FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[lumbercat]

All NESCAC teams have some sort of offseason strength and conditioning program.
 
I would classify Coyne's off season regimen at Bates as demanding and intense. It's a cornerstone of his program with a huge commitment made by the players.

I think programs like Trinity and Tufts are more successful in recruiting bigger (better?) players from the get go.

While it's not always the case, the better teams are often the bigger teams. You can get stronger, heavier and even more confident in the weight room but you can only add so so much weight and you can't get taller.

A top level strength and conditioning program is a key requisite for the smaller programs trying to compete with a bigger Trinity team.

[Nescacman]

Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast

Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast is the first podcast of its kind in NESCAC history. Hosted by Chris Grace (play-by-play announcer for Wesleyan) and Dave Bagatelle (Wesleyan Alum and former player), our weekly show features coach and player interviews, game analysis, rankings, previews, and predictions.

Coming soon...Season 2 Episode 5 featuring Trinity College Head Coach Jeff Devanney and Amherst College Quarterback Marek Hill.

The podcast is available on YouTube, Facebook, Apple and Spotify. Search for "9 Weeks NESCAC"...the first and only podcast of its kind.
 
Thank you to our sponsors Sloane and Walsh, LLP and Gameday Sports.
 
If you have questions, feedback, ideas or are a player or a coach and would like to appear on our show, please email us at: 9weeksnescac@gmail.com

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[Nescacman]

2025 Week 5 NESCACMAN Picks

Welcome back NESCAC...it's Week #5 "in the league where they pay to play".

And then there were four! We have a 4-way tie for first place in the NESCAC. If everyone continues to play as expected, could be an exciting last 3 weeks of the season. We all know that this is the NESCAC and surprises lurk around every corner. Week5 features our game of the week as the Williams College Ephs host the Middlebury College Panthers.

We were 3-2 last week and now stand at 14-6 on the year. Let's get to this week's games...

Hartford State College at Hamilton College: On paper, this game looks like a blow-out for the Bantams on the road. Hamilton has two things going for it in this game. First, they are home where they have their lone win this year. Second, Hamilton may very well have the best QB playing in this game. Based on that fact alone, we'll give them a "punchers" chance. Hamilton has been good throwing the ball this year (1st in the NESCAC in passing offense) and the Bants have been mediocre at defending the pass (5th in the NESCAC). What helps Hartford State against the pass is they lead the NESCAC in sacks with 12. We expect Hamilton to pass a ton in this game (they threw 37 passes last week against Wes and have thrown the ball 64% of the time this year). They will need to play a perfect game to stay in this game against Hartford State. The Bantams are on a 3-game winning streak after losing their opener. Since losing to Colby, they have scored 30+ points in those 3 wins. Junior QB Jaxon Carroll seems to be finding his rhythm and WR Nolan O'Brien is making his case for NESCAC OPOTY. Their very good RBs make the Bantam offense a handful to defend. HS hasn't lost to Hamilton since 1994 and is riding a 29-game win streak over the Continentals. The Bants have scored more than 30 points in their last 8 games against Hamilton. Make the winning streak an even 30 games and the 30+ point streak reaches 9 games. Hartford State wins big in Clinton.

Hartford State 44 Hamilton 14
Point Spread: Hartford State -31
Weather (courtesy of The Weather Channel): Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 67F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Amherst College at Bowdoin College: Amherst is on a roll. They have not started a season 4-1 since 2019. They are 4th in scoring offense and 4th in scoring defense. With all their success this year, Amherst and their veteran secondary is surprisingly last in the NESCAC in pass defense and is yet to record an interception this season. However, The Lord Mammoths are second in the NESCAC in sacks. Offensively, the difference for Amherst in 2025 has been the play they have been getting out of QB Marek Hill. Marek is third in the NESCAC in passing TDs (against only 3 INTs) and is 10th in rushing yards (and 4 TDs). RB Demitrius Smith has also run the ball well for Amherst.  Bowdoin has struggled this year on their way to an 0-4 mark. They are 10th in total offense and 9th in total defense. Their high-pressure defense has only generated 5 sacks and 2 interceptions. The good news is their offensive point output has grown every week as the season has gone on. The bad news is their defense has allowed 27+ points the last 3 weeks. We think Marek Hill is just too much for the young Polars to handle and Amherst's defense starts to put it together. Should be another win for the Lord Mammoths as they stay in the NESCAC title hunt. Amherst can't look past Bowdoin and Colby before they head into the home stretch against Wesleyan, Hartford State and Williams.

