FB: Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference

Started by joecct, February 09, 2012, 01:50:03 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

ECoastFootball

Quote from: Boxer7806 on October 21, 2014, 01:32:04 PM
I'm with ya on Westfield's D, they are good, but Fitch and West Conn have the guys to stop Mercandante up front. If you make Westfield throw the ball, its just ugly and not their strength. If any of those teams would  slip up against Westfield, I would say it is Fitch because Westfield can shut down their passing attack and Mercandante could wear them down in the 4th quarter and start to make a difference if its a 4th quarter game. Very similar to what Mack did to them this past weekend. I think Mack is a better back than Mercandante and Fitch did a pretty good job against him so I favor Fitchburg over Westfield in the matchup for that reason.

The only issue, is if Westfield gets to Dellechiaie (which I think they will), Fitch can get into some trouble. I think that will be a 17-14 type game like Westfield-WNEC was, but I think WNEC is better than Fitch. West Conn I think will have less trouble with Westfield because I think the Colonials will have success running the ball on WSU.

ECoastFootball

Week 8 Projections for the MASCAC
(Went 3-1 this past week which brings my MASCAC record in-conference to 19-1 on the year. 30-7 or 0.811 for the year counting OOC games.)

All games this week are Saturday, October 24th

1.   FRAMINGHAM STATE (5-1, 4-0) – 44
@ Plymouth State (1-5, 04) – 7

I may be being too nice to the Panthers by giving them 7 here, but hey... maybe the Rams will be rusty? Hate to say it, but with no auto-bid this year and Plymouth and Maritime as the next two opponents, look for the Rams to make back to back statements here. Framingham seems to have smooth sailing the rest of the way until Worcester State, as Fitchburg, WCSU and Westfield are all firmly in their rearview mirror.

Mass Maritime (1-5, 0-4) – 14
@ UMASS DARTMOUTH (3-4, 2-3) – 40

UMD found 43 last week, and I think Worcester's D is better (although not by much) than Maritime's. UMD coming off a loss has been pretty good (both last year before being decimated by injury and so far this year), and they also still have the taste of last year's poor performance in Buzzard's Bay in their mouths. That 14 for MMA can swing between 7 and 21 depending on whether or not Tarpey is healthy. The key for MMA, obviously, is to slow Aborishade. The key for the Corsairs, is to find other ways to score. Pivotal game for both teams, as UMD needs this one to get to 4-4 before 2 tough matchups to close up the season, and MMA hosts Framingham next week.

Bridgewater State (3-4, 2-3) – 21
@ 8. WESTFIELD STATE (4-2, 3-1) – 31

This game is a coinflip every year. I'm happy that Green is back, as that should make this one more exciting and give the Bears a fighting chance. I see this game playing out with Westfield completely removing Branch and McLaughlin from the game. Green will get his, but Higgins will make some poor decisions that cost them. On the other side, BSU might be in trouble. UMD ripped off big chunks in the rushing game with their 3rd running back. You know who is way better than UMD's third back? Michael Mercadante.

10. Worcester State (4-2, 2-2) – 24
@ 5. WESTERN CONNECTICUT (5-2, 4-1) – 35

I am actually intrigued to watch this game. Fitchburg gave Worcester fits and I think WCSU will play them in a similar manner, pressing across the board and applying pressure. I think Worcester will definitely get some cheap 6's off of this, but they'll also have some 3 and outs and TO's. This game is on the Woo State defense. Last week they eliminated their opponent's rushing game. If they can contain Nicol and slow Mack this week, they can make this one interesting. Force Nicol to be a pocket passer, and the Lancers can move solidly into an ECAC bowl contender. I think, however, that WCSU will be able run it. I think the Colonials pull away in the 4th.

Thoughts?

Boxer7806

I think West Conn is going to blow Worcester's doors off. I think they are your class good/bad team. They will beat all the bad teams but in the end they will lose to all the good teams. West Conn is a good team in my estimation, I think they put a hurting on Worcester here... I watched their game against Fitch, I don' t think they are going to be able to stop the run. But we shall see.

ECoastFootball

Quote from: Boxer7806 on October 24, 2014, 01:27:01 PM
I think West Conn is going to blow Worcester's doors off. I think they are your class good/bad team. They will beat all the bad teams but in the end they will lose to all the good teams. West Conn is a good team in my estimation, I think they put a hurting on Worcester here... I watched their game against Fitch, I don' t think they are going to be able to stop the run. But we shall see.

They're is a very good chance that this happens. I had them losing last week and they surprised me, my only game wrong in the MASCAC. I think West Conn should blow them out, but they haven't blown anyone out since Nicol became the QB. He leads them to run it more, which leads to slightly closer games IMO. I do agree that I don't think Worcester is awesome. I kind of have them ranked where I do by default.

Boxer7806

Quote from: Boxer7806 on October 24, 2014, 01:27:01 PM
I think West Conn is going to blow Worcester's doors off. I think they are your class good/bad team. They will beat all the bad teams but in the end they will lose to all the good teams. West Conn is a good team in my estimation, I think they put a hurting on Worcester here... I watched their game against Fitch, I don' t think they are going to be able to stop the run. But we shall see.

