FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Nescacman]

Week one interesting match up will be Trinity at Colby. Colby has always played Trinity Strong and HC Cosgrove has kept all the games very close in the first half. I know the scores do not show this but just an obvious perspective. Colby as well as Middlebury has had the bend but dont break defense. They play cover 2 and sometimes cover 3 and make Trinity move the ball up the field and take away the deep threat. Trinity eventually gets impatient and pushes the deep ball ,  turns the ball over or settles for field goals. Eventually Trinity's talent laiden teams in the past secure the win. However with this year being the year of tranisition at many positions specifically QB ths could be trap game.

Trinity the last three years does not take what the defense gives them and trys to dictate the game. Howvever without the star studded WR corp of the past could be an intersting twist. The fear I would think is that there are no scrimmages or preseason games , traveling away team chemistry questions could this be a trap game for Trinity. if so would turn this years standings upside down.

Hey Charlie, we'll take Hartford State and the points....how many you giving us???

[Charlie]

I will take Trinity by 9 points but going to be close I think

[Nescacman]

To those student-athletes and coaches reporting to pre-season camp today (including the #rollcards), we want to wish them the best of luck on this coming season! Let the games begin...

[Nescacman]

I will take Trinity by 9 points but going to be close I think

Very bold of you...love your confidence in the Mules Chuck.

[Trin9-0]

Colby has always played Trinity Strong and HC Cosgrove has kept all the games very close in the first half.

In last year's season opener Trinity scored the first 17 points before the Mules finally got on the scoreboard with just 1:14 left in the game.

The previous year Trinity won 48-7.

In Cosgrove's five other meetings with Trinity, Colby has averaged a whopping 5.2 points per game and Trinity has won by an average of more than four touchdowns. Oh, and the Mules haven't beaten the Bants in 30 years.

Charlie, you could be taking the snaps for Trin and I still wouldn't be nervous about the trip to Waterville.

[nescac1]

Regarding Colby, they also lost to graduation 4 of their 5 all-NESCAC players, including Keon Smart, who was responsible for nearly all of their TB rushing yardage, and Julian Young, who was easily their best defensive player, as well as six of their top seven receivers, their entire starting DL, and three starting OL.  That's a LOT of talent to replace for a team that was 4-5.  Drake should be one of the better QBs in the league, and Jack Nye is a big-time talent, but he's gonna be blanketed on every single snap, especially early in the season.   

[Charlie]

If you look at my post I stated that Colby always played hard in the first halfand had good defensive game plan. I did say ultimately Trinity's talent prevailed in the end.This toughness coupled with the fact playing away and a young Trinity group could be a trap game.

On another note why does preseason in the NESCAC start so late seems like preseason is short and other leagues have been in camp for a week now. Seems curious why NESCAC would not start earlier does not effect studies since classes dont start til first week September. Just seems like teams maybe better prepared.

[Trin9-0]

If you look at my post I stated that Colby always played hard in the first halfand had good defensive game plan. I did say ultimately Trinity's talent prevailed in the end.This toughness coupled with the fact playing away and a young Trinity group could be a trap game.

Under Cosgrove Colby has trailed Trinity by an average of 11 points at halftime.

Interestingly, the last four match-ups played in Waterville have been even more lopsided in Trinity's favor:

2023 - Trinity wins 48-7
2021 - Trinity wins 35-12
2018 - Trinity wins 35-0
2015 - Trinity wins 34-0

[lumbercat]

As Nescacman (who has ties with the Bates program) has stated the opener against Amherst will be a huge game for the Bates Garnet. The game against the Mammoths at Garcelon Field will be a big event in Lewiston 9/12 and 9/13.

This is the 150th year of Bates Football and they are going all out with festivities to celebrate this milestone and the long history of Bates Football.  Believe only Tufts has played football this long among NESCAC teams.  The inaugural game  was Bates-Tufts on Garcelon field in 1875.

A great weekend on the slate.

A big reception on Friday night with Bobcat Alums and supporters will celebrate 150 years of Football. They will begin  the 150th year against the Mammoths on Sept 13 on the same field as the first game in 1875.

On Saturday there will also be a ceremony to dedicate the new video scoreboard at Garcelon.

