Season comes down to two big games
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Trinity has completely dominated the rest of the NESCAC this season. The Bantams have scored more points (270), and allowed fewer (46), than any other team in the conference. Chuck Priore’s team is also tops in total offense, total defense, kickoff returns, and kickoff coverage. Trinity is simply the class of the NESCAC; no team has even come close to threatening the Bantams’ position atop the conference.
Even with 133 rushing yards from standout tailback Fletcher Ladd, Amherst just did not have the firepower to match Trinity in the 100th meeting between these two storied programs. The Bantams scored the game’s first 21 points courtesy of a nine-yard touchdown reception by Gennaro Leo and two scoring runs by Drew Finkeldey. Ladd helped the Jeffs reduce the deficit somewhat in the second quarter with a 20-yard run to pay dirt, but that would be Amherst’s lone score of the day. Trinity tacked on 10 more points in the second half to round out the scoring.
Finkeldey led the Bantams with a game-high 145 rushing yards as the Bantams won their 21st consecutive football game.
Eph Homecoming success
Williams running back Tim Crawley gained 210 yards on the ground and tallied three touchdowns in the Ephs’ 30-12 Homecoming win over Little III rival Wesleyan. With the win, Williams has successfully dealt with the first leg of its Little III schedule, and will look to complete its mission this Saturday at Amherst in “The Biggest Little Game in America.” Also, with a conference record of 6-1, the Ephs still have an outside chance of splitting the NESCAC Championship with Trinity — although this depends on the highly unlikely proposition of Wesleyan ending the Bantams’ 21-game win streak.
All things considered though, the Ephs have certainly not missed a beat under new coach Mike Whalen. Replacing Dick Farley would have been difficult under any circumstances, but given the amount of talent that left with Farley last year, Whalen really deserves credit for the job he has done in Williamstown. That being said, Williams coaches are judged largely on the success they have against Amherst — an area where Farley had unrivaled success — and Whalen has still yet to pass that test.
Taking care of business
Curry and Fitchburg State each secured a spot in the NEFC Championship Game after Week 9, but neither team took it easy last week. Fitchburg completed its perfect Bogan Division campaign by blanking Worcester State 24-0.
Curry, meanwhile, flattened Westfield State, 34-7, in a rematch of last year’s NEFC Championship Game. Tim Jones had an absolutely sensational game for the Colonels. Jones recorded three interceptions on the afternoon, and returned two of them for touchdowns. Curry held Westfield to 6 rushing yards in this regular season finale.
NESCAC Game of the Week
Williams at Amherst, Saturday, Nov. 13, 12 p.m.: Amherst and Williams share one of the greatest rivalries in college athletics. In 1821, Williams College President Zephaniah Swift Moore resigned his position to found a new college in Amherst, Mass. Moore took with him several Williams students, faculty, and (perhaps, most famously) some books from the Williams College library. It seems that Amherst and Williams have hated each other ever since. The intense competition between the two schools manifests itself in many different ways — and is certainly not confined to athletics — but nowhere is this historic rivalry better illuminated than in “The Biggest Little Game in America.” Since 1884, Williams and Amherst have competed 118 times on the gridiron, making this the most played rivalry in Division III. The Ephs lead the all-time series with a record of 66-47-5, but regardless of circumstances, this highly anticipated game is never taken for granted by either side.
Williams got the best of last year’s 14-10 decision. Playing on their home field, the Ephs took a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Jeffs, who were without starting quarterback Marsh Moseley, rallied to put the score at 14-10 by halftime, but neither defense surrendered a single point in the second half. An Amherst Hail Mary at the end of the game went unanswered, as the Williams players provided coach Dick Farley with one more victory before his retirement.
Williams had not lost a game to Amherst from 1987 to 1999, but the home team has won each of the last four games in the rivalry, a statistic that bodes well for the Lord Jeffs. Otherwise, the two teams appear to be pretty evenly matched. Williams, with a record of 6-1, is second in the NESCAC, while 5-2 Amherst is tied with Colby for third. Both Amherst and Williams were soundly defeated by Trinity, the difference is that Williams squeaked by a Tufts team (10-9) that beat Amherst 10-3. But Williams is certainly the team with momentum on its side. The Ephs are currently on a five-game winning streak, while the Jeffs have lost two in a row.