Well I was wrong about that one... Worcester still can't play D though. Biggest surprise has to be Bridgewater taking down Westfield. Big win for da Bears, and puts them in position to play spoiler going forward against Framingham in a few weeks.

Man, Plymouth is bad.

ECoastFootball

MASCAC POWER RANKINGS FOLLOWING WEEK 8
To be honest, I am very confused after this past week. I know that Framingham is #1, but everything after that can be argued over. Worcester beats West Conn, but they've already lost to Fitch and haven't played Framingham yet so I'm not putting them in the top 3. Westfield finishes with Fitchburg, Worcester and West Conn, so they could finish anywhere in the league. Bridgewater sits at 3-3 with a road win at Westfield and a home blowout loss to UMD. Maritime is at 1-5 but they have games left with Plymouth and BWater. The only 2 teams solidly ranked in their spots are Fram and Plymouth.

1.   (LW 1) Framingham State Rams (6-1, 5-0)
Framingham breezed by Plymouth this past weekend as Grant showed he is just as explosive as Jones. Look for more of the same this weekend against Maritime.

2.   (LW 2) Western Connecticut State Colonials (5-3, 4-2)
I know they lost this past weekend, but who should a I put ahead of them? They already beat Fitchburg. Worcester hasn't played Framingham yet so they'll probably finish 5-3 in the league. Either way, look for a big rebound performance from the Colonials this week. For the second year in a row West Conn lost a game to a team they shouldn't have by getting into a shootout. Last year they beat Fitchburg 70-10 the next week...

3.   (LW 3) Fitchburg State Falcons (5-2, 3-2)
Had a bye this past week. They'll host a Westfield team desperate to keep their ECAC hopes alive this week. Should be a good one.

4.   (LW 5) Worcester State Lancers (5-2, 3-2)
Definitely their biggest win since their 2011 victory over Framingham. The Lancers overcame some BAD turnovers and pulled out a huge road win against the second most talented team in the league. The fact that they did so with ANOTHER QB (Viencek, like Bumpus before him, left the game and did not return) is a testament to the great job they've been doing recruiting, but also to that offensive system. They're definitely fun to watch. Will be interesting to see how they match up with Westfield's D in two weeks. They should breeze by Plymouth this Saturday.

5.   (LW 7) Bridgewater State Bears (4-4, 3-3)
The Bears are back. Green had a big day: 8 catches, 200+ yards and 3 td's. These Bears are a different team when he is out there. Not just what he brings to them athletically, but emotionally. You can see a mentality shift on their sidelines, they look like a team that expects to win each game with him out there. With a bye week leading up to Framingham, the Rams will get the best punch BWater has. Maybe they can play the spoiler.

6.    (LW 4) Westfield State Owls (4-3, 3-2)
Tough loss for the Owls. At homecoming against their rival. This game might be the difference on the year. With Fitchburg, Worcester and West Conn left, Westfield will be an underdog in every game the rest of the year. Their defense and Mercadante should keep them in each game, and I wouldn't be surprised even if they won all three remaining, but any game that Mercadante rushes for 23 yards in is inexcusable.


7.    (LW 8) Massachusetts Maritime Buccaneers (2-5, 1-4)
Huge win in a seesaw affair. MMA was sitting at 0-5, but they definitely had a frontloaded schedule. They've lost to all of the top teams (save Fram) and they played Fitch and West Conn very tough. To be able to battle back from a 21-7 deficit when your 0-4 in conference says a lot about a team's coaching staff, great job with those guys. A trip to Framingham looms, but with what's happened so far this year, who knows.

8.    (LW  6) UMass Dartmouth Corsairs (3-5, 2-4)
Back-to-Back heart breaking losses for the Corsairs. Aborishade played great again and the offense put up points, but for the second straight week they fell just short. Talk about no time to wallow in your sorrows, UMD must now travel to West Conn. As stated before, WCSU lost a game last year in similar fashion to the L vs. Worcester, and put up 70 on Fitchburg the next week. Could get ugly in Danbury.

9.    (LW 9) Plymouth State Panthers (1-6, 0-5)
Phew. At least I knew where to rank these guys. It doesn't get any easier for the Panthers, as they head to Worcester to take on the 5-2 Lancers.

D3MAFAN

With Rowan losing this past weekend and Centre still undefeated, I think it is hurting Framingham State chances at spot at the playoff table. Now Framingham State is hoping Endicott beats a good MIT team.

ITH radio

Guessing the Rams, if they don't get help from the Gulls, fall into Pool C. They have done well in prior playoff appearances so that may help heir cause vs other 9-1 or 8-2 teams that haven't been in the past two seasons.
Follow us on twitter @D3FBHuddle

jknezek

Quote from: D3MAFAN-MG on October 28, 2014, 12:13:58 PM
With Rowan losing this past weekend and Centre still undefeated, I think it is hurting Framingham State chances at spot at the playoff table. Now Framingham State is hoping Endicott beats a good MIT team.

I believe Centre, and the SAA, are an AQ league this year. I thought we still had questions about the MASCAC.

