FB: Liberty League

[UfanBill]

HOW ABOUT THAT...Backed up to their own 1 yard line after an excellent Susquehanna pooch punt Union QB Patch Flanagan hits a streaking Dan Quinn for a 99 yard TD bomb.  7-7

[Jonny Utah]

The Randolph Macon game was maybe the worst Ithaca loss I've ever seen.  This Hopkins game is shaping up to beat that.  JHU is either really good or Ithaca is gonna need a lot of help this year.  One of those games where the talent level isn't even close.

[Bartman]

The Randolph Macon game was maybe the worst Ithaca loss I've ever seen.  This Hopkins game is shaping up to beat that.  JHU is either really good or Ithaca is gonna need a lot of help this year.  One of those games where the talent level isn't even close.

Hopkins is so much better, I think this game tells us very little about the competitiveness of Ithaca in the LL. The Bluejays are earning their pre-season rating. Let's see what adjustments Ithaca makes for the second half, and whether it matters.

[Jonny Utah]

The Randolph Macon game was maybe the worst Ithaca loss I've ever seen.  This Hopkins game is shaping up to beat that.  JHU is either really good or Ithaca is gonna need a lot of help this year.  One of those games where the talent level isn't even close.

Hopkins is so much better, I think this game tells us very little about the competitiveness of Ithaca in the LL. The Bluejays are earning their pre-season rating. Let's see what adjustments Ithaca makes for the second half, and whether it matters.

Hopefully.  But Hopkins was a top 4-10 team last year and Ithaca was very competitive with them.  This game today is ugly.

[IC798891]

I'm not too worried about IC.

Look, in 2022, the Bombers were 12-0 and lost 48-7 to North Central. When you're national champion caliber, the gap between you and even good teams can be massive.

Next week's game against Alfred will be instructive. They already beat the coaches' LL favorite. If the Bombers get beaten soundly, well, then it may be a long season. But if they acquit themselves well, then they'll be in the running for the LL title.

[Caz Bombers]

Either Hop is about to win a Stagg or we suuuuuckk

[UfanBill]

Final score Susquehanna 33 - Union 14. The Garnet needed a half to acclimate themselves to the dynamic scrambling ability of the River Hawks excellent QB Josh Ehrlich. By then Susquehanna had complete control and coasted to the victory. Going into this season Union's strength appeared to be a relatively experienced O-line but injuries to senior starters LT Kyle Webster and C David Cooperstein (interestingly high school teammates) caused a total shakeup. With the RT moved to LT, three new starters at the guards and center and a former TE filling in a RT the Garnet could do nothing running the ball. QB Patch Flanagan did all he could do and Union's WRs had some good moments but it wasn't near enough. #1 Dan Quinn caught a school record 99 yard TD bomb and #0 Gil Rivera (misidentified all game as Brian Blake) also had a solid game. The Defense played the run tough and held Ehrlich in check late but a perfect effort by Susquehanna kicker Dominic Bourgeois, 4/4 on FGs and 3/3 on Xpts held the lead. This game provided Union a good measuring stick and they'll improve more next week against Cortland. I think they'll gain momentum going into the LL schedule.     

[IC798891]

I can't believe I have to give Union credit but...they might be the favorite next week against Cortland?

As I said on the E8 board, Grove City is up and coming, and Cortland hit the reset button. But man, the Red Dragons did not look good. The QB play was going to be a work in progress, but six interceptions? And you'd think Cortland would have been able to rely on Ethan Gallo to help take the pressure of the QBs, but he had just 7 carries (Did he get hurt?).

I think Union has a shot next week

[Bartman]

I can't believe I have to give Union credit but...they might be the favorite next week against Cortland?

As I said on the E8 board, Grove City is up and coming, and Cortland hit the reset button. But man, the Red Dragons did not look good. The QB play was going to be a work in progress, but six interceptions? And you'd think Cortland would have been able to rely on Ethan Gallo to help take the pressure of the QBs, but he had just 7 carries (Did he get hurt?).

I think Union has a shot next week

Cortland looked pretty bad, although I think Grove City is legit. We'll see how good the new Cortland coach is and whether he can rally his team, but I need to see more evidence from Union before giving them a shot next week. Although it is clear that nothing is clear in the Liberty League based on Week One except Hilbert and Buffalo State are not potential Champs.

[XREDDRAGON77]

Grove City returned 8 starters on D. Cortland returned 3 olinemen, Gallo at rb, 3 solid receivers and a transfer from Stony Brook at receiver. GCC controlled the line of scrimmage and everything inside the box. 5 picks and a fumble at the 10 going in were brutal. 2 turnovers lead to 14 immediate points!

Next week will be huge for both Union and Cortland. Cortland rebounding from a bad loss and Union resetting after a tough outing to a seriously good opponent! Union holding the Sus offense to a respectable score makes me nervous as a Red Dragon fan!

[Bartman]

Next week will be very interesting to watch how the LL stacks up against the E8 as Alfred hosts Ithaca after tasting victory against Hobart and Hobart travels to Brockport as the underdog. Then, Hobart has a Utica team in week 3 that ran over W&J. Hobart could possibly go 0-3 against the E-8 and then have to travel to Ithaca seeking a win for the first time ever in Ithaca.Coach DeWall has a huge coaching challenge in front of him with no easy games to work the kinks out. After seeing Cortland get whipped by Grove City , the E8 and the LL look wide open this season.

[IC798891]

This was such a meh week for the LL.

--The top 2 teams in the preseason poll take losses, Hobart's to what may be the 4th place team in the E8, and Ithaca's a frankly humbling monkeystomp at home.

--Union managed just 4 first downs on offense before it was 33-7 in the 4th quarter.

--RPI had a workmanlike win over WPI, but considering they beat them 51-7 last year...meh

--St. Lawrence had a win over Norwich that seemed...not unlinke any other win they've had over Norwich in recent years.

EDIT Sorry forgot about Rochester. Completing 5 passes will get you a win over Olivet, sure

--There just isn't much to say about Buff State and Hilbert beyond the fact that the rosters just aren't where they need to be. I always like it when the Bengals are plucky and fun and kinda annoying to play, but outside of Amir Camerom, they just don't have much.

Look, we saw Hobart muddle through Week 1 against Alfred last year. Maybe Susquehanna and Hopkins are just gonna blast people all year and it's not indicative of what Union and IC have to offer. But oof, what a week