Patriot League Pick 'Em - Week 6

[DFW HOYA]

It's a very thin schedule for the PL this week, and one which probably doesn't happen after the move to seven conference games next year.

These are must-win games for at least three teams.

Holy Cross (1-4) at Colgate (1-4), 1:00 pm, ESPN+
Lafayette (2-2) at Fordham (0-5), 1:00 pm, ESPN+

[bonarae]

Colgate
Lafayette

[NY Crusader 2010]

Holy Cross
Lafayette

Pards should light up the scoreboard at Jack Coffey.

HC-Colgate is quite the high-stakes game early in the Patriot League season. Loser of this game will need to win out just to secure a winning record for the season. I probably would've gone with 'Gate but I like our defense, even on the road here. I think if we can find a way to hold Colgate to 21 points or less, we win this game. One major factor here in what factors to be a pretty even matchup talent-wise -- Holy Cross has absolutely beat the brakes off of Colgate in each of the last 4 meetings and the Red Raiders will be foaming at the mouth for revenge. This is also only the 2nd time the Crusaders have been to Hamilton since 2018. Additionally, in what many of us viewed as a a tough but otherwise "good" loss to Yale last Saturday.....Yale just got smoked in Ithaca against a Cornell team that lost to Colgate.

Last 4 meetings:

2023: Holy Cross 47 Colgate 7 (Worcester)
2022: Holy Cross 35 Colgate 10 (Hamilton)
2021 (fall): Holy Cross 42 Colgate 10 (Polar Park in Worcester)
2019: Holy Cross 31 Colgate 10 (Worcester)

Both of these teams have played reasonably well in their previous games, this is a must-watch early October matchup between two teams extremely hungry for a win.

[The Cats]

Holy Cross (1-4) at Colgate (1-4), 1:00 pm, ESPN+
Lafayette (2-2) at Fordham (0-5), 1:00 pm, ESPN+

[Wolffan]

Holy Cross: With the massive talent departures via graduation and tough OOC the record is unsurprising.

Lafayette: Fordham picked up where they left off last year.

[Go...gate]

Colgate-Holy Cross is always a tough series. Two old and respected rivals.

[ngineer]

I'm picking the Crusaders over 'gate in a tight one. HC has, despite the losses, acquitted itself well against tough competition. Yale's lopsided loss is very puzzling, though Wang is an excellent athlete, and appears he has some decent receivers, so maybe the Big Red is rising from the depths. They also fought hard despite being overmatched at Syracuse. HC 26-21.

Lafayette still looking for the number of that NY Metro bus that blind-sided them, so they may be leery of venturing into the NYC a second week in a row! Still, I cannot fathom Fordham winning this game...unless there are some crucial turnovers or unexplained breakdowns. Which is why we have 'upsets'. Leotards have been feeling pretty heady about themselves the past year and a half. Being brought back to earth by "Gem of the Ocean", may actually have been a 'good thing' to get the 'pards attention that on "any given Saturday..." LC 38-17.

[Fordham]

Fordham wins

I don’t have to put money on this, right?

[Go...gate]

Fordham is due.

[NY Crusader 2010]

I don't think Fordham is going winless in the Patriot League but do people really think this could be the week?

[Pards Rule]

Fordham wins

I don’t have to put money on this, right?

Im planning on going. First time to Fordham. What about visitor tailgate area, hotels & restaurants. Thank you!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

All I can really say is if I'm Fordham I'm emptying the playbook against Lafayette this week.

[NY Crusader 2010]

Im planning on going. First time to Fordham. What about visitor tailgate area, hotels & restaurants. Thank you!

Recommendation #1: Roberto's
Recommendation #2: Michelangelo's => the family that owns this restaurant also owns a divier Fordham bar called Howl at The Moon if you wanted to hang somewhere after, watch games and grab apps.

Parking: If it's not Homecoming and/or if Fordham isn't good (like this year), you shouldn't have a problem parking in the garage right next to Jack Coffey Field. For bigger games this well sell out weeks in advance, like Holy Cross last year. The Botanical Garden Metro North station also has a garage with ample parking (though expensive about $30 on a weekend day). This is about a 10-minute walk from the stadium at the corner of Bedford Park Boulevard and Webster Avenue. And, if you get there early enough, all the parking along Mosholu Parkway next to the edge of the campus, is legal non-metered street parking. If you catch someone pulling out here, just park and you're good for the day. You'd be surprised how often I get a spot here when I go to Fordham basketball games.