Amherst 31 Bowdoin 10
Point Spread: Amherst -17
Weather: Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. High around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Wesleyan University at Colby College: Both teams are coming off wins. Last week, Colby evened their season record at 2-2 in a rivalry C-B-B game against UBates. Meanwhile, Wesleyan played their best game of the year in completely dominating an overmatched Hamilton squad. Wes has won 13 of the last 14 times these teams have played including 6 of the last 7 times these teams have played in Waterville. Wesleyan's lone loss at Colby was in OT 2 years ago. Wesleyan had a chance to win that game but a game winning 37-yard FG as time expired was blocked. The Cards lead the NESCAC in numerous statistical categories including scoring offense, scoring defense, total defense, run defense, interceptions, first downs, opponent first downs, and time of possession. Wesleyan QB Matt Fitzsimons (the reigning NESCAC OPOTW) leads the NESCAC in passing efficiency and TD passes with 9 through four games. Fitzsimons has numerous high-quality targets, but he has favored FY Donte Kelly and Blake Newcomb who are 1st and 4th in the NESCAC in receiving yards.  Donte is also 2nd in the league in all-purpose offensive yards. Colby has struggled this year on offense (9th in scoring and 9th in total offense) while the defense has generally played well (5th in the NESCAC). Part of the problem for Colby is that they have turned the ball over way too much (9 interceptions to lead the NESCAC). They have also lost 2 fumbles. Lastly, they are 9th in time of possession. The bottom line is that the defense has been placed in tough spots because of the turnovers and they are spending way too much time on the field. If Colby is to have a chance against Wesleyan, they will need to limit the turnovers and stop the Wes air attack which has been potent. Wesleyan's offense has been balanced, and they showed last week that they can get it done through the air and the ground. We expect the Cards to come out flying to try and avenge the painful loss 2 years ago. Wesleyan's strength on defense has been their run defense, so we expect Colby to try and get WR Jack Nye going with short to intermediate passes. Colby's offensive line has allowed the most sacks in the NESCAC this year so expect Wesleyan to try and get maximum pressure on Colby QB Miles Drake. We think Wesleyan is too much for Colby to handle, the Colby offense won't be able to keep pace with the Wesleyan offense, and Wes keeps up with the leaders in the NESCAC standings.

Wesleyan 27 Colby 10
Point Spread: Wesleyan -14
Weather: Sunny skies. High 66F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

University of Bates (Lewiston Campus) at Tufts University (7 PM kick-off): Both teams are desperately in need of a win. UBates is riding a 3-game losing streak and Tufts has lost 2 in a row after starting the season 2-0. Tufts is barely clinging to NESCAC title hopes. Tufts will have to run the table to be in the mix. Meanwhile, UBates lost a heart breaker in OT last week to Colby at home, a game they could have won in regulation. Injuries have hurt UBates. The offense continues to struggle to move the ball since QB Sergio Beltran went down (8th in the NESCAC in total offense). Despite primarily being a running team (69% of their plays have been runs), UBates is only averaging 2.5 YPC on the season. UBates as they usually do will try to get the ground game going led by Ryan Lynskey. If the Kitties are to have a chance in this game, they need to be better on third down (last in the NESCAC at 29%). Tufts has also not gotten going yet offensively in 2025. The success they have had has been on the ground.  Jumbo's RB Christian Shapiro is 6th in the NESCAC in rushing. Tufts has won 9 out of the last 10 meetings between these two teams. We expect a low scoring, "messy game". We give Tufts the edge due to being home under the lights, where they typically play well.

Tufts 17 UBates 10
Point Spread: Tufts -7
Weather: Cloudy skies. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.

NESCAC Game of the Week

Middlebury College at Williams College: Middlebury is another NESCAC team on the bubble. They cannot afford a loss on the road against Williams. Middlebury will try to get back in the win column after losing at home to Amherst. Williams bounced back last week after a tough loss at home against Hartford State. The last time Williams started a season 4-1 or better was their undefeated season in 2021. The Ephs offense has been strong (1st in total offense and 2nd in scoring). The strength of their offense has been the running game that far and away leads the NESCAC averaging 250 yards per game, 6 YPC and has scored 10 rushing TDs. Williams has only allowed 1 sack all year and their defense has recorded the most sacks (12) in the NESCAC this year. The Williams defense is 7th in total defense and 9th in pass defense. Williams has the top two runners in the NESCAC in QB Owen Johansen and RB Jon Oris. Middlebury RB Connor McClellan is 4th in the NESCAC in rushing and WR Mike Ahonen is 3rd in the NESCAC in receiving. Middlebury will try to get QB Brian Moran going with the pass against a Williams defense that is susceptible to the pass. Meanwhile, Williams will run the ball against a decent Panther defense. Middlebury has had Williams number in recent year (winner of 8 of last 10) and MID has not lost to the Ephs since 2021. With that being said, we like Williams to win a relatively close game and eliminate Middlebury from title contention in 2025.

Williams 24 Middlebury 17
Point Spread: Williams -6
Weather: Partly cloudy. High 66F. Winds light and variable.

Good luck to all the student-athletes and coaches this Saturday!

