Tag: Zack Trause

Week 2 Game of the Week: Tufts at Bates

Mark Riley a' against Mike Stearns is a good one to watch. Courtesy of Tufts University
Mark Riley ’16 against Mike Stearns ’17 is a good one to watch. Courtesy of Tufts University

Game Info: Saturday, Oct. 3, 1:30 PM at Garcelon Field in Lewiston, Maine

As two 4-4 teams last season, both Bates and Tufts head into this season fighting for the last spot among the league’s upper half. While the top four teams seem to be heads above the rest, Bates and Tufts – along with Williams, who looked strong last week against Bowdoin – offer the best chance out of the rest of the NESCAC to close the ever-widening gap between the 4th and 5th place teams.

The focus for the Bobcats this season has to be on improving their passing game from last season, in which they ranked 10th in yards per game (124.0) and total yards (992). With the graduation of QB Matt Cannone ’15, who threw nine interceptions on the year, Patrick Dugan ’16 takes the reins under center. Seeing as the passing attack of the Bobcats is still trying to figure out their identity, much of the offensive production is still in the hands of slotback Shaun Carroll ’16, who ran for 107 yards in last week’s game versus Amherst.

The Tufts locker room could not be feeling better about where they are, coming off a season that ended their long losing streak, and already starting 2015 with a win under their belt (24-21 in OT vs Hamilton). RB Chance Brady ’17 rushed out of the gates this season, providing his team with 117 yards and two touchdowns on the day, which was by far his best game since becoming a Jumbo. Alex Snyder ’17 did just enough in last week’s win, not turning the ball over once, and throwing for a modest but respectable 188 yards (8.2 yards per completion).

Last Meeting:

The Jumbos, down 13-17 at halftime, went on to score 29 points in the second half, making what seemed like a close game a 42-24 trouncing. While Tufts QB Jack Doll ’15 torched the Bates secondary, throwing for 267 yards and three touchdowns, the real story of the Jumbos’ offensive outburst lay in the special teams play of Zack Trause ’15. In what seemed to be a close 24-23 game late in the third quarter, Trause broke it open with an 82-yard kickoff return, and then a 49-yard punt return, both for touchdowns, making it a 35-24 Tufts lead with 14:02 left in the game. While the Bobcats had plenty of time to carve into this 11-point lead, Doll put an exclamation point on the game with a three-yard touchdown pass to Jack Cooleen ’16.

Not to take away any credit from the Tufts’ return game, which proved to us that special teams is in fact 1/3 of football, the 42-24 score did not completely tell the whole story. Bates did have a lead with little time left in the third quarter, and had sufficient time to build on that lead had their special teams defense held strong. Seeing as both teams ended the year 4-4, it’s obvious that this game held a lot of weight in determining which team rounded out the upper half of the NESCAC, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes down to a head-to-head tiebreak again this season.

Tufts X-factor: Wide Receiver Mike Rando ’17

The strong rushing attack of Brady and the Tufts Jumbos is no longer a surprise, so expect the Bobcats defense to limit Brady’s ability to get into the second level of defense by loading the box on Saturday. What Bates will really want to test is the passing attack of Alex Snyder. Who does Tufts have for Snyder to throw to? Junior receiver Mike Rando seems to be a hot pick for a game-changer in this game. While six receptions for 53 yards isn’t the most efficient performance, we know that Snyder will be looking to throw to a receiver he’s comfortable with. In addition, Rando could prove to be a threat in the return game, because, as the Bobcats know all too well, Tufts returners can provide a spark late in the game.

Bates X-factor: Quarterback Patrick Dugan ’16

It’s not often that a quarterback is chosen to be an x-factor, but in this case I think the play of Dugan will dictate how this game ends up for the Bobcats. In his first collegiate start this past week against Amherst, Dugan proved that he could stay composed and not turn the ball over, even against the formidable secondary of the Lord Jeffs, who led the league in INTs last season (17). While 117 yards isn’t a lot, Dugan completed 11 of his 16 passing attempts, averaging 7.3 yards per completion. After holding his own against the best defense in the league, I expect Dugan’s confidence will be on display this Saturday starting for the hometown crowd for the first time.

Prediction: Bates 24 – Tufts 17

If there’s one thing that Bates players have not forgotten from last season, it’s their loss to Tufts last year. The last thing the Bobcats want to see is Tufts marching into Lewiston and walking out sitting pretty at 2-0. For those of you who think human emotion doesn’t actually make a team play better, and that revenge is not a thing; 1.) you must have never heard of the Patriots and 2.) Statistics play into the Bobcats’ favor this weekend. Take a look:

Last year Tufts was ranked last in the league in passing yards allowed with 225.1 per game. Facing a quarterback who just saw the best secondary in the NESCAC, it’s possible that Dugan will throw a few more passes than usual and it could be a big day for Riley at wideout. Another key stat to look at from last year is that Bates was ranked third in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (102.6). With Chance Brady being Tufts’ best offensive weapon, Alex Snyder and his young receiving core will be expected to carry a bigger load. That being said, last year was last year, and the teams are not the same. Snyder played well in last week’s game against Hamilton, and Brady will certainly not look at a third-ranked rushing defense as an immovable object. All things considered, I believe the stars are in line for a Bobcats win this weekend.

