They have achieved an overall depth that’s comparable to the top programs in the country, especially on the OL. While the five starters for Saturday's game haven't been officially announced, I will guess they are all upperclassmen (JR and SR) players. That said I can see another 3 or 4+ underclassmen getting time in the trenches given how much Offensive Coordinator Kevin DeWall likes to rotate in fresh legs
Hobart will be labeled as a “conservative" offense. Last season the Statesmen chose to run the ball 640 out of their 913 total plays from scrimmage (that’s 70% in case you were wondering – don’t get me wrong, I had to use a calculator to figure it out too). That 70-30 split could remain intact for 2013 under the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” strategy. SR RB Steven Webb and JR FB Dominque Ellis will be Hobart’s primary workhorses, regardless of who takes over at QB. Still, this isn't last year's squad so there are likely some surprises to be had and even new players to make a name for themselves on offense this season
Hobart will be labeled as a “conservative" offense. Last season the Statesmen chose to run the ball 640 out of their 913 total plays from scrimmage (that’s 70% in case you were wondering – don’t get me wrong, I had to use a calculator to figure it out too). That 70-30 split could remain intact for 2013 under the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” strategy. SR RB Steven Webb and JR FB Dominque Ellis will be Hobart’s primary workhorses, regardless of who takes over at QB. Still, this isn't last year's squad so there are likely some surprises to be had and even new players to make a name for themselves on offense this season
JR TE Mike Berkowitz and SO FB/TE Christopher Holoman will finish the season with more receiving TDs than most, if not all, of the Hobart WR’s
We’ll get more and longer FG attempts this season. Whether it’s FY PK Ethan Miller or classmate Sean Kirsche; the Statesmen may try for some 30-40+ yard FG attempts in certain situations this fall. Last year the longest successful attempt (out of six) was from only 27 yards out
JR DE Tyre Coleman and SR OLB Devin Worthington will break David Russell ’98 (33) and Rob Gould ‘01’s (57) career sack and tackle for loss (TFL) records, respectively, in the month of September
JR DT Troy Johnson and SO Tucker Gumkowski will lead a stronger and deeper DL than some suspect, even with the loss of Nick Auriemma '13 to graduation
SR LB Cory Davis and SO LB Trayvon Toney will be bigger factors for the Hobart defense this season, but other ILBs could emerge pending depth and/or injuries at this position
The Hobart secondary may continue to struggle against teams that can pass protect. The Statesmen DBs have been exposed in the past as the one potential weak link in the Statesmen's overall defensive armor in prior seasons. It will remain to be seen if this trend can change in 2013, and Hobart does return a good deal of experience in the secondary, in particular SR FS Jolyon Davis, a 1st team All-LL DB in 2012
The Liberty League will be stronger overall and fare better in OOC games. Springfield in particular should be very strong and has a legitimate shot to win at least nine games and should crack the Top 25 in late September or early October. Union could also have a shot at the playoffs but I am not sold on their defense (which only returns four starters from last season’s 6-4 team) just yet. If the Dutchmen beat Ithaca on 9/21 and Springfield on 10/5, they’ll have my full and undivided attention. All in all, I wouldn't be surprised if six LL teams finish the year with winning seasons, meaning Hobart's critics saying they have an "easy schedule", are far off the mark
If they stay healthy, the Statesmen can make another run at the Elite 8
While some critics will get on Hobart's 9 game schedule (which by the way is the same number of games #4 Linfield and #9 UWW are playing), having to go on the road against their three biggest rivals to clinch a playoff spot in the latter half of the season is nothing to look down on, especially in a year when the rest of the LL should be improved. This home stretch will a great test for them in defending their LL championship (belt) and enable them to earn another potential #2 seed in the NCAA playoffs
While some critics will get on Hobart's 9 game schedule (which by the way is the same number of games #4 Linfield and #9 UWW are playing), having to go on the road against their three biggest rivals to clinch a playoff spot in the latter half of the season is nothing to look down on, especially in a year when the rest of the LL should be improved. This home stretch will a great test for them in defending their LL championship (belt) and enable them to earn another potential #2 seed in the NCAA playoffs
More on the season opener vs. Dickinson on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm when ITH hits the air on www.inthehuddlle.com and my game preview slated for later this week. Go 'Bart!
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