The two remaining east region teams were eliminated in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division 3 football tournament. St. Thomas pounded St. John Fisher 45-10, while two time defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater stopped Salisbury 34-14.
Whitewater built a 17-0 half-time lead in cruising past Salisbury. The Salisbury Gulls had some success running the football, but the option heavy run attack appeared too predictable for the athletic defending national champions. Wisconsin-Whitewater put extra defenders in the box and dared Salisbury to switch to a passing attack, which it did not do while the game was still within reach.
Salisbury's option running game is a ton of fun to watch, especially for old school football fans like me. But you cannot physically overwhelm every football team in the nation. Salisbury's option running game basically states, "We know you know it's coming. You just cannot stop it." That holds true when you are facing a team which is physically slower and smaller. But it back fires against a top tier team. Whitewater prepared to stop the option, and it did.
St. John Fisher's Cinderella playoff run ended in Minnesota to the #4 nationally ranked Tommies of St. Thomas. Ryan Francis had an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for Fisher to pull the Cardinals to within 14-10 late in the first quarter. That was the last time Fisher would score.
St. Thomas looked like a legitimate national championship contender running their record to 13-0. The Tommies have outscored its opponents 131-22 in the 2011 NCAA playoffs. Fisher ran into a buzz saw and did not have enough depth to compete with St. Thomas.
It was a solid run for east teams in the 2011 tournament. Fisher's big win over Johns Hopkins, Kean's destruction of Christopher Newport, and Hobart's near upset of Wesley likely changed a lot of perceptions about the strength of eastern football.
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Empire 8 Activates Beast Mode
Activate beast mode! The Empire 8 flexed its muscle as the premier football conference in eastern region, advancing two teams to the NCAA Division 3 quarterfinals.
Salisbury held off Kean 49-47 in a thrilling triple-overtime victory, while St. John Fisher defeated Delaware Valley 27-14 to upset the undefeated MAC champion.
Salisbury Holds Off Kean
The Salisbury State Sea Gulls (11-1) rolled up 382 yards rushing the football to stop the upset-minded Kean Cougars (10-2). Randal Smedley rushed for 202 yards on 26 carries, and quarterback Dan Griffin added 70 yards on the ground and 57 through the air on only 5 passes.
Tom D'Ambrisi completed 15-of-26 passes for three touchdowns for the Kean Cougars, but was intercepted three times by the Gulls.
Salisbury built a 34-20 lead late in the game, but Kean roared back behind the rushing of Chris Dimicco (20 carries for 155 yards) and the passing of D'Ambrisi. After cutting the score to 34-27, the Kean defense kept Salisbury in check through the fourth quarter.
D'Ambrisi found Matt Pitarresi for a 16-yard pass play to the Salisbury 2-yard line with just 51 seconds to play. On the next play, Darius Kinney rushed for a 2-yard score to tie the game at 34-34 and send it to overtime.
Both teams missed field goals in the first overtime. Kean had an opportunity to win the football game, but had a 31-yard field goal attempt blocked. Brandon Lemon saved Salisbury's season rejecting the Billy Daniels kick.
The teams traded touchdowns in the second overtime. In the third overtime, Randall Smedley rushed for a 2-yard touchdown to put Salisbury ahead 47-41. A Ross Flanigan rush on the two-point conversion play put the Gulls ahead 49-41.
The game appeared over with Kean trailing by eight, and facing a 4th-and-12 from the Salisbury 27-yard line. But D'Ambrisi rolled out to his right, avoided pressure, and threw toward the end zone. Chris Suozzo made an outstanding leaping grab to shock the Salisbury crowd.
With the score 49-47 in favor of Salisbury, the Gulls defense rallied to force a desperation pass from D'Ambrisi into the back of the end zone. The ball fell incomplete, and Salisbury celebrated a thrilling victory.
Cardinals Upset Aggies 27-14
The St. John Fisher Cardinals (10-2) stopped the Delaware Valley Aggies (11-1) 27-14 to advance to the national Elite 8.
It was the second consecutive week the underdog Cardinals beat an undefeated team on the road. Against high scoring offenses Johns Hopkins and Delaware Valley, the Cardinals yielded only 26 point in two weeks.
Backup quarterback Ahmed Hassanien filled in for injured Ryan Kramer, rushing for 196 yards and passing for 93 yards. Sophomore running back Cody Miller added a career-high 145 yards rushing. Wade Kline had a key second half interception for the Cardinals, thwarting a Delaware Valley drive.
The Cardinals never trailed against the young Aggies.
St. John Fisher may have been the last team to get into the tournament, but it is one of the final eight remaining. The victory over Delaware Valley marks the first time Fisher has been to the NCAA quarterfinals since 2007, when it was defeated by Mount Union.
The combined victories by Salisbury and St. John Fisher make a strong statement for the Empire 8 as the strongest eastern conference. Despite disappointing seasons by Alfred and Ithaca, Salisbury and St. John Fisher carried the conference into the playoffs, and eliminated the top teams from the MAC, NEFC, Centennial Conference, and NJAC to advance to the national quarterfinals.
Salisbury held off Kean 49-47 in a thrilling triple-overtime victory, while St. John Fisher defeated Delaware Valley 27-14 to upset the undefeated MAC champion.
Salisbury Holds Off Kean
The Salisbury State Sea Gulls (11-1) rolled up 382 yards rushing the football to stop the upset-minded Kean Cougars (10-2). Randal Smedley rushed for 202 yards on 26 carries, and quarterback Dan Griffin added 70 yards on the ground and 57 through the air on only 5 passes.
Tom D'Ambrisi completed 15-of-26 passes for three touchdowns for the Kean Cougars, but was intercepted three times by the Gulls.
Salisbury built a 34-20 lead late in the game, but Kean roared back behind the rushing of Chris Dimicco (20 carries for 155 yards) and the passing of D'Ambrisi. After cutting the score to 34-27, the Kean defense kept Salisbury in check through the fourth quarter.
D'Ambrisi found Matt Pitarresi for a 16-yard pass play to the Salisbury 2-yard line with just 51 seconds to play. On the next play, Darius Kinney rushed for a 2-yard score to tie the game at 34-34 and send it to overtime.
Both teams missed field goals in the first overtime. Kean had an opportunity to win the football game, but had a 31-yard field goal attempt blocked. Brandon Lemon saved Salisbury's season rejecting the Billy Daniels kick.
The teams traded touchdowns in the second overtime. In the third overtime, Randall Smedley rushed for a 2-yard touchdown to put Salisbury ahead 47-41. A Ross Flanigan rush on the two-point conversion play put the Gulls ahead 49-41.
The game appeared over with Kean trailing by eight, and facing a 4th-and-12 from the Salisbury 27-yard line. But D'Ambrisi rolled out to his right, avoided pressure, and threw toward the end zone. Chris Suozzo made an outstanding leaping grab to shock the Salisbury crowd.
With the score 49-47 in favor of Salisbury, the Gulls defense rallied to force a desperation pass from D'Ambrisi into the back of the end zone. The ball fell incomplete, and Salisbury celebrated a thrilling victory.
Cardinals Upset Aggies 27-14
The St. John Fisher Cardinals (10-2) stopped the Delaware Valley Aggies (11-1) 27-14 to advance to the national Elite 8.
It was the second consecutive week the underdog Cardinals beat an undefeated team on the road. Against high scoring offenses Johns Hopkins and Delaware Valley, the Cardinals yielded only 26 point in two weeks.
Backup quarterback Ahmed Hassanien filled in for injured Ryan Kramer, rushing for 196 yards and passing for 93 yards. Sophomore running back Cody Miller added a career-high 145 yards rushing. Wade Kline had a key second half interception for the Cardinals, thwarting a Delaware Valley drive.
The Cardinals never trailed against the young Aggies.
St. John Fisher may have been the last team to get into the tournament, but it is one of the final eight remaining. The victory over Delaware Valley marks the first time Fisher has been to the NCAA quarterfinals since 2007, when it was defeated by Mount Union.
The combined victories by Salisbury and St. John Fisher make a strong statement for the Empire 8 as the strongest eastern conference. Despite disappointing seasons by Alfred and Ithaca, Salisbury and St. John Fisher carried the conference into the playoffs, and eliminated the top teams from the MAC, NEFC, Centennial Conference, and NJAC to advance to the national quarterfinals.
2011 Playoffs Second Round
As excited as I am for the second round of the NCAA Division 3 football tournament, I have to admit to feeling a bit disappointed. When the NCAA committee unveiled its wide-open, national bracket, I couldn't help but feel this was the east's big chance to measure itself against the nation.
But instead, all four east survivors will be playing against each other tomorrow. The positive side is two teams will advance, guaranteed. The negative side is, two teams will be gone.
St. John Fisher (9-2) at Delaware Valley (11-0)
Both teams come from solid conferences. Last week Delaware Valley coasted by a Norwich team which may have been the weakest entrant in the 2011 tournament field. St. John Fisher went on the road and took down previously unbeaten Johns Hopkins.
