Patriot League Pick 'em Week 10

[carney2]

COLGATE @ GEORGETOWN

HOLY CROSS @ LEHIGH

FORDHAM @ LAFAYETTE

Game of the Week: Holy Cross @ Lehigh - probably for the trophy and the right to be humiliated by a real football team in the first round of the playoffs.

[crusader11]

Holy Cross beat New Hampshire and held their own with Yale and Harvard.

They’d get smacked by a top ten team, but think they’d be competitive with a mid-CAA team in the playoffs.

[bonarae]

Georgetown
Holy Cross - close
Fordham

[kdinva]

COLGATE 20 @ GEORGETOWN 30

HOLY CROSS 20 @ LEHIGH 27

FORDHAM 24 @ LAFAYETTE 22

[ngineer]

Don't know how the Hoyas will react to this loss. Pretty devastating to tie the game with about a minute to go on 75 yard bomb, then give up 60 yards of yardage in 58 seconds to allow game winning FG. Normally, I'd pick G'town, but not sure about this one. Then we have Raiders who may have given up after getting drubbed by Crusaders. Which coach can get their team 'up' in these circumstances? I give the edge to Hoyas 20-17.

Fordham and Laughyette each only have one league loss apiece, so this is a real elimination game from having any hope of being a 'co-champ'. Having watched some Leotard games on TV and seen Rams first hand, I will got with the Rams. 'pards have an 'up and coming' QB, and some very skilled individuals, but I see Rams with more talent overall. The one shot Leotards have is that the Rams have been hurting themselves with penalties. Undisciplined play has been costly. Without such mistakes, Fordham wins 30-20.

On paper, one might pick the Crusaders, though Lehigh has better record (effectively 5-2 with the non-TD call against SFU). Crusaders have battled in their losses. Early season games are hard to evaluate at this juncture since lineups can change and as have opponents. The win over UNH is impressive, but the struggle against Bucknell is curious. At the same time, Lehigh's early season troubles were expected with the coaching transition and small, inexperienced roster. A lot of freshmen and sophomores have been playing and no longer just 'rookies'. Improvement has been seen each week. While the QB play has been erratic, Monaco has shown a lot of grit and become a leader. A few stars have also emerged from the clouds and the PK has been beyond expectations. The team has not been penalized a lot which helps in sustaining drives or not giving up free big chunks of yardage. Sure, this may be a homer pick, but at home with an energized crowd and new video board, the team showed a lot of energy against Georgetown. I expect the same this weekend. Lehigh takes command of the PL, 27-24.

[van]

COLGATE @ GEORGETOWN, gate seems to be packing it in while Hoyas field their best squad in years

HOLY CROSS @ LEHIGH, homer pick but this team has yet to play its best ball and hoping this week is the time

FORDHAM @ LAFAYETTE, expect pards to compete but rams have too much firepower

[Son of Eli]

Going full Catholic:

Georgetown
Holy Cross
Fordham.

[Ivytalk]

Georgetown
Lehigh
Lafayette (why not?)

[carney2]

COLGATE @ GEORGETOWN - The Tundrites may need a repeat of that flu epidemic that canceled this game a few years ago. Perhaps a cough ... or runny nose ... or stubbed toe this time? What's going on in Hamilton? The Patriot League has had more than its share of bad teams over the years, but a first to worst collapse like this ...?

HOLY CROSS @ LEHIGH - Not much has changed since the preseason when most thought that the Cross had their arrow pointed in the right direction.

FORDHAM @ LAFAYETTE - The blind squirrel (Pards) found an acorn. It doesn't mean that they continue to feast.

[ngineer]

Georgetown
Lehigh
Lafayette (why not?)

Hah! Je ne sais pas.xsmiley_wix

[Bill]

Going full Catholic:

Georgetown
Holy Cross
Fordham.


Full Catholic? Don't ever go full Catholic xlolx
31188

[TheValleyRaider]

Rough week, rough year. Just not up to standard. Lots of looking at the mirror in the weeks and months to come. I was talking about my picks of course. What else would it be? 1-2 last week, 32-16 overall, 3-6 picking PL games

Colgate at Georgetown Colgate Mentioning the norovirus story reminds me of that weekend. I was back in town for homecoming. Fun weekend, played for the Homecoming Field Hockey game. Football probably would have been better. Right, this game. Georgetown still isn't a potent offense, so a low-scoring game likely means more variable results.

Holy Cross at Lehigh Lehigh Feels too early for a League title game, though I suppose it is November. Some potential pitfalls for both teams ahead, but this looks like the big one. Taking the Hawks for two reasons. #1, they're at home and I like home teams; #2, for all their flaws, Lehigh has this weird lucky/destined thing going on, and they're the kind of program that takes advantage of it. Take heart, Crusaders, as you've seen I'm also usually wrong.

Fordham at Lafayette Fordham They did it, as is tradition. The Leopards bit me in a prediction. I suppose they have been showing improvement over the last couple of weeks, so a result isn't too surprising. Both teams still have a shot at spoiling, or stealing, the title for someone, but I'll take the Rams' track record (that Richmond win looks pretty solid right now).

[crusader11]

HC -3
Fordham -2.5
Georgetown -10

[ngineer]

Full Catholic? Don't ever go full Catholic xlolx
31188

They wearing patent leather cleats?

[carney2]

Some in Pardland think they've found a running game. Not sure how they reach that conclusion with Coach Bumblehead still pushing all the buttons and no real upgrades in the OL.

[Sader87]

Kind of an under the radar stat so to speak, and I'm probably jinxing it in pointing it out :), but HC has quietly won 6 PL games in a row dating back to last season.

We haven't won 7 in a row since we won 17 in a row during the end of the Duffner era.

[ngineer]

Kind of an under the radar stat so to speak, and I'm probably jinxing it in pointing it out :), but HC has quietly won 6 PL games in a row dating back to last season.

We haven't won 7 in a row since we won 17 in a row during the end of the Duffner era.

