Thank You Seniors!

For what will probably be the final post of 2014 I wanted to write a heartfelt THANK YOU to the graduating seniors (and their extended families and friends). As it has been well documented already, these young men have earned the best four year record, 41-5, in the 121 seasons of Hobart Statesmen Football history.

This run is a good reason why Hobart ended up ranked in the Top 10 in both major D3FB 2014 polls. The Statesmen finished the year eighth in the AFCA and ninth in the D3football.com Top 25, respectively.

Without further ado, please join me in looking back on and thanking these great student athletes for their contributions to Hobart College and the Statesmen Football team:

#1 WR Troy Robinson – finishes his career with 56 receptions for 705 yards and six TDs. The third of the Robinson brothers to attend Hobart and a great story on their family can be read here. I think Mr. and Mrs. Robinson deserve a special thank you for sending three outstanding Statesmen to Hobart (not mention handling all that tuition - that alone gets Mr. & Mrs. R a HOF nod in my opinion!).

#2 WR John Fasano – saved his best for last, making one of the biggest catches in Hobart history - a game winning TD in the second round of the NCAA playoffs to help the Statesmen beat #7 Johns Hopkins, 24-21. Fasano caught 60 passes for 797 yards and five TDs in his career.

#3 WR Elvin Souffrant – 46 catches for 1,147 yards and eight TDs. His 86 yard TD and run vs. Dickinson in Week 1 was the third longest scoring pass play in Hobart history.

#4 RB Alex Furtado – listed as a JR by the NCAA but Alex plans to graduate this spring. He played very well in his final season, rushing for 343 yards and six TDs while adding seven catches for 153 yards and one (HUGE vs. SLU) TD.

#12 QB Patrick Conlan – career record as a starter was 22-2. Passed for 3,603 yards and 33 TDs in his career. Also rushed for 264 yards and five TDs overall. A leader on and off the field.

#16 OLB Nolan Toran – played in 41 games racking up 130 tackles, three INTs and scoring on a safety vs. RPI this season.

#18 QB Kyle Bayly – played in 17 games, passed for 202 yards and three TDs in his career.

#21 DB Fajri Jackson – played in 45 games, tallying 149 tackles, 111 of those unassisted. A top cover corner for Hobart during his four year career and decorated LL player.

#24 OLB Matt McGriff – affectionately known as the “Crime Dog” and was a leader on and off the field for Hobart. Played in 30 games, totaling 40 tackles and one INT against Curry in 2014. His dad Jon's "H-O-B-A-R-T" cheers were awesome too.

#33 FB Dominique Ellis – nicknamed the “Horse”, Ellis rushed 235 times for 1,306 and 19 TDs in his 43 game career. Started all four seasons for Hobart and is arguably the best FB ever to suit up in a Statesmen uniform.

#41 DB Jordan Smith – played in 13 games where he made a total of 10 tackles.

#42 LB Jacob Price – played in 38 games making 81 tackles and blocked a kick in the second round of the NCAA playoffs vs. #13/24 Wittenburg.

#55 OL Ali Marpet – played in 41 games, starting at LT from 2012-2014. An all-time great OL for Hobart and is being seriously looked at by pro scouts.

#78 OL DeAndre Smith – played in 35 games and like Marpet, started at OG from 2012-14. Caps his career as a D3football.com All-East Region first team player and third team All-American.

#84 TE Mike Berkowitz – “Berk” played in 42 games, catching 45 passes for 17 TDs. The TD mark is best in Hobart history for a TE and tied for fifth all time on the career TD receptions list. Berkowitz ranks up there with Nico Karagosian '97 as one of the all time best TE's in Hobart history.

#90 DE Tyre Coleman – arguably the best defensive, if not overall player in Hobart history. Four year starter played in 46 games and was a multiple year All-American. 51 sacks ended up being good for second all time in DIII football history and 94.5 TFL was good for third all time. Overall tallied 224 tackles.

#93 DT Ben Dunham-Kapaldo – played in five games in his career.

#99 DT Troy Johnson – an under-appreciated (nationally speaking) DL, Johnson played in 44 games racking up 129 tackles including 10 sacks and 21.5 TFL. Had a career day 3.5 sack and TFL game in the LL Championship bout vs. SLU. A big reason Hobart’s defense was so dominant during the last 4 years was because of “TJ”.

Thanks again for the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of these Statesmen in the Class of 2015.

Happy holidays and New Year to all!

Coleman Earns D3football.com DPOTY Award, Marpet and Smith Named All-Americans

After an exciting Stagg Bowl 42 game which saw UW-Whitewater Head Coach Lance Leipold ride off into the sunset with his sixth national title, the D3football.com post game show recapped the 2014 season.

Around 12:06 AM ET this morning, Hobart College SR DE Tyre Coleman earned the site's Defensive Player of the Year Award. This came after Coleman was named a first team All-American at DE before last night's Stagg Bowl game. 

SR OL Ali Marpet also earned a first team All-American nod (adding to his second team AP "Little" All-American award from earlier this week).

SR OL DeAndre Smith earned a third team nod which was nice to see. Smith has started the last three seasons at guard and has been a huge reason for the Statesmen's success on the OL along with Marpet.

A link to the awards can be found here.

Congratulations to these great Statesmen. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Rack Up Awards

The Hobart College Statesmen’s 2014 campaign may be over, but there is still plenty of news to report, especially as the post season awards keep coming in for several Statesmen players.

SR DE Tyre Coleman headlined the D3football.com All East Region team as Defensive Player of the Year. He was joined on the All-East first teams by his classmates SR OL DeAndre Smith and SR OL Ali Marpet. Earning second team recognition was SR DB Fajri Jackson. JR LBs Marcus Jemison and Jacob Stanley earned third team nods. While I am a little surprised that players like JR LB Trayvon Toney, JR DT Tucker Gumkowski and SR DT Troy Johnson were left off the list, that’s postseason award politicking for you.

A link to the list / awards can be found here.

On the All-America front, SR OL Ali Marpet was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as a first team selection. Marpet is garnering a lot of interest from the professional level and recently accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL which is scheduled to be played on January 24 and will be televised on the NFL Network. He is also playing in the East West Shrine All Star Game in St. Petersburg, FL on January 17th.

A link with more information on Marpet and the bowl games he plans to attend can be found here.

Coleman, Smith and SR FB Dominique Ellis are also planning on attending Bowls in TX and VA. Funds to assist Coleman and others interested in attending these player showcases can be found on the site GoFundMe.com.

Will check back next week as D3football.com will release their All-American teams just prior to the Stagg Bowl National Championship game on December 19th. I expect Coleman, Marpet and one or two other Statesmen to be listed as part of those.

Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

Hobart Turnovers and Injuries Take Toll in 41-13 Elite 8 Loss

The 7th/9th ranked Hobart College Statesmen traveled to Dover, DE to face off against top seeded and 4th/5th ranked Wesley College in the third round of the NCAA play-offs.

The Wolverine's high powered offense struggled early on in the steady rain and against a stalwart Statesmen defense. Wesley's initial offensive possession would stall at the Hobart 15 yