It will be another case of the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object when Hobart and their Liberty League (LL) leading scoring offense, averaging 31.5 points per game (PPG), faces the leading scoring defense (14.7 PPG – good for top 20 in all of DIII) of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute this Saturday at Boswell Field.
After a promising start to 2010, WPI (3-4, 1-3) has stumbled of late losing three in a row after a somewhat surprising 24-10 victory over RPI on 9/25. The Statesmen (4-2, 3-1) lead the all-time series 6-0 and defeated the Engineers with relative ease last season in Worcester by a 41-20 margin.
That said WPI has a new head coach in Chris Robertson who specializes in defense. WPI’s pass defense is tops in the league allowing only 100.9 YPG through the air. The Engineers also lead the LL in total defense (240.7 YPG) and have only allowed 13 touchdowns over seven games.
SO LB Chris O’Connor leads all WPI defenders with 52 total tackles, while SRs DL Brendan Gove and co-captains LB Michael Oliveri and FS Jack Mulhern have 39, 33 and 31 tackles, respectively. Gove and Oliveri also both have 2.5 sacks a piece on the year.
Another area that WPI excels in is turnover margin, where they lead the LL with an impressive +12 compared to Hobart’s -7 (second to last in the LL). They are also the second least penalized team in the LL whereas the Statesmen are the most. JR DB John Perron is third in the LL with 4 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
That said the problem for WPI in recent weeks has been the offense, which has averaged less than 14 PPG during their current losing streak. The Engineers are last in the LL in passing, throwing for a paltry 81 YPG. However, where the Engineers excel is in the running game, where they are currently #1 in the LL averaging 190.9 YPG. By comparison Hobart is second with 154.3 YPG. The WPI rushing attack is lead by JR RB Ernie Mello who has racked up 530 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Mello leads the LL in yards per carry (5.2). JR QB Pat McAuley has gone 58 for 133 for 533 passing yards, including 5 TD and 4 INT. The JR QB has also rushed for 311 yards and 1 touchdown.
On special teams, JR PK Cody Beckel has booted eight FGs on the season, which is good for a #2 ranking in the LL, with a long of 30 yards.
Keys to game:
1. Shut down the run; force the pass – WPI will likely focus on rushing the ball so look for Hobart to stack the line with their linebackers and blitz FY S Devin Worthington regularly. The Statesmen will likely bring pressure on most plays, but need to be careful not to get sloppy on contain assignments if McAuley decides to run. If Hobart is successful in limiting the run game, the Statesmen could have some opportunities to pick off McAuley given his relative inexperience as a passing QB.
2. Avoid turnovers and penalties – Hobart’s achilles heel has been this category all season and it will likely ultimately cost them a NCAA berth if they lose another game and/or Saint Lawrence doesn’t win one of its last two games. Given WPI’s opportunistic defense’s ability to force turnovers, the Statesmen will need to be extra careful with the ball. The interceptions last week in the MMA game gave the Mariners new life in a game that Hobart otherwise was completely dominating.
3. Run to set up play action – Last season Statesmen QB Doug Vella only completed nine passes against this Engineer team, but did throw for 192 yards and a touchdown. Vella was fairly effective last week, other than the two interceptions in the third quarter, throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. I imagine JR WR Garth Muratori will get more looks downfield given last week’s 129 yard and three touchdown performance against MMA, but given the strength of the WPI pass defense, it may make sense for Vella to hand the ball off and look for shorter patterns to his TEs and RBs coming out of the backfield. Hopefully Steven Webb and the stable of Statesmen runners will get many opportunities to carry the ball. Last season Hobart had eight different ball carriers en route to a 198 yard rushing day that tallied five rushing touchdowns.
Prediction:
I like Hobart to get another win at the “Boz” this weekend as they hang on for dear life in the LL playoff race. WPI’s defense will be tough, but the Engineer offense just isn’t potent enough to keep up with the Statesmen’s.
Therefore, I’ll take Hobart 28-14 in this one. Kickoff is Saturday at noon. Game notes are up and can be accessed here:
http://www.hwsathletics.com/documents/2010/10/27/WPInotes.pdf
Go ‘Bart!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
SO QB Nick Strang Out for the Season - More MMA Game Highlights
I received word that the mononucleosis that has befallen SO QB Nick Strang will sideline him for the remainder of the 2010 season. Looks like JR QB Doug Vella will retain his starting role (and let's hope his knee holds up!).
HWS also has posted these highlight clips from last Saturday's MMA game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lmSewg8qIE&feature=player_embedded#1
Will have a WPI game preview up in the next 48 hours.
Go 'Bart!
HWS also has posted these highlight clips from last Saturday's MMA game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lmSewg8qIE&feature=player_embedded#1
Will have a WPI game preview up in the next 48 hours.
Go 'Bart!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Hobart builds big lead but turnovers keep it close against the Merchant Marine, 40-33
The Hobart Statesmen (4-2, 3-1) won their seventh straight over the United States Merchant Marine Academy (3-5, 2-2) in mixed fashion this past Saturday in Kings Point, Long Island.
The Statesmen looked completely in control early on in the game en route to jumping out to 23-0 lead behind a 24 yard FY RB Steven Webb TD run, a FY S Devin Worthington sack that lead to a two point safety and two JR QB Doug Vella (who started given SO QB Nick Strang was apparently out with mono) to JR WR Garth Muratori TD passes for 41 and 23 yards.
To the Mariners credit, they didn't go away quietly and responded with 13 of their own unanswered points to pull within 10 with 4:16 to play in the first half. The second of these two scores came off a Hobart fumble - the first of three turnovers on the day - which gave the MMA the ball on the Statesmen 21 yard line. SO RB JL Gosselin would run untouched to the end zone on the ensuing play.
Muratori would get the "hat trick" when he caught his third TD pass from Vella with 35 seconds to go in the half to post the Statesmen to a 30-13 lead. The plucky Mariners however would notch a 41 yard FG to go into the half down 30-16.
The second half started off promising for the Statesmen thanks to Vella's fourth TD pass of the day, this time to SR WR Mike Lazore for a 27 yard TD. Unfortunately, Vella's otherwise solid performance was marred by two back-to-back interceptions allowed the Mariners with short fields and enabled them to crawl back into the game. The MMA would score on both possessions - the first a SR RB Karl Heimbrock three yard TD run and the second a 31 yard FG - to pull within nine points of the Statesmen with 5:58 to play in the third.
The Hobart offense would close out their day with a short Conor Callahan FG late in the fourth quarter, but the Mariner offense would make things interesting after a 13 yard Ventre to Dunn TD pass would pull the MMA within a TD with 2:39 to play in the game. The Statesmen would recover the onside kick and almost run out the clock, but the Mariners did get one last play with four seconds to go. Fortunately after a lateral, SR LB Kyle O'Laughlin tackled the ball carrier and ensured the Hobart victory, 40-33.
Analysis
I have to view this game from two perspectives:
Glass half full - Hobart truly dominated in the first half and once again finished with over 400 yards of total offense. Vella connected on 18 of 33 attempts passing for 305 yards, finding Muratori for three of his four TD throws. The defense forced two fumbles and a safety and Devin Worthington (2.5 sacks) and Reggie Robinson (10 tackles) were down right unstoppable.
Glass half empty - Vella once again threw some questionable passes that lead to easy interceptions for MMA which allowed them to stay in the game. The Statesmen continued to play sloppy football, getting flagged 10 times for 83 yards. The team was particularly inept in the third quarter (when the two interceptions occurred) losing the time of possession battle by a 11:12 to 3:48 margin.
Hobart posted a short but interesting interview of Coach Cragg following the game which can be accessed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8MXMLiRClo&feature=player_embedded
Bottom line
With only three weeks of the regular season to go Hobart is already on the brink of NCAA elimination. Saint Lawrence (4-4, 4-0) continues to sweep it's Liberty League opposition, most recently taking down RPI (3-3, 1-2) 14-3 on Saturday. Unless the Saints lose their FINAL TWO GAMES (against 1-5 Rochester and 3-4 WPI), Hobart is out of the NCAA conversation for the second consecutive season.
That said, I am guessing Hobart will continue to play out their schedule with the goal of finishing 7-2. While it's not certain whether the team will put in a bid for a possible ECAC game based on last year's experience, the only hope for the Statesmen at this point is keeping winning and for SLU to somehow shoot themselves in the foot down the home stretch.
The Statesmen looked completely in control early on in the game en route to jumping out to 23-0 lead behind a 24 yard FY RB Steven Webb TD run, a FY S Devin Worthington sack that lead to a two point safety and two JR QB Doug Vella (who started given SO QB Nick Strang was apparently out with mono) to JR WR Garth Muratori TD passes for 41 and 23 yards.
To the Mariners credit, they didn't go away quietly and responded with 13 of their own unanswered points to pull within 10 with 4:16 to play in the first half. The second of these two scores came off a Hobart fumble - the first of three turnovers on the day - which gave the MMA the ball on the Statesmen 21 yard line. SO RB JL Gosselin would run untouched to the end zone on the ensuing play.
Muratori would get the "hat trick" when he caught his third TD pass from Vella with 35 seconds to go in the half to post the Statesmen to a 30-13 lead. The plucky Mariners however would notch a 41 yard FG to go into the half down 30-16.
The second half started off promising for the Statesmen thanks to Vella's fourth TD pass of the day, this time to SR WR Mike Lazore for a 27 yard TD. Unfortunately, Vella's otherwise solid performance was marred by two back-to-back interceptions allowed the Mariners with short fields and enabled them to crawl back into the game. The MMA would score on both possessions - the first a SR RB Karl Heimbrock three yard TD run and the second a 31 yard FG - to pull within nine points of the Statesmen with 5:58 to play in the third.
The Hobart offense would close out their day with a short Conor Callahan FG late in the fourth quarter, but the Mariner offense would make things interesting after a 13 yard Ventre to Dunn TD pass would pull the MMA within a TD with 2:39 to play in the game. The Statesmen would recover the onside kick and almost run out the clock, but the Mariners did get one last play with four seconds to go. Fortunately after a lateral, SR LB Kyle O'Laughlin tackled the ball carrier and ensured the Hobart victory, 40-33.
Analysis
I have to view this game from two perspectives:
Glass half full - Hobart truly dominated in the first half and once again finished with over 400 yards of total offense. Vella connected on 18 of 33 attempts passing for 305 yards, finding Muratori for three of his four TD throws. The defense forced two fumbles and a safety and Devin Worthington (2.5 sacks) and Reggie Robinson (10 tackles) were down right unstoppable.
Glass half empty - Vella once again threw some questionable passes that lead to easy interceptions for MMA which allowed them to stay in the game. The Statesmen continued to play sloppy football, getting flagged 10 times for 83 yards. The team was particularly inept in the third quarter (when the two interceptions occurred) losing the time of possession battle by a 11:12 to 3:48 margin.
Hobart posted a short but interesting interview of Coach Cragg following the game which can be accessed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8MXMLiRClo&feature=player_embedded
Bottom line
With only three weeks of the regular season to go Hobart is already on the brink of NCAA elimination. Saint Lawrence (4-4, 4-0) continues to sweep it's Liberty League opposition, most recently taking down RPI (3-3, 1-2) 14-3 on Saturday. Unless the Saints lose their FINAL TWO GAMES (against 1-5 Rochester and 3-4 WPI), Hobart is out of the NCAA conversation for the second consecutive season.
That said, I am guessing Hobart will continue to play out their schedule with the goal of finishing 7-2. While it's not certain whether the team will put in a bid for a possible ECAC game based on last year's experience, the only hope for the Statesmen at this point is keeping winning and for SLU to somehow shoot themselves in the foot down the home stretch.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Hobart vs. Merchant Marine Preview
I had a full travel week for work so my attempt at a mid season review and a full on preview for this week was thwarted. Below is a quick synopsis of this weekend's game and more information can be gleaned from the Hobart game notes which were posted earlier today:
http://www.hwsathletics.com/documents/2010/10/20/MMAnotes.pdf
The Hobart Statesmen (3-2, 1-1) resume the 2010 season coming off their bye week to face the Mariners of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (3-4, 2-1) in Kings Point, Long Island. The Statesmen have four games remaining on their schedule and need to win out and hope Saint Lawrence, now 3-0 in the League after a 23-14 triumph over Union College, loses at least one LL game in the next four weeks.
