Tag: Tijani Harris

A Chance to Wrap it Up: Weekend Preview 11/2

The first weekend in November signals the penultimate weekend of NESCAC football, with a chance to crown a champion by Saturday’s end. Will Middlebury solidify their place among the rest of the competition, or will they slip up and allow Williams or Wesleyan back into the picture? Elsewhere, the Jumbos have a trip to Waterville to face off with Colby, who just got their first win of the season last weekend against Bates. Speaking of the ‘Cats, they are set to finish up their CBB slate with a primetime night contest against the Polar Bears in what is sure to be an intense atmosphere. Let’s get to it. 

For a quick update, here’s how each of our writers are doing in their weekly picks:
Ryan Moralejo: 29-6
Haven Cutko: 28-7
Matt Karpowicz: 27-8
Cameron Carlson: 26-9
Spencer Smead: 24-11

Hamilton (4-3) @ Middlebury (7-0), 12:30pm, Middlebury, Vermont

For Middlebuty, the time is finally here: after weeks of clinging to the top spot, while most of the general public assumed they would eventually trip up, the Panthers have defied all odds and are one win away from claiming their first NESCAC Championship since they were crowned co-champions in 2013. It hasn’t been pretty by any means, but credit Coach Ritter and his staff for a fantastic season to date in addition to earning his 100th career win in their victory last week against Bowdoin. They put their guys in a position to disrupt plays and minimize their opponent’s strengths every weekend, and the players have remained level-headed and poised throughout the early gauntlet of their schedule. Now is not the time to sit back. The Panthers will be sure to not take the Continentals lightly after their recent surge up the standings. Their 36-21 victory against Tufts did not do Hamilton justice for their absolute dominating performance on the road, racing out to a 34-7 lead by halftime. Kenny Gray ‘20 is finally rounding into form, and he added to his recent uptick in quality play by throwing for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Although David Kagan ‘20 was held to just 39 yards, reserve tailback Joe Park ‘22 made it clear that there would be no drop off in production with a career-high 126 yard performance. The Continentals will need to keep their ground game churning against a stout Panthers’ front seven that is second in the conference in rushing yards allowed per game.

The biggest challenge will be Hamilton’s defense versus Middlebury’s offense; what was (for the majority of the season) a below-average defense has been performing well in recent weeks in large part because they’ve continued to force turnovers. Hamilton sits tied for second in the league with seventeen, including multiple takeaways in six of their seven games. WIth the offense finally clicking, those turnovers are being converted into points, and it is clear that this combination has transformed the New Yorkers into a legitimate upset pick for this Saturday. Given the fact that Will Jernigan ‘21 has a tendency to cough up the ball (6 interceptions and 6 fumbles to date), his focus should be on remaining patient and letting the plays develop in front of him; the Continentals are still allowing 373.4 yards and 28 points per game, so it’s more about making smart decisions and not forcing passes into tight windows or holding onto the ball too long. I really want to pick Hamilton just so the last week of NESCAC football is more entertaining, but I believe the Panthers will rally after digging themselves a hole early on, clinching the NESCAC Championship on Senior Day.  

Picks: 
RM: Middlebury 33, Hamilton 27 
HC: Middlebury 31, Hamilton 27
MK: Middlebury 35, Hamilton 20
CC: Middlebury 31, Hamilton 27
SS: Middlebury 35, Hamilton 20

Writers’ Pick: Middlebury

Tufts (3-4) @ Colby (1-6), 1:00pm, Waterville, Maine

I’ll be honest: I have no real confidence in either team. On paper, Tufts most certainly possesses the better team, but its plethora of individual talent hasn’t been nearly enough to win games. Tufts disappointing season is, in large part, due to the team’s inability to play a well-rounded game. The 49-0 drubbing they handed to Bowdoin gave me a slight indication that the Jumbos might have figured it out, but once again, the defense fell apart. The Jumbos must do something on that side of the ball to stifle the Mules’ offense, such as creating more blitz packages. Turnovers haven’t been in abundance for the defense this season (second worst with only 6 forced), but the Mules have coughed up the football 6 times over the past three weeks. Matt Hersch ‘22 played really well in the first half against Bates, but he was a no-show for the remaining 30 minutes. The special teams was an absolute disaster, with Moises Celaya ‘22 missing an extra point and having both a field goal and a punt blocked. Furthermore, a bad snap cost Celaya 15 yards and gave Bates a chance to tie or win the game in the final minute. Their special teams play has to be impeccable if they want to hang around with the Jumbos on Saturday. Colby is probably more fired up to play Tufts than vice-versa based on recent results, but I’m sticking with the Jumbos in a high-scoring affair. 

Picks: 
RM: Tufts 43, Colby 27
HC: Tufts 23, Colby 6
MK: Tufts 35, Colby 10
CC: Tufts 42, Colby 10
SS: Tufts 21, Colby 13

Writers’ Pick: Tufts

Trinity (4-3) @ Amherst (4-3), 1:00pm, Amherst, Massachusetts

It’s really quite odd to have both of these perennial powerhouses already eliminated from the NESCAC Championship race with two games remaining on the season, and they each suffered significant defeats this past weekend. For the Bantams, their three-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Ephs and its ferocious front seven, who constantly harassed quarterback Seamus Lambert ‘22 and bottled up running back Tijani Harris ‘22 (27 carries for 42 yards). Granted, Williams does boast the league’s best defense in terms of points allowed per game, but this is Trinity we’re talking about. With the talent that Trinity has, it’s simply a disappointment that the offense has looked so volatile, especially after exhibiting the capability to hang 60 points.

Amherst would, in theory, should present another tough challenge for the Bantams’ offense, but I’m not sure how much this team has left in the tank from an emotional standpoint. Of course they’ll be ready for next week’s rivalry game against the Ephs, but you have to think that their rather shocking loss to the Cardinals leaves them shaking their heads at what could have been. Although quarterback Ollie Eberth ‘20 turned the ball over twice in the first half, Amherst managed to find themselves leading the visitors 28-21 entering the fourth quarter. A Cardinals’ touchdown tied it with roughly twelve minutes remaining, and Eberth failed to gain a first down on his remaining possessions in regulation. In overtime, Henry Atkeson ‘20 had an opportunity to clinch the game with a 24 yard field goal after fellow kicker Mason Von Jess ‘23 nailed the right upright from 18 yards out, but the senior endured the same result. To make things worse, Eberth threw his third interception on the ensuing possession in double overtime, allowing the Cardinals to convert their own game-winning field goal. Amherst knows they shouldn’t have lost to Wesleyan, just like how they shouldn’t have lost to Hamilton or Middlebury. This team simply doesn’t know how to close out a game, and I’m more confident siding with the team who tends to respond after suffering defeat. 