The Jumbos Are Not What They Were: Tufts Season Preview

Zack Trause '15 (#14)is gone, but plenty remains for Tufts. (Courtesy of Kelvin Ma and Tufts University)
Zack Trause ’15 (#14)is gone, but plenty remains for Tufts. (Courtesy of Kelvin Ma and Tufts University)

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

Projected Record: 4–4

Projected Offensive Starters (Eight Returning*)

QB: Alex Snyder ’17
RB: Chance Brady ’17*
WR: Jack Cooleen ’16*
WR: Mike Rando ’17*
WR: Ben Berey ’17*
TE: Nik Dean ’17*
LT: Akene Farmer-Michos ’16*
LG: Tom Gregory ’17
C: TJ Muzzonigro ’17*
RG: Alex Kim ’17
RT: Justin Roberts ’16*

Projected Defensive Starters (Seven Returning*)

DE: Evan Anthony ’17
DT: Ife Adebayo ’16*
DT: Corey Burns ’16*
DE: Tucker Mathers ’17
OLB: Zach Thomas ’18
MLB: Matt McCormack ’16*
OLB: Patrick Williams ’17*
CB: Sebastian Rivera ’17*
SS: Mike Stearns ’17*
FS: Brett Phillips ’18
CB: Junior Arroyo ’16

Offensive MVP: WR/RB Mike Rando ’17

His stats from 2014 don’t scream MVP in part because he was really only healthy for four games last season, so health is one reason for an uptick in production from the junior. The other is that somebody has to replace all of that production now that Zack Trause ’15 is gone. Trause was valuable not as much running the ball but rather his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Chance Brady ’17 is a very talented running back, and he will get most of the rushing opportunities. That being said, he caught only seven passes in 2014, and the Tufts offense calls for a lot of passes to the running back. It seems likely that you will see Rando a good deal not only in the slot, where he will start most games and be a dangerous player, but also lining up next to the quarterback. The point is he will get plenty of touches (including the return game), and he should capitalize on some of them.

Defensive MVP: Linebacker Matt McCormack ’16

We already told you about Mike Stearns ’17, but have ignored the accomplishments of middle linebacker Matt McCormack ’16. As we have noted in the past, the defensive statistics of teams that play fast paced football can be misleading because of the high total number of plays. That doesn’t mean McCormack isn’t an impressive player. He had 88 total tackles in 2014, the most of anyone in the NESCAC. His best game was against Trinity when he tallied 17 tackles (14 of which were solo). He is made to stop the run at the point of the attack, but for him to gain more recognition (he did not make either All-NESCAC team last year), his ability to defend the pass must show improvement.

Biggest Surprise in Camp: QB Jonathan DiBiaso ’18

We have covered the transfer of QBs at Middlebury and Hamilton much more so than Tufts, and that is an oversight on our part primarily because our expectation was that Alex Snyder ’17 would fall comfortably into the starting spot. However, in talking to Coach Jay Civetti, DiBiaso, a transfer from Dartmouth, is making the decision on who will start very difficult. He is a very good pure passer, and has a lot of experience from high school running the spread offense. DiBiaso was a high school star at Everett High School just down the road from Tufts in Massachusetts. At Everett DiBiaso was one of the most decorated QBs in New England, and having him end up at a NESCAC school is a steal. Having also taken a post-graduate year, he is very experienced for someone who has not played at all at college.

Biggest Game: at Hamilton, September 26. 1:00 PM

Sure, Tufts went 4-4 last year, but they still haven’t gotten the monkey off their back that is winning away from Medford. Going to Hamilton and winning there might not seem like a tall task given the Continentals 16 game losing streak, but nobody knows better than Tufts how dangerous a team is when they are hungry for that first win. In many ways Hamilton dominated the game last year nearly totaling the number of first downs Tufts had, and having 199 more total yards than the Jumbos. Yet the Jumbos found a way to win last year—a knack for winning that they displayed in several other games as the year went along. Beating Hamilton to start the season will prove they have that drive in more places than just Medford.

Best Tweet:

Summary: That 4-4 record from last year probably oversells how good of a team Tufts was a year ago. Their offense was above average with the fourth most yards per game in the league, but their defense was still subpar. Overall the Jumbos had a point differential of -5.4. They weren’t competitive in three of their losses, and the loss of Jack Doll ’15 is a significant one to the offense. The schedule isn’t as forgiving since missing Wesleyan this season is not the godsend it was a year ago. They start the season with two road games and have to play heavyweights Amherst, Trinity, and Middlebury all at home. Being it more likely than not that they struggle against these three teams, the Jumbos will have to win three road games to reach .500. In many instances, you might predict a regression for Tufts, but we don’t see that happening.