This weekend SLU will face RPI (2-2, 1-1) who upset then #21 Alfred (5-1) after SR PK Peter Nilson connected on a 37 yard FG with less than 10 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. The Engineers held onto the 27-24 victory and will host Hobart in Troy, NY in two weeks.
After struggling with injuries and an early season losing streak, the USMMA has won two in a row, outscoring their opposition 74-27 over that same time period. That said, the Statesmen have enjoyed a six game win streak over the Mariners, and have shut them out twice since 2007. Needless to say, when we interviewed USMMA Coach Mike Toop last Sunday on “In the HuddLLe” (www.inthehuddLLe.com) he was very focused on getting on the board against Hobart.
The Mariners recently overhauled their offense to a triple option and so far the move has paid off. The Statesmen have not played any triple option schools this season; the closest would have been the Wing T they saw at Carnegie Mellon.
The USMMA’s rushing attack is lead by SO RB JL Gosselin (had a career high 157 yards against Rochester last weekend) and SR co-captain and RB Karl Heimbrock, who just returned from a knee injury. QB Derrek Ventre rarely throws, but is generally accurate when he does.
The Mariners defense has given up some big points - particularly in the 64-0 undressing by Springfield College - and in the past has been susceptible to the Statesmen passing game.
A few interesting observations based on the 2 deep are as follows:
•It appears as though Doug Vella’s knee still has not healed (he's not listed on the travel roster) so it appears as though SO QB Nick Strang is set for his second straight start
•SR Co-captain and FS John Kelliher is also not in the line up for the defensive backfield. FY Chad Dorrance will start at FS as will FY CB Connor Garrett.
•SR Kyle O’Laughlin will stay at OLB and SO LB Andrew Klindera will remain as the starting ILB.
Keys to game:
1. Bend but don’t break vs. the triple option - At 5' 10" and 225 lbs, JL Gosselin is a load and a quick one at that (he claimed to run a 4.5 40 yard dash when we interviewed him after the WPI win on ITH). If Hobart's defense can bottle up Gosselin, they'll be on their way to ensuring a seventh straight win over the USMMA.
2. Remember the shut outs - The Statesmen's D has had some of its best days against this Mariner squad, so they should be very confident. Hopefully Hobart will channel that energy into Saturday's game, but I don't expect them to have as easy a time with the triple option....
3. Continue to focus on fundamentals – Hobart leads the Liberty League in penalties received and is second to last with a -6 turnover margin. Simply put, the Statesmen have to quit turning the ball over and making as many mental mistakes as they have in the prior five games if they expect to have a shot at winning their next four games and have a shot at going back to the NCAAs.
Prediction:
Given the past history of this series I like Hobart's chances, but nothing is a guarantee this year. The USMMA will likely get some yards and a few scores but I don't think their defense can keep up with a Hobart offense that's averaging over 400 yards and nearly 30 points per game.
That said I'll take the Statesmen in this one 31-19.
Kickoff is at 1 PM ET on WEOS.
Go 'Bart!
http://www.hwsathletics.com/documents/2010/10/20/MMAnotes.pdf
The Hobart Statesmen (3-2, 1-1) resume the 2010 season coming off their bye week to face the Mariners of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (3-4, 2-1) in Kings Point, Long Island. The Statesmen have four games remaining on their schedule and need to win out and hope Saint Lawrence, now 3-0 in the League after a 23-14 triumph over Union College, loses at least one LL game in the next four weeks.
This weekend SLU will face RPI (2-2, 1-1) who upset then #21 Alfred (5-1) after SR PK Peter Nilson connected on a 37 yard FG with less than 10 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. The Engineers held onto the 27-24 victory and will host Hobart in Troy, NY in two weeks.
After struggling with injuries and an early season losing streak, the USMMA has won two in a row, outscoring their opposition 74-27 over that same time period. That said, the Statesmen have enjoyed a six game win streak over the Mariners, and have shut them out twice since 2007. Needless to say, when we interviewed USMMA Coach Mike Toop last Sunday on “In the HuddLLe” (www.inthehuddLLe.com) he was very focused on getting on the board against Hobart.
The Mariners recently overhauled their offense to a triple option and so far the move has paid off. The Statesmen have not played any triple option schools this season; the closest would have been the Wing T they saw at Carnegie Mellon.
The USMMA’s rushing attack is lead by SO RB JL Gosselin (had a career high 157 yards against Rochester last weekend) and SR co-captain and RB Karl Heimbrock, who just returned from a knee injury. QB Derrek Ventre rarely throws, but is generally accurate when he does.
The Mariners defense has given up some big points - particularly in the 64-0 undressing by Springfield College - and in the past has been susceptible to the Statesmen passing game.
A few interesting observations based on the 2 deep are as follows:
•It appears as though Doug Vella’s knee still has not healed (he's not listed on the travel roster) so it appears as though SO QB Nick Strang is set for his second straight start
•SR Co-captain and FS John Kelliher is also not in the line up for the defensive backfield. FY Chad Dorrance will start at FS as will FY CB Connor Garrett.
•SR Kyle O’Laughlin will stay at OLB and SO LB Andrew Klindera will remain as the starting ILB.
Keys to game:
1. Bend but don’t break vs. the triple option - At 5' 10" and 225 lbs, JL Gosselin is a load and a quick one at that (he claimed to run a 4.5 40 yard dash when we interviewed him after the WPI win on ITH). If Hobart's defense can bottle up Gosselin, they'll be on their way to ensuring a seventh straight win over the USMMA.
2. Remember the shut outs - The Statesmen's D has had some of its best days against this Mariner squad, so they should be very confident. Hopefully Hobart will channel that energy into Saturday's game, but I don't expect them to have as easy a time with the triple option....
