CAA Forecast - Northeastern

[jstclmet]

The Pluses:
1. 14 Starters return (5 Off, 7 Def, + 2 St)
2. OL comes back 3/5 (RG Morris 6'6 292 lbs, RT Newhall 6'4 289, LT Niland 6'5 291).
3. The play @ Parson's field which can be a "X" factor on "Any Given Saturday".

The Negatives:
1. One small DL returns (Vega 6'5 246)
2. Last year's Def gave up 29.1 PPG, 189.8 Rushing YPG, 238.4 Pass YPG. and doesn't look much better this year.
3. Offense will be in major rebuild mold.

The schedule:

9/5 @ Boston College. BC will run away with this thing early routing the Huskies 56 - 0.

9/12 vs Maine. Maine comes into this season loaded for bear, and pushes the Huskies all over the field for a 27 - 3 victory.

9/19 vs Youngstown St. Like Maine, YSU also comes back loaded with talent and runs through and round the smaller Husky defense in a 21 - 7 win.

9/26 @ Villanova. The Huskies suffer their 4th straight loss while getting bullied by Nova 28 - 7.

10/3 vs Holy Cross. If HC isn't ranked by now, they should be. A tough matchup for the Huskies as HC pulls away in the 2nd half 25 - 13.

10/10 vs William & Mary. NU faces another ranked team and loses 7 - 24 as the Tribe's ground game is too tough for NJ.

10/17 A much needed Bye

10/24 vs Towson. The sun shines on the Huskies as they hang on to win in front of the home crowd against the equally depeleted Tigers 21 - 16.

10/31 @ New Hampshire. The Wildcats run away from the Huskies early enroute to a 35 - 13 win.

11/7 @ UMass. The Huskies lose again to a much more physical UMass squad on the road 31 - 16.

11/14 vs Hofstra. HU returns to much on both sides of the ball for NU to contend with. Keeping the ball on the ground, HU wins 42 - 21.

11/21 @ Rhode Island. In the season finale, the Rams prove victorious at home in a close 21 - 17 win.

CAA 1 - 7, Overall 1 - 10

[Husky Alum]

Over on NU's boards, here's what I said...

@ UCH - Big Loss
Maine - Loss in front of a big crowd, there goes student interest for another season.
YSU - Win
@ Nova - Ugly Loss
Holy Cross - Loss
W&M - another Ugly Loss, CAA South is loaded this year
Towson - Win
@ UNH - Loss, although we do play well up there, so could be a trick or treat.
@ UMass - Loss, we never win there
Hofstra - Win (Homecoming)
@ URI - Win

I've got 4-7 and 3-5 in the CAA, so your standard Rocky Hager season.

While 1-10 isn't out of the question with a new QB, I'm a little more optimistic. Parsons has a tendency to work its magic a couple of times every season on unsuspecting opponents (this means you, Youngstown).

For those who care, I don't think we've won at UMass since like 1960.

[NU Hound29]

For those who care, I don't think we've won at UMass since like 1960.

10/25/58 12-0 W Road

Ugh....

To top that off we have only won twice against the Zoo since then as well!

@ UCH - Loss but tighter than some think, but loss none the less
Maine - Loss
YSU - Loss
@ Nova - Loss
Holy Cross - Win
W&M - Loss
Towson - Win
@ UNH - Win
@ UMass - Loss (1958!!)
Hofstra - Win
@ URI - Win

5-6 overall...

[Cobblestone]

Sounds like you guys need to do with Hager what we did with Stowers.

I'm not saying you guys will beat BC (or us) but I do think the game could be closer than most think. BC has pretty much been snake bitten this off season. First there was the coaching fiasco, then their defensive captain (Herzlich) has a form of cancer and will miss this season, then their starting QB (Davis) flunks out of school. Add all of this to a first year HC plus the fact that this will be the first game of the season and I think a close scoring game is not at all out of the question.

I think you guys will pull off an upset of Youngstown. If nothing else those guys will be in a state of shock when they see Parsons Field.

xsmiley_wix ...just kidding about Parsons, I think it's actually a pretty good place to watch a game.

[TheMinuteman]

How do you think NU is going to beat UNH?

[Husky Alum]

How do you think NU is going to beat UNH?

2 power play goals.


Oh, wrong sport.

[NU Hound29]

How do you think NU is going to beat UNH?

The same way they have beat them two out of the last three years? xconfusedx

[SOCAL]

What is ironic is that NE could have had RJ Toman( current starting QB at New Hampshire) but Hager didn't think much of him

Toman was initially contacted by a former coach at NE who was living in the southern California during his junior year when he was the backup to Mark Sanchez (New York Jets draftee) but played a lot because Toman's high school team blew out everyone and ended the season as the No.2 ranked team in the country.

Toman has many relatives living in the New England area and wanted to attend school and play football on the East Coast

Toman with his Mom and Dad on their own dime visited several East Coast schools that winter and met Hager in Boston through the former coach who set up the introduction.

Toman never heard from Northeastern again even though he attended the BC football camp that summer and tried to contact Hager several times. Chip Kelly the UNH OC at the time saw Toman at the camp and the rest is history.

RJ is a good friend of mine and he wanted to play in Boston

[Eaglesrus]

If nothing else those guys will be in a state of shock when they see Parsons Field.

xsmiley_wix ...just kidding about Parsons, I think it's actually a pretty good place to watch a game.

I would say that must have been what happened to us in 2005, but as it turned out we weren't as good as I thought we would be that year, either. That was a great extended labor Day weekend trip, though.

[NU Hound29]

I would say that must have been what happened to us in 2005, but as it turned out we weren't as good as I thought we would be that year, either. That was a great extended labor Day weekend trip, though.