Thank you!xbowx

[Sader87]

Thank you!xbowx

LOL.....you're most welcome :)

Should be a good contest....homahh bias, but I think HC has been the bettah team this season but the Engineers having home-field will make this very interesting.

Lot of almost Shakespearean subplot to this tilt as well :)

[ngineer]

LOL.....you're most welcome :)

Should be a good contest....homahh bias, but I think HC has been the bettah team this season but the Engineers having home-field will make this very interesting.

Lot of almost Shakespearean subplot to this tilt as well :)

On paper, I would agree HC should be favored, but one thing LU has going for it, besides some great mojo, is the fact that Gilmore knows all of your upperclassmen quite well. While the system used I am sure is different, having the ability to know what makes some guys 'tick' can be helpful. Critical key for LU will be how well the offense can move the ball consistently. Keeps ball way from HC and rests the D, who will have to be 'busy'. We will certainly need more pressure on HC's QB than we brought last week.

Forecast is mostly sunny with temps in the low 50's at kickoff.

[Sader87]

Sounds like great football weather there Saturday....good to hear.

HC's D has basically been their mainstay this year...only really being exposed a bit against Navy and Syracuse and even then they weren't really gashed that badly....Navy only had 17 points with under a minute left in the 1st H, Syracuse 24 very late in the 3rd.

5 of the starting 11 on D are Sophs and Frosh which bodes well for the future.

The offense has been Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde but seems to be coming on with each game.

Would love to go Saturday but life calls up here on the Cape......

[SUPharmacist]

Georgetown
Lehigh
Fordham

[Colgate TD]

Colgate - upset special
Lehigh - spies on the Engineer bench help in this one
Fordham - Five Blocks of Granite wins

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

I plan on making the 82 mile trek down to Goodman for the showdown on Saturday. This will be my first Lehigh game since Villanova last season. I also need to make a much needed trip to the bookstore.

Hopefully there's a good turnout/atmosphere. Not sure if a 4-4 team vs a 4-3 team screams the type of "big time game" that will really pile 'em in....

[van]

I plan on making the 82 mile trek down to Goodman for the showdown on Saturday. This will be my first Lehigh game since Villanova last season. I also need to make a much needed trip to the bookstore.

Hopefully there's a good turnout/atmosphere. Not sure if a 4-4 team vs a 4-3 team screams the type of "big time game" that will really pile 'em in....will be a shame if there is not a big turnout for this game with all that is at stake and good weather

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

will be a shame if there is not a big turnout for this game with all that is at stake and good weather

I'm hoping for something in the 8-10k range. A legit crowd over 10k is gravy at this point. Penn State is off this week which should help to draw in the local college football fans looking for their fix. I'm not sure if there are any marquee high school playoff games in District 11 scheduled for Saturday?

[crusader11]

Will be making the 90 minute drive from Hoboken for this one.

[ngineer]

I'm hoping for something in the 8-10k range. A legit crowd over 10k is gravy at this point. Penn State is off this week which should help to draw in the local college football fans looking for their fix. I'm not sure if there are any marquee high school playoff games in District 11 scheduled for Saturday?

Somewhat dependent on how well Holy Cross travels. In years past with a big game with the Crusaders, they've brought a fair number (est. 1-2,000). If so we might exceed 8,000. Very (pleasantly) surprised if we approach 10,000.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Here's some video from the famous 1991 classic. The battle royal between two 6-0 teams made legitimate national headlines that day. I vividly remember being at this game! The atmosphere really translates!!

The famed fumblerooskie! As called by current Golf Channel staple Rich Lerner!

https://youtu.be/TuIn9SRPhhg

From Holy Cross's prospective

https://youtu.be/olD8VpgJMZI

[Southsider]

I’d be surprised if LU tops 7k. Barely broke that number last week with parents. Who will make up for their absence??

[crusader11]

That’s a real shame regarding Lehigh’s poor attendance numbers.

Holy Cross had 10K plus on consecutive weekends. Can’t remember the last time that happened. Probably would have to go back to the early 90s.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

That’s a real shame regarding Lehigh’s poor attendance numbers.

Holy Cross had 10K plus on consecutive weekends. Can’t remember the last time that happened. Probably would have to go back to the early 90s.

I don't think Lehigh's attendance numbers are "poor". They certainly haven't benefited from having a nearby quality opponent (like Harvard for HC) at Goodman this season. Merrimack, St. Francis and Georgetown aren't bringing many fans. As it, Lehigh will still have a big crowd for Lafayette which depending on how tomorrow goes could allow them to lead the league in attendance.

The atmosphere at Goodman last Saturday looked good on the PLN.

[DFW HOYA]

I don't think Lehigh's attendance numbers are "poor". They certainly haven't benefited from having a nearby quality opponent (like Harvard for HC) at Goodman this season. Merrimack, St. Francis and Georgetown aren't bringing many fans. As it, Lehigh will still have a big crowd for Lafayette which depending on how tomorrow goes could allow them to lead the league in attendance.

The atmosphere at Goodman last Saturday looked good on the PLN.

It looked good in part because the cameras were now facing the home side.

Fan turnout at Georgetown is down across the board. When you've lost 40 percent of your basketball ticket base since 2012, football takes a hit as well (poor home game experience notwithstanding)

[ngineer]

I don't think Lehigh's attendance numbers are "poor". They certainly haven't benefited from having a nearby quality opponent (like Harvard for HC) at Goodman this season. Merrimack, St. Francis and Georgetown aren't bringing many fans. As it, Lehigh will still have a big crowd for Lafayette which depending on how tomorrow goes could allow them to lead the league in attendance.

The atmosphere at Goodman last Saturday looked good on the PLN.

No question quality opponents who are within easy driving distance of Bethlehem really helps the attendance. It also generates more interest with locals who can identify an opponent. It's going to be sunny, but "brisk" with winds in the 10-15 mph range. Could impact passing and kicking game.

[Sader87]

While all PL schools (and many FCS schools) are hurting in attendance, HC probably has the most built-in advantages in terms of game-day attendance over the othe PL schools. ... though some of those advantages have lessened over the last 30 or so years.