The biggest reason is simply that the talent on the Tufts roster is better this year than it was a year ago. Most of the starters are back, and the loss of stars like Trause, Doll, and defensive end James Brao is certainly manageable. The Jumbos have more depth than they have had in the past, especially along the offensive line, which has been an Achilles heel for them over the years. Guys like Akene Farmer-Michos ’16 and Justin Roberts ’16 could see All-NESCAC recognition. That is a significant development seeing as Tufts has had one All-NESCAC offensive lineman since 2009. Whoever ends up emerging in the quarterback battle will have a bunch of toys to play with. Besides Rando, Jack Cooleen ’16 and Ben Berey ’16 are both quality wide receivers. Cooleen is 6’5″ and will see most of the deep balls throw by the Tufts’ QB. Berey meanwhile saw his production collapse down the stretch after having 35 catches through five games. Chance Brady ’17 ended the season getting most of the carries, and he will continue to serve that role. Brady is the most physical back that Tufts has had in recent years, and he will help keep linebackers in the box, which will help to open up Tufts’ quick passing game. Honestly, I’ve never seen a team run as many bubble screens as Tufts did last year—if teams can cheat outside on those, they never work.

The defense took the leap to respectability last year, and they could be a league average unit this year. The defensive line was able to cause more pressure than in years past, but much of it came from the departed Brao. Ife Adebayo ’16 and Corey Burns ’16 are both good defensive tackles, but they don’t get into the backfield that regularly. The Jumbos usually play things pretty straight up on defense, not blitzing that often, but they might have to change things up to help out the secondary. That group is led by Stearns, who switches over from corner to safety where he will be asked to help defend the run even more than before. This secondary still allowed the most yards of any team in the NESCAC last year, and in the final game, Matt Milano ’16 made it look like he was throwing against air. The speed is a little better all-around in the back, but this is the team’s greatest weakness entering the season. The linebackers will miss Tommy Meade ’15, but McCormack and Patrick Williams ’17 will ensure that there will be no real drop off.

It was great to watch Tufts storm out of the basement of the NESCAC, and all the players and coaches deserved every second of last season. 2015 brings a lot of new challenges, however. All reports are that the freshman class is a very talented one, and that they could push for playing time in spots soon. The Jumbos cannot afford to get ahead of themselves and take any team for granted, seeing as that 32 losing streak still looms heavily in the background.

Football End-of-Year Awards: The Definitive Edition

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

Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics
Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coach of the Year: EJ Mills (Amherst)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Statistics That Might Surprise You

The Crowd storms the field after Tufts' first win of the season (courtesy of Tufts University)
The Crowd storms the field after Tufts’ first win of the season (courtesy of Tufts University)

Editors Note: This article was co-written by Joe MacDonald and Adam Lamont

Between our statistics page and the wealth of information over at the NESCAC site, a football aficionado can spend hours pouring over statistics if he/she were to feel so inclined. However, most of us don’t have that kind of time to do that type of thing. Fortunately for you, we make it our job to do just that. So here are 10 statistics that don’t jump out but nevertheless tell us a lot about how the conference has been shaking out, and frankly are just plain interesting.

1. Wesleyan Defensive 3rd Down Percentage: 23 percent

This is the lowest mark in the NESCAC by a good deal and is an insanely low percentage in general. The lowest NFL percentage is the Indianapolis Colts at 31.1 percent, and Wesleyan is sixth nationwide in Divison-III for defensive third down percentage. Even in Amherst’s victory over the Cardinals, the Jeffs only converted 3-14 third downs. Primarily responsible for this is the Cardinals all-star secondary which is the best in the NESCAC. Windows simply don’t exist downfield on clear passing downs. Another statistic for how good the Wesleyan secondary is: they are allowing 4.6 yards per passing attempt, the only team allowing fewer than five yards.

2. Williams Tackles For Loss Per Game: 4.33

Coming into the season the expectation was that the William defensive line was its strongest unit, capable of keeping the Ephs in games. After all it was a unit that had 19 sacks in 2013 and returned their three top sack performers this year. But the line has not repeated its production from last year. James Howe ’16 has enjoyed steady play but has not had a single sack after his breakout campaign last year. That has not necessarily been because of offenses focusing on him since nobody else has seen an uptick in production this year. A big reason for Williams’ disappointing season is their inability to make big plays on the defensive front.

3. Hamilton First Downs Allowed Per Game: 15.16

Given the Continentals record of 0-6, it would seem likely that the defense allows a lot of first downs per game, but their defense actually ranks second behind Trinity (13.83) in the category. Maybe they just let up a lot of big plays? That has something to do with it but not a lot as Hamilton is still only fifth in opponents’ yard per game. The reason for it is that the Hamilton defense doesn’t see many plays. Opponents only run 63 plays against them a game, the lowest mark in the NESCAC.

