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Post by sader1970 on Dec 2, 2021 15:38:14 GMT -5
Don't the stats depend on who your opponents are? Stats against a bunch of top 10 teams will be different than middle of the road or bottom feeders. I kind of discount them unless the competition was comparable.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Dec 2, 2021 15:46:35 GMT -5
Don't the stats depend on who your opponents are? Stats against a bunch of top 10 teams will be different than middle of the road or bottom feeders. I kind of discount them unless the competition was comparable. Villanova played PSU, HC played UConn. To weight the stats, based on Sagarin's Strength of Schedule, Villanova's key stats should be bumped up 20 percent (or down depending), or HC's decreased by 20% (or increased depending).
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Post by sader1970 on Dec 2, 2021 15:57:05 GMT -5
That's sort of where I was going but not just PSU vs. UConn, the overall competition. What triggered my thought was the Jen Tolland article previously posted that headlined Holy Cross as having "the best defense in the nation." Not trying to diminish our team's successes but pretty hard for me to accept that statement regardless of whatever stats were used.
And why I've often stated, data is useless until it's converted to information.
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Villanova
Dec 2, 2021 16:34:57 GMT -5
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Post by cruskater31 on Dec 2, 2021 16:34:57 GMT -5
I discounted how good SHU rushing game was and some pretty surprising defensive stats due to playing in the NEC. As I see it, our stats are dead even with Villanova once adjusted for opponent rather than a slight advantage for HC. I am still one who discounts Cincinnati and the non-P5 teams based on competition. That being said, they beat ND this year and we all know about App State and Boise State.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Dec 2, 2021 16:51:30 GMT -5
But what a job our defense did against those two great runners. Grant came into the game averaging 5.9 yards per carry while Chestnut's average was 6.6. Against HC they combined for 114 yards on 31 carries= 3.7 yards per rushing attempt.
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Post by longsuffering on Dec 2, 2021 17:03:07 GMT -5
Fordham and SHU are not Alabama and Clemson but they give HC a couple of recent credible FCS opponents with at least one dominant phase of offense that we took away, to prepare for Villanova and give the team confidence it can compete. The post season on-ramp is working well this year, plus we should be loose, playing with house money against a team who will be one and done against a PL team if they lose.
Hope the Wildcats aren't feeling any pressure.😊
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Post by southernsader on Dec 3, 2021 8:40:11 GMT -5
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Villanova
Dec 3, 2021 8:41:47 GMT -5
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Post by Ignutz on Dec 3, 2021 8:41:47 GMT -5
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cross99
Climbing Mt. St. James
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_lavender.png)
Posts: 85
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Post by cross99 on Dec 3, 2021 10:17:55 GMT -5
From the Philadelphia Inquirer Published Dec 2, 2021 The second round of the FCS playoffs begin Friday and for the first time in five years, the Villanova Wildcats have reached that stage of the tournament. No. 5 seed Villanova will host Holy Cross Friday (7 p.m. on ESPN+) in the Wildcats’ playoff opener after earning a first-round bye. Following an impressive 9-2 regular season that ended with the school’s first CAA championship since 2012, Villanova will be looking to show it can compete on the national stage. On paper, the Wildcats and the Crusaders are a pretty even match. Villanova averages 31.7 points per game and 15.1 points against, while Holy Cross averages 33.6 points for and 18.3 against. The Crusaders went 10-2, albeit against an easier schedule than that of Villanova. (One of the Wildcats’ losses came to FBS power Penn State, which was ranked No. 6 at the time.) To advance to the second round of the playoffs, Holy Cross needed a touchdown with just 14 seconds left to defeat Sacred Heart, 13-10. Meanwhile, the Wildcats rested after closing the season by playing seven straight weeks. “I hope it will help because it’s a long season,” Ferrante said. “It wasn’t like they were here going to class and just not having a game — they were home. I think that will help from a mental perspective.” Senior offensive lineman Michael Corbi, who was injured and sat out the Delaware game, welcomed the time off to let his body heal for the playoffs. “I think our advantage really comes in the form of just bodily rest,” Corbi said. The biggest threat presented by Holy Cross is quarterback Matt Sluka, who is dangerous with his legs but also capable of beating you throwing the ball. The sophomore leads the Crusaders in rushing yards (762, fifth nationally for quarterbacks) and touchdowns (13). On passing downs, Holy Cross frequently rotates in Marco Siderman at quarterback. As a tandem, Sulka and Siderman have combined for 2,373 yards passing, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. “We always say we want to try to stop the run first and that is their strength,” Ferrante said. “So that’s something we have to be concerned with, stopping their quarterback’s running attack and be able to defend the pass as well. But the goal is to always stop the run first and make the team one dimensional.” Villanova’s Daniel Smith will also need to have a good day. The graduate student, who has been up and down this season, has accounted for almost 2,400 total yards and 29 touchdowns but has yet to win a playoff game. If Smith can connect with his No. 1 red-zone target Jaaron Hayek, as he has in each of the Wildcats’ last four games, then Villanova should be in a good position to get the win. Hayek, who has eight touchdown catches this season, and Rayjoun Pringle, who leads the team in receiving yards with 688, form a 1-2 punch that could pose problems for Holy Cross’ defense. Historically, Villanova holds the upper hand, going 12-6 all-time in games against the Crusaders. However, the two teams have not met since 2009 in a first-round playoff game that Villanova won, 38-28. For Villanova, the road to a bigger prize, the FCS Championship, begins. Players like Corbi, who were on the team for the 45-44 first-round defeat to Southeastern Louisiana in 2019, remember the heartbreak of losing in the playoffs. According to Corbi, in 2019 the team was too caught up in making the playoffs that they lost, a mistake they do not plan to make again. “A lot of us remember how that feels,” Corbi said. “So we’re definitely going to make a deep run. We’re definitely going to contend for that title. And we’re going to do anything we can to get there.”