Fisher quarterback Ryan Kramer injured himself in the Hopkins game, with Ahmed Hassanien throwing a touchdown pass as a reliever in his first play from scrimmage.
The importance of the Kramer injury is huge. Even if Kramer goes, one has to expect he will be hampered to run the option as well as he has all season. That takes away a huge dimension from Fisher's offense.
Meanwhile Delaware Valley is steam rolling the opposition, scoring 50 or more points in 5 of its games this season.
I liked Fisher's chances last week, but I think Delaware Valley is too talented to overcome with an injured option quarterback leading your offense.
Kean at Salisbury
Kean is the Rodney Dangerfield of Division 3 football. No respect, I tell ya! (fixes tie)
All they do is win, and it seems all everyone else does is say Kean shouldn't have won. Quite a few pundits scratched their heads wondering how Kean slipped past Wesley and Cortland in back-to-back weeks despite being out gained each time.
Many felt they would fold at Rowan late in the season, and again at Montclair. But they just keep winning, and it looks like Kean is gaining confidence as they prove their doubters wrong. Last week Kean crushed Christopher Newport 34-10 in a game most (this idiot included) figured would go down to the wire.
Guess what? Nobody thinks Kean can beat Salisbury tomorrow.
Salisbury is outscoring opponents 47-13 this season. The option heavy run game averages 6.7 yards per carry, and Kean is hardly dominant against the run (3.6 yards per carry). The Salisbury defense has caused 32 turnovers.
But something tells me this game is going to be a good one tomorrow. I like the Kean defense. I don't think it can shut down the Salisbury run game, but it might be able to limit the big plays and force Salisbury to settle for a few field goals instead of touchdowns. Red zone efficiency for Salisbury will likely win or lose this game.
I like Tom D'Ambrisi a lot at quarterback for Kean. He had a tough game against Montclair, but bounced back against Christopher Newport. If you need to win a big game on the road, you want a talented senior at quarterback.
I'm going with Salisbury because of the home field advantage, and that's the only reason. This is going to be a close call.
Who are your picks to win Saturday?
But instead, all four east survivors will be playing against each other tomorrow. The positive side is two teams will advance, guaranteed. The negative side is, two teams will be gone.
St. John Fisher (9-2) at Delaware Valley (11-0)
Both teams come from solid conferences. Last week Delaware Valley coasted by a Norwich team which may have been the weakest entrant in the 2011 tournament field. St. John Fisher went on the road and took down previously unbeaten Johns Hopkins.
Fisher quarterback Ryan Kramer injured himself in the Hopkins game, with Ahmed Hassanien throwing a touchdown pass as a reliever in his first play from scrimmage.
The importance of the Kramer injury is huge. Even if Kramer goes, one has to expect he will be hampered to run the option as well as he has all season. That takes away a huge dimension from Fisher's offense.
Meanwhile Delaware Valley is steam rolling the opposition, scoring 50 or more points in 5 of its games this season.
I liked Fisher's chances last week, but I think Delaware Valley is too talented to overcome with an injured option quarterback leading your offense.
Kean at Salisbury
Kean is the Rodney Dangerfield of Division 3 football. No respect, I tell ya! (fixes tie)
All they do is win, and it seems all everyone else does is say Kean shouldn't have won. Quite a few pundits scratched their heads wondering how Kean slipped past Wesley and Cortland in back-to-back weeks despite being out gained each time.
Many felt they would fold at Rowan late in the season, and again at Montclair. But they just keep winning, and it looks like Kean is gaining confidence as they prove their doubters wrong. Last week Kean crushed Christopher Newport 34-10 in a game most (this idiot included) figured would go down to the wire.
Guess what? Nobody thinks Kean can beat Salisbury tomorrow.
Salisbury is outscoring opponents 47-13 this season. The option heavy run game averages 6.7 yards per carry, and Kean is hardly dominant against the run (3.6 yards per carry). The Salisbury defense has caused 32 turnovers.
But something tells me this game is going to be a good one tomorrow. I like the Kean defense. I don't think it can shut down the Salisbury run game, but it might be able to limit the big plays and force Salisbury to settle for a few field goals instead of touchdowns. Red zone efficiency for Salisbury will likely win or lose this game.
I like Tom D'Ambrisi a lot at quarterback for Kean. He had a tough game against Montclair, but bounced back against Christopher Newport. If you need to win a big game on the road, you want a talented senior at quarterback.
I'm going with Salisbury because of the home field advantage, and that's the only reason. This is going to be a close call.
Who are your picks to win Saturday?
D3East Football Rankings - November 24
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Part of Thanksgiving tradition for us is watching football, eating plenty of turkey and stuffing, and of course sampling numerous pies. Before the NFL games kick off, let's break down our latest D3 Eastern Football Rankings. There has been a minor shakeup since the results of the first round of the NCAA playoffs, and the ECAC bowl games:
Delaware Valley and Salisbury State both held serve against weak first round playoff tests. Kean was the most impressive first round performer, beating up on Christopher Newport 34-10. We considered moving Kean up to #2, but decided to stick with Salisbury for now.
St. John Fisher made a big statement by shutting down previously unbeaten Johns Hopkins on the road. Widener and Cortland won comfortably in ECAC bowl games. Hobart moves up a spot by very nearly upsetting Wesley on the road. And Lebanon Valley rounds out the top 10 after a bowl win over St. Vincent.
The top four east teams battle it out this week in the second round of the playoffs. #4 St. John Fisher travels to #1 Delaware Valley, while #3 Kean visits #2 Salisbury. These are great match ups between the top teams from the Empire 8, MAC, and NJAC.
#cantwait
Join us tomorrow for our playoff preview. In the meantime, eat some turkey and enjoy good times with your family. Try to find the time to mix in a little football too.
Part of Thanksgiving tradition for us is watching football, eating plenty of turkey and stuffing, and of course sampling numerous pies. Before the NFL games kick off, let's break down our latest D3 Eastern Football Rankings. There has been a minor shakeup since the results of the first round of the NCAA playoffs, and the ECAC bowl games:
- Delaware Valley 11-0
- Salisbury State 10-1
- Kean 10-1
- St. John Fisher 9-2
- Widener 9-2
- Lycoming 8-2
- Cortland 9-2
- Hobart 7-2
- Montclair 8-2
- Lebanon Valley 8-3
Delaware Valley and Salisbury State both held serve against weak first round playoff tests. Kean was the most impressive first round performer, beating up on Christopher Newport 34-10. We considered moving Kean up to #2, but decided to stick with Salisbury for now.
St. John Fisher made a big statement by shutting down previously unbeaten Johns Hopkins on the road. Widener and Cortland won comfortably in ECAC bowl games. Hobart moves up a spot by very nearly upsetting Wesley on the road. And Lebanon Valley rounds out the top 10 after a bowl win over St. Vincent.
The top four east teams battle it out this week in the second round of the playoffs. #4 St. John Fisher travels to #1 Delaware Valley, while #3 Kean visits #2 Salisbury. These are great match ups between the top teams from the Empire 8, MAC, and NJAC.
#cantwait
Join us tomorrow for our playoff preview. In the meantime, eat some turkey and enjoy good times with your family. Try to find the time to mix in a little football too.
East Looking Strong in Playoffs
The playoff results from the first round of the NCAA Division 3 football tournament are in, and the scores look very good for east region.
I have long argued that east teams play in deeper, stronger conferences than do many other teams across the country. Evidence of this was provided today, as east teams won 2 out of 3 cross-regional games with only national power Wesley surviving.
For the first time in a long time, the NCAA committee looked past the highly flawed Strength of Schedule metric and evaluated at-large teams based on true merit. For that reason, St. John Fisher made the tournament as a two loss team while Endicott stayed home. The committee was clearly right. Western New England, the team which beat Endicott in the NEFC, gave up 62 points to Empire 8 Salisbury. The Empire 8 runner up, St. John Fisher, upset Johns Hopkins 23-12.
Was the Fisher win truly an upset? Hopkins ran through the weak Centennial Conference with an undefeated record, scoring 83 points against Gettysburg, and outscoring its opponents by better than 30 points per game. Meanwhile Fisher played in the rugged Empire 8, and scheduled Pool C bid Hobart out of conference. Fisher beat Johns Hopkins 23-12 in Baltimore on Saturday, providing more evidence for our argument that a one or two loss season in a tough conference should not disqualify you from the playoffs.
While Johns Hopkins was finding out about the quality of upper echelon east teams, southern power Wesley found themselves in a dog fight with Liberty League champion Hobart. Wesley's only loss on the season came to...you guessed it, an east region team...when Kean beat them in September. It nearly happened again. The Hobart Statesmen trailed Wesley 35-28 late in the fourth quarter today. Hobart drove to the Wesley 5-yard line, where Wesley finally stopped them to barely hold on to their victory.
