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.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
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).
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).
Sunday, October 21, 2012
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:
Pretty awesome. Go 'Bart!
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.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
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).
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).
Sunday, October 14, 2012
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.
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....
Saturday, October 6, 2012
#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.
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.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Less Than 10 Months To Go 10k!
Thanks to the readers and Hobart Football fans who've pushed this blog to over 20,000 views this morning! The last nine months have flown by and the support to the site has been overwhelming. While there is no coincidence that the Statesmen's great start (5-0, 2-0) and national ranking (#12) are a big part of the excitement, it's humbling to know that there are so many interested parties from around the US (and across the globe) that are keeping tabs on this season.
Thanks again and will have my thoughts post-game Saturday afternoon.
Go 'Bart!
Thanks again and will have my thoughts post-game Saturday afternoon.
Go 'Bart!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Springfield Game Preview
To start off today's post I'd like to wish my now six year old son, Declan, a very happy birthday! Now onto Hobart business.....
The #12 ranked Hobart Statesmen (5-0, 2-0) will host Liberty League (LL) new comer Springfield College (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday at Boswell Field. The Pride is coming off a 49-21 defeat at the hands of Union College (2-3, 2-0) last Saturday in Schenectady. This will be the first ever meeting between the two teams.
The Pride runs the same triple option offense as the USMMA (3-2, 1-1) and leads the LL with 321 rushing YPG. Springfield rarely passes the ball and has only completed 13 of 33 attempts on the season. Still, those 13 completions have been for big plays, including five touchdowns (TDs).
Although the Pride has suffered some injuries at QB, FY Jon Marrero looks like the starter at the moment. He ran for 119 and passed for 118 yards against Union last Saturday, scoring a rushing TD and throwing one interception (INT). The key players in the Pride offense however are a pair of SR RB’s Joel Altavesta (71 carries for 427 yards and six TDs) and SR RB Mike Davis (31 carries for 363 yards and six TDs).
Defensively the Pride is lead by a trio of SO LB’s including Mike Dublin (40 tackles), Corey Kaiser (30 tackles) and Danny Macalena (37 tackles). SR LB Kevin Shields has 36 tackles as well. Springfield’s pass rush is lead by SO DE Max Nacewicz with 9.5 TFL and eight sacks for -70 yards. The Pride are just behind Hobart in sacks with 20 on the season.
On special teams Springfield has a somewhat reliable kicker in SR PK Ricky Peacock. He’s connected on three of six FG attempts with a long of 29 yards. He’s also converted 20 of 23 PATs. JR WR James Poggio is tied for the LL lead in punting with 40.4 YPP and has booted a long of 55 on the season.
Keys to the Game:
1. Get ahead – The Union game gave Hobart the perfect script on how to beat the Pride as they are not a team built to come back once behind. If the Statesmen can get on the board early and force Springfield to play catch up, the Hobart defense will have a field day. FY DE Mark Guarino-Hyde struggled with keeping containment in the first half of the USMMA game early but should be more prepared this time around for the option. Still, the Pride is a bigger, faster and more physical version of the Mariners so the initial possessions will set the tone of the game.
2. TOP – Hobart leads the LL in time of possession (34:59) and should attack Springfield by testing its somewhat weak rush defense and control the clock. The Pride is giving up a league worst 208.2 rushing YPG and was ground to a pulp by Union to the tune of 353 yards last weekend. Union possessed the ball for an astounding 41:25 compared to Springfield’s 18:35. By contrast, when Springfield blew out Rochester (2-2, 1-1), 44-14 in Week 4, the Pride offense was on the field for 29 minutes. By contrast Springfield’s pass defense is fairly stout, second to Hobart in the LL allowing 161.6 YPG. That said the ECFC’s Mount Ida College (3-1, 1-0) SR QB Scott Drosendahl threw for 280 yards and five TDs against the Pride in Week 3. He was unfortunately undone by two INTs however (and the fact the Mustang defense couldn’t stop Davis who ran for 184 yards and four TDs) in a 49-42 Springfield win.
3. Flummox the Freshman – The Statesmen’s defensive front can make a statement early in this one by setting Davis and Altavesta back for losses and/or force Marrero into passing situations which is not a triple option QB’s forte. Hobart only has three picks on the season but they do lead the LL in sacks with 21.
Prediction:
Perhaps the Union loss is throwing me off a bit, but my concern around Hobart taking on the Pride has dropped significantly from earlier in the season. Unfortunately this game is during Hobart’s fall recess so it’s likely only family and friends will be in attendance, thus not really giving the Statesmen much of a home field advantage (especially compared to homecoming when there were nearly 3,000 people cheering them on).
