Patriot League '08 - your team's strengths, weaknesses, etc.

[Fordham]

Would be interested in the PL die hard fans' take on their teams for the '08 season. In particular, what are your team's strengths, weaknesses, etc? It's been too long since I've had any PL steak to help get through these last few months before the season finally kicks off. Would love to learn more about each team heading into '08 as well as where you'd rank your position groups v. the rest of the league.

Here's my effort at Fordham's '08 prospects:

FORDHAM
__________________________________________

Offense - good news all around and a clear strength of the team with pretty much every major contributor (not just starter) returning with the exception of C Mike Breznicky.

QB - As Skelton goes, so goes our offense. Risk here is very little experience behind him. Otherwise, we have an outstanding QB returning. 2nd best returning QB in the league only b/c of HC's tremendous QB Randolph coming back.

RB - Should be pretty strong and possibly improved. We return PL ROY Xavier Martin as well as 3rd down specialist Q'usand Lewis. The loss of Jonte Coven will be significant but should be offset by the addition of our most heralded recruit, Jamir Livingston. Overall one of the better PL RB crews with Colgate having the clear #1 imo.

WR - Should be better than last year despite loss of Loney & Clarke. Other than standout Asa Lucas (who will be a Jr this year), all WR's were rotating in and out, including several frosh. Should be among the better WR corps in the PL but not necessarily the best.

OL - Should also be better with all starters and backups returning except for Breznicky. Frosh. starting OL Rob Reis is expected to slide over to C to fill Breznicky and make room for Ian Pace who was out last year with an injury. Big news was that we were told that starting OG Mike Nardone was granted his 5th year and will be returing. If that's NOT true, it will be signficant since coupled with Breznicky would be a big hit for us. Overall, having these guys get another year of Ed Argast's coaching is a boon for us. Add in some heralded recruits for depth and OL has quickly become one of our strengths. Should be among the better OL groups in the PL this year, if not the best (or with the potential to be the best).

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Defense - alot returning, including alot of frosh who started last year but LB experience is the key concern.

DL - should be improved with all key players back and addition of some talented frosh, particularly TX DT/NG Wes Perryman. Ryan Kleve's emotion/energy will hurt but will be replaced with more size and athleticism. Should be one of the better units in the PL imo.

LB - the big question mark on D with the loss of Hudnell and Owens, the heart and soul of our D this past year. On the outside, Jr. James Crockett should be pre-season all PL this year and is a game changer. Nick Mageira played ALOT as a frosh and should be a great, great fill-in on the inside for either Owens/Hudnell and could end up being a significant upgrade for us with his athleticism. The other LB spot is the big question mark. Would be ranked pretty low v. the other PL teams in any pre-season LB ranking. My guess is that Lehigh and Lafayette have the cream of the crop here.

DB - should be improved as everyone except Orah returns, including several frosh who played a ton. Strong group - not sure where it stands v. the rest of the PL since I just don't know the rest of the league's DB situation well enough.

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Special Teams - biggest question mark/concern on the team, hands down. K was average at best last year but more important, the loss of Ben Dato, now trying to be a Baltimore Raven, is huge and is tough to overstate. He turned many games around with his field position changing punts and was arguably the team MVP last year (Skelton got the award but it could have gone to Dato. Incoming frosh Cameron Dean is being counted on heavily to fill Dato's shoes and possibly also for kickoffs ... and even possibly to compete with Danko for K duties. Very suspect for us overall but the return game should be improved with key contributors and good speed with incoming frosh making things better. I have no idea where we stand on ST versus the rest of the PL but wouldn't argue if it in pre-season it was considered near the bottom.

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Coaching - no coach is more loved at Fordham now than Masella right now, and deservedly so after what he pulled off with such a young team last year. If we had a weak spot last year it was how we performed in games where we were expected to win. Dayton, G-town and Bucknell were the only games where we were clear favorites and we lost 2 of them and G-town took us down to the wire. How will we perform when we're going to be expected to win most of our games this year? That will tell the difference between a coach who is able to pull off a surprise year here and there and one that can build a sustainable winner. Still, I'm in awe of the job Masella has done in such a short amount of time and there is no one else that I'd rather have coaching the Rams. Certainly one of the top staffs in the PL but not yet nearly as proven as league stalwarts Biddle and Tavani.

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Overall - high expectations given all that we have returning this year after last year's championship season. Big question marks are P/K and LB. More than anything, though, is the question over how we'll handle being the hunted versus sneaking up on teams like we did last year.

'08 Exceeding Expectations = PL Title with FCS playoff win

'08 Meeting Expectations = PL Title

'08 Falling short of Expectations = anything 3rd or lower in the PL.

[Hoyadestroya85]

Who are your returning O-Lineman, and your opinions of them?

[Fordham]

Who are your returning O-Lineman, and your opinions of them?

Returning starters:

OG - Mike Nardone 6'1 300lb - 2nd team All-PL last year and returning for his 5th year.

C - Rob Reis 6'3 300 - started last year as a frosh at OG and will move over to C to fill Breznicky. VT player of the year and he was great last year. Going to be exciting to see what he can do with a year of off-season lifting under his belt.

OT - Andrew Tyshovnytsky - 6'4 290lb - 2 year starter and now only a junior. Very good.

OT - Justin Sarabaez - 6'5 301lb - played alot as a frosh and then started last year as a soph.

Likely new starter will be one of these 3 imo:

OG - Joe Welton - 6'3 290lb - started 6 games last year and also started some as a frosh. good game experience and could easily be the starting OG instead of Pace.

or

OG - Ian Pace 6'4 275lb - sat out last year with injury. Played a lot and started a few games as a frosh, should be seamless addition to the unit. He's my guess to fill out the starting unit.

or

OG - Frank Rizzo 6'3 295lb - started a game as a frosh last year and has reputation as tough nosed kid. Also wouldn't be surprised to see him as the starter.