Those advantages being an alumni base that has had D1 football as part of its campus culture uninterrupted dating back to pre WW2. Admittedly this advantage has lessened due to Father Time but its legacy is still strong particularly compared to Fordham and Georgetown which didn't have D1 football for most of the 2nd H of the 20th C. Point being, alums of those schools from the 1960s through the 1990s didn't really have football as part of their college experience.

The "remoteness" of both Colgate and Bucknell make crowds of 10K there a near impossibility in today's world.

Lehigh and Lafayette have had solid support over the years but their support is somewhat divided in that region whereas HC is the only show in town (such as it is today) in the Worcester/CMass area.

I'm not saying HC has the best/biggest football fanbase in the PL...but it does have many advantages that other schools don't have.

[van]

Lafayette fan base has really deteriorated over the past decade probably due to the poor performance, I believe their attendance will bounce back strong if they develop a stronger team, Lehigh has also suffered some due to weak teams but current squad is turning that around I believe, a better schedule will certainly help as well

[ngineer]

The student culture as well as culture in general has changed markedly the past 15 years. Students at PL schools are less inclined to just drink the "rah rah" Kool-Aid that a lot of bigger schools seem to have, and pursue "their own thing", which today is a myriad of options. The clamp down on drinking and the streaming of all games to the privacy of the apt/dorm room is a significant contributor. I will say that if you put out an entertaining product, you have a better chance of increasing the numbers, but I have a hard time seeing the heady days of 1998-2003 return, attendance-wise.

[RichH2]

GU- Colgate. Hoyas will eke out a W. Gate just doesnt have the weapons to get past Hoya D
Rams -Pards. Fordham. Rams likely the most talented team in the PL. But, also the most mistake prone. Pards have talent and a good QB. But, they have Garrett.
Lehigh-Holy Cross. Lehigh. Pure Homer pick. Crusaders have the better team overall. On paper they should win.Lehigh has improved every week this season. They will need to play their best yet to get the W. I think they will. The key for Lehigh has to be preventing big plays.

[Leopard Loyalist]

COLGATE @ GEORGETOWN

HOLY CROSS @ LEHIGH

FORDHAM @ LAFAYETTE (Cur Non?)

[Sader87]

The student culture as well as culture in general has changed markedly the past 15 years. Students at PL schools are less inclined to just drink the "rah rah" Kool-Aid that a lot of bigger schools seem to have, and pursue "their own thing", which today is a myriad of options. The clamp down on drinking and the streaming of all games to the privacy of the apt/dorm room is a significant contributor. I will say that if you put out an entertaining product, you have a better chance of increasing the numbers, but I have a hard time seeing the heady days of 1998-2003 return, attendance-wise.

Agreed....discussed here and our board ad nauseum.

Moving forward, I wonder what the attendance ceiling on HC games at Fitton will/can be? With the advantages we do have (active alumni-base, the Worcester/CMass region to ourselves for D1 football, many good local opponents (Harvard, Yale, UNH etc) there is still the tidal wave of other things working against good attendance (video streaming, tailgating restrictions {which have somewhat been tamped down at HC lately}, games at 12:30/1 on Saturdays etc. In HC's case, you can also add the loss of "subway alumni" in the Worcester-area over the last couple of generations and the rise of the Patriots dominating football weekends in this area as well.

The ceiling is probably in the 12-15K region even under the best of circumstances...which means at best, a roughly half-filled Fitton Field.

[DFW HOYA]

The attendance ceiling is what HC wants it to be--nothing more, nothing less.

People of all ages make decisions on what is best for their entertainment dollar (apologies to the late Rev. Brooks for the use of the word "entertainment"). Give them an experience worth their time and money and people will come---pre game activities that are fun for the whole family, a comfortable and fan-friendly in-game experience, and a pleasant ingress and egress from the college.

Try selling today's students (and today's locals) on poor parking, nonexistent pregame, sitting in aluminum bleachers, poor WiFi, a marching band that sounds like it's from a junior high school, and a video setup that is more akin to hosting "dot races" than a sporting event. Try selling fans used to Panera and Dunkin a boiled hot dog and a cup of 30-weight coffee on a cold day--they'll stay home.

Give people an experience, and they will come. When Jackson State can draw 35,000 for games, it's because it's an experience, not a .500 record (they're 3-4). They engage an entire community, not just students. When was the last Holy Cross game that was an event? If the answer was the year before Holy Cross joined the PL, that answers the question.

And that's not a knock on Holy Cross, just an example. PL fan experiences are uniformly underwhelming, starting squarely at #7 below.

Best PL Game-Day Environments:

1. Lehigh
2. Lafayette
3. Holy Cross
4. Fordham
5. Colgate
6. Bucknell
7. Georgetown

[crusader11]

I’d rather tailgate on a baseball field just steps away from the entrance to the stadium (Fitton) rather than a parking garage (Lafayette).

[LehighU11]

Eight non-Lafayette games at Goodman have surpassed 8,000 since 2010, with the top 5 all being held on Family Weekend:
1. 9,866 Georgetown 10/19/13 Family Weekend
2. 9,372 Fordham 10/25/14 Family Weekend & Homecoming
3. 9,291 Fordham 9/29/12 Family Weekend & Young Alumni Weekend
4. 9,255 Colgate 10/8/16 Family Weekend
5. 9,217 Holy Cross 11/5/11 Family Weekend
6. 8,998 UNH 9/28/13
7. 8,168 Villanova 9/11/10
8. 8,036 Colgate 11/10/12

Anything more than 7,000 will be a good crowd for this one. Beyond 7,400 would be surprising, as Family Weekend was last week. 2017 against HC drew 7,247 in November on...Family Weekend.

[Engineer86]

While LU has plenty of options for local opponents, their willingness or ability to schedule them comes into question. Also, when your home schedule for the last three years has been Labor Day weekend, another September game, and then the remaining games being late October and November, it leaves a lot to be desired. When they used to schedule a home game in early October it was usually Pacing break weekend.