A few hundred miles to the north, NJAC champion Kean was destroying south region Christopher Newport (CNU). Kean built a 34-7 half time lead, then coasted to a 34-10 victory. Kean picked off five passes and recovered a fumble in dominating CNU. Kean survived the rugged NJAC, and played Wesley to compile an impressive 9-1 record. CNU went undefeated in the USAC, but lost out of conference to Empire 8 champion Salisbury, and Stevenson which was 1-7 in the MAC.
The record speaks for itself. CNU went 8-0 against southern teams, and 0-3 against eastern teams. And one of those losses came to an east team which won only one game in their conference.
Meanwhile, Salisbury took care of business with a 62-24 whipping of Western New England. Delaware Valley remained undefeated, storming past ECFC champion Norwich 62-10.
The ECFC champion has been outscored the last two seasons in the NCAA playoffs 122-10, starting with Alfred's 60-0 destruction of SUNY Martitime in 2010. The ECFC champion gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but it is clear they are not ready.
What was your biggest surprise from the first round of the NCAA tournament?
I have long argued that east teams play in deeper, stronger conferences than do many other teams across the country. Evidence of this was provided today, as east teams won 2 out of 3 cross-regional games with only national power Wesley surviving.
For the first time in a long time, the NCAA committee looked past the highly flawed Strength of Schedule metric and evaluated at-large teams based on true merit. For that reason, St. John Fisher made the tournament as a two loss team while Endicott stayed home. The committee was clearly right. Western New England, the team which beat Endicott in the NEFC, gave up 62 points to Empire 8 Salisbury. The Empire 8 runner up, St. John Fisher, upset Johns Hopkins 23-12.
Was the Fisher win truly an upset? Hopkins ran through the weak Centennial Conference with an undefeated record, scoring 83 points against Gettysburg, and outscoring its opponents by better than 30 points per game. Meanwhile Fisher played in the rugged Empire 8, and scheduled Pool C bid Hobart out of conference. Fisher beat Johns Hopkins 23-12 in Baltimore on Saturday, providing more evidence for our argument that a one or two loss season in a tough conference should not disqualify you from the playoffs.
While Johns Hopkins was finding out about the quality of upper echelon east teams, southern power Wesley found themselves in a dog fight with Liberty League champion Hobart. Wesley's only loss on the season came to...you guessed it, an east region team...when Kean beat them in September. It nearly happened again. The Hobart Statesmen trailed Wesley 35-28 late in the fourth quarter today. Hobart drove to the Wesley 5-yard line, where Wesley finally stopped them to barely hold on to their victory.
A few hundred miles to the north, NJAC champion Kean was destroying south region Christopher Newport (CNU). Kean built a 34-7 half time lead, then coasted to a 34-10 victory. Kean picked off five passes and recovered a fumble in dominating CNU. Kean survived the rugged NJAC, and played Wesley to compile an impressive 9-1 record. CNU went undefeated in the USAC, but lost out of conference to Empire 8 champion Salisbury, and Stevenson which was 1-7 in the MAC.
The record speaks for itself. CNU went 8-0 against southern teams, and 0-3 against eastern teams. And one of those losses came to an east team which won only one game in their conference.
Meanwhile, Salisbury took care of business with a 62-24 whipping of Western New England. Delaware Valley remained undefeated, storming past ECFC champion Norwich 62-10.
The ECFC champion has been outscored the last two seasons in the NCAA playoffs 122-10, starting with Alfred's 60-0 destruction of SUNY Martitime in 2010. The ECFC champion gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but it is clear they are not ready.
What was your biggest surprise from the first round of the NCAA tournament?
ECAC Bowl Breakdown
The ECAC Bowls will be contested Saturday afternoon:
Southeast Bowl: Albright (Pa.) (6-4) at Cortland (N.Y.) (8-2), 12 p.m.
South Atlantic Bowl: Waynesburg (Pa.) (5-4) at Widener (Pa.) (8-2), 1 p.m.
Southwest Bowl: St. Vincent (Pa.) (6-4) at Lebanon Valley (Pa.) (7-3), 12 p.m.
Northeast Bowl: Alfred (N.Y.) (7-3) at Bridgewater St. (Mass.) (7-2), 12 p.m.
North Atlantic Bowl: Mount Ida (Mass.) (6-4) at Endicott (Mass.) (9-1), 1 p.m.
Northwest Bowl: Worcester St. (Mass.) (8-2) at Salve Regina (R.I.) (7-3), 12 p.m.
ECAC bowl games have always been difficult to predict. The discrepancy in team motivation is often a big factor. Some teams approach the bowls as a disappointment after missing out on the NCAA playoffs, and mail in their effort. Others, upset they missed the playoffs, play with a chip on their shoulder.
The strongest efforts tend to come from teams which are having their best season in recent years. These teams are often "just excited to be in the post season."
To a college senior, the ECAC bowls represent an opportunity to finish a career on a high note. It's one last time to put on pads and compete. One last game to play.
We wouldn't dream of trying to predict these football games. Instead we congratulate the seniors on their careers and wish them well as they graduate. Congratulations to all of the teams in the ECAC series. Being here is a testament to your work ethic.
Finish strong!
Southeast Bowl: Albright (Pa.) (6-4) at Cortland (N.Y.) (8-2), 12 p.m.
South Atlantic Bowl: Waynesburg (Pa.) (5-4) at Widener (Pa.) (8-2), 1 p.m.
Southwest Bowl: St. Vincent (Pa.) (6-4) at Lebanon Valley (Pa.) (7-3), 12 p.m.
Northeast Bowl: Alfred (N.Y.) (7-3) at Bridgewater St. (Mass.) (7-2), 12 p.m.
North Atlantic Bowl: Mount Ida (Mass.) (6-4) at Endicott (Mass.) (9-1), 1 p.m.
Northwest Bowl: Worcester St. (Mass.) (8-2) at Salve Regina (R.I.) (7-3), 12 p.m.
ECAC bowl games have always been difficult to predict. The discrepancy in team motivation is often a big factor. Some teams approach the bowls as a disappointment after missing out on the NCAA playoffs, and mail in their effort. Others, upset they missed the playoffs, play with a chip on their shoulder.
The strongest efforts tend to come from teams which are having their best season in recent years. These teams are often "just excited to be in the post season."
To a college senior, the ECAC bowls represent an opportunity to finish a career on a high note. It's one last time to put on pads and compete. One last game to play.
We wouldn't dream of trying to predict these football games. Instead we congratulate the seniors on their careers and wish them well as they graduate. Congratulations to all of the teams in the ECAC series. Being here is a testament to your work ethic.
Finish strong!
D3East Football Rankings - November 16
Here are my Division 3 Eastern Football Rankings for 11/16/2011:
The regular season ended with a heck of a statement from Delaware Valley, which ripped Widener 56-28. Salisbury continued to roll, Kean defeated Montclair to capture the NJAC championship, and Cortland defeated Ithaca 27-3 to keep the Cortaca Jug for 2011.
Montclair may have been better off with Drew Cathey starting at home against Kean, than inserting Tom Fischer. Fischer was the starter prior to an injury at mid season, but it is hard to believe he had enough practice time to get ready for the Cougars. Montclair fell the furthest in our rankings, as we put a lot of stock in quality of quarterback when sorting closely bunched teams.
St. John Fisher shot up the rankings after an easy win, and a surprise invitation to the NCAA tournament. What they do with it is anyone's guess. The Cardinals travel to Baltimore to face Johns Hopkins (10-0), which is destroying its competition and averaging 500 yards of offense per game. However most people believe St. John Fisher plays a more demanding schedule in the Empire 8.
- Delaware Valley 10-0
- Salisbury State 9-1
- Kean 9-1
- St. John Fisher 8-2
- Widener 8-2
- Lycoming 8-2
- Cortland 8-2
- Montclair 8-2
- Hobart 7-1
- Western New England 10-1
The regular season ended with a heck of a statement from Delaware Valley, which ripped Widener 56-28. Salisbury continued to roll, Kean defeated Montclair to capture the NJAC championship, and Cortland defeated Ithaca 27-3 to keep the Cortaca Jug for 2011.
Montclair may have been better off with Drew Cathey starting at home against Kean, than inserting Tom Fischer. Fischer was the starter prior to an injury at mid season, but it is hard to believe he had enough practice time to get ready for the Cougars. Montclair fell the furthest in our rankings, as we put a lot of stock in quality of quarterback when sorting closely bunched teams.
St. John Fisher shot up the rankings after an easy win, and a surprise invitation to the NCAA tournament. What they do with it is anyone's guess. The Cardinals travel to Baltimore to face Johns Hopkins (10-0), which is destroying its competition and averaging 500 yards of offense per game. However most people believe St. John Fisher plays a more demanding schedule in the Empire 8.
Can Fisher upset Hopkins?
St. John Fisher looks to make good on their Pool C bid to the NCAA tournament when they travel to Johns Hopkins for Saturday's first round match up. The Pool C bid to Fisher was one of the biggest surprises of the tournament bracket announcement last Sunday.
The St. John Fisher Cardinals (8-2) will be representing themselves, and all eastern teams, when they take on the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (10-0). They can only prove they belong in this game if they win.
Learning from Past Mistakes
Johns Hopkins is outscoring its opponents 43 to 12 on average, and generating a mind blowing 500 yards of offense per game.
The set up to this game feels similar to the long trip to Maryland to play Salisbury two weeks ago. Salisbury was destroying league competition with gaudy numbers of its own. In the end, St. John Fisher fell to Salisbury 41-21. But a closer look at the numbers suggests the game was tighter than the final score indicated.
The Cardinals were nearly even in total yardage with Salisbury, but committed two turnovers while not causing one. They also missed a short field goal. But the biggest failing for the Cardinals was scoring just once on five trips inside the Salisbury red zone, while giving up four touchdowns to Salisbury on trips inside the Cardinals red zone.
For St. John Fisher to have a shot at victory, they must take advantage of their scoring opportunities with touchdowns, instead of field goal attempts. Further, they will need to bend but not break against the high powered Hopkins offense.
A Different Challenge
Whereas Salisbury is an option run attack, Johns Hopkins' offense revolves around the passing game. Quarterback Hewett Tomlin has passed for 2459 yards and completed 69% of his passes. The Blue Jays have yielded only 11 sacks in 2011.
One way we see Fisher pulling the upset is if they can get pressure on Tomlin, and force him to make some bad throws. However, the Cardinals sacked the quarterback only 15 times in 2011. They may need to gamble with some blitz packages if they hope to pressure Tomlin. But that may mean getting burned down the field.
It looks like the best chance for Fisher is simply to keep the ball away from Johns Hopkins. Quarterback Ryan Kramer will need to post a big game rushing the ball, and keep the Blue Jays honest with some accurate play action passing. Further, it is important that Fisher wins the red zone battle. That means converting on their offensive red zone opportunities with a higher percentage of touchdowns than Johns Hopkins. If the defense can force Hopkins to settle for field goal attempts, this game will get very interesting.
Our pick to win is Hopkins. We believe Fisher belongs in this tournament, but they will need to play a much more efficient game than they did against Salisbury if they hope to pull off the upset.
The St. John Fisher Cardinals (8-2) will be representing themselves, and all eastern teams, when they take on the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (10-0). They can only prove they belong in this game if they win.
Learning from Past Mistakes
Johns Hopkins is outscoring its opponents 43 to 12 on average, and generating a mind blowing 500 yards of offense per game.
The set up to this game feels similar to the long trip to Maryland to play Salisbury two weeks ago. Salisbury was destroying league competition with gaudy numbers of its own. In the end, St. John Fisher fell to Salisbury 41-21. But a closer look at the numbers suggests the game was tighter than the final score indicated.
The Cardinals were nearly even in total yardage with Salisbury, but committed two turnovers while not causing one. They also missed a short field goal. But the biggest failing for the Cardinals was scoring just once on five trips inside the Salisbury red zone, while giving up four touchdowns to Salisbury on trips inside the Cardinals red zone.
For St. John Fisher to have a shot at victory, they must take advantage of their scoring opportunities with touchdowns, instead of field goal attempts. Further, they will need to bend but not break against the high powered Hopkins offense.
A Different Challenge
Whereas Salisbury is an option run attack, Johns Hopkins' offense revolves around the passing game. Quarterback Hewett Tomlin has passed for 2459 yards and completed 69% of his passes. The Blue Jays have yielded only 11 sacks in 2011.
One way we see Fisher pulling the upset is if they can get pressure on Tomlin, and force him to make some bad throws. However, the Cardinals sacked the quarterback only 15 times in 2011. They may need to gamble with some blitz packages if they hope to pressure Tomlin. But that may mean getting burned down the field.
It looks like the best chance for Fisher is simply to keep the ball away from Johns Hopkins. Quarterback Ryan Kramer will need to post a big game rushing the ball, and keep the Blue Jays honest with some accurate play action passing. Further, it is important that Fisher wins the red zone battle. That means converting on their offensive red zone opportunities with a higher percentage of touchdowns than Johns Hopkins. If the defense can force Hopkins to settle for field goal attempts, this game will get very interesting.
Our pick to win is Hopkins. We believe Fisher belongs in this tournament, but they will need to play a much more efficient game than they did against Salisbury if they hope to pull off the upset.
Delaware Valley vs Norwich Preview
The NCAA Division 3 Football tournament gets underway this Saturday when the Norwich Cadets (7-3) visit the Delaware Valley Aggies (10-0).
This is the most lopsided match up of the first round involving east teams. The Aggies are probably one of the ten best teams in all of Division 3 football, and undefeated champions of the rugged MAC. The Cadets are champions of the recently formed ECFC, whose previous champion SUNY Maritime fell behind Alfred by 50 points before half time in last season's first round of the tournament.
If you are hoping the ECFC has raised its level heading into the 2011 tournament, think again. Norwich was undefeated (7-0) in the ECFC, but 0-3 outside of the conference. The Cadets were soundly beaten by St Lawrence (3-6) and Hartwick (2-8). While we respect Norwich's run to its conference championship, it is safe to say Norwich would not have won more than two or three games in any other east region conference.
We aren't predicting any miracles here.
The Delaware Valley Aggies are on a mission in 2011. The Aggies have outscored its opponents by an average margin of 21 points per game, and average an amazing 8.6 yards per pass attempt. Opponents average only 4.7 yards per pass attempt.
Quarterback Aaron Wilmer has 21 touchdowns to only six interceptions, good for a 156 efficiency rating. Running back Kyle Schuberth averages nearly 100 yards per game on the ground. Defensive back Terrance Osborne has 5 interceptions and 18 pass deflections.
Norwich's best chance is to keep the ball on the ground, and control the clock. If they can keep the Aggies off the field, they might keep the game close. The Cadets run an option style attack led by quarterback Kris Sabourin, and running back Andrew Fulford. Sabourin and Fulford combined for over 2000 yards rushing in 2011.
Our prediction? The Aggies will eventually shut down the one dimensional option, and at that point the game will get ugly. Sabourin is completing only 47% of his passes, with 9 interceptions against only 4 touchdowns. And that is against competition much weaker than the MAC. I can't see Norwich playing catchup with the Aggies. Delaware Valley in a rout.
This is the most lopsided match up of the first round involving east teams. The Aggies are probably one of the ten best teams in all of Division 3 football, and undefeated champions of the rugged MAC. The Cadets are champions of the recently formed ECFC, whose previous champion SUNY Maritime fell behind Alfred by 50 points before half time in last season's first round of the tournament.
If you are hoping the ECFC has raised its level heading into the 2011 tournament, think again. Norwich was undefeated (7-0) in the ECFC, but 0-3 outside of the conference. The Cadets were soundly beaten by St Lawrence (3-6) and Hartwick (2-8). While we respect Norwich's run to its conference championship, it is safe to say Norwich would not have won more than two or three games in any other east region conference.
We aren't predicting any miracles here.
The Delaware Valley Aggies are on a mission in 2011. The Aggies have outscored its opponents by an average margin of 21 points per game, and average an amazing 8.6 yards per pass attempt. Opponents average only 4.7 yards per pass attempt.
Quarterback Aaron Wilmer has 21 touchdowns to only six interceptions, good for a 156 efficiency rating. Running back Kyle Schuberth averages nearly 100 yards per game on the ground. Defensive back Terrance Osborne has 5 interceptions and 18 pass deflections.
Norwich's best chance is to keep the ball on the ground, and control the clock. If they can keep the Aggies off the field, they might keep the game close. The Cadets run an option style attack led by quarterback Kris Sabourin, and running back Andrew Fulford. Sabourin and Fulford combined for over 2000 yards rushing in 2011.
Our prediction? The Aggies will eventually shut down the one dimensional option, and at that point the game will get ugly. Sabourin is completing only 47% of his passes, with 9 interceptions against only 4 touchdowns. And that is against competition much weaker than the MAC. I can't see Norwich playing catchup with the Aggies. Delaware Valley in a rout.
Division 3 Tournament Bracket Released
The NCAA Division 3 Football Tournament bracket has been released. You can see it in all its glory at D3Football.com. The released bracket is a shocker.
First, Mount Union is not coming East. Second, you can forget about the concept of "East" or any regional breakdowns in the 2011 tournament. Once you make it through the first or second round, the other side of your bracket could be a team from the other side of the country. Region only seemed to be adhered to in the opening round. Third, Endicott did not receive a Pool C bid. But St. John Fisher (8-2) did, showing the committee paid close attention to true strength of schedule, rather than formulaic SOS.
Here are the opening match-ups for eastern teams, all of which we will be analyzing throughout the week. Keep in mind that they are divided between 3 separate brackets.