Picks: 
RM: Trinity 27, Amherst 17
HC: Trinity 27, Amherst 26
MK: Trinity 38. Amherst 20
CC: Trinity 27, Amherst 21
SS: Amherst 31, Trinity 24

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Williams (6-1) @ Wesleyan (6-1), 1:00pm, Middletown, Connecticut

This is our game of the week, but the Cardinals showed some life in their come-from-behind victory against the Mammoths. Ashton Scott ‘22 is the real deal, and Matthew Simco ‘22 is a big playmaker that will give any defense problems; but this is the best defensive unit in the NESCAC, and their double-digit road victory against Trinity reaffirms my belief that this is the best and most complete team in the league. In a battle of one-loss foes, it’ll be Williams who dominates the time of possession and makes life hard on Scott. Ephs fans will be simultaneously praying that Hamilton can knock off Middlebury and keep the championship race open for one more week. 

Picks: 
RM: Williams 36, Wesleyan 20
HC: Williams 27, Wesleyan 13
MK: Williams 25, Wesleyan 16
CC: Williams 28, Wesleyan 14
SS: Williams 31, Wesleyan 21

Writers’ Pick: Williams

Bowdoin (0-7) @ Bates (0-7), 5:30pm, Lewiston, ME

Welcome to the 2019 Toilet Bowl featuring (for the second consecutive year) Bates and Bowdoin. All jokes aside, for the Bobcats, last week’s battle against the Mules gives me room for optimism heading into Saturday’s clash. Colby punched Bates in the mouth right from the get-go, racing out to a 23-0 lead. The Bobcats could have folded right then and there, but Jackson Hayes’ ‘22 47-yard touchdown reception as time expired gave the ‘Cats some momentum heading into the second half. For the remaining 30 minutes, Bates absolutely dominated the Mules on both sides of the ball. The defense stifled Colby’s offense to the tune of just 78 total second half yards, while Brendan Costa ‘21 and the offense nearly doubled that number. The special teams unit gave Celaya nightmares all second half, ignited by senior captain Jon Lindgren’s field goal block with 4:46 left in the third quarter.

The Bobcats were potentially one dropped pass away from forcing overtime, and while you have to account for the emotional toll the game had on the players, I see no reason why the ‘Cats won’t come out fired up for this game. Not only is it the last game for Bates in 2019, but the 5:30 pm kickoff will surely bring a large crowd ready to cheer their team to victory. In a similar scenario last season, Bowdoin embarrassed Bates 31-14 en route to their only win of 2018; you have to think for Bates, revenge is right at the forefront of their minds. It was only one game, but Costa looked much better against the Mules and should have success against a Polar Bears’ defense that is still allowing over 40 points and 465 yards per game. Emotions will be on full display during a physical first fifteen minutes, but I trust Bates’ offense to put up around 30 points on Bowdoin’s defense, a number Bowdoin’s offense hasn’t achieved in the score column all season. The Bobcats have lost 17 consecutive games, but that streak ends with an emphatic win this Saturday night. 

Picks:
RM: Bates 34, Bowdoin 17
HC: Bowdoin 24, Bates 17
MK: Bates 28, Bowdoin 14
CC: Bates 29, Bowdoin 17
SS: Bates 24, Bowdoin 17

Writers’ Pick: Bates

Trudging On: Week 7 Power Rankings

(1) 1. Middlebury

While Middlebury did not handle Bowdoin last Saturday as well as a lot of other teams have, they had a strong offensive effort and they remain the league’s only undefeated team. That is sufficient to keep them atop our rankings. The score may make the game seem closer than it was, but the Panthers were ahead 41-7 until Bowdoin put up 22 points in the fourth quarter. This may have been the fault of Middlebury’s backups, but either way the defense cannot be giving up 22 point quarters if Midd wants to go undefeated. The Panthers got it done on the ground again with 95 yards and 2 scores from RB Alex Maldjian ’23, and 53 yards with 2 more scores for QB Will Jernigan ’21. Jernigan now has seven rushing touchdowns to go along with 14 more in the air and deserves a lot of the credit for Middlebury’s success this year. Middlebury has had a few close calls, but their offense has played well enough lately to give their defense some room for error. While the title is theirs to lose, Middlebury still has to do their job and they will have their hands full this week against a Hamilton team that is having its best season in a long time. 

(2) 2. Williams 

The Ephs picked up a huge win in Hartford last weekend, handing Trinity their first home loss in 20 games. There are individual players to recognize for the team’s strong performance, but this was mainly a masterful coaching performance by Mark Raymond. He knew Frank Stola ’21 was going to get smothered and he did, which opened the door for Dan Vaughn ’22 to rush for 123 yards against the league’s top run defense, and for two other receivers to combine for three TD receptions. Not many teams win when their QB completes only 6 of 20 passes, but Williams has such a dominant run attack and defense that they were able to make up for this. Don’t forget that this is a team that went 0-8 in 2016-17. Defensively, Raymond again did his homework, as they attacked a reeling offensive line and sacked QB Seamus Lambert ’22 six times while holding the Bantams to a criminally low 42 rushing yards. I debated putting Williams at 1 because I think they have played better than Middlebury lately, but they still have an uphill battle for the championship. Raymond will need to win the chess match again this week as Williams pays Wesleyan a visit in a matchup of 6-1 teams. 

(5) 3. Wesleyan 

The Cardinals bounced back from getting smoked by Middlebury and won a double-OT battle with Amherst. Amherst won this Little Three battle last year, so it was a huge win for the Cardinals. This team should be in championship contention for the next few years because their sophomores have already given them lots of production. Ashton Scott ‘22 had one of his best games yet, tossing for 282 yards and 3 scores. Classmates Matthew Simco ’22 and Danny Banks ’22 were OPOTW and DPOTW. The Cardinals have erased many of the doubts we had about them after they breezed through the soft part of their schedule earlier in the season, but unfortunately they’ll still need Middlebury to lose to have any shot at the title. The Cardinals will have two dogfights in their next two games with Williams and Trinity, but they have proven that they can win close games. In addition, their sophomores are looking like the core of the team, which will bode very well for the coming years.

