Yoder Accepts HC Job at Shenandoah

Word has been received that Hobart College Football's Defensive Coordinator Scott Yoder (Hobart Class of 2001) has accepted the open Head Coach position at Shenandoah University (Wincester, VA).  The Hornets released former Coach Paul Barnes after a 1-9 season in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).  D3football.com reported Barnes' dismissal and the start of a national search back on November 12th:

http://d3football.com/seasons/2012/contrib/20121112gygcdi

The Statesmen defeated the ODAC Champion Washington & Lee University (8-3), 38-20, in the first round of the 2012 Division III Football Tournament.  Although it has not been formally announced, it appears as though Yoder will assume a top job for the first time in his young, but extremely successful, career.

Yoder has lead the Hobart defense for four seasons and leaves Geneva after 10+ years on the Statesmen coaching staff.  His defensive units have earned several accolades and were ranked as high as second in the nation for total defense in the 2012 season.

Yoder was both a football and lacrosse star as a Statesmen undergrad.  He finished his football career with 108 receptions for 1,361 yards.  As a SR WR he earned first-team accolades from the ECAC and the Liberty League (LL).  Prior to leading the Hobart defense he did stints as a Defensive Backs and Wide Receivers Coach.  Dan Suozzi '05 broke the Statesmen receiving record under Yoder's tutelage.

He faces a tall order getting Shenandoah back on track as the Hornets have had only one winning season (going 6-4 in 2011) in the past eight years. 

I assume Hobart Head Coach Mike Cragg and Athletics Director Mike Hanna '68 will commence a search for Yoder's replacement immediately.  Although this is a big loss to the Statesmen program, it is exciting for Coach Yoder and not a surprise given the success the Statesmen defense has had over the past 5-10 years.

Please join me in wishing Coach Yoder the best in his new endeavor.  He will always be a Statesman and was a big reason in helping lift Hobart's football program to new heights.

Hobart Players Named to D3Football.com All-America Team, Finish 9th in Final Poll

The Hobart Statesmen (12-1) saw three players named to the D3Football.com All-American team last week.  SO DE Tyre Coleman, JR OLB Devin Worthington and SR OL Art Garvey earned first, second and third team nominations, respectively.  I believe this is the first time in the history of Hobart Football that three players made this honor, and Coleman's first team nomination is likely a first as well.

Hobart ended up dropping two spots to ninth in the final post-season 2012 D3Football.com poll, but finishing in the Top 10 out of 239 D3 programs is another first for the Statesmen (and likely will lead to a high preseason ranking in 2013).  Hobart was leapfrogged by North Central (9-3) and Elmhurst (10-2), previously ranked 14th and 17th.  The latter gave third ranked University of Saint Thomas (14-1 and the national runner up) a better game, losing 24-17, after taking an early lead off of turnovers and UST mistakes.

Links to the All-America and Final Polls are below:

http://www.d3football.com/awards/all-americans/2012

http://www.d3football.com/top25/2012/final

This will be the final blog post of 2012.  I'd like to thank all the readers / visitors to the site (11k+ since August) for their support this historic season.  I'll be back in 2013 with reports on incoming recruits and hopefully an update on a tenth game for the Statesmen this fall. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Named Lambert Trophy D3 Winner

Hobart College won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Lambert Meadowlands Award for the best Division III football program (in the east).  A link to the announcement is listed below:

http://www.ecacsports.com/sports/fall/fball/news/General/2012-2013/Lambert_Champions_FCS_II_III

A history of the Lambert Trophy is available here for those unfamilar with the award: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambert-Meadowlands_Trophy

The Statesmen finished the season 12-1, falling to National Finalists St. Thomas (14-0), who will play for the National Championship this Friday night against #1 Mount Union (14-0).

Statesmen Garner Post Season Awards

The seventh ranked Hobart Statesmen (12-1) are being recognized for a historic season by a wide array of conference, regional and related post season awards.

Earlier in the year the following Statesmen players were named to the All-Liberty League (LL) teams:

First team
SR RB Bobby Dougherty
JR RB Steven Webb
SR WR Junior Woodard
OL Art Garvey
OL Ali Marpet
SO DL Nick Auriemma
SO DE Tyre Coleman (also named the LL DPOY)
JR LB Devin Worthington
JR DB Jolyon Davis

Second team
SR QB Nick Strang
SR OL Tyler Garvey
SR LB Andrew Klindera
SO DB Fajri Jackson
FY PK James Hull
FY P Josh Neuss

Honorable mention
SR TE Brent Matazinsky
SO OL DeAndre Smith 
JR DB Kevin Hearon
SO DL Troy Johnson
JR RS Steven Webb (return specialist)

Head Coach Mike Cragg and his team were also awarded the "Coaching Staff of the Year" by the LL.

D3football.com placed the following Statesmen on their "All-Region Team," with SO DE Tyre Coleman winning "Defensive Player of the Year" for the East.

First team
SR OL Art Garvey
SO DE Tyre Coleman
JR LB Devin Worthington

Second team
SR RB Bobby Dougherty
SO OL Ali Marpet

Third team
JR RB Steven Webb
SR DL Nick Auriemma

Head Coach Mike Cragg was also named the American Football Coaches Association Region 1 Coach of the Year.  This is the second time he received this award, the prior award being received after the 2002 season.

JR OL Michael Green was also recognized as a Capital One Academic All-American.

All the press releases of each award / announcement is captured below:

LL awards:
http://www.libertyleagueathletics.com/sports/2012/11/14/FB_1114120825.aspx?path=football

D3football.com All-Region Teams:
http://www.d3football.com/awards/all-region/index

AFCA award:
http://www.hwsathletics.com/news/2012/12/3/HFB_1203122800.aspx

Capital One AA awards:
http://www.hwsathletics.com/news/2012/12/4/HFB_1204125116.aspx

Congratulations to these great Statesmen!

#7 Statesmen Dig a Hole, Then Get Buried In It By #4 St. Thomas, 47-7

The seventh ranked Hobart Statesmen's Cinderella run to the Elite 8 came to an abrupt and rough ending Saturday in Minnesota against the fourth ranked University of Saint Thomas (UST) Tommies.  The hosts proved why they have become one of the four best programs in Division III with a dominating performance, making Hobart unable to execute the formula that made them successful in 2012.

Things got off to a bad start quickly with a low punt snap on the Statesmen's first possession.  The FY PK Josh Neuss' kick was blocked and recovered at the Hobart five yard line.  On the next play the Statesmen lost their All-American JR OLB Devin Worthington after a chop block took him out of the game.  The Tommies RB Brenton Braddock scored from four yards out on the ensuing play.  The two point play was good and UST took an early 8-0 lead.

Another Hobart miscue, a personal foul penalty on SR LB Andrew Klindera, following another short punt gave the Tommies the ball at the Hobart 32 yard line.  Without Worthington in the lineup UST double teamed SO DE Tyre Coleman giving SO QB Matt O'Connell all day to find WR Charlie Dowdle for 28 yards to the Statesmen four.  Another Braddock TD quickly followed and Hobart found itself down 15-0 less than six minutes into the game after the Paul Graupner kick was good.

The Statesmen looked like they may have a chance to fight back into the game when JR RB Steven Webb took a hand off on fourth and one and sprinted 66 yards for a TD.  The FY PK James Hull point after was good and Hobart had trimmed the Tommies lead to 15-7.

Another Statesmen penalty would bail out UST again, this time on an encroachment to make a fourth and eight punt into a fourth and three.  The Tommies went for it and faked a punt around left end to get the first down.  SR QB Nick Strang would throw two first half interceptions (INTs) as he struggled to get the offense going.

Graupner added a 42 yard FG late in the second quarter and a questionable pass interference call set up the Tommies' final score of the first half, a two yard TD pass from O'Connell to TE Matt Allen for a commanding 32-7 lead with nine seconds remaining in the half.

The second half was more UST as they drove down the field and scored on another Braddock rushing TD to push the game to 38-7.  It was just that type of day for Hobart in that even when Coleman blocked the extra point, the Tommies recovered it for the two point play.

UST's final TD was aided by a personal foul on SR LB Nick Zapp giving the Tommies the ball in Statesmen territory yet again.  RB Jack Kaiser capped the scoring with a one yard TD rush and the 47-7 rout.

Hobart was lead by Webb with 103 rushing yards and a TD.  Battery mate SR RB Bobby Dougherty tallied 39 yards which was enough to push him over the 1,000 yard mark in his final season.  It is the first time since 1977 Hobart has had two 1,000 yard rushers.  SR WR Junior Woodard caught four passes which was good enough for him to break the all-time Hobart consecutive games with a catch mark set by Dan Suozzi '05.

As usual Klindera lead the Statesmen in tackles, with 12, giving the SR LB over 100 this season.

The Tommies were lead by Braddock with four rushing scores.  On defense, which stifled the Hobart running game to a season low 140 yards and one TD, UST was lead by Dan Bedor and Harry Pitera with five tackles a piece.

The loss drops the Statesmen to 12-1 on the season while the Tommies improve to 13-0 for the second straight year.  UST will face the winner of today's UW-Oshkosh vs. Linfield game next Saturday in the Final Four.

More thoughts on today's game tomorrow night at 7:30 PM in the season finale of ITH (www.inthehuddlle.com).  In spite of the loss, there is a lot to be proud of this year's Statesmen team.

St. Thomas Game Preview

It will be a battle of unbeaten teams when the seventh ranked Hobart College Statesmen (12-0) faces off against the fourth ranked University of Saint Thomas (12-0) in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Tommies are the champions of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and is a program that has become one of Division III’s best in the past few seasons. UST is making their fourth consecutive NCAA playoff and national quarterfinal run and have amassed an impressive 48-4 (.923) record since 2009. The Tommies advanced to the National Semifinals in 2011, losing 20-0 to the eventual National Champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

UST is a young squad and has suffered a few injuries this season leaving some to say they are more vulnerable than they have been in prior years. The Tommies had to come back from a 14-0 deficit against the seventeenth ranked Elmhurst College Blue Jays (10-2) last Saturday, using an 86 yard fumble return for a touchdown (TD) to spark the team to a hard fought 24-17 win.