4. Number of Consecutive Years that Middlebury Has Had the NESCAC’s Leading Passer: 6

And Matt Milano ’16 appears ready to make it seven years in a row. Mac Foote ’14 led the league for three years in row after Donnie McKillop ’11 started the streak in 2008. Jesse Warren ’15 is only 64 yards behind Milano and Austin Lommen ’16 is also only 92 yards back. Still those two have to face very tough defenses in their remaining games while Milano has to face Hamilton and Tufts, two defenses that he should be able to exploit. The most likely possibility that keeps Milano from winning the passing crown is if the Panthers get up big early in both games and they run the ball the entire second half.

5. NESCAC Rank of Middlebury’s Top Receiver: Ninth

Last year Middlebury boasted three of the top four receivers in terms of yards, but this year has not seen any one player dominate. Grant Luna ’17 was the number one target the first couple of weeks, but injuries have kept him out the last two games. In his absence Matt Minno ’16, the team’s leading wideout last year, has risen to the occasion with Luna out and supplied five touchdowns in two weeks. Brendan Rankowitz ’15 has been a consistent threat having multiple catches in every game. Those three rank ninth through eleventh in receiving yards. Following them, running back Drew Jacobs ’18 is the safety valve tied for the lead in receptions for Middlebury, and Ryan Rizzo ’17 has come on strong in the past two weeks with 14 catches in place of Luna. Oh, by the way, with the exception of Rankowitz, all of these guys are back next year.

6. Solo Tackles for Mike Stearns ’17 (Tufts): 56

The next closest total in the NESCAC is 41 by Dan Pierce ’16 (Middlebury). What makes it so amazing it is that Stearns plays corner. The Tufts coaches trust his instincts and give Stearns free reign to come up quickly on run plays in order to seal off the edge. Stearns’ ability to avoid blockers and make a sure-handed tackle also helps the Jumbos to send extra pressure up the middle because they know they won’t be burned on the edges. Two things to keep in mind however: firstly, Tufts faces the most plays per team and secondly, Stearns’ solo tackles are likely inflated a little by scorekeepers because they are able to clearly distinguish his plays.

7. Carries for Bowdoin’s Tyler Grant ’17: 162

That’s 134 more carries than the next man on the depth chart, Garrett Thomas ’17, and Grant has accounted for 70 percent of the Polar Bears’ carries in 2014. Grant has 53 more carries than Chudi Iregbulem ’15, who is second in the NESCAC. His six touchdowns are tied for second in the league. And Grant has already surpassed last year’s carry total by 65. Time to give credit where credit is due to this Bowdoin workhorse.

8. Colby’s Field Goal Percentage: 25 percent

Granted, kicker Louw Scheepers ’15 has only attempted four field goals, but he’s still only knocked one through. Funny enough, his make, from 46 yards, was longer than any of his misses (42, 40, 31). Scheepers has been solid on his extra points though, making 11-12. Scheepers miss in OT from 42 last week was the only real significant miss he’s had, but still he could be called on over the final two weeks to make a big kick or two. What’s surprising is that Scheepers was 7-11 on field goals last season, so he’s better than he’s put forward so far.

9. All-Purpose Yards for Tufts’ Zack Trause ’15: 871

Trause leads the league in all-purpose yards, and it’s not particularly close. The utility man averages 145.2 yards per game, while Iregbulem clocks in at second with 122.4. Trause is the league’s leading punt returner and is second in kick return yards (but first in average with 36.4 yards per kick return) in addition to his efforts on the offensive side of the ball.

10. Tufts’ Total Attendance: 10,993

We can’t put too much stock into the recorded attendances for NESCAC football games, because there’s no gates and spectators often come and go. But just have faith in the numbers for a moment. That Tufts has put 3,000 more proverbial butts in the seats than any other team in the NESCAC goes to show how the football culture is shifting in Medford. It also helps if you win.

Fantasy Report – Week 5

The cream has risen to the top. Despite a pair of inactives on my roster, a handful of huge performances added up to the most prolific week of the season for Foye Story which topped Team Lindholm for the second time this year.

In the other matchup, The Bantams put up a monster week of their own, which was crucial because it evened the head-to-head matchup between Meekins and Lamont.

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. Team Lindholm

Why, hello, Mr. Harrington. The Colby sophomore broke out in a big way last week, racking up four touchdowns in the Mules first win of 2014. What’s more, I think I found an answer to my defensive woes. Middlebury’s D destroyed Bates and tallied 31 fantasy points.