I dropped my season tickets last year, they no longer have L-L to leverage that sale, and there is little on the schedule to warrant that dedication. Five or ten years ago, we used to travel regionally to go to their games against historical opponents. This year, I drove the five minutes to see Merrimack and Georgetown. I think Sterrett retired a few years ago and they are just letting him hang on.

[van]

While LU has plenty of options for local opponents, their willingness or ability to schedule them comes into question. Also, when your home schedule for the last three years has been Labor Day weekend, another September game, and then the remaining games being late October and November, it leaves a lot to be desired. When they used to schedule a home game in early October it was usually Pacing break weekend.

I dropped my season tickets last year, they no longer have L-L to leverage that sale, and there is little on the schedule to warrant that dedication. Five or ten years ago, we used to travel regionally to go to their games against historical opponents. This year, I drove the five minutes to see Merrimack and Georgetown. I think Sterrett retired a few years ago and they are just letting him hang on.
regional historical opponents are becoming extinct, Delaware will not do home and home, leaves Penn and Princeton which we have to share with PFL and other PL schools, scheduling Muhlenburg, Gettysburg and Rutgers have obvious issues, sad state of affairs

[RichH2]

regional historical opponents are becoming extinct, Delaware will not do home and home, leaves Penn and Princeton which we have to share with PFL and other PL schools, scheduling Muhlenburg, Gettysburg and Rutgers have obvious issues, sad state of affairs

Ahh ,the good old days.It would be great to create some local rivalries ( easy driving distance).As ngineer points out most of that crowd has moved on in various ways. Hated Tubby almost as much as Penn. Playing UD was fun tho. The Herb Ruby Gettysburg teams and always Rutgers. The years of the ECC and the Middle Five.
Different landscape today.I am fond of the PL and our newer rivalries with Fordham and Gate. Not sure what the future holds but I look forward to watching it unfold.
A W today would be a good start. :)

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Georgetown 30 Colgate 20
Lehigh 34 Holy Cross 27
Fordham 30 Lafayette 24

[Sader87]

Georgetown 30 Colgate 20
Lehigh 34 Holy Cross 27
Fordham 30 Lafayette 24

Just don't see Lehigh scoring 30+ today...save for multiple HC miscues on O, special teams.

HC 27-17

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh gives up another huge play that sets up a HC TD. Lehigh is weak up the middle. Fordham gashed them.

[RichH2]

Our bane all year. Yet another big play given up with HC in a deep hole. Damn. A bad start.

[crusader11]

Lehigh thoroughly unimpressive. Defense looks like they are playing in quicksand.

[Sader87]

Lehigh thoroughly unimpressive. Defense looks like they are playing in quicksand.

Let's play nice.... :)

[Sader87]

Told ya'....jinxed us

[Leopard Loyalist]

Lafayette 17 Fordham 0. Still first quarter.

[RichH2]

Lehigh needed to play its best game today. It isnt. Big plays, penalties ,dropped passes, missed tackles. We need to settle down.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh with a much needed TD drive.

[RichH2]

A great drive. Much needed. Now to step up on D. No pressure yet on QB.

[CHIP72]

OT: I can guarantee you one thing - no PL game today is going to be as high scoring, at least in the 1st half, as the D2 East Stroudsburg/Shepherd game I’m attending today. Both teams scored 75 yard touchdowns on their first offensive plays of the game, and Shepherd leads 55-21 at halftime.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sader87]

HC 17-7 H

[The Boogie Down]

TD, Lafayette. Leopards now up 24-7.

Fordham needs to fire Conlin now. Don't even let him through the tunnel for halftime. Team looks completely clueless, unprepared and soft. Garrett, who often gets ripped here, is clearly in a different class.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh can move the ball through the air if Monaco has time. The DL is still undersized and weak. HC game plan is similar to Fordham's.

Lehigh's opening possession of the second half is big. Need to at least gain field position.

[RichH2]

Cross outplayed Lehigh by a big margin in the 1st half. Appears LU came in overamped with the yips. Pressing to make plays and instead making mistakes. Settled down a bit in the 2nd quarter. Need to show up much better in the 2nd. 3rd quarters have not been a Lehigh strong suit thisvyear.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Worst case scenario for Lehigh. Hill gets hurt and fumbles the ball on the first play from scrimmage of the 2nd half. HC ball at LU 33.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

HC TD. That should do it...

[crusader11]

HC 24-7.

Lehigh isn’t very good.

[The Boogie Down]

HC 24-7.

Lehigh isn’t very good.

They're okay but lots of smoke and mirrors in those first three wins. Each one of them coulda gone differently. It all might be catching up with them today but they still have some wins left in them later this season.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh not dead yet after a HC int...

Crusaders 24-14 9:02 3Q

- - - Updated - - -


HC 24-7.

Lehigh isn’t very good.

Neither one of these teams is very good. HC a little better in the trenches.

[Sader87]

it's nevah easy for HC.....Cru11 will learn that with time :)

[crusader11]

Despite the score, HC has 133 more total yards and looks decidedly better.

Looking like Lafayette may not be the pushover we thought it would be next weekend.

[crusader11]

All that said, HC is really only a slightly above average FCS team.

I really like our defense and think we have good skilled players on offense. If we had a good quarterback, I think this is a top 25 team. Could have beaten either Yale or Harvard. Degenhardt has many limitations.

[The Boogie Down]

Despite the score, HC has 133 more total yards and looks decidedly better.

Looking like Lafayette may not be the pushover we thought it would be next weekend.

Lafayette is clearly less talented, less athletic and less physical than both Georgetown & Lehigh. Fordham is simply letting another one slip away.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh FG

HC 24-17 6:41 4Q

[Sader87]

Early congrats to LU Engineers on winning the 2019 PL....we're done.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Lehigh ball 2:48 left

Just another compelling PL pillow fight!

[The Boogie Down]

Lehigh ball 2:48 left

Just another compelling PL pillow fight!

I'm watching my own pillow fight... What happened to the yuge HC lead and what's the score now?

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Monaco throw into triple coverage and its picked on 1st and 10 from the HC 30

Crusaders will win. Good game between two middling teams.