UST is lead by SO QB Matt O’Connell who has thrown for 2253 yards (204.8 YPG) and 22 TDs compared to 10 interceptions (INT). O’Connell is undefeated as the Tommies’ starter and is a mobile QB, rushing for 719 yards (65.4 YPG) this season and three TDs. O’Connell’s favorite targets are Dan Ferrazzo (42 catches for 622 yards and four TDs) and Logan Marks (38 catches for 440 yards and six receiving TDs).

O’Connell is protected by 6’ 3” 304 lbs SR OL Curtis James, a finalist for the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy (sort of like the DIII version of the Heisman Trophy except it factors in a lot more than just football stats) which presented annually to the “outstanding football player in NCAA Division III who exhibits excellence in athletics, academics and community service.” The Tommies’ OL has only allowed ten sacks all season and has helped open holes for RB Brenton Braddock to rush for 914 yards and 12 TDs.

In spite of averaging an impressive 36.2 PPG on offense, much like Hobart, the UST calling card is on the defensive side of the ball. The Tommies are especially effective stopping the run, holding opponents to a mere 75.9 YPG. This excellence on the DL has forced opponents to pass, and UST has given up over 200 YPG through the air, but only 14 total passing TDs in 12 games.

The Tommies’ “D” is lead by SR LB Mike Valesano and JR OLB Tremayn Williams with 46 and 45.5 total tackles, respectively. UST has sacked opposing QB 38 times on the season for -219 yards and has 79 TFL for -336 yards.

Keys to the Game:

1. Win the line of scrimmage (LOS) – Both teams boast excellent rushing defenses. The Tommies have held opponents to 75.92 YPG and Hobart isn’t that far behind with an 88.08 YPG mark. Elmhurst did have a good running game thanks to having one of the best overall RBs in all of DIII (Scottie Williams) and gained 180 rushing yards last weekend. Reviewing the Blue Jay game tape and plan may show Coach DeWall some gaps on the UST 30-stack defense that the Hobart OL can try and exploit with JR RB Steve Webb and SR RB Bobby Dougherty. The weather is looking cold (high of 44) and potentially wet (30% chance of “few showers”). A light (12 mph) wind will probably make it feel much colder. If the Hobart OL can keep the Tommie pass rush at bay (they, like the Statesmen average over three sacks a game) and the rain holds off, either SR QB Nick Strang or SR QB Kelly Olney may look to test UST downfield. The Statesmen will likely have to trust in secondary options in the passing game as SR WR Junior Woodard will likely draw Tommies’ best cover man and/or double coverage down field. Olney and/or Strang will need SO TE Mike Berkowitz and JR WR Yosh Karbowniczak to come up with some key catches to keep the UST defense honest. Although UST is on another level, this game could play out similarly to when Hobart struggled on the road against Saint Lawrence. A long road trip to a wet field and a tough rushing defense forced the offense to switch gears. Strang would go on to have what I thought was his best overall passing game of his SR year, going 15 of 18 for 233 yards and three passing TDs. Conversely on the defensive end, SR DT Nick Auriemma and FY Mark Guarino-Hyde will be keys to disrupting a big Tommie OL and freeing up SR LBs Andrew Klindera and Nick Zapp to make plays at the LOS. Given O’Connell’s mobility, Hobart will need to stay in their lanes and not over pursue. The latter killed them against SO QB Connor Eck in the Union game, so I hope the Statesmen “stay home” and avoid falling victim to naked boot legs and other plays on the outside.

2. Road Warriors – Hobart has never won a NCAA playoff game away from Boswell Field. The Tommies are especially tough to beat at home going 32-2 under Head Coach Caruso (who played at Ithaca and beat the Statesmen twice during his “Bomber years”) including 15 in a row. The Tommies have outscored opponents early and often during the regular season. However, they found themselves down 14-0 early to Elmhurst and needed two 80+ yard plays (a fumble recovery and long pass) to get back into the game. The Statesmen’s early ability to sustain drives and maintain good field position will do a lot of good for their confidence.

3. Third (and fourth) down conversions – Both Hobart and St. Thomas have excellent third down defenses, the Tommies holding opponents to a 28.11 conversion percentage and the Statesmen not far behind at 31.58%. Last week Elmhurst converted over 53% of their third downs (nine of 17) and even went for it four times, converting once, on fourth down. Coach Cragg has shown little fear of going for it on fourth down, and the Statesmen have a pretty good track record. Hobart has attempted 25 fourth down conversions, making 17 (or 68%) of them. As stated above, field position will also be very important, especially if the defenses run the show and both teams need to relay on their punters. UST has a very good one in Garrett Maloney. He averages over 40 YPP. Karbowniczak’s average dropped slightly to 38.45 YPP after a tough outing in the swirling winds of Saturday’s game vs. Wittenberg. Still a blocked (or shank) punt could really turn the game around for either team. Could a fake be in the game plan? Maybe. The Statesmen have been a lot more conservative in that department of late, most likely due to trust in their defense which has been well earned.

4. Turnovers – It goes without saying that this will be a big, if not the biggest factor, in determining the winner of Saturday’s game. Hobart doesn’t turn over the ball much but they equally don’t create many turnovers either. O’Connell didn’t pass much vs. Elmhurst (only 14 attempts) and was as apt to run with the ball as throw it. If SO DE Tyre Coleman, JR OLB Devin Worthington and others can get to O’Connell, hopefully they will “play for the ball” and force a fumble (or two). The Hobart secondary has done well coming up with an interception here and there which would be huge against UST.

Prediction:

The Statesmen have had a great run in the 2012 season and the good news is although they are the underdog in this game they also have a good chance of pulling off the upset. Andrew Lovell of D3sports.com did a nice job comparing the similarities and differences of both teams in a D3football.com feature story (check it out at www.d3football.com) earlier today.

I remain cautiously optimistic about Hobart’s chances given the Tommies’ youth. Still, they are clearly the more experienced playoff competitor so you have to give them the edge in that department. The Statesmen do have enough components and are, in my (biased?) opinion a better team than the Elmhurst one that could have upended UST last weekend.  If the Hobart defense can hold the Tommies to under 21 points, the Statesmen can win.  UST is virtually unbeaten in games when they score 21 or more.

I will go out on a limb and predict a close 21-17 win for the Statesmen. If Hobart falls Saturday it will be disappointing but it wouldn’t detract from one of, if not the best, season in Statesmen football history.

The game will kick off at 12 PM CT / 1 PM ET. WEOS FM and Ted Baker will have the Hobart call at www.weos.org and information on the webcast and related live stats will be on www.hwsathletics.com. For those going to the game, the Hobart Alumni Office has organized a get together Friday night at “Champps” bar in the Sibley Mall Plaza. A tailgate at “Purple on the Plaza” starts at 10:30 AM local time on game day.

No matter what the outcome, it’s the biggest game yet, so GO ‘BART!

Hobart Runs Away from Wittenberg, 35-10, Advance to Elite 8

The seventh ranked Hobart Statesmen got off to a rocky start but eventually dominated visiting 24th ranked Wittenberg University Tigers to win 35-10 in the second round of the NCAA DIII Football Playoffs.  The Statesmen (12-0) were lead by JR RB Steven Webb with 130 rushing yards including a highlight reel worthy 57 yard scamper for the final of five rushing touchdowns (TDs) on the day.  This is the first time in Hobart's 119 year history the team has won 12 games in a season and advanced to the National Quarterfinals.

The wintry and windy conditions caused both teams to struggle early in the game.  Wittenberg (10-2) got on the board first after a Hobart penalty gave SR PK Sean Williams a second chance after missing a 35 yard FG attempt.  The 30 yarder was good after the five yard penalty and the Tigers took a 3-0 lead with 4:35 to go in the first quarter.

The Statesmen would respond with a big 30 yard TD run by SR QB Nick Strang with 7:11 to play in the second quarter. The FY PK James Hull point after would be good and Hobart held a 7-3 lead, which would stand until halftime.

The second half saw both offenses come out firing with the Statesmen getting first blood.  SO FB Dominque Ellis plunged in from one yard out to end a nine play, 63 yard march.  The Hull point after gave Hobart a 14-3 lead.

Wittenberg's JR QB Reed Florence was kept in check for most of the first half but found SR WR Brendon Cunningham for 33 yards to set up the Tigers at the Statesmen three yard line.  Tigers' RB JaVanh Sanders' three yard run would pull Wittenberg within four points, but Hobart would never look back.

Although Hull would have a 28 yard FG attempt blocked, SO DE Tyre Coleman would sack Florence and JR DT Corey Einbeck recovered a fumble to set up the Hobart offense with a short field.  SR QB Kelly Olney would relieve Strang (who likely re-aggravated his sports hernia injury on the 30 yard TD run) and score on a 12 yard run to push Hobart's lead to 21-10 after another Hull extra point was true.

The Statesmen D forced a three and out to start the fourth quarter and Strang briefly returned to the game.  The SR QB only needed to hand the ball off as the Hobart OL began to wear down the Wittenberg defense.    Seven running plays later SR RB Bobby Doughtery tied the all time Hobart record for TDs in a season with his 19th on the year.  The mark is now shared by Statesmen great Don ("A to Z") Aleksiewicz  '74 and Dougherty.

A final Webb TD would ice the game and the Statesmen held on to win 35-10.  JR CB Kevin Hearon punctuated the Statesmen's impressive defensive performance with an interception of Florence on a last ditch Tiger drive.  Hobart held the vaunted Wittenberg offense to 26 yards rushing and only 109 passing yards.  The Statesmen offense didn't pass much given the windy conditions, but ground out 286 rushing yards and held the ball for over 39 minutes in the contest.

With the St. Thomas University Tommies beating Elmhurst 24-17, Hobart will travel to Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN next weekend for a match up for a chance at the Final Four.  Kickoff will be 1:00 PM ET (12:00 PM CT).  

