FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[seventiesraider]

As strange as it might be, we are all cheering you on next week from Mount Union. Mostly because if you win, we play in Alliance. You lose we play at Delaware Valley. So you have our support, this week.

[union89]

Great game with all the injuries and best of luck the rest of the way

[Reno Hightower]

Great job Rowan, you deserve all the credit in the world for a great win.

No excuses here, you made more plays than our boys did. Now just win the Stagg Bowl and make us look good!

[rams1102]

AC,

I've just been observing cause this is your guys venue. Keep it up. Finailly, your negative KARMA is impressive !!!

[ACMob]

a DAVE sighting!! 8)  Good to know your lurking!!  Please join in this week on the "big" MAC board because the MAC vs NJAC issue may come up.  I should be in the (-) 50's after this week.  The funny thing is I haven't even tried lately!!

[radiomike]

As strange as it might be, we are all cheering you on next week from Mount Union. Mostly because if you win, we play in Alliance. You lose we play at Delaware Valley. So you have our support, this week.

Not so sure about that. The NCAA could send the North to travel East this year regardless. And don't forget that one little game you all have against Capital this week. 

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, the seeding dictates that if Rowan and Mount Union win, the game will be at Mount Union. Seventiesraider is correct.

[radiomike]

Actually, the seeding dictates that if Rowan and Mount Union win, the game will be at Mount Union. Seventiesraider is correct.

Pat, the NCAA committee member at DVC told us it would be in the East, regardless. However, he could have been mistaken.

[ACMob]

Actually, the seeding dictates that if Rowan and Mount Union win, the game will be at Mount Union. Seventiesraider is correct.

Pat, the NCAA committee member at DVC told us it would be in the East, regardless. However, he could have been mistaken.

In the GURU we trust on D3 football!!

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, the seeding dictates that if Rowan and Mount Union win, the game will be at Mount Union. Seventiesraider is correct.

Pat, the NCAA committee member at DVC told us it would be in the East, regardless. However, he could have been mistaken.

Must have been. It hasn't worked that way since 1998.

[reality check]

ACMob

I read your request on the OAC page and also saw what Pat Cummings gave you as a report.  I concur with pretty much everything Pat stated and will add a few comments.  

This will be the Injury Bowl in Doylestown.  I know from what I have read all year about the injuries Rowan has sustained including most recently Encarnacion's injury this past weekend.  There were defintely some guys hobbling around for Del Val on Saturday as well.  A couple of starters are questionable on both sides of the ball.  The MASH units that both teams put out there should make for an interesting game Saturday.  

The field this past week was a major factor as footing proved to be an issue for both teams.  I don't know if it was a lack of turf, frozen ground or the combination of the two but I noticed a big difference between the first and second round games regarding field conditions.  Given the time of year, I don't expect it to get better after three consecutive weeks of play.  Both teams struggled with cuts and seemed to be going through the motions for much of the first half.  You wouldn'y know it in the fourth quarter though as the two teams combined put up 400 yards of total offense in the 4th quarter alone!!!

In both games, I have felt that Knoblauch has started a bit slowly but warmed up in the second half of each contest.  Last week his balls sailed a bit.  This past week the balls were often underthrown, but once he warmed up he was very impressive and I felt that he was the only one stopping himself, not the defense in either game.  Cook has been a tough, straight-ahead runner in both contests.  He isn't flashy but he is fun to watch because he seems to look for contact rather than juking in the open field.  Sheffeild is much the opposite.  He is the flashy runner and spells Cook nicely.  Both backs are good receivers out of the backfield as well.  The WR's are both very good.  The receivers have very good hands and had some uncharacteristic drops in the game this weekend.  The tight end Rorer has the best hands on the team and has made some amazing catches including perhaps the best catch I have ever seen in person on a HB pass for TD in the Curry game.

Well there you go.  Perhaps it's more than you wanted or not enough but that's my $.02.  I have enjoyed both games and especially enjoyed the fourth quarter Saturday.  

I just hope these two teams have something left this weekend.  I will leave you with some 4th quarter stats from the Hobart/Del Val game.

Knoblauch   6 for 10 2 TD's 145 yards passing & 5 rushes for 19 yards and a TD

Del Val 202 yards total offense
Hobart 194 yards total offense

[cnusfinest54]

Some of Rowan's uniforms in the past have been really ugly but the all white ones on the front page of D3 are TIGHT. The snow in the background makes them a lot better. To the kid on the cover I think it states that you are a freshmen but you might wanna save that pic. It would be nice to reflect on and maybe show your kids one day.

Profs I don't know when but we will get you one day. Good luck the rest of the way.

[rscl70]

Nice looking whites, Rowan.  Hope to see them in Alliance!

[Reno Hightower]

As I have said a few times on this board, Congrats to Rowan for a great win over what I think was one heck of a Union squad. Though you have not been gracious winners, I believe everyone from Union has gone against our rep of whining and making excuses when we lose......I would like to clear 1 thing up though, Union and Hobart definetly showed that the LL is clearly on par with the NJAC....I offer the following proof:

1. Our 2nd Place team beat your 2nd place team in the Playoffs (Hobart over Cortland)
2. The very tight game between the winners of both conferences, in which the LL winner led for the majority of the game (dont take this the wrong way! Rowan was better and they won!).
3. Union scored 24 on Rowan. No team in the NJAC scored that many points against them this season.
4. Union held Rowan to 28. 3 NJAC teams held them to fewer: Brockport, Cortland and Willy P. Now you all say that you took Willy P very lightly, so take that out and Union has 1 of the 3-4 best D's in the NCAJ, a league known for it's tough D.....And clearly the best Offense!

Again, do not take this post the wrong way. Rowan won, they are better! But the leagues are both good leagues. Hopefully they continue to get better so that the East as a whole can perform better in the Playoffs and get us all more respect in the polls!

GO ROWAN!

[phil]

Reno
I think you can go ahead and say that the LL and NJAC are even this season. You can call it a wash between the top two teams from each conference given their current rosters. After that I'd give a large edge to RPI over Montclair and then give the nod to the bottom of the NJAC since the last place team beat not only the NJAC champion but the second playoff representative from the MAC – while the bottom of the LL was busy beating up on Norwich and each other..

Next year though I doubt you'll see a three-win TCNJ and a .500 Montclair. Given the fact that Kean and Paterson seem to be on the rise and Buffalo State will be joining in, I'd say the NJAC will be pretty darn strong next season.

I find it surprising that so many LL fans are fond of pointing out that they played the "Beast of the East" even. Frankly, given the severity of Rowan's injuries and the fact they were on the road, I was only surprised that Rowan somehow found a way to win it after yet another devastating injury. Let's not elevate Rowan to the East Region's version of Mount Union and hand out heaps of praise for moral victories because somebody outside the conference played a good game against them.

Rowan hardly played like a dominant team before all the injuries, yet they find themselves a game away from a trip to Mount Union. If this wasn't the season to stop Rowan I don't know what was. I'd stop using the "Beast" moniker and just say that Rowan has a terrific program with a deep roster that few if any in the East can match. You're not going to look at this team and say they're bigger, quicker and have superstar skills players as in the past – as much as it pains me to say this, they just find a way to get it done because of the strength of the program and the fact they've been down this road before.