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Villanova
Dec 3, 2021 11:13:59 GMT -5
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Post by HC92 on Dec 3, 2021 11:13:59 GMT -5
Would not mind seeing a draw play with a deep pass to Coker to start things off. They’re going to be so amped up to stop the run that it might catch them off balance.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Dec 3, 2021 12:17:40 GMT -5
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Post by longsuffering on Dec 3, 2021 12:18:05 GMT -5
From the Philadelphia Inquirer Published Dec 2, 2021 The second round of the FCS playoffs begin Friday and for the first time in five years, the Villanova Wildcats have reached that stage of the tournament. No. 5 seed Villanova will host Holy Cross Friday (7 p.m. on ESPN+) in the Wildcats’ playoff opener after earning a first-round bye. Following an impressive 9-2 regular season that ended with the school’s first CAA championship since 2012, Villanova will be looking to show it can compete on the national stage. On paper, the Wildcats and the Crusaders are a pretty even match. Villanova averages 31.7 points per game and 15.1 points against, while Holy Cross averages 33.6 points for and 18.3 against. The Crusaders went 10-2, albeit against an easier schedule than that of Villanova. (One of the Wildcats’ losses came to FBS power Penn State, which was ranked No. 6 at the time.) To advance to the second round of the playoffs, Holy Cross needed a touchdown with just 14 seconds left to defeat Sacred Heart, 13-10. Meanwhile, the Wildcats rested after closing the season by playing seven straight weeks. “I hope it will help because it’s a long season,” Ferrante said. “It wasn’t like they were here going to class and just not having a game — they were home. I think that will help from a mental perspective.” Senior offensive lineman Michael Corbi, who was injured and sat out the Delaware game, welcomed the time off to let his body heal for the playoffs. “I think our advantage really comes in the form of just bodily rest,” Corbi said. The biggest threat presented by Holy Cross is quarterback Matt Sluka, who is dangerous with his legs but also capable of beating you throwing the ball. The sophomore leads the Crusaders in rushing yards (762, fifth nationally for quarterbacks) and touchdowns (13). On passing downs, Holy Cross frequently rotates in Marco Siderman at quarterback. As a tandem, Sulka and Siderman have combined for 2,373 yards passing, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. “We always say we want to try to stop the run first and that is their strength,” Ferrante said. “So that’s something we have to be concerned with, stopping their quarterback’s running attack and be able to defend the pass as well. But the goal is to always stop the run first and make the team one dimensional.” Villanova’s Daniel Smith will also need to have a good day. The graduate student, who has been up and down this season, has accounted for almost 2,400 total yards and 29 touchdowns but has yet to win a playoff game. If Smith can connect with his No. 1 red-zone target Jaaron Hayek, as he has in each of the Wildcats’ last four games, then Villanova should be in a good position to get the win. Hayek, who has eight touchdown catches this season, and Rayjoun Pringle, who leads the team in receiving yards with 688, form a 1-2 punch that could pose problems for Holy Cross’ defense. Historically, Villanova holds the upper hand, going 12-6 all-time in games against the Crusaders. However, the two teams have not met since 2009 in a first-round playoff game that Villanova won, 38-28. For Villanova, the road to a bigger prize, the FCS Championship, begins. Players like Corbi, who were on the team for the 45-44 first-round defeat to Southeastern Louisiana in 2019, remember the heartbreak of losing in the playoffs. According to Corbi, in 2019 the team was too caught up in making the playoffs that they lost, a mistake they do not plan to make again. “A lot of us remember how that feels,” Corbi said. “So we’re definitely going to make a deep run. We’re definitely going to contend for that title. And we’re going to do anything we can to get there.” Let's keep the chances of Daniel Smith connecting with Jaaron Hayek the same as the chances of anyone on this board connecting with Salma Hayek and we'll be alright.😊. Go Cross! The Inquirer is a major newspaper. I'm surprised they didn't call HC to get a comment. Overlook HC at your own peril.
