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January 4th, 2008, 01:53 AM
The CSN Way: Whew, 2007
Charles Burton, CSN Columnist
The 2007 season began -- and ended -- with historic achievements. Conference by conference, here’s a look back at the “year that was” in FCS football. The champions, the games of the year, the highest moments, the biggest disappointments, the best players and the unsung heroes, the "what if's" and the peeks forward. Whew, 2007!
Patriot League
Champions: Fordham Rams
Game Of The Year: November 3rd, Fordham 24, Holy Cross 21.
Linebacker James Crockett was the hero in this one, recovering a muffed punt in the end zone for a touchdown and nabbing the game-sealing interception with under a minute to go. It capped off an improbable run at the title; in the preseason, the Rams were picked to finish sixth of seven teams.
Highest Moment: Patriot League vs. Harvard.
The games against the Ivy League mean a lot to Patriot League fans, and Lehigh and Holy Cross fans celebrated mightily after improbable last-second wins against the Crimson. Dominic Randolph completed a 40 yard bomb to wideout Thomas Harrison with 19 seconds remaining to grab a 31-28 win, while Lehigh’s “strip-and-scoop” from linebacker Tim Diamond and defensive lineman Paul Bode would give Lehigh a 20-13 win.
Biggest Disappointments: Lehigh And Lafayette.
The preseason picks to battle it out for the league title ended up limping instead to 5-6 and 7-4 records respectively. The Mountain Hawks lost five of their last seven games, while the Leopards lost three home games against 4-6 Princeton, Fordham and Colgate to doom their chances at the title. Lafayette's 21-17 win over Lehigh ended up being for bragging rights only for the first time in four years.
Player Of The Year: Holy Cross quarterback Dominic Randolph.
The pass-happy Holy Cross offense resulted in a banner year for Randolph with 3,604 yards passing and 34 touchdowns.
Unsung Players Of The Year: Name A Fordham Player.
How Fordham could only have three players on the Patriot League first team is beyond me. Name a player: quarterback John Skelton, safety Matt Loucks, wideout Asa Lucas – they’re all very good players that more than deserved their Patriot League title this year. They’re a solid team that is here to stay.
What If: Colgate had been more consistent?
It’s hard not to look at 7-4 Colgate and look at a bunch of games that seem like they could have been pulled out. What if they had rallied to beat Fordham (they lost 34-31)? What if they had gotten that extra touchdown to beat hated rival Cornell (they lost 17-14)? What if they had just held on to that seven point lead against Holy Cross (they lost 27-20)? Win one – just one – of those games and they’re playing Northern Iowa in round one of the playoffs.
A Peek Towards 2008:
It’s hard not to like Fordham to repeat as champions considering that their playmakers on offense and defense (Skelton and Crockett) return, while Holy Cross should continue to be a daunting opponent with Randolph in his senior year.
READ MORE... http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=89669
Charles Burton, CSN Columnist
The 2007 season began -- and ended -- with historic achievements. Conference by conference, here’s a look back at the “year that was” in FCS football. The champions, the games of the year, the highest moments, the biggest disappointments, the best players and the unsung heroes, the "what if's" and the peeks forward. Whew, 2007!
Patriot League
Champions: Fordham Rams
Game Of The Year: November 3rd, Fordham 24, Holy Cross 21.
Linebacker James Crockett was the hero in this one, recovering a muffed punt in the end zone for a touchdown and nabbing the game-sealing interception with under a minute to go. It capped off an improbable run at the title; in the preseason, the Rams were picked to finish sixth of seven teams.
Highest Moment: Patriot League vs. Harvard.
The games against the Ivy League mean a lot to Patriot League fans, and Lehigh and Holy Cross fans celebrated mightily after improbable last-second wins against the Crimson. Dominic Randolph completed a 40 yard bomb to wideout Thomas Harrison with 19 seconds remaining to grab a 31-28 win, while Lehigh’s “strip-and-scoop” from linebacker Tim Diamond and defensive lineman Paul Bode would give Lehigh a 20-13 win.
Biggest Disappointments: Lehigh And Lafayette.
The preseason picks to battle it out for the league title ended up limping instead to 5-6 and 7-4 records respectively. The Mountain Hawks lost five of their last seven games, while the Leopards lost three home games against 4-6 Princeton, Fordham and Colgate to doom their chances at the title. Lafayette's 21-17 win over Lehigh ended up being for bragging rights only for the first time in four years.
Player Of The Year: Holy Cross quarterback Dominic Randolph.
The pass-happy Holy Cross offense resulted in a banner year for Randolph with 3,604 yards passing and 34 touchdowns.
Unsung Players Of The Year: Name A Fordham Player.
How Fordham could only have three players on the Patriot League first team is beyond me. Name a player: quarterback John Skelton, safety Matt Loucks, wideout Asa Lucas – they’re all very good players that more than deserved their Patriot League title this year. They’re a solid team that is here to stay.
What If: Colgate had been more consistent?
It’s hard not to look at 7-4 Colgate and look at a bunch of games that seem like they could have been pulled out. What if they had rallied to beat Fordham (they lost 34-31)? What if they had gotten that extra touchdown to beat hated rival Cornell (they lost 17-14)? What if they had just held on to that seven point lead against Holy Cross (they lost 27-20)? Win one – just one – of those games and they’re playing Northern Iowa in round one of the playoffs.
A Peek Towards 2008:
It’s hard not to like Fordham to repeat as champions considering that their playmakers on offense and defense (Skelton and Crockett) return, while Holy Cross should continue to be a daunting opponent with Randolph in his senior year.
READ MORE... http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=89669