Yale/Holy Cross

[KAUMASS]

If I wasn't going to the BC/UMass game, I would have gone to the HC/Yale game. Great test for both teams and it should be an awesome game. I am keeping an early eye out for HC as they are on my radar screen. If HC beats Yale, I think HC contends for the Patriot title as long as they go 1-1 against Colgate and Lafayette later this season. I don't see HC losing any other games. HC played UMass tough, and I think they are better than most people think. No disrespect to Yale, they have another good team again this year, but I think HC by 7. Too early to predict, but the possibility of UMass/HC in the first round of the playoffs would not be a surprise to me.

Any thoughts from any Eli's or Crusader's or PL people out there?

Good luck to both Yale and HC this weekend.

[ngineer]

If I wasn't going to the BC/UMass game, I would have gone to the HC/Yale game. Great test for both teams and it should be an awesome game. I am keeping an early eye out for HC as they are on my radar screen. If HC beats Yale, I think HC contends for the Patriot title as long as they go 1-1 against Colgate and Lafayette later this season. I don't see HC losing any other games. HC played UMass tough, and I think they are better than most people think. No disrespect to Yale, they have another good team again this year, but I think HC by 7. Too early to predict, but the possibility of UMass/HC in the first round of the playoffs would not be a surprise to me.

Any thoughts from any Eli's or Crusader's or PL people out there?

Good luck to both Yale and HC this weekend.

One of the keys for HC will be the weather..Any significant rain games could 'ground' their air attack. Last year, Lehigh completely dominated the Crusaders in the rain. While on a dry sunny field, HC flew over Lafayette. The PL has become the 'Big Four' and I could forsee all sorts of logjam possibilities at the top.

[Zoo]

I think Holy Cross has a chance to beat Yale as long as their passing game remains effective.

[hc12]

If I wasn't going to the BC/UMass game, I would have gone to the HC/Yale game. Great test for both teams and it should be an awesome game. I am keeping an early eye out for HC as they are on my radar screen. If HC beats Yale, I think HC contends for the Patriot title as long as they go 1-1 against Colgate and Lafayette later this season. I don't see HC losing any other games. HC played UMass tough, and I think they are better than most people think. No disrespect to Yale, they have another good team again this year, but I think HC by 7. Too early to predict, but the possibility of UMass/HC in the first round of the playoffs would not be a surprise to me.

Any thoughts from any Eli's or Crusader's or PL people out there?

Good luck to both Yale and HC this weekend.
kaumas,the big question mark is going to be the dline for holy cross their best run stopper 75 is out for the year with a brocken leg and a back up starter in the rotation of the dline is hurt with ankle sprain,so run stopping will be interesting call , who they use and and what underclassmen has a chance to make an impact it might be a high scorring event go saders go patriot league.xthumbsupx

[Spoke]

hc12, how about splitting that up into more than one sentence? My head hurts!

[LehighFan11]

If I wasn't going to the BC/UMass game, I would have gone to the HC/Yale game. Great test for both teams and it should be an awesome game. I am keeping an early eye out for HC as they are on my radar screen. If HC beats Yale, I think HC contends for the Patriot title as long as they go 1-1 against Colgate and Lafayette later this season. I don't see HC losing any other games. HC played UMass tough, and I think they are better than most people think. No disrespect to Yale, they have another good team again this year, but I think HC by 7. Too early to predict, but the possibility of UMass/HC in the first round of the playoffs would not be a surprise to me.

Any thoughts from any Eli's or Crusader's or PL people out there?

Good luck to both Yale and HC this weekend.

did u forget lehigh plays in that conference and beat HC at HC last year?

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

did u forget lehigh plays in that conference and beat HC at HC last year?

Holy Cross is a good team but they need to show some balance before they can be a real threat. Eventually the gun slinging is going to catch up with them, just look at a team like UNH and they had more talent. If Holy Cross gets by Yale i'll be very impressed. I believe Yale is a legit Top 15 team and as i homer i'd have Lehigh as a slight underdog against the Eli. I believe the Hawks are just as good and slightly deeper (better) than the Crusaders. My guess the Crusaders finish 7-4 and are an improved team over last year but still a couple pieces away. I'll be very interested to see what happens this weekend.