Christopher Newport (8-2) at Kean (9-1)
Western New England (10-1) at Salisbury (9-1)
St. John Fisher (8-2) at Johns Hopkins (10-0)
Norwich (7-3) at Delaware Valley (10-0)
Hobart (7-1) at Wesley (9-1)
I have never been so surprised by a Division 3 football tournament bracket. It is very exciting to see St. John Fisher getting an opportunity to challenge southern region Johns Hopkins. Christopher Newport coming north to play Kean may be the best game involving eastern teams in the first round. There is a lot to get excited about if you are a Division 3 football fan.
Stay tuned this week as we break down the opening round games.
What was the biggest surprise of the bracket for you?
First, Mount Union is not coming East. Second, you can forget about the concept of "East" or any regional breakdowns in the 2011 tournament. Once you make it through the first or second round, the other side of your bracket could be a team from the other side of the country. Region only seemed to be adhered to in the opening round. Third, Endicott did not receive a Pool C bid. But St. John Fisher (8-2) did, showing the committee paid close attention to true strength of schedule, rather than formulaic SOS.
Here are the opening match-ups for eastern teams, all of which we will be analyzing throughout the week. Keep in mind that they are divided between 3 separate brackets.
Christopher Newport (8-2) at Kean (9-1)
Western New England (10-1) at Salisbury (9-1)
St. John Fisher (8-2) at Johns Hopkins (10-0)
Norwich (7-3) at Delaware Valley (10-0)
Hobart (7-1) at Wesley (9-1)
I have never been so surprised by a Division 3 football tournament bracket. It is very exciting to see St. John Fisher getting an opportunity to challenge southern region Johns Hopkins. Christopher Newport coming north to play Kean may be the best game involving eastern teams in the first round. There is a lot to get excited about if you are a Division 3 football fan.
Stay tuned this week as we break down the opening round games.
What was the biggest surprise of the bracket for you?
Projections for the NCAA Eastern Bracket
It's Sunday morning and still several hours until the NCAA announces its picks for the 2011 Division 3 Football tournament at 6 pm EST. We have been wrestling with the bracket and finally have our thoughts on who is in, and who is out in this year's tournament.
Pool A automatic bids
Hobart - Liberty League
Salisbury - Empire 8
Kean - New Jersey Athletic Conference
Delaware Valley - Middle Atlantic Conference
Norwich - East Coast Football Conference
Western New England - New England Football Conference
Pool C At Large Bids
Endicott - New England Football Conference
We do not believe a two-loss team from Eastern Region will be afforded a birth in the NCAA tournament. With the way Widener (8-2) and Monclair (8-2) lost on the final Saturday of the season, they likely made the decision easier for the committee.
We are projecting Endicott to get the only Pool C bid from the east. Our rationale is that the NCAA committee commonly quotes the highly flawed Strength of Schedule (SOS) metric, which Endicott happens to rank highly in. We won't go into the simple methodology used to create the SOS, nor compare it to the various computer functions which are available, and far more telling of a team's strength of schedule.
Suffice it so say, Endicott has a pretty record (9-1) and a high SOS. That will get them in over St John Fisher (8-2), who played much stronger competition, and who we believe would beat Endicott convincingly on a neutral field. Cortland (8-2) may be the best two loss team on the outside looking in. But we see no way they would get in before Montclair, since Montclair won head-to-head 34-33.
That is seven teams, which means we need one more team to fill the bracket. Unfortunately, we believe the East Region will once again be denied an opportunity to crown its own champion. Enter the North Region's Mount Union as the #1 seed...again.
Differences in Opinion
D3Football.com has released its projections. They are the same as ours in terms of who gets in from the east. However D3Football.com projects Salisbury to be placed in the south bracket, with Albion being imported from the north to the east.
This is a very realistic possibility, but we believe the east bracket will remain seven eastern regional teams, plus Mount Union.
Our Projected Seeding
Pool A automatic bids
Hobart - Liberty League
Salisbury - Empire 8
Kean - New Jersey Athletic Conference
Delaware Valley - Middle Atlantic Conference
Norwich - East Coast Football Conference
Western New England - New England Football Conference
Pool C At Large Bids
Endicott - New England Football Conference
We do not believe a two-loss team from Eastern Region will be afforded a birth in the NCAA tournament. With the way Widener (8-2) and Monclair (8-2) lost on the final Saturday of the season, they likely made the decision easier for the committee.
We are projecting Endicott to get the only Pool C bid from the east. Our rationale is that the NCAA committee commonly quotes the highly flawed Strength of Schedule (SOS) metric, which Endicott happens to rank highly in. We won't go into the simple methodology used to create the SOS, nor compare it to the various computer functions which are available, and far more telling of a team's strength of schedule.
Suffice it so say, Endicott has a pretty record (9-1) and a high SOS. That will get them in over St John Fisher (8-2), who played much stronger competition, and who we believe would beat Endicott convincingly on a neutral field. Cortland (8-2) may be the best two loss team on the outside looking in. But we see no way they would get in before Montclair, since Montclair won head-to-head 34-33.
That is seven teams, which means we need one more team to fill the bracket. Unfortunately, we believe the East Region will once again be denied an opportunity to crown its own champion. Enter the North Region's Mount Union as the #1 seed...again.
Differences in Opinion
D3Football.com has released its projections. They are the same as ours in terms of who gets in from the east. However D3Football.com projects Salisbury to be placed in the south bracket, with Albion being imported from the north to the east.
This is a very realistic possibility, but we believe the east bracket will remain seven eastern regional teams, plus Mount Union.
Our Projected Seeding
- Mount Union
- Delaware Valley
- Kean
- Salisbury
- Hobart
- Western New England
- Endicott
- Norwich
Kean Intercepts Montclair's NJAC Hopes
The Kean Cougars (9-1) defeated the Montclair State Red Hawks (8-2) 27-14 Saturday to clinch the NJAC Championship, and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
You can't continuously turn the football over and hope to win. And that is exactly what Montclair did on Saturday. The Kean Cougars forced seven Montclair turnovers, including five interceptions by Red Hawks quarterback Tom Fischer.
Freshman linebacker Matt Clerk intercepted two passes for Kean and added a sack. Jamahl Williams intercepted a pass for the Cougars in the third quarter, returning it 63 yards to the Montclair 1-yard line. The Williams interception set up Darius Kinney 2-yard touchdown run to put Kean ahead 24-7.
Chris DiMicco and Kinney combined for 166 yards rushing to pace the Kean offense. Tom D'Ambrisi threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Scott Davis, but was largely held in check by the Red Hawks.
The Kean victory sends the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under head coach Dan Garrett. Kean rolls into the playoffs with four consecutive victories, and has victories over national powerhouse Wesley, Rowan, Cortland, and Montclair on their 2011 resume. The quality of Kean's victories will make a strong argument for a top-3 seed in the eastern bracket of the NCAA Division 3 football playoffs.
Montclair held a clear statistical edge in total offense, 334 to 248. Chris D'Andrea rushed for 126 yards, and Gerald Silvera caught 10 passes for 146 yards. But in the end the Red Hawks could not overcome their turnovers.
You can't continuously turn the football over and hope to win. And that is exactly what Montclair did on Saturday. The Kean Cougars forced seven Montclair turnovers, including five interceptions by Red Hawks quarterback Tom Fischer.
Freshman linebacker Matt Clerk intercepted two passes for Kean and added a sack. Jamahl Williams intercepted a pass for the Cougars in the third quarter, returning it 63 yards to the Montclair 1-yard line. The Williams interception set up Darius Kinney 2-yard touchdown run to put Kean ahead 24-7.
Chris DiMicco and Kinney combined for 166 yards rushing to pace the Kean offense. Tom D'Ambrisi threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Scott Davis, but was largely held in check by the Red Hawks.
The Kean victory sends the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under head coach Dan Garrett. Kean rolls into the playoffs with four consecutive victories, and has victories over national powerhouse Wesley, Rowan, Cortland, and Montclair on their 2011 resume. The quality of Kean's victories will make a strong argument for a top-3 seed in the eastern bracket of the NCAA Division 3 football playoffs.
Montclair held a clear statistical edge in total offense, 334 to 248. Chris D'Andrea rushed for 126 yards, and Gerald Silvera caught 10 passes for 146 yards. But in the end the Red Hawks could not overcome their turnovers.
Delaware Valley rips Widener 56-28
The Delaware Valley Aggies (10-0) scored 42 unanswered points to rip the Widener Pride (8-2) 56-28. In the most impressive performance of the week, on the biggest Saturday of the regular season, the Aggies clinched the MAC title and a birth in the NCAA tournament. By keeping a perfect record, and by winning in such resounding fashion, the Aggies made a strong statement for the #1 seed in the Eastern Region bracket of the NCAA Division 3 football tournament.
The turning point came midway through the third quarter. Widener held a 28-21 lead with the Aggies pinned at its own 6-yard line. Delaware Valley marched 94 yards on 10 plays to tie the game at 28-28. The Aggies scored on its next possession when quarterback Aaron Wilmer ran for an 18-yard touchdown to give Delaware Valley a 35-28 lead.