Meanwhile, Lindholm’s squad put up a healthy 117 points, but almost three quarters of that came from Matt Milano ’16, Jay Fabien ’14 and Zack Trause ’14. The rest of Lindholm’s roster was pretty unproductive, and a few roster moves are in order as he’s got some non-factors from a fantasy standpoint (whether for reasons related to injury or otherwise) still in his starting lineup.

Foye Story (MacDonald) Team Lindholm
Position Player Points Player Points
QB G. Harrington 37 M. Lippe 10
QB H. Foye 22 M. Milano 38
RB A. Scyocurka 6 K. Adinkra 0
RB C. Iregbulem 0 R. Hislop 0
RB C. Brady 8 J. Semonella 0
WR G. Luna 0 H. Murphy 0
WR S. Kiesel 18 J. Hurwitz 10
WR M. Minno 21 J. Fabien 24
TE B. Kurtz 1 J. Day 1
FLEX J. Hurdle-Price 5 Z. Trause 25
FLEX D. Jacobs 6 M. Budness 3
K I. Fuchs 6 M. Dola 3
D/ST Middlebury 31 Williams 3
161 117

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

It was a tough week for Lamont’s squad, in part because his attempted waiver claim that would have replaced the injured LaDarius Drew ’15 in his lineup was blocked by yours truly. Scoreless games from Pat Donadio ’15 and Mark Riley ’16 really hurt as well, and solid production up and down the lineup for Meekins’ squad was too much for the Fellowship.

The Bantams (Meekins) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship
Position Player Points Player Position
QB J. Warren 25 M. Cannone 6
QB M. Caputi 4 J. Doll 22
RB K. Gibson 14 T. Grant 6
RB G. Ackley 8 C. Lipani 0
RB N. Kelly 26 L. Drew 0
WR G. Garay 9 B. Ragone -1
WR I. Dugger 6 L. Duncklee 24
WR C. Ragone 10 M. Riley 0
TE D. Von Euw 0 A. Way 7
FLEX J. McGonagle 0 P. Donadio 0
FLEX D. Sime 10 M. Rando 2
K P. Nwosu 16 Scheepers 2
D/ST Trinity 7 Wesleyan 5
125 73
Tyler Grant is brought down by Trinity's Spencer Donahue. How representative of The Bantams' (Meekins) domination of The Fellowship is this? Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)
Tyler Grant is brought down by Trinity’s Spencer Donahue. How representative of The Bantams’ (Meekins) domination of The Fellowship is this?
Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)

With only one week remaining in the regular fantasy season, the standings are as such:

Team Record Points
Foye Story (MacDonald) 4 – 1 526
The Bantams (Meekins) 2 – 3 473
Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont) 2 – 3 414
Team Lindholm 2 – 3 385

 

Mid-Season Awards – The Definitive Edition

Four weeks gone, four to go, and a whole lot of fun still to be had. The time has come to recognize a few of the players, coaches, and even teams  that have been living it up in the first half. And by living it up we mean making the NESCAC their own personal fiefdoms. Little fiefdoms where they carve up the opposition with the help of their teammates

Alright we’ll stop with the fiefdoms thing and get onto the awards.

Offensive Player of the Year: Running Back Chudi Iregbulem ’15 (Trinity)

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Courtesy of Trinity Athletics

Our preseason pick Wesleyan’s LaDarius Drew ’15 might be out for the entire season because of a foot injury, and Iregbulem has emerged from obscurity to be the clear winner at the halfway point. Well, not completely from obscurity, considering we did tab him as our dark horse contender before the year started. He ran for 137 yards in 2013, and came within three yards of that in his first game alone. He averaged “only” 84 yards the next two weeks before busting out for 184 yards and four touchdowns against Tufts on Saturday. The senior from Torrance, California waited his turn behind Evan Bunker ’14 and Ben Crick ’14 until this year. That is the way that Trinity works. They lose somebody, it’s next guy up every time. If Iregbulem keeps up his play, he will do something Bunker never did, win Offensive Player of the Year.

Consider this award also recognition for the Trinity offensive line that is the best in the league.

Also Considered: Jack Doll ’15 (Tufts), Jesse Warren ’15 (Wesleyan), Mark Riley ’16 (Bates), Alex Scyocurka ’14 (Williams), and Tyler Grant ’17 (Bowdoin)

Defensive Player of the Year: Safety Ryan Newson ’15 (Bates)

Courtesy of Bates Athletics
Courtesy of Bates Athletics

Newson is another player who has stepped into big shoes and in some ways out performed his predecessor. Andrew Kukesh ’14 was an All-NESCAC player multiple times for Bates, and the Bobcats have found a replacement just as good. Newson is one of three players to have four interceptions already, and he is also making a lot of tackles from his safety position. His 37 total tackles (24 solo) place him ninth in the league. The Bates staff knew what they had last year when they decided to move Kukesh to linebacker for  some games and get Newson on the field as much as possible. The Bates defense has played very well keeping the Bobcats in games despite their 1-3 record.

