Football post season situation (again), and Albany football scouting report
First: The post season situation ....
Hawks need to win and hope for a Stony Brook loss to Central Connecticut to host the inaugural Gridiron Classic Bowl Game, that pits the winners of the NEC and Pioneer Football League against each other, will be held on Dec. 2 with the 2006 game being held at the NEC member’s home site. The game was originally set to be played on Nov. 18, but that date was changed in case a team from one the two leagues earns a bid to the 2006 I-AA playoffs.
Also..there would be the very, very outside shot of a 1-AA playoff at large berth for MU.
Now, more notes from Monmouth U football SID Greg (I'm a rejuvenated Eagles fan, especially now that Giants are falling like flies) Viscomi - and my comments:
Offense: The Great Danes will run the ball first and ask questions later. They are second
in the Northeast Conference, averaging 177.9 rushing yards per game, led by tailback
Marcus Allen’s (no relation to the former Los Angeles Raider) 650 yards and three touchdowns. They run the ball 68% of the time and like to spread the carries through the backfield; six players have run for over 100 yards on the season and 14 different Great Danes have carried the ball this season. Conversely, they are last in the NEC in passing offense and 112th out of 116 teams in Division I-AA football, averaging 105.3 yards per game.
My comments: MU has been outstanding vs. the run though more vs. one guy than a group. Albany won last week without scoring an offensive touchdown. I can't see them doing much against the MU defense.
Defense: If there’s one thing the Great Danes from the Empire State know, it’s defense. Albany ranks second in the Northeast Conference and third in the nation in total defense, surrendering a mere 230 yards per game, including an NEC-leading 85.6 yards rushing. They are first in the NEC and fifth nationally in scoring defense allowing 12.4 points per game. They are right ahead of Monmouth, second in the NEC and sixth nationally, who allow 12.5 points per game. They are first or second in the NEC in almost every major defensive category, including passing yards allowed (second), sacks (second) and third down conversion defense, allowing opponents to convert 30.7% of their third downs. They are led by reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year Colin Disch.
My comments: MU will score on Albany..if it doesn't turn the ball over. But not much. Maybe two TD and a field goal, and that's probably the max .
Special Teams: The Great Danes sport the Northeast Conference’s most accurate kicker in Jason Fralicker, who is 13-18 on field goals and a perfect 25-25 on extra points this season. Of his 13 field goals, six have been from 40 plus yards, with his season long of 54 yards coming in Albany’s 17-10 upset win over Delaware. Albany sports the conference’s leading kickoff returner in Mike Wall, who is averaging 26.1 yards per return
and has one return for a score this year.
My comments: an area of concern for MU. MU No. 3 kicker Mike Pizzulli will do a decent job as will frosh punter Andrew Mandeville, but MU kicking game now about adequate rather than above average. Last three MU-Albany games have been won by MU..on field goals.
This could be key: Monmouth’s offensive line, comprised of four seniors and a junior, gave up no sacks against Saint Francis last Saturday. That marked the third game this season in which the line had not given up a sack. The unit will be tested against Albany’s high-powered defense, which recorded 10 sacks last week against Robert Morris. The MU offense has given up 13 sacks this season, which is fourth in the NEC, while Albany’s 28 sacks is second behind RMU (29).
Intresting facts:
DAVE SINISI LEADS THE COUNTRY IN... Consecutive games with a touchdown. The explosive running back has scored in 10 straight games, the longest streak in all of Division I-AA. He is one of two players to score in every game this season, with Harvard’s Clifton Dawson scoring in all nine of his squad’s contests.
• The Blue & White is one of five teams in I-AA to have nine wins on the season and is the only team to record all of it’s wins against I-AA opponents. • Monmouth is 9-0 when leading or tied going into halftime this season. MU’s only loss came against Stony Brook, who led 29-0 at the halfway point. • MU sack leader Erik Yngstrom needs 2.5 sacks to tie former Hawk Jason Gmitter
in career sacks with 25.5. Yngstrom currently has 23 career sacks including four in 2006.
In case this is the final game of the season I want to thank Greg who has done a great job with the notes and my ever adjusting interview times: "I'll be there at 2:30, no make it 3, no make it 2:45, heck make it tomorrow!"
My prediction later Thursday .....
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
Hawks need to win and hope for a Stony Brook loss to Central Connecticut to host the inaugural Gridiron Classic Bowl Game, that pits the winners of the NEC and Pioneer Football League against each other, will be held on Dec. 2 with the 2006 game being held at the NEC member’s home site. The game was originally set to be played on Nov. 18, but that date was changed in case a team from one the two leagues earns a bid to the 2006 I-AA playoffs.
Also..there would be the very, very outside shot of a 1-AA playoff at large berth for MU.
Now, more notes from Monmouth U football SID Greg (I'm a rejuvenated Eagles fan, especially now that Giants are falling like flies) Viscomi - and my comments:
Offense: The Great Danes will run the ball first and ask questions later. They are second
in the Northeast Conference, averaging 177.9 rushing yards per game, led by tailback
Marcus Allen’s (no relation to the former Los Angeles Raider) 650 yards and three touchdowns. They run the ball 68% of the time and like to spread the carries through the backfield; six players have run for over 100 yards on the season and 14 different Great Danes have carried the ball this season. Conversely, they are last in the NEC in passing offense and 112th out of 116 teams in Division I-AA football, averaging 105.3 yards per game.
