**To watch the Diplomats game from 6pm (UK Time) tonight just click the link here, and select the game against the Muhlenberg College Mules**
He’s back for another week; Bryce’s ‘A Week in the Life’ blog is back with the Wednesday edition and you can catch up with his previous blogs below:
Join us in two weeks time for the Thursday instalment as the Diplomats have their bye week next week and Bryce is being afforded some well deserved time off! But before we hear from Bryce himself, here’s a quick account of last weekend’s match:
Last week saw the Diplomats travel loose for the first time this season at the hands of the nationally ranked #24 Susquehanna River Hawks by a scoreline of 42 - 13. F&M travelled to Selinsgrove, Pa. looking to extend their undefeated start to the season but instead saw a dominant Susquehanna side score 21 points in the second quarter alone to put the game beyond reach. Bryce’s side would get on the score board for the first time in the fourth quarter following an interception from defensive back Thomas Downs providing a very short, 7 yard, field for the offence to convert the score. The F&M offence would then score the final touchdown of the game, driving the ball 86 yards on 18 plays, but having conceded an additional touchdown in the 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters, the deficit would finish at 29 points.
This week sees a potentially even tougher task as the Muhlenberg Mules - who have already beaten the River Hawks themselves already this season - come to town. The Mules have won the Centennial conference 7 times since the turn of the millennium and look to be in fine shape to make a push for an 8th crown in 19 years having beaten conference powerhouse the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays earlier in the year.
It will however be Bryce and the rest of the F&M defensive staff’s job to try and stop the Mules this weekend, and for more on that here is what he got up to on Wednesday this week!
“After a hugely disappointing result at the hands of Susquehanna football we got straight back into working for what would on paper be a bigger test this week against Muhlenberg, a team who beat Susquehanna 2 weeks ago.
Wednesday began as every Wednesday begins, by watching and reviewing the previous days practice film. We film our scout, team and skelly (skeleton) periods from both wide and tight angles allowing us to view all positions on the field and grade alignment, assignment and performance on every play. This goes on for around 3 hours and is something that is incredibly important to the success of the team.
Following on from this we are given the days run fits and scouting script by the Defensive Coordinator and then myself and the DL coach get right onto drawing cards. I draw the cards with the passing plays on them and he draws the run plays this is obviously because as the secondary coach I am aware of how our defence should align against the pass and he is aware of how our DL should align against the run on any given play. This takes up the majority of the day up until practice which was different this week due to the weather. It was set to be around 102F (39C) with humidity levels reaching 90% so we decided to run our individual drills outside on the field and we would take our scout into the gym hall to try and avoid any weather related injuries or problems. This is apparently the last day of summer weather and the weather would just dramatically change overnight to being much cooler and less humid.
After practice we then went back to the office and uploaded the film onto HUDL (Online platform for storing and watching video of prior practice sessions and game) and broke it down, entering the down and distance, offensive plays, defensive calls, result of the play etc etc. Once this had been done it was onto streamlining the gameplan for Muhlenberg this weekend. Muhlenberg are currently the highest ranked team in the conference coming in at #6 nationally however the feeling is one of quiet confidence amongst the camp as the players and coaches are incredibly excited at this opportunity to go and rectify the mistakes of last week against a higher ranked team.
This is the best thing about college football in that despite what happens on Saturday you only have to wait 7 days (less the bye week) before being able to right any wrongs of the previous week - and in this game anyone can beat anyone. I look forward to welcoming Coach George “Groot” Pirie, Roughnecks Special Teams Coordinator to the game this weekend as he takes time out from his studies at UNC to travel down to watch the game and spend the weekend in Lancaster.
I will not be releasing a blog next week as it is our bye week and I will be enjoying my first day off since arriving. Next Thursday, Friday & Saturday will be spent with my wife who travels over next week and I doubt you all want to hear about the copious amount of shopping we will undoubtedly be taking part in.”
