Flexing their Muscle

New Haven was in control of their destiny and just needed to win a couple of games to make a return appearance in the NE-10 championship game. But they made a huge statement in their 63-16 victory over LIU Post.

They just completely dominated Post and left no doubt that they would like to play in the championship game on November 14th. Their offense is clicking on all levels and their defense is starting to play like they imagined at the beginning of the season.

The Chargers amassed over 600 yards of total offense and looked completely unstoppable. New Haven head coach Chris Pincince has called Andre Anderson the best player in the NE-10 and it is hard to disagree with that comment.

Anderson ran for 128 yards and two scores in the game. Plus he returned a 90 yard kick off kickoff to the house in a game that he just seemed to be toying with his opponent. New Haven had 401 yards rushing on the afternoon and basically did whatever they wanted when they lined up.

New Haven has a favorable schedule over the final two weeks of the season and that is very bad news for the rest of the league. They want to play in the championship game and are not afraid to say and show that they belong in that game.

Double Threat

Southern Connecticut looked very good for three quarters against Assumption a week ago. But a tough fourth quarter cost them a shot at the upset. The Owls didn't let the bad feeling linger for too long.

They rebounded nicely with a 28-14 victory at St. Anselm. Southern Connecticut is now 3-5, 3-4 NE-10 after losing their first four games of the season. The month of October has been kind to the Owls as they are 3-1 thus far.

The duo of Robert Thomas and Devante Jenkins have carried the Owls most of the season and their talents were well on display at St. Anselm. Thomas had a career high 184 yards on the ground and found the end zone twice.

Jenkins hauled in nine passes for a career high 116 yards and two touchdowns. It is the fourth time this year that he had a multiple touchdown game and that is part of the reason why he leads the league with 11 touchdown receptions. He is second in receptions and yards through eight weeks of the season.

Southern Connecticut head coach Tom Godek has been trying to get this program turned around and made a lot of changes in the offseason. The fruits of his labor are being shown now and the future of the Owls are very bright.

National Audience

The national stage was in Springfield last Saturday as Assumption was in town to take on American International. The Greyhounds used a strong second half to pull away with a 32-7 victory over the Yellow Jackets. The game was televised on ESPN3.

The game was a tight one at the half as Assumption held a slight 11-7 lead as they forced two safeties that were the difference. But the Greyhound offense again soared in the second half to win the game.

Alex Shain found the end zone a couple of times and held his lead in touchdown rushes in the NE-10. He now has 12 on the season, two better than Andre Anderson. His fellow back mate, James Ward had another solid game and broke off a couple of long runs.

The national audience got to see the top team in the NE-10 and the Greyhounds has their best record this late in the season. Assumption is 7-1, 6-1 in the NE-10 for the first time in school history and is control to play and host the championship game. They close out the season with two home games and are hoping for a third that has some hardware on the line.

Strong Duo

They might be the best quarterback-receiver combination in the league. They are Merrimack's Nick Davis and Jere Brown. Brown has been a solid receiver for Merrimack for a couple of years now and Davis is starting to emerge as a top quarterback in this league.

Their connection was on display again during the Warriors' 52-6 victory over Pace. Brown had nine receptions for 103 yards and two scores. Davis had a career day going 29 for 39, 310 yards and three scores. Plus he added 68 yards on the ground which was a team best in the game.

Brown now leads the league with 64 receptions for 811 yards. His 10 touchdowns are good enough for second in the league behind the afore mentioned Devante Jenkins of Southern Connecticut.

Davis has overcome injuries earlier in the season and is now in the top four in the league in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage. He is the typical dual threat quarterback that has a lot of success in the NE-10.

Merrimack is now 4-4, 4-3 in the NE-10. They have turned things around in October as they have won three of four games and are now tied for third place in the standings. Head coach Dan Curran knew that he had a good team coming into the season and it is starting to show on the field.

Championship Weekend

It only took eight weeks but we are starting to see some teams emerging for the pack and figuring out who is going to be playing for the title during championship weekend. Let's take a look at the teams and try to access their chances at playing for some hardware on November 14th.

1. Assumption 7-1, 6-1 NE-10

The Greyhounds are clearly the best team in the league. Their only loss was Week 2 on the road to LIU Post and they nearly rallied to win the game. Assumption has two home games left against Bentley and Stonehill. Both teams are strong opponents but the Greyhounds need only to win one of those games to clinch a spot in the title game and home field advantage. Since they have defeated New Haven, they would win the tiebreaker and host the championship game if they end the season with identical records.

2. New Haven 5-3, 5-2 NE-10

The Chargers are starting to be a team to be reckoned with. They have turned it up a notch over the last two weeks and seemed destined to play in the championship game. New Haven lost to Merrimack and Assumption in consecutive weeks and that might cost them a chance at hosting the championship game. But they are still in a great position to play in that game as they have Pace at home and a trip to St. Anselm to close out the season. Should they win both games, they will play for some hardware for the first time since 2012.

3a. Stonehill 5-3, 4-3 NE-10

The Skyhawks bounced back nicely with a victory over Bentley and stopped a three game losing streak. They looked like the team to beat after the improbable finish at LIU Post on September 26th. But injuries and bad luck might have cost them a shot at returning to the championship game. Stonehill hosts St. Anselm this weekend before a trip to Assumption. That game with Assumption loomed large weeks ago but might be just another game without some help from their peers. They also have defeated the three teams that they are tied with so they will hold tiebreakers over Bentley, Post and Merrimack.

3b. LIU Post 5-3, 4-3 NE-10

The Pioneers were the best team in the league with 2:06 left in the Stonehill game. Since then, they have struggled and look like they will not have a shot at defending their championship crown. Post lost in the final seconds to Stonehill and then been blown out in games against AIC and New Haven. They still play one of the teams that are tied with them right now. They will host Southern Connecticut and then travel to Bentley in the final weekend of the season. They will need to win out and get some help if they have a shot at defending their title.

3c. Merrimack 4-4, 4-3 NE-10

The Warriors have come out of nowhere to be in the mix. After starting 0-3, they crushed Bentley and have now won four of their last five games. Their only loss was at LIU Post in that stretch but they are now tied for third place. Tough losses to Stonehill and Assumption in September leaves Merrimack with a long shot at playing for the championship. They will need a lot of help as they close out the season with roads at American International and Southern Connecticut. Both games are winnable for the Warriors as they look to continue their winning ways.

3d. Bentley 4-4, 4-3 NE-10

The Falcons had the toughest road in the final weeks of the season and also had no room for error. A tough 21-14 loss at Stonehill looks like it might have cost them a trip to the championship game. Bentley is another team that has turned their fortunes around in the month of October as they are 3-1 in that stretch. But they still have an upward battle as they travel to Assumption and close out with a home date against LIU Post. They have lost to two of the teams that they are tied with as well as second place New Haven. They will need the most help to play for the championship.

No disrespect to American International, Southern Connecticut, St. Anselm or Pace but they have little or no shot at playing in the championship game. Only Pace right now is locked into a spot in the championship weekend even if they win their final two games. The other three teams are playing for seeding and a chance to host one final game on their home turf.

Despite the logjam in the standings, it is very clear who has the best shot at playing in the championship game. If Assumption and New Haven win their final two games, they will match up for the sixth time in the past three seasons with the NE-10 championship at stake. If either team stumbles, tiebreakers will come into play and there are too many scenarios to list right now.

The championship puzzle will become much cleaner after this weekend's games.