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Wrap Up Edition
The season came to a screeching end last
Saturday as California easily handled Southern Connecticut in the second round
of the playoffs. So the season is over for the NE-10 and we look ahead to the
future without Bryant and CW Post.
Playoffs
Since I was away last week, I didn't have a
chance to comment on Southern Connecticut's victory over Bryant. The Owls beat
them handily for the second time in three weeks and were the only team to find
holes in a good Bryant defense.
Southern Connecticut was the only team in the
NE-10 to make the Bryant defense look bad. They gained nearly 1,200 yards in the
two games while scoring 101 points. The Bulldogs were in the game until midway
through the second quarter. The Owls stepped on the accelerator and never looked
back.
Southern Connecticut advanced to the second
round and ran into one of the top defenses in the country. California made the
Southern Connecticut offense look human and stopped their usually high powered
offense. Since the Vulcans have done the same to all of their opponents this
year, it was not too much of a surprise. Offense gets you into the playoffs and
defense wins championships.
It was another year of growth for the NE-10.
For the third straight year, they got a team into the second round of the
playoffs. They were able to win some non-league games and continue to make
strides in the Northeast Region. They got two teams in the playoffs for the
third straight year and continue to be able to compete with teams in the region.
But the league still needs to beat teams from
out of the conference more consistently. They have not won a playoff game over
another conference since 2005. Post defeated West Chester and Shepherd in route
to the regional championship game. The NE-10 can only gave respect in the region
by defeating non NE-10 teams in the playoffs.
Future
The future of NE-10 football is fuzzy right
now. With Bryant moving to Division I and CW Post moving to the PSAC next year,
they are only eight teams in the league right now. New Haven is joining the
league in 2009 to expand the football teams to nine.
This is a big concern for playoff eligibility
next year. Teams will need to play eight D2 games in order to be eligible for
the playoffs. This year, they needed to play six D2 games and ten games overall.
The reason that this is important for the NE-10
is that right now, they have seven league games with the current teams in the
league. They will have to schedule an additional D2 games in order to be
considered for the playoffs.
The PSAC schedule doesn't allow much
flexibility for their teams. They have divisional games and then cross-over
games that account for ten games. Most teams like to schedule 10-11 games during
the season. That allows one game that PSAC teams could schedule against NE-10
teams. But some of them already have commitments to play other teams in the
region. PSAC is also welcoming three teams to the conference next year so the
flexibility is nearly gone. So some teams might have issues in getting eligible
for the playoffs.
Southern Connecticut, Bentley and AIC who have
consistently scheduled PSAC foes should not have a problem in getting the
additional games. But other teams might have issues with an already tight
schedule. On top of that, they will need to schedule two other games to get a
full schedule of ten games for the season. They will need to play teams from
other divisions or try to schedule other D2 games with teams further away from
the New England area.
It will be an interesting time for the NE-10 to
see which direction the league is going in.
Wrap Up
Here is a quick analysis of each team in order
of their league finish on what they did well and what they need to improve on
for next year.
1. Bryant (8-3, 8-1 NE-10)
The Bulldogs were a surprise champion this year
in the NE-10. They had a good defense but the offense exceeded expectations.
They will need to find a quarterback for next year when they move up to Division
I. Bryant will be missed in the league as they had one of the better facilities
and commitment to the football program.
2. AIC (7-3, 7-2 NE-10)
The Yellow Jackets got better as the season
progressed. They won their last six games of the season after starting 1-3. A
big win over Southern Connecticut seemed to give them confidence to compete in
the league and they defeated all comers over the final six weeks. They will
return their quarterback and always have a strong defense. Look for them to be
near the top of the league again next season.
3. Southern Connecticut (9-4, 7-2 NE-10)
The Owls made their usual late season surge and
qualified for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. They were able to
grab their first ever playoff victory but the season could have been more. They
were 2-3 in early October before they righted the ship and finished winning 7 of
their final 8 games. They return a lot of their skill players and are considered
the favorite to take the league right now.
4. Bentley (7-3, 6-3 NE-10)
The Falcons returned to the top of the league
after a short absence. The normally explosive offense returned with a ball
control plan. The defense also helped to get the team in the league title
picture until the final weekend. They return some of their offense players but
take a bit of a hit on defense. They will be a contender for the title as
always.
