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Post by kaftan12 on Sept 12, 2021 9:36:12 GMT -5
I agree. We could not compete with a transitioning D2 -D1 school at home! How can you like going on the road playing against a team that beat us 23-10 in 2019 Yale had 500 yards of offense and we had 145 yards passing and 92 rushing. Seems like that is all we can produce on offense. If the defense has to play another 35-38 minutes this game will not be close.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Sept 12, 2021 9:36:40 GMT -5
And what does that solve? There are two private schools -- Elon and Villanova -- in a league of large public universities. And Villanova and Elon have 2+ times the undergraduate enrollment of HC. ? Richmond, a highly regarded private school with 3100 undergraduates, is a CAA football member. Yep. My mind is in a fog of despair! ------------------- In looking at the box score, the HC TOP was 20 minutes and change. 1-7 on 3rd down conversions 0-1 on 4th down conversions. Sluka had 30 of the 49 HC offensive plays, with net yardage of 177 yards. Other HC players had 178 net yards on 19 plays. Someone with the ball in his hands for 61 percent of the offensive plays and generating only half the net total yardage is not getting it done.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 12, 2021 9:46:25 GMT -5
UMass put up 28 on BC. UConn put up 28 on HC. I have my betting favorite for the upcoming Futility Bowl between the two State Universities.
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Post by midwestsader05 on Sept 12, 2021 9:50:45 GMT -5
I had family and friend commitments all day Saturday so was only able to check the live score during halftime and at the end of the game. I came home late, read all the threads, then had to watch at least the first half to see for myself what happened (haven’t watched the second half yet but got a pretty good idea). We definitely learned more about this team, the Patriot League and broader FCS in general now that we have 2 weeks to evaluate. Biggest Takeways:
1) The QB (Ellis) from Merrimack was the best player on the field. Kudos to the folks that knew how dangerous he could be. I don’t know what Yale and Harvard have at QB this year, but my guess is that at the end of the season most will agree that Ellis and DeMorat were the two best QB’s we faced all year. By reading the game thread, I was expecting to see him just sit in a perfect pocket and have all day to pick us apart. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. I counted at least 4-5 plays in the 1st half where Liam Anderson or someone else got through on a blitz and Ellis checked downed as he was about to take a hit with a perfect pass. He no doubt had too much time to throw on a couple deeper passes but frankly just straight up beat us with a few good receivers and an O-line that executed well. I have little doubt that UCONN beats us last week with Ellis at QB given the 3-4 wide open receivers the Husky QB missed (one for a TD) coupled with his bad decisions.
2) While I agree that Merrimack was WAY better than expected (conversation about what the transfer portal/extra COVID eligibility is doing to CFB and specifically its potential on the FCS to follow), what I saw were two fairly evenly matched teams that if they play 10 times probably go 5-5. I agree that our guys looked flat (by their body language compared to UCONN) however 4 plays in the first half broke this game open and ALL FOUR broke for Merrimack (credit to Merrimack on executing when we didn’t) ONE: We were a slighter better throw or completing a tough catch (Sluka to a wide open Purdy on 4th and 3 late in the 1st quarter) from having the ball 1st and goal at the MC 6. We likely go up 14-0 late in the 1st quarter and the dynamic of the game shifts dramatically. TWO: The pick 6 by the MC DB was just an UNBELIEVABLE effort, but it’s also a play that could be replicated maybe 10% of the time. Same could be said for the perfect bounce off the UCONN helmet Modak got last last week. THREE: Sluka overthrowing Holohan on 3rd and 8 in Merrimack territory in the 2nd Q. Like others noted, he could have run for the 1st down (had one defender he would have had to beat at the stick) but HAS to complete that throw if he’s making that decision. I’m not ready to completely give up on Sluka (like apparently others are after one week) but I think what Chesney and Roper hopefully learned is that you either let Sluka be what he is (a sick athlete that happens to play QB) or not. There is no in between with players like him. If you want to build your program around an every down west coast QB than go with Siderman or Joe P and play Matt as a Taysom Hill type player or even on Defense. FOUR: The blocked punt was just one of those freak plays that is an absolute momentum killer for one and builder for the other going into a half. The ONLY HC player on the field that knew the ball had touched someone downfield was #30 for HC and I’m still not 100% sure he knew. It’s not like the MC players were better coached and knew what to do. They simply just touched the ball to down it and got the lucky break. If those plays go just 2-2 for the teams and not 4-0 for MC, the game is likely tied at half. I’m not saying we would have won but again the entire dynamic is different.