(4) 4. Amherst 

Like Trinity, Amherst is a team with perennial success and high expectations that has seen this season spiral out of hand. As Cam outlined in this week’s stock report, Amherst has had their season marred by their inability to close out tight games. They have lost three games by three points, and two have gone to double overtime. Whether it be due to blown leads or turnovers, Amherst just has not been able to perform in the clutch and both their offensive and defensive units have regressed back to the middle of the pack after being extremely solid the last few seasons. They’ll need QB Ollie Eberth ’20 to be better than his 3 interceptions last week, and they’ll also need a running game to emerge quickly- Eberth cannot be the leading rusher every week. It’s clear that the loss of some of their studs from last year (Jack Hickey, Andrew Yamin) is still being felt. While it’s great to see more parity and competitiveness across the league this season, some teams have to pay the price for that, and this year those teams appear to be perennial bullies Amherst and Trinity. They host Trinity this week in what is effectively a 4th place game, and while the Bantams were not impressive last week either, it’s hard to feel good right now about the Mammoths’ chances in a tight game. 

(3) 5. Trinity 

Trinity continued its humbling season with its first home loss in 20 tries against Williams. Offensive line and special teams play were areas of concern, but the main issue was the coaches’ inability to adjust to what Williams was giving them. Tijani Harris ’22 is a talented back and has had a strong season, but running him off tackle out of the shotgun over and over again right into the teeth of Williams’ linebackers is not going to fool anyone. Trinity has to learn to adjust to what other teams give them and not just keep hammering the same few plays that have won them games in past seasons. Their inability to protect Seamus Lambert ’22 hurt their talented receivers’ ability to make plays. Defensively, Trinity was successful in shutting down Frank Stola ’21, but Williams was able to adjust and ride their run game to victory while taking shots downfield at the right times. Losing seasons are just not something that happens in Hartford, and that should be motivation enough for Trinity to grind out a win in one of its next two games. However, they have two tough opponents in Amherst and Wesleyan. The Bantams have the right guys on both sides of the ball to win these games, but they need to give Lambert more time to find his receivers and show a little bit more creativity in their play calling if they want to bounce back. 

(7) 6. Hamilton 

Just a few weeks ago, Hamilton was 2-3 and seemed destined for the 7 spot in the standings that they have gotten pretty used to with in recent years. Since then, the Continentals have taken down Amherst and Tufts and with Bates and Middlebury left on the schedule, there’s a strong chance that they’ll end up with their first winning season since 1996. This is a testament to coach David Murray. No matter the score or situation, his guys always play hard and their efforts are finally starting to pay off. If Middlebury coach Bob Ritter does not win Coach of the Year, Murray has to be the next guy in the conversation. We are finally seeing Kenny Gray ‘20 perform to his ability; last week at Tufts he completed 21 passes for 236 yards and 3 TDs. Hamilton also has two proven runners in Joe Park ’22 and David Kagan ’20. Middlebury’s defense has not been stellar lately, so the way Hamilton’s offense is playing should absolutely be a cause for concern. Given that Middlebury barely squeaked by Colby and allowed Bowdoin to go off in the fourth quarter last week, I think their game against Hamilton this week should be a tight one. 

(6) 7. Tufts 

It may surprise you to hear that Tufts currently leads the league in passing yards per game, thanks in large part to QB Jacob Carroll ’20. Unfortunately, their run game has not been able to match this production, which is a big reason why Tufts really has not had any impressive wins since Week 1 against Trinity. The defense shows up when it wants to- they only allowed 8 points to Trinity and shut out Bowdoin, but gave up 36 to Hamilton last week and 33 to Bates earlier this month. With talented guys on the unit like LB Greg Holt ’20 (74 total tackles this season to lead the league) and Jovan Nenadovic ’22, there’s no excuse for this type of inconsistency. At this point, I would contend that Tufts has the lowest ceiling of any non-CBB team, and I feel more confident in Hamilton’s chances when it comes to taking down Middlebury in the next two weeks. 

(8) 8. Colby 

Don’t let the Mules get hot! It took seven weeks, but we finally saw a Maine team break through into the win column last week as Colby got an edge in the CBB race with a thrilling win over Bates. The hosts raced out to an early 23-0 lead at halftime and appeared to have the game in command before Bates stormed back and scored a 2 point conversion to make it 23-20 early in the fourth. Colby showed a balanced offense with QB Matt Hersch ’22 completing 15 passes for 206 yards and no picks, as well as RB Devin Marrocco ’22 accounting for three scores. Defensively, Colby bent but didn’t break in the second half. LB Marcus Bullard ’21 has been a standout and is second in the league at 10.4 tackles per game. While many expected Colby to take a step forward in the win column this season, they have hung with good teams (Amherst, Middlebury) and Coach Cosgrove has not had his own recruiting classes on the field yet. Cosgrove is one of the best coaches you’ll find in the state of Maine and has proven himself at the D1 level. Combine this with a good young quarterback and the new athletic facility being built next year, and Colby should be in good shape to make progress in the next few seasons. This week, they host a disappointing Tufts team and have a good chance to set themselves up for a three-game winning streak to end the season. 

(9) 9. Bates 

The Bobcats came close to snapping a fat 17 game losing streak at Colby last weekend, but unfortunately their second half rally ran out of steam. The Cats have at least gotten some production from QB Brendan Costa ’21 lately; he threw for 268 yards and two TDs last weekend. It seems that Bates is trying to run an offense that does not suit their strengths, which has hindered their ability to win games…although it’s hard to tell what these strengths actually are. The Bobcats converted more than half of their first downs and won time of possession, but had their efforts marred by 10 penalties. These guys deserve a lot of credit for not giving up in unfortunate circumstances, but they’re running out of chances to prove they can compete. Like Coach Cosgrove, Bates coach Malik Hall has not had his own recruiting classes completely on the field yet so maybe it’s too early to fully evaluate him. At the same time, though, people in Lewiston can’t be happy with the lack of progress made on his watch. His seat continues to get hotter, so we’ll see if Bates can manage to dodge another winless season with a win against Bowdoin or Hamilton in their final two. 