3. Continue to focus on fundamentals – Hobart leads the Liberty League in penalties received and is second to last with a -6 turnover margin. Simply put, the Statesmen have to quit turning the ball over and making as many mental mistakes as they have in the prior five games if they expect to have a shot at winning their next four games and have a shot at going back to the NCAAs.
Prediction:
Given the past history of this series I like Hobart's chances, but nothing is a guarantee this year. The USMMA will likely get some yards and a few scores but I don't think their defense can keep up with a Hobart offense that's averaging over 400 yards and nearly 30 points per game.
That said I'll take the Statesmen in this one 31-19.
Kickoff is at 1 PM ET on WEOS.
Go 'Bart!
Monday, October 11, 2010
SO QB Nick Strang Scores Six TDs as Statesmen Outlast Union in 2OT, 41-34
The Hobart Statesmen (3-2, 1-1) breathed new life into their 2010 season overcoming six turnovers to defeat the Union College Dutchmen (2-2, 1-1). The Statesmen began this pivotal game with several key players out due to injury including SR Co-captain and S John Kelliher and starting QB JR Doug Vella.
Stepping in for Vella was SO QB Nick Strang. Needless to say we may have a QB controversy after this performance.
Both teams exchanged possessions in a scoreless first quarter. The fireworks began early in the second as Hobart jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a 61 yard and 20 yard receptions by WRs Junior Woodard and Garth Muratori, respectively.
Union would respond with their own long TD pass, as JR QB Drew Connolly used his feet to improvise until he found SR RB Chris Coney on a 46 yarder to make it 14-7. Strang fired right back, finding JR TE Greg Clifford on a 42 yard strike to push the Statesmen lead to 21-7. The Dutchmen would score again almost immediately as Connolly turned another broken play into a 65 yard SR WR Justin Gallo TD. The PAT failed and the 21-13 score stood at halftime.
The tide turned in Union's favor in the second half as the SO QB from Hopewell Junction made a few rookie mistakes and the Dutchmen converted blocked Hobart FG into points. Union posted a five yard TD run by Coney as well as a another Connolly to Gallo TD to post Union to a 28-21 lead, its first of the game, early in the fourth quarter.
Strang would rebound and find Junior Woodard for a 70 yard TD catch and run to tie it at 28-28. Another turnover would threaten to break the Statesmen, as a (what would appeared to have been a downed) Hobart receiver was stripped of the ball by Union S JP Sticco and returned for a 49 TD, posting the Dutchmen to a 35-28 lead with only 2:58 to play in the game.
That would be plenty of time for Strang to lead the Statesmen offense down the field. The drive covered 59 yards and was capped by another Muratori TD reception, this time for 10 yards with just under a minute to play.
Not surprisingly Coach Cragg would go for broke, opting to go for two and the Statesmen succeeded until an illegal formation penalty (one of seven times Hobart was flagged - costing them -75 yards) killed the conversion. Callahan would convert on a 25 yard PAT to tie it. Callahan had missed FG attempts from 42 yards and had a 25 yarder blocked in the third quarter.
Union kicker Blaise Ancona missed a 55 yard FG attempt as time expired so the Statesmen and Dutchmen headed into overtime for the second time in the past six seasons.
Union won the toss and elected to start on defense - a move which almost paid off when Strang's fourth interception killing Hobart's initial drive. The Dutchmen would fail to take advantage, missing a potentially game winning 37 yard FG and giving the Statesmen the chance to win the game on the final possession of the second OT.
Ironically, on a day when Hobart turned over the ball six times, it would be a Union turnover - a fumble by Justin Gallo that gave the Statesmen the chance to win the game. Strang would score his sixth and final TD of the day on a seven yard rush up the middle to win it for Hobart, 41-34.
Strang finished his first start going 19-of-29 for 405 yards (good for third on Hobart's all time game record list), tying the Hobart record with five TD passes (which was set by Shawn Mizro '07 who had five TDs vs. Union in the 2004 OT thriller). He also rushed for 93 yards and the game winner making his 498 yards of total offense a single game record and his 12.4 yards per play average the highest in history for a single game.
Strang’s top target was Woodard, who caught five passes for 182 yards and two TD. His total ranks third on the single game receiving yards list.
Defensively, FY S Devin Worthington led the way with 12 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. SR OLB Kyle O’Laughlin and JR LB linebacker Reggie Robinson each had 11 tackles, Robinson also collected an interception.
Although Coney produced his 20th career 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 120 yards and a touchdown, this was his lowest output against the Statesmen. Connolly, who initially started 0 for 9, eventually went 13-of-29 for 248 yards and three TDs. Gallo lead all Dutchmen receivers with six catches for 141 yards and two TDs.
The Dutchmen defense was led by Anthony Cassese’s 11 tackles, while Alex Macchio and JP Sticco each logged two interceptions. Sticco accounted for the defensive TD on the fumble recovery.
With the loss the Dutchmen will need to beat first place Saint Lawrence (2-4, 2-0) next weekend to stay in the LL race. Hobart is idle until Oct 23 when they travel to Kings Point, Long Island to face the US Merchant Marine Academy (2-4, 1-1).
Analysis
This was probably the most exciting game in the past 20 years for Hobart fans. The 2004 OT game against Union arguably had more at stake, but that one didn't boast over 1,000 yards of offense and 10 TDs!!!
Still, the Statesmen got very lucky given how sloppily they played at times, what with all the turnovers (6) and penalties (-75 yards). So far this season Hobart has been flagged 39 times for -330 yards!! Compare that to the 2008 NCAA playoff team that was flagged 58 times for 478 yards IN 11 GAMES.
If Hobart is going to have hope at running the table in the LL and returning to the NCAAs, they really need to improve on the mental mistakes, turnovers and penalties.