Either way, Argast does like to rotate quite a bit so all 3 of these plus some other guys should see alot of playing time. Again, this is all just my opinion but overall I think OL is one of the strongest units of the team. That's a credit to Ed Argast - great, great Oline coach imo.

[Hoyadestroya85]

you guys have some pretty good size on the line...
i expect you guys to have a dangerous offense this year

[ngineer]

Returning starters:

OG - Mike Nardone 6'1 300lb - 2nd team All-PL last year and returning for his 5th year.

C - Rob Reis 6'3 300 - started last year as a frosh at OG and will move over to C to fill Breznicky. VT player of the year and he was great last year. Going to be exciting to see what he can do with a year of off-season lifting under his belt.

OT - Andrew Tyshovnytsky - 6'4 290lb - 2 year starter and now only a junior. Very good.

OT - Justin Sarabaez - 6'5 301lb - played alot as a frosh and then started last year as a soph.

Likely new starter will be one of these 3 imo:

OG - Joe Welton - 6'3 290lb - started 6 games last year and also started some as a frosh. good game experience and could easily be the starting OG instead of Pace.

or

OG - Ian Pace 6'4 275lb - sat out last year with injury. Played a lot and started a few games as a frosh, should be seamless addition to the unit. He's my guess to fill out the starting unit.

or

OG - Frank Rizzo 6'3 295lb - started a game as a frosh last year and has reputation as tough nosed kid. Also wouldn't be surprised to see him as the starter.

Either way, Argast does like to rotate quite a bit so all 3 of these plus some other guys should see alot of playing time. Again, this is all just my opinion but overall I think OL is one of the strongest units of the team. That's a credit to Ed Argast - great, great Oline coach imo.

Yikes..FU loading up on the ghosts of South Philly. Does he carry a nightstick in his jock?;) Seriously, any relation to the late and former Police Chief and Mayor of Philly????xeekx

[ngineer]

Lehigh's question marks are on offense. We could be pleasantly surprised by our QB. I don't expect him to be a major weapon, but a manager of the offense. Three way competition among Bokosky, Cisneros, and Clark..with hot prospect Lum arriving from Michigan in August.

RB will be strong with McGowan, Jaren Walker, and Jay Campbell. FB also strong with Watson and Fossati.

WR needs to step up from 'adequate' to becoming playmakers. Deep threat Yansane could have a big year. More importantly, Fitzgerald, Johnson, Artim, Ivester, and Zurn need to become "Mr. Reliable" . Too many dropped balls last year that stymied drives and threats. Incoming freshman class has some high end potential that could make noise.

OL--can't be worse than last year. While we lost a all-league tackle in Kehs, three starters are returning, and we should have good size. But this position, IMO, will be the key for Lehigh's season. As will be noted below, we should have one of the top Defenses in the League and East. For our offense to be effective, the 'hogs' need to provide the daylight for the RBs and protect our young QB (whoever that may be). One thing we won't need is a young QB running for his life half the time, that our experienced QB did last year.

Defense--DL should be very good. All-American candidate Brian Jackson anchors the DL at DE, and Keith Johnson returns with Paul Bode, Jon Warren and Phil Winnett who had a super freshman year.

LBs--should be superlative. In addition to All-American candidate Tim Diamond, Matt Cohen is almost at the same level and actually may have more 'playmaking' ability via sack and interception. They'll be joined by Jr. Al Pierce, Troy Taylor, Dan Torino, and Sean Linder. Great depth with some highly thought of freshman arriving, as well.

DBs--While some starters from last year have graduated, there was very good depth and the secondary should be strong, lead by Safety Van Ackeren, along with Quadir Carter, Jesse Sanchez, Ajewole. Again some highly recruited frosh could push for time.

Special Teams--Very strong. Jason Leo was one of the leading punters in the nation last year on net yardage, and his leg looked even stronger this spring. He will also be the returning PK. Very strong leg. Randazza, a Jr, may do the kickoffs to give Leo a break.

KR--John Kennedy as a freshman established himself as one of the leaders in the PL, and should provide more thrills this year. Not sure if he'll do the PR, or whether thay may fall to one of WR's.

Overall--the adage says championships are won with defense. If the opponent doesn't score or very much, it doesn't take as much on offense to win. Lehigh will be playing from their defense, not only in preventing scoring, but in providing good field position. The offense will need some help early in the season while it jells. Lehigh should be favored against Drake in its home opener, but the second week at Villanova will be the measuring stick as to whether the Mountain Hawks will be contenders or pretenders.

[TheValleyRaider]

COLGATE
Plenty of questions, and I won't pretend to know all the answers xpeacex
__________________________________________

Offense - 9 of 11 starters returning for the Raiders. Will be the same hard-nosed, run-based, offense they've become known for. Real questions come in the passing game, but if there's improved consistency, this could be a more balanced and potent force.

QB - Alex Relph should be the starter again this year. It remains to be seen if he can improve on his decision-making. He's not going to be asked to win games, just manage them. Not going to be confused with Randolph or Skelton, but should be adequate for our needs.

RB - Jordan Scott is an okay back. He needs 748 yards to become Colgate's all-time leading rusher. Steve Hansen (in spite of his injury history) is pretty solid depth, and we seem to have good talent in the incoming freshmen, Nate Echus in particular. Eric Tupta and others provide strength and depth at FB. Jordan Scott is the best TB in the League. His backups aren't bad, but barring injury, we shouldn't have to discover the size of the gap.

WR - Pat Simonds returns, he's going to be a good receiver in this League. The question for us, with last year's top receiver Erik Burke graduating, is who will be the #2? There are plenty of options, and all have had flashes. Will any show up with enough consistency over the course of the season to give Simonds some relief? After an injury-filled year for our TEs in '07, Dillingham, Schriefer and Cvetic should provide experienced depth at a critical spot. With Scott in the backfield, they need to make enough plays to keep defenses honest. Simonds is a pretty good #1 (or at least will be), but after that they're probably middle-tier recievers at best.

