Archive For The “Maine” Category

LFN’s FCS Top 25, 9/5/2017

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LFN’s FCS Top 25, 9/5/2017

I don’t officially vote in any of the FCS Top 25 polls, but I do share who I think deserves to be in the Top 25, and this week, unsurprisingly, I think James Madison was, and still is, the No. 1 team in the nation.

Not exactly going out on a limb, am I?

If you try to pick FCS games, one of the easiest picks of last week was to take the Dukes to upset the Pirates.  Pretty much all the experts across the board thought that James Madison, even with some suspended players, was stacked enough to take over rebuilding East Carolina, and boy, did they ever.

Remember the days when FCS vs. FBS matchups were defined by the FCS teams “wilting” in the fourth quarter?  With upper-echelon FCS teams like James Madison, that myth has been debunked for a while, but it was brutally apparent in this game, when RB Cardon Johnson easily eluded East Carolina tacklers on two 80+ yard touchdown runs.

That didn’t surprise me at all this weekend.  And they’re still my No. 1 team.

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LFN’s FCS Top 25, 9/5/2017

By |

LFN’s FCS Top 25, 9/5/2017

I don’t officially vote in any of the FCS Top 25 polls, but I do share who I think deserves to be in the Top 25, and this week, unsurprisingly, I think James Madison was, and still is, the No. 1 team in the nation.

Not exactly going out on a limb, am I?

If you try to pick FCS games, one of the easiest picks of last week was to take the Dukes to upset the Pirates.  Pretty much all the experts across the board thought that James Madison, even with some suspended players, was stacked enough to take over rebuilding East Carolina, and boy, did they ever.

Remember the days when FCS vs. FBS matchups were defined by the FCS teams “wilting” in the fourth quarter?  With upper-echelon FCS teams like James Madison, that myth has been debunked for a while, but it was brutally apparent in this game, when RB Cardon Johnson easily eluded East Carolina tacklers on two 80+ yard touchdown runs.

That didn’t surprise me at all this weekend.  And they’re still my No. 1 team.

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 11/1/2016

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 11/1/2016

You didn’t ask for them, but here’s my pick for this week’s FCS Top 25.

I’m pretty proud of myself for not falling into the trap of South Dakota State.

Many people, after the Jackrabbits’ huge win over North Dakota State, vaulted them to the Top 5 of their polls, but I know better.  The craziness of the Missouri Valley I thought would eventually catch up with them, so I had only reluctantly put them at No. 10.

Their loss to 3-5 Illinois State, taken in isolation, was a shocker – but perhaps not completely shocking, though, considering the Missouri Valley has not one but two teams that have beaten Power Five Teams and also have five losses.

In fact, there are three Missouri Valley teams – Illinois State, South Dakota and Northern Iowa – that can plausibly say, if they get to 6-5, they have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs as an at-large team, thanks to perceived quality wins.

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 11/4/2013

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 11/4/2013

My vote for the FCS Top 25 for the week ending 11/4/2013 follows below the flip.

But first, check out this great picture from the crazy Delaware/Towson game this weekend, courtesy of Towson Athletics.

Three times, Towson had a chance to put away Delaware up by 2 touchdowns.  Three times, the Tigers didn’t convert.

With 4 minutes, 19 seconds left in the third quarter, Towson (8-2 overall and 4-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association) had a chance to pad a 28-10 advantage, but senior PK Drew Evangelista’s field-goal attempt from 33 yards banged off the left upright. 

On the ensuing possession, Tigers LB Monte Gaddis put enough pressure on Blue Hens senior QB Trevor Sasek to incite him to float a deep pass that junior CB Tye Smith intercepted at Towson’s 26-yard line. Smith wove his way 74 yards into the end zone, but the Tigers were flagged for clipping, which nullified the touchdown with 2:27 remaining. 

And on Delaware’s penultimate series of the contest, Sasek severely underthrew junior WR Michael Johnson on second down-and-2 at Towson’s 16, but Smith dropped a sure interception that would have led to the Tigers cementing a 31-17 lead.

Instead, Delaware would rally from 22 points down in the fourth quarter to escape Johnny Unitas stadium with a 32-31 victory, stunning the Towson crowd.  You could say everything about this win for Delaware was Lehigh-esque: from the amazing second half comeback from three scores down to the stunned silence from Johnny Unitas stadium, the same one that Lehigh delivered in 2011 in their 40-38 playoff victory.