Credit should go to this team for hanging in there and not getting down, especially when things started to go awry in the third quarter. Hobart's defense also played a really great game, practically shutting down the Union offense in the first quarter other than the blown coverages on the two first half TD plays.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether this Hobart offense can improve itself in putting up more points per game. It was pretty incredible that even with over 600 yards in total offense, Hobart found itself tailing late in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps with more reps, Strang will become a more consistent player and ultimately take this offense to the next level? In the meantime, it would appear Doug Vella's starting job is tenous at best. I don't know how the Statesmen coaching staff could bench a player after having such a big coming out party? Time, and practice over the next two weeks leading up to the MMA game will tell.
You can catch an interview with Nick Strang on yesterday's archived broadcast of In the HuddLLe (www.inthehuddLLe.com) and a tape delayed broadcast on WHWS 105.7 FM LP in Geneva (our first "affiliate", pretty cool if you ask me!).
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Stepping in for Vella was SO QB Nick Strang. Needless to say we may have a QB controversy after this performance.
Both teams exchanged possessions in a scoreless first quarter. The fireworks began early in the second as Hobart jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a 61 yard and 20 yard receptions by WRs Junior Woodard and Garth Muratori, respectively.
Union would respond with their own long TD pass, as JR QB Drew Connolly used his feet to improvise until he found SR RB Chris Coney on a 46 yarder to make it 14-7. Strang fired right back, finding JR TE Greg Clifford on a 42 yard strike to push the Statesmen lead to 21-7. The Dutchmen would score again almost immediately as Connolly turned another broken play into a 65 yard SR WR Justin Gallo TD. The PAT failed and the 21-13 score stood at halftime.
The tide turned in Union's favor in the second half as the SO QB from Hopewell Junction made a few rookie mistakes and the Dutchmen converted blocked Hobart FG into points. Union posted a five yard TD run by Coney as well as a another Connolly to Gallo TD to post Union to a 28-21 lead, its first of the game, early in the fourth quarter.
Strang would rebound and find Junior Woodard for a 70 yard TD catch and run to tie it at 28-28. Another turnover would threaten to break the Statesmen, as a (
That would be plenty of time for Strang to lead the Statesmen offense down the field. The drive covered 59 yards and was capped by another Muratori TD reception, this time for 10 yards with just under a minute to play.
Union kicker Blaise Ancona missed a 55 yard FG attempt as time expired so the Statesmen and Dutchmen headed into overtime for the second time in the past six seasons.
Union won the toss and elected to start on defense - a move which almost paid off when Strang's fourth interception killing Hobart's initial drive. The Dutchmen would fail to take advantage, missing a potentially game winning 37 yard FG and giving the Statesmen the chance to win the game on the final possession of the second OT.
Ironically, on a day when Hobart turned over the ball six times, it would be a Union turnover - a fumble by Justin Gallo that gave the Statesmen the chance to win the game. Strang would score his sixth and final TD of the day on a seven yard rush up the middle to win it for Hobart, 41-34.
Strang finished his first start going 19-of-29 for 405 yards (good for third on Hobart's all time game record list), tying the Hobart record with five TD passes (which was set by Shawn Mizro '07 who had five TDs vs. Union in the 2004 OT thriller). He also rushed for 93 yards and the game winner making his 498 yards of total offense a single game record and his 12.4 yards per play average the highest in history for a single game.
Strang’s top target was Woodard, who caught five passes for 182 yards and two TD. His total ranks third on the single game receiving yards list.
Defensively, FY S Devin Worthington led the way with 12 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. SR OLB Kyle O’Laughlin and JR LB linebacker Reggie Robinson each had 11 tackles, Robinson also collected an interception.
Although Coney produced his 20th career 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 120 yards and a touchdown, this was his lowest output against the Statesmen. Connolly, who initially started 0 for 9, eventually went 13-of-29 for 248 yards and three TDs. Gallo lead all Dutchmen receivers with six catches for 141 yards and two TDs.
The Dutchmen defense was led by Anthony Cassese’s 11 tackles, while Alex Macchio and JP Sticco each logged two interceptions. Sticco accounted for the defensive TD on the fumble recovery.
With the loss the Dutchmen will need to beat first place Saint Lawrence (2-4, 2-0) next weekend to stay in the LL race. Hobart is idle until Oct 23 when they travel to Kings Point, Long Island to face the US Merchant Marine Academy (2-4, 1-1).
Analysis
This was probably the most exciting game in the past 20 years for Hobart fans. The 2004 OT game against Union arguably had more at stake, but that one didn't boast over 1,000 yards of offense and 10 TDs!!!
Still, the Statesmen got very lucky given how sloppily they played at times, what with all the turnovers (6) and penalties (-75 yards). So far this season Hobart has been flagged 39 times for -330 yards!! Compare that to the 2008 NCAA playoff team that was flagged 58 times for 478 yards IN 11 GAMES.
If Hobart is going to have hope at running the table in the LL and returning to the NCAAs, they really need to improve on the mental mistakes, turnovers and penalties.
Credit should go to this team for hanging in there and not getting down, especially when things started to go awry in the third quarter. Hobart's defense also played a really great game, practically shutting down the Union offense in the first quarter other than the blown coverages on the two first half TD plays.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether this Hobart offense can improve itself in putting up more points per game. It was pretty incredible that even with over 600 yards in total offense, Hobart found itself tailing late in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps with more reps, Strang will become a more consistent player and ultimately take this offense to the next level? In the meantime, it would appear Doug Vella's starting job is tenous at best. I don't know how the Statesmen coaching staff could bench a player after having such a big coming out party? Time, and practice over the next two weeks leading up to the MMA game will tell.
You can catch an interview with Nick Strang on yesterday's archived broadcast of In the HuddLLe (www.inthehuddLLe.com) and a tape delayed broadcast on WHWS 105.7 FM LP in Geneva (our first "affiliate", pretty cool if you ask me!).
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Union Game Preview - It's Now or Never for Hobart
The Hobart Statesmen (2-2, 0-1) host league rival Union College (2-1, 2-0) in what amounts to a must win game. Union has had the Statesmen’s number as of late, defeating Hobart three times in the past four seasons, including last year’s 31-20 victory in Schenectady (a game I had the pleasure of attending in person, at least for the first half). The Dutchmen lead the all-time series 50-41-2. Union and Hobart first squared off in 1896, making the Dutchmen the second oldest active Statesmen rival. The Statesmen’s last victory over the Garnet was back on November 3, 2007 when Hobart prevailed 30-20 at Union’s Frank Bailey Field.