5. Stonehill (5-5, 5-4 NE-10)
The Skyhawks were the team of the year for the
first half of the season. They came back to earth in the final five games but
were able to finish over .500 for the first time in ten years. They have a lot
of confidence going into next year and now know what it takes to play with the
big boys of the conference. They are going to need a big recruiting class to
keep them in the top half of the league.
6. CW Post (4-6, 4-5 NE-10)
The Pioneers had a forgettable final season in
the NE-10. They struggled at home, winning only their final game against
Merrimack. If they were able to play better at home, they might have been in the
chase for the title. The offense struggled to score consistently, leaving the
defense in tough spots. They are going to face stiffer competition in the PSAC
and it will be interesting to see how they will fare.
7. Merrimack (4-6, 4-5 NE-10)
The Warriors will have the most questions going
into new season. They need to finish a new coach and a new quarterback. The big
question will be if they promote from within or they decide to change up the
entire coaching staff. It will be an interesting decision to see where the
program is headed. They also need to find a replacement for a four year starter
at quarterback. They should be able to compete for the title next year.
8. Assumption (4-7, 3-6 NE-10)
The Greyhounds were snake bitten the entire
season and deserved a better fate. They were in most games but not able to seal
the deal in a bunch of those games. They finally found some offensive threats
but will have a bunch of holes to fill in on the defense. They are making
strides in the right decision and could be a thorn for some teams next year.
9. Pace (1-10, 1-8 NE-10)
The Setters struggled again. The offense was
non-existent in most games and the defense kept them in some of the games. They
need to find some consistently and players in order to be more competitive in
the league. In a very offensive minded league, they need to find some skill
players to help them find the end zone more consistently.
10. St. Anselm (0-10, 0-9 NE-10)
The Hawks are still looking for answers after
another winless season. They were manhandled by all of the teams that they
played this year. They seemed to take a step back when it appeared they were
ready to move forward. They are losing a number of their top players and will
need to find some players to help them snap the losing streak.
Awards
Here are my picks for the top awards in the
league.
Offensive Player of the Year
Steve Armstrong, QB, Southern Connecticut
The junior gun-slinger was the top quarterback
in the league for the second consecutive season. He led an Owls offense that was
unstoppable over the final six weeks of the regular season and the first round
of the playoffs.
Armstrong finished the season completing 66.2%
of his passes. He threw for 3,280 yards and 31 touchdowns in 13 games this
season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Paul Tetzel, DB, Bentley
The senior safety was a force on the resurgence
of the Falcons this year. When they needed a big play, Tetzel was the one that
had a nose for the ball and made the play. It was either an interception or a
big return for the senior.
Tetzel finished the season with seven
interceptions to lead the league to go along with 68 tackles on the season. He
also averaged 28.9 yards per kickoff return and returned one to the house.
Coach of the Year
Robert Talley, Stonehill
The Skyhawks were picked to finish at the
bottom of the league but surprised everyone when they started the season 4-0.
They stumbled in the second half but still finished over .500 for the first time
in ten years.
Talley was the difference-maker in helping
Stonehill rebuild their program. He brought in a new attitude and instilled
confidence in a team that played poorly last year.
Team of the Year
Bryant Bulldogs
They were picked to finish in the middle of the
league in the preseason polls. But were able to win the league outright and
qualify for the postseason for the second straight year. Head Coach Marty Fine
did a masterful job in getting the Bulldogs to the top of the league. It all
started in the second week of the season. They defeated Merrimack with a
stunning comeback and they were on their way.
They defeated Post for the first time in their
history and started the season 7-0. They were nationally ranked and even held
the top spot in the regional rankings. But the high hopes were dashed in
consecutive weeks. They traveled to FCS team Stony Brook and were beaten
handily. They then gave up an NCAA D2 record 418 yards to Jarom Freeman.
They bounced back to defeat Bentley in the
final weekend to clinch their first outright league title. They were not able to
exact revenge against Southern Connecticut in the first round of the playoffs.
Any thoughts, questions or disagreements,
please email Paul.
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