Wittenberg / NCAA Rd 2 Game Preview

The seventh ranked Hobart Statesmen (11-0) will face their stiffest test of the season this Saturday when they host the Wittenberg University Tigers (10-1) in the second round of the NCAA DIII Football Playoffs. Wittenberg, which is based in Springfield, OH, is the champion of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Their only blemish on the 2012 season was a 27-24 defeat at the hands of conference rival Wabash (8-2, 5-2).

The Tigers are currently ranked number 24 in the D3football.com poll but are being given a strong vote of confidence by the pollsters based on their past playoff successes (20-12 all time vs. Hobart’s 5-8) and the impressive 52-38 comeback and defeat of former number 12 Heidelberg (9-2) last Saturday on the road.

Wittenberg has a very balanced offense that is ranked 13th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging an impressive 40.18 PPG. The Tigers are lead on offense by JR QB Reed Florence who has gone 186 of 298 (62.4 completion %) while passing for 2710 yards and 28 touchdowns (TDs) compared to only 10 interceptions (INTs). Florence ranks 12th in the nation in passing efficiency (163.1) and 25th in total offense (294.1 YPG). A mobile QB, Florence has rushed for seven TDs and 502 yards on the season.

Florence’s primary target is JR WR Brendon Cunningham (59 catches for 875 yards and 10 TDs). Desi Kirkman is also a key target, hauling in 41 passes for 542 yards and six scores. Kirkman also handles both punt (8.6 YPR) and kick return (19.2 YPR) duties as well for the Tigers. JR Stephen Zumdick, All-NCAC First Team TE, may be a big target at 6’ 4” 245 lbs, but appears to be primarily a blocker only having caught only eight passes for 132 yards and a TD.

FY RB Jimmy Dehnke was named the NCAC “Newcomer of the Year” after rushing for 827 yards and 11 TDs. He has also caught 11 passes for 155 yards and a TD. Overall the FY is second only to Florence in total offense for the Tigers.

Defensively, Wittenberg is lead by JR LB Spencer Leno with 109 tackles, including five TFL, a half sack, one interception return (of 54 yards) and two forced fumbles. SR DL Jon Daniels (58 tackles, six and a half TFL and one interception) and SR DB Jamaal Everett (50 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass break ups and 10 passes defended) were All-NCAC First Team nominees. JR DB Heath Eby leads the team with four INTs, one returned for a TD, to go along with a fumble recovery for a TD and 40 tackles.

On special teams the Tigers have a strong kicker in SR PK Sean Williams who has converted 11 of 13 FG attempts (84.6%) with a long of 41 yards. Williams has also successfully made 51 of 54 point after attempts (94.44%). Wittenberg’s punter is SO LB Nick Gibson who averages 35.7 YPP. Florence has done a couple of quick kicks himself this season, kicking twice for 61 yards and a long of 47 yards.

Keys to the game:

1. Let it snow: A tale of the tape (which you can find here):

http://static.psbin.com/1/3/4bozhe4pz852tq/hobart.pdf

shows a Hobart team that is a strong rushing offense (241.5 YPG) vs. a tough Wittenberg rushing defense (113.45 YPG allowed). The Tigers are an excellent passing team (259.2 YPG) against a strong Statesmen passing defense (136.82 YPG allowed). Hobart’s most untested unit is the defensive secondary and the size (Cunningham is 6’3” 220 lbs) and speed of the Tiger receivers is a concern.

On the flip side, Wittenberg has little in ways of a pass rush (averaging less than two sacks per game) whereas it’s one of Hobart’s biggest strengths (sixth in the nation in sacks per game) lead by SO DE Tyre Coleman.

The Tigers and Florence had their vaunted passing attack shut down to the tune of only 92 yards in their loss to Wabash, but that was nearly two months ago now. Still, I expect a Hobart to show Florence a few different looks and potentially drop JR OLB Devin Worthington back into coverage from time to time like they did against RPI and SR QB Mike Hermann earlier in the season. Then again, passing the ball may go completely out the window for both teams because of “Jack Frost”. The high for Saturday is scheduled to be 33 with a 50% chance of snow with winds as high as 21 MPH.  Hobart won a "snow bowl" in the playoffs vs. then MAC champion Lycoming 33-15 back in 2008.

2. YAC – Assuming Wittenberg stacks eight in the box to stop the likes of SR RB Bobby Dougherty, JR RB Steven Webb, SO FB Dominque Ellis and FY FB Christopher Holoman, SR QB Nick Strang will need a receiver other than SR WR Junior Woodard (who needs one more catch to tie Dan Suozzi ’05 to tie the all time record for consecutive games with a reception) to step up and have a big game. That other receiver could be one of many – JR WR Yosh Karboniczak, SO TE Mike Berkowitz, SO WR Elvin Souffrant, etc. As a friend of mine said, “I think this will be a test of our speed. Sure the OL can physically impose their will at times, but I think this is going to be about our speed rush on D and [the] ability [of players like] Woodard, Yosh, Cronze, Souffrant and Webb to make plays on the perimeter and downfield; as opposed to last week, where we [mostly] played in between the tackles.” While the weather may put a damper on both teams ability to make plays on the perimeter, a slip on the snow here or there could result in a short run becoming a long one.

3. TOP – A big reason for Wittenberg’s loss to Wabash was a nine-plus minute Little Giant drive in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Hobart has averaged more than four and a half more minutes of possession in games than the Tigers. I expect OC Kevin DeWall to look to shorten the game by long, methodical drives that will capitalize on the Statesmen’s size advantage on the OL. To be fair, Wittenberg has some big guys on the DL such as 6’ 2” 280 lbs JR DLmen Josh Montgomery and 6’ 3” 245 lbs Justin Bartlett. Still, the Hobart offense have found ways to grind out long drives all season and I expect them to do so again Saturday.

4. Make / avoid the big play – If the Statesmen defense can avoid quick, deep TD passes (see last season’s playoff game vs. Shane McSweeny and Wesley) and the offense hangs onto (i.e., doesn't turnover) the ball, Hobart will have a good chance to win the game.

5.  Beat the Underdog By Being the Underdog - There's a perception, and one that's been backed up for several years now in D3, that the "East" simply isn't good enough to compete with (the better) teams from the Midwest.  A win by Hobart, while expected on one hand due to their #2 bracket seeding and higher overall national ranking, would be big for the Statesmen and by extension teams from the "East Region."  Wittenberg has a strong playoff and national pedigree.  A win over the Tigers and would be quite a notch in the Hobart belt if they beat them Saturday.

Prediction:

D3football.com tabbed this as a “very winnable” game for Wittenberg. A subsequent article on the same site indicated how the Tigers have effectively gone into “playoff mode” football since the loss to Wabash back in early October. The formula has worked so far for Wittenberg, scoring no less than 35 points a game and showing a ton of heart in coming back down 21-3 and then again down 31-13 against higher ranked Heidelberg last weekend. The Tigers have proven to be “road warriors” as well going 7-0 on the season away from Springfield, OH.

The Statesmen have the opportunity to make history in advancing to the National Quarterfinals for the first time in program history (not to mention a historic 12th win). The Tigers advanced to the “Sweet 16” back in 2009. Hobart has yet to lose a home playoff game since 2002 but they have never hosted a second round game there yet either. The Statesmen should be ready but the home field advantage may be somewhat mitigated by the fact its Thanksgiving weekend and students are on break.

Overall I think the long bus ride (473 miles); snow and a brand new opponent (that has a great defense) will slow down the Tigers just enough to give Hobart a chance to move on. I’ll take the Statesmen in a hard fought battle, 35-31, to advance to the National Quarterfinals.

Regardless of the outcome, we’ll recap Saturday’s game at 7:30 PM on www.inthehuddlle.com. Go ‘Bart!

Darien's Gesualdi Chooses Hobart

We'll take a short break from the NCAA playoff reports to discuss the first "official signing" of the Statesmen Football Class of 2017.

LaxLessons.com reports that Darien HS SR Peter Gesualdi has given his intention to enroll at Hobart in 2013.  According to the report (see link below), Gesualdi played RB and FS for Darien and is also a standout midfielder. 

http://www.laxlessons.com/2012/11/15/peter-gesualdi-lacrosse/

While I am not sure of Gesualdi's "lax prowess" given he was looking at mostly DIII schools and programs, I do like the sound of his size (6' 1") and speed, especially if he ends up playing FS for the Statesmen.

Although it wasn't mentioned in the report, I believe it's safe to assume Gesualdi has applied Early Decision I (with a November 15 deadline), as nearly 50% of last year's class applied Early Decision and seems to be a growing trend at HWS.

Let us be the first to welcome Peter to the Statesmen Football and Lacrosse families.  Happy Thanksgiving and Go 'Bart!

W&L Game Recap

The seventh ranked and undefeated Hobart Statesmen hosted the Old Dominion Athletic Conference champion Washington and Lee Saturday at Boswell Field. The 8-2 Generals looked nothing like an underdog, going toe to toe with the Statesmen for most of the first half. The Generals got on the board first, taking their opening drive 70 yards in 11 plays, capping it with a two yard SR RB Luke Heinsohn touchdown run. Heinsohn would add the point after and Washington and Lee took an early 7-0 lead.

The Liberty League champions would respond with a similar effort, travelling 66 yards, capping their first drive with a JR RB Steven Webb one yard rush for a touchdown. The FY PK James Hull point after was good and the Statesmen tied the game 7-7 with 3:09 to play in the first quarter. Hobart would take their first lead thanks to a key third down stop by LL Defensive Player of the Year SO DE Tyre Coleman. Coleman tackled Generals JR QB Nick Lombardo for a five yard loss and a 24 yard Jake Helton punt set up SR QB Nick Strang and the Statesmen offense at their own 44 yard line.

A key play would be Strang finding SR WR Junior Woodard for 16 yards to the Washington and Lee 37 yard line. Hobart would call six consecutive running plays until another pass to Woodard gave the Statesmen the ball at the General five yard line. Webb would pick up the first down on third and two setting up the go ahead touchdown by SR RB Bobby Dougherty.