[TheValleyRaider]

kaumas,the big question mark is going to be the dline for holy cross their best run stopper 75 is out for the year with a brocken leg and a back up starter in the rotation of the dline is hurt with ankle sprain,so run stopping will be interesting call , who they use and and what underclassmen has a chance to make an impact it might be a high scorring event go saders go patriot league.xthumbsupx

If your best run-stopper is out, and the backup is hurting as well, you might have some difficulty with McCleod. He's a solid back and if Yale can control the ball, keeping it out of Randolph's hands, HC is going to have a tough go of it.

[crusader11]

Why does the gun slinging passing game have to catch up to them? Harvard and UMASS are two of the better defenses in the FCS, and HC passed at will against them. In the second halves of both games, UMASS and Harvard knew that HC was going to pass the ball virtually every play since they were losing the game, and the Crusaders still marched up and down the field passing the ball.
Just look at Texas Tech and Hawaii, granted they are at a completely other level, but they pass basically every single offensive play, teams know they pass every play, yet the still put up 500+ yards every week. I don't by the "balance" that a team must have.

[KAUMASS]

did u forget lehigh plays in that conference and beat HC at HC last year?

Thanks for the input Lehigh Fan. I know Lehigh beat HC last year, but I am basing my opinion on this years UMass/HC game and that Colgate and Lafayette have been the stronger teams the last few years in the patriot league. I mean no disrespect to Lehigh.

[Spoke]

did u forget lehigh plays in that conference and beat HC at HC last year?

Yes, but that game was in an absolute monsoon. Anything can happen in a game like that. If you remember, 2 years ago a mediocre HC team beat #10 Lehigh, at Lehigh, in an equally insane rainstorm.

[Ivytalk]

If your best run-stopper is out, and the backup is hurting as well, you might have some difficulty with McCleod. He's a solid back and if Yale can control the ball, keeping it out of Randolph's hands, HC is going to have a tough go of it.

I agree, and that's why I'm picking Yale in this one. Yale is better than Harvard, and Yale has McLeod.xnodx

[LehighFan11]

Yes, but that game was in an absolute monsoon. Anything can happen in a game like that. If you remember, 2 years ago a mediocre HC team beat #10 Lehigh, at Lehigh, in an equally insane rainstorm.

trust me i remember i sat through it the whole game to watch lehigh get embrassed

[Spoke]

One thing that nobody has really touched upon is that Yale's first two games were against probably the worst two teams it will face all year (Cornell and Georgetown). Anybody else think that that overrates them just a little?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I don't think Cornell is as bad as advertised, though I probably rad further into Georgetown's "moral victory" in the Yale game a bit too much. Yale is simply one of the best teams in FCS, period. I think they'd give any team in the Top 25 a run for their money. I've been rating them in my Top 10 most of the year.

[LUHawker]

[QUOTE=crusader11;667653]Harvard and UMASS are two of the better defenses in the FCS, and HC passed at will against them. In the second halves of both games, UMASS and Harvard knew that HC was going to pass the ball virtually every play since they were losing the game, and the Crusaders still marched up and down the field passing the ball.
QUOTE]

Not for nothing but that UMass-HC game was over for a long time before HC staged its comeback. It doesn't negate the 2nd half performance by HC, but it does put it into perspective. HC has a real nice offense and it's nice to see some more interest from Sader Land as I always enjoyed the Lehigh-HC rivalry. In fact, I rate the 1991 Lehigh-HC game in Bethlehem as the best football game I've ever witnessed, and that is still with Lehigh having lost. However, I think Yale exposes some HC weaknesses this week.

[TheValleyRaider]

I don't think Cornell is as bad as advertised, though I probably rad further into Georgetown's "moral victory" in the Yale game a bit too much. Yale is simply one of the best teams in FCS, period. I think they'd give any team in the Top 25 a run for their money. I've been rating them in my Top 10 most of the year.

