D-line. Amherst has a ton of returning talent and looks like the strongest all around team on paper with Wesleyan right with them. Amherst will be one of the favorites to bring home the NESCAC crown and barring injuries and breakout players from other teams, I wouldn’t be surprised if they secured it.

Two (Undefeated) Teams Enter: Amherst-Middlebury Game of the Week Preview

Game Time: 2:00 PM EST, Amherst, MA.

After a week of rather dull and predictable results, its refreshing to see this game set on the schedule as one of the remaining undefeated teams will fall. Two 3-0 records will enter and one will exit the weekend with a blemish, however, each will likely have different starting lineups at the end of the season. Both the Panthers and Mammoths lack totally healthy rosters like most teams at this point in the college football season, but they both miss key players. Coming off of easy wins for both teams, this will be Middlebury’s first real test since week one against Wesleyan and Amherst’s first test of the season.

Middlebury X-Factor: WR Jimmy Martinez ’19

Jimmy Martinez plays football a whole lot better than he takes photos

Martinez is not just another one of the many pieces that QB Jared Lebowitz ’18 has to choose from, he is also the best return man in the NESCAC. With two special teams TDs already, he is a hidden gem and potential game changer in an area that Amherst hasn’t seen much talent this season. With 11 receptions this season, his is six shy from his career total, all accumulated last season. He is averaging 51.7 yards per game in the air, including a score, and isn’t tasked with increasing his volume of catches due to the deep nature of the Midd receivers. The sky is the limit for Martinez as his unmatched speed as an All-American in the 400 meter dash gives him a big edge on both punts and kickoffs. He has only had one punt return thus far but took it to the house against Colby and is also averaging over 40 yards per return on kickoffs. He could be the one thing that Amherst won’t be able to match on Saturday and if he scores on a kick then it could be the turning point of the game.

Amherst X-Factor: Secondary

Matt Durborow ’21 leads Amherst DBs with 13 tackles

The Amherst secondary will have its hands full on Saturday as all of Middlebury’s offense will be geared towards an air assault. With youngster Charlie Ferguson ’20 and injured Diego Meritus ’19 the two tailbacks for the Panthers, they likely will stick to their specialties; namely, Jared Lebowitz and his army of young receivers. Since Lebowitz has had his way with defenses thus far, the key to stopping them will be in the hands of the Amherst secondary. John Ballard ‘20, Zach Allen ‘19, and Matt Durborow ’21 will need to be on their A game to subdue the Middlebury offense as this game is likely headed to high scores on both sides. So far, Ballard is the only one with a pick of the three, but Nate Tyrell ’19 and John Rak ’19 should also be able to help out against the Midd receivers. The secondary should have a more significant role than the linebackers as Lebowitz has deep threats as targets in Banky and Martinez. Should they be able to keep Lebowitz to under three passing TDs they should be able to score enough to overcome the visiting squad.

Everything Else:

Going to Amherst and taking on the Mammoths is a daunting task for Middlebury, but nobody is hotter than them right now. They have a win against a solid opponent already and have coasted to wins the past two weeks, not rushing Meritus back into action, and holding off on playing those with nagging injuries. Amherst, on the other hand, hasn’t seen any real challenges and have more uncertainty heading into week four. Reece Foy has been getting eased back into action for Amherst in his return from injury, and while Ollie Eberth is playing solid football in his stead, he is no POY candidate. For the Panthers, WR Maxim Bochman ’20 was a late scratch with a hamstring pull, RB Diego Meritus ‘19, the 2016 starter, is yet to play in 2017 but is eyeing a return this week, and Matt Cardew ’17 sprained his MCL against Bowdoin. Luckily for Midd, Charlie Ferguson ’21 has performed well in his extensive action lately and could share the workload with Meritus as he is eased back into action.

Regardless of who plays tailback for the Panthers, Amherst will have the edge on the ground as Jack Hickey has been off to the races so far this season. Especially interesting will be seeing how Ollie Eberth ’20 plays against a solid Midd defense and if Foy increases his work load from the last two weeks. Not to be forgotten also are Amherst’s stand out receivers James O’Reagan ’20, Bo Berluti ’19, and Craig Carmelani ’18. Berluti is off to a slow start but has talent and could have a breakout game, especially if his familiar signal caller Foy gets more snaps this week. Due to Hickey’s 8.4 yards per carry, Berluti hasn’t been needed nearly as much and neither has a significant aerial attack in the first three weeks. Essentially, Amherst has been playing with their eyes closed up to this point. It was a nice warm up for them, although that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready for this game. A home game against a team with a number of injuries is a great time to play their first tough competition. If Foy was back to 100%, I would probably take Amherst just due to their depth in all aspects of the game, but Middlebury’s big play ability gives them an edge and they won’t need to run the ball if Lebowitz turns it on. Each team has their own advantages heading into this game, but with a stronger leader under center in what looks to be a shoot out, Midd has a slight edge.

Projected Score: Middlebury 31 Amherst 28