This season Union has several key offensive players for the Statesmen defense to stop, but none that have given them as many fits as SR RB Chris Coney. Coney has burned the Statesmen for a grand total of 357 yards rushing and four TDs in his career. Coney leads the LL in rushing with 392 yards this season (130.7 YPG/average). JR QB Drew Connolly is 2-0 versus Hobart and has passed for 388 yards and five TDs against the Statesmen defense over that same time period.
Connolly is currently third in the LL in passing (154.7 YPG/average) and fourth in total offense (179 YPG/average). The JR QB has passed for 464 yards (34 completions on 75 attempts) with four TDs and 3 INTs. Connolly’s favorite target is the fleet footed SR WR Justin Gallo, the same Gallo who smoked the Hobart secondary for three TDs and 268 yards in last year’s match up. This year, Gallo has collected 15 passes for 233 yards and one TD. Gallo’s numbers make him the leader in receptions and receiving yards (77.7 YPG/average) per game in the LL. Gallo’s younger brother, JR WR Connor, has caught eight balls for 135 yards and two receiving TDs.
Coney eventually broke an otherwise stout WPI (3-2, 1-1) defense to the tune of 197 rushing yards (the 15th time Coney has broken the 100 yard milestone in his career) and combined with Connolly for four second half touchdowns to help Union rally back from a 14-0 third quarter deficit to defeat the Engineers 25-17 in Worcester last Saturday.
On defense the Dutchmen are lead by a duo of LBs SR AJ Rocchio (27 tackles, one TFL and one sack) and JR Steve Modliszewski (21 tackles, 1.5 TFL) and SR S Anthony Cassese (24 tackles, 1 INT).
Keys to the Game:
1. Contain Coney – The SR RB from Florida is the spark that fuels the Dutchmen offense. If the Statesmen are going to still be relevant in the LL race, they need to control Coney, tackle at first contact and penetrate the backfield much better than they did against Saint Lawrence.
2. Put Pressure on Connolly – Last weekend Connolly struggled mightily against a tough WPI defense and was held to a mere 52 yards passing, including two INTs. Hobart did not get any meaningful pass rush going against SLU (0 sacks) and it cost them – particularly on third and fourth downs – in key spots in the game. Although Hobart’s JR CB Drake Woodard tallied an interception against the Saints, the Statesmen failed to capitalize on that opportunity. If Hobart has success bottling up Coney, I am not sure if Connolly can win the game for the Dutchmen – the only caveat being if Gallo goes off again beats the secondary deep like he did three times in 2009.
3. Avoid (all those big) mistakes – Hobart has killed themselves the past two games losing turnover battles (-2, not including the blocked punt, vs. SJFC and -4 vs. SLU) and have been flagged 10 times for 115 yards over that same time period. Clearly the Statesmen can’t afford to make that many mistakes and expect to defeat the better teams in their league or otherwise. Hopefully Hobart has learned from the past two weeks and will play smarter against the Dutchmen – not to mention recalling the blown coverage that Gallo capitalized on en route to last year’s 268 yard and three TD performances.
4. Better play calling and execution – The Statesmen offense didn’t do itself any favors with the play calling in the SLU game. While I am willing to give the Saints defense the credit they deserve in bottling up FY RB Steven Webb, Hobart really should have moved away from the shotgun formation, especially in the second half. Vella is not really cut out to be a pure drop back passer like his predecessors (e.g., Doyle ‘09, Strom ‘08 and Mizro ‘07) so I would recommend his taking more snaps directly behind center and working short to intermediate routes to his RBs, FBs (FY Juan O’Farrill had a key reception that teed up the Webb TD in the fourth quarter) and WRs given he under threw several longer ones in last Saturday’s contest en route to his four interceptions. It would also be nice to see Hobart get some TE play going but it doesn’t appear that offensive coordinator Kevin DeWall ’00 has much confidence in his TEs other than blocking. So far Statesmen TEs have only one catch on the season - JR TE Greg Clifford tallied a five yard catch against Dickinson in the season opener.
5. Get on the board and go for the kill – The Union defense has not allowed a TD in over 90 minutes of football, so Hobart needs to be aggressive on defense to capitalize on Dutchmen turnovers as well as punch in some offensive scores early to get their confidence back after last weekend’s debacle in Canton. In the recent past it has been the Dutchmen who have found ways to win in these slug fests. Hobart needs to take a page from that book and find a way to put the game away if and when they have the opportunity to do so.
Prediction:
I am in a bit of quandary here given after the last two weeks, I am now unsure which Hobart team is going to show up on Saturday? The team from the first two games played virtually mistake-free, team and opportunistic football; making plays on all facets (i.e., offense, defense and special teams) of the game. The last two games the Statesmen have been the complete opposites of the team from Games 1 and 2.
That said, Hobart has not lost three straight since a similar skid ended the 1997 season when the Statesmen fell to Ithaca, Hartwick and RPI – the latter two by a mere three combined points. The Statesmen have traditionally played the Dutchmen tough at the Boz but actually haven’t beaten Union at home since 2004. That game was a thrilling 33-27 comeback and overtime victory that clinched Hobart’s and the first ever Liberty League championship behind a record setting 339 passing yards and five passing TDs by then SO QB Shawn Mizro.
Union is always a tough out, but they have had the Statesmen’s number as of late and I am certain they probably relish the opportunity to potentially provide the proverbial knockout punch to one of their primary league rivals, on Hobart’s home court no less.
Given Statesmen’s struggles and inconsistent play I am reticent to pick Hobart in this one (and trust me, this pains me a lot). That said I am going to have to swallow my Statesmen pride and pick Union 28-24.