[RichH2]

Frustrating game. We played poorly for much of the game and came so close. Outplayed early which turned out to be the difference.

[IslandPard]

Lafayette is clearly less talented, less athletic and less physical than both Georgetown & Lehigh. Fordham is simply letting another one slip away.

Clearly less talented? How do you come to that conclusion? Maybe by the fact that we just beat you without our 3 best WRs? Or, maybe by the way our 3rd string TE ran 91 yards past your safety for a TD?

[The Boogie Down]

Clearly less talented? How do you come to that conclusion? Maybe by the fact that we just beat you without our 3 best WRs? Or, maybe by the way our 3rd string TE ran 91 yards past your safety for a TD?

I came to that conclusion by the fact that you've already lost to Georgetown and you will lose to Lehigh to close the season. I also said Fordham is letting another one slip away which is what they did. Other than that though, good first post.

[Sader87]

Just don't see Lehigh scoring 30+ today...save for multiple HC miscues on O, special teams.

HC 27-17

Just sayin'....a missed chippy FG from being spot on.

That being said, I was near certain we would give that game away in vintage HC fashion this Century....

[crusader11]

Great read, ‘sadah.

The next three games for HC will be anything but easy.

[Sader87]

Great read, ‘sadah.

The next three games for HC will be anything but easy.

Now you're learning my young fellow alumnus :)

[ngineer]

Just sayin'....a missed chippy FG from being spot on.

That being said, I was near certain we would give that game away in vintage HC fashion this Century....

Congrats to the 'saders. They were the more deserving team today. At the half, I told the guy next to me that I thought we'd get back in the game and could still pull it out, but we weren't necessarily earning it.

I really didn't see much difference between the two teams in terms of talent. HC made less critical mistakes. We didn't seem ready the first 20 minutes. I think I posted on the LU forum that the key for us was not having any major 'breakdowns' that turned into big gainers for Crusaders, and that is basically what killed us. HC RB is really fine. Reminds me our Jerome Pugh about 15 years ago. I was blaming our D for a lot of poor tackling, but in retrospect, a lot of those misses were due to his quality spin moves. He'd be an FBS back with more size. Monaco, overall, had a decent game when he had time, but that last INT was forced when it didn't have to be. We still had plenty of time. No reason to throw into triple coverage. Not enough pressure on HC QB. He didn't seem that accurate even with all the time he had. I hope Hill is okay. I was watching with my field glasses and he was 'out' before he hit the ground. I am sure he had a bad concussion. Question is whether he'll be cleared for next week. He provides a dimension that Allen and Hope do not have. The turnover was the killer. Crusaders have certainly showed themselves to be the best team, right now, but they can be beaten in any of their remaining games. Distinct possibility of co-champs this year.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Not really disappointed in the Lehigh loss. I thought going in it was be a pretty evenly contested game and whoever could overcome their warts would win. HC and Chesney deployed a similar attack that Fordham used with their two talented backs. Lehigh's DL is undersized and 2-ply soft. It's been a serious issue for the last several years. Until it's fixed the defense and team can only go so far. When team A runs for 266 and team B for 37 the odds are team A wins. Overall, HC won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball which was the difference.

Going in I figured Lehigh would have to sling it to win it and they nearly pulled it off. The receivers and Monaco were excellent in the short to intermediate passing game. Almost unstoppable. However, Monaco chucked a few deep without much regard or chance to be completed. The INT to end the game was brutal. You can't heave it into triple coverage on 1st down with a minute left and holding all the momentum. Monaco's lack of mobility is also hurting the offense. I wish they had a few plays for Shoup ala Lum and Colvin. He had a chance to literally walk for 10-15 yard late in the 4th and opted to chuck it into the endzone. The OL did "OK" but it ok wasn't good enough today. Still too many runs that go no where. Monaco also took a few too many hits. The first play of the second half sucked with Hill getting hurt then fumbling. Just a huge sequence in the game. Hill was having a solid game prior to that.

It was a fun, compelling game to watch but the quality of play was meh at best. The PL overall must get better. Holy Cross is going to have its work cutout going 3-0 to finish the year. As is Lehigh. There still might be a curveball or two....

[carney2]

I only saw the first half of the Fordham @ Lafayette game, and the Pards suddenly looked like a real football team. Garrett could apparently do no wrong. On a 3rd and one in the red zone he lined up with 4 tight ends. It worked, and to up the tempo he made no substitutions and went 4 wide with - you guessed it - 4 tight ends. You not only never saw it before, you never heard if it.

Then, leading 24-7, he supposedly opened the second half in some version of a prevent defense. Can't wait for tomorrow's replay to see if this is true. Oh yeah, Fordham won the second half 27-14. I probably don't have to watch. That's about what you'd expect if a team plays prevent with 30 minutes to go. Still, an improvement over the 30 minute prevent offense Tavani ran against Penn a few years ago.

It ain't easy being a Pard.

[ngineer]

Not really disappointed in the Lehigh loss. I thought going in it was be a pretty evenly contested game and whoever could overcome their warts would win. HC and Chesney deployed a similar attack that Fordham used with their two talented backs. Lehigh's DL is undersized and 2-ply soft. It's been a serious issue for the last several years. Until it's fixed the defense and team can only go so far. When team A runs for 266 and team B for 37 the odds are team A wins. Overall, HC won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball which was the difference.

Going in I figured Lehigh would have to sling it to win it and they nearly pulled it off. The receivers and Monaco were excellent in the short to intermediate passing game. Almost unstoppable. However, Monaco chucked a few deep without much regard or chance to be completed. The INT to end the game was brutal. You can't heave it into triple coverage on 1st down with a minute left and holding all the momentum. Monaco's lack of mobility is also hurting the offense. I wish they had a few plays for Shoup ala Lum and Colvin. He had a chance to literally walk for 10-15 yard late in the 4th and opted to chuck it into the endzone. The OL did "OK" but it ok wasn't good enough today. Still too many runs that go no where. Monaco also took a few too many hits. The first play of the second half sucked with Hill getting hurt then fumbling. Just a huge sequence in the game. Hill was having a solid game prior to that.