The Hull extra point was good and Hobart took a 14-7 advantage. This lead would be short lived however as the Washington and Lee’s number one ranked rushing offense got back to work. The Generals marched 49 yards until they called a timeout with 5:46 to play in the half. Washington and Lee's Brett Murray broke off a 26 yard run, giving the Generals a first and goal from the Hobart seven yard line. Two plays later Lombardo called his own number capping the 73 yard drive with a touchdown. The Heinsohn point after was good and the game was tied with 4:32 to play in first half.

Hobart would get a final possession before halftime and they made the most of the opportunity. Webb and Strang ripped off runs of 15 and 17 yards before reverting to short pass and run plays as the Generals' defense tighened. Still, the Statesmen found themselves with a big decision on fourth and one on the Washington and Lee six yard line. Coming out of a timeout with only 27 seconds to go, Head Coach Mike Cragg lived up to his “riverboat gambler” nickname calling a quarterback sneak which was good for the first down at the General four yard line.

Strang’s first down pass intended for Woodard would fall incomplete and on second down he’d carry the ball to the Washington and Lee one yard line setting up a third and goal. Washington and Lee called a time out with 13 seconds to go after seeing the Statesmen’s offensive formation. Strang tried Woodard a second time but against missed his mark. Cragg decided to go for it and Webb had his second TD of the game.  The Hull point after would be good giving Hobart a 21-14 halftime lead.

The Statesmen would extend their lead on a 25 yard Hull field goal to open the second half. The drive would stall at the General eight yard line but it would consume seven and a half minutes and give Hobart a two possession lead.

Washington and Lee would look to respond but Hobart JR and SO OLBs Devin Worthington and Nolan Toran would stop Murray on fourth down giving the Statesmen offense the ball at their own 47 yard line.  Hobart made the most of the opportunity driving 53 yards in 18 plays, capping the drive with this Webb’s third TD of the game and, after the Hull point after, give the Statesmen a commanding 31-14 lead with 14:31 to play in the game. The Generals would respond with a touchdown off a nine yard Lombardo pass to Eli Chester with 10:20 to go but the point after would fail, cutting Hobart’s lead to 31-20 with 10:20 to go.

Strang would be stopped on fourth and three from the Washington and Lee 15 yard line, giving the visitors another chance. The General rally would be short lived however as Tolan came up with an interception to halt the Washington and Lee drive.

The Statesmen would look to ice the game taking over at the General 24 yard line but the Generals' defense would hold once again, forcing Coach Cragg to make another fourth and one decision. Not surprisingly, Cragg went for it yet again, this time with a better result; a 15 yard Strang TD run capped a seven play, 24 yard drive and pushed Hobart’s lead to 38-20 with 3:08 to go. The Statesmen defense would hold, and the offense would kneel on the ball to capture a hard fought 38-20 playoff victory, Hobart’s fifth consecutive home playoff win.

The Statesmen were lead by Webb with 99 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Defensively the Statesmen held the Generals’ number one rushing attack to a season low 188 yards and were lead by SR LB Andrew Klindera with 11 tackles, a season high for the Hobart co-captain.

Washington and Lee was lead by Heinsohn with a team high 85 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Generals were lead on defense by linebackers Stephen Peck and Jake Pelton with a game high 19 tackles a piece.

With the win Hobart improves to 11-0 and will host North Coast Athletic Conference Champion Wittenberg who came back down 18 points, twice and on the road no less, to defeat Heidlelberg 52-38 in the first round. The loss drops the Generals to 8-3 in their second playoff appearance in the last three seasons.

W&L NCAA First Round Playoff Preview

The seventh ranked Hobart Statesmen (10-0, 7-0) will host the Washington and Lee Generals (8-2, 6-1) of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) this Saturday at Boswell Field in the first round of the Division III NCAA Football Playoffs.

This battle of conference champions effectively pits teams with well defined strengths. For W&L, they bring the number one ranked rushing offense (381 YPG) in the country to Geneva to face the fifth ranked Hobart defense (229.8 YPG allowed). The Generals are the fourth option offense (third "pure" triple option team) that the Statesmen will have faced this season. Hobart has had success stopping the triple option, especially against Springfield (who came into the game averaging 321 YPG but were held to 150 rushing yards by the Statesmen D) and WPI (held to only 55 rushing yards in a 61-8 loss). Overall the Statesmen are 14th in the nation in rushing defense allowing only 84.3 YPG to opposing offenses.

This is the second trip to playoffs in three seasons for W&L. The Generals' rushing attack is lead by a trio of SR RBs including Luke Heinsohn (116.8 YPG, second in the nation in scoring with 18 PPG), Brett Murray (73.3 YPG), and Sasha Vandalov (63.22 YPG). JR QB Nick Lombardo (164.8 YPG in total offense) is in his first year running the offense which is typically run from a pistol formation or true shotgun snap from center. Like most option teams, W&L rarely passes (69.3 YPG) so I expect Hobart to “put eight in the box.”

The W&L defense is a “bend but don't break” type of unit allowing 366.4 YPG and 23 PPG. Although the Generals are an option squad, most of the ODAC teams are “pass happy offenses,” and two of W&L's three non-conference foes (F&M and Centre) played heavy pass or at least balanced offensive attacks. Point being, the Generals' defense is well acquainted with more traditional offenses (like Hobart’s).

Overall the Generals are a tough and disciplined team (i.e., not heavily penalized and rarely turnover the ball). W&L is a better home than road team. In the last 3 years they have dropped only one home game, the 2010 season opener, but have gone 5-4 on the road the last two years. That said the magic number for the Statesmen in this contest is “400.” Since the 2010 season, W&L is undefeated in games when they have amassed 400 or more yards of rushing offense, scoring at or over 50 PPG in these contests.

Keys to the Game:

1. Go airborne – Kind of ironic that I harped on running the ball during the regular season and am changing my tune for the playoffs, right? Well, W&L’s pass defense is average at best, allowing 210.1 YPG through the air. Although we won’t likely know the status of SR QB Nick Strang (ranked ninth in the nation in passing efficiency with a 167.77 rating) prior to this weekend, I am confident that SR QB Kelly Olney could equally have a good passing performance against the Generals' secondary. It will be cold in Geneva (around 40 degrees) but also clear which are good conditions for playoff (and passing the) football.  Although Coach Cragg often likes to run the ball to shorten games, I could see Coach DeWall looking to hit a few long passes early on to loosen up the Generals' and get them to back off the line of scrimmage.

2. TFL – The W&L OL rarely allows sacks, partially due to the option but also due to solid play on the LOS. You’ll know that Hobart is winning the game if SO DE and LL Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Tyre Coleman is wreaking havoc in the Generals' backfield. The Statesmen average over eight TFL per game.

3. TOP – The best way to beat a triple option offense is to win time of possession. Hobart averages 34:37 in TOP and a similar number in Saturday’s contest should help the Statesmen come out with a win.

Prediction:

I meant to do a separate entry on this earlier in the week but events conspired against it, so I’ll have to mention it here. The Statesmen cleaned up the LL conference awards placing nine players on the first team offense and defense as well as 11 others on the second and honorable mention squads. The coaching staff was similarly recognized for the best regular season in Hobart history and their first 7-0 conference mark since 2004.

Needless to say, this is a special Statesmen team and one which deserves its number two seed in this year’s NCAA playoff bracket. The Generals are not an easy draw, but they run a system Hobart has had a lot of success against this year and in prior seasons. Ultimately, regardless of who starts at QB for the Statesmen Saturday, I like Hobart to win this one 35-21 and advance to the second round hosting the winner of Saturday’s Heidelberg vs. Wittenberg game.

Hobart to Host Washington & Lee in the First Round of the NCAAs

Hobart was named the second seed in the "St. Thomas Bracket" (which will be confirmed tonight on ITH with D3FB Tournament Selection Chair Brad Bankston) and will face off against Washington & Lee (8-2) in the first round of the NCAA's Saturday at Boswell Field.  All game times typically have a 12 pm kickoff.  More on this selection, W&L and the bracket in the coming week.  Go 'Bart!

Simply Perfect

The eighth ranked Hobart Statesmen looked to accomplish several firsts in hosting their oldest rival, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets, in both teams' regular season game. On the line for the Statesmen was their first outright Liberty League title since 2004, first regular season unbeaten mark since 1957 and first ever 10 win season in program history. For Rochester it was an opportunity to reclaim the Centennial Cup and finish with their first winning season since 2007 in this 105th meeting with Hobart.

Hobart got on the board first when SR RB Bobby Dougherty capped an eight play, 44 yard drive with a one yard touchdown run, his fourteenth of the year with less than five minutes into the first quarter.  FY PK James Hull's point after was good giving the Statesmen a 7-0 lead.

Dougherty would score his second touchdown of the game with less than a minute to go in the first quarter, this time from three yards out to push the Statesmen’s lead to 14-0 after the Hull point after was good.

Things got a little hairy for Hobart in the second quarter. Rochester JR QB Dean Kennedy lead the Yellow Jackets on a 70 yard march which was capped on a 38 yard pass to Derek Wager for a touchdown. The Alex Antonucci point after was good and the Yellow Jackets trailed 14-7 with 13 minutes to play in the first half. The Statesmen would fail to convert on a fake punt inside their own 20 yard line giving the ball to Rochester at the Hobart 16 yard line.

The Statesmen defense would force the Yellow Jackets to settle for a 32 yard Antonucci field goal, but Hobart’s lead was cut to 14-10 with 7:50 left in the second quarter. SR QB Nick Strang would be intercepted on the ensuing possession but once again the Statesmen defense held. Strang would redeem himself with a 29 yard strike to SR WR Junior Woodard for a touchdown (and 30th consecutive game with a catch) with 1:06 left in the first half. The Hull kick was good pushing the Hobart lead to 21-10 which would stand at the half.

The third quarter saw the Statesmen defense force a safety off a bad Rochester punt snap pushing Hobart’s lead to 23-10. The Statesmen attempted to extend their lead but a 29 yard Hull field goal attempt was wide right. The Yellow Jackets would capitalize on the turnover and drive 80 yards in 11 plays. Kennedy would find Brandon Young for a two yard score and after the Antonucci point after was good, only trailed Hobart 23-17 after three quarters of play.