In spite of the unfamiliarity and lack of a home crowd, I think Hobart will win this one comfortably. I’ll take the Statesmen 49-21. Kickoff is at noon and on the call will be WEOS (www.weos.org) PBP man Ted Baker.
The #12 ranked Hobart Statesmen (5-0, 2-0) will host Liberty League (LL) new comer Springfield College (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday at Boswell Field. The Pride is coming off a 49-21 defeat at the hands of Union College (2-3, 2-0) last Saturday in Schenectady. This will be the first ever meeting between the two teams.
The Pride runs the same triple option offense as the USMMA (3-2, 1-1) and leads the LL with 321 rushing YPG. Springfield rarely passes the ball and has only completed 13 of 33 attempts on the season. Still, those 13 completions have been for big plays, including five touchdowns (TDs).
Although the Pride has suffered some injuries at QB, FY Jon Marrero looks like the starter at the moment. He ran for 119 and passed for 118 yards against Union last Saturday, scoring a rushing TD and throwing one interception (INT). The key players in the Pride offense however are a pair of SR RB’s Joel Altavesta (71 carries for 427 yards and six TDs) and SR RB Mike Davis (31 carries for 363 yards and six TDs).
Defensively the Pride is lead by a trio of SO LB’s including Mike Dublin (40 tackles), Corey Kaiser (30 tackles) and Danny Macalena (37 tackles). SR LB Kevin Shields has 36 tackles as well. Springfield’s pass rush is lead by SO DE Max Nacewicz with 9.5 TFL and eight sacks for -70 yards. The Pride are just behind Hobart in sacks with 20 on the season.
On special teams Springfield has a somewhat reliable kicker in SR PK Ricky Peacock. He’s connected on three of six FG attempts with a long of 29 yards. He’s also converted 20 of 23 PATs. JR WR James Poggio is tied for the LL lead in punting with 40.4 YPP and has booted a long of 55 on the season.
Keys to the Game:
1. Get ahead – The Union game gave Hobart the perfect script on how to beat the Pride as they are not a team built to come back once behind. If the Statesmen can get on the board early and force Springfield to play catch up, the Hobart defense will have a field day. FY DE Mark Guarino-Hyde struggled with keeping containment in the first half of the USMMA game early but should be more prepared this time around for the option. Still, the Pride is a bigger, faster and more physical version of the Mariners so the initial possessions will set the tone of the game.
2. TOP – Hobart leads the LL in time of possession (34:59) and should attack Springfield by testing its somewhat weak rush defense and control the clock. The Pride is giving up a league worst 208.2 rushing YPG and was ground to a pulp by Union to the tune of 353 yards last weekend. Union possessed the ball for an astounding 41:25 compared to Springfield’s 18:35. By contrast, when Springfield blew out Rochester (2-2, 1-1), 44-14 in Week 4, the Pride offense was on the field for 29 minutes. By contrast Springfield’s pass defense is fairly stout, second to Hobart in the LL allowing 161.6 YPG. That said the ECFC’s Mount Ida College (3-1, 1-0) SR QB Scott Drosendahl threw for 280 yards and five TDs against the Pride in Week 3. He was unfortunately undone by two INTs however (and the fact the Mustang defense couldn’t stop Davis who ran for 184 yards and four TDs) in a 49-42 Springfield win.
3. Flummox the Freshman – The Statesmen’s defensive front can make a statement early in this one by setting Davis and Altavesta back for losses and/or force Marrero into passing situations which is not a triple option QB’s forte. Hobart only has three picks on the season but they do lead the LL in sacks with 21.
Prediction:
Perhaps the Union loss is throwing me off a bit, but my concern around Hobart taking on the Pride has dropped significantly from earlier in the season. Unfortunately this game is during Hobart’s fall recess so it’s likely only family and friends will be in attendance, thus not really giving the Statesmen much of a home field advantage (especially compared to homecoming when there were nearly 3,000 people cheering them on).
In spite of the unfamiliarity and lack of a home crowd, I think Hobart will win this one comfortably. I’ll take the Statesmen 49-21. Kickoff is at noon and on the call will be WEOS (www.weos.org) PBP man Ted Baker.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Hobart Midterms
The Hobart Statesmen remained twelfth in the D3football.com polls after reaching the regular season’s midpoint a perfect 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Liberty League (LL) conference.