ITH radio

I thought the 24 AQs were these:

American Southwest Conference
Centennial Conference
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
Empire 8
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Liberty League
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Middle Atlantic Conference
Midwest Conference
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
New England Football Conference
New Jersey Athletic Conference
North Coast Athletic Conference
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Northwest Conference
Ohio Athletic Conference
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Presidents' Athletic Conference
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
USA South Athletic Conference
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Follow us on twitter @D3FBHuddle

jknezek

Apparently the preliminary championship booklet listed both SAA and MASCAC as AQ leagues. There was some discussion of this in the Pool C thread in the General Football section. Clarification has been asked for, but I'm not sure if it has been received. There is some reason for the SAA to be given and AQ, but I think Pat was skeptical about the MASCAC. There were other errors in the handbook that people pointed out as well, so no one really knows at this point.

Yeah to the NCAA!

ECoastFootball

Quote from: jknezek on October 28, 2014, 03:14:02 PM
Apparently the preliminary championship booklet listed both SAA and MASCAC as AQ leagues. There was some discussion of this in the Pool C thread in the General Football section. Clarification has been asked for, but I'm not sure if it has been received. There is some reason for the SAA to be given and AQ, but I think Pat was skeptical about the MASCAC. There were other errors in the handbook that people pointed out as well, so no one really knows at this point.

Yeah to the NCAA!

I know for a fact that the MASCAC does not have an autobid until next season. Not sure about the SAA.

Boxer7806

Quote from: ECoastFootball on October 28, 2014, 07:23:15 PM
Quote from: jknezek on October 28, 2014, 03:14:02 PM
Apparently the preliminary championship booklet listed both SAA and MASCAC as AQ leagues. There was some discussion of this in the Pool C thread in the General Football section. Clarification has been asked for, but I'm not sure if it has been received. There is some reason for the SAA to be given and AQ, but I think Pat was skeptical about the MASCAC. There were other errors in the handbook that people pointed out as well, so no one really knows at this point.

Yeah to the NCAA!

I know for a fact that the MASCAC does not have an autobid until next season. Not sure about the SAA.

Same the MASCAC doesn't have an autobid till next year so that means they fall into Pool B this year. I just don't have a good feeling about the Rams getting in this year not because of the Rowan loss or the SOS, both should be alright since they scheduled Endicott and Rowan, two teams that will finish north of .500, but because they won't have a win vs a regionally ranked opponent. Last year they were 1-1 in that category to go along with a strong SOS and winning record against common opponents from Pool B squads. I went back and checked that thread a week ago, and it was pretty much a shoo in that Fram. was going to be one of the three Pool B's. But with Wesley definitely getting one, the Rams better hope for Endicott to win out and get into the RR. Without a regionally ranked win it puts them behind the eight ball not only in terms of Pool B, but Pool C as well. They will be behind Rowan already in terms of Pool C and they better hope Fisher wins out, because an 8-2 St. Johns Fisher gets in over them as well, same for an 8-2 Buffalo State team. And of course they have to stay perfect from here on out, not a difficult task with their schedule, but still not a given.

ECoastFootball

#283
Week 7 (10/27/14) of the New England SID Poll is out and is as follows: http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/link-resources/poll.html ... I have taken out the NESCAC teams but you can see them in the link.

Rank (Rank w.NESCAC Teams Included) Team
1  (2) MIT
2  (3) Framingham
3  (5) Western New England
4  (7) Endicott
5  (9) Fitchburg
6  (10) Springfield
7 (11) Husson
7 (11) Worcester State
8 (12) Western Connecticut


My New England Poll (minus the NESCAC*)
Rank  (LW) Team - Conference - (Record, Reasoning)

1(1)    Framingham State - MASCAC - (6-1, Pounded Plymouth.)
2(3)    Endicott - NEFC - (5-2, Snuck by USCGA, but I expect them to take down MIT this week.)
3(6)    MIT - NEFC - (6-0, Huge win over WNEC. Doesn't get any easier Saturday.)
4(2)    WNEU - NEFC - (6-1, Tough loss on a PAT. Need to regroup v Curry, because Endicott follows.)
5(9)  Husson - ECFC - (6-1, Pasted supposed challenger Castelton by 3 TD's)
6(4)    Springfield - LL - (5-3, tough loss to a good St Lawrence team.)
7(10)  Worcester St - MASCAC - (7-2, Pulled the upset of the weekend knocking off West Conn in Danbury)
8(5)    West Conn - MASCAC - (5-3, lost a heart breaker to Woo State. Imagine if this play had been called correctly?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBbbW5pwGrM )
9(7)    Fitchburg State - MASCAC -  (5-2, Bye)
10 The Season isn't over, but no one else has proven they belong in the top 10.


Dropped Out: Westfield (Lost to Bridgewater)

thoughts?

ITH radio

Very curious to see how MIT fares this weekend. I am rooting for the Engineers b/c Coach Chad is a former teammate, but I guess I wouldn't be surprised if the Gulls won.

Might argue SC is better than Husson, but I wouldn't rank them higher than WNE since they lost the H2H (eventho I think if they played this wkd SC would win).
Follow us on twitter @D3FBHuddle