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Post by sader1970 on Dec 3, 2021 12:23:18 GMT -5
Crucis, thanks for posting the last twitter.
A lot of us here have criticized Holy Cross for the poor communications but having Gordie and now Dom narrate these videos, which were done first-rate, is something we should salute.
[Still not signing up for Twitter or Facebook though]
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Post by Crucis#1 on Dec 3, 2021 12:27:18 GMT -5
Don’t forget the promo by Coach Duff.
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Post by cruskater31 on Dec 3, 2021 12:35:13 GMT -5
Great promo. Good to see Dom narrating and staying involved in the program.
Good things to say by Chesney about the two Nova running backs as well as the SHU backs. Very complimentary.
If you want some bulletin board material or just want to get upset about being overlooked, checkout the 17 minute mark of this FCS round 2 preview by a couple of wannabe jocks on a podcast.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Dec 3, 2021 12:39:41 GMT -5
Listening to the background sound track for the Dom Randolph narration, I believe it is a Hans Zimmer composition from Batman Begins, released in 2005. The same year Dom Randolph began at HC. Appropriate that HC has adopted a track from a movie about the Caped Crusader. 😊
Now let’s do to Villanova what Batman did to the gangs in Gotham City.......
Go Cross Go!!!!
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Post by hchoops on Dec 3, 2021 12:57:30 GMT -5
Wonderful Thank you, Dom the video shows the best angle of the Matt to Jalen throw, with both in the frame for both the throw and catch.
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Post by classof83 on Dec 3, 2021 13:20:24 GMT -5
The two guys say they are two former URI players - not sure they should be bashing the HC program.
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Post by purplehaze on Dec 3, 2021 13:24:17 GMT -5
Reality Check: Villanova finished first in one of the best FCS conferences - they have been battle tested in their league games HC finished first in one of the weakest FCS conferences - we have not been battle tested in our league games (but we have in our ooc games)
We will have to win the turnover margin by at least 2, and our offensive line (which had problems vs. SHU) has to play much better - if not, I agree with the kid on that video which predicts a one-sided score spread is 13 and yes, I'm saying I wouldn't take the points
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Villanova
Dec 3, 2021 13:38:31 GMT -5
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Post by longsuffering on Dec 3, 2021 13:38:31 GMT -5
Wonderful Thank you, Dom the video shows the best angle of the Matt to Jalen throw, with both in the frame for both the throw and catch. This angle shows how strong a death grip Jalen Coker had on that ball to fight off the defenders attempts at dislodging it. Tremendous.
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Villanova
Dec 3, 2021 14:42:51 GMT -5
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Post by cruskater31 on Dec 3, 2021 14:42:51 GMT -5
In 2009, we lost by 10 to the eventual national champion. From my vantage point, we are a better team overall, except for Dom Randolph, of course. Villanova is very good, but probably not on par with 2009.
How do you think the 2009 Crusaders match up to the 2021 Crusaders?
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Villanova
Dec 3, 2021 15:57:37 GMT -5
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Post by hc2020 on Dec 3, 2021 15:57:37 GMT -5
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Post by HC92 on Dec 3, 2021 16:06:54 GMT -5
Reality Check: Villanova finished first in one of the best FCS conferences - they have been battle tested in their league games HC finished first in one of the weakest FCS conferences - we have not been battle tested in our league games (but we have in our ooc games) We will have to win the turnover margin by at least 2, and our offensive line (which had problems vs. SHU) has to play much better - if not, I agree with the kid on that video which predicts a one-sided score spread is 13 and yes, I'm saying I wouldn't take the points Me neither. Taking the points is for sissies. Give me HC straight up.
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Post by efg72 on Dec 3, 2021 16:11:39 GMT -5
FCS FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS | HOLY CROSS AT VILLANOVA In four years at Holy Cross, Bob Chesney has realized his vision for the Crusaders football program By Matt Doherty Globe Correspondent,Updated December 2, 2021, 6:40 p.m.