OL - 4 of 5 OLine starters return for the League's best rushing attack. They are a tough, experienced, solid group led by 1st Team All-PL and HM All-American Steve Jonas that will generate holes for Scott and give Relph time to throw. The hole in the line comes at center, and we have candidates to replace Sullivan. At least one, Brian Doyle, has playing time at tackle. Still one of the League's best O-Lines. They're going to be what keeps Scott and the rest rolling along.

__________________________________________


Defense - 7 starters return, with critical departures on the Line and in the Linebackers. The backfield, on the other hand, should be a great strength

DL - Pat Nolan is going to be the man missed the most on Colgate's defense. Not as regarded as LB Gallihugh, Nolan was 3rd Team All-America. Ryan Keller leaving is also a big blow. There is returning talent to take their places, but those are huge shoes to fill. A solid unit, but there's a lot of production to replace.

LB - The other big hole on the defense is Gallihugh. Greg Hadley and Ted Marshall return for the LBs. Sophomore Chris DiMassa is said to be the front-runner for that third spot, but like Nolan up front, big shoes to fill. Just like the line, a solid group of players, but someone will need to step up and be the man if they're going to be close to a top group.

DB - Yes, they lose 1st Team All-League Cody Williams. They return starting Safties Uzi Idah and and Mike Barry, plus Corners Chris Ekpo and Wayne Moten. I would stack this group against any in the Patriot League, and given the potent passers at HC and Fordham, we're going to need them.

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Special Teams - Kicking duties go back to Jacob Stein, who lost his FG job to Mike Buck in 2006. Now he gets a 2nd go-round, but this could be one of our big weaknesses. Even extra-points could be adventurous with Stein, but maybe he's grown in 2 years. Stein is a serviceable punter, but hardly a game-changer. Cody Williams was the main return-man last season, Wayne Moten appears to be his successor. Blocking and coverage will be where you likely end up seeing most of the freshmen who get game action. The kicking game makes me nervous, and Stein's leg cost them a game or two in in 2006. Now we'll see what he can do with his second chance.

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Coaching - Dick Biddle is one win away from the all-time victories record at Colgate. In his 12 years, Biddle has had only 1 losing season and 5 League titles. He truly belongs with Andy Kerr and Fred Dunlap in the pantheon of Colgate coaches. The key name on this year's staff is new Defensive Coordinator Steve Szabo. Szabo has quite the resume, with coaching experience in the NFL and big-time college programs, including time at Boston College, Syracuse, Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan. It remains to be seen if he can get the right guys to fill our pretty big defensive holes, but based on past experience, both his and Biddle's, I feel we're in pretty good hands. Colgate's lost a number of great assistants over the years, but Biddle and the crew around him keep on rolling. Arguably the best coach in the League.

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Overall - Expectations will be high within the Colgate camp because they always are. Biddle expects his teams to be competitive, and rarely are they not. Many players return from last year's team that just missed out on the League title, though the one's that don't leave big shoes to fill. How effectively those holes are filled (at #2 WR, Center, DLine, LB and Kicker) will determine just how competitive they'll be. A tough early schedule could doom their at-large chances before League play even begins, or could push their confidence to high levels. Lots of questions to be answered. Unless they all go wrong, the homer in me says this team can win the League. If nothing else, I think they'll be in the hunt again.

'08 Exceeding Expectations = League title and a Playoff win

'08 Meeting Expectations = Being competitive for both a title and at-large spot

'08 Falling short of Expectations = Questions don't get answered, and it's 2006 all over again

[Fordham]

Lehigh's question marks are on offense. We could be pleasantly surprised by our QB. I don't expect him to be a major weapon, but a manager of the offense. Three way competition among Bokosky, Cisneros, and Clark..with hot prospect Lum arriving from Michigan in August.

RB will be strong with McGowan, Jaren Walker, and Jay Campbell. FB also strong with Watson and Fossati.

WR needs to step up from 'adequate' to becoming playmakers. Deep threat Yansane could have a big year. More importantly, Fitzgerald, Johnson, Artim, Ivester, and Zurn need to become "Mr. Reliable" . Too many dropped balls last year that stymied drives and threats. Incoming freshman class has some high end potential that could make noise.

OL--can't be worse than last year. While we lost a all-league tackle in Kehs, three starters are returning, and we should have good size. But this position, IMO, will be the key for Lehigh's season. As will be noted below, we should have one of the top Defenses in the League and East. For our offense to be effective, the 'hogs' need to provide the daylight for the RBs and protect our young QB (whoever that may be). One thing we won't need is a young QB running for his life half the time, that our experienced QB did last year.

Defense--DL should be very good. All-American candidate Brian Jackson anchors the DL at DE, and Keith Johnson returns with Paul Bode, Jon Warren and Phil Winnett who had a super freshman year.

LBs--should be superlative. In addition to All-American candidate Tim Diamond, Matt Cohen is almost at the same level and actually may have more 'playmaking' ability via sack and interception. They'll be joined by Jr. Al Pierce, Troy Taylor, Dan Torino, and Sean Linder. Great depth with some highly thought of freshman arriving, as well.

DBs--While some starters from last year have graduated, there was very good depth and the secondary should be strong, lead by Safety Van Ackeren, along with Quadir Carter, Jesse Sanchez, Ajewole. Again some highly recruited frosh could push for time.

Special Teams--Very strong. Jason Leo was one of the leading punters in the nation last year on net yardage, and his leg looked even stronger this spring. He will also be the returning PK. Very strong leg. Randazza, a Jr, may do the kickoffs to give Leo a break.