(10) 10. Bowdoin

At first glance, it looks like Bowdoin actually put up a decent fight in their game against Middlebury last weekend (47-29). However, the fact remains that they were down 41-7 at the end of the third quarter and likely had their way with Middlebury’s bench players. Sorry Bowdoin fans, but NBN is committed to unbiased reporting and we did not want to suggest that Midd’s performance was any less dominant than it was. That being said, Bowdoin’s offense was better in that fourth quarter than it was in several of their games this season. RB Nate Richam ’20 continued his strong case for All-NESCAC with 105 yards and another TD. QB Austin McCrum ’21, who has bore the brunt of our criticism for the better part of this season, actually had a solid game- 146 yards and two TDs with no picks. McCrum is a D1 transfer and has another year of eligibility, so hopefully he can turn it around next season and have more of these strong games. Luckily for Bowdoin and first-year coach BJ Hammer, they know they can compete in their next two CBB games, and despite their winless record they will have a chance to earn bragging rights within the vast state of Maine. 

Game of the Year?: Williams vs. Trinity Game of the Week Preview

This week brings about several games that should provide competitiveness that the league has been mostly lacking over the past few weeks. This includes our Game of the Week, a matchup between the league’s two hottest teams in what could be an absolute classic. Williams has breezed through the competition since their opening week loss at Middlebury, but they’re in some trouble with injuries and they’re about to hit the brutal home stretch of their schedule. Trinity has put up video game-like offensive numbers the past couple of weeks and is leading the league in many statistical categories, but they’ve padded these stats against bad teams and they’re also about to hit their toughest stretch of games. Both teams losing to Middlebury earlier this season hurt their title chances significantly, but Middlebury’s inconsistent play means that both the Ephs and the Bantams will be looking to prove that they’re the best in the league. We’ll be seeing Trinity’s league-best scoring offense against Williams’ league-best scoring defense, and Williams’ top ranked run offense against a Trinity defense allowing the fewest yards per game. It’s homecoming in the Coop between these two blue bloods and it should be a classic. 

Key #1 for Trinity: Contain Frank Stola 

I didn’t think I’d ever be saying these words in my life, but Trinity should take a page out of the Bates Bobcats’ playbook this week. Bates got smoked by Williams last week, but they held Stola to only two catches and his lowest receiving yard total of the season. They also were the first team not to allow him in the endzone. Other guys stepped up for Williams in that game, but Stola is still the likely frontrunner for Offensive Player of the Year due to his ungodly production and scoring ability. Even with Stola, Williams has been running the ball a lot this season; they’re leading the conference in yards per game on the ground with 229, over 40 more than the next most. They are a run first team who just happens to have the league’s best receiver- and they’ve frequently been up by several points without a need to throw the ball. This week, though, they’re facing the league’s best run defense so we will likely see them try to air it out to Stola more frequently…although they’re facing the top pass defense as well. This defense has veterans at every position and should not be to blame for Trinity’s losses this season. Williams is last in the league in passing attempts, so this may be our best chance to see what Bobby Maimaron ’21 can do with his arm- especially if the Ephs are playing from behind. Trinity has to be well aware that Stola is Williams’ top threat, but most of their defensive backs (Matt Patry ’20, Ian McDonald ’20, Matt McCarthy ’21) have been starting for a few years now and they stepped up against Amherst last year in a similarly big game. If Bates can shut down Stola, there’s no reason Trinity shouldn’t be able to. 

Key #2 for Trinity: Limit Turnovers 

This is obviously a key every game, but turnovers are a huge reason Trinity isn’t undefeated despite leading the league in many different categories. QB Seamus Lambert ’22 has looked a lot better in his last two games, but he is still second in the league in interceptions and has thrown six in three games against teams .500 or better. In addition, while RB Tijani Harris ’22 has ran all over defenses since taking over the starting role three games ago, he’s also fumbled twice. Coughing the ball up against the league’s top scoring defense will put a heavy damper on Trinity’s chances of winning. Unlike the teams Trinity has faced the past few weeks, Williams will make you pay for turnovers and they have made many of their games ugly very quickly. If any offense is capable of lighting up Williams’ defense it’s this one, but they have to take care of the ball while doing so. 

Key #1 for Williams: Defensive Line Pressure 

If you want to beat Trinity, a good way to start is by getting after the quarterback. In the Bantams’ two losses, Seamus Lambert ’22 was sacked a combined 11 times. These were his two worst games- he only threw for 116 yards against Tufts and had four picks against Middlebury. On the other hand, last week against Colby, Lambert was only sacked once for one yard and he was able to calmly complete 75 percent of his passes and throw for 2 touchdowns in a 43-7 beatdown. Lambert is a threat to run the ball so defensive ends should be aware of this, but making him leave the pocket is a great way to force him into bad throws and slow down Trinity’s potent offense. If he is able to sit in the pocket and make reads, Lambert will make accurate throws and he has multiple receivers that can take it to the house. 

Key #2 for Williams: Next Man Up 

Just like it did during the second half of last season, Williams’ roster has gotten hit hard by the injury bug lately. Impact players TJ Rothmann ’21 and Joel Nicholas ’23 both left the game early last week and both starting guards did not play. The Ephs were already missing two offensive linemen that got hurt in training camp, so Coach Raymond has moved his starting tackles to guard and filled in new guys at tackle. This has helped Williams to be very effective in running the ball up the middle, but an inexperienced line could get exposed this week as they’ll be facing two first team all-NESCAC defensive ends in Jim Christiano ’21 and Devyn Perkins ’20. However, Williams’ bench players may have the most experience of any team’s backups. They have had several blowout wins this season, and Coach Raymond usually pumps the brakes pretty early and pulls his starters once the game is out of hand. While guys filling in for Williams may have some game experience, it has usually been against weaker teams and they will be facing a very talented Trinity roster that does not fall off much from one guy to the next. The Ephs’ backups will have to play like starters this week if they expect to win. 