On their next offensive possession, Wilmer completed a 61-yard pass to Lewis Vincent to put the Aggies deep in Pride territory. Wilmer then hit Chris Ruiz for a 15-yard touchdown pass to put Delaware Valley ahead 42-28.
The flood gates opened when Wilmer completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Hall for a 49-28 Aggies advantage.
Delaware Valley amassed a staggering 580 yards in total offense to win in convincing fashion. The Aggies look like the best team in Eastern Region since St John Fisher's 2006 run to the NCAA semifinals.
We at D3East-Football believe the Aggies are deserving of the top seed in the eastern bracket. Our Eastern bracket predictions will be online late tonight!
The turning point came midway through the third quarter. Widener held a 28-21 lead with the Aggies pinned at its own 6-yard line. Delaware Valley marched 94 yards on 10 plays to tie the game at 28-28. The Aggies scored on its next possession when quarterback Aaron Wilmer ran for an 18-yard touchdown to give Delaware Valley a 35-28 lead.
On their next offensive possession, Wilmer completed a 61-yard pass to Lewis Vincent to put the Aggies deep in Pride territory. Wilmer then hit Chris Ruiz for a 15-yard touchdown pass to put Delaware Valley ahead 42-28.
The flood gates opened when Wilmer completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Hall for a 49-28 Aggies advantage.
Delaware Valley amassed a staggering 580 yards in total offense to win in convincing fashion. The Aggies look like the best team in Eastern Region since St John Fisher's 2006 run to the NCAA semifinals.
We at D3East-Football believe the Aggies are deserving of the top seed in the eastern bracket. Our Eastern bracket predictions will be online late tonight!
Cortland Rolls in Cortaca
The Cortland State Red Dragons (8-2) had little trouble defeating the Ithaca College Bombers (4-6) 27-3 on Saturday, to retain the Cortaca Jug. Senior quarterback Dan Pitcher had a masterful performance, completing 23-of-36 passes for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns. The senior rushed for an additional 94 yards, didn't throw an interception, and was never sacked.
Cortland rolled up 417 yards of offense to only 226 yards for Ithaca.
Cortland freshman Kordel McInnis caught seven passes for 73 yards, and John Babin grabbed five passes for a game-high 91 yards and a touchdown.
The Ithaca offensive line could not protect quarterback Jason Hendel. Hendel was sacked eight times, with eight different Red Dragons getting in on sacks.
The loss gave Ithaca its first losing season in 40 years. The Bombers have work to do to return to their proud tradition, as it was clear Dan Ruffrage (eight catches for 85 yards) was the only Ithaca player capable of stretching Cortland's defense. The Bombers typically have multiple players with big play ability.
Cortland rolled up 417 yards of offense to only 226 yards for Ithaca.
Cortland freshman Kordel McInnis caught seven passes for 73 yards, and John Babin grabbed five passes for a game-high 91 yards and a touchdown.
The Ithaca offensive line could not protect quarterback Jason Hendel. Hendel was sacked eight times, with eight different Red Dragons getting in on sacks.
The loss gave Ithaca its first losing season in 40 years. The Bombers have work to do to return to their proud tradition, as it was clear Dan Ruffrage (eight catches for 85 yards) was the only Ithaca player capable of stretching Cortland's defense. The Bombers typically have multiple players with big play ability.
Cortaca Jug - History on the Line
Pride and history will be on the line this Saturday when the Cortland State Red Dragons (7-2) visit Butterfield Stadium to face the Ithaca College Bombers (4-5) in the annual Cortaca Jug.
The game garnered the nickname "Biggest Little Game in the Nation" from Sports Illustrated, and typically attracts more than 10,000 fans. The Cortaca Jug could easily attract 12,000 to 15,000 fans, but the schools cap the amount of tickets available for safety concerns inside their on campus stadiums.
Ithaca leads the series 34-18, but Cortland has a slim 8-7 lead in the last 15 years.
Much has changed since the 1970s and 1980s, when Ithaca College was a national powerhouse and Cortland was a program struggling to survive. Between 1969 and 1991, Ithaca dominated the series 19-4, and captured three national championships.
But the tide began to turn in 1988. Under head coach Dennis Kayser, Cortland won its first eight games of the season prior to Cortaca. Ithaca was also undefeated in its first eight games, setting the stage for one of the biggest Division 3 football games played that season. On the old Davis Field in Cortland, the Red Dragons stunned Ithaca College 21-20 behind the running of Garreth Grayson and throwing of quarterback Rich Keefer.
Ithaca avenged the Cortaca loss, defeating Cortland 24-17 in the national quarterfinals just three weeks later. The Bombers went on to destroy Ferrum 62-28 in the semifinals, and Central 39-24 in the championship game behind the spectacular running of Mike Scott. The way Ithaca dominated the semifinal and championship games led many polls to rank Cortland #2 in the nation at the end of the 1988. So it could be argued that the 1988 Cortaca Jug game was played between the two best teams in the nation.
While Cortland has become a consistent force in upstate New York football since opening its on campus stadium in 2002, the once dominant Ithaca program has struggled to live up to its own lofty expectations. This seasons marks the first time in 40 years that Ithaca will not finish with a winning record. The Bombers will be playing for pride and history this Saturday, as it begins the road back to upstate New York dominance.
Cortland appears to have the edge on paper. Senior quarterback Dan Pitcher has thrown for over 2100 yards with a fantastic 168.1 Passing Efficiency Rating. John Babin has emerged as one of Eastern Region's top wide receivers, catching 63 passes in 9 games for 1019 yards and a school record 14 touchdowns. The Red Dragons lost star running back Justin Autera to injury in the second game of the season. But senior Dorian Myles and freshman Bronson Green have combined for over 1200 yards rushing, with Myles averaging 5.3 yards per carry behind a big, veteran offensive line.
The Ithaca offense has struggled to score points throughout 2011. The Bombers average only 20 points per game, well below their normal output. Normally a team which prides itself on its running game, the Bombers average only 3.0 yards per carry as a team. The passing game has been mistake prone, with 15 interceptions to only nine touchdowns thrown. Quarterback Phil Neumann is coming off a disappointing game against Alfred, where he completed only 10-of-31 passes.
But this is Cortaca. Anyone who follows Cortaca knows anything can happen once the game starts. In fact, nine of the last 12 Cortaca Jug games have been decided by seven points or less, with two games decided in overtime.
There are kinks in the Red Dragons' armor, and reason to believe Ithaca has a good chance to win. Cortland is coming off a confusing defensive effort against Brockport, where it yielded 549 yards of offense and 42 points to a 2-7 football team. Brockport scored 24 points and had over 370 yards of offense prior to half-time.
Cortland kicker Marc Corrado has attempted only 8 field goals this season, with a long of 31 yards. He is just 1-of-3 from beyond 30. The Red Dragons return game of Kadeem Miller (21.2 yards per return) and John Babin (22.6 yards per return) has been average, and nowhere near the explosiveness it had with Autera returning kicks. In games which are historically close, special teams can play a huge factor. Ithaca may have the special teams edge.
The Bombers also have recent history on its side. Ithaca has won three of the last four Cortaca Jugs, and Cortland as a team has struggled against Empire-8 foes such as Alfred University and St. John Fisher.
Like most Cortaca Jug games, I expect this one will come down to a key special teams play, or a turnover. I don't buy Cortland as an overwhelming favorite.
The only thing I am absolutely sure of is that the sell-out crowd will see another incredible game between these two upstate New York rivals. See you Saturday!
What are some of your favorite memories from Cortaca?
The game garnered the nickname "Biggest Little Game in the Nation" from Sports Illustrated, and typically attracts more than 10,000 fans. The Cortaca Jug could easily attract 12,000 to 15,000 fans, but the schools cap the amount of tickets available for safety concerns inside their on campus stadiums.
Ithaca leads the series 34-18, but Cortland has a slim 8-7 lead in the last 15 years.
But the tide began to turn in 1988. Under head coach Dennis Kayser, Cortland won its first eight games of the season prior to Cortaca. Ithaca was also undefeated in its first eight games, setting the stage for one of the biggest Division 3 football games played that season. On the old Davis Field in Cortland, the Red Dragons stunned Ithaca College 21-20 behind the running of Garreth Grayson and throwing of quarterback Rich Keefer.
Ithaca avenged the Cortaca loss, defeating Cortland 24-17 in the national quarterfinals just three weeks later. The Bombers went on to destroy Ferrum 62-28 in the semifinals, and Central 39-24 in the championship game behind the spectacular running of Mike Scott. The way Ithaca dominated the semifinal and championship games led many polls to rank Cortland #2 in the nation at the end of the 1988. So it could be argued that the 1988 Cortaca Jug game was played between the two best teams in the nation.
While Cortland has become a consistent force in upstate New York football since opening its on campus stadium in 2002, the once dominant Ithaca program has struggled to live up to its own lofty expectations. This seasons marks the first time in 40 years that Ithaca will not finish with a winning record. The Bombers will be playing for pride and history this Saturday, as it begins the road back to upstate New York dominance.
