Quote from: SpringSt7 on December 18, 2023, 01:06:41 PM
I know there are a number of different voices and opinions on this board so I don't expect there to be a consistent consensus but struggling with how last week and the week before it was "anyone can do what Fetter did at Trinity" and now it's "Fetter should be an AA". For whatever it's worth, I think Fetter was under appreciated for his 3 years but by no stretch was he an All-American type of player. Not sure who the last NESCAC QB was that should've been in that conversation but it isn't him.
Many posters on this board like to complain about Nescac players being slighted for national honors, but few seem to understand the difference in how football is played among the perennial contenders and the top teams in this conference. Fetter had a very impressive career, but he was only a threat throwing the football. Carter St. John, Alma's 4th team all-America selection, not only threw for 38 touchdowns, but ran for 8 more, gaining 444 net yards over the course of the season. First team selection Luke Lehman threw for 48 touchdowns while scoring 13 on the ground. He had 850 net yards rushing and averaged 57 per game. While Fetter's passing statistics become somewhat comparable to these QBs when prorated to reflect 2-3 postseason games, the fact remains that he's a one-dimensional player.
The same was true of Middlebury's Mac Foote, who in 2013 was one of 4 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy. He was not an all-American selection that season. He actually had better stats in 2012 and apart from interceptions and overall efficiency rating was more impressive than Fetter was this past season. In 8 games he threw for 2897 yards at a 64% clip, with 31 TDs and 8 interceptions while averaging 362 ypg. But, like Fetter, opponents didn't worry about his ability to run the ball. That means with 240 other competitors to choose from, neither were apt to be on the all-American selectors' radar. Two recent Nescac QBs with the skill sets to earn such an honor were Bobby Maimaron and Will Jernigan. We can only speculate on what would have happened if their 9-0 squads had been allowed to play postseason and won a game or two, but without that opportunity the all-American QB position won't be awarded to anyone in this conference.