KR--John Kennedy as a freshman established himself as one of the leaders in the PL, and should provide more thrills this year. Not sure if he'll do the PR, or whether thay may fall to one of WR's.

Overall--the adage says championships are won with defense. If the opponent doesn't score or very much, it doesn't take as much on offense to win. Lehigh will be playing from their defense, not only in preventing scoring, but in providing good field position. The offense will need some help early in the season while it jells. Lehigh should be favored against Drake in its home opener, but the second week at Villanova will be the measuring stick as to whether the Mountain Hawks will be contenders or pretenders.

Good stuff, ng. So much of your season is going to come down Oline and QB it appears, but boy that D looks like it'll be tough. Going to be very interesting to see what HC and our O can do against you and Laffy's D's. I think Colgate's O is going to be very good as well but certainly a different style than the light-it-up style that HC and Fordham should have this year.

[Fordham]

COLGATE
Plenty of questions, and I won't pretend to know all the answers xpeacex
__________________________________________

Offense - 9 of 11 starters returning for the Raiders. Will be the same hard-nosed, run-based, offense they've become known for. Real questions come in the passing game, but if there's improved consistency, this could be a more balanced and potent force.

QB - Alex Relph should be the starter again this year. It remains to be seen if he can improve on his decision-making. He's not going to be asked to win games, just manage them. Not going to be confused with Randolph or Skelton, but should be adequate for our needs.

RB - Jordan Scott is an okay back. He needs 748 yards to become Colgate's all-time leading rusher. Steve Hansen (in spite of his injury history) is pretty solid depth, and we seem to have good talent in the incoming freshmen, Nate Echus in particular. Eric Tupta and others provide strength and depth at FB. Jordan Scott is the best TB in the League. His backups aren't bad, but barring injury, we shouldn't have to discover the size of the gap.

WR - Pat Simonds returns, he's going to be a good receiver in this League. The question for us, with last year's top receiver Erik Burke graduating, is who will be the #2? There are plenty of options, and all have had flashes. Will any show up with enough consistency over the course of the season to give Simonds some relief? After an injury-filled year for our TEs in '07, Dillingham, Schriefer and Cvetic should provide experienced depth at a critical spot. With Scott in the backfield, they need to make enough plays to keep defenses honest. Simonds is a pretty good #1 (or at least will be), but after that they're probably middle-tier recievers at best.

OL - 4 of 5 OLine starters return for the League's best rushing attack. They are a tough, experienced, solid group led by 1st Team All-PL and HM All-American Steve Jonas that will generate holes for Scott and give Relph time to throw. The hole in the line comes at center, and we have candidates to replace Sullivan. At least one, Brian Doyle, has playing time at tackle. Still one of the League's best O-Lines. They're going to be what keeps Scott and the rest rolling along.

__________________________________________


Defense - 7 starters return, with critical departures on the Line and in the Linebackers. The backfield, on the other hand, should be a great strength

DL - Pat Nolan is going to be the man missed the most on Colgate's defense. Not as regarded as LB Gallihugh, Nolan was 3rd Team All-America. Ryan Keller leaving is also a big blow. There is returning talent to take their places, but those are huge shoes to fill. A solid unit, but there's a lot of production to replace.

LB - The other big hole on the defense is Gallihugh. Greg Hadley and Ted Marshall return for the LBs. Sophomore Chris DiMassa is said to be the front-runner for that third spot, but like Nolan up front, big shoes to fill. Just like the line, a solid group of players, but someone will need to step up and be the man if they're going to be close to a top group.

DB - Yes, they lose 1st Team All-League Cody Williams. They return starting Safties Uzi Idah and and Mike Barry, plus Corners Chris Ekpo and Wayne Moten. I would stack this group against any in the Patriot League, and given the potent passers at HC and Fordham, we're going to need them.

__________________________________________

Special Teams - Kicking duties go back to Jacob Stein, who lost his FG job to Mike Buck in 2006. Now he gets a 2nd go-round, but this could be one of our big weaknesses. Even extra-points could be adventurous with Stein, but maybe he's grown in 2 years. Stein is a serviceable punter, but hardly a game-changer. Cody Williams was the main return-man last season, Wayne Moten appears to be his successor. Blocking and coverage will be where you likely end up seeing most of the freshmen who get game action. The kicking game makes me nervous, and Stein's leg cost them a game or two in in 2006. Now we'll see what he can do with his second chance.

__________________________________________

Coaching - Dick Biddle is one win away from the all-time victories record at Colgate. In his 12 years, Biddle has had only 1 losing season and 5 League titles. He truly belongs with Andy Kerr and Fred Dunlap in the pantheon of Colgate coaches. The key name on this year's staff is new Defensive Coordinator Steve Szabo. Szabo has quite the resume, with coaching experience in the NFL and big-time college programs, including time at Boston College, Syracuse, Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan. It remains to be seen if he can get the right guys to fill our pretty big defensive holes, but based on past experience, both his and Biddle's, I feel we're in pretty good hands. Colgate's lost a number of great assistants over the years, but Biddle and the crew around him keep on rolling. Arguably the best coach in the League.

__________________________________________

Overall - Expectations will be high within the Colgate camp because they always are. Biddle expects his teams to be competitive, and rarely are they not. Many players return from last year's team that just missed out on the League title, though the one's that don't leave big shoes to fill. How effectively those holes are filled (at #2 WR, Center, DLine, LB and Kicker) will determine just how competitive they'll be. A tough early schedule could doom their at-large chances before League play even begins, or could push their confidence to high levels. Lots of questions to be answered. Unless they all go wrong, the homer in me says this team can win the League. If nothing else, I think they'll be in the hunt again.

'08 Exceeding Expectations = League title and a Playoff win

'08 Meeting Expectations = Being competitive for both a title and at-large spot

'08 Falling short of Expectations = Questions don't get answered, and it's 2006 all over again


Also sounds very tough and a Biddle team can never be counted out and typically exceeds expectations. D is the big question. Will be interesting battles against HC & us with the grind it out style v. air-it-out.