It was a fun, compelling game to watch but the quality of play was meh at best. The PL overall must get better. Holy Cross is going to have its work cutout going 3-0 to finish the year. As is Lehigh. There still might be a curveball or two....

Yes! I couldn't believe he didn't take off. I figured he'd get inside the 20 at least. Perhaps his bum knee hurt two weeks ago (he's wearing a brace) caused him to forego that option, but then, as you say, why not have Shoup come in for some change of pass with a QB run option?

[Southsider]

HC came out stoked and ready to make things happen. Despite the score the game was not that close. Owl summed it up best. The LU lines just are not very good. That needs to be the top priority immediately!

[Fordham]

Congrats HC and Pards. All we can do now is play spoiler. Devastating loss. Conlin has clearly upgraded the talent and almost all of it comes back and many of them for several years. We also fight down to the last play and have made nearly every game one in doubt with a minute left to play. Still, the combination of slow starts, lack of discipline and questionable play calling have turned this from a potentially magical season into a frustrating one.

[The Boogie Down]

Congrats HC and Pards. All we can do now is play spoiler. Devastating loss. Conlin has clearly upgraded the talent and almost all of it comes back and many of them for several years. We also fight down to the last play and have made nearly every game one in doubt with a minute left to play. Still, the combination of slow starts, lack of discipline and questionable play calling have turned this from a potentially magical season into a frustrating one.

Conlin has clearly upgraded the talent, yes. Pretty much all of it comes back, yes. But only his horrific coaching has us in this spoiler role now. Only his horrific coaching has us fighting for our lives during the last few plays of the past three games to begin with.

* Zach Davis is 1st in the league in terms of rushing yards.
* Tim DeMorat is 2nd in the league in terms of passing yards and 1st in TD passes.
* Ryan Greenhagen is tied for 1st in total tackles and 1st for tackles for a loss.
* Glenn Cunningham is 2nd in tackles for a loss.
* Ellis Taylor is 2nd in sacks.
* Andrew Mevis is 1st in FG% and (showing he isn't just nailing cheapies) is also 1st in made FG's of 40+ yards.
* Andrew Mevis is also 1st in kickoff touchbacks (more than every other PL kicker, combined!) and in the middle of a very talented pack in terms of punting average.
* Fotis Kokosioulis is 1st in kickoff return average while Naim Mayfield is 2nd in punt return average.

And yet, with all these weapons covering different facets of the game, there we are, fighting for our lives every week against inferior talent. Garrett, killed on this board for years, coached circles around Conlin yesterday. From going hurry up after connecting on bombs against our gassed secondary (now there is a position where we have ZERO talent), to trying out crazy sets like the 4 tight ends mentioned above, to throwing deep on 3rd-&-short (right after Zach Davis had been stopped cold on both 3rd-&-short and 4th-&-short) and connecting for a first down, to simply mixing passes and runs, there was no question who the better coach was yesterday.

Not that this was the first time Conlin has been out-coached. Despite the many weapons, Conlin proves he has no feel for the game. No idea when to push the Davis button and when to go somewhere else. When to let DeMorat find his rhythm and when to go ground-n-pound because his sieve of an offensive line is making him see ghosts. Conlin doesn't even know when to ice a kicker. Completely clueless as a field general and even worse when it comes to preparing the troops. In 8 out of 9 games the other team has scored first. In 7 out of 9 the other team jumped up by at least two scores at some point in the first half.

Conlin gets credit for second half adjustments but again, with the team's talent, they shouldn't be that unprepared to begin with. They also shouldn't be dead last when it comes to penalties per game. That lack of discipline speaks directly to lapse coaching. Speaking of direct links, Conlin is personally in charge of the offensive line yet that group is second to last when it comes to sacks allowed. Even with DeMorat's escapability, even with his many targets (four different Fordham receivers have at least 300 yards catching this season), even with their running game which aside from Davis also includes Rutgers transfer Trey Sneed (368 yards, 4.3 per) the OL that Conlin directs himself is still constantly giving up sacks or jumping offsides. Constantly making it tougher for his skills guys to show their skills. Even so, Fordham is 1st or 2nd in just about every offensive category so imagine if Conlin could actually put together a line.

The defense, particularly the gawd-awful secondary, is a different story. Fordham is 2nd to last against the pass (by a whole hechuva lot) and 3rd to last (but more towards the middle of the pack) against the run. It all adds up to 2nd to last overall. Still, through the mess there are signs here and there... Fordham is 2nd in collecting sacks, 3rd in limiting first downs, 3rd in creating turnovers and 2nd in the red zone as well. Overall it's a whole lotta bending but not enough breaking to lose all these games. Especially not with this offense's ability to score and to do so in different ways.

Combing everything, including the top-notch special teams led by Mevis, I'd argue that from top-to-bottom Fordham has the most impressive collection of talent in the league. Still not close to what Dave Clawson and Joe Moorhead had but more than what Tom Masella had to work with when he won a PL crown. I'd also argue that from top-to-bottom, PL competition has never been this weak. And despite all that, Conlin is one spectacular Kokosioulis catch away from being 0-3 in the PL. Completely unacceptable when it comes to the talent on this roster and the competition its been facing.

Joe Must Go!

[crusader11]

Your OC, Decker, would be a better head coach.