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CFB Week 10 Lehigh Football Viewing Guide

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CFB Week 10 Lehigh Football Viewing Guide

It’s that time of the week where I share with you your weekly Lehigh fan viewing guide for Week 10 of the college football season.  Why go to website after website when all the information you need is right here?

If there was ever a week where you, dear Reader, needed this page, it’s this week, since Lehigh has their bye week.

Fortunately for all of us (and, of course, I include myself in this), there are a boatload of important games available on live streams to watch this weekend.  Many, many of them are free.

It’s worth popping open a Yuengling and getting the yard work done early.

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 10/21/2013

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 10/21/2013

My vote for the FCS Top 25 for the week ending 10/21/2013 follows below the flip.

But first, check out this great picture from New Hampshire of OL Ricky Archer and OL Joe Coccia celebrating what may have been the most thrilling game of the weekend, a thrilling 29-28 win by New Hampshire over Villanova that featured a tie and two lead changes in the final two minutes.  (Photo Credit: John Tully/Concord Monitor)

From the article:

The season’s playoff hopes were about dead after Villanova (4-3) scored two touchdowns in a span of 46 seconds to take a 28-21 lead with 1:09 left in the game. But UNH got a 35-yard kickoff return from RS Dalton Crossan, plus 15 yards on a late-hit personal foul, to take over at the 50 with 1:02 on the clock. New Hampshire survived a fumble on an attempted hook-and-ladder play, got a pair of catches from RB Chris Setian for 24 total yards, and then QB Sean Goldrich (21-for-28, 236 yards, touchdown) turned a broken play into a 4-yard touchdown scramble to pull his team within one, 28-27, with just under 14 seconds remaining.

That put the pressure on head coach Sean McDonnell to decide whether or not to go for two. He said that offensive coordinator Ryan Carty “was pretty adamant” about going for the win. 

“And I just felt, too, that if we were going to win it, we were going to win it there,” McDonell said. “Just felt like the momentum was there and I thought maybe they’d be a little bit on their heels.” 

It turned out that Villanova was ready for Setian, but the senior captain bulled to the game-winning conversion anyway, capping a stellar day – career-high 88 yards on 12 carries and three catches for 28 yards.

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CFB Week 8 Lehigh Fan Viewing Guide

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CFB Week 8 Lehigh Fan Viewing Guide

It’s that time of the week where I share with you your weekly Lehigh fan viewing guide for Week 8 of the college football season.  Why go to website after website when all the information you need is right here?

If you are not able to attend the game this weekend at Murray Goodman Stadium you can follow the game from the following sources:

TV:  Service Electric 2 (Lehigh Valley)

Online Streaming: Patriot League Network (free)

Radio:   ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320

Internet:  Lehighsports.com/ESPNLV.com

After the game, there are a boatload of important games, most which are available via live streams!

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 10/14/2013

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 10/14/2013

My vote for the FCS Top 25 for the week ending 10/7/2013 follows below the flip.

But first, check out this great picture from James Madison of QB Michael Birdsong as he’s crossing the goal line against Richmond last week  (Photo Credit: Joe Mahoney/The Richmond Times-Dispatch)

The sad thing is, this picture was a great one – but Birdsong’s ostrich-like touchdown pose would not count for any points, since it would be called back for holding.

James Madsion would go into halftime with a 7-6 lead, but both teams would erupt in the second half, ending in a 38-31 marathon.  Dukes KR Dejor Simmons would take the second-half kickoff for a 100 yard touchdown run, and James Madison wouldn’t trail by any more than 5 after that point.

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CFB Week 5 Lehigh Fan Viewing Guide

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CFB Week 5 Lehigh Fan Viewing Guide

It’s that time of the week where I share with you your weekly Lehigh fan viewing guide for Week 5of the college football season.  Why go to website after website when all the information you need is right here?

This week’s FCS Top 20 Clash at Murray Goodman will by broadcast on Service Electric 2 with Mike Zambelli, Mike Yadush and Al DiCarlo as the announcers.  For those not in the Lehigh Valley it will also be streamed for free on the Patriot League Network.

And I’ll be listenting to the pregame on ESPN 1230 and 1320 of the Lehigh Valley, too, with Tom Fallon, Matt Kerr and Matt Markus.  That will also be live streamed here.

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 9/9/2013

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My Vote for the FCS Top 25, 9/9/2013

My vote for the FCS Top 25 for the week ending 9/9/2013 follows below the flip.
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