3) What I was MOST SHOCKED by (like some other posters) was that MC was able to run the ball on our D so effectively in the 2nd half to close out the game. However, after thinking about it more, it does make some sense. It’s often said that a great run game opens up the pass game (especially play action). However, the opposite is as true just less talked about. Again, tons of respect to MC for having a game plan and executing. They knew we would be adjusting to compensate for Ellis and MC’s pass offense at halftime and came out in 3rd Q and did the exact opposite to put the game away. That coupled with the time of possession dispersion and even a good run defense with a lack of depth is going to get worn down being on the field that long by the 2nd half. Bottom line, I think the concerns many of us had going into the season about both sides of the ball are still evident. On Defense, I still think our Run D is good enough to shut down the majority of most teams we play. It’s our pass D that’s been the concern even in our PL championship seasons. We can’t get a pass rush with just our front four against respectable O-lines. We can if we bring pressure from our LB’s or DB’s but a good QB with good receivers like Ellis or DeMorat will exploit this. As for the offense, I was surprised we didn’t try to establish the running game (and keep the ball out of Ellis’ hands) as part of our game plan. Purdy had some nice runs in the 1st half but we just stopped trying to run with him and/or Sluka. It seemed like Roper and Chesney had in their mind that this would be a game develop Matt’s pure pass game. I’ve made my point about this already that we needed to abandon this by early 2nd Quarter. Oliver would have helped but we didn’t NEED him to win this game or at least have a chance in the 4th quarter.
SO WHERE DO WE STAND:
1) Personally, I’m still where I settled coming into the season. I thought this team was somewhere between 8-3 (another PL title and somewhere between FCS ranking #20-25 heading into the 1st round of the FCS playoffs) to 6-5. I picked 7-4 and runner-up to Fordham as my final prediction and of course this morning am thinking further along the 6-5 (or even 5-6) continuum. Last week, I was more on the 8-3 side and still thinking the game in the Bronx would be a toss-up. We will be definite two score underdogs the next two weeks against Yale and Monmouth and unless we upset one, will likely be dogs against Harvard as well. It’s very possible were are 1-4 heading into our bye week and preparing for the PL campaign. Fordham is the clear favorite to WIN the PL. They will lose next week to FAU but if they can knock off Stony Brook, they can win eight straight to finish 8-3 to represent the PL in the FCS playoffs.
2) As for the Patriot League, most of us rightfully predicted that Fordham and HC were the class of the league heading into the season (the winner of the PL is a #20-25 FCS ranked team and the runner up likely a #30-40 ranked team) The rest of the league is absolutely terrible. Lafayette’s defense looks to be one potential bright spot. They kept the Air Force rushing attack fairly in check all things considered in Week 1 and held W&M to under 150 yards total offense yesterday. William and Mary’s ONLY offensive TD was a complete freak play on a long TD pass (Sports Center top play.) Lafayette’s QB threw two pick 6 TD’s for Bill and Mary’s other TDs . Lafayette won the entire stat sheet expect turnovers (3 to W&M 0). They might be the one team that can knock off Fordham if Fordham doesn’t bring at least their B game and can definitely play with us. HC will go ~5-6 if we play like we did yesterday, we aren’t good enough to play a severely sub par game per execution and win games. We can play average and still beat the likes of Lehigh and Bucknell but that’s it! We have to play our A game to win any of the next three games (and against Fordham) and at least a B game if we want to narrowly beat Lafayette.
Finally, before this season, when fellow college football fans would ask me to explain national FCS football to them, I would say we have our own version of Power 5 and Group of 5 conferences. The MVC being the SEC, the CAA being the Big 10 or ACC and the Big Sky being the PAC 12 (I would refer to the Southland as the BIG 12 but of course it’s being broken up by the new WAC and Atlantic Sun transitions) As for the bottom “Group of 5 conferences” the bottom is the Pioneer (not officially full scholarship) followed by the MEAC and then the Patriot League on par with the NEC top to bottom. Going forward, I will tell them The PL is the 2nd worst conference in FCS. The MEAC and especially NEC are better than us top to bottom. The NEC specifically has been able to utilize the transition to 63 full scholarships much more effectively than the PL. The reasons are obvious (Academic standards, graduate programs (now with the Transfer portal etc.) We have to accept what we all know…The winner of the PL in most seasons is likely barely a TOP 25 team and we might have one every 5 years that can crack the Top 20 as the exception (Colgate 2018). The trend is not good but it is what it is given the league’s limitations. We should strive to be that top team year in and year out. I for one will still be supporting my alma mater in all ways possible.