Everything Else

Trinity has not lost in the Coop in 20 games, but this is easily their toughest home game of the season. It has the feel of their game vs. Amherst last year, a game where we came in not sure who the better team was until we saw Trinity rise to the occasion and take home the W. I don’t care what the standings say- anyone attending this game will have the pleasure of watching the league’s two best offenses and its two best defenses get after it. Williams was the one team to get the better of Trinity last season after Coach Raymond cooked up a master defensive gameplan, so we know they are well within reach of the three-time defending champions. Frank Stola’s play this season has been nothing short of spectacular and Williams’ run game is capable of putting up a huge week, but their schedule has been awfully soft since they played Middlebury in week one. Trinity has also coasted through the light middle part of their schedule, but they always play better in Hartford and they have stepped up in several late season big games over the past few years. With the home crowd behind them and Williams coming in severely banged up, Trinity takes it in a good one. 

Prediction: Trinity 31, Williams 27

All Eyes on the Championship Game?: Weekend Preview 10/19

We’ve officially surpassed the halfway point in the 2019 season, and yet unfortunately the league championship might come down to Middlebury and Wesleyan on Saturday. A Middlebury win will all but seal the deal in their quest to become NESCAC Champions, while Wesleyan still doesn’t believe it is getting the recognition it deserves for being the only other undefeated team in the conference. The rest of the slate features traditional powers facing inferior opponents, but taking those matchups for granted might eliminate some of the one-loss contenders who are praying for the Cardinals to upset the Panthers.

Bates (0-5) @ Williams (4-1), 1pm, Williamstown, MA

Fellow NbN writer Haven Cutko ripped apart the Bobcats in this week’s Power Rankings, and while you hate to hear your school being repeatedly badgered for its underwhelming performances on the gridiron, I absolutely agreed with him. It’s one thing to play competitive games and lose, but Bates was annihilated 51-0 by a Trinity team that by all accounts has been a massive disappointment this season. Without a doubt, Trinity could have scored 60+ given that they were already ahead 51-0 at the end of the fourth quarter. The offense is completely stagnant with no identity whatsoever; the ‘Cats are dead last in total offense (225 ypg) and feature a passing “attack” that is limited to quick slants and bubble screens. The running game hasn’t been terrible, but against the Bantams, the Bobcats had 26 rushing attempts for…28 yards. All this adds up to an offense that is averaging a touch over 10 ppg, and desperately needs someone to step up. The defense (allowing close to 35 ppg) is feast or famine; it either forces a turnover (5th in the ‘CAC with 8 combined turnovers) or gives up a touchdown. What’s worse is that the defensive line is last in sack production, which correlates to Bates having (by far) the worst pass defense because opposing quarterbacks have all day to throw. 

Bobby Maimaron ‘21 may not be the most prolific passer, but boy does he only need one man to throw to: Frank Stola ‘21. I mentioned a few weeks ago that Stola could very well break multiple single-season records with his performances to date, but the junior has a legitimate case to go down as the greatest wide receiver the league has ever witnessed. With four games remaining this season, Stola is 437 yards away from breaking the record of most receiving yards in a single season, and three touchdowns away from tying the single-season record. Given that he’s averaging 147 ypg and three touchdowns/game, the only thing that will stop Stola and company from wreaking havoc on the Bobcats’ poor secondary is when Coach Raymond pulls his starters midway through the third period with the game so out of hand. I really want to believe in Brendan Costa’s elusiveness and his ability to create something out of nothing, but he just doesn’t have the arm strength for the vertical passing game that I’m sure Coach Hall would love to have. Chalk up another 100+ yard performance for Stola with a couple of touchdowns as the Ephs come out firing from the get-go and cruise to an easy win. 

SS: Williams 42, Bates 7
HC: Williams 34, Bates 6
MK: Williams 35, Bates 0
CC: Williams 41, Bates 13
RM: Williams 42, Bates 7

Writers’ Pick: Williams 

Bowdoin (0-5) @ Tufts (2-3), 1pm, Medford, MA

The Polar Bears may be winless in large part to their atrocious defensive unit (other than their eye-opening performance against Wesleyan) but they’ve shown improvements in their running game. Specifically, Nate Richam-Odoi ‘20 registered his third consecutive 100-yard performance this past Saturday against Amherst; the senior is averaging 5.75 yards per carry over his past three contests, which is good news considering Bowdoin will need their star running back to perform exceptionally against Tufts if they want to spring the upset. The problem with this is that along with the defense, the quarterback position is an absolute mess in Brunswick. After a brutal 2018 season in which he threw just eight touchdowns and 17 interceptions, Austin McCrum ‘21 has shown very little (if any) signs of improvement. He’s only registered two passing touchdowns through their first four games, and after failing to generate any points in the opening quarter against Amherst, McCrum was benched in lue of fellow junior Matthew Marcantano ‘21. Marcantano was not afraid to air it out, but he was careless with the football (two INT’s) and completed just 11 of his 27 passing attempts. 

Whoever Coach Hammer rolls out to start on Saturday will face a Tufts team that is coming off an emotional loss against Wesleyan. Behind a fired-up defense that continuously frustrated Ashton Scott ‘22 and the Cardinals’ offense, the Jumbos took a 10-7 into the fourth quarter. The Cardinals simply had more left in the tank, scoring on three of their four possessions and capped off by a six yard touchdown with six seconds left on the game clock. As valiant of a performance the Jumbos displayed this past Saturday, this is a prime letdown spot for about as inconsistent of a team as there is in the NESCAC this season. They’ve yet to have a game in which both the offense and defense play a complete 60 minutes; against the likes of Trinity and Wesleyan, the Jumbos defense swarmed all over the field, and yet the offense was stuck in the mud. Against Bates, the offense roared out to a sizeable lead, but the defense almost allowed Bates to come from behind and steal a win. Luckily for Tufts, they won’t need a complete performance to beat Bowdoin, but don’t be surprised if this game is closer than the experts think. 

SS: Tufts 28, Bowdoin 13
HC: Tufts 24, Bowdoin 14
MK: Tufts 30, Bowdoin 14
CC: Tufts 34, Bowdoin 14
RM: Tufts 34, Bowdoin 21

Writers’ Pick: Tufts

Colby (0-5) @ Trinity (3-2), 1pm, Hartford, CT

There’s no way to sugarcoat it; Colby should have absolutely beaten Middlebury. It was by far the worst performance the Panthers exhibited all season and it was almost as if they were basically handing the Mules the game, except the Mainers didn’t want it. I’m sure kicker Moises Celaya ‘22 was up all night thinking about how two missed extra points and a missed 32 yard field goal with 22 seconds left cost the Mules their upset bid. Nonetheless, Colby showed improvements on both sides of the ball; signal caller Matt Hersch ‘22 did not have the greatest completion percentage, but he was able to toss a season-high three touchdowns with no interceptions against a very strong secondary. The defense, while allowing Will Jernigan ‘21 to run for 153 yards and three scores of his own, made life miserable in the passing department. Jernigan was held to just 12 completions on 30 attempts, good for a paltry 40%. 