[aceinthehole]

Fordham is a great road trip - I've only gone for men's hoops (twice).

#1 - Dominick's
#2 - Pasquale's

[Pards Rule]

Recommendation #1: Roberto's
Recommendation #2: Michelangelo's => the family that owns this restaurant also owns a divier Fordham bar called Howl at The Moon if you wanted to hang somewhere after, watch games and grab apps.

Parking: If it's not Homecoming and/or if Fordham isn't good (like this year), you shouldn't have a problem parking in the garage right next to Jack Coffey Field. For bigger games this well sell out weeks in advance, like Holy Cross last year. The Botanical Garden Metro North station also has a garage with ample parking (though expensive about $30 on a weekend day). This is about a 10-minute walk from the stadium at the corner of Bedford Park Boulevard and Webster Avenue. And, if you get there early enough, all the parking along Mosholu Parkway next to the edge of the campus, is legal non-metered street parking. If you catch someone pulling out here, just park and you're good for the day. You'd be surprised how often I get a spot here when I go to Fordham basketball games.

Thank you

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I am very intrigued by this week's games. This will either be a "they are who we thought they were" Dennis Green-style Holy Cross and/or Lafayette wins, or else the emergence or a real free-for-all for the conference championship.

I simply cannot picture Lafayette losing at Fordham, especially after a bye week and after Fordham's thrashing at Monmouth.

I have a hard time seeing Holy Cross losing at Colgate in a game where both teams seem oddly desperate for a win. Colgate and Penn played a bit closer than the final score indicated but the Quakers racked up a lot of yards on their defense. Holy Cross has a bunch of hard-luck losses and seem better than their record - but are they, really? Reluctantly I will pick Holy Cross in a squeaker, but I wouldn't be stunned if I'm wrong.

[crusader11]

I have a hard time seeing Holy Cross losing at Colgate in a game where both teams seem oddly desperate for a win. Colgate and Penn played a bit closer than the final score indicated but the Quakers racked up a lot of yards on their defense. Holy Cross has a bunch of hard-luck losses and seem better than their record - but are they, really? Reluctantly I will pick Holy Cross in a squeaker, but I wouldn't be stunned if I'm wrong.

Yale 38 - Holy Cross 31
Cornell 47 - Yale 23
Colgate 41 - Cornell 24

Does this change your thinking at all? Playing the comparable score game is dangerous, but this has to be looked at.

I posted this on the HC board --

Every player on the Colgate roster has been absolutely crushed by Holy Cross. You could say embarrassed. That game at Polar Park looked like they didn't even want to be playing football.

2023: 47-7
2022: 35-10
2021: 42-10
2019: 31-10

Average score of 38.75 - 9.25

They are going to come out flying for this one, wanting to beat us for the first time since 2018. Can we match their intensity?

Colgate, like us, sits at 1-4, but they've played a tough schedule to date, too. I'm sure they believe they can win the PL, and it will start with a home win for them against HC.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Yale 38 - Holy Cross 31
Cornell 47 - Yale 23
Colgate 41 - Cornell 24

Does this change your thinking at all? Playing the comparable score game is dangerous, but this has to be looked at.

Personally I am not a huge fan of the transitive property of college football, but point well taken. (By this logic Georgetown should be favored by a touchdown or more over Lafayette.)

I think I'm having a rough time on this game not only because it's a battle of one win teams that could be title contenders (did I really just say that?), but because I really don't know what positive or negative momentum, if any, comes from last week's games for both teams. You could make a case that Holy Cross exceeded expectations and "played Syracuse tough", but you could also do that with Colgate vs. Penn, technically. If Colgate had gotten over the hump vs. Maine or Penn I might have been more inclined to take them, but they didn't. If Holy Cross had held on vs. UNH or Yale, same. Instead I'm just still wondering about both teams.