Hobart has the most to lose this Saturday and hopefully they’ll play like their lives depend on it (because let’s be honest, in the event Hobart loses, it’s basically game over for the Statesmen for 2010). A loss in this game would certainly mean another year without a NCAA or post season berth, unless budgets (and final season records) provide Hobart with a possible ECAC game (i.e., the DIII equivalent to the NIT or “lower tier bowl game”).
If Hobart can win the game, they remain statistically viable to regain the LL title via various tie breaker scenarios down the road.
My classmate and friend, Matt Smith ’94 will be making the trip to Hobart all the way from Korea so I hope he brings some luck with him from the Far East. My colleague and co-host of “In the HuddLLe” Frank Rossi will be on the call for WABY AM, but I’ll probably have to go with Ted Baker and the WEOS broadcast as usual.
If the Statesmen ever (desperately) needed a win, it’s Saturday. Kickoff is at 12 PM ET.
Until then, good luck and go ‘Bart!
This season Union has several key offensive players for the Statesmen defense to stop, but none that have given them as many fits as SR RB Chris Coney. Coney has burned the Statesmen for a grand total of 357 yards rushing and four TDs in his career. Coney leads the LL in rushing with 392 yards this season (130.7 YPG/average). JR QB Drew Connolly is 2-0 versus Hobart and has passed for 388 yards and five TDs against the Statesmen defense over that same time period.
Connolly is currently third in the LL in passing (154.7 YPG/average) and fourth in total offense (179 YPG/average). The JR QB has passed for 464 yards (34 completions on 75 attempts) with four TDs and 3 INTs. Connolly’s favorite target is the fleet footed SR WR Justin Gallo, the same Gallo who smoked the Hobart secondary for three TDs and 268 yards in last year’s match up. This year, Gallo has collected 15 passes for 233 yards and one TD. Gallo’s numbers make him the leader in receptions and receiving yards (77.7 YPG/average) per game in the LL. Gallo’s younger brother, JR WR Connor, has caught eight balls for 135 yards and two receiving TDs.
Coney eventually broke an otherwise stout WPI (3-2, 1-1) defense to the tune of 197 rushing yards (the 15th time Coney has broken the 100 yard milestone in his career) and combined with Connolly for four second half touchdowns to help Union rally back from a 14-0 third quarter deficit to defeat the Engineers 25-17 in Worcester last Saturday.
On defense the Dutchmen are lead by a duo of LBs SR AJ Rocchio (27 tackles, one TFL and one sack) and JR Steve Modliszewski (21 tackles, 1.5 TFL) and SR S Anthony Cassese (24 tackles, 1 INT).
Keys to the Game:
1. Contain Coney – The SR RB from Florida is the spark that fuels the Dutchmen offense. If the Statesmen are going to still be relevant in the LL race, they need to control Coney, tackle at first contact and penetrate the backfield much better than they did against Saint Lawrence.
2. Put Pressure on Connolly – Last weekend Connolly struggled mightily against a tough WPI defense and was held to a mere 52 yards passing, including two INTs. Hobart did not get any meaningful pass rush going against SLU (0 sacks) and it cost them – particularly on third and fourth downs – in key spots in the game. Although Hobart’s JR CB Drake Woodard tallied an interception against the Saints, the Statesmen failed to capitalize on that opportunity. If Hobart has success bottling up Coney, I am not sure if Connolly can win the game for the Dutchmen – the only caveat being if Gallo goes off again beats the secondary deep like he did three times in 2009.
3. Avoid (all those big) mistakes – Hobart has killed themselves the past two games losing turnover battles (-2, not including the blocked punt, vs. SJFC and -4 vs. SLU) and have been flagged 10 times for 115 yards over that same time period. Clearly the Statesmen can’t afford to make that many mistakes and expect to defeat the better teams in their league or otherwise. Hopefully Hobart has learned from the past two weeks and will play smarter against the Dutchmen – not to mention recalling the blown coverage that Gallo capitalized on en route to last year’s 268 yard and three TD performances.
4. Better play calling and execution – The Statesmen offense didn’t do itself any favors with the play calling in the SLU game. While I am willing to give the Saints defense the credit they deserve in bottling up FY RB Steven Webb, Hobart really should have moved away from the shotgun formation, especially in the second half. Vella is not really cut out to be a pure drop back passer like his predecessors (e.g., Doyle ‘09, Strom ‘08 and Mizro ‘07) so I would recommend his taking more snaps directly behind center and working short to intermediate routes to his RBs, FBs (FY Juan O’Farrill had a key reception that teed up the Webb TD in the fourth quarter) and WRs given he under threw several longer ones in last Saturday’s contest en route to his four interceptions. It would also be nice to see Hobart get some TE play going but it doesn’t appear that offensive coordinator Kevin DeWall ’00 has much confidence in his TEs other than blocking. So far Statesmen TEs have only one catch on the season - JR TE Greg Clifford tallied a five yard catch against Dickinson in the season opener.
5. Get on the board and go for the kill – The Union defense has not allowed a TD in over 90 minutes of football, so Hobart needs to be aggressive on defense to capitalize on Dutchmen turnovers as well as punch in some offensive scores early to get their confidence back after last weekend’s debacle in Canton. In the recent past it has been the Dutchmen who have found ways to win in these slug fests. Hobart needs to take a page from that book and find a way to put the game away if and when they have the opportunity to do so.
Prediction:
I am in a bit of quandary here given after the last two weeks, I am now unsure which Hobart team is going to show up on Saturday? The team from the first two games played virtually mistake-free, team and opportunistic football; making plays on all facets (i.e., offense, defense and special teams) of the game. The last two games the Statesmen have been the complete opposites of the team from Games 1 and 2.
That said, Hobart has not lost three straight since a similar skid ended the 1997 season when the Statesmen fell to Ithaca, Hartwick and RPI – the latter two by a mere three combined points. The Statesmen have traditionally played the Dutchmen tough at the Boz but actually haven’t beaten Union at home since 2004. That game was a thrilling 33-27 comeback and overtime victory that clinched Hobart’s and the first ever Liberty League championship behind a record setting 339 passing yards and five passing TDs by then SO QB Shawn Mizro.