Mostly agree. I'm not sure Yale's Top 10, but I certainly think the Eli are a very good side, and a pick of Yale is more about how good I think they are than me saying HC isn't any good.

I'm also not sold on Cornell being that terrible. They're not a good team on the road, where they were beaten soundly by a good Yale team. To me, that says nothing except "expectations fulfilled."

I tend to think there's something going on with G'town this year that wasn't there before. The game with Yale was more than Eli "first game jitters", but the possibility that maybe the Hoyas have something going. Perhaps it's wishful thinking on my part that the Hoyas are finally showing real signs of life (and hopes that they pound Cornell xnodx), but who says that's wrong?

[crusader11]

[QUOTE Not for nothing but that UMass-HC game was over for a long time before HC staged its comeback. QUOTE]

HC had a chance to tie the game with 5 minutes left as they had the ball. I am not sure what you mean by the game was long over. It was 37-30 with 6 minutes left and HC had the ball on their 20.

[bulldog10jw]

Lines on this weeks games involving Ivy teams:

Holy Cross -2 vs. Yale
Penn -3 vs. Dartmouth
Brown -5 1/2 vs. URI
Lehigh -6 1/2 vs. Harvard
Cornell -9 1/2 vs. Geogetown
Princeton -16 vs. Columbia

[hc12]

If your best run-stopper is out, and the backup is hurting as well, you might have some difficulty with McCleod. He's a solid back and if Yale can control the ball, keeping it out of Randolph's hands, HC is going to have a tough go of it.

vraider the way gilmore and d-coordinater rodgers make adjustments and bring schemes together they will be ready to stop the run.The question is if yale can not run,will their offense be able to throw the ball with effciency.xsmiley_wix

[LUHawker]

[QUOTE Not for nothing but that UMass-HC game was over for a long time before HC staged its comeback. QUOTE]

HC had a chance to tie the game with 5 minutes left as they had the ball. I am not sure what you mean by the game was long over. It was 37-30 with 6 minutes left and HC had the ball on their 20.

I was referring to the score of something like 37-9 midway through. My point was that I think UMass took the rest of the afternoon off after being up by such a large margin.

[CrusaderBob]

Holy Cross is a good team but they need to show some balance before they can be a real threat.

OK so let's look at Holy Cross' rushing totals in their 3 games:

UMass - 43 net yards Rushing - not so good but against the #2 team in the country down 30 early you don't expect much running of the ball.

Harvard - 153 net yards against a team in which Defense is supposedly a team strength

Georgetown - 312 - OK so Georgetown might be awful, but how often do you see a 300 yard team rushing game.

Looks to me like they can at least run enough to keep opposing defenses more than a little honest and may be more balanced than you think.

[Spoke]

One offensive series each, both result in punts. Randolph has an eternity to pass the ball...and Yale just intercepts on the HC 20.

[CrusaderBob]

Of course I said nothing about offensive and defensive balance.

400+ rush yards given up! Ugggh! xoopsx

[breezy]

Poor performance by Holy Cross today as they were beaten convincingly by Yale. Yale was able to control the scrimmage line on both offense and defense. Yale was more physical and quicker. Congrats to the Bulldog.

[hc12]

can not stop the run ,can not run the ball,turnovers in the passing game=a lost!No adjustments in the second half, on both side of the ball.Hats off to yale they were the better team today.We will see how hc regroups,must find a run stopper.

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

OK so let's look at Holy Cross' rushing totals in their 3 games:

UMass - 43 net yards Rushing - not so good but against the #2 team in the country down 30 early you don't expect much running of the ball.

Harvard - 153 net yards against a team in which Defense is supposedly a team strength

Georgetown - 312 - OK so Georgetown might be awful, but how often do you see a 300 yard team rushing game.

Looks to me like they can at least run enough to keep opposing defenses more than a little honest and may be more balanced than you think.


I rest my case. You must be able to run the football and stop the run to be successful football. Holy Cross is solid but they're still a year or two away from having the complete package unless they think the fun and gun is the way to go.