My comments: MU has been outstanding vs. the run though more vs. one guy than a group. Albany won last week without scoring an offensive touchdown. I can't see them doing much against the MU defense.
Defense: If there’s one thing the Great Danes from the Empire State know, it’s defense. Albany ranks second in the Northeast Conference and third in the nation in total defense, surrendering a mere 230 yards per game, including an NEC-leading 85.6 yards rushing. They are first in the NEC and fifth nationally in scoring defense allowing 12.4 points per game. They are right ahead of Monmouth, second in the NEC and sixth nationally, who allow 12.5 points per game. They are first or second in the NEC in almost every major defensive category, including passing yards allowed (second), sacks (second) and third down conversion defense, allowing opponents to convert 30.7% of their third downs. They are led by reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year Colin Disch.
My comments: MU will score on Albany..if it doesn't turn the ball over. But not much. Maybe two TD and a field goal, and that's probably the max .
Special Teams: The Great Danes sport the Northeast Conference’s most accurate kicker in Jason Fralicker, who is 13-18 on field goals and a perfect 25-25 on extra points this season. Of his 13 field goals, six have been from 40 plus yards, with his season long of 54 yards coming in Albany’s 17-10 upset win over Delaware. Albany sports the conference’s leading kickoff returner in Mike Wall, who is averaging 26.1 yards per return
and has one return for a score this year.
My comments: an area of concern for MU. MU No. 3 kicker Mike Pizzulli will do a decent job as will frosh punter Andrew Mandeville, but MU kicking game now about adequate rather than above average. Last three MU-Albany games have been won by MU..on field goals.
This could be key: Monmouth’s offensive line, comprised of four seniors and a junior, gave up no sacks against Saint Francis last Saturday. That marked the third game this season in which the line had not given up a sack. The unit will be tested against Albany’s high-powered defense, which recorded 10 sacks last week against Robert Morris. The MU offense has given up 13 sacks this season, which is fourth in the NEC, while Albany’s 28 sacks is second behind RMU (29).
Intresting facts:
DAVE SINISI LEADS THE COUNTRY IN... Consecutive games with a touchdown. The explosive running back has scored in 10 straight games, the longest streak in all of Division I-AA. He is one of two players to score in every game this season, with Harvard’s Clifton Dawson scoring in all nine of his squad’s contests.
• The Blue & White is one of five teams in I-AA to have nine wins on the season and is the only team to record all of it’s wins against I-AA opponents. • Monmouth is 9-0 when leading or tied going into halftime this season. MU’s only loss came against Stony Brook, who led 29-0 at the halfway point. • MU sack leader Erik Yngstrom needs 2.5 sacks to tie former Hawk Jason Gmitter
in career sacks with 25.5. Yngstrom currently has 23 career sacks including four in 2006.
In case this is the final game of the season I want to thank Greg who has done a great job with the notes and my ever adjusting interview times: "I'll be there at 2:30, no make it 3, no make it 2:45, heck make it tomorrow!"
My prediction later Thursday .....
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com
posted by Tony Graham at 11:17 PM
3 Comments:
Tony,
Sorry to detour your MU - Albany thread, but had to get in another football comment of a more immediate nature.
Waiting anxiously to watch Louisville destroy Rutgers tonight. They can't score enough points to make me happy.
The reason? RU has dissed Monmouth (and I think you know this) in basketball for years now. They don't want to play us or participate in the NJ tournament that was attempted a couple of years ago.
The last time we did play each other, Gary Waters made a comment to the effect that this type of game (MU vs. RU) was a 'no-win' situation for them, and he obviously was unhappy about playing it. Funny how Seton Hall (a Big East member just like RU) regularly schedules MU & puts that same type of 'no-win' situation on the line. Funny how a team like Gonzaga (an infinitely better program than Rutgers) actually lowered themselves to even play us in our building!
There's obviously a better-than-thou attitude among the RU admin when it comes to us at Monmouth. I'm not talking about students (where that kind of attitude will be found anywhere and would be expected & excused) -- it's much higher up than that.
So hopefully we'll get to see the Scarlet Knights dragging their elitist butts off the field tonight with loss #1 when it's over. Maybe their delusions of granduer will then pass.
Tony, thanks for letting me vent my pent up hatred (over many years)for RU ----
GO CARDINALS!!!!!
First of all. I'm off tonight and can't believe I am watching an RU football game. But then again, all that's on TV is hockey (sorry Deb).
So far (at the half)...Louisville is answering your call for the most pat.
On your thoughts of RU men's hoops skeds...
In their defense they have to play Seton Hall (Big East) and Princeton (traditional rival) every year.
That leaves St.Peter's, FDU, MU, Rider and NJIT as other D1s in NJ.
My opinion, as the "state school" they should play two of the others every other year, and one, one year. So MU, and each of the non SHall/Princeton D1s would play RU once every three years.
That would give every MU recruiting class one shot at the Knights and not overwhelm RU with NJ schools. Heck..they (RU) played St. Thomas Aquinas and Maine last year....traditional rivals? I think not.
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