Cortland appears to have the edge on paper. Senior quarterback Dan Pitcher has thrown for over 2100 yards with a fantastic 168.1 Passing Efficiency Rating. John Babin has emerged as one of Eastern Region's top wide receivers, catching 63 passes in 9 games for 1019 yards and a school record 14 touchdowns. The Red Dragons lost star running back Justin Autera to injury in the second game of the season. But senior Dorian Myles and freshman Bronson Green have combined for over 1200 yards rushing, with Myles averaging 5.3 yards per carry behind a big, veteran offensive line.
The Ithaca offense has struggled to score points throughout 2011. The Bombers average only 20 points per game, well below their normal output. Normally a team which prides itself on its running game, the Bombers average only 3.0 yards per carry as a team. The passing game has been mistake prone, with 15 interceptions to only nine touchdowns thrown. Quarterback Phil Neumann is coming off a disappointing game against Alfred, where he completed only 10-of-31 passes.
But this is Cortaca. Anyone who follows Cortaca knows anything can happen once the game starts. In fact, nine of the last 12 Cortaca Jug games have been decided by seven points or less, with two games decided in overtime.
There are kinks in the Red Dragons' armor, and reason to believe Ithaca has a good chance to win. Cortland is coming off a confusing defensive effort against Brockport, where it yielded 549 yards of offense and 42 points to a 2-7 football team. Brockport scored 24 points and had over 370 yards of offense prior to half-time.
Cortland kicker Marc Corrado has attempted only 8 field goals this season, with a long of 31 yards. He is just 1-of-3 from beyond 30. The Red Dragons return game of Kadeem Miller (21.2 yards per return) and John Babin (22.6 yards per return) has been average, and nowhere near the explosiveness it had with Autera returning kicks. In games which are historically close, special teams can play a huge factor. Ithaca may have the special teams edge.
The Bombers also have recent history on its side. Ithaca has won three of the last four Cortaca Jugs, and Cortland as a team has struggled against Empire-8 foes such as Alfred University and St. John Fisher.
Like most Cortaca Jug games, I expect this one will come down to a key special teams play, or a turnover. I don't buy Cortland as an overwhelming favorite.
The only thing I am absolutely sure of is that the sell-out crowd will see another incredible game between these two upstate New York rivals. See you Saturday!
What are some of your favorite memories from Cortaca?
Widener Rising
Widener University was once a national powerhouse. The Widener University Pride has two national championships, and has won a league record 17 MAC titles. But it has been a while since Widener was considered a national championship contender. Things may be changing fast.
The Widener University Pride is red hot. With a record of 8-1, and averaging an amazing 49.1 points per game, the Pride may be the most dangerous football team in Eastern Region. This week Widener travels to Delaware Valley to face the 9-0 Aggies for the annual Keystone Cup, and the MAC Championship. The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.
Widener is doing everything right to attract talent to their football program. They are running a multiple set, pass heavy offense which kids want to be a part of. Quarterback Chris Haupt has thrown for over 2200 yards and 27 touchdowns despite playing in games which were often lopsided by half-time. The defense is a hard-hitting, impact style which has generated 30 turnovers. Head coach Isaac Collins is a charismatic leader. Collins came from a defensive coordinator position at The Citadel, where he had to create packages to defend against teams like the University of Florida and Clemson.
The official website is slick and loaded with recent game photos.
Most inventive is the weekly video interview with head coach Isaac Collins, "Kickin It with Coach C." The video is linked from the official Widener website, and can be found on YouTube. Media like this represents a new wave in attracting talented recruits. Businesses have long embraced social media and YouTube for getting their brands out to consumers.
It is refreshing to see a small college football staff which "gets it." They are using the avenues which are popular with high school juniors and seniors who they wish to recruit. And they are building brand recognition with younger kids, who will know Widener as a top notch football program when they reach varsity. Other football teams need to follow this lead, or risk following way behind.
It has been over a decade since an Eastern Region power was considered a threat to Mount Union or Wisconsin-Whitewater. For Eastern Region to regain national respect, it needs a new super power to rise.
If I had to bet on the best chances for a national powerhouse emerging in Eastern Region, I would start with St. John Fisher and Cortland, who each have excellent facilities, on-campus stadiums, and host NFL training camps. I would also include Rowan, Montclair, and Kean. All three recruit from the talented New Jersey base of football talent, and have quality facilities. And of course I would include Delaware Valley and Salisbury.
But the best chance for a national powerhouse to develop, in my opinion, is Widener. Recruiting is a form of sales, and Widener is following some best practices normally reserved for tech savvy companies.
Widener will have their work cut out for them if they hope to beat the undefeated Delaware Valley Aggies on the road this Saturday. If they lose, the odds on The Pride being invited to the NCAA playoffs as an at-large bid with two losses are slim. But I would put Widener on the short list of teams which deserve the chance even with two losses. If they do make the playoffs, I guarantee nobody will want to face them.
Who are your top picks for future national powers from Eastern Region?
The Widener University Pride is red hot. With a record of 8-1, and averaging an amazing 49.1 points per game, the Pride may be the most dangerous football team in Eastern Region. This week Widener travels to Delaware Valley to face the 9-0 Aggies for the annual Keystone Cup, and the MAC Championship. The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.
Widener is doing everything right to attract talent to their football program. They are running a multiple set, pass heavy offense which kids want to be a part of. Quarterback Chris Haupt has thrown for over 2200 yards and 27 touchdowns despite playing in games which were often lopsided by half-time. The defense is a hard-hitting, impact style which has generated 30 turnovers. Head coach Isaac Collins is a charismatic leader. Collins came from a defensive coordinator position at The Citadel, where he had to create packages to defend against teams like the University of Florida and Clemson.
The official website is slick and loaded with recent game photos.
Most inventive is the weekly video interview with head coach Isaac Collins, "Kickin It with Coach C." The video is linked from the official Widener website, and can be found on YouTube. Media like this represents a new wave in attracting talented recruits. Businesses have long embraced social media and YouTube for getting their brands out to consumers.
It is refreshing to see a small college football staff which "gets it." They are using the avenues which are popular with high school juniors and seniors who they wish to recruit. And they are building brand recognition with younger kids, who will know Widener as a top notch football program when they reach varsity. Other football teams need to follow this lead, or risk following way behind.
It has been over a decade since an Eastern Region power was considered a threat to Mount Union or Wisconsin-Whitewater. For Eastern Region to regain national respect, it needs a new super power to rise.
If I had to bet on the best chances for a national powerhouse emerging in Eastern Region, I would start with St. John Fisher and Cortland, who each have excellent facilities, on-campus stadiums, and host NFL training camps. I would also include Rowan, Montclair, and Kean. All three recruit from the talented New Jersey base of football talent, and have quality facilities. And of course I would include Delaware Valley and Salisbury.
But the best chance for a national powerhouse to develop, in my opinion, is Widener. Recruiting is a form of sales, and Widener is following some best practices normally reserved for tech savvy companies.
Widener will have their work cut out for them if they hope to beat the undefeated Delaware Valley Aggies on the road this Saturday. If they lose, the odds on The Pride being invited to the NCAA playoffs as an at-large bid with two losses are slim. But I would put Widener on the short list of teams which deserve the chance even with two losses. If they do make the playoffs, I guarantee nobody will want to face them.
Who are your top picks for future national powers from Eastern Region?
D3East Football Rankings - November 6
What a great day of football! Saturday reminded us of why we are fans. The top ranked Delaware Valley Aggies won a rivalry game on a last second drive, Montclair rallied from 21 points down to beat its biggest rival in overtime, and previously undefeated Hobart was stunned by RPI.
Let's get down to business. Here are my Division 3 Eastern Football Rankings for 11/6/2011:
The Delaware Valley Aggies remain the only undefeated team in Division 3 Eastern Region football. We knew their game in Lycoming would be a close call, and it sure was. The Lycoming Warriors rallied to tie the score 21-21 with 1:01 remaining to play. But Delaware Valley drove 54 yards to score the winning touchdown with just seconds to play.
Salisbury won a statement game 41-21 over St. John Fisher, clinching the Empire 8 championship and a Pool A bid to the NCAA playoffs. It is my opinion that the Aggies and the Salisbury Gulls give the East its best 1-2 punch at the top of the playoff bracket that it has had in several years.
Raise your hand if you predicted Montclair and its backup quarterback would lose on the road to the Rowan Profs. I know I did, and I felt pretty smart with Rowan ahead 21-0. But Drew Cathey played a brilliant second half of football to rally Montclair to a 37-31 overtime victory. Kean had little trouble dispatching William Paterson, setting up a showdown for the NJAC championship between Kean and Montclair next Saturday.
Western New England stopped UMass-Dartmouth 28-18 to win its ninth game of the season. Like all NEFC leaders in the past decade, the Golden Bears of Western New England sport an impressive record but are completely untested out of conference. For that reason I don't have the confidence to rank them higher than #10. And honestly I wrestled with the idea of putting Rowan in the #10 spot. Unfortunately we won't know anything about Western New England until the first round of the NCAA playoffs is over.