You aren't the first team, nor the last that can't play at Parsons

[Uncle Buck]

I have to get up there for a game and see for myself if it is as bad as advertised. This Parsons mystique has me very interested in seeing it first hand.

[NU Hound29]

I have to get up there for a game and see for myself if it is as bad as advertised. This Parsons mystique has me very interested in seeing it first hand.

I think the thing that is surprising is that it is not rundown if you know what I mean. They do a decent job with its upkeep its just small and in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

http://www.astroturfusa.com/resources/images/Northeastern.jpg

http://www.gonu.com/facilities/parsons.jpg

[WMTribe90]

You must come internally motivated to play at Parsons. There is no feeding off the crowd. Somehow the lack of a college gameday atmosphere doesn't seem to bother the home team. Many visiting teams are lulled to sleep though. Hard to reverse momentum too, as any excitement for a mo change must be generated from within. Games there have the feel of a spring game. You're in your game uniform and their are refs, but it doesn't really feel like a game sometimes.

[Cobblestone]

I think the thing that is surprising is that it is not rundown if you know what I mean. They do a decent job with its upkeep its just small and in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
http://www.astroturfusa.com/resources/images/Northeastern.jpg

http://www.gonu.com/facilities/parsons.jpg

That's true; it's actually a nice place. I might add that they have one of the best concession stands of any football stadium that I have ever been to. It really is a hoot though when you see its location. For one thing you've got a house right across the street from the opposite goal post in the picture. I remember watching us play there last season and as I'm sitting on the visiting side and watching the game through my binos I caught a glimpse of the guy who lives on the second floor of a house next door to Parsons; dude was watching the game from his kitchen table.

Right behind the visitor’s stands is the baseball dugout. I noticed an exercise bike in the dugout so I jumped on it and rode it during halftime. It was a cold day and it was a great way to stay warm.


Parsons is one unique place a game.

[UNHWILDCATS05]

Last year, our group was lucky enough, through the great hospitality of Husky Alum, to get one of the very limited number of tailgate spaces and watch the game from behind the endzone... Being able to drink and eat while watching the game and never having to actually go into the field was GREAT!!! One of the best game experiences I have had... Of course, that may also have been due to Husky Alum's Jambalaya!!!

[NU Hound29]

Last year, our group was lucky enough, through the great hospitality of Husky Alum, to get one of the very limited number of tailgate spaces and watch the game from behind the endzone... Being able to drink and eat while watching the game and never having to actually go into the field was GREAT!!! One of the best game experiences I have had... Of course, that may also have been due to Husky Alum's Jambalaya!!!

There is no tailgate like a Husky Alum tailgate....mmm sausage and peppers......

[Tribe4SF]

Last year, our group was lucky enough, through the great hospitality of Husky Alum, to get one of the very limited number of tailgate spaces and watch the game from behind the endzone... Being able to drink and eat while watching the game and never having to actually go into the field was GREAT!!! One of the best game experiences I have had... Of course, that may also have been due to Husky Alum's Jambalaya!!!

Husky Alum's hospitality is legendary.xthumbsupx Will be back with him in the cozy confines of Parsons on Oct. 10.

Have they switched the home and away sides at Parsons? In 2005, we were on the side with the press box. I had a nice chat at halftime through the fence with a lady who was cleaning up her yard.

[Cobblestone]

Have they switched the home and away sides at Parsons? .

xnodx

[andy7171]

UB how could you have never played NU?

When I was there it was basically old astro turf on parking lot black top. ***** hurt if you fell.

[bluehenbillk]

How high is the ladder people stood on to take those above pics of Parsons? If you could actually sit in a seat like that versus ones where you struggle to see over the players heads standing on the sidelines, I'd have a different view of going to games there.

[Husky Alum]

I have to get up there for a game and see for myself if it is as bad as advertised. This Parsons mystique has me very interested in seeing it first hand.

UB, you come up this year (it's our homecoming), you're my guest at the Husky Alum tailgate in the end zone parking lot.

You'll be well fed and well drank, that's for sure.

As Hound says, we don't got much, but we make do with what we have.

[henfan]

Husky Alum's the best. We really enjoyed meeting him and his crew on our last trip to Parsons. xthumbsupx

[Husky Alum]

Thanks Henfan, I still haven't seen a game at the Tub, so perhaps the next time we're down there, I'll pay a visit!!!

Uncle Buck, if you're a hockey fan, we play Maine right after the Hofstra football game.

UNHAlum did the hockey/football double dip last year and saw quite a hockey game.

[Dane96]

UB, you come up this year (it's our homecoming), you're my guest at the Husky Alum tailgate in the end zone parking lot.

You'll be well fed and well drank, that's for sure.

As Hound says, we don't got much, but we make do with what we have.

When is the game this year-- I have to make a point to make that game!

[Uncle Buck]

The game is scheduled for November 14th at 1pm.

As long as the kids don't have anything on the agenda, then you could probably count me in. Last year I only got to one away game, this year i'm hoping to get up into New England for more. I'll keep you posted as the season wears on. In the meantime, i'll start banking all of the good deeds with the wife so i have a stockpile when i need it!

[henfan]

When is the game this year-- I have to make a point to make that game!

Maybe you'll even darken our doorway sometime.xsmiley_wix

[Bos8]

You can actually see the 25 to 50 yard line from my grand parents window. I have never been to a NU game there, but have been to plenty of Brookline/Newton North games over Thanksgiving with my family.

[Uncle Buck]

If i get up there, i am definitely taking Husky Alum up on the hospitality. Yesterday evening i got up on the ladder, cleaned the dryer vent, fixed one downspout and replaced another. As i make my way through the honey-do list, i can see the roadtrips growing!