The one thing that I'm pretty confident in is that Eachus will be on the field on both sides of the ball and that he'll be used in a variety of ways and he's good enough to be a difference maker for you guys this year. And 'yes' I'm fully aware of the hyperbole I'm using for an incoming frosh ... I just think he's the type of kid that's going to come in and make a huge impact as a frosh. He's gritty enough to play several positions on D ... he'll clearly be a special teams beast and I think they'll find a way to drive teams nuts by having him move around the backfield and possibly the slot to present another weapon on O. Going to be interesting looking back on this thread in a few months to see if that's accurate or if he's just another frosh.

[TheValleyRaider]

Also sounds very tough and a Biddle team can never be counted out and typically exceeds expectations. D is the big question. Will be interesting battles against HC & us with the grind it out style v. air-it-out.

From all accounts, those were great battles with "Air Lehigh" in the 90s. Can't say I would mind seeing a some great contrasting styles matchups in the next year or two xthumbsupx


The one thing that I'm pretty confident in is that Eachus will be on the field on both sides of the ball and that he'll be used in a variety of ways and he's good enough to be a difference maker for you guys this year. And 'yes' I'm fully aware of the hyperbole I'm using for an incoming frosh ... I just think he's the type of kid that's going to come in and make a huge impact as a frosh. He's gritty enough to play several positions on D ... he'll clearly be a special teams beast and I think they'll find a way to drive teams nuts by having him move around the backfield and possibly the slot to present another weapon on O. Going to be interesting looking back on this thread in a few months to see if that's accurate or if he's just another frosh.

My guess on Eachus' use comes from what I know regarding Biddle's style. I shouldn't feel overly confident given that we are replacing some key players, but we always manage to fill those holes. Losing the guys we do on defense should hurt, but we always manage to field a good defense. That's more a reflection of the faith I have in the coaching staff.

Similarly, Biddle doesn't like to use freshmen. Scott started, yeah, but he was also 4th string and only played because everyone else got hurt. Otherwise, you might only have learned his name last season when he was spotting JJ Bennett or Steve Hansen. Couple of injuries, and now he's likely to be the school's leading rusher. My point is that it wouldn't surprise me at all if Eachus doesn't get a lot of playing time. Charles Babb was a highly touted QB recruit coming in last year, now he's at least 4th on the depth chart at the moment and there are rumors he'll end up on the defensive side of the ball anyway.

The biggest thing really is, while I have faith in the coaching staff, I also have to, because they tend to hold things very close to the vest. If Biddle and his crew have a plan for Eachus (or any of our other recent recruits) we're not likely to know about it until he runs them out onto the field

[Go...gate]

COLGATE
Plenty of questions, and I won't pretend to know all the answers xpeacex
__________________________________________

Offense - 9 of 11 starters returning for the Raiders. Will be the same hard-nosed, run-based, offense they've become known for. Real questions come in the passing game, but if there's improved consistency, this could be a more balanced and potent force.

QB - Alex Relph should be the starter again this year. It remains to be seen if he can improve on his decision-making. He's not going to be asked to win games, just manage them. Not going to be confused with Randolph or Skelton, but should be adequate for our needs.

RB - Jordan Scott is an okay back. He needs 748 yards to become Colgate's all-time leading rusher. Steve Hansen (in spite of his injury history) is pretty solid depth, and we seem to have good talent in the incoming freshmen, Nate Echus in particular. Eric Tupta and others provide strength and depth at FB. Jordan Scott is the best TB in the League. His backups aren't bad, but barring injury, we shouldn't have to discover the size of the gap.

WR - Pat Simonds returns, he's going to be a good receiver in this League. The question for us, with last year's top receiver Erik Burke graduating, is who will be the #2? There are plenty of options, and all have had flashes. Will any show up with enough consistency over the course of the season to give Simonds some relief? After an injury-filled year for our TEs in '07, Dillingham, Schriefer and Cvetic should provide experienced depth at a critical spot. With Scott in the backfield, they need to make enough plays to keep defenses honest. Simonds is a pretty good #1 (or at least will be), but after that they're probably middle-tier recievers at best.

OL - 4 of 5 OLine starters return for the League's best rushing attack. They are a tough, experienced, solid group led by 1st Team All-PL and HM All-American Steve Jonas that will generate holes for Scott and give Relph time to throw. The hole in the line comes at center, and we have candidates to replace Sullivan. At least one, Brian Doyle, has playing time at tackle. Still one of the League's best O-Lines. They're going to be what keeps Scott and the rest rolling along.

__________________________________________


Defense - 7 starters return, with critical departures on the Line and in the Linebackers. The backfield, on the other hand, should be a great strength

DL - Pat Nolan is going to be the man missed the most on Colgate's defense. Not as regarded as LB Gallihugh, Nolan was 3rd Team All-America. Ryan Keller leaving is also a big blow. There is returning talent to take their places, but those are huge shoes to fill. A solid unit, but there's a lot of production to replace.

LB - The other big hole on the defense is Gallihugh. Greg Hadley and Ted Marshall return for the LBs. Sophomore Chris DiMassa is said to be the front-runner for that third spot, but like Nolan up front, big shoes to fill. Just like the line, a solid group of players, but someone will need to step up and be the man if they're going to be close to a top group.

DB - Yes, they lose 1st Team All-League Cody Williams. They return starting Safties Uzi Idah and and Mike Barry, plus Corners Chris Ekpo and Wayne Moten. I would stack this group against any in the Patriot League, and given the potent passers at HC and Fordham, we're going to need them.