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Post by hc6774 on Sept 12, 2021 10:15:06 GMT -5
And what does that solve? There are two private schools -- Elon and Villanova -- in a league of large public universities. And Villanova and Elon have 2+ times the undergraduate enrollment of HC. ? Richmond, a highly regarded private school with 3100 undergraduates, is a CAA football member. with 12 grads & every player [except 19 freshmen] is listed as a red shirt
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Post by hc6774 on Sept 12, 2021 10:22:22 GMT -5
I had family and friend commitments all day Saturday so was only able to check the live score during halftime and at the end of the game. I came home late, read all the threads, then had to watch at least the first half to see for myself what happened (haven’t watched the second half yet but got a pretty good idea). We definitely learned more about this team, the Patriot League and broader FCS in general now that we have 2 weeks to evaluate. Biggest Takeways: 1) The QB (Ellis) from Merrimack was the best player on the field. Kudos to the folks that knew how dangerous he could be. I don’t know what Yale and Harvard have at QB this year, but my guess is that at the end of the season most will agree that Ellis and DeMorat were the two best QB’s we faced all year. By reading the game thread, I was expecting to see him just sit in a perfect pocket and have all day to pick us apart. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. I counted at least 4-5 plays in the 1st half where Liam Anderson or someone else got through on a blitz and Ellis checked downed as he was about to take a hit with a perfect pass. He no doubt had too much time to throw on a couple deeper passes but frankly just straight up beat us with a few good receivers and an O-line that executed well. I have little doubt that UCONN beats as last week with Ellis at QB given the 3-4 wide open receivers the Husky QB missed (one for a TD) coupled with his bad decisions. 2) While I agree that Merrimack was WAY better than expected (conversation about what the transfer portal/extra COVID eligibility is doing to CFB and specifically its potential on the FCS to follow), what I saw were two fairly evenly matched teams that if they play 10 times probably go 5-5. I agree that our guys looked flat (by their body language compared to UCONN) however 4 plays in the first half broke this game open and ALL FOUR broke for Merrimack (credit to Merrimack on executing when we didn’t) ONE: We were a slighter better throw or completing a tough catch (Sluka to a wide open Purdy on 4th and 3 late in the 1st quarter) from having the ball 1st and goal at the MC 6. We likely go up 14-0 late in the 1st quarter and the dynamic of the game shifts dramatically. TWO: The pick 6 by the MC DB was just an UNBELIEVABLE effort, but it’s also a play that could be replicated maybe 10% of the time. Same could be said for the perfect bounce of the helmet Modak got last last week. THREE: Sluka overthrowing Holohan on 3rd and 8 in Merrimack territory in the 2nd Q. Like others noted, he could have run for the 1st down (had one defender he would have had to beat at the stick) but HAS to complete that throw if he’s making that decision. I’m not ready to completely give up on Sluka (like apparently others are after one week) but I think what Chesney and Roper hopefully learned is that you either let Sluka be what he is (a sick athlete that happens to play QB) or not. There is no in between with players like him. If you want to build your program around an every down west coast QB than go with Siderman or Joe P and play Matt as a Taysom Hill type player or even on Defense. FOUR: The blocked put was just one of those freak plays that is an absolute momentum killer for one and builder for the other going into a half. The ONLY HC player on the field that knew the ball had touched someone downfield was #30 for HC and I’m still not 100% sure he knew. It’s not like the MC players were better coached and knew what to do. They simply just touched the ball to down it and got the lucky break. If those plays go just 2-2 for the teams and not 4-0 for MC, the game is likely tied at half. I’m not saying we would have won but they again the entire dynamic is different. 