[Kramden]

Personally I am not a huge fan of the transitive property of college football, but point well taken. (By this logic Georgetown should be favored by a touchdown or more over Lafayette.)

I think I'm having a rough time on this game not only because it's a battle of one win teams that could be title contenders (did I really just say that?), but because I really don't know what positive or negative momentum, if any, comes from last week's games for both teams. You could make a case that Holy Cross exceeded expectations and "played Syracuse tough", but you could also do that with Colgate vs. Penn, technically. If Colgate had gotten over the hump vs. Maine or Penn I might have been more inclined to take them, but they didn't. If Holy Cross had held on vs. UNH or Yale, same. Instead I'm just still wondering about both teams.



Line is HC -6.5 and that feels right. I haven't seen much from Colgate this year that would make me think they are any good.

[crusader11]

Line is HC -6.5 and that feels right. I haven't seen much from Colgate this year that would make me think they are any good.

That's a lot of points, especially on the road. If I was a neutral observer, I'd go to the window and bet with both hands on Colgate.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Implication from Fordham's update is that "some players" might be coming back this week. Though nobody specific mentioend I think Loughridge might be coming back for Family Weekend, which might be a big plus for Fordham. We'll see if it makes a difference.

[IslandPard]

Implication from Fordham's update is that "some players" might be coming back this week. Though nobody specific mentioend I think Loughridge might be coming back for Family Weekend, which might be a big plus for Fordham. We'll see if it makes a difference.

It will be an interesting game. Mike Joseph seems to hint at LC starters coming back as well. As always, the PL championship will come down to who is healthiest.

https://youtu.be/TT7PPobfKAs?si=tUS7lNZH7hcnkEqV

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Lafayette rolling up 14-0. They got awarded the ball on one of the worst turnover calls I can remember (how much clearer could it be that his arm was going forward?) but DeNobile carving through Fordham's D like a hot knife through butter.

HC 3 Colgate 0, a nice Raider drive stopped with a INT. Early defensive struggle.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Flea flicker TD for Colgate up 7-3
Loughridge with desperately needed Fordham TD 14-7 Lafayette

- - - Updated - - -

Shorter TD from Pesansky great throw missed XP 9-7 HC 9:50 left 1H

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Shorter's second TD on the day, another great throw be Pesansky. Holy Cross is who they thought they were! Holy Cross up 16-7 on Colgate, 49 seconds left 1H.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Colgate kickoff return TD taken off the board due to a hold. What a gut punch.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Holy Cross looking like a team who have done this before. Colgate looking like a team who has forgot what this is like.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Fordham has tied it at 14 in the Bronx.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Capaldi with a great 4th down read to get the tying score.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Thoughts:

Fordham has made it a game in the Bronx, could be an interesting second half, see how Lafayette responds

Colgate looks so strong in ways but made huge mistakes, which you can't do vs. HC. HC still a veteran team and Pesansky a really good QB.

[crusader11]

Holy Cross' defense is legit. Lots of underclassmen out there, but very talented. Could be the best unit in the PL.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Princeton might not be good. Just collapsed, down 34-17 to Columbia.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Fordham 17 Lafayette 14, 8:04 left 3Q

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Holy Cross in complete control, up 23-7 on Colgate, end 3Q.

[Sader87]

HC 31-7.....this is still a pretty solid squad

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Lafayette's still living a charmed life. Two quick TDs in the span of a minute, up 27-17 on Fordham in a blink. Option to Curtis for one, two plays later, pick, TD pass next play.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

https://twitter.com/LFN/status/1842647969268699383

[Sader87]

This was a much needed W for a youngish HC team....sort of a hard luck start to the season but they will be a tough out moving forward this year.

[crusader11]

Time for another letter from Coach Stan?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Blocked punt by Fordham.. hold on..

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Loughridge TD
2 pt try no good
Lafayette 28 Fordham 23 6:49 left

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Fordham partially blocks the FG try! Rams will have a chance to win!

[Franks Tanks]

Fordham partially blocks the FG try! Rams will have a chance to win!

We must have the worst kicking game in America. Trox also being overly conservative there not going for it on 4th and 1.

Whether we win this one or not today, this isn’t close to the Leopard team of last year.