Credit Coach Coyne and his staff and the Bates Athletics team for this event. This seems to confirm the commitment of the new Bates administration and President to Athletics and Football.

A lot of excitement at Bates and with it comes pressure. Insiders say Coynes Cats are ready to take the next step.

[Charlie]

Exactly games have been close at half and Trinity ends up pulling away. In the past years Trinity has had the talent and wins second half battle. All I am saying could be a trap game. I still think Trinity will win but in this particular year of uncertainty who knows

[Nescacman]

If you look at my post I stated that Colby always played hard in the first halfand had good defensive game plan. I did say ultimately Trinity's talent prevailed in the end.This toughness coupled with the fact playing away and a young Trinity group could be a trap game.

Under Cosgrove Colby has trailed Trinity by an average of 11 points at halftime.

Interestingly, the last four match-ups played in Waterville have been even more lopsided in Trinity's favor:

2023 - Trinity wins 48-7
2021 - Trinity wins 35-12
2018 - Trinity wins 35-0
2015 - Trinity wins 34-0

For the record, Hartford State has beaten The Mules every time they have played since 1995 stretching 17 games.

We are setting the spread right now...Hartford State giving 35. Chuck, we'll give you 9...

[Nescacman]

As Nescacman (who has ties with the Bates program) has stated the opener against Amherst will be a huge game for the Bates Garnet. The game against the Mammoths at Garcelon Field will be a big event in Lewiston 9/12 and 9/13.

This is the 150th year of Bates Football and they are going all out with festivities to celebrate this milestone and the long history of Bates Football.  Believe only Tufts has played football this long among NESCAC teams.  The inaugural game  was Bates-Tufts on Garcelon field in 1875.

A great weekend on the slate.

A big reception on Friday night with Bobcat Alums and supporters will celebrate 150 years of Football. They will begin  the 150th year against the Mammoths on Sept 13 on the same field as the first game in 1875.

On Saturday there will also be a ceremony to dedicate the new video scoreboard at Garcelon.

Credit Coach Coyne and his staff and the Bates Athletics team for this event. This seems to confirm the commitment of the new Bates administration and President to Athletics and Football.

A lot of excitement at Bates and with it comes pressure. Insiders say Coynes Cats are ready to take the next step.

Congratulations on 150 years of football. Interestingly, UBates played exactly one game in 1875 and did not play again until 1889, playing only one game again. UBates first "real" season (when they played a full season) was 1893 when they were 5-2, 18 years later.

We think this is a big year for the Kitties who have high expectations. This program has had exactly one winning season since 1981 (when they went 5-3 in 2012). Not to let the "Kittie out of the bag" but we think they get that elusive winning season this year. More to follow on that in the weeks ahead but we are (very) bullish on the Lynskey Express...

NM

[lumbercat]

Thanks NM -
an informative post with one oversight....Bates maintained the football program after that first year of football in 1875 and they continued to play- they did not take an 18 year hiatus. Contributing to a lack of information and records for those years was a fire at one of the administrative buildings at Bates which destroyed records.
At the time of the 100th game in 1975 against Tufts, in which I participated, it was confirmed by historians in Lewiston and the Lewiston Daily Sun that the program may have lapsed for a year or two at the most but was continuous in it's plight moving forward. We won the 100th year game against Tufts in '75 ---Bates loyalists looking for another W this year.

[Trin9-0]

Exactly games have been close at half and Trinity ends up pulling away. In the past years Trinity has had the talent and wins second half battle. All I am saying could be a trap game. I still think Trinity will win but in this particular year of uncertainty who knows

I feel like we're beating a dead horse here, Charlie. Think of it this way; against Trinity, in the Cosgrove era, Colby's first half point differential is -11. While in just the second half of those games Colby's point differential is -17.

Do you really believe that those six extra second half points is a huge difference?
It seems pretty clear to me that Trinity has been winning both the first half battle and the second half battle fairly convincingly.


Lumber congrats to Bates (and Tufts) on 150. Here's when the rest of the NESCAC first began playing football:

Bates	1875
Tufts	1875
Trinity	1877
Amherst	1878
Wesleyan	1881
Williams	1881
Middlebury	1885
Bowdoin	1889
Hamilton	1890
Colby	1892

[lumbercat]

Patriots are going to sign Phil Lutz Tufts/Delaware.