3) What I was MOST SHOCKED by (like some other posters) was that MC was able to run the ball on our D so effectively in the 2nd half to close out the game. However, after thinking about it more, it does make some sense. It’s often said that a great run game opens up the pass game (especially play action). However, the opposite is as true just less talked about. Again, tons of respect to MC for having a game plan and executing. They knew we would be adjusting to compensate for Ellis and MC’s pass offense at halftime and came out in 3rd Q and did the exact opposite to put the game away. That coupled with the time of possession dispersion and any even good run defense with a lack of depth is going to get worn down being on the field that long by the 2nd half. Bottom line, I think the concerns many of us had going into the season about both sides of the ball are still evident. On Defense, I still think our Run D is good enough to shut down the majority of most teams we play. It’s our pass D that’s been the concern even in our PL championship seasons. We can’t get a pass rush with just our front four against respectable O-lines. We can if we bring pressure from our LB’s or DB’s but a good QB with good receivers like Ellis or DeMorat will exploit this. As for the offense, I was surprised we didn’t try to establish the running game (and keep the ball out of Ellis’ hands) as part of our game plan. Purdy had some nice runs in the 1st half but we just stopped trying to run with him and/or Sluka. It seemed like Roper and Chesney had in their mind that this would be a game develop Matt’s pure pass game. I’ve made my point about this already that should have been abandoned early. Oliver would have helped but we didn’t NEED him to win this game or at least have a chance in the 4th quarter. SO WERE DO WE STAND:
1) Personally, I’m still were I settled coming into the season. I thought this team was somewhere between 8-3 (another PL title and somewhere between FCS ranking #20-25 heading into the 1st round of the FCS playoffs) to 6-5. I picked 7-4 and runner-up to Fordham as my final prediction and of course this morning am thinking further along the 6-5 (or even 5-6) continuum. Last week, I was more on the 8-3 side and still thinking the game in the Bronx would be a toss-up. We will be definite two score underdogs the next two weeks against Yale and Monmouth and unless we upset one, will likely be dogs against Harvard as well. It’s very possible were are 1-4 heading into our bye week and preparing for the PL campaign. Fordham is the clear favorite to WIN the PL. They will lose next week to FAU but if they can knock off Stony Brook, they can win eight straight to finish 8-3 to represent the PL in the FCS playoffs. 2) As for the Patriot League, most of us rightfully predicted that Fordham and HC were the class of the league heading into the season (the winner of the PL is a #20-25 FCS ranked team and the runner up likely a #30-40 ranked team) The rest of the league is absolutely terrible. Lafayette’s defense looks to be one potential bright spot. They kept the Air Force rushing attack fairly in check all things considered in Week 1 and held W&M to under 150 yards total offense yesterday. William and Mary’s ONLY offensive TD was a complete freak play on a long TD pass (Sport’s Center top play.) Lafayette’s QB threw two pick 6 TD’s for Bill and Mary’s other TD’s. Lafayette won the entire stat sheet expect turnovers (3 to W&M 0). They might be the one team that can knock off Fordham if Fordham doesn’t bring at least their B game and can definitely play with us. HC will go ~5-6 if we play like we did yesterday, we aren’t good enough to play a severely sub par game per execution and win games. We can play average and still beat the likes of Lehigh and Bucknell but that’s it! We have to play our A game to win any of the next three games (and against Fordham) and at least a B game if we want to narrowly beat Lafayette. Finally, before this season, when fellow college football fans would ask me to explain national FCS football to them, I would say we have our own version of Power 5 and Group of 5 conferences. The MVC being the SEC, the CAA being the Big 10 or ACC and the Big Sky being the PAC 12 (I would refer to the Southland as the BIG 12 but of course it’s being broken up by the new WAC and Atlantic Sun transitions) As for the bottom “Group of 5 conferences” the bottom is the Pioneer (not officially full scholarship) followed by the MEAC and then the Patriot League on par with the NEC top to bottom. Going forward, I will tell them The PL is the 2nd to worst conference in FCS. The MEAC and especially NEC are better than us top to bottom. The NEC specifically has been able to utilize the transition to 63 full scholarships much more effectively than the PL. The reasons are obvious (Academics, graduate programs (now with the Transfer portal etc.) We have to accept what we all know…The winner each of the PL most seasons is likely barely a TOP 25 team and we might have one every 5 years that can crack the Top 20 as the exception (Colgate 2018). The trend is not good but it what it is given the league’s limitations. We should strive to be that top team year in and year out. I for one will still be supporting my alma mater in all ways possible. I was at the game & had similar thoughts going into the second half... then week kicked off OB....