The Statesmen were undaunted and continued to trot out SR QB Kelly Olney who started the second half for Hobart in his final collegiate regular season game. Olney only needed three plays to find JR WR Yosh Karbowniczak for 46 yards and a touchdown with 13:46 to go in the fourth quarter. The two point play failed but the Statesmen were back in control with a 29-17 lead.

Kennedy would cap a second 70 yard drive with a nine yard touchdown pass to Thomas Hayes with 9:33 to play. The Antonucci point after cut Hobart’s advantage to 29-24, the closest margin of the game.

The Statesmen would rally however thanks to Olney who once again found Karbowniczak for 46 yards setting up Hobart at the Rochester two. A penalty would push the Statesmen back but Olney would find FY FB Christopher Holoman open for a seven yard touchdown. The two point play to SR TE Brent Matazinsky was good giving Hobart a 37-23 lead with 7:31 to play in the game. The Hobart defense would force the Yellow Jackets to turn over the ball on downs and Dougherty would cap the game with his third touchdown run as time expired. The Statesmen won the game 43-24, finishing the season a perfect 10-0 and 7-0 in the Liberty League.

Leading Hobart was Olney with 189 passing yards and two touchdowns along with Dougherty’s three touchdown runs. Rochester would be lead by Kennedy with an impressive 220 yard passing and three touchdown performance. The Statesmen defense held Rochester to only 45 rushing yards and were lead by SR LB Andrew Klindera and FY DE Mark Guarino-Hyde with eight tackles a piece. The Yellow Jackets were lead by James Barrett with a game high 10 tackles.

With the win Hobart moves to 10-0 overall, 7-0 in the Liberty League. The loss drops Rochester to 4-5 overall, 3-4 in the league. Hobart’s first round NCAA playoff opponent will be announced Sunday at 6 PM eastern time.  My co-host Frank Rossi and I will be speaking with the D3 championship tournament chair regarding Hobart's bracket and related matters tomorrow at 7:30 PM on www.inthehuddlle.com.  

UofR, SR Day, T4T Game Preview

The eighth ranked Hobart Statesmen (9-0, 6-0) look to close out their first ever perfect 10-0 regular season in team history this Saturday at Boswell Field on Senior Day.  Their opponents are their oldest rivals, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets (4-4, 3-3) who will challenge Hobart for the Centennial Cup which the Statesmen reclaimed last season after a 24-10 victory at Fauver Stadium.  The Statesmen lead the all-time series by a narrow margin, 49-48-7.

The Yellow Jackets come into the contest riding a big 42-15 victory over the WPI Engineers (2-7, 1-5) where the Rochester defense forced five turnovers.  Still, the2012 season has been an up and down one for the Yellow Jackets and their record (and statistics) reflects the same.

Rochester scores about the same number of points (23.9 PPG) as they give up (22.9 PPG).  Same goes for yardage gained (354.4 YPG) and allowed (368.5 YPG).  Touchdowns (TDs) scored and allowed are dead even at 24 apiece.

What stands out when looking at the Yellow Jackets is their evolution to a pure passing offense under JR QB Dean Kennedy.  The Boston-area native ranks second in the Liberty League (LL) averaging 225.4 YPG passing and 260.8 YPG in total offense, accounting for 12 passing TDs compared to nine interceptions (INTs).  Kennedy's top target is SR WR Thomas Hayes who averages four catches a game, 66.9 YPG receiving and has scored three TDs this season.  JR WR Ken Apostolakos has hauled in five TD catches this season as well.

The defense has always been a strength of Rochester and this year it appears to be the same, with one notable exception.  The Yellow Jackets, lead by JR LB Tony Ortega (third in the LL overall with 8.8 tackles per game) and JR LB Zach Cicero (7.5 TPG) have the second best passing defense, allowing only 162.2 YPG and 11 TDs.  Hobart by comparison has allowed 137.2 YPG and nine passing TDs this year.  The Yellow Jackets also have the second best red zone defense, allowing opponents to score 73.1 % of the time (19-26 with 17 TDs allowed).

Where Hobart can exploit the Yellow Jackets defensively is on the ground.  Rochester is allowing a LL worst 206.2 YPG rushing.  To be fair, the Yellow Jackets have only allowed 13 rushing TDs which is tied for third place in the LL behind the Statesmen (eight) and Union (nine).

Keys to the game:

1.  You better run - As cited above, Hobart's OL and the Rochester DL is a mismatch.  The Yellow Jackets have suffered through some injuries but will see former LL DPOY DE/OLB Brendan Pidgeon on the field for his final collegiate game which will help their cause.  Still, I expect a big rushing performance, especially after last week's sluggish showing against Saint Lawrence.

2.  Strictly business - There will be a lot of emotions and history tied to this game.  It's Senior Day for 14 Statesmen players and their families including:

#2 WR Jay Cronze
#9 QB Kelly Olney
#10 QB Nick Strang*
#26 RB Bobby Dougherty*
#40 LB Nick Zapp*
#45 LB Andrew Klindera*
#72 DT Nick Auriemma
#76 OL Tyler Garvey
#79 OL Art Garvey*
#81 WR Junior Woodard
#85 TE Brent Matazinsky
#88 TE Andrew Zdrojewski
#89 WR Paul Ashburn
#91 DE Kees Nordin

* = indicates team Co-Captain

Add in the fact it's an opportunity for the program to notch its first 10th regular season in 119 years, and you've got a big day.

3. Tackles for Touchdowns - The Statesmen will donate all funds provided from this game to support the local "Happiness House" which supports area children with autism and other special needs.  I am donating to the cause and hope you will consider doing so as well.  Check out the SAA website at hwsathletics.com for more information.

Prediction:

Rochester's passing game could be trouble for Hobart, but the Yellow Jackets are relatively one dimensional (only averaging 105 YPG rushing) offensively.  This game will be a physical one and likely will be played under light rain, which should keep it more of a defensive battle.

I'll take Hobart to win it in a closer game than some may expect, 27-14, to finish a perfect 10-0.  I'll be speaking with the Division III Football Championship Committee Chair, Brad Bankston, Sunday night on ITH (www.inthehuddlle.com) about the Statesmen's draw in the NCAA tournament.  For the record most pundits, D3football.com included, predict Hobart to end up the number two seed in the "Mount Union Bracket".   We'll see if that comes to pass Sunday.

First up is Rochester and retaining the Centennial Cup...

Hobart Up To #8 in D3football.com Poll

The Hobart Statesmen (9-0, 6-0) advanced one spot to the number eight team in the D3football.com national poll. Hobart earned 450 votes / points to advance to their highest position since the poll began in 2003.

A link to the poll is below:

 http://www.d3football.com/top25/2012/week10

The Statesmen will face their oldest rival, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets (4-4, 3-3) Saturday at Boswell Field.

Hobart Beats SLU 34-14 After Cold Start, Clinches Playoff Spot

The ninth ranked Hobart Statesmen improved to 9-0, 6-0 in the Liberty League (LL), effectively winning the LL title and clinching the league's automatic playoff bid.  The nine wins ties a program record for wins in a season and is the first time Hobart has ever been 9-0 in their 119 year history.

I thought the weather would prove problematic and the Statesmen started off cold, being held scoreless for the first quarter by winless Saint Lawrence (0-9, 0-6).  Hobart then gave up a touchdown (TD) to fall behind 7-0 after a turnover lead to a Saints (fake) field goal attempt.  Holder / QB Zach Migiliore connected on a 12 yard pass to WR Evan Shipley to post the Saints to an early 7-0 lead after the Chris Dris point after was good.

The Statesmen finally woke up driving 67 yards to tie the game behind a five yard SR QB Nick Strang TD run.  The FY PK James Hull point after was good.  The 7-7 tie stood at the halftime.

Coach Cragg must have said some strong words during the break to his team because they came out for the second half with a new determination.  Strang in particular was excellent passing for two TDs to JR WR Yosh Karbowniczak and SR Junior Woodard, respectively.  Woodard is now at 29 consecutive games with a catch, three behind all time leader Dan Suozzi '05.

The Statesmen would add to their lead in the fourth quarter after a 10 play, 78 yard drive was capped by a four yard SO FB Dominque Ellis TD run.  After the Hull point after, the Statesmen enjoyed a 27-7 lead after the Hull point after was blocked.  SO TE Mike Berkowitz scored his third TD in the last two games after Strang found him on a six yard pass to push Hobart to a 34-7 advantage after the Hull point after.  Strang finished the game a nearly perfect 15 of 18 for 233 yards with three passing TDs, one rushing TD and one interception.

Saint Lawrence would add one more late score and threatened again but the defense held giving Hobart a 34-14 win.  Defensively SO DE Tyre Coleman had another big game and tied Dave Russell '97's TFL season record of 22, having three against the Saints to go with a pair of sacks.  JR OLB Devin Worthington provided eight tackles as well.

Hobart will look to close out a first ever 10-0 regular season Saturday at home against Rochester (4-4, 3-3) in the annual Centennial Cup game.   We'll chat with Statesmen Head Coach Mike Cragg tonight on ITH (www.inthehuddlle.com) at 7:30 pm about the SLU game, the halftime adjustments (kick in the ass perhaps?), being 9-0 and prepping for Rochester.

Saint Lawrence Game Preview

The ninth ranked Hobart Statesmen (8-0, 5-0) will look to pick up their program tying ninth win of the season (being 9-0 outright would also be a program first) and clinch the Liberty League (LL) title and accompanying playoff berth Saturday on the grass of Leckonby Field in Canton, NY.  Standing in the Statesmen's way are the winless Saint Lawrence University Saints (0-8, 0-5).

The Saints are suffering through a tough season only two years removed from their first LL title and NCAA playoff appearance.  The story of the season for Saint Lawrence has been one of rebuilding and growing pains, especially at QB.  Saint QBs have accounted for a league high 18 interceptions (INTs) and have been sacked 29 times on the year for -166 yards. 