The Statesmen are leading the LL in 18 significant team statistical categories including: scoring offense (41.4 PPG) and defense (12.4 PPG), total defense (196.8 YPG), touchdowns allowed (eight), rushing defense (79.4 YPG), pass defense (117.4 YPG), pass defense efficiency (95.3%), kickoff returns (24.4 YPR), punt returns (15.5 YPR), sacks by (21), sacks against (two), first downs (112 or 22.4 per game), opponent 1st downs (62 or 12.4 per game), third down conversions (52.1%), opponent third down conversions (25%), fourth down conversions (75%), opponents fourth down conversions (25%), and time of possession (34:59).
Individually SR WR Junior Woodard leads the LL in receiving YPG with 88, SR RB Bobby Dougherty leads the league in scoring with 48 points (eight TDs), SO WR Troy Robinson leads the LL in punt return average with 11.6 return yards per punt, JR WR Yosh Karbowniczak is tied for the LL lead in punt average with 40.4 YPP and JR RB Steven Webb leads the league in all purpose yards with 536 (107.2 YPG).
Defensively SR LB Andrew Klindera is ranked 11th in tackles with 35 total. Klindera is over 127 tackles in his career as a Statesman.
Nationally, Hobart’s defense is ranked third overall (YPG) and JR OLB Devin Worthington is first with 12 tackles for loss (TFL).
All these accolades are helping the program gain a lot of national recognition, but the target is on their backs is bigger than ever. Fortunately for the Statesmen, three of their five remaining regular season games are at home. They also get their bye week the weekend before they travel to conference rival RPI (3-1, 1-1) who beat them last season 29-28 in Geneva.
Clearly Hobart has been dominant in their games to date and achieving the highest ever national ranking is certainly cause for an “A+” as far as grading them goes. That said I hold the team, especially this one, to a higher standard. Four key areas that this team needs additional work are listed below:
1. Avoiding “those mistakes” – In the last three weeks the Statesmen have found themselves in quandaries mostly due to their own mistakes. Against Utica it was the three fumbles on offense, two by Woodard and one by Webb which kept the game close until the Hobart offense pulled away in the fourth quarter. Against USMMA it was the three interceptions in the first half / second quarter (I will say two were on Strang, the second of the INTs was simply a great play by the Mariner DB Harmon). In the WPI game it was a missed blocking assignment that ended up as an interception when Strang’s arm was hit resulting in the 45 yard interception return which gave WPI the go-ahead TD minutes into the first quarter of that game. The good news was in all cases none of these gaffes cost Hobart the game. However, none of the aforementioned teams are likely to make the NCAA playoffs. Mistakes like these against a Wesley, Widener or Salisbury would be much more costly.
2. Penalties – The Statesmen are seventh in the LL standings with 36 penalties for -345 yards (7.2 PPG with a 69 YPG average). 70 yards is a lot in a close game. I trust this will remain an area of focus in the second half of the season.
3. Pass blocking - Although the new OL has performed well, particularly in the running game, it has seemed at times that Strang has had pressure on him more than one would like. While the pass protection has not allowed many sacks, none of the teams played to date had a strong pass rush (Springfield on the other hand has 20 sacks this season). This area is certainly not a sieve for the Statesmen, but definitely could be improved upon.
4. Extra points - FY PK James Hull has been a great add to the Hobart special teams unit and has done a nice job on field goals (two for three, with the one miss being a block) and PATs (25 of 29) this season. Somehow the Statesmen either missed or had four PATs blocked in the WPI game, one which was returned for two points by the Engineers. Once again, not a big concern in the comfortable leads so far this season. However, in a playoff or tight game, every point counts so I'd like to see more "goods" than "wide rights" in this area. Put it this way....Hobart tied a modern record with 61 points last Saturday. If they converted these PATs it would have set a modern record. Not a big deal on one hand, but something to keep in mind.
Overall I’ll give this Statesmen team an “B+/A-" for the season to date. In many ways Hobart has surpassed preseason expectations and areas of concern (e.g., the OL, secondary and kicking game) have been strengths of this team. This squad is close, but equally has a long way to go, towards piecing things together for another league championship and playoff berth.
The Statesmen are leading the LL in 18 significant team statistical categories including: scoring offense (41.4 PPG) and defense (12.4 PPG), total defense (196.8 YPG), touchdowns allowed (eight), rushing defense (79.4 YPG), pass defense (117.4 YPG), pass defense efficiency (95.3%), kickoff returns (24.4 YPR), punt returns (15.5 YPR), sacks by (21), sacks against (two), first downs (112 or 22.4 per game), opponent 1st downs (62 or 12.4 per game), third down conversions (52.1%), opponent third down conversions (25%), fourth down conversions (75%), opponents fourth down conversions (25%), and time of possession (34:59).