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Post by midwestsader05 on Sept 12, 2021 10:32:10 GMT -5
Yea, speaking of playing flat who would have ever guessed Ng would kick two kickoffs OB in ONE GAME. I might have taken the push or under if you had said 2 the entire season! Again, a day where nothing was going our way and D grade execution across the board with very few exceptions.
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Post by hc2020 on Sept 12, 2021 10:51:59 GMT -5
I guess this game can either be a great teaching moment for Chesney that is used to catapult us towards a very successful season, or it will become a lingering trend towards what becomes a disappointing season. While it is a different situation, I recall in 2001 the Patriots suffered a really bad loss to the Dolphins in Week 4 and their record stood at 1-3. Belichick began the first practice after that loss with shovel in hand by digging a hole in the ground on the practice field and burying the game ball from that defeat, telling the team that the Dolphins game was in their rear-view mirror and the only thing that mattered now was how the team played moving forward. We all know how that team responded and ultimately finished.
Clearly, several adjustments need to be make in all 3 phases of the game if this team is to achieve its potential. I do have confidence that Chesney can identify what needs to be done in order to right the ship and get us back on track. If this proves not to be the case, then we will know that the current status of this team (and perhaps it’s coaching staff) was not as was advertised and there is much more work to be done.
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Post by thecrossisback on Sept 12, 2021 10:58:31 GMT -5
HC is 5-29 against Yale all time. All week HC will be reminded of the loss to Merrimack. In turn they will come out flying right from the start and punch Handsome Dan in the mouth. We are going to win the game I guarantee it! See you at the Yale Bowl!
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Post by HC92 on Sept 12, 2021 11:04:27 GMT -5
Yesterday was our first loss to a team not ranked in the top 15 of FCS since 11/9/19 when we lost to Lafayette 23-20. We have become a very good FCS program in a short period of time. Yesterday showed us we’re not a great one yet.
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Post by trimster on Sept 12, 2021 11:16:45 GMT -5
Yesterday was our first loss to a team not ranked in the top 15 of FCS since 11/9/19 when we lost to Lafayette 23-20. We have become a very good FCS program in a short period of time. Yesterday showed us we’re not a great one yet. Umm, how many football games have we played since 11-9-19? A handful and a half.
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Post by trimster on Sept 12, 2021 11:25:00 GMT -5
I don't have any hope in the PL improving its standing among FCS leagues and that bothers me a lot - with our facility and geography we belong in the CAA as a football only member (they have a few of them already) - the CAA shellacked PL teams yesterday with the 4 losers managing only 3 points each - Someone with much influence (give me another EB Williams please) should insist on such a move - who cares if the PL implodes, it's not working out with the present formula for producing good football The CAA has too many state universities for HC's liking. We must be associated with Ivy lites and by extension, the Ivy League, or the Ivy will crumble from Fenwick.
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Post by timholycross on Sept 12, 2021 11:25:11 GMT -5
? Richmond, a highly regarded private school with 3100 undergraduates, is a CAA football member. Yep. My mind is in a fog of despair! ------------------- In looking at the box score, the HC TOP was 20 minutes and change. 1-7 on 3rd down conversions 0-1 on 4th down conversions. Sluka had 30 of the 49 HC offensive plays, with net yardage of 177 yards. Other HC players had 178 net yards on 19 plays. Someone with the ball in his hands for 61 percent of the offensive plays and generating only half the net total yardage is not getting it done. I am a bigger proponent of "plays run" versus "time of possession". Yesterday TOP was 37.5 - 22.5, not good. And plays run, 81-49, was almost exactly the same ratio ( 62.5 TOP, 62.3 plays run). Most of the time when TOP is that far off, it's one team running and the other team passing; and often the game is close or closer. In our case, they simply wore us out.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Sept 12, 2021 11:28:45 GMT -5
Meanwhile, there is a possible bright light shining on another team on campus, that through five games has not suffered a defeat. Hope they have turned the corner this season with thirteen freshmen on the roster.