Saint Lawrence is scoring only 15.6 PPG while allowing 33 PPG to their opponents and rank last in total defense (411.8 YPG allowed), rushing offense (82.9 YPG), opponent first downs (20.2 APG), turnover margin  (-8), and red zone offense (52.2%).

Two weeks ago Saints Coach Mark Raymond handed the reins of the offense to SO QB Danny Metzgar.  Metzgar has passed for 858 yards going 88 of 140 with seven touchdowns (TDs) to five INTs.  JR WR Mike Tateosian has been a bright spot for Saint Lawrence and he leads the LL with a seven reception per game average and is fifth overall with 578 receiving yards (72.2 YPG) and five TDs.

Defensively the Saints are lead by SR LB Joe Napolitano who's tied for fifth in the LL with 64 total tackles (eight APG).  FR LB Rajiv Heron is fourth in the LL with five and a half sacks and sixth with eight tackles for loss (TFL).

Keys to the game:

1.  Turnovers - Hobart's defense this season has been excellent, but they haven't created as many turnovers as teams from prior playoff caliber seasons.  The Saints running game is virtually nonexisitant and Saint Lawrence has been generous in this area in the passing game.  I'd like to see some (like three or four) picks by the Statesmen "D" Saturday.

2.  Bring cleats, good ones - Hobart has one of the best running games in the nation.  Saint Lawrence is giving up over 200 YPG on average and gave up 342 to Springfield (5-3, 3-2) and 302 yards to RPI (5-2, 3-2) earlier in the year.  The Statesmen OL has played great but they have played on field turf all season.  Leckonby is the last real grass field in the LL which may slow down the Statesmen.  Throw in the fact the weather forecast looks cold (high of 42) and wet (30+% chance of showers) which also isn't ideal, but hey, that's (way) upstate NY for you in early November.

Prediction:

Hobart has beaten Saint Lawrence 19 times in the prior 20 seasons.  The Saints lone win was a four interception game by the Statesmen back in 2010 which also coincided with Saint Lawrence's lone conference title.  In 2012 the LL belongs to the Statesmen and I expect them to claim the conference title outright in convincing fashion.  I do think the grass field and weather will tone the scoring down but I'll take Hobart to win 35-14, with the 14 being late scores against the reserves.

Hobart Ranked #1 in First NCAA Regional Polls

The #9 Hobart Statesmen (8-0, 5-0) were ranked #1 in the first of two (published) NCAA Division III playoff ratings.  The rankings are listed below:

http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2012/10/31/first-2012-ncaa-regional-rankings/

Ok great, but what does that mean?

On one hand it means that if Hobart wins out they will receive a very high tournament seed but on the other it probably won't be a #1 given how the DIII tournament actually works (more on that in a bit).

Right now the Statesmen have a relatively good strength of schedule (SOS) number and are unbeaten against regionally ranked opponents (RRO).  That said the Committee actually seeds the tournament by picking the four best teams in the country then builds out a bracket based on automatic qualifiers, SOS, results against RRO and other factors (e.g., at large bids, etc) - not by region (although considerations are made to avoid over 500 mile distance / flight games given the NCAA / budget for this tournament).  A few years ago, the NCAA approved the use of recent playoff performance to allow the Committee to differentiate undefeated teams for the purpose of bracketing/seeding.  Therefore, Hobart's SOS and (potentially) undefeated record will be slightly minimized by a more subjective process.  Although Hobart's history has included several playoff appearances, they haven't gone as deep as say a UMHB, Mount Union or Linfield.
I won't try to go into all the specifics but those of you who haven't seen it before, D3football.com has a great overview on how the DIII playoffs work here:

http://www.d3football.com/interactive/faq/playoffs

I'll go on record here that if Hobart goes 10-0 they will end up as the #2 in a bracket with (mostly) "eastern" teams.  A lot can happen in the next two weeks, but that's my prediction on this Halloween.

Union / Trustee Weekend Recap

My return to HWS as everything I hoped it would be and then some. From arriving to 77 degree weather, enjoying dinner at a new wine bar downtown, Geneva and the Finger Lakes really rolled out the red carpet. Although the indian summer eventually gave way to a cold rain during Saturday’s game, singing the national anthem (www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5MPKADedMc) and seeing Hobart get a 42-34 win and an 8-0 record for the first time since 1954, was totally worth it.

The Statesmen are now up to #9 in the D3football.com national polls and have the opportunity to officially clinch the “Pool A” (aka automatic playoff qualifier) with a win at Saint Lawrence (0-8, 0-5) Saturday in Canton, NY. I’ll have a preview of the Saints match up later this week.

Saturday’s show down between Hobart and Union started off being all Hobart in the first half. The Statesmen jumped out to a 21-0 lead off of big plays by JR RB Steven Webb (59 yard rushing touchdown) and SR WR Junior Woodard (62 yard receiving TD). Even SO TE Mike Berkowitz got into the mix with an eight yard TD reception early in the second quarter. Berkowitz would go on to have a career best and game high 89 receiving yards and two TDs.

Union would get on the board on a broken play that found SO WR Kyle Reynolds for 31 yard receiving TD. Webb would add another rushing TD and the Statesmen took a 28-7 lead into halftime. The second half the Statesmen came out flat and the Dutchmen took to the air. Union SO QB Connor Eck completed passes of 25, 11 and 14 yards on a drive that culimanted on a SO RB Darnell Thomas one yard TD run. SR QB Nick Strang would be intercepted on a 4th and 10 from the Union 22 yard line (more on this in a few) on Hobart's first possession of the second half.  Thomas would rip off a 62 yard run and eventually Eck would fool the Statesmen on a naked bootleg and easily walk into the end zone to pull Union within eight points with 5:46 to play in the third quarter.

The rival teams would trade TDs the remainder of the game with Hobart coming out with a hard fought 42-34 decision. The Statesmen looked dominant at the line of scrimmage and did amass 537 total yards including a season high 355 rushing yards (199 of those by Webb which was a career high). Strang was a very efficient nine of 15 and three TDs.  He also appeared on ITH last night (check www.inthehuddlle.com if you missed it).  Still, the 34 points was a season high for what was until then the second ranked total defense in the nation.

A few other opportunities for improvement are listed below:

1. One slow quarter – The Statesmen once fell into the old habit of having “that quarter”, in this case getting burned in coverage, turning over the ball, etc to start the second half. This same issue hurt them against Utica and allowed Union to build momentum and get back in the game. Fortunately Hobart recovered and got a score with 55 seconds to go in the third to push their lead back to two possessions.

2. Third and fourth down conversions – Hobart was held to a surprising four of 12 on third down in Saturday’s game and decided to attempt five fourth down conversions (several of which could have been 35-40+ yard FG attempts), converting only two. I remember a few third down calls where Strang would run (what appeared to be called) QB draw plays which had limited chance for success given the yardage needed. It was almost as if the idea was to get a few yards on third and long to set up a fourth and 1 (or 2) and go for it.

3. Over pursuit / poor (deep) pass coverage – The Union OL struggled against the Hobart DL for most of the first half. Where the game changed was the Dutchmen’s using the Statesmen’s aggressive rush to run counter to where Hobart was crashing. Thomas isn’t particularly big (5’ 10” 190 lbs) but he was quick and did a nice job finding holes vacated by the Statesmen blitzes. Thomas’ 141 rushing yards on 16 carries (62 of which came on a big run in the third quarter) was the second best individual rushing performance by any Statesmen opposing RB all season.  The Dutchmen also picked on SO CB Fajri Jackson and JR FS Jolyon Davis, who were beaten on several long pass plays, including both TD receptions.  To be fair, the first Union passing TD was on a broken play and was (sort of) a lucky catch.

I don’t want the above to take away from what was truly a historic win for Hobart in many respects. Union is their toughest league rival year in and out so a win over the Dutchmen is always big. The game was closer than I predicted but the Statesmen could have won more handily if not for a handful of breakdowns and turnover to start the third quarter. Webb and Strang had great offensive outings and SO DE Tyre Coleman was unstoppable racking up a team high eight tackles, including a Hobart single game record of five TFL and three sacks. That said the game ball goes to the OL. They are helping Hobart achieve new heights including being the 19th best rushing offense (258.63 YPG), 27th in passing efficiency (157.96) and first in the nation in sacks allowed (.38 SPG).

A winless Saint Lawrence team awaits the Statesmen. A win by Hobart would tie the program record for wins in a season (nine, last achieved in 2008) and put the Statesmen at 9-0 outright for the first time in program history (Hobart finished the 1896 season 9-0-3).

More on Saturday’s game later this week.

Union / LL Championship Game Preview

It’s a battle of Liberty League (LL) unbeaten teams when the #10 ranked Hobart Statesmen (7-0, 4-0) take on their top rival Union College Dutchmen (4-3, 4-0). The Dutchmen and Statesmen rivalry began back in 1896 with Union having a 50-43-2 overall series advantage. Hobart has won two in a row against the Dutchmen including last season’s 41-24 contest in Schenectady.

Union had a number of key offensive players graduate after the 2011 season and struggled out of the gate in 2012, losing two games on a field goal and a botched punt / overtime game. The Dutchmen have been perfect in LL play however setting up this key matchup with the Statesmen in what is for all intents and purposes the de facto LL Championship game.

Union is lead on offense by SO QB Connor Eck. The Rye, NY native has had an impressive start to his collegiate career going 84 of 151 (55.6%) for 1125 yards (160.7 YPG) with 10 touchdowns (TDs) compared to only two interceptions (INTs). Eck is a mobile QB and has gained 290 yards on 99 carries (41.4 YPG) and one rushing TD.

Eck leads a Dutchmen unit that ranks fourth in the LL in total offense (371.1) and rushing (204.4 YPG). His favorite targets are SO WR Kyle Reynolds (22 receptions for 274 yards and six TDs) and big (6’3” 250 lbs) SR TE Eric Zavadsky (10 receptions for 127 yards and three TDs).