Offensively, Amherst and Williams each rely heavily on a solid ground game. The Jeffs boast the NESCAC’s leading rusher in Fletcher Ladd, who averages 136.9 rushing yards per game. Williams’ Tim Crawley meanwhile, is right behind Ladd with 128.3 rushing yards per game. Crawley, for his part, leads the conference in all-purpose yards per game.
One area where Amherst might have an advantage on offense is at the quarterback position. Both Williams’ Sean Gleeson and Amherst’s Marsh Moseley have struggled somewhat this season, and both average fewer than 120.0 passing yards per game. But Moseley is an experienced veteran who will be making his third career start against Williams this Saturday. Indeed, the last time Williams visited Pratt Field — back in 2002 — Moseley had a career day, throwing for 237 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-35 Amherst win. While Gleeson did complete one 38-yard pass against Amherst in limited action last year, this Saturday’s game will be the young sophomore’s first sustained encounter with the Jeffs.
None of the NESCAC’s top 10 receivers — as measured by receiving yards per game — hail from either Williams or Amherst, but both schools have some weapons at that position. Amherst’s Jay Wagstaff was a First-Team All-NESCAC selection a year ago, and is always dangerous when the ball is in his hands. Brendan Fulmer and Jon Drenckhahn are the main receiving threats for Williams.
While both schools have capable offenses, this game will likely be decided on the defensive side of the ball. Williams and Amherst have both been known in recent years for fielding stingy defensive units, and this year is no different. Williams is second in the NESCAC in total defense, while Amherst is fourth. Senior linebacker Wes Connors is the leader of a tough, Williams defense. Connors leads the team with 53 tackles, and his 4.5 tackles are good for fourth in the conference. Williams also boasts two of the best cover corners in the league in Jon O’Hanlon and Elliot Moffie.
E.J. Mills’ 3-4 defensive scheme relies on solid, aggressive linebacker play, and that is exactly what Mills has gotten. Outside linebacker Justin Roemer and inside linebacker Mike Salvatore are third and fourth, respectively, in the NESCAC in total tackles. Meanwhile, cornerback Rob Walsh is tied for the conference lead in interceptions with six.
Amherst-Williams games are usually close, and they are almost always exciting. If you cannot make it down to Pratt Field on Saturday, do not despair: NESN will be broadcasting the game regionally.
NEFC Game of the Week
Fitchburg State vs. Curry, Saturday at Worcester State College, 12 p.m.: This is the game we have been waiting for: The NEFC Championship Game. New England does not have much impact on the rest of Division III football. The NESCAC schools are ineligible for postseason play — they don’t even play outside the conference in the regular season — and the NEFC is not good enough to warrant at-large consideration. Thus, the NCAA Tournament bid awarded to the winner of the NEFC Championship Game is New England’s one and only ticket to a national stage.
Last year, Curry represented the NEFC in postseason play, falling to RPI, 34-20, in the first round. The Colonels still have a chance to better their fortunes this year, as Steve Nelson’s club successfully defended its Boyd Division title. Standing in the way of the Colonels are the Falcons of Fitchburg State. Fitchburg is currently riding an eight-game winning streak, which includes a perfect, 6-0 record in the Bogan Division. The Falcons’ last loss came on Sept. 11, at Curry. Curry won the contest 14-3, as the Colonels held Fitchburg to 42 rushing yards and forced four turnovers.
But the Falcon offense has improved dramatically since September, and Curry signalcaller Kevin Holleran has since been sidelined with injury. Denis Hill played well last week in Holleran’s stead, but with or without Holleran, the key to Curry’s success is the play of its defense. Lead by sensational linebacker Brian Robitaille, the Colonels lead the NEFC in scoring defense, giving up a paltry 8.2 points per game. Curry surrenders an average of just 68.7 rushing yards per game, and the Colonels have forced more turnovers (44) than any other team in the conference. Curry has a whopping plus-24 turnover margin — Fitchburg is second at plus-15. The Colonels also lay claim to the NEFC’s top scoring offense and rushing attack.