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Post by Ignutz on Sept 12, 2021 11:35:42 GMT -5
I had family and friend commitments all day Saturday so was only able to check the live score during halftime and at the end of the game. I came home late, read all the threads, then had to watch at least the first half to see for myself what happened (haven’t watched the second half yet but got a pretty good idea). We definitely learned more about this team, the Patriot League and broader FCS in general now that we have 2 weeks to evaluate. Biggest Takeways: 1) The QB (Ellis) from Merrimack was the best player on the field. Kudos to the folks that knew how dangerous he could be. I don’t know what Yale and Harvard have at QB this year, but my guess is that at the end of the season most will agree that Ellis and DeMorat were the two best QB’s we faced all year. By reading the game thread, I was expecting to see him just sit in a perfect pocket and have all day to pick us apart. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. I counted at least 4-5 plays in the 1st half where Liam Anderson or someone else got through on a blitz and Ellis checked downed as he was about to take a hit with a perfect pass. He no doubt had too much time to throw on a couple deeper passes but frankly just straight up beat us with a few good receivers and an O-line that executed well. I have little doubt that UCONN beats us last week with Ellis at QB given the 3-4 wide open receivers the Husky QB missed (one for a TD) coupled with his bad decisions. 2) While I agree that Merrimack was WAY better than expected (conversation about what the transfer portal/extra COVID eligibility is doing to CFB and specifically its potential on the FCS to follow), what I saw were two fairly evenly matched teams that if they play 10 times probably go 5-5. I agree that our guys looked flat (by their body language compared to UCONN) however 4 plays in the first half broke this game open and ALL FOUR broke for Merrimack (credit to Merrimack on executing when we didn’t) ONE: We were a slighter better throw or completing a tough catch (Sluka to a wide open Purdy on 4th and 3 late in the 1st quarter) from having the ball 1st and goal at the MC 6. We likely go up 14-0 late in the 1st quarter and the dynamic of the game shifts dramatically. TWO: The pick 6 by the MC DB was just an UNBELIEVABLE effort, but it’s also a play that could be replicated maybe 10% of the time. Same could be said for the perfect bounce off the UCONN helmet Modak got last last week. THREE: Sluka overthrowing Holohan on 3rd and 8 in Merrimack territory in the 2nd Q. Like others noted, he could have run for the 1st down (had one defender he would have had to beat at the stick) but HAS to complete that throw if he’s making that decision. I’m not ready to completely give up on Sluka (like apparently others are after one week) but I think what Chesney and Roper hopefully learned is that you either let Sluka be what he is (a sick athlete that happens to play QB) or not. There is no in between with players like him. If you want to build your program around an every down west coast QB than go with Siderman or Joe P and play Matt as a Taysom Hill type player or even on Defense. FOUR: The blocked put was just one of those freak plays that is an absolute momentum killer for one and builder for the other going into a half. The ONLY HC player on the field that knew the ball had touched someone downfield was #30 for HC and I’m still not 100% sure he knew. It’s not like the MC players were better coached and knew what to do. They simply just touched the ball to down it and got the lucky break. If those plays go just 2-2 for the teams and not 4-0 for MC, the game is likely tied at half. I’m not saying we would have won but again the entire dynamic is different. 3) What I was MOST SHOCKED by (like some other posters) was that MC was able to run the ball on our D so effectively in the 2nd half to close out the game. However, after thinking about it more, it does make some sense. It’s often said that a great run game opens up the pass game (especially play action). However, the opposite is as true just less talked about. Again, tons of respect to MC for having a game plan and executing. They knew we would be adjusting to compensate for Ellis and MC’s pass offense at halftime and came out in 3rd Q and did the exact opposite to put the game away. That coupled with the time of possession dispersion and even a good run defense with a lack of depth is going to get worn down being on the field that long by the 2nd half. Bottom line, I think the concerns many of us had going into the season about both sides of the ball are still evident. On Defense, I still think our Run D is good enough to shut down the majority of most teams we play. It’s our pass D that’s been the concern even in our PL championship seasons. We can’t get a pass rush with just our front four against respectable O-lines. We can if we bring pressure from our LB’s or DB’s but a good QB with good receivers like Ellis or DeMorat will exploit this. As for the offense, I was surprised we didn’t try to establish the running game (and keep the ball out of Ellis’ hands) as part of our game plan. Purdy had some nice runs in the 1st half but we just stopped trying to run with him and/or Sluka. It seemed like Roper and Chesney had in their mind that this would be a game develop Matt’s pure pass game. I’ve made my point about this already that we needed to abandon this by early 2nd Quarter. Oliver would have helped but we didn’t NEED him to win this game or at least have a chance in the 4th quarter. SO WHERE DO WE STAND:
1) Personally, I’m still were I settled coming into the season. I thought this team was somewhere between 8-3 (another PL title and somewhere between FCS ranking #20-25 heading into the 1st round of the FCS playoffs) to 6-5. I picked 7-4 and runner-up to Fordham as my final prediction and of course this morning am thinking further along the 6-5 (or even 5-6) continuum. Last week, I was more on the 8-3 side and still thinking the game in the Bronx would be a toss-up. We will be definite two score underdogs the next two weeks against Yale and Monmouth and unless we upset one, will likely be dogs against Harvard as well. It’s very possible were are 1-4 heading into our bye week and preparing for the PL campaign. Fordham is the clear favorite to WIN the PL. They will lose next week to FAU but if they can knock off Stony Brook, they can win eight straight to finish 8-3 to represent the PL in the FCS playoffs. 2) As for the Patriot League, most of us rightfully predicted that Fordham and HC were the class of the league heading into the season (the winner of the PL is a #20-25 FCS ranked team and the runner up likely a #30-40 ranked team) The rest of the league is absolutely terrible. Lafayette’s defense looks to be one potential bright spot. They kept the Air Force rushing attack fairly in check all things considered in Week 1 and held W&M to under 150 yards total offense yesterday. William and Mary’s ONLY offensive TD was a complete freak play on a long TD pass (Sports Center top play.) Lafayette’s QB threw two pick 6 TD’s for Bill and Mary’s other TDs . Lafayette won the entire stat sheet expect turnovers (3 to W&M 0). They might be the one team that can knock off Fordham if Fordham doesn’t bring at least their B game and can definitely play with us. HC will go ~5-6 if we play like we did yesterday, we aren’t good enough to play a severely sub par game per execution and win games. We can play average and still beat the likes of Lehigh and Bucknell but that’s it! We have to play our A game to win any of the next three games (and against Fordham) and at least a B game if we want to narrowly beat Lafayette. Finally, before this season, when fellow college football fans would ask me to explain national FCS football to them, I would say we have our own version of Power 5 and Group of 5 conferences. The MVC being the SEC, the CAA being the Big 10 or ACC and the Big Sky being the PAC 12 (I would refer to the Southland as the BIG 12 but of course it’s being broken up by the new WAC and Atlantic Sun transitions) As for the bottom “Group of 5 conferences” the bottom is the Pioneer (not officially full scholarship) followed by the MEAC and then the Patriot League on par with the NEC top to bottom. Going forward, I will tell them The PL is the 2nd worst conference in FCS. The MEAC and especially NEC are better than us top to bottom. The NEC specifically has been able to utilize the transition to 63 full scholarships much more effectively than the PL. The reasons are obvious (Academic standards, graduate programs (now with the Transfer portal etc.) We have to accept what we all know…The winner of the PL in most seasons is likely barely a TOP 25 team and we might have one every 5 years that can crack the Top 20 as the exception (Colgate 2018). The trend is not good but it is what it is given the league’s limitations. We should strive to be that top team year in and year out. I for one will still be supporting my alma mater in all ways possible. Interestingly, I think the vast majority of posters here would have predicted us to be sitting at 1-1 today - but obviously, not this way. That being said, I’d bet that if we had fallen short in East Hartford, we would have looked/played very differently yesterday.
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Post by kaftan12 on Sept 12, 2021 12:53:13 GMT -5
Getting smacked by Merrimack regardless of current record is unacceptable. With that said the coaching staff made adjustments last year when things not working well and need to give them benefit of doubt here. The hope is they understand what the adjustments are that need to be made. Teams are prepared and clearly know how to stop the offense and run on the defense. They need to evaluate every position and identify what changes need to be made to correct issues this week. Big game against Yale and hope they make the correct moves!!
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 12, 2021 13:43:30 GMT -5
Getting smacked by Merrimack regardless of current record is unacceptable. With that said the coaching staff made adjustments last year when things not working well and need to give them benefit of doubt here. The hope is they understand what the adjustments are that need to be made. Teams are prepared and clearly know how to stop the offense and run on the defense. They need to evaluate every position and identify what changes need to be made to correct issues this week. Big game against Yale and hope they make the correct moves!! I'd rather the letdown be against Merrimack than Yale as long as we beat Yale. When you compare the resources of Merrimack and Yale, you have to admire Merrimack as the little engine that could. Initially I was mildly annoyed when HC started playing former D-2 schools but now I can see the advantages of new regional competitors. Better to live in reality than the past.
