Race for the inaugural NEC playoff bid

[aceinthehole]

The NEC playoff picture will get much clearer in the next few weeks:

Oct. 16 – Albany at Robert Morris
Oct. 22 – CCSU at Albany
Nov. 6 – CCSU at Robert Morris

Robert Morris (5-1, 4-0 NEC)
- After opening the season with a 28-14 loss at Dayton, the Colonials have won 5 straight.
- Upset #15 Liberty (currently #19) at home in week 3 by a score of 30-23.
- RMU has now won 9 straight NEC games and last lost to a NEC foe on 10/10/09 at CCSU.

Central Connecticut (4-2, 3-0 NEC)
- Lost 33-3 at #10 New Hampshire (currently #16) in week 1.
- Lost 63-24 at Youngstown State in week 3.
- CCSU has won 12 straight games at home and is 20-2 at home under Coach McInerey.

Albany (3-2, 1-1 NEC)
- Shutout Maine 3-0 in Orono and beat Yale 23-20 in New Haven.
- Lost 59-14 at #10 Stephen F. Austin (currently #5) in week 2.
- Albany is 20-2 vs. NEC opponents in the previous 3 seasons.

On the outside looking in:

Wagner (3-2, 1-1 NEC) and Monmouth (1-4, 1-1 NEC)

Both teams have just 1 loss in NEC play, however they both lost to RMU, therefore they don’t control their own destiny and need help.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I agree, this race is going to be real interesting. Right now, I'm liking Joe Walton's team to beat Albany at home and be in control of their own destiny Nov. 9th.

[aceinthehole]

I agree, this race is going to be real interesting. Right now, I'm liking Joe Walton's team to beat Albany at home and be in control of their own destiny Nov. 9th.

I agree and give RMU at home a slight edge, but no one should be suprised if Albany pulls it off. The Danes will make this tough go for the Colonials, I'm just not sure they have the firepower to light up the scoreboard enough.

[IaaScribe]

Really came away impressed with Myles Russ and Jeff Sinclair when I covered that LU-RMU game up there in September. The Colonials are legit. I had them in my Top 25 this week.

[Twentysix]

The NEC playoff picture will get much clearer in the next few weeks:

Oct. 16 – Albany at Robert Morris
Oct. 22 – CCSU at Albany
Nov. 6 – CCSU at Robert Morris

Robert Morris (5-1, 4-0 NEC)
- After opening the season with a 28-14 loss at Dayton, the Colonials have won 5 straight.
- Upset #15 Liberty (currently #19) at home in week 3 by a score of 30-23.
- RMU has now won 9 straight NEC games and last lost to a NEC foe on 10/10/09 at CCSU.

Central Connecticut (4-2, 3-0 NEC)
- Lost 33-3 at #10 New Hampshire (currently #16) in week 1.
- Lost 63-24 at Youngstown State in week 3.
- CCSU has won 12 straight games at home and is 20-2 at home under Coach McInerey.

Albany (3-2, 1-1 NEC)
- Shutout Maine 3-0 in Orono and beat Yale 23-20 in New Haven.
- Lost 59-14 at #10 Stephen F. Austin (currently #5) in week 2.
- Albany is 20-2 vs. NEC opponents in the previous 3 seasons.

On the outside looking in:

Wagner (3-2, 1-1 NEC) and Monmouth (1-4, 1-1 NEC)

Both teams have just 1 loss in NEC play, however they both lost to RMU, therefore they don’t control their own destiny and need help.

I would love for CC to win it and travel to NDSU for an opening round game. That would be a fantastic second date. (Im a dreamer i know)

[Twentysix]

The NEC playoff picture will get much clearer in the next few weeks:

Oct. 16 – Albany at Robert Morris
Oct. 22 – CCSU at Albany
Nov. 6 – CCSU at Robert Morris

Robert Morris (5-1, 4-0 NEC)
- After opening the season with a 28-14 loss at Dayton, the Colonials have won 5 straight.
- Upset #15 Liberty (currently #19) at home in week 3 by a score of 30-23.
- RMU has now won 9 straight NEC games and last lost to a NEC foe on 10/10/09 at CCSU.

Central Connecticut (4-2, 3-0 NEC)
- Lost 33-3 at #10 New Hampshire (currently #16) in week 1.
- Lost 63-24 at Youngstown State in week 3.
- CCSU has won 12 straight games at home and is 20-2 at home under Coach McInerey.

Albany (3-2, 1-1 NEC)
- Shutout Maine 3-0 in Orono and beat Yale 23-20 in New Haven.
- Lost 59-14 at #10 Stephen F. Austin (currently #5) in week 2.
- Albany is 20-2 vs. NEC opponents in the previous 3 seasons.

On the outside looking in:

Wagner (3-2, 1-1 NEC) and Monmouth (1-4, 1-1 NEC)

Both teams have just 1 loss in NEC play, however they both lost to RMU, therefore they don’t control their own destiny and need help.

I would love for CC to win it and travel to NDSU for an opening round game. That would be a fantastic second date. (Im a dreamer i know)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbYk6SHrh00

[DetroitFlyer]

Well, I suppose that it is good that Dayton is now considered a good loss....

[danefan]

Well, I suppose that it is good that Dayton is now considered a good loss....

You can thank the NEC for that. The PFL has been hanging tough with the NEC while playing the same typical crappy PFL schedules and essentially piggy backing on the NEC OOC wins. No knock on the PFL (except the crappy scheduling) because those PFL teams won those games. But without RMU's win over Liberty, Dayton wouldn't look nearly as good to average FCS fan.

