Lafayette-Harvard this Saturday

[Pards Rule]

Anyone happen to see Sunday's article (I bleieve LA Times writer) in the Atlantic City Press (pressofac.com) about the turmoil surrounding the team this year even though they are undefeated? It says a preseason skit made obvious reference to Coach Tim Murphy's sexuality and those guys are still on the team???

[th0m]

I think I read on a thread here that those players were actually booted off the team.

[Ivytalk]

That's old news. This week's game could be a "trap game" for Harvard if they overlook the Leopards while looking forward to the October 21 showdown against Princeton. However, I think Coach Murphy will have them focused.

Prediction: 34-17 Harvard. Dawson runs for 100+.

[Pards Rule]

What is Harvard's rank this week???

[carney2]

Old news, as someone already said. One guy - a 2nd team tight end, I believe - was tossed off the team over "skit night" and he is supposedly not the one involved in the skit that may or may not have questioned Murphy's sexual orientation. That group would include Clifton Dawson, among others. The specifics of the tight end's "performance" have never, to the best of my knowledge, been made public, but Murphy found it offensive enough to end the performance, cancel future "skit nights," and throw this guy off the team.

After suspensions, indictments, more suspensions, injuries and having the whole team line up against the head coach over the "skit night" affair, Harvard should be in total disarray. Instead, they keep chugging along. This is not the team that an underachieving Lafayette, whose confidence is being eroded weekly, needs to see this weekend. I'm smelling ugly - real ugly. Something on the order of 38-10 ugly, with Dawson approaching 200 yards. I pray to be able to report back here on Sunday and admit the error of my ways.

[Pards Rule]

We need to be ready!!!

[carney2]

What is Harvard's rank this week???

Number 15 in all polls: AGS, SNI, CSN.

[Pards Rule]

Assumed top 20....Frank better have them ready to play!! We need an App State game!

[cosmo here]

Assumed top 20....Frank better have them ready to play!! We need an App State game!

that was a 34-23 loss to the team that won the national championship, there's no pride in that in the regular season.

[Pards Rule]

that was a 34-23 loss to the team that won the national championship, there's no pride in that in the regular season.

I'm saying we need the intensity and gameplan from that game. Maybe we can keep it close in that manner!

[cosmo here]

I'm saying we need the intensity and gameplan from that game. Maybe we can keep it close in that manner!

I think we're past keeping it close . . the last three games have been winnable, this game is winnable and a loss would put us at 2-4. Hope to keep it close and you probably will, and lose.

[Go...gate]

This is a game LC can win, IMHO.

[Pards Rule]

We gotta get something to put gas in our tank...An upset of #15 Harvard would do it (and make Siedlecki very happy)....

[ngineer]

Lafayette will have to play a high level game to beat Harvard 'up there'. LC can do it but not an easy chore. I was most impressed with the Crimson's receivers--HUGE. Towered over our DB's and QB had too much time to throw. Stopping the air attack will be key. "Control" Dawson to around 100 is half the job. Tough to hold Harvard under 30 points, LC's offense cannot continue it's erratic ways. If Maurer can throw for 250 and run for 100 to compliment Hurt pounding for 75 or so., then a 'W' is possible. But based on the season to date I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Harvard Worship]

Here's why this game could actually be exciting: Harvard's one "weakness" is our pass defense. Statistically we're the worst in the Ivy League. I know a lot of that comes from being so tough on the run and from getting a quick lead in most of our games (encourages opponents to throw). But still, the interesting match-up will be Harvard's pass D vs. Lafayette's impressive pass attack.
I think we're bound to score 30 points. Offense is clicking right now. Lafayette will have to try and match. Although Cornell did have a good strategy for stopping our offense: kick a few on-side kicks and keep Dawson off the field. (Although please don't hurt him like Cornell evidently tried to... almost went apoplectic when WHRB said the docs were looking at him on the field.)
And I also hope the team isn't looking forward to Princeton -- even though I am -- I want revenge for that flukey loss last year. We had a darn good streak (10 games) against them, too!

[Pard4Life]

Lafayette will have to play a high level game to beat Harvard 'up there'. LC can do it but not an easy chore. I was most impressed with the Crimson's receivers--HUGE. Towered over our DB's and QB had too much time to throw. Stopping the air attack will be key. "Control" Dawson to around 100 is half the job. Tough to hold Harvard under 30 points, LC's offense cannot continue it's erratic ways. If Maurer can throw for 250 and run for 100 to compliment Hurt pounding for 75 or so., then a 'W' is possible. But based on the season to date I wouldn't hold my breath.