The Bantams marched into Lewiston and put an absolutely whooping on the Bobcats. Seamus Lambert ‘22 tossed for four scores to add to his league-leading 13 touchdown passes, and emerging running back Tijani Harris ‘22 ran for 139 yards and a score of his own. Despite playing in only two games, Harris has surpassed the century mark in both contests and must be viewed as a legitimate weapon on this team. The defense pitched a shutout, although I am more inclined to think that the final score says more about the lack of Bates offense rather than the dominance of the Trinity defense. They did force two turnovers, which was as many as the unit had in their previous four games combined; however, they failed to generate any pressure on the Bates quarterbacks, totaling zero sacks. Given that Trinity has defeated Bates and Bowdoin by a combined score of 112-7, I don’t think the Mules will fair much better come Saturday. I think Trinity keeps the train rolling en route to their third consecutive win, while the Mules continue to lament on what could have been if they had taken down the Panthers last weekend. 

SS: Trinity 38, Colby 14
HC: Trinity 45, Colby 14
MK: Trinity 56, Colby 10
CC: Trinity 42, Colby 7
RM: Trinity 48, Colby 10

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Amherst (4-1) @ Hamilton (2-3), 1pm, Hamilton, NY

Despite being out-snapped 75-55 by the Polar Bears, the Mammoths glided to a comfortable 36-14 win that saw their defense keep the opposition off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Manni Malone ‘22 was impossible to defend, totaling four quarterback hits and a strip sack that resulted in his first touchdown on the season. All in all, Amherst had nine quarterback hits, and the relentless pressure that the front seven brings will force quarterbacks to become jittery in the pocket and lead to errant throws. Ollie Eberth ‘20 had a great performance, completing 71% of his passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Not to get lost in the shuffle of great wide receivers, James O’Regan ‘20 is quietly sitting second in the league in receiving yards and touchdowns. He’ll be ready to torch a secondary that just last week allowed Frank Stola to abuse them all afternoon. 

For the Continentals, their success is predicated on their offensive production. In their two wins against Colby and Bowdoin, Hamilton combined for 82 points; even in their loss to Trinity, they scored a respectable 24 points and gave their defense a chance to win. In their two losses, however, Kenny Gray ‘20 and the rest of the unit failed to eclipse 10 points, and the aforementioned quarterback had four combined interceptions. What’s more is that Amherst has the third-best run defense in the ‘CAC, which means tough sledding out there for David Kagan ‘20. If the Continentals wish to defeat the Mammoths, their defense will have to make this a grind and keep them out of the end zone. I actually think this one will be close, as Amherst doesn’t boast a prolific offense nor is it explosive. In the end, however, Amherst’s season is essentially over with a loss, and they still have hope that Wesleyan can usurp Middlebury and make the title race a bit more wide open. The Mammoths sneak out a win, and although both offenses will struggle early, O’Regan will prove to be the difference maker. 

SS: Amherst 28, Hamilton 17
HC: Amherst 31, Hamilton 17
MK: Amherst 28, Hamilton 10
CC: Amherst 31, Hamilton 20
RM: Amherst 27, Hamilton 21

Writers’ Pick: Amherst

Wesleyan @ Middlebury, 1pm, Middlebury, VT

This is our game of the week so I’ll keep it short. Everyone knows that if Middlebury beats Wesleyan on Saturday, the Championship is basically theirs. With remaining games against Bowdoin, Hamilton and Tufts, Middlebury would have to lose two of those three in order to fall out of the top spot. Wesleyan knows that the road ahead is extremely tough even if they end up beating Midd, but a win would shake up the entire conference, something that all of us (including me) wants to see. I really want to take the Cardinals, but after struggling with Jumbos I just don’t think they have the talent to compete for 60 minutes with the upper echelon NESCAC schools. Combined with the wake up call the Panthers received in their scare against Colby, I feel like it’s more likely the home team makes a statement Saturday afternoon. If the Cardinals do pull off the shocker, however, it will be because their defense stymies the Panthers’ ground game and forces Jernigan to throw the ball way more than he would like to. 

SS: Middlebury 28, Wesleyan 21
HC: Middlebury 21, Wesleyan 17
MK: Middlebury 24, Wesleyan 17
CC: Middlebury 27, Wesleyan 24
RM: Middlebury 27, Wesleyan 13

Writers’ Pick: Middlebury

Now It’s Getting Good: Stock Report 10/15

Last week’s slate of games offered one more competitive contest than most of us expected. In the 6 o’clock nightcap, Wesleyan’s Matthew Simco ’22 managed a last second 29 yard touchdown catch to take down Tufts in our Game of the Week. This is the second week in a row that the Cardinals have managed a win by a score of 20-13. They’ll need their offense to be more explosive moving forward, as every team remaining on their schedule is better than every team they’ve played so far. This would normally be the most exciting game of any week had winless Colby not played the game of their season. They traveled up to Middlebury having lost every game by at least 14 points with expectations at rock bottom. Something about playing the top dog must have fired the Mules up, though, because they came right out and took an early 13-0 lead. Once Middlebury woke up and realized it wasn’t in their best interest to get blown out by a winless team, they got Will Jernigan ’21 cooking with three touchdown runs in the process of taking a 27-13 lead. Colby would still not back down- they recovered a fumble in the Middlebury endzone with only an extra point needed to tie! However this, extra point was missed…along with a 32-yarder in the final seconds that would have all but won it for the Mules. Two missed extra points and a missed field goal only add to the pain of a one-point loss that could have been easily the biggest upset of the season. While it would have been nice to see one of the two undefeated teams fall in the final seconds last week, last week’s results set up a matchup of these two undefeateds that is sure to be a great barometer for both Middlebury and Wesleyan. 