[Fordham]

@theboogiedown - I'm frustrated as well but nowhere near ready to throw in the towel on Conlin. You're spot on with the penalties/discipline and also with the play calling. That said, the stats do show that after being left with a bare cupboard (and worse, morale wise) from Breiner, he has overhauled the roster and we are now much more talented than we were the last two seasons. Take a look at all of the freshmen and sophs playing and if he can keep recruiting like this I do think we'll be as talented a squad as we have been in a while; more akin to the balanced Clawson squads than the O-heavy Moorhead ones. Fwiw, I actually put the OL as one of the bright spots despite the awful offsides penalties that are his responsibility. The OL is dramatically improved over last year and we have played alot of freshmen on it as well. It's the D overall that I really thought was going to be one of the best in the league, if not FCS, that has disappointed me this year. We have 2 AA-caliber LB's and a much improved DL. The DB's have been crushed by injuries and I agree they're a huge weak spot right now; again, with a bunch of freshmen playing. Still, I expected much better from them this year and to not be able to keep Lafayette from getting that last TD was just brutal

The slow starts and lack of discipline have been brutal but the squad is definitely upgraded in talent and we are finding a way to be in it right up until the last minute in almost every game. Against Richmond and Gtown we closed it out and won. Against CCSU, Lehigh and now Lafayette, we didn't. Again, frustrating but more so indicative of a young team and young coaching staff who is still trying to figure things out. I see enough upgrades in other places that I'm willing (and excited) to see it play out further. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

[ngineer]

HC came out stoked and ready to make things happen. Despite the score the game was not that close. Owl summed it up best. The LU lines just are not very good. That needs to be the top priority immediately!
Have to disagree. take away the 90 yard run, (avoiding the 'big play' was going to be the key) the yardage was quite close. I never felt we were out of it because the mistakes leading to Cross scores were not due t being physically out played. They executed better than we did overall. We weren't getting manhandled (like we were last year). When Hill got knocked out and fumbled the ball that lead to the winning touchdown, last year's team would have folded like a cheap suit and lost by a similar blow out score. Instead, the D started holding and we scored 10 points to put us in position to tie the game in the last 30 seconds. Just didn't execute. But I did not see two mismatched squads.

[ngineer]

"...with the team's talent, they shouldn't be that unprepared to begin with. They also shouldn't be dead last when it comes to penalties per game. That lack of discipline speaks directly to lapse coaching.."

This speaks to what makes a great "team". Super talent in certain areas is not enough (usually). Sometimes a team can be so loaded that they can overcome their 'immature mistakes" or "lack of discipline", but the PL schools typically do not live with such luxury. Rams are more than capable, talent-wise, of beating Holy Cross based on having seen both teams, now. But the 'saders have a better "team" right now.

I taped the Laughyette game and watched last night. 'pards really scorched the Ram's secondary, and they were missing some starters from the receiving corps. Receivers were wide open due to obvious blown coverages. And any good QB should be able to get the ball there. I agree that Garrett seemed to be less aggressive in the second half on D, which allowed Rams to catch up. Gotta give them credit for no head hanging after Rams took lead late. They came right back. Leotards seems to have gotten stronger as the season has gone on and #155 is looking like a good game.

[The Boogie Down]

@Fordham - Except for a hint (just a hint-lol) of sandbagging during the Moorhead years, when you’d talk up the competition despite Fordham's dominance, you've always come off as a straight shooter. Your 2 cents is always appreciated. Including this last post where you've reminded me of the program's morale upon Conlin’s arrival. That got me thinking of how a parent once told me that had Breiner not left, his son and others would have. It also got me thinking of how at times (like the 2017 Army game) it looked as if the entire team had let go of the rope.

So yes, I shoulda given Conlin cred for changing the culture. That can’t be minimized. At the same time though, have you ever heard of an overly conservative play-caller suddenly turn creative? Have you ever heard of a coach that was horrible at clock management (despite initially having way more than enough time to score, we had things tick-tick-tock away on us at the half against Lehigh, just like everyone stood around as the clock ran out on us last year at Holy Cross) suddenly get good at clock management? Also, while yes, the OL is clearly better than it was last year, there are some gigantic weaknesses there. How does he justify playing those weak links (I’m talking about the 2 freshmen) while proven talent, like Trautman and Marinelli, keeps the bench warm.

As for the cupboard being bare, well I can’t quite agree with that. None of the guys mentioned earlier had developed yet, and Conlin gets cred for that development, but almost all were Breiner recruits. As bad as Breiner was, as hated as he apparently was by his own players (staff too from what I've heard), he could call a game and could recruit. Minus a few transfers, like Kokosioulis, he’s responsible for the entire junior and sophomore classes.

And that’s another reason why I think Conlin needs to go now.

If this junior-heavy team (including Davis; El-Zayat; Zakelj; the ENTIRE defensive line as well as their top 2 backups; Cunningham; Mevis and some others too) doesn’t win next year, we’re right back to rebuilding in 2021. Do I think this group will win a league title next year? No, not with Conlin leading them. Sooo, I’d rather have this win-now talent in the hands of an experienced win-now coach.

@crusader11 - Decker does really look like a rising star but after Breiner/Conlin I’d prefer someone with more experience.

@ngineer - Just from what you've seen... Would you agree that Lehigh out-coached Fordham? Would you agree that Lafayette out-coached Fordham? Would you agree that Holy Cross seems to be (as you say) a better coached "team" than the collection of Breiner-recruited talent Conlin is leading?

[RichH2]

Have to disagree. take away the 90 yard run, (avoiding the 'big play' was going to be the key) the yardage was quite close. I never felt we were out of it because the mistakes leading to Cross scores were not due t being physically out played. They executed better than we did overall. We weren't getting manhandled (like we were last year). When Hill got knocked out and fumbled the ball that lead to the winning touchdown, last year's team would have folded like a cheap suit and lost by a similar blow out score. Instead, the D started holding and we scored 10 points to put us in position to tie the game in the last 30 seconds. Just didn't execute. But I did not see two mismatched squads.

Agreed. True we spent 2 quarters in LaLa land. Down 24-7. Even then I did not see us being dominated so much as our own mistakes enabling Cross talent. Take out those 2 plays, each resulting in a TD and you have a better perspective. LU had its big plays but credit Cross D we could not get out of the 14-0 hole. Bottom line Holy Cross is a year ahead of us in rebuilding. Rather sobering tho to see Hero Sports current review of PL recruiting. Chesney has already brought in a superb class already.