Also Considered: Jake Bussani ’14 (Wesleyan), Jaymie Spears ’16 (Amherst), Mike Stearns ’17 (Tufts), Addison Pierce ’17 (Middlebury), and Paul Johnson ’17 (Amherst)

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

Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics
Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics

Every year this is the most wide-open race, and we don’t even try to predict it before the season begins because coaches are loathe to reveal which freshmen will be big time performers before the season begins. Jacobs has lapped every other freshman in terms of production in the first half. He is seventh in the NESCAC in total rushing yards, but he really makes his mark in the receiving game as a running back. Jacobs has the fourth most yards from scrimmage in the NESCAC. He has brought some shiftiness to the Middlebury running game that has helped the offense become more balanced. This is the race most likely to change given that freshman usually see increased playing time in the second half as they gain more practice reps.

Also Considered: Reece Foy ’18 (Amherst), Drew Korn ’18 (Bates), Zach Altneu ’18 (Hamilton), Mbasa Mayikana ’18 (Colby), Bryan Vieira ’18 (Trinity), and Andrew Sisti ’18 (Bowdoin)

Special Teams Player of the Year : Kick Returner Zack Trause ’15 (Tufts)

Courtesy of Tufts Athletics
Courtesy of Tufts Athletics

Nobody else has been as dynamic as Trause in the open field through one half of the year. He ranks second in the nation in kickoff return average at 39.6 yards per return and third in the nation in punt return average at 22.4 yards per return.. His game of the year came against Bates when he returned both a kickoff and punt for a touchdown to propel Tufts to their exciting victory. He has come close to two other touchdowns as well with the kicker bringing him down once both against Bowdoin and then last week against Trinity. Teams might start to kick away from him given his proficiency and tendency to make teams pay every time they do.

Also Considered: Joe Mallock ’15 (Williams), Michael Dola ’15 (Middlebury), David Kurey ’15 (Bates), and Devon Carillo ’17 (Wesleyan)

Coach of the Year: Jay Civetti (Tufts)

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Courtesy of Tufts Athletics

No story has been better than Tufts in the first half of the NESCAC season. The Jumbos broke out from their 31-game losing streak with two straight wins to begin the season. Both games at home saw capacity crowds in Medford. The first win was a great moment for Tufts, but Civetti deserves more credit for turning his team around and getting them ready for their Week 2 game against Bates. That win to bring the Jumbos to 2-0 signaled that real change is afoot at Tufts. Civetti has seen a lot of losing at Tufts, and he is likely to still see a good deal more, but right now the program looks pointed in the right direction with him at the helm.

Also Considered: Mike Whalen (Wesleyan) and EJ Mills (Amherst)

The Halfway Pole – Stock Report 10/13

If you missed it, we recapped every game Saturday in our wrap-up, and now in the Stock Report we get into some hard analysis of the weekend. The top three of Wesleyan, Amherst, and Trinity, had to sweat things out for about a half before their superior depth and skill wore down their opponents attempting big upsets.

With half of the NESCAC season now over, trends are clear. New players are still emerging, and injuries are beginning to really be felt. Here’s your Stock Report.

Stock Up

Quarterback Max Lippe ’15 (Amherst) – After seeing the vast majority of the snaps in 2013, Lippe did not see the field at all in the first three and half games this year. That was until Coach EJ Mills turned to Lippe with the offense unable to generate anything against the Colby defense. The senior responded brilliantly in his first snaps completely changing the look of the Amherst offense. The Jeffs scored four offensive touchdowns in the second half with Lippe going 7-9 for 142 yards and throwing two touchdowns. Mills said that injuries limited Lippe early and that is a big reason why he had not played yet this year, but the senior was still the third quarterback to come off the bench on Saturday behind Alex Berluti ’17 and Reece Foy ’18. From his first throw Lippe looked completely in control, and played some of his finest football at Amherst. The Jeffs have been unable to settle on any QB in the last two years, but the reemergence of Lippe could not have come at a better time. This Saturday Amherst travels to Wesleyan in the biggest game of the season so far.

Courtesy of Megan Robertson (Amherst '15)
Courtesy of Megan Robertson (Amherst ’15)

Wesleyan Defense – We have mostly concentrated on the negatives with Wesleyan because they are not playing at the same level that they were in 2013. Those struggles however have been limited mostly to the offensive side of the ball. The defense is playing as good, if not better than last year. They are allowing the same amount of points, 14.0, and 16.1 (256.6 to 240.5) fewer yards per game compared to last year. Also, they are making more big plays as they are on track to finish with 20 takeaways and 18 sacks (17 takeaways and 15 sacks in 2013). The biggest difference is the three defensive touchdowns they have already recorded. Jake Bussani ’14 has returned two interceptions for scores. And it would be four defensive touchdowns at this point if a block in the back penalty had not negated a Donnie Cimino ’15 interception return on Saturday. The final third of the Wesleyan secondary’s triumvirate, Justin Sanchez ’17, recovered the fumble that led to Wesleyan’s clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter.