Union is always a tough out, but they have had the Statesmen’s number as of late and I am certain they probably relish the opportunity to potentially provide the proverbial knockout punch to one of their primary league rivals, on Hobart’s home court no less.
Given Statesmen’s struggles and inconsistent play I am reticent to pick Hobart in this one (and trust me, this pains me a lot). That said I am going to have to swallow my Statesmen pride and pick Union 28-24.
Hobart has the most to lose this Saturday and hopefully they’ll play like their lives depend on it (because let’s be honest, in the event Hobart loses, it’s basically game over for the Statesmen for 2010). A loss in this game would certainly mean another year without a NCAA or post season berth, unless budgets (and final season records) provide Hobart with a possible ECAC game (i.e., the DIII equivalent to the NIT or “lower tier bowl game”).
If Hobart can win the game, they remain statistically viable to regain the LL title via various tie breaker scenarios down the road.
My classmate and friend, Matt Smith ’94 will be making the trip to Hobart all the way from Korea so I hope he brings some luck with him from the Far East. My colleague and co-host of “In the HuddLLe” Frank Rossi will be on the call for WABY AM, but I’ll probably have to go with Ted Baker and the WEOS broadcast as usual.
If the Statesmen ever (desperately) needed a win, it’s Saturday. Kickoff is at 12 PM ET.
Until then, good luck and go ‘Bart!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Saint Lawrence Recap
All good things must come to an end, but I honestly wasn't expecting Saint Lawrence to break Hobart's 18 game winning streak this weekend. To the Saints credit, they made the big plays necessary to win the game.
The SLU defense basically shut down the Statesmen's running game and it was apparent later in the second half that the offense didn't quite know what to do and seemed to rely on running out of the shotgun formation (not a great option in my opinion).
Vella's four interceptions definitely were a back breaker but some of the blame could fall on the Statesmen defense who blew a few key one on one assignments (the Walker TDs) and rarely sacked Saint QB JP Kearney - particularly on third and fourth down when the Saints scored their first and last TDs.
That said, it's clear the Statesmen weren't 100% focused given six penalties for 70 yards - the final one giving the Saints the ball on the Hobart 35 with under two minutes to play and the game on the line.
Hobart was sloppy and deserved to lose, but ironically, even after the Sutton 33 yard TD catch; the Statesmen had one more chance to either tie or win the game. Fittingly, Vella was picked off twice when he under threw his receivers and the Saints hung on to win the game.
The bottom line is Hobart failed to protect the ball (-4 in turnover margin), continued their struggles on third down going six for 15 (40%), had zero sacks and failed to convert their only interception on defense into points.
I can only imagine how long a bus ride it was for the team last Saturday and this weekend it doesn't get any easier. The 0-1 hole means that for all intents and purposes, Union is a "must win" if Hobart harbors any hopes to make it back to the NCAAs. Even then, a win against Union is no guarantee the chips would fall into place for the Statesmen, who's only hope in winning the league (and the accompanying automatic bid) would be the (somewhat complex) LL tiebreaker rules.
Basically Hobart has to win out from here forward, but the Dutchmen have beaten Hobart three of the past four seasons, including two straight and are the de facto defending league champions.
I'll have more to say on this weekend's Union match up but unless the Statesmen correct some basic fundamentals, I think a third and season ending loss may be in store for Hobart....
The SLU defense basically shut down the Statesmen's running game and it was apparent later in the second half that the offense didn't quite know what to do and seemed to rely on running out of the shotgun formation (not a great option in my opinion).
Vella's four interceptions definitely were a back breaker but some of the blame could fall on the Statesmen defense who blew a few key one on one assignments (the Walker TDs) and rarely sacked Saint QB JP Kearney - particularly on third and fourth down when the Saints scored their first and last TDs.
That said, it's clear the Statesmen weren't 100% focused given six penalties for 70 yards - the final one giving the Saints the ball on the Hobart 35 with under two minutes to play and the game on the line.
Hobart was sloppy and deserved to lose, but ironically, even after the Sutton 33 yard TD catch; the Statesmen had one more chance to either tie or win the game. Fittingly, Vella was picked off twice when he under threw his receivers and the Saints hung on to win the game.
The bottom line is Hobart failed to protect the ball (-4 in turnover margin), continued their struggles on third down going six for 15 (40%), had zero sacks and failed to convert their only interception on defense into points.
I can only imagine how long a bus ride it was for the team last Saturday and this weekend it doesn't get any easier. The 0-1 hole means that for all intents and purposes, Union is a "must win" if Hobart harbors any hopes to make it back to the NCAAs. Even then, a win against Union is no guarantee the chips would fall into place for the Statesmen, who's only hope in winning the league (and the accompanying automatic bid) would be the (somewhat complex) LL tiebreaker rules.
Basically Hobart has to win out from here forward, but the Dutchmen have beaten Hobart three of the past four seasons, including two straight and are the de facto defending league champions.
I'll have more to say on this weekend's Union match up but unless the Statesmen correct some basic fundamentals, I think a third and season ending loss may be in store for Hobart....
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Statesmen Stunned by Saints, 24-21
Four Doug Vella interceptions and a number of missed opportunties knocked off the Hobart Statesmen (2-2, 0-1) in Canton, NY. Saint Lawrence (2-3, 2-0) scored on three SR QB JP Kearney TD passes to defeat Hobart for the first time since 1991. It was also the first time since 2003 that the Statesmen have lost two consecutive games.
I'll have more analysis on this one later this week, but needless to say, Hobart's young season may already be over with this shocking defeat- their NCAA hopes potentially are with this loss barring certain LL tiebreaker scenarios.
Congrats to the Saints who all of a sudden are tied with Union, winners over WPI by the score of 25-17, for 2-0 in the LL.
I'll have more analysis on this one later this week, but needless to say, Hobart's young season may already be over with this shocking defeat- their NCAA hopes potentially are with this loss barring certain LL tiebreaker scenarios.
Congrats to the Saints who all of a sudden are tied with Union, winners over WPI by the score of 25-17, for 2-0 in the LL.
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