The opening weekend is in the books and we learned a lot about some teams. Some teams like New Haven lived up to the hype and some teams like AIC pulled off a mild upset. There is plenty of football to be played in the 2011 season and things will continue to evolve over the coming weeks.

Non-Conference Games

For starters, the NE-10 held their own against D2 members. They were 2-2 against the PSAC with both victories coming in overtime. New Haven and AIC both escaped with extra session victories against the PSAC. The two losses against PSAC schools would have been major upsets if Pace and St. Anselm would have come out on the victorious side. It is a respectable showing against the top conference in the region.

Assumption lost to Bowie State left the NE-10 2-3 against D2 schools with still a bunch of games this coming weekend to improve upon the leagues record. It is a big improvement over last years lost season when they were not able to beat many teams outside of the NE-10.

The league was 3-0 against D3 schools and 0-1 against D1 FCS teams, leaving the NE-10 with a 5-4 overall weekend outside of the league.

Second Quarter Success

Both Bentley and Stonehill played D3 schools to open the season Friday night and saw the games decided in the second quarter. The Falcons put up 19 points against SUNY Maritime in the second quarter to help pull away with a 50-3 victory. Stonehill scored 21 points in the second quarter in their 35-7 victory over Curry.

I do not put too much stock into a win over a D3 school. Obviously, D2 schools are bigger and better than D3 schools and it really amounts to a glorified scrimmage. Merrimack, Bentley and Stonehill took care of business over the weekend but I look forward to this weekend when all three of them face stiffer competition.

Big Comeback

I was down in New Haven Saturday for the Chargers 35-32 come-from-behind overtime victory over West Chester. I had written off New Haven a couple of times in my head during the game. The Chargers would score to pull the game closer but West Chester would respond each time to extend the lead. It seemed that New Haven was not going to be able to pull the game out.

New Haven was sloppy at times but they were able to preserve enough to get the victory. Ryan Osiecki threw a couple of picks and West Chester made him pay each time. But somehow the Chargers made enough plays down the stretch.

Coach Rossomando got the game ball from his team after the game and welcomes more games in the future with the PSAC. Scheduling those games is tough because teams like West Chester are locked into long-term agreements with teams. The Golden Rams have played Delaware every year and are scheduled to do so for the foreseeable future.

Stats Lie

Pace opened the season with a 56-14 loss at East Stroudsburg. In reviewing the stats, one thing stood out at me. Pace controlled the ball for 38 minutes of the game. Usually ball control equals victory but not in this case.

ESU scored quickly and with ease. They put together short scoring busts and used little of the clock in getting into the end zone early and often. That will be a big learning experience for the young Pace team. They have a lot of players who were playing their first collegiate football game. The speed of the college game is much faster than high school and these types of statistical oddities will occur.

Good way to start the season

What a way for AIC to open the season. To beat a old rivalry on their turf in overtime, the Yellow Jackets have to be feeling good. They were able to hold CW Post to just 7 points and 256 yards of offense. Redshirt freshmen Kevin Arduino emerged as the starting quarterback and had a decent day in his first collegiate start. Despite throwing two picks, he had the tying touchdown pass in the fourth quarter as well as leading the team in rushing with 115 yards.

They will face a tougher challenge this weekend when they travel to D1 FCS opponent Bryant.