https://twitter.com/rebrown37/status/521096119695446016

Running Back Drew Jacobs ’18 (Middlebury) – The Panthers got the thrilling overtime victory over Williams on Saturday, and Jacobs was the player who kept the offense moving. He rushed for 81 yards and caught eight passes for 68 yards. He also caught the tying touchdown pass with under a minute left in the game. Jacobs has been huge for a Middlebury team that lost a lot of its talent in the ground game after last year’s starting running back Matt Rea graduated and dual threat Joey Zelkowitz ’17 decided not to play this year and focus on lacrosse. The Marblehead, MA native leads the Panthers in rushing yards and is second in receptions and yards. Middlebury has shown much more commitment to the running game.  Jonathan Hurvitz ’17 also carried the ball 18 times on Saturday and it looks like Middlebury has found two backs they can rely on and keep fresh.

Stock Down

Receiver Mark Riley ’16 (Bates) – We don’t associate great receivers with run-heavy Bates, but Riley brought consecutive games of more than a 140 receiving yards into Saturday. Then the Wesleyan secondary shut him out holding him to no yards. Riley was working without his starting QB Matt Cannone ’15. Backup Patrick Dugan ’16 performed admirably filling in, but Wesleyan made it a point of emphasis not to let Riley behind them and make big plays. Without Riley to lead the passing game, the Bates offense only mustered 164 yards. Despite not getting any yards on Saturday, Riley still leads the NESCAC in receiving yards with 349 – 77 more than anyone else.

Bowdoin Special Teams – When Tyler Grant ’17 showed off some top end speed to go 39 yards and put the Polar Bears up 30-17 with 2:06 remaining in the game, it looked over in Clinton. Then Amman Weaver ’18 took the kickoff 85 yards to bring Hamilton back to within one score. Then Bowdoin couldn’t keep Hamilton from blocking a punt with under 15 seconds left to give the Continentals one last chance at the victory. Those few mishaps nearly wiped out another good performance from the Bowdoin offense. Grant and Dan Barone ’16 have emerged as go-to playmakers for the Polar Bears who are now back to .500 after sneaking out the victory over the Continentals

Teams that Kick to Zack Trause ’15 (Tufts) – Will NESCAC teams ever learn? Trause is a beast in the return game, and letting him get the ball in space is asking for a big play for Tufts. Trause only touched the ball twice on special teams Saturday, but one was a 77 yard punt return. DON’T KICK HIM THE BALL! The schemes that Tufts runs on these returns are also top notch as they give a lot of misdirection. It did not make a big difference in the game Saturday because the Trinity run game once again showed that stopping it might require a brick wall being installed on the field. Still, teams should stop giving Trause any chances. If they do try to, don’t be shocked if Tufts starts to do crazy things like lateral the ball back to him if it’s a pooch kick.

Contenders All Survive – Saturday Wrap-up

Well, we watched a good twelve hours of sports yesterday that made us remember why we love October so much (how was your Saturday?). The first five hours were spent with a NESCAC game (or a few) streaming on a computer. We said it would be a somewhat boring day so of course two of the crazier games this year happened. Here is your wrap-up.

Bowdoin (2-2) 30, Hamilton (0-4) 24

The first game of the day was a wild one at the end. The teams scored 22 points in the final 2:24 with three attempted onside kicks and a Hail Mary to boot. The craziness started when, after a Hamilton TD made it 22-17,  the Continentals recovered an onside kick, only to see it erased by an offsides penalty. Bowdoin managed to recover the next attempt and Tyler Grant ’17 scored two plays later to put Bowdoin up 30-17 with 2:06. Then Amman Weaver ’18 took the ensuing kickoff back to the house, but Bowdoin once again recovered the onside kick attempt. Bowdoin had to punt with under 30 seconds left and saw Hamilton block it to take over at the Bowdoin 27 yard line with nine seconds left. Bowdoin finally clinched it when Dan Johnson ’15 intercepted Chase Rosenberg ’17 in the end zone with three seconds left.

Bowdoin has a complete game recap or you can watch the entire game on the Hamilton stream. Start it at the 2:48:00 mark to see the end of game craziness.

Wesleyan (4-0) 24, Bates (1-3) 10

The Cardinals sweated this game out as the Bobcats proved to be worthy adversaries despite playing without their starting quarterback Matt Cannone. Wesleyan struggled to move the ball on the ground except in the wildcat as Devon Carillo ’17 gained 92 of their 143 yards as the wildcat quarterback. This was a 17-10 game in the fourth quarter before Wesleyan converted a short field off of a fumble recovery into a touchdown on a screen from Jesse Warren ’15 to Jay Fabien ’15. The Bates website has a full recap and photos from the game.