[IslandPard]

Head scratching call. We ripped off 2 long runs to get down the field, the defense is trash, and we opt to give it back to them??

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Lafayette survives!

28-23 F

[Franks Tanks]

Pards will win despite doing our best to hand the game away.

If Fordham has a competent QB, we gets our asses kicked today.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I agree with the FG try there. You have to have faith he can make that and go up 8.

[Sader87]

Holy Cross is the best 2-4 FCS team in the country xdrunkyx

[DFW HOYA]

And the PL Player of the Week:
Joe Pesansky, HC
25 for 28, 4 TD, 1 INT

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Lot of head scratching results this week in the Ivy that doesn't offer much clarity as to how good either league is.

CCSU almost upsets Yale at home, Bulldogs are like 2 plays away from being 0-3. CCSU not bad, but really had hard time getting over that hump. Fordham loss to them not terrible.

Harvard upsets UNH 28-23 at home, Crimson on top tier, but not great for HC.

Columbia crushes Princeton 34-17. Tigers might not be good. Columbia clearly isn't bad. Maybe Laf loss not terrible. And that's a great win for G'Town.

Cornell getting crushed by Albany. I don't think Albany is that good? But Cornell crushed Yale. Colgate beat Cornell by double digits.

Bryant beat Brown. Holy Cross beat Bryant. Brown beat both Harvard and Georgetown.

Dartmouth 20, Penn 17. Dartmouth looks like the team to beat in the Ivy to me, followed closely by Harvard. Dartmouth crushed Fordham, Colgate lost to Penn.

[Lehigh'98]

Time for another letter from Coach Stan?

It kind of worked last year lol. They definitely need something.

[crusader11]

And the PL Player of the Week:
Joe Pesansky, HC
25 for 28, 4 TD, 1 INT

It’ll go to his receiver, Justin Shorter, actually.

[Sader87]

The Holy Cross defense is both young and a bit banged up.....but they could be a very special unit moving forward.

[DFW HOYA]

Ranking the PL after Week 6:

1. Lafayette (3-2): Avoided the trap at Fordham, now, three straight home games.
2. Holy Cross (2-4): The most dangerous team in the PL right now.
3. Lehigh (3-2): A second consecutive bye week?
3. Bucknell (3-2): Two Ivy games before PL play resumes on Oct. 26.
5. Georgetown (3-2): Road games at Lafayette and Colgate figure to test the Hoyas.
6. Colgate (1-5): A critical bye week awaits.
7. Fordham (0-6): Signs of life vs. Lafayette, but three of its next four games are on the road.

[Wolffan]

Holy Cross, and not surprising considering the close losses to mid-pack CAA teams, is the best of the PL teams.

[Sader87]

HC being young this year, lost close games to URI, UNH and Yale....as they gain confidence with wins like at Colgate today, they are going to be a very difficult foe in the PL this year. They probably have the most talent in the league overall as recruiting was very strong under Chesney.

[DFW HOYA]

Holy Cross, and not surprising considering the close losses to mid-pack CAA teams, is the best of the PL teams.

Lafayette can't do much about their schedule at this point, but they're the champion until proven otherwise.

[NY Crusader 2010]

I'll take a crack at the PL Power rankings as of now:

1) Lafayette => the champ until proven otherwise + have signature OOC win
2) Holy Cross => If we can get our ground game going in Fuller's absence, we should be pretty dangerous. Our defense is the league's best when fully healthy IMO, if not now.
3) Georgetown => The Hoyas are proving last year wasn't a fluke. Imagine if Georgetown wins the PL and Columbia wins the Ivy this year.
4) Lehigh => Love the frosh QB. A speed bump with the Bucknell game but Lehigh is no longer one to look at an as easy game.
5) Bucknell => Need to see more
6) Colgate => Blown out by Holy Cross again. Didn't expect that. I appear to have been dead wrong pre-season when I named Colgate my pre-season favorite.
7) Fordham => Let's see if the Rams can build off of today's close loss to Lafayette in which they fought back.

[ngineer]

Pards will win despite doing our best to hand the game away.