NESCACMAN's Picks:
2025 Season: 14-6
2024 Season: 38-7
2023 Season: 31-14
2022 Season: 31-14
2021 Season: 33-12
2020 Season: 0-0 (COVID)
2019 Season: 33-12
2018 Season: 36-9
2017 Season: 35-10
2016 Season: 32-8
2015 Season: 30-10
2014 Season: 30-10
2013 Season: 32-8
Career: 375-120 (.758 winning percentage)

**********

Follow NESCACMAN us on X: @realnescacman

**********

Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast

Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast is the first podcast of its kind in NESCAC history. Hosted by Chris Grace (play-by-play announcer for Wesleyan) and Dave Bagatelle (Wesleyan Alum and former player), our weekly show features coach and player interviews, game analysis, rankings, previews, and predictions.
 
Season 2 Episode 5 featuring Trinity College Head Coach Jeff Devanney and Amherst College Quarterback Marek Hill.

The podcast is available on YouTube, Facebook, Apple and Spotify. Search for "9 Weeks NESCAC"...the first and only podcast of its kind.
 
Thank you to our sponsors Sloane and Walsh, LLP and Gameday Sports.
 
If you have questions, feedback, ideas or are a player or a coach and would like to appear on our show, please email us at: 9weeksnescac@gmail.com

Follow us on X (aka Twitter): @nineweeksnescac
Follow us on Instagram: @nineweeksnescac
Facebook: Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EbgGxDZRd/)
YouTube: 9 Weeks Nescac (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zoD9hYoN4E)
Spotify Podcasts: 9 Weeks Nescac
Apple Podcasts: 9 Weeks Nescac

[ItsATuftSituation]

Had the luxury of channel checking many games this past weekend. I noticed two glaring takeaways. The NESCAC has to allow a preseason contest. If you look at that the play now versus week one simply amazing. I know this is topic for off season but even to get the young kids coming in some game experience I just think would make week one better football. Again topic for off season.

The second observation I happen to watch some of the Trinity/ Tufts game is it just me or does Trinity football players just look bigger ,stronger and faster then there opponents. The size differential against Tufts was large. I also noticed this in watching the Trinity/Bates game as well. Do these other NESCAC programs have strength and conditioning programs. There seems to be a clear size and speed differential amongst these teams. The only team that appeared to be close in size was Williams College. When I watched the Bates/Colby the players looked completely different in size and stature.

When the president's voted to use their Pool A bid and the 84-man roster limit, they but in a 10-year moratorium on making any more football changes. So, don't expect non-conference or preseason football anytime soon.

[Nescacman]

Had the luxury of channel checking many games this past weekend. I noticed two glaring takeaways. The NESCAC has to allow a preseason contest. If you look at that the play now versus week one simply amazing. I know this is topic for off season but even to get the young kids coming in some game experience I just think would make week one better football. Again topic for off season.

The second observation I happen to watch some of the Trinity/ Tufts game is it just me or does Trinity football players just look bigger ,stronger and faster then there opponents. The size differential against Tufts was large. I also noticed this in watching the Trinity/Bates game as well. Do these other NESCAC programs have strength and conditioning programs. There seems to be a clear size and speed differential amongst these teams. The only team that appeared to be close in size was Williams College. When I watched the Bates/Colby the players looked completely different in size and stature.

When the president's voted to use their Pool A bid and the 84-man roster limit, they but in a 10-year moratorium on making any more football changes. So, don't expect non-conference or preseason football anytime soon.

Yup...we heard that as well. Our read is that between the D3 play-offs, roster limits and adding the 9th game, the NESCAC Presidents are pretty much sick of talking about football. As a football alum, we think we're good for now. No need to be a pig...

[Nescacman]

We are very pleased to announce a new, exciting collaboration between 9 Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast, NESCACMAN, and NESCACFOOTBALLREPORT.COM.

NESCACMAN and 9 Weeks NESCAC will be providing our weekly NESCAC game predictions and point spreads at nescacfootballreport.com in addition to the NESCAC message board at D3Boards.com and on the NESCAC Football Podcast.

NESCAC Football Report is a website dedicated to all things NESCAC football, including team previews, weekly game previews, power rankings, and game recaps. The site will now provide its followers with NESCACMAN's weekly game predictions and point spreads. Visit the site weekly at nescacfootballreport.com.

The podcast is available on YouTube, Facebook, Apple and Spotify. Search for "9 Weeks NESCAC"...the first and only podcast of its kind.
 
If you have questions, feedback, ideas or are a player or a coach and would like to appear on our show, please email us at: 9weeksnescac@gmail.com

Follow us on X (aka Twitter): @nineweeksnescac
Follow us on Instagram: @nineweeksnescac
Facebook: Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EbgGxDZRd/)
YouTube: 9 Weeks Nescac (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zoD9hYoN4E)
Spotify Podcasts: 9 Weeks Nescac
Apple Podcasts: 9 Weeks Nescac