Amherst (4-0) 35, Colby (0-4) 10

This was a 3-0 game in favor of Colby after one half, but quarterback Max Lippe ’15 entered the game for his first appearance of the season and changed the Amherst offense. After a Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn ’16 interception, Lippe entered and on his first attempt completed a 68 yard pass to Brian Ragone ’16 to set up the first Amherst touchdown. From that point on Amherst rolled with a Ned Deane ’15 interception return for a touchdown to make it 28-10 on the first play of the fourth quarter essentially ending it. For Colby, the game was like a broken record of their entire first half where they stayed close for a while before fading late. Amherst has a complete game recap or you can watch highlights featuring analysis from Head Coach EJ Mills below.

Trinity (4-0) 35, Tufts (2-2) 14

We came within one point of exactly nailing this score (we had Trinity 34-Tufts 14), as the Bantams used a big second quarter to move past Tufts. The Jumbos took the lead after another long Zack Trause ’15 punt return led to a short touchdown, but after that Trinity’s run game took over. Chudi Iregbulem ’15 led the way with 184 yards and four touchdowns. The home winning streak for Trinity now stands at 53 games. A fake punt pass from Michael Budness ’15 to Bryan Vieira ’18 helped give Trinity their second touchdown and the lead they would never relinquish.

Here is the full game recap.

Middlebury (2-2) 23, Williams (1-3) 20

The last game of the afternoon was also the closest as it took overtime to decide this one. The first half was a defensive battle with another 3-0 score, this one in favor of Williams. The Panther defense, like they have done all year, got Middlebury going with a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Will Bain ’15. Williams was up a touchdown late in the fourth quarter but could not close the game out on offense giving the Panthers back the ball with a little over two minutes remaining. That was all the time Matt Milano ’16 and company needed to tie up the game. In overtime Williams got the ball first and stalled inside the five yard line before settling for a field goal. A beautiful pass from Milano to Brendan Rankowitz ’15 won it for Middlebury and sent the entire Panthers team into the end zone in celebration.

Complete game recap and photos can be found if you follow the link.

Week Three Power Rankings

After week one we had our knee-jerk Power Rankings that put Williams as the number one team in the NESCAC…yikes. Well after three weeks the NESCAC has become much more clear so it is time to take another look.

Our full weekend preview won’t be out until first thing Saturday morning so check back in for that.

1. Trinity (3-0)- Last week the Bantams played well below their capabilities and still beat Hamilton by 12. The Bantams are the most talented team in the NESCAC up and down the roster. The offensive line punished teams while the defense makes big plays. We won’t know really how good they are until they finish against Middlebury, Amherst, and Wesleyan.

2. Wesleyan (3-0)- In the first four games of 2013 the Cardinals beat opponents by an astonishing 35.3 points per game. Through three games the margin of victory has been (only) 17 points per game so they have not shown the same type of dominance. They miss LaDarius Drew ’15 who could possibly miss the rest of the year because of a foot injury.

3. Amherst (3-0)- We have said it before, but this is basically the same team as last year. The defense carries them and the offense relies on big plays to score points. Alex Kelly ’17 has emerged as the workhorse back, but once again the QB position is in limbo with Reece Foy ’18 pushing for time behind starter Alex Berluti ’17.

4. Middlebury (1-2)- Two close loses at home have knocked the Panthers out of the conference race early, but they are still a very good team. The defense was almost able to make enough plays to steal the game last week. Matt Milano ’16 was erratic going 9-31 against Amherst. The offense should get back on track against Williams.

5. Tufts (2-1)- The divide between the top four and everybody else is wide. Tufts certainly did not look like the fifth best team on Saturday, but who else can you put here? Zack Trause ’15 was a tackle by the kicker away from another touchdown against Bowdoin and leads the nation in kickoff return average.

6. Bates (1-2)- Injuries are threatening to hurt Bates in the next couple of weeks so head coach Mark Harriman will have to rely on his depth more than usual. The offense has not had nearly the same amount of punch that it did last year though Matt Cannone ’16 has made major strides as a passer.

7. Williams (1-2)- Well the last two weeks did not go as expected for Williams and the calls for Head Coach Aaron Kelton to be fired are as loud as ever. The team has to rally and find a way to recover quickly.

8. Bowdoin (1-2)- An offense that could not get any points on the board looked sharp against Tufts racking up 463 yards. The defense misses the presence of the three starting linebackers from 2013 as the Polar Bears are allowing six yards per play through three games.

9. Hamilton (0-3)- The Continentals deserve credit for keeping the game against Trinity so tight. The defense is playing at a different level this year allowing the second least first downs per game and tallying the second most tackles per loss per game as a unit.

10. Colby (0-3)- Losing Justin Ciero ’16 to transfer was going to hurt, but that does not explain why the defense has suddenly turned into one of the worst in the league. The Mules have to figure out how to make big plays in the passing game happen.