Let's get down to business. Here are my Division 3 Eastern Football Rankings for 11/6/2011:
- Delaware Valley 9-0
- Salisbury State 8-1
- Widener 9-1
- Montclair 8-1
- Kean 8-1
- Lycoming 7-2
- Hobart 6-1
- St John Fisher 7-2
- Cortland 7-2
- Western New England 9-1
The Delaware Valley Aggies remain the only undefeated team in Division 3 Eastern Region football. We knew their game in Lycoming would be a close call, and it sure was. The Lycoming Warriors rallied to tie the score 21-21 with 1:01 remaining to play. But Delaware Valley drove 54 yards to score the winning touchdown with just seconds to play.
Salisbury won a statement game 41-21 over St. John Fisher, clinching the Empire 8 championship and a Pool A bid to the NCAA playoffs. It is my opinion that the Aggies and the Salisbury Gulls give the East its best 1-2 punch at the top of the playoff bracket that it has had in several years.
Raise your hand if you predicted Montclair and its backup quarterback would lose on the road to the Rowan Profs. I know I did, and I felt pretty smart with Rowan ahead 21-0. But Drew Cathey played a brilliant second half of football to rally Montclair to a 37-31 overtime victory. Kean had little trouble dispatching William Paterson, setting up a showdown for the NJAC championship between Kean and Montclair next Saturday.
Western New England stopped UMass-Dartmouth 28-18 to win its ninth game of the season. Like all NEFC leaders in the past decade, the Golden Bears of Western New England sport an impressive record but are completely untested out of conference. For that reason I don't have the confidence to rank them higher than #10. And honestly I wrestled with the idea of putting Rowan in the #10 spot. Unfortunately we won't know anything about Western New England until the first round of the NCAA playoffs is over.
Montclair Survives at Rowan
The Montclair Red Hawks rallied from a 21-0 deficit to overcome the Rowan University Profs on the road, 37-31 in overtime. Rowan missed a field goal and failed to score on its first possession. Montclair scored quickly to send the Profs fans home disappointed.
The Montclair Red Hawks just earned a ton of street cred. After losing its starting quarterback against Cortland on October 8, the Red Hawks offense had struggled to find its rhythm. A loss to TCNJ two weeks later made a lot of Eastern Region football fans become Montclair doubters.
But give Montclair a ton of credit. Backup quarterback Drew Cathey has improved every week as the new starter. They have a strong defense, and an explosive ground game led by Chris D'Andrea. And this week, Cathey became the star as Montclair rallied from a seemingly insurmountable deficit in hostile territory to lead the Red Hawks past the Profs.
The Montclair victory moves the team to 8-1 on the season. The New Jersey Athletic Conference championship will be on the line next Saturday when Montclair hosts 8-1 Kean in a winner-take-all showdown.
The Montclair Red Hawks just earned a ton of street cred. After losing its starting quarterback against Cortland on October 8, the Red Hawks offense had struggled to find its rhythm. A loss to TCNJ two weeks later made a lot of Eastern Region football fans become Montclair doubters.
But give Montclair a ton of credit. Backup quarterback Drew Cathey has improved every week as the new starter. They have a strong defense, and an explosive ground game led by Chris D'Andrea. And this week, Cathey became the star as Montclair rallied from a seemingly insurmountable deficit in hostile territory to lead the Red Hawks past the Profs.
The Montclair victory moves the team to 8-1 on the season. The New Jersey Athletic Conference championship will be on the line next Saturday when Montclair hosts 8-1 Kean in a winner-take-all showdown.
Ithaca College Bombers Streak Ends
An incredible streak ended Saturday afternoon when the Alfred Saxons held on to beat the Ithaca College Bombers 21-19. The loss dropped Ithaca to 4-5 on the season, and snapped a record of 40-consecutive winning seasons.
During the 40-year winning season streak, the Bombers captured three national championships in 1974, 1988, and 1991, all under legendary head coach Jim Butterfield. Ithaca College established itself as a national power, and as the most dominant Eastern Region football program for three decades.
However the landscape of upstate New York football has radically changed in the last two decades. St. John Fisher started their program, and became an upstate powerhouse by the early 2000s. Utica College and Hartwick formed programs within a two hour drive of Ithaca. Cortland State rose to become a strong upstate competitor, recruiting just 20 minutes up the road from Ithaca. Brockport and Buffalo State both became viable teams in western New York. And very recently, Morrisville switched from JUCO to Division 3.
While none of these events alone can explain Ithaca's fall from dominance, the aggregate goes a long way to explain Ithaca's inability to recruit enough athletes to compete for national championships. There are simply too many teams, in too small an area, competing for many of the same players. The result, in my opinion, is parity among many teams across New York state.
While St. John Fisher appears to have become the dominant western New York team, it is starting to look like Cortland may be the dominant central New York program. In order for Ithaca to return to national prominence, it may need both Fisher and Cortland to stumble.
Today's loss, and the end of the 40-year streak, is hardly a death sentence for Ithaca. The Bombers are just three years removed from consecutive NCAA tournament bids (2007 and 2008). A win next week against Cortland in the annual Cortaca Jug would no doubt soften the blow quite a bit, and put the team back on course for 2012.
Congratulations to Ithaca College on a fantastic 40-year run. It was truly one of college football's greatest achievements over the last four decades.
During the 40-year winning season streak, the Bombers captured three national championships in 1974, 1988, and 1991, all under legendary head coach Jim Butterfield. Ithaca College established itself as a national power, and as the most dominant Eastern Region football program for three decades.
However the landscape of upstate New York football has radically changed in the last two decades. St. John Fisher started their program, and became an upstate powerhouse by the early 2000s. Utica College and Hartwick formed programs within a two hour drive of Ithaca. Cortland State rose to become a strong upstate competitor, recruiting just 20 minutes up the road from Ithaca. Brockport and Buffalo State both became viable teams in western New York. And very recently, Morrisville switched from JUCO to Division 3.
While none of these events alone can explain Ithaca's fall from dominance, the aggregate goes a long way to explain Ithaca's inability to recruit enough athletes to compete for national championships. There are simply too many teams, in too small an area, competing for many of the same players. The result, in my opinion, is parity among many teams across New York state.
While St. John Fisher appears to have become the dominant western New York team, it is starting to look like Cortland may be the dominant central New York program. In order for Ithaca to return to national prominence, it may need both Fisher and Cortland to stumble.
Today's loss, and the end of the 40-year streak, is hardly a death sentence for Ithaca. The Bombers are just three years removed from consecutive NCAA tournament bids (2007 and 2008). A win next week against Cortland in the annual Cortaca Jug would no doubt soften the blow quite a bit, and put the team back on course for 2012.
Congratulations to Ithaca College on a fantastic 40-year run. It was truly one of college football's greatest achievements over the last four decades.
Delaware Valley beats Lycoming in Thriller
The Delaware Valley Aggies (9-0) survived a big road test against the Lycoming Warriors (7-2), 28-21. Lycoming scored with just 61 seconds to play to tie the game at 21-21, on a 1-yard touchdown run by Zach Klinger.
The game appeared headed for overtime, but the Aggies intended to finish the job in regulation. Chris Wisniewski took a short kickoff at his own 38-yard line, and returned it 8 yards to the Delaware Valley 46-yard line. Aggies quarterback Aaron Wilmer connected with Rodney Blango for 16 yards to the Lycoming 38-yard line. Two plays later, Wilmer again found Blango for 15 yards on a key 3rd-and-10 play.
After a 15-yard pass play from Wilmer to Lewis Vincent, Wilmer ran the ball in from 8 yards out to score the winning touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining.
The gutty victory by Delaware Valley on the road solidified my belief that this is the best team in Eastern Region. The Aggies have a huge home game next Saturday with Widener (8-1), with the MAC title on the line. If the Aggies finish the job with back-to-back wins over strong teams to win the title, they will be a clear #1 seed and battle tested for the playoffs.
Congratulations to Delaware Valley, ranked #1 this week by d3east-football.
The game appeared headed for overtime, but the Aggies intended to finish the job in regulation. Chris Wisniewski took a short kickoff at his own 38-yard line, and returned it 8 yards to the Delaware Valley 46-yard line. Aggies quarterback Aaron Wilmer connected with Rodney Blango for 16 yards to the Lycoming 38-yard line. Two plays later, Wilmer again found Blango for 15 yards on a key 3rd-and-10 play.
After a 15-yard pass play from Wilmer to Lewis Vincent, Wilmer ran the ball in from 8 yards out to score the winning touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining.
The gutty victory by Delaware Valley on the road solidified my belief that this is the best team in Eastern Region. The Aggies have a huge home game next Saturday with Widener (8-1), with the MAC title on the line. If the Aggies finish the job with back-to-back wins over strong teams to win the title, they will be a clear #1 seed and battle tested for the playoffs.
Congratulations to Delaware Valley, ranked #1 this week by d3east-football.