__________________________________________

Special Teams - Kicking duties go back to Jacob Stein, who lost his FG job to Mike Buck in 2006. Now he gets a 2nd go-round, but this could be one of our big weaknesses. Even extra-points could be adventurous with Stein, but maybe he's grown in 2 years. Stein is a serviceable punter, but hardly a game-changer. Cody Williams was the main return-man last season, Wayne Moten appears to be his successor. Blocking and coverage will be where you likely end up seeing most of the freshmen who get game action. The kicking game makes me nervous, and Stein's leg cost them a game or two in in 2006. Now we'll see what he can do with his second chance.

__________________________________________

Coaching - Dick Biddle is one win away from the all-time victories record at Colgate. In his 12 years, Biddle has had only 1 losing season and 5 League titles. He truly belongs with Andy Kerr and Fred Dunlap in the pantheon of Colgate coaches. The key name on this year's staff is new Defensive Coordinator Steve Szabo. Szabo has quite the resume, with coaching experience in the NFL and big-time college programs, including time at Boston College, Syracuse, Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan. It remains to be seen if he can get the right guys to fill our pretty big defensive holes, but based on past experience, both his and Biddle's, I feel we're in pretty good hands. Colgate's lost a number of great assistants over the years, but Biddle and the crew around him keep on rolling. Arguably the best coach in the League.

__________________________________________

Overall - Expectations will be high within the Colgate camp because they always are. Biddle expects his teams to be competitive, and rarely are they not. Many players return from last year's team that just missed out on the League title, though the one's that don't leave big shoes to fill. How effectively those holes are filled (at #2 WR, Center, DLine, LB and Kicker) will determine just how competitive they'll be. A tough early schedule could doom their at-large chances before League play even begins, or could push their confidence to high levels. Lots of questions to be answered. Unless they all go wrong, the homer in me says this team can win the League. If nothing else, I think they'll be in the hunt again.

'08 Exceeding Expectations = League title and a Playoff win

'08 Meeting Expectations = Being competitive for both a title and at-large spot

'08 Falling short of Expectations = Questions don't get answered, and it's 2006 all over again

Nice work, ValleyRaider!

[LBPop]

Quick take on Georgetown:

QB - Likely a freshman. Yikes!
RB - As good as there is in the PL (and yes, I love Jordan Scott)
WR - One possible sleeper, the rest will be new
OL - One or two solid players; undersized

DL - Undersized, but a couple of solid people
LB - Probably manned by two excellent sophomores who played a lot in 2007. This will be a strength.
DB - One outstanding safety, the rest are a question mark

Lots of opportunities for freshmen...especially on the line. However, if the published weights of the recruited linemen are correct, it will be more of the same in DC--valiant linemen getting pushed around. And QB's, RBs, LBs, and DB's will pay for it. xsmhx

[carney2]

Lafayette

I'll let Andy and some of the true "insiders" fill in the details, but here is a quick and dirty starter kit:

OFFENSE

QB: The faithful believe that junior Rob Curley is the real deal. He started the last 4 games of 2007, winning 3 and gutting out a thrilling finish vs. Lehigh with a broken hand. The backup situation is a bit muddled with 3 sophomores in the mix, surprisingly led by Marc Quilling who was generally thought of as a throw in as a recruit.

RB: Maurice White will be the probable starter as a redshirt junior. If he can stay healthy he should be impressive. Backup Tyrell Coon appears to be above average.

WR: Led by senior Shaun Adair this could be the best group of receivers on College Hill within anyone's memory. Fellow senior Tim Watson is quick and experienced, but this group will make or break based on the performance of 3 sophomore phenoms.

TE: Tavani likes his TEs to be blockers first and pass catchers second. He has a good one in 6-2, 245 senior Michael Conte, but 6-2, 255 junior Adam Gill suffered an injury last season and is not currently on the 2008 roster. This position is one gimpy knee away from being a problem since there is no known quality, and certainly no experience, on the depth chart.

OL: The only real question on this team. A thin group to begin with has been further depleted by some serious medical problems. Tavani has taken the unusual step of switching one or two bodies from defense to shore things up.

DEFENSE

DL: There are enough DLs here to stock two or three teams. There is experience and size so this will be another formidable group.

LB: Led by last year's PL Defensive Player of the Year, Andy Romans, this group also appears solid, but possibly a bit thin. Junior Mark Leggiero will man one of the other spots, but the 3rd position is a bit unsettled. Don't be surprised to see a freshman or two in the mix as the season grinds along.

DB: There is enough speed and experience returning to consider this a team strength. This will be particularly true since they will be playing behind a very good front seven that should take some of the pressure off.

K/PK: The punting chores appear to be in the hands of sophomore Tom Kondash who has unfortunately not shown much in his JV and other appearances. The place kicking duties will once again be handled by sophomore Davis Rodriguez who is cool and accurate, but has questionable leg strength.

KR: Shaun Adair is exceptional. Tavani needs to get rid of the 3 deep on kickoffs to force the ball into Adair's hands.

COACHING: A real love affair has developed between the Pard faithful and head coach Frank Tavani, Asst. Head Coach and now Offensive coordinator Bob Hefner, and Defensive Coordinator John Loose. Last year's OC, Mike Faragalli has moved on to take a similar position at Richmond. The coaching staff has added Passing Game Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach Mickey Fein who is very experienced in the spread offense. A lot of us can't wait to see what happens here because Tavani is on record as despising the spread, but with his OL problems he may be forced to reduce his reliance on inside zone blocking and leather helmet play calling to go up top a little more and showcase some of those receivers.

EXPECTATIONS

Great: A PL championship, some OOC wins that begin to get some monkeys off our backs, and, of course, a full course feast of ChickenSquawk.

OK, but we really hoped for more: A PL championship and a plucking of the Featherheads

Disappointing: Anything less than a PL championship.

SUMMARY: In the hunt along with Fordham and Colgate. In my opinion, no one else need apply.