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Post by Non Alum Dave on Sept 12, 2021 14:23:10 GMT -5
And ask Northwestern basketball fans what they think about Merrimack.
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Post by bringbackcaro on Sept 12, 2021 19:24:59 GMT -5
Where we stand: We have a good young coach who is a good recruiter and team leader, but does not bring a specialty in either offense or defense - one year of Defensive Coordinator experience in 2002 at Delaware Valley College (?).
Chesney appears to have hired a very good (or better) DC in Scott James, and the defense appears to be in good shape (with the caveat that our undersized approach may not hold up against top competition).
After losing Liam Cohen a few weeks into his HC OC tenure to the LA Rams (now the OC at Kentucky) Chesney has made some combination of weak hires and/or forced his tentative approach on the offense. He has also not been able to figure out the QB position, with the top 3 guys entering his 3rd season (Degenhart, Considine, and Butash) all no longer playing D1 football one year later.
Until we embrace a modern approach to the offense and have a capable throwing QB ready for the job, there will be a ceiling on this program somewhere around where we finished the last two years — Chesney’s recruiting will continue to give us a chance with the PL in a bad place virtually across the board, but not good enough to make a 1st round game in the NCAA tournament close.
Some appear to think that just winning a league where every other team ranks between 80-111 out of the 128 teams in 1-AA is reason enough for a new statue in front of Fitton Field, but I tend to think we should be shooting higher.
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Post by purplehaze on Sept 12, 2021 19:59:37 GMT -5
The league did have one good performance among the losers yday - Lafayette outgained W&M 256 yards to 173 - and held them to 7 first downs why wasn't the game closer ? a blocked punt and 2 int's returned for td's Seems there are 3 teams at the top of the league, HC, Fordham and the 'pards
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Post by timholycross on Sept 12, 2021 20:19:10 GMT -5
Getting smacked by Merrimack regardless of current record is unacceptable. With that said the coaching staff made adjustments last year when things not working well and need to give them benefit of doubt here. The hope is they understand what the adjustments are that need to be made. Teams are prepared and clearly know how to stop the offense and run on the defense. They need to evaluate every position and identify what changes need to be made to correct issues this week. Big game against Yale and hope they make the correct moves!! I'd rather the letdown be against Merrimack than Yale as long as we beat Yale. When you compare the resources of Merrimack and Yale, you have to admire Merrimack as the little engine that could. Initially I was mildly annoyed when HC started playing former D-2 schools but now I can see the advantages of new regional competitors. Better to live in reality than the past. It used to be BU and Northeastern; actually nice that there's someone in football to take their place.
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Post by WCHC Sports on Sept 13, 2021 7:58:36 GMT -5
For the posters who have been lamenting our run defense (or defense overall, despite its recent strengths): opposing teams have been running over HC to ice out their wins for the last 15 years.
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Post by hcpride on Sept 13, 2021 8:04:59 GMT -5
I'd rather the letdown be against Merrimack than Yale as long as we beat Yale. When you compare the resources of Merrimack and Yale, you have to admire Merrimack as the little engine that could. Initially I was mildly annoyed when HC started playing former D-2 schools but now I can see the advantages of new regional competitors. Better to live in reality than the past. It used to be BU and Northeastern; actually nice that there's someone in football to take their place. That is a good point regarding regional play and folks who think NEC schools can't compete with Patriot League schools on the gridiron simply haven't been paying attention.
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Post by trimster on Sept 13, 2021 8:19:31 GMT -5
It used to be BU and Northeastern; actually nice that there's someone in football to take their place. That is a good point regarding regional play and folks who think NEC schools can't compete with Patriot League schools on the gridiron simply haven't been paying attention. The fact that long established D1 schools who have had 60 schollies for ten years, are on a par with newcomers to D1, is a bit troubling. Perhaps we should move our program to the NEC and reduce travel, missed classes and maybe have a few visiting fans at games.
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Post by hcpride on Sept 13, 2021 8:50:50 GMT -5
That is a good point regarding regional play and folks who think NEC schools can't compete with Patriot League schools on the gridiron simply haven't been paying attention. The fact that long established D1 schools who have had 60 schollies for ten years, are on a par with newcomers to D1, is a bit troubling. Perhaps we should move our program to the NEC and reduce travel, missed classes and maybe have a few visiting fans at games. It is an interesting thought when one also considers that moving to the NEC and ditching the self-defeating AI might also up our talent level in football.
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