Individually SR WR Junior Woodard leads the LL in receiving YPG with 88, SR RB Bobby Dougherty leads the league in scoring with 48 points (eight TDs), SO WR Troy Robinson leads the LL in punt return average with 11.6 return yards per punt, JR WR Yosh Karbowniczak is tied for the LL lead in punt average with 40.4 YPP and JR RB Steven Webb leads the league in all purpose yards with 536 (107.2 YPG).
Defensively SR LB Andrew Klindera is ranked 11th in tackles with 35 total. Klindera is over 127 tackles in his career as a Statesman.
Nationally, Hobart’s defense is ranked third overall (YPG) and JR OLB Devin Worthington is first with 12 tackles for loss (TFL).
All these accolades are helping the program gain a lot of national recognition, but the target is on their backs is bigger than ever. Fortunately for the Statesmen, three of their five remaining regular season games are at home. They also get their bye week the weekend before they travel to conference rival RPI (3-1, 1-1) who beat them last season 29-28 in Geneva.
Clearly Hobart has been dominant in their games to date and achieving the highest ever national ranking is certainly cause for an “A+” as far as grading them goes. That said I hold the team, especially this one, to a higher standard. Four key areas that this team needs additional work are listed below:
1. Avoiding “those mistakes” – In the last three weeks the Statesmen have found themselves in quandaries mostly due to their own mistakes. Against Utica it was the three fumbles on offense, two by Woodard and one by Webb which kept the game close until the Hobart offense pulled away in the fourth quarter. Against USMMA it was the three interceptions in the first half / second quarter (I will say two were on Strang, the second of the INTs was simply a great play by the Mariner DB Harmon). In the WPI game it was a missed blocking assignment that ended up as an interception when Strang’s arm was hit resulting in the 45 yard interception return which gave WPI the go-ahead TD minutes into the first quarter of that game. The good news was in all cases none of these gaffes cost Hobart the game. However, none of the aforementioned teams are likely to make the NCAA playoffs. Mistakes like these against a Wesley, Widener or Salisbury would be much more costly.
2. Penalties – The Statesmen are seventh in the LL standings with 36 penalties for -345 yards (7.2 PPG with a 69 YPG average). 70 yards is a lot in a close game. I trust this will remain an area of focus in the second half of the season.
3. Pass blocking - Although the new OL has performed well, particularly in the running game, it has seemed at times that Strang has had pressure on him more than one would like. While the pass protection has not allowed many sacks, none of the teams played to date had a strong pass rush (Springfield on the other hand has 20 sacks this season). This area is certainly not a sieve for the Statesmen, but definitely could be improved upon.
4. Extra points - FY PK James Hull has been a great add to the Hobart special teams unit and has done a nice job on field goals (two for three, with the one miss being a block) and PATs (25 of 29) this season. Somehow the Statesmen either missed or had four PATs blocked in the WPI game, one which was returned for two points by the Engineers. Once again, not a big concern in the comfortable leads so far this season. However, in a playoff or tight game, every point counts so I'd like to see more "goods" than "wide rights" in this area. Put it this way....Hobart tied a modern record with 61 points last Saturday. If they converted these PATs it would have set a modern record. Not a big deal on one hand, but something to keep in mind.
Overall I’ll give this Statesmen team an “B+/A-" for the season to date. In many ways Hobart has surpassed preseason expectations and areas of concern (e.g., the OL, secondary and kicking game) have been strengths of this team. This squad is close, but equally has a long way to go, towards piecing things together for another league championship and playoff berth.
Monday, October 1, 2012
#12 Hobart Getting More D3football.com Coverage
D3football.com's Executive Editor Pat Coleman surprised me last night on "In The HuddLLe" (check www.inthehuddlle.com and select the 9/30 show in the archive to hear our conversation) and Hobart is featured today on D3football.com's "Around the Nation" podcast. Check out what Pat and Managing Editor Keith MacMillan have to say about the Statesmen at:
http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2012/10/01/atn-podcast-welcome-to-october/
A midterm "report card" will be out later this week and I'll preview this weekend's matchup vs. Springfield (3-2, 1-1) either Thursday or Friday of this week.
Go 'Bart!
http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2012/10/01/atn-podcast-welcome-to-october/
A midterm "report card" will be out later this week and I'll preview this weekend's matchup vs. Springfield (3-2, 1-1) either Thursday or Friday of this week.
Go 'Bart!
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