Stock Up

Williams WR Frank Stola

Stola has easily been the league’s best wideout since the start of the season. He has recorded at least a touchdown every game, and has had only one game with fewer than 100 yards receiving. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he has multiple four-touchdown performances and has averaged at least 18 yards per catch in every game. Not only does he lead the league in receiving yards and touchdowns, he has twice as many TDs as the next guy and averages 147 receiving yards per game while nobody else is even in triple digits. He was most recently seen lighting up Hamilton for 168 yards and 4 touchdowns on his way to NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Those are the kind of numbers that will vault you into Williams and NESCAC lore for years to come. Expect Stola to have another monster performance this week against a porous Bates secondary. 

Middlebury’s Luck 

I don’t mean to say that Middlebury doesn’t deserve to be on top of the standings right now. They are clearly a much improved team this year; they have played to their strengths and Coach Ritter deserves substantial credit for squeezing this record out of a roster that probably doesn’t have the most talent in the league. They also clearly have a knack for winning close games. But let’s look at some of their wins. They beat a Trinity team that suddenly lost its starting running back the week before the game. They got the ball first in overtime against Amherst and threw an interception on the second play. Even more fortunately, Colby left five points on the board via missed kicks and gave away a win they really should have had this past Saturday. If all those outcomes hadn’t gone Middlebury’s way, the standings would be painting a very different picture right now. Give the Panthers credit, because they still needed to do a lot of things right to beat Amherst, Williams, and Trinity. However, I think they have gotten some bounces in their direction and would not be able to beat all three of these teams twice in a row. We will see if Midd will need to continue to squeak out close games or if they win more convincingly- if the latter happens for the rest of the season, I will be a believer that they are the best in the NESCAC this year. 

Trinity RB Tijani Harris

One of the more perplexing storylines of the season is how Trinity has lost two games despite being ranked first in both total offense and total defense. The answer to that question has a lot to do with penalties and turnovers, but there’s a reason the Bantams continue to dominate a lot of the right categories. Whether or not they win every game, Trinity’s talent just seems to run deeper than other teams year in and year out. Harris is a great example of that. He came in as the third string running back behind fellow sophomores Spencer Lockwood ’22 and Draquan Jones ’22 and barely saw action as a freshman. When both of those guys went down, Harris immediately stepped in and produced against Hamilton with 115 yards and one touchdown in what ended up being a one-touchdown game. He then continued to ball out with 139 yards and another score against Bates this past weekend. Other teams would be in a huge hole if their top two backs went down, but it’s next man up in Hartford. Harris is a great reminder that there are usually guys riding the bench at Trinity, Williams etc that may have been studs (or at least contributors) on weaker NESCAC teams. With Seamus Lambert ’22 playing better and plenty of offensive weapons at his disposal, it will be interesting to see what kind of damage Harris and the Bantams can do against the meat of their schedule at the end of the season.  

Stock Down

Hamilton Defense 

The Continentals have allowed 399, 419, and 380 yards of offense in their last three games. They have also allowed at least 24 points in every game and have played two out of the three CBB teams. Hamilton’s offense has talent, but is not good enough to keep up with some of the crazy totals the defense is allowing. There was talk of All-NESCAC LB Tyler Hudson ’19 returning for a redshirt year after he missed his senior season last year with an injury, but he is gone and the Continentals have continued to feel his loss. Most recently, they allowed four touchdowns to Williams WR Frank Stola ’21. If one guy alone accounts for more than double your entire team’s scoring output, there’s a problem. Hamilton is not yet ranked in the bottom three in total defense thanks to their confidence-boosting CBB friends, but the way they’ve been giving up scores lately has made it tough for the Continentals to stay competitive. 

Kickers

Everyone knows these guys have a high pressure job, but some of the NESCAC’s kickers look like they’re eyeing a tryout for the Chicago Bears. Most obviously, Colby’s Moises Celaya ’22 was 2 for 4 on extra points last weekend and missed his only field goal attempt, a 32-yarder in the final seconds that would have given the Mules a massive first win and the Panthers an even more massive first loss. The fact that all these points were left on the board makes Colby’s loss all the more gut-wrenching for NESCAC fans hoping for the upset. In the other close game of the weekend, Tufts’ Matt Alswanger missed two field goals in another one-score game. This is even tougher to stomach when you consider that his counterpart, Wesleyan’s Mason Von Jess ’23, was perfect on two field goals and two extra points, swinging the game in the Cardinals’ direction. Amherst is 5-10 on field goals this season, and Bates has not even attempted one…the Bobcats are 1 for 5 on extra points, so they may want to get a hang of those before they start going for 50 yarders. Clearly, great kickers are hard to come by in D3 football. But it may be in some of these schools’ best interest to send a football coach to the soccer team’s practices, because a lot of the league’s current kickers aren’t getting it done when it counts. 

Are We Really Doing This?: Week 4 Power Rankings

(1) 1. Middlebury (4-0)

Well I guess this thing might really happen. With a thrilling 2 OT win at Pratt Field over Amherst on Saturday, Middlebury has stormed to the front of the pack, 4-0 with wins over Williams, Trinity, and Amherst before Columbus Day Weekend. An Amherst win would’ve left them, Middlebury, Williams, and Wesleyan in the title discussion, but now it feels like really just Middlebury—unless you think Wesleyan can beat the 5 best teams in the league that are left on their schedule. Middlebury looks primed to run the table, but I wouldn’t hand them the title just yet—being a turnover prone team without an overwhelming amount of offensive talent leaves them susceptible to upset bids.

(2) 2. Amherst (3-1)

A brutal game for Amherst, who will feel absolutely heartbroken after needing just 3 points to beat Midd at the end of the 1st OT. The reality is that this was Middlebury’s game to lose for nearly the whole afternoon. They punched Amherst in the mouth and stormed off to a 21-0 1st quarter lead, before succumbing to a classic case of playing not to lose, combined with a few bad turnovers. Credit to Amherst for coming all the way back and taking a 28-21 lead, but they couldn’t stop Midd all day, who carved them up for 469 yards of total offense and would have won at the end of regulation if not for a mind-blowingly bad decision by Coach Ritter to pass on 2 nd and 5 inside the 10 with one of the best kickers in the league, and an equally bad pass by Middlebury QB Will Jernigan ’21. The biggest question for Amherst going forward is how are they going to be able to run the ball and pick up easy yards on the ground? On Saturday they were actually okay, 44 carries as a team for 191 yards, but at the start of the game they were nowhere to be found, which forced them to try to get back in the game behind the arm of QB Ollie Eberth ’20, which is not his strength (4 INT). Amherst needs to establish the run early so that Eberth can manage the game and the defense can protect the lead, but they have yet to find Jack Hickey’s replacement.

