RFC Small College Preview: Liberty League (LL)

Liberty League (LL)

2015 Football Standings - Liberty League

Looking back: A close race for the Liberty League crown in 2015 ended with the St. Lawrence University Saints claiming the league championship.  On October 10, the Saints knocked off RPI, 24-21, en route to winning the conference title, although they had to overcome a tough loss to Hobart in the next-to-last week of the regular season, before holding off Merchant Marine the following week to claim the crown. 

When postseason play finally rolled around in November, it was mixed results for the LL, as the Engineers beat Buffalo State, 20-13, to win the ECAC Bushnell Bowl, while the Saints run at the NCAA Division III playoffs ended in the first round, with Mount Union stomping St. Lawrence, 55-23.

Looking ahead: Expect yet another close race in the Liberty League on the football field this fall.

Predicted order of finish (2015 overall record in parentheses):

1. RPI (9-2): The Engineers hope that their five-game winning streak to end 2015 will carry over into 2016. In order for them to reach the NCAA Division III playoffs this fall, though, head coach Ralph Isernia must replace the multiple seniors that helped them reach the nine-win mark last fall.

2. St. Lawrence (8-3): The Saints are looking to repeat as LL champs in 2016. However, they must pay a visit to RPI for their league opener on September 24.

3. Hobart (7-3): Usually a perennial postseason powerhouse in the Liberty League, the Statesmen took a slight step back in 2015, finishing 5-2 in conference play. But they hope to bounce back in 2016. 

4. WPI (7-4): The Engineers from Massachusetts advanced to postseason play, losing to Kean in the ECAC Presidents Bowl a year ago. They hope to improve on last year's 4-3 mark in Liberty League action.

5. Rochester (5-4): The Yellow Jackets struggled to a 3-4 record in conference play last fall, losing three of their four games by double-digit margins after starting 3-0 overall.

6. Springfield (4-6): The Pride hope to put a season-ending four-game losing streak behind them in 2016, as they finished 2-5 in Liberty League games in 2015.

7. Merchant Marine (3-6): The Mariners enter the 2016 season looking for their first winning season since 2003, when they finished 6-4 overall.

8. Union (N.Y.)--(0-10): New head coach Jeff Behrman looks to rebuild a struggling Dutchmen program that has lost 11 straight games dating back to November 8, 2014, when they defeated Merchant Marine, 59-32.

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