Trinity finds ways to win with offense
|
|
Now he is the head coach of a team with just three seniors on the defensive unit, but the Bantams have found a way to win each week.
The first three weeks the Bantams held opponents to seven, 17 and 15 points.
Then, in this week’s 28-27 overtime victory against Tufts, the defense did a good job on first and second down, but left the Jumbos off the hook, breaking down on some third-and-long situations.
“With just three seniors on defense, we have been a little inconsistent,” Devanney said. “But you have to give Tufts credit. They made the plays.”
Senior quarterback Eric McGrath provided the clutch play to lift the Bantams to 4-0. He threw for a school-record 470 yards, breaking the standard set by former NFL quarterback Joe Shield. McGrath also fired four touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Michael Galligan on fourth-and-three in the overtime.
It was the Bantams’ sixth win in a row and 29th straight at home.
It was vintage McGrath. The previous week he had to stage a furious fourth-quarter rally in a comeback win against Hamilton.
“McGrath is such a competitor. He is the type of kid who loves to practice,” Devanney said.
“He is a tremendous leader. We have put him in some bad situations the past few weeks and he just refuses to give up.”
Tyler Berry has been a stabilizing influence on that young defense. He is one of the seniors and a captain. He came through with 14 tackles and sophomore Kyle Williams added 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
“Ty is a very, very smart player,” Devanney said. “He runs very well for his size.”
The Bantams are the league’s lone unbeaten team, but every weekend has been a battle for them, winning by scores of 17-7, 20-17, 20-15 and 28-27 in overtime.
“I have been in this league 12 years as a player or a coach and there has never been a year like this,” Devanney said. “In the past it has been two teams with a third team popping up and having a good year sometimes.
“But this year it’s just like it is around the country. Every week, you are surprised by this score or that score. There is a lot more parity.”
The NESCAC plays eight games each season and goes home, the league not allowing its team to advance to the playoffs.
Devanney said he has no interest in being allowed to go to the playoffs, but he would dearly love to see a ninth game. The NESCAC has 10 teams so that way, every team would play the other, giving the conference a truer champion.
“The coaches have proposed a ninth game for 25 years now,” Devanney said. “We would not have to start any earlier or open camp any earlier. We have that foolish scrimmage now and instead of the scrimmage, we would open the season about Sept. 15.”
Mack: 200 times 3
Plymouth State’s Jeff Mack rushed for over 200 yards for the third time this season. This time it was a career-high 228 yards in a 36-14 victory over Endicott in a New England Football Conference game. It was the fourth straight win for the Panthers who pushed their record to 5-1. Mack also rushed for three touchdowns.
Beamer ball in the NEFC
Emery Ball or Cullen Ball might not have the same ring to it as Beamer Ball, but what’s alliteration when it works just as well.
Brien Cullen’s Worcester State Lancers blocked three extra points in a 32-31 victory over Maine Maritime and Keith Emery’s Western New England Golden Bears scored twice after blocked punts in beating UMass-Dartmouth 38-31.
Blocking all three extra points for the Lancers was Tom Szalno.
Maine Maritime fullback Jim Bower continued his touchdown assault. He rushed for four of them, giving him 16 on the season.
Will Early had 171 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns for Worcester State.
It was the first win of the season for WNEC. Western New England quarterback Justin Walz ran for two scores and passed for another. On the other end of his TD pass was former high school teammate Rob Chiaccio.
J.T. Harold, among the nation’s rushing leaders, had another big day for UMass-Dartmouth. He rushed for 169 yards on 17 carries and amassed 295 all-purpose yards with 126 yards worth of kick returns.
NAC look-ahead
It’s way early, but here’s a guess that when the first North Atlantic Conference preseason poll is released next year, Gabby Price’s Husson Eagles will occupy the top spot.
The Eagles had an impressive 39-21 victory over the Empire 8’s Springfield with six players scoring.
SUNY Maritime, another NAC charter member, is staking its own claim as one of the contenders for the conference’s inaugural campaign next year. The Privateers won for the third time this season, throttling future NAC rival Gallaudet 27-0.
SUNY Maritime’s Michael Smooke passed for a career-high 191 yards.
Husson and SUNY Maritime meet this week.
Two other future NAC teams got roughed up: Norwich by Ithaca, 41-6, and Mount Ida by Utica, 40-8.
The NAC will not have an automatic qualifier next year for the NCAA Division III playoffs, but it will have a championship game between the top two teams at the end of the season.
“We thought it was important to have the championship experience in the first year,” NAC Commissioner Julie Muller said. “We will re-evaluate it after the season.”
Ephs win shootout
Williams won a New England Small College Athletic Conference offensive extravaganza over Middlebury, 50-45.
Williams quarterback Patrick Moffitt went 20-of-29 for 381 yards and four touchdowns. Two receivers were in on most of the action. Ryan Powell caught two of his touchdown passes and had 107 receiving yards. Nick Caro had a whopping 218 receiving yards for his seven catches with the other two touchdowns.
Middlebury quarterback Donald McKillop had a record-breaking day as he completed 47 of 73 passes for 462 yards and two touchdowns. It was a Middlebury record for most yards passing in a game. McKillop also set a school record for most completions in a game and most yards of total offense with 506.
But his problem was the five balls he threw that were intercepted.
Williams’ Brian Morrissey went over 2,000 yards rushing for his career.
Amherst quarterback Alex Vetras’s numbers pale by comparison but his 18 completions and two TD tosses were plenty good enough to lead the Lord Jeffs to a 23-2 win over Colby in another NESCAC game.
Burley not your average Bear
Senior Bruce Burley rambled for 228 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries to lead the Bridgewater State Bears to a 42-35 victory over Framingham State. Burley has 2,181 yards rushing in just three seasons.
St. Onge leads Salve
Quarterback Jeff St. Onge did it all for Salve Regina in the Seahawks’ 28-12 victory over Nichols. St. Onge threw for three touchdowns and ran for another.
The big games
Emotions will be high at SUNY Maritime as the Privateers look for their fourth victory against Husson. When Maritime beat Gallaudet it marked the first three-win season in the young program’s history.
Husson has a high-powered offense, but the Privateers held Gallaudet to under 200 total offensive yards.
In the NESCAC, Trinity looks to stay unbeaten, but must do it on the road against Bowdoin.
"I hope our players are not looking at Bowdoin as a 1-3 team because I have looked at them and they have a lot of talent," Devanney said.
And in the New England Football Conference, Curry also looks to stay undefeated with a road game against Endicott. Curry exploded for 59 points in beating MIT.