Holy Cross football coach Bob Chesney.COURTESY OF HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS When Bob Chesney was hired as the head football coach at Holy Cross in December of 2017, the first-time Division 1 boss offered an honest assessment of the program at the time, labeling Holy Cross as an “average” program that lacked passion and a love for the game.
Chesney promised during his introductory press conference that he would turn the Crusader program around in baby steps, envisioning a rise from average, to great, to elite over the course of his tenure.
Almost four years to the date, Holy Cross is in uncharted territory and Chesney finds his initial remarks to have had a pretty prescient ring to them. Last Saturday, the Crusaders earned the program’s first ever FCS playoff win, a 13-10 triumph over Sacred Heart, on a game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Sluka to Jalen Coker with 14 seconds remaining.
The win propelled Holy Cross to a Round of 16 matchup at fifth-seeded Villanova Friday at 7 p.m. with a berth in the FCS quarterfinals on the line.
“It definitely wasn’t easy from Day One when we stood there and said we want to be good, eventually great, and then someday we want to be elite,” said Chesney, who arrived at Holy Cross from Assumption College after posting a 67-25 record.
“We talked about how we were going to do it and it’s pretty neat to see where we’re actually at.”
Junior linebacker Jacob Dobbs said early in Chesney’s tenure, the 44-year old coach told his players he simply wanted everyone to enjoy playing football again. Prior to Chesney’s arrival, Holy Cross had just one winning season from 2012-2017 and some players looked forward to the season coming to an end.
Holy Cross linebacker Jacob Dobbs, the Patriot League defensive player of the year, said fourth-year coach Bob Chesney instilled in the team a love for the game.COURTESY HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS Chesney set a new tone from the outset, building a program that relies on brotherhood, trust, and stability.
“I think it’s a program where everyone loves being around each other,” said Dobbs, the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year. “Coach told us when he got here guys just weren’t excited to be playing football. Once he got here he’s brought everyone’s love for football back.”
Chesney knew it wasn’t going to be easy as the Crusaders went through early trials and tribulations. Holy Cross started 1-6 in Chesney’s first season in 2018, but rallied to win the final four games of the regular season and finish 5-6.
In 2019, they shook off a tough nonconference slate to win the Patriot League at 5-1 and advance to the FCS Playoffs. Then COVID-19 happened and the Crusaders played just four games last spring, going 3-1 with a loss to South Dakota State in the first round of the FCS Playoffs.
With a full fall-camp in store this season, Holy Cross had high expectations and followed through with a 9-2 regular-season record capped by a third straight Patriot League title. It was a sign the program was turning the corner to greatness, as Chesney had projected.
“We knew the target we had on our back, but we turned it into ‘Let’s go hunting’ [because] we have a lot to prove,” Dobbs said.
Holy Cross football coach Bob Chesney is in his fourth season at the helm of the Crusaders.COURTESY OF HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS Winning in the postseason was the next step for Holy Cross and Saturday’s win over Sacred Heart, the first home playoff game in 38 years, was a monumental step. It gave the Crusaders’ the elusive first FCS playoff win in program history and also cemented the first 10-win season since 1991.
“This is a program steeped in tradition and to think that we’ve accomplished a few firsts in the short period of time we’ve been here is pretty exciting,” said Chesney. “Winning the first playoff game, there’s some gravity and weight to that. It was a big moment for our program, us as coaches, and for the guys on the team.”
Dobbs hopes the victory showed Holy Cross can compete at the national level.
“We wanted to make a statement that we weren’t just a team that could win the Patriot League but can compete on the national stage,” said Dobbs.
Next up for Holy Cross is a showdown against Colonial Athletic Association champion Villanova. The Wildcats finished 9-2. One of Villanova’s losses was to Penn State, and one of its marquee victories was over FCS power James Madison.
Villanova relies on a potent offense that averages over 31 points per game and is loaded with high-impact skill position players. But the Crusaders believe the strength of their team is defense, which led the Patriot League in sacks, interceptions, and points allowed.
With the first postseason win in program history in the books, Holy Cross is ready to play spoiler.
“Right now there’s just nothing to lose,” said Chesney. “We’re going to go in there and just swing as hard as we can, play as hard as we can, and do it together.”
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Villanova
Dec 3, 2021 16:23:03 GMT -5
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gks likes this
Post by cruskater31 on Dec 3, 2021 16:23:03 GMT -5
Seeing a lot of good bulletin board material from the predictions. That being said I still want out of the PL!
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