Leading Union’s rushing attack is JR RB T.J. Franzese. The Don Bosco Prep alum is second in the LL in rushing with 644 yards on 131 carries (92 YPG) with six rushing TDs. Franzese is also a receiving threat and has caught 12 passes for 104 yards on the season. SR FB Tim Hersey is a solid blocker and has added 215 yards on 35 carries with two TDs.

Defensively Union is second only to Hobart in scoring (20.4 PPG allowed) and total defense (289 YPG and 18 TDs allowed). The Dutchmen are lead by SR LB and Co-Captain Noah Joseph who is second in the LL with 69 tackles (9.9 TPG) on the season. SR DB Jafar Johnson is tied for first in the LL with four INTs on the season and is second in passes defended with nine (1.29 PG).

Keys to the Game:

1. Turnovers – There is no coincidence that Union’s four game win streak is directly correlated to their ability to create turnovers. The Dutchmen are 21st in the nation and first in the LL with a +9 turnover margin (1.29 per game) and have been an incredible +14 over the last four LL games. Case in point was Union intercepting Rochester JR QB Dean Kennedy four times last Saturday en route to a 20-7 victory over the Yellow Jackets (3-4, 2-3). Last season the Statesmen won the turnover battle (+1) and a key takeaway was a 15 yard fumble recovery for TD by SO FS James Smith which pushed the Statesmen’s lead to 27-17 right before halftime.

2. Win the LOS – Although many of Union’s offensive specialists were mostly newcomers going into the 2012 season, the one area where the Dutchmen returned a fair amount of experience (two SRs and two JRs) and size (266 lbs on average with three OL over 270 lbs) was on their OL. The battle between Hobart’s DL and LBs and the Union OL will likely dictate the result of this game. Last season the Statesmen sacked Eck’s predecessor an incredible eight times for -62 yards, lead by JR OLB Devin Worthington with a game high 10 tackles and three and a half sacks. The team that’s outrushed the other has won the game (only exception to this rule was in 2009 when Union’s Justin Gallo broke program records with an eight catch, 246 yard and three TD performance) in the past five seasons. Statistically Hobart has an edge in both rushing offense and rush defense, the latter of which the Statesmen are ranked 11th in the nation allowing only 79.86 YPG.

3. Third down – A key stat that was somewhat overlooked / overshadowed given all the sacks in last season’s contest was third down conversions. Hobart converted nine of 15 (60%) compared to Union’s three of 13 (23%). Defensively, the Statesmen have only allowed 23 third down conversions out of 97 on the season (23.7%) while converting 50 of 100 attempts (50%) on offense. Union is 43 of 99 (43.4%) on third down this season and allowing 38.9% (35 of 90) on defense. The Dutchmen’s most lopsided loss of the season was back in Week 2 when the Utica Pioneers (5-2) converted 77% of their third downs (10 of 13) compared to Union’s 43% (six of 14).

4. Make history – Hobart has an opportunity Saturday to be the first Statesmen football team to go 8-0 since the 1954 Hobart squad (which included a 32-21 win over Union). The last time they had this same chance was back in 2006, but lost to Union 31-14 at (the old) Boswell Field. To be fair, the 2006 Union team was 6-1 going into that contest (and had gone 10-1 the season before). Still, you have to think Union’s Coach Audino is harkening back to prior Dutchmen upsets (such as 2008’s 38-35 win when a 1-3 Union team knocked off a 4-0 Hobart squad) of the Statesmen for Saturday’s contest.

Prediction:

Last year being an exception, games against Hobart and Union in recent years have been generally within three to 10 points of each other. The Statesmen have to be very confident given last weekend’s dominating performance over a solid RPI (5-2, 3-2) team. Still, Union has played the role of spoiler in prior seasons and hasn’t lost three games in a row to Hobart in almost a decade (2002-2004) and you have to back to the 1970’s for Hobart’s last significant winning streak over the Dutchmen given Union beat Hobart 16 straight times from 1982-1997.

The Statesmen are the favorites, but you have to throw out records when old rivals meet up, especially in what effectively counts as a championship / playoff elimination game. Ultimately I think Hobart’s defense will create problems for Union’s young QB and the Hobart offense to have success running the ball with an occasional pass to keep the Dutchmen defense honest (not to mention test their somewhat average pass defense). Union has allowed twice as many TDs (20 vs. 10) than Hobart, but their red zone defense is a LL best 54.5% (12 of 22 with 11 TDs allowed).  The Dutchmen have also feasted on turnovers as of late, so if the Statesmen can keep possession, they can wear Union down.

Although my superstitious self hates that the Statesmen are 0-2 in the last two Union games I have attended in person (28-17 and 31-21 losses in 1997 and 2009, respectively), I am fairly certain my presence will have no, if any, impact on this game (save for the national anthem of course).

I’ll take the Statesmen to win 31-14.  

Kickoff is at 12 noon and the game will be covered on WEOS FM (www.weos.org) and my ITH co-host Frank Rossi's WABY stream (www.ustream.tv - look up by Frank's name or Union Football).

Hobart Cracks D3FB.com Top 10

The Hobart Statesmen (7-0, 4-0) cracked the D3Football.com Top 10 with 403 points and a first ever #10 ranking.  This is quite an accomplishment given the large number of D3 football programs (239 I believe at last count).

A link to the poll is attached below:

http://www.d3football.com/top25/2012/week8

Pretty awesome.  Go 'Bart!

Hobart Exacts Revenge Over RPI, 35-7. Webb Interview on ITH Tonight at 7:30 PM.

The #11 ranked Hobart Statesmen travelled to Troy, New York Saturday looking to avenge back-to-back losses to Liberty League (LL) rival RPI Engineers.  After trading punts and field possession early in the first quarter Hobart would strike first driving 75 yards in 11 plays, the highlight of which was a 46 yard SR QB Nick Strang to JR WR Yosh Karbowniczak reception.  Strang would cap the drive with a four yard touchdown (TD) run and the FY PK James Hull point after gave the Statesmen a 7-0 lead with 3:56 to play in the first.

On the ensuing Hobart possession Strang would find SR WR Junior Woodard on a 30 yard pass play to set up the Statesmen at the RPI eight yard line.  Three plays later Strang found the end zone for his second score of the day and after the Hull point after, the Statesmen stretched their lead to 14-0 with 10:56 to play in the second quarter.  RPI SR QB Mike Hermann would attempt to rally the Engineers but would be intercepted by JR OLB Devin Worthington.  

Worthington set up the Statesmen up at their own 44 yard line with 3:57 to play in the first half.  The Statesmen would advance to the RPI 17, calling a timeout with 31 seconds to go.  Out of the timeout, Strang would complete a 17 yard pass for TD to JR RB Steven Webb.

The Hull point after was good and Hobart took a 21-0 lead into halftime.

Neither team would find the end zone in the third quarter but Hobart would start the fourth in RPI territory after a Webb 22 yard run set the Statesmen up at the RPI 46 yard line.  Strang would find SO WR John Fasano open for a 16 yard completion, then handed off on two running plays before Hobart Head Coach Mike Cragg called a timeout with 13:45 to play.  Offensive coordinator Kevin DeWall drew up a running play for SR RB Bobby Dougherty would ran 19 yards for the TD.

The Hull point after was good and Hobart held a commanding 28-0 lead with 13:40 to play in the game.  On the ensuing drive Worthington would intercept Hermann for the second time of the game, giving Hobart the ball at the RPI 22 yard line.  Two plays later Dougherty would score his second rushing touchdown, this time from 20 yards out.  The Hull extra point gave the Statesmen a 35-0 lead with 12:47 to play in the game.  Although Hermann would finally engineer a 10 play, 63 yard scoring drive where he found SR WR Nick Weber open for a 25 yard touchdown pass, it was too little too late for RPI, who fell to Hobart by a score of 35-7. 

The Statesmen outgained RPI 471 to 242 yards and rushed for a season high 334 yards.  Hobart dominated time of possession, holding the ball over 41 minutes in the contest.  The Statesmen offense was lead by Webb (who's scheduled on ITH tonight at 7:50 PM) with a game high 130 rushing yards and the 17 yard touchdown reception.  Strang was a very efficient nine of 13 passing for 137 yards and one touchdown, along with three rushing yards and the two short touchdown runs.  Defensively Hobart was lead by SR LB Andrew Klindera with nine tackles and Worthington with one sack, one tackle for a loss and two interceptions.

RPI was lead by Hermann with 230 passing yards a touchdown and two interceptions.  Defensively the Engineers were lead by Matthew Day with a game high 13 tackles. 

With the win Hobart improves to 7-0, 4-0 in the Liberty League.  The loss drops RPI to 5-2 on the season 3-2 in the Liberty League.  Hobart returns home to Geneva Saturday to face long-time rival Union College (4-3, 4-0)  for a noon kickoff.  

RPI Game Preview

The #11 ranked Hobart Statesmen (6-0, 3-0) will face long time rival and the only Liberty League (LL) foe with a winning record against them in the last five seasons, the RPI Engineers (5-1, 3-1). Although Hobart controlled the rivalry for most of the last decade, including winning five straight from 2002-2007, the Engineers have won three out of five against Hobart, including the last two contests by a combined four points. Overall RPI leads the all time series, which dates back to 1910, 28-26-1. 

Last year the Engineers mounted a comeback down 28-7 to spoil the Statesmen’s chances at a perfect regular season behind a 299 yard passing performance by the 2011 LL Offensive Player of the Year QB Mike Hermann. Hermann’s exploits accounted for virtually all of RPI’s total offense that day,  leading to a 29-28 RPI victory at Boswell Field. The prior year Hobart attempted a comeback in Troy, NY but came up short, losing 24-21 on a 34 yard field goal as time expired. Hobart’s last victory at RPI was a 20-17 win in 2008 at the now retired “’86 Field.”