[Fordham]

Good take on the line ,Fordham. But, a couple of corrections. Rob Reis will be a Junior. Justin Sarabaez will be a Senior, and Ian Pace played all last season as the 6th man. He came in at either tackle and guys would move around to give everyone a break, except Brez, who played every down at center. I agree it should be a great unit. By the way, at the spring game, Amen Igbinuson was the starter at LG. Can't wait to see what this team can do. With a little improvement on D, I think they can be a real playoff contender.
Hey guys - proving that no matter how die hard you are and how well informed you think you might be ... there's always someone better informed and more die hard, I received the above PM from OLPOP who corrected my Oline information, particularly as it relates to classes for the kids.

OLPOP - hope you don't mind me posting a PM here but I wanted to give you credit for the info and didn't think there was anything here that would make you uncomfortable with me posting it. Thanks for the info!!

PS - fwiw, Amen Igbinoson that OLPOP references above is listed as 6'4 305lb in last year's roster (which is where I got tripped up a bit on my post when confirming classes xoopsx ).

[OLPOP]

No problem.

[ngineer]

Lehigh's question marks are on offense. We could be pleasantly surprised by our QB. I don't expect him to be a major weapon, but a manager of the offense. Three way competition among Bokosky, Cisneros, and Clark..with hot prospect Lum arriving from Michigan in August.

RB will be strong with McGowan, Jaren Walker, and Jay Campbell. FB also strong with Watson and Fossati.

WR needs to step up from 'adequate' to becoming playmakers. Deep threat Yansane could have a big year. More importantly, Fitzgerald, Johnson, Artim, Ivester, and Zurn need to become "Mr. Reliable" . Too many dropped balls last year that stymied drives and threats. Incoming freshman class has some high end potential that could make noise.

OL--can't be worse than last year. While we lost a all-league tackle in Kehs, three starters are returning, and we should have good size. But this position, IMO, will be the key for Lehigh's season. As will be noted below, we should have one of the top Defenses in the League and East. For our offense to be effective, the 'hogs' need to provide the daylight for the RBs and protect our young QB (whoever that may be). One thing we won't need is a young QB running for his life half the time, that our experienced QB did last year.

Defense--DL should be very good. All-American candidate Brian Jackson anchors the DL at DE, and Keith Johnson returns with Paul Bode, Jon Warren and Phil Winnett who had a super freshman year.

LBs--should be superlative. In addition to All-American candidate Tim Diamond, Matt Cohen is almost at the same level and actually may have more 'playmaking' ability via sack and interception. They'll be joined by Jr. Al Pierce, Troy Taylor, Dan Torino, and Sean Linder. Great depth with some highly thought of freshman arriving, as well.

DBs--While some starters from last year have graduated, there was very good depth and the secondary should be strong, lead by Safety Van Ackeren, along with Quadir Carter, Jesse Sanchez, Ajewole. Again some highly recruited frosh could push for time.

Special Teams--Very strong. Jason Leo was one of the leading punters in the nation last year on net yardage, and his leg looked even stronger this spring. He will also be the returning PK. Very strong leg. Randazza, a Jr, may do the kickoffs to give Leo a break.

KR--John Kennedy as a freshman established himself as one of the leaders in the PL, and should provide more thrills this year. Not sure if he'll do the PR, or whether thay may fall to one of WR's.

Overall--the adage says championships are won with defense. If the opponent doesn't score or very much, it doesn't take as much on offense to win. Lehigh will be playing from their defense, not only in preventing scoring, but in providing good field position. The offense will need some help early in the season while it jells. Lehigh should be favored against Drake in its home opener, but the second week at Villanova will be the measuring stick as to whether the Mountain Hawks will be contenders or pretenders.

Failed to give my 'expectations' view...:o

Exceeding expectations: PL Title and post-season win(s)

Meeting expectations: Being in the hunt for the PL title on November 22.

Below expectations: Record under 7-4

[colorless raider]

My thoughts on Gate. Alex Relph is more than a manager. He is a coach on the field and really runs the show. His decison makeng was in question only a couple of times, most notably in the Holy Cross game. WR Simonds will be better than good. The O line will be the best in the PL. Our problems-and I hope we don't have one-will be on the defense as we have a new system and some tough shoes to fill as was pointed out in Galihugh and Nolan along with Williams and Keller. How fast the new unit jells will be a key in the seson. I think Eachus will play but maybe not as much as folks think. There are some other frosh LB's who I think will see time if they play like hs film indicates they can. Remember that Eachus is listed as atb for now and with Scoot healthy he won't be on the field that much.

[ngineer]

My thoughts on Gate. Alex Relph is more than a manager. He is a coach on the field and really runs the show. His decison makeng was in question only a couple of times, most notably in the Holy Cross game. WR Simonds will be better than good. The O line will be the best in the PL. Our problems-and I hope we don't have one-will be on the defense as we have a new system and some tough shoes to fill as was pointed out in Galihugh and Nolan along with Williams and Keller. How fast the new unit jells will be a key in the seson. I think Eachus will play but maybe not as much as folks think. There are some other frosh LB's who I think will see time if they play like hs film indicates they can. Remember that Eachus is listed as atb for now and with Scoot healthy he won't be on the field that much.


I wouldn't be surprised if Eachus becomes a linebacker.

[DFW HOYA]

More on the Hoyas, albeit at a distance:
__________________________________________

Offense - 7 of 11 starters return, but not the impact ones from 2007. Georgetown loses its most consistent QB in the last decade and two of its top three pass recipients from 2007. Who steps up?

QB - Any QB depth from 2007 is, well, gone. One graduated, one was reassigned as a FB, two quit, and two rising sophomores remain, none of whom has taken a snap to date. As many as seven QB prospects arrive at the unfinished MSF grounds in August, and one (or more) will have carry the load in 2008. Georgetown's ongoing rotation at QB has been the story of its years in the PL. In the six seasons prior to joining the PL, just two QB's started for the Hoyas. Since 2001, the Hoyas have gone through 10 different starters. I could see as many as three different starters this season.

RB - LBPop is big on Charlie Houghton but I just haven't seen enough of him to sign up. He has just 4 rushing TD's in two years and 858 yards overall; granted, some of this is due to injury but he hasn't taken a game over by any stretch. He's essential for this team, but this really has to be the year. A name to watch: freshman Keion Wade.

WR - Georgetown's passing rarely looked beyond 5-10 yards, so without a change in play calling, it's hard to judge what its capable of. I'm still waiting for Kenny Mitchell to get a chance to excel as a receiver, not a punt returner.

OL - What LBPop said. Another year of experience, but 25-30 lbs. short against every team but one all season.

__________________________________________


Defense - 7 starters return.

DL - As said above, still a bit small to challenge in the backfield.

LB - Georgetown traditionally fares well at the LB position and I expect similar efforts this year. Nick Parrish should have a solid year.

Secondary: Returns three of four, but the Hoyas have traditionally been beaten up by pass-oriented teams (see "Holy Cross").

__________________________________________

Special Teams - Georgetown graduated its punter, placekicker, and snapper.

__________________________________________

Coaching - Since 1932, only one Georgetown coach has posted a sub-.500 mark as a head coach, and since 1887 none have finished more than five games under .500. That this staff enters 2008 at 3-19 is unprecedented in this program and year three is the time to turn this around.
__________________________________________

Overall Expectations- Overall, Georgetown deserves better, and I want to see this team step up and succeed. But I don't think "expectations" are even in the vocabulary at this point.

[Go...gate]

My thoughts on Gate. Alex Relph is more than a manager. He is a coach on the field and really runs the show. His decison makeng was in question only a couple of times, most notably in the Holy Cross game. WR Simonds will be better than good. The O line will be the best in the PL. Our problems-and I hope we don't have one-will be on the defense as we have a new system and some tough shoes to fill as was pointed out in Galihugh and Nolan along with Williams and Keller. How fast the new unit jells will be a key in the seson. I think Eachus will play but maybe not as much as folks think. There are some other frosh LB's who I think will see time if they play like hs film indicates they can. Remember that Eachus is listed as atb for now and with Scoot healthy he won't be on the field that much.

Alex Relph is a fine QB. Provided he avoids injury, and Scott plays as he is capable, Colgate's offense will be fine. Doesn't look like we have great speed at receiver, though, unless I have missed somebody coming back.

[Andy]

Lafayette

I'll let Andy and some of the true "insiders" fill in the details, but here is a quick and dirty starter kit:

OFFENSE

QB: The faithful believe that junior Rob Curley is the real deal. He started the last 4 games of 2007, winning 3 and gutting out a thrilling finish vs. Lehigh with a broken hand. The backup situation is a bit muddled with 3 sophomores in the mix, surprisingly led by Marc Quilling who was generally thought of as a throw in as a recruit.

RB: Maurice White will be the probable starter as a redshirt junior. If he can stay healthy he should be impressive. Backup Tyrell Coon appears to be above average.

WR: Led by senior Shaun Adair this could be the best group of receivers on College Hill within anyone's memory. Fellow senior Tim Watson is quick and experienced, but this group will make or break based on the performance of 3 sophomore phenoms.

TE: Tavani likes his TEs to be blockers first and pass catchers second. He has a good one in 6-2, 245 senior Michael Conte, but 6-2, 255 junior Adam Gill suffered an injury last season and is not currently on the 2008 roster. This position is one gimpy knee away from being a problem since there is no known quality, and certainly no experience, on the depth chart.

OL: The only real question on this team. A thin group to begin with has been further depleted by some serious medical problems. Tavani has taken the unusual step of switching one or two bodies from defense to shore things up.

DEFENSE

DL: There are enough DLs here to stock two or three teams. There is experience and size so this will be another formidable group.

LB: Led by last year's PL Defensive Player of the Year, Andy Romans, this group also appears solid, but possibly a bit thin. Junior Mark Leggiero will man one of the other spots, but the 3rd position is a bit unsettled. Don't be surprised to see a freshman or two in the mix as the season grinds along.

DB: There is enough speed and experience returning to consider this a team strength. This will be particularly true since they will be playing behind a very good front seven that should take some of the pressure off.

K/PK: The punting chores appear to be in the hands of sophomore Tom Kondash who has unfortunately not shown much in his JV and other appearances. The place kicking duties will once again be handled by sophomore Davis Rodriguez who is cool and accurate, but has questionable leg strength.

KR: Shaun Adair is exceptional. Tavani needs to get rid of the 3 deep on kickoffs to force the ball into Adair's hands.

COACHING: A real love affair has developed between the Pard faithful and head coach Frank Tavani, Asst. Head Coach and now Offensive coordinator Bob Hefner, and Defensive Coordinator John Loose. Last year's OC, Mike Faragalli has moved on to take a similar position at Richmond. The coaching staff has added Passing Game Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach Mickey Fein who is very experienced in the spread offense. A lot of us can't wait to see what happens here because Tavani is on record as despising the spread, but with his OL problems he may be forced to reduce his reliance on inside zone blocking and leather helmet play calling to go up top a little more and showcase some of those receivers.

EXPECTATIONS

Great: A PL championship, some OOC wins that begin to get some monkeys off our backs, and, of course, a full course feast of ChickenSquawk.

OK, but we really hoped for more: A PL championship and a plucking of the Featherheads

Disappointing: Anything less than a PL championship.

SUMMARY: In the hunt along with Fordham and Colgate. In my opinion, no one else need apply.

Great assessment of the Leopards, carney!

There's a lot to be excited about in this year's two deep. Without a clue as to our QB situation, last year's first place vote in the league's pre-season poll was ridiculous. This year IMO we'll be underrated.