[401ks]

I did not have to make outrageous assumptions or use tortured logic to come up with a scenario that has 5 NEC teams finishing with 6-2 records in conference play.

The NEC Champion in 2010 may well only have one loss in conference. I highly doubt that any team will finish the season undefeated in conference play. It is very possible that the NEC Champion will have two defeats in conference.

With that in mind, Bryant, Duquesne, and even St. Francis are technically still in the running the the first NEC Playoff slot.

Fun stuff! xthumbsupx

[Original_RMC]

Albany leads series with RMU 6-5
Albany is 3-2 playing @ RMU

@ Moon Stadium RMU is 3-1
@ Joe Walton Stadium Albany is 2-0

Dukes leads series with RMU 6-5
Dukes are 1-3 playing @ RMU

@ Moon Stadium RMU is 2-0
@ Joe Walton Stadium it's tied 1-1

RMU leads series with CCSU 12-4
RMU is 6-1 vs. CCSU at Home

@ Moon Stadium RMU is 4-1
@ Joe Walton Stadium RMU is 2-0

Bryant leads series with RMU 2-0

Game is @ Bryant

This is a going to be a tough schedule for the Colonials.

[slostang]

Central Conn. is led by QB Gunnar Jespersen who is from Atascadero, CA which is about 15 miles north of San Luis Obispo. Got to pull for the local kid to lead his team to a championship. I would of like to see him on Cal Poly's roster.

[aceinthehole]

Central Conn. is led by QB Gunnar Jespersen who is from Atascadero, CA which is about 15 miles north of San Luis Obispo. Got to pull for the local kid to lead his team to a championship. I would of like to see him on Cal Poly's roster.

I notice the local paper there in CA has weekly updates of CCSU results and Gunnnar's achivements. Thought I read somewhere that his 'dream' was to play at Cal Poly, but you guys had a few too many QBs and passed on him. Very happy he is at CCSU and feel he will lead us to something BIG, if not this year ii his next 2.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/10/03/1313402/cal-poly-football-notebook-big.html


AROUND THE FCS

Former Atascadero High and Allan Hancock College quarterback Gunnar Jespersen did not get into the end zone for Central Connecticut State, but he helped the Blue Devils (3-2, 2-0 Northeast Conference) to a 24-14 win over Sacred Heart (1-4, 0-3 NEC) in Fairfield, Conn.

Jespersen ran for 71 yards and was 9-of-16 passing for 75 yards and an interception.

I also hope we can get a home and home with Cal Poly. I know CCSU would fly out there for the right $$$ to give him a homecoming, but I would love it if Central could get CP to come out East instead of just buying a game.

[rmutv]

Well, I suppose that it is good that Dayton is now considered a good loss....

One could argue easily that Robert Morris should have won that game. Down 21-14, Mike Landers picked off Steve Valentino and could have set up Robert Morris with great field position following a 41-yard return to the Dayton 17 for a tying score and all the momentum. But Valentino stripped him of the football on the runback, then engineered a great 10-play, 81 yard touchdown drive in response, and that was it.

All the momentum shifted from Robert Morris back to Dayton in the span of a single interception and return. While Robert Morris didn't lose the game on that play, it very well might have been the final nail in the coffin.

Combine that with the fact that RMU had 10 penalties for 119 yards, it's a rivalry game, and they've historically struggled with Dayton, and yeah, it's a good loss. Records go out the window with a rivalry game, and it's a game that Robert Morris very easily could have (and likely should have) won.

[aceinthehole]

With Albany’s losses to RMU and CCSU, it has set up a huge showdown in Moon Township.

Oct. 30 – RMU at Duquesne / CCSU vs. Wagner
Nov. 6 – CCSU at RMU

Robert Morris (6-1, 5-0 NEC)
- After opening the season with a 28-14 loss at Dayton, the Colonials have won 6 straight.
- Upset #15 Liberty at home in week 3 by a score of 30-23.
- RMU has now won 10 straight NEC games and last lost to a NEC foe on 10/10/09 at CCSU.

Central Connecticut (5-2, 4-0 NEC)
- Lost 33-3 at #10 New Hampshire and lost 63-24 at Youngstown State.
- Has quality league wins vs. Duquesne and at Albany.
- CCSU has won 12 straight games at home and is 20-2 at home under Coach McInerey.

On the outside looking in:

Monmouth (2-4, 2-1 NEC)
Needs to win out and RMU must lose 2 out of their last 3 games.

Duquesne (5-3, 3-2 NEC)
Needs to win out, plus RMU must lose 1 of their final 2 games, plus CCSU must lose 3 of their final 4 games.

Wagner (4-3, 2-2 NEC)
Needs to win out, plus RMU must lose all 3 of their remaining games, and CCSU must lose their final 2 games of the season.

[aceinthehole]

Robert Morris (7-1, 6-0 NEC)
- After opening the season with a 28-14 loss at Dayton (8-1), the Colonials have won 6 straight.
- Upset #15 Liberty (6-2) at home in week 3 by a score of 30-23.
- RMU has now won 10 straight NEC games and last lost to a NEC foe on 10/10/09 at CCSU.

Central Connecticut (6-2, 5-0 NEC)
- Lost 33-3 at #10 New Hampshire (5-3) in week 1.
- Lost 63-24 at Youngstown State (3-6) in week 3.
- CCSU is 14-1 in its last 15 NEC games.

Robert Morris will earn the AQ with a win.
A CCSU win would give the Blue Devils a leg up, but with 2 games remaining, they would still have work to do.

[Keenan]

I'm looking forward to the result of this weekends contest in Moon Township,PA. I really don't expect RMU to have any trouble with CCSU though. Robert Morris should represent the NEC well in the Playoffs!