Standing in the way once again of a potential 7-0 record for the Statesmen is RPI SR QB Mike Hermann. The imposing 6’5” and 250 lbs Myrtle Beach, SC native has the size, accuracy (LL best 66.7 completion %), arm strength and overall athleticism that has attracted NFL scouts since the preseason. Hermann has scored 24 touchdowns (TDs) on the season, 18 passing (1st in the LL) and six rushing scores. He only needs 300 more passing yards to crack 2,000 and he still has three more games to go in the regular season.

The Engineers are first in total (454.3 YPG) and passing offense (302.2 YPG), mostly due to Hermman (283.3 YPG). Not surprisingly three of RPI receivers are in the top six in the LL with targets such as SR WR Steven Burpoe (433 RY / 86.6 YPG and three TDs), SR WR Nick Weber (505 RY / 84.2 YPG and six TDs) and JR WR Reggie Colas (384 RY / 64 YPG and six TDs).

To be fair, RPI isn’t just the “Mike Hermann show”. They are a SR-laden team (22 SRs) with sound defensive and special team players to complement the offense. SR LB Matthew Day is third in the LL with 51 total (8.5 TPG) tackles and SO DL Wade Hansen is tied for second in the LL with Hobart’s SO DE Tyre Coleman with six and half sacks and is sixth overall in the league with eight and a half tackles for loss (TFL). SO DB Nick Borkowski is tied for first in the LL with nine passes defended and four interceptions (INTs). JR DE Ted Abriel was named to the D3football.com “Team of the Week” for a 10 tackle (seven solo) performance in last Saturday’s 31-21 win over Rochester (3-3, 2-2). SR LB Austin Nelz was named the LL Defensive Player of the Week for his game high 12 tackles (seven solo), including a sack, half a TFL and a pass breakup against the Yellow Jackets.

Special teams are also a strong unit for the Engineers. SO PK Andrew Franks leads the LL in scoring by a kicker with 43 points going 25 of 28 on PATs and six of 10 on FGs. SR WR Austin Caswell is third in the LL in punting with a 37.8 (net) average per punt.

Keys to the Game:

1. Secondary has to be primary – There’s no nice way to put this, so I’ll just be blunt. Last season the Hobart defensive backfield absolutely stunk against RPI. Hermann torched them on TD passes of 46 and 62 yards that were well behind the Statesmen defense. The third RPI TD was set up by 21 yard Hermann to Colas pass on fourth down that was a backbreaker of sorts for Hobart. WEOS play-by-play man Ted Baker’s calls of “wide open” while describing the RPI receivers were plentiful that Saturday. Part of this was due to blown coverage, but it was also due to Hermann’s ability to elude would be Hobart tacklers. The Engineers have several receiving threats so it’s likely both outside and inside linebackers will be forced into pass coverage. While I do expect Hobart to blitz and disguise coverage, they will need to prove their nationally ranked total (second overall / 190.5 YPG allowed), pass (second overall 99.33 YPG allowed) and scoring defense (eighth overall / 11.5 PPG allowed) is as good as advertised.

2. Turnovers – There is no coincidence that Hobart’s back-to-back losses to RPI have been a direct result of having a -5 turnover margin (TOM) in those two contests. Hermann has not coughed up the ball against Hobart since a three INT performance in a 10-0 Statesmen shutout of the Engineers at (the old) Boswell Field in 2009, Hermann’s freshman year.  Last weekend Rochester took advantage of five Rochester turnovers (pushing their TOM to +6 on the season).  Hobart will need to take better care of the ball (the Statesmen are -2 in TOM this season) to avoid another disappointing loss to the Engineers.

3. Win the LOS –

a. Although Hobart did have a good number of TFL (nine) in last season’s contest, they were for minimal yardage (-20 yards). The Statesmen only sacked Hermann once. Hobart will need to pressure Hermann but not allow their assignments to break down due to over pursuit. This season the Statesmen are ranked seventh and tenth in the country with 3.83 sacks and 9.17 TFL per game so I fully expect to hear Coleman, JR OLB Devin Worthington and others to get into the RPI backfield Saturday.

b. Conversely if the Statesmen OL can negate the Engineer pass rush (the Statesmen are first in the LL, seventh in the nation in sacks allowed meaning opposing pass rushers have sacked SR QB Nick Strang only seven times this season or a half sack per game average), Hobart could look to test RPI’s last ranked passing defense which has allowed a LL worst 230.3 YPG.

c. Hobart comes into this contest as the third best rushing team (ranked 32nd in the nation) in the LL averaging 230 YPG. SR RB Bobby Dougherty has moved to the top of the LL in rushing, averaging 95.17 YPG and a LL leading 11 rushing TDs. RPI brings the second ranked rushing defense to the game (Hobart is first allowing 91.2 YPG) and will test the Statesmen OL. The Engineers have only allowed 120.3 YPG and 10 rushing TDs on the season.  Still, RPI did allow 352 rushing yards to the Merchant Marine Academy (3-4, 1-3) so it is possible the Statesmen could look to deploy a similar rush heavy strategy in this contest (to control the clock and keep Hermann off the field) given their success running the football so far this season.

Prediction:

This is a de facto playoff / elimination game for RPI. Their surprising 34-31 loss to the Merchant Marine (3-4, 1-3) puts them in jeopardy of missing the NCAA playoffs with one more loss, especially given a nine game schedule. In spite of all of Hermann’s accolades, he has never lead RPI to the NCAA tournament. A win over Hobart would put the Engineers in control of their destiny, especially with Union (3-3, 3-0) still on the schedule.

For the Statesmen this game is not just about avenging two painful losses, it’s also about proving they can learn from past mistakes, missed opportunities and finish key LL games. Hobart has not run the LL table since 2004 and Hermann has had the Statesmen’s number of late which is a key reason many pundits (including D3football.com) will likely pick RPI to upset the Statesmen.

The running game may struggle and if Strang has an off day it could be a rough game for the Statesmen. Still, I like Hobart coming off the bye week and having a few surprises up their sleeves. RPI will have success in this game, but I think the Statesmen will make enough plays to earn a hard fought win, 28-24. Kickoff is slated for noon and coverage will be on 89.7 WEOS FM (www.weos.org).

Hobart Still Can't Crack D3football.com's Top 10 and Other News

The Hobart Statesmen (6-0, 3-0) were idle this weekend but #9 Bethel and #11 Saint John Fisher lost giving the previously #12 ranked Statesmen a chance to move up to #11 in the Week 7 poll (see link below):

http://www.d3football.com/top25/2012/week7

Hobart will face Liberty League rival RPI (5-1, 3-1) this Saturday in Troy, New York looking to avenge a 29-28 loss (the Statesmen's lone regular season blemish) last year in Geneva.  Hobart has not defeated the Engineers since 2009.

In case you missed it, JR OLB and All-America candidate Devin Worthington appeared on "In The HuddLLe" last Sunday night, October 7.

Check out the interview in the archives (www.inthehuddlle.com).

Tonight at 7:30 pm ET we have #1 ranked University of Mount Union's Assistant to the Athletic Director Lenny Reich and UCLA /  Sports Concussion Institute's Dr. Tony Strickland, a renown expert in the field of neurology and sports related concussion injuries.

Also on the show will be RPI JR WR Reggie Colas, who scored three receiving TDs against the Yellow Jackets, to talk about the Engineers' come from behind victory at Rochester yesterday and the upcoming LL battle against Hobart on October 20th.

#5 will be looking to take down #7 this Saturday in Troy....

#12 Hobart Beats Pride, 28-7, to 6-0

It's been a season of firsts for the Statesmen.  After facing Geneva and Utica College in Weeks 2 and 3 for the first time in program history, the Statesmen hosted the Springfield College Pride today in Liberty League (LL) action.

Defense and field position was the name of the game to start.  Hobart would pin the Pride deep and get a short field after a James Poggio punt was received at the Statesmen 41 yard line.  The Hobart offense would only need five plays to set up SR RB Bobby Dougherty's ninth rushing touchdown (TD) of the season.

The Statesmen would find themselves pinned deep, at their own eight yard line, in the second quarter.  SR QB Nick Strang lead the offense down the field, driving 92 yards in 12 plays setting up a two yard pass to SR WR Junior Woodard for a TD.  Earlier in the game Woodard made a catch that tied him for third all time in Hobart history with Nico Karagosian '97 with 26 consecutive games with a reception.

After the second successful FY PK James Hull extra point and another defensive stop, the Statesmen took a 14-0 lead into the half.

Things started to go awry for Hobart in the third quarter as OC Kevin DeWall got away from (running plays on first down) what made the Statesmen so successful in the first half against a suspect Pride rushing defense.  Springfield's Brian Staub would intercept an under thrown Strang pass setting up the Pride at the Hobart 32 yard line.

Six plays later Springfield SR RB Joel Altavesta found the end zone from seven yards out.  Ricky Peacock's PAT was good and the Statesmen were only up 14-7 with less than 2 minutes to go in the third quarter.

Fortunately the Hobart defense would clamp down on the vaunted Springfield triple option attack and the Statesmen offense got back to the running game in the fourth quarter.  Dougherty would rattle off scoring runs of 35 and five yards to finish the game with three TDs and 150 yards.

The Statesmen out gained the Pride 360 to 159 yards (a 100+ of which was allowed in the second half).   Strang was nearly perfect in the first half going eight for nine with 89 yards a TD pass, but seemed off in the second (five for 14 with an interception and only 41 yards - going off "unofficial" stats).

Fortunately the defense continued to show up and made big plays, the last (and nastiest) big play of the game by JR OLB Devin Worthington's sniffing out and absolutely destroying Poggio on a Springfield attempt at a trick play, which ended up as an eight yard loss.  Worthington leads the nation in TFL (tackles for a loss) for a reason, and today he added two more.

Defensively the Statesmen were lead by SR LB Andrew Klindera with 10 tackles and half a TFL.  Hobart held the third best rushing offense (based on YPG) to a paltry one of 12 on third down.

With the win Hobart improves to 6-0, 3-0 in the LL.  Springfield falls to 3-3, 1-2 in the LL.  The Statesmen have a bye next weekend and will travel to rival RPI on Saturday, October 20.

More on this game and other thoughts (for my 200th blog post) later next week.