(4) 3. Williams (3-1)

A weird win for Williams, who led 17-0 at half against Colby, and won by the same score. Colby punted or turned the ball over on literally every single possession, which raises a lot of questions of Coach Jack Cosgrove. The Ephs seemed content to do exactly what they did last week against Bowdoin—running the ball down their opponent’s throats (37 carries, 227 yards), keeping Maimaron clean, and letting their defense, which just might be the league’s best, hang onto the lead. If they could’ve gotten one more stop against Middlebury, they’d probably be #1 right now. The schedule doesn’t get much tougher the next two weeks—both home games against Hamilton and Bates, but unfortunately the championship train might have already left the station.

(3) 4. Wesleyan (4-0)

A real ugly win for Wesleyan, 20-13 against a pitiful Bowdoin team. In hindsight, this was an obvious trap game for the Cardinals. Having already played Hamilton, Colby, and Bates, a week away from starting to play actual football teams, traveling to Brunswick was probably the last thing they wanted to do. They also had a goal line fumble and some other bad breaks that made this a closer game than it should have, but all those excuses aside, being tied 13-13 to Bowdoin with 5 minutes left is not something that should be ignored. Despite being 4-0, we still know nothing about this team because of their schedule—outside of the fact that QB Ashton Scott ’22 has shown glimpses of being able to somewhat fill QB Mark Piccirillo’s shoes. I would be surprised if this team won more than 5 or 6 games.

(6) 5. Trinity (2-2)

Another unconvincing week for the Bantams, who squandered a chance to return home and make a statement about how talented they are. Yes, a win is still a win, but 31-24 against Hamilton is not much to write home about. The game was not as close as the score indicated, Trinity outgained Hamilton 419-256, but regardless, doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. The offense just seems like it’s missing that extra sparkle it had last year, despite the fact that we finally saw Girard and Schofer (5 catches each, 90 yards each, 3 TDs combined) click in the same week, and the emergence of RB Tijani Harris ’22 (25 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD) while Spencer Lockwood ’22 continues to be away from the team. They have the best run defense in the league, as David Kagan (14 carries, 18 yards) found out, and they obviously are not going to be a team that anybody overlooks on their schedule, but for whatever reason this just might not the same Trinity we’re used to seeing.

(7) 6. Tufts (2-2)

Meh. I mean, flip a coin on this one between Tufts and Hamilton. What’s more impressive, losing to Trinity on the road by 7, or beating Bates by 5? Bates had scored 25 points in their first 3 games combined, and then put up 28 on Tufts, but to be fair, it was 33-14 before Bates grabbed 2 consolation scores. In all honesty, I think we’ve been way too harsh on the Jumbos. Their first 3 games were against Trinity, Williams, and Amherst, and they managed to come out at 1-2, winning at home and losing on the road. The win against Trinity really screwed with our expectations and perception of this team, but the reality is that this was always going to be a bridge year while they dealt with some key losses. I think Jacob Carroll ’20 is a solid quarterback who had a pair of bad outings against Williams and Amherst on the road. This quarterback and this team are going to get better every week and will still finish with a winning record. They need to find a way to run the ball better so that Carroll can settle in a little, but they have an emerging group of receivers and a great core of linebackers to rely on defensively. The secondary is brutal, but it might not matter with most of the teams left on their schedule.

(5) 7. Hamilton (2-2)

It’s starting to feel like another 3-6 year for Hamilton, if we’re being completely honest. Good enough to beat the CBB, good enough to get respect from everybody else, but not good enough to ever actually give those teams a scare. And I don’t say that because they lost by 7 in Hartford to the 3 team league champs, I say that more because I disagree with the fact that they were ranked 5th last week. QB Kenny Gray ’20 is dead last in the league with a 49.5% completion percentage, and I still need a bigger sample size to give you a better opinion about RB David Kagan ’20, who rushed for 18 yards on 14 carries against Trinity, the 3rd week in a row his carries, rushing yards, and yards per carry have decreased.

(8) 8. Colby (0-4)

Colby stays at 8th for what feels like the 1000th week in a row, but it feels like that gap between 8 and 9 might be shrinking. Credit to the Mules for holding a potent Williams offense to 17 points, but if you watched the second half of that game, it was pretty clear the Ephs called off the dogs at intermission. What’s more concerning to me is the fact that Colby never really showed any ambition in winning the game, and that blame should be directed at the coaching staff. They had the ball on 4th and 10 with 6 minutes to go, down 17-0, on the Williams 48 yard line, and punted! They punted down 17-0 in enemy territory, with 6 minutes left. What is that?! What kind of message are you sending to your team, and more specifically your sophomore ROY QB Matt Hersch ’22? Pretty hard to win any games with an attitude like that.

(9) 9. Bates (0-4)

As previously mentioned, Bates had scored 25 points in its first 3 weeks, but then managed to put 28 on the board in week 4 against Tufts. It was nice to see them hang around and be somewhat competitive in a game against a solid team, although it was 33-14 in the 4th quarter. While there are obviously a number of concerns with this team, it is a big red flag that they can’t seem to make their mind up about their offensive philosophy. After throwing the ball 71 times in the first 2 weeks, they returned to their option offense for week 3 and threw the ball 8 times. Last week, it was the air attack again, throwing 29 times. Unless they saw something on film that they really liked against Wesleyan in Week 3, you would like to see a first year coach prioritize the process over the results.

(10) 10. Bowdoin (0-4)

A real tough one for Bowdoin, who had every bit of interest in shocking Wesleyan, but just came up short in a 20-13 loss. While they have RB Nate Richam-Odoi ’20 and his big play potential (59 yard TD run), they will (theoretically) have a chance to strike quick with a big play of two, but the defense was probably the most exciting part of this game. After allowing an average of a whopping 46.3 points a week through their first 3 games, they held Wesleyan to just 20. If you’re a team and a program like Bowdoin, you have to find the silver lining.