If Fordham has a competent QB, we gets our asses kicked today.Fully agree. Yes, he made a nice run off the fake, but his decision making and passing was not what I expect from a Fordham QB. This game also had some "curious" coaching decisions by both HCs. Laffy was stuffing the middle of the line on defense, yet Conlin continued to run it up the gut when it wasn't working. Laffy's kicking game raised some eyebrows, and after skating down the field electing the FG showed a lack of confidence in the O with one of league's best QBs and RB.

[Wolffan]

Lafayette can't do much about their schedule at this point, but they're the champion until proven otherwise.Weren't Laffy and HC PL co-champs last year?

[ngineer]

Weren't Laffy and HC PL co-champs last year?

Yes. Both were 5-1, but Laffy had the tie-break with its win over Cross getting the FCS playoff spot.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Watching a good hunk of both games, I fear Holy Cross more than I do Lafayette -make of that what you will. Maybe if Lafayette can fix their special teams I'll feel differently. Had Lafayette lost, we'd be raving about that blocked punt and blocked FG, which kept Fordham in the game.

[Go...gate]

Colgate's performance was disappointing again.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Between Lehigh being on a bye and my voyage to Happy Valley for the PSU/UCLA game, I checked out a bit this week....

- First thought... I've never bought into Stan being the answer in Hamilton. It's becoming very obvious Colgate football will not be irrelevant with Dakosty leading it. The Raider program and the PL in general need a change ...
- I was shocked by how close the Lafayette/Fordham game was. Even if the Rams found some pride I would have guessed a 14-17 point 'Pard win. Lafayette has not taken a step forward this season...
- Holy Cross remains a tough out despite their obvious deficiencies.....

[Wolffan]

Last year’s PL co-champ, Holy Cross, is demonstrating that they aren’t very good (close OOC losses to URI, UNH, and Yale) this year but certainly good enough to win the PL again.

This is a HC rebuilding year. 35 seniors graduated - many to NFL/FBS. If they land a quality QB for next year’s team they might surprise some OOC foes.

[Pards Rule]

We must have the worst kicking game in America. Trox also being overly conservative there not going for it on 4th and 1.

Whether we win this one or not today, this isn’t close to the Leopard team of last year.

Agreed! I posted after Buffalo game to get that frosh kicker we have out there! I mentioned that at some point that kicking game would bite us in ass. It ALMOST did today! Down to last 30 seconds before win secured. Mike Jaworski (not relation to Ron you old timers) had great game. I was there for first time at Fordham. Wonderful campus. Pards had a rowdy section! Fordham put forth great effort on Parents Day. Parking lot A filled with tailgaters. I spoke with Marco Olivas at halftime. Thx to the folks gave me pointers for first Fordham visit. I parked FREE in that only in NYC median next to McCarthy-Gall ball fields. WTH is that? Make that area next to call fields unused as parking! Walked to parking lot A (long walk!) for tailgates. After game went to Howl at Moon (good Fordham crowd - they loved my leopard print shirt and leopard!). Went by Michangelos and was going to go in but didnt have reservation so punted. Got a REAL cab 9lime green tho?) at Fordham entrance back to car - $10 cash. Had great pizza at City Limits DIner in White Plains, NY. Watched some of Mets-Phils NLDS on TV there at bar. Drove back to LBI. Great visit. Now have been to all PL stadiums. Richmond to add to list whenever we play there.

[Franks Tanks]

[/B]Fully agree. Yes, he made a nice run off the fake, but his decision making and passing was not what I expect from a Fordham QB. This game also had some "curious" coaching decisions by both HCs. Laffy was stuffing the middle of the line on defense, yet Conlin continued to run it up the gut when it wasn't working. Laffy's kicking game raised some eyebrows, and after skating down the field electing the FG showed a lack of confidence in the O with one of league's best QBs and RB.

I think Conlin just kept the ball on the ground to try to limit his QB and the Pards stacked the box.

[Pards Rule]

Watching a good hunk of both games, I fear Holy Cross more than I do Lafayette -make of that what you will. Maybe if Lafayette can fix their special teams I'll feel differently. Had Lafayette lost, we'd be raving about that blocked punt and blocked FG, which kept Fordham in the game.

Exactly LFN. Im on record immediately after Buffalo game saying kicking game is a major, major problem.