[Southsider]

Have to disagree. take away the 90 yard run, (avoiding the 'big play' was going to be the key) the yardage was quite close. I never felt we were out of it because the mistakes leading to Cross scores were not due t being physically out played. They executed better than we did overall. We weren't getting manhandled (like we were last year). When Hill got knocked out and fumbled the ball that lead to the winning touchdown, last year's team would have folded like a cheap suit and lost by a similar blow out score. Instead, the D started holding and we scored 10 points to put us in position to tie the game in the last 30 seconds. Just didn't execute. But I did not see two mismatched squads.

Fair points Ngineer. Bottom line is that both lines must be fixed or the uphill battles will continue. At this point I’ll be happy to beat LC and watch someone else in the PL get hammered/embarrassed in the playoffs. This team needs to grow a bit more. But, stranger things have happened!

[ngineer]

@Fordham - Except for a hint (just a hint-lol) of sandbagging during the Moorhead years, when you’d talk up the competition despite Fordham's dominance, you've always come off as a straight shooter. Your 2 cents is always appreciated. Including this last post where you've reminded me of the program's morale upon Conlin’s arrival. That got me thinking of how a parent once told me that had Breiner not left, his son and others would have. It also got me thinking of how at times (like the 2017 Army game) it looked as if the entire team had let go of the rope.

So yes, I shoulda given Conlin cred for changing the culture. That can’t be minimized. At the same time though, have you ever heard of an overly conservative play-caller suddenly turn creative? Have you ever heard of a coach that was horrible at clock management (despite initially having way more than enough time to score, we had things tick-tick-tock away on us at the half against Lehigh, just like everyone stood around as the clock ran out on us last year at Holy Cross) suddenly get good at clock management? Also, while yes, the OL is clearly better than it was last year, there are some gigantic weaknesses there. How does he justify playing those weak links (I’m talking about the 2 freshmen) while proven talent, like Trautman and Marinelli, keeps the bench warm.

As for the cupboard being bare, well I can’t quite agree with that. None of the guys mentioned earlier had developed yet, and Conlin gets cred for that development, but almost all were Breiner recruits. As bad as Breiner was, as hated as he apparently was by his own players (staff too from what I've heard), he could call a game and could recruit. Minus a few transfers, like Kokosioulis, he’s responsible for the entire junior and sophomore classes.

And that’s another reason why I think Conlin needs to go now.

If this junior-heavy team (including Davis; El-Zayat; Zakelj; the ENTIRE defensive line as well as their top 2 backups; Cunningham; Mevis and some others too) doesn’t win next year, we’re right back to rebuilding in 2021. Do I think this group will win a league title next year? No, not with Conlin leading them. Sooo, I’d rather have this win-now talent in the hands of an experienced win-now coach.

@crusader11 - Decker does really look like a rising star but after Breiner/Conlin I’d prefer someone with more experience.

@ngineer - Just from what you've seen... Would you agree that Lehigh out-coached Fordham? Would you agree that Lafayette out-coached Fordham? Would you agree that Holy Cross seems to be (as you say) a better coached "team" than the collection of Breiner-recruited talent Conlin is leading?


No disagreement on that. Part of coaching is instilling discipline on stupid penalties, i.e. keeping one's emotions in check as opposed to blowing steam because of some 'personal' thing for the good of the team. Sometimes kids don't listen/or take to heart the coaching. If that happens, then the quality of the recruit comes into question, i.e. "is he coachable"? A very frustrating situation. I recall a few years ago when Lehigh killed itself with some late hit penalties/unnecessary roughness calls and frequently on key plays that would have changed possession or stopped a score.

[ngineer]

Fair points Ngineer. Bottom line is that both lines must be fixed or the uphill battles will continue. At this point I’ll be happy to beat LC and watch someone else in the PL get hammered/embarrassed in the playoffs. This team needs to grow a bit more. But, stranger things have happened!

Absolutely. The game is won in the trenches. Can't succeed at any other aspect of the game if you are not winning that battle. #155 is gearing up as being a competitive contest, plus PL championship implications possible also add to the atmosphere.

[The Boogie Down]

No disagreement on that. Part of coaching is instilling discipline on stupid penalties, i.e. keeping one's emotions in check as opposed to blowing steam because of some 'personal' thing for the good of the team. Sometimes kids don't listen/or take to heart the coaching. If that happens, then the quality of the recruit comes into question, i.e. "is he coachable"? A very frustrating situation. I recall a few years ago when Lehigh killed itself with some late hit penalties/unnecessary roughness calls and frequently on key plays that would have changed possession or stopped a score.

I've said my piece and onto this week's game but I should add that in Fordham's case we're not talking about unnecessary roughness (well, not counting that one roughing the kicker call to end the Lehigh game-lol) penalties or "uncoachable" kids.

Instead, I mean the indiscipline of constantly-constantly-constantly jumping offsides. Of turning 3rd and 2 into 3rd and 7. Then 3rd and 12 after it happens again. Then 4th and 19 when, after putting us in a clear passing situation, the OL forgets to block. Next thing you know DeMorat is shaking off the cobwebs, Davis is yelling at one of the big uglies up front and Conlin is giving that deer in the headlights look while sending in the punt team. But, to be clear, we're the most penalized PL team by penalties, not by yards. It's not that our kids are taking 10/15 yarders or playing dirty. It's just the same stupid 5 yarders, over, and over, and over again.

[Sader87]

Hunter Helms (QB) has decomitted to HC....bunmmah but somewhat expected given the recruiting pool we've been swimming in lately.

[RichH2]

Absolutely. The game is won in the trenches. Can't succeed at any other aspect of the game if you are not winning that battle. #155 is gearing up as being a competitive contest, plus PL championship implications possible also add to the atmosphere.
Rewatched game. OL definitely in need of upgrade. After a month together, it is what it is.
Disagree on DL. OL are doubling our tackles on runs. LBs are left free. Inconsistent gap play behind DL and to the outside is the main culprit. Credit with Cozier running thru tackles but Lehigh had way to many arm tackles the he could run out of.

[IslandPard]

I came to that conclusion by the fact that you've already lost to Georgetown and you will lose to Lehigh to close the season. I also said Fordham is letting another one slip away which is what they did. Other than that though, good first post.

🤭👂🏽👂🏽👂🏽👂🏽