Well if their recievers are huge and remotely have speed... they will win this game... our DBs cannot defend anybody with that profile. They are short and are slow making decisions and have blown coverage often. Dawson will be closer to 200yds than 100 in this game sadly...

[Pard4Life]

Here's why this game could actually be exciting: Harvard's one "weakness" is our pass defense. Statistically we're the worst in the Ivy League. I know a lot of that comes from being so tough on the run and from getting a quick lead in most of our games (encourages opponents to throw). But still, the interesting match-up will be Harvard's pass D vs. Lafayette's impressive pass attack.
I think we're bound to score 30 points. Offense is clicking right now. Lafayette will have to try and match. Although Cornell did have a good strategy for stopping our offense: kick a few on-side kicks and keep Dawson off the field. (Although please don't hurt him like Cornell evidently tried to... almost went apoplectic when WHRB said the docs were looking at him on the field.)
And I also hope the team isn't looking forward to Princeton -- even though I am -- I want revenge for that flukey loss last year. We had a darn good streak (10 games) against them, too!

Interestingly enough Maurer is one of the top QBs in all of IAA in terms of offense... he has hit 275 a few times and runs often... the problem is we sometimes sputter in the red-zone and have trouble maknig plays when it counts. We don't really fumble the ball, but Maurer has made some bad decisions throwing off-balance or when he should have just thrown it away. I can't argue much with your prediction of 30 pts. The only way we can win this is if we put on a Yale-game performance... score 30+ and hope we can out gun Harvard.

And Lafayette... anybody's trap game this year? Ha!

[Ivytalk]

Best defensive effort of the year for the Crimson today! Six more sacks, held Lafayette under 100 yards rushing, and forced four turnovers. The offense did its job, with Dawson getting another 144 rushing yards. Should be good momentum for Princeton.:nod:

[bulldog10jw]

Best defensive effort of the year for the Crimson today! Six more sacks, held Lafayette under 100 yards rushing, and forced four turnovers. The offense did its job, with Dawson getting another 144 rushing yards. Should be good momentum for Princeton.:nod:

Is the game against PU going to be on the tube anywhere? Yale-Penn is on CN8. I bet they are sorry they pick the games in advance.

Maybe on YES

[Ivytalk]

Is the game against PU going to be on the tube anywhere? Yale-Penn is on CN8. I bet they are sorry they pick the games in advance.

Maybe on YES


It will be on YES! Where is Yale-Penn this year? By this time next week, there will be a 2-way tie for the league lead, with the top 4 teams facing off against each other.

[bulldog10jw]

It will be on YES! Where is Yale-Penn this year? By this time next week, there will be a 2-way tie for the league lead, with the top 4 teams facing off against each other.

Game against Penn is in New Haven. Lehigh was the first of 3 straight at home after playing 3 straight on the road.

[Harvard Worship]

Best defensive effort of the year for the Crimson today! Six more sacks, held Lafayette under 100 yards rushing, and forced four turnovers. The offense did its job, with Dawson getting another 144 rushing yards. Should be good momentum for Princeton.:nod:

The most impressive aspect of Harvard's newfound D was the secondary. Up until this week, the secondary was suspect (we can all agree upon that). I don't think anyone foresaw Maurer having the sort of day he had today, especially considering his past couple of games. I just hope the D can keep it up against Princeton, where they will face another mobile QB. Princeton is going to be solid on D, for their part.
Also, I'm not sure I agree that "the offense did its job." Certain Dawson did his part (rah-rah Dawson!). But the passing game was uncharacteristically ineffective, with quite a few incomplete passes. I wonder whether Murphy will go with O'Hagan next week, or give Pizzotti one more chance. Maybe he was just having an off day. We might want O'Hagan's mobility against Princeton's pass rush, however. Pizzotti's knee brace could really hurt us.

[Ivytalk]

[QUOTE=Harvard Worship]The most impressive aspect of Harvard's newfound D was the secondary. Up until this week, the secondary was suspect (we can all agree upon that). I don't think anyone foresaw Maurer having the sort of day he had today, especially considering his past couple of games. I just hope the D can keep it up against Princeton, where they will face another mobile QB. Princeton is going to be solid on D, for their part.
Also, I'm not sure I agree that "the offense did its job." Certain Dawson did his part (rah-rah Dawson!). But the passing game was uncharacteristically ineffective, with quite a few incomplete passes. I wonder whether Murphy will go with O'Hagan next week, or give Pizzotti one more chance. Maybe he was just having an off day. We mig]t O'Hagan's mobility against Princeton's pass rush, however. ht wan[BPizzotti's knee brace could really hurt us.[/[/B]QUOTE]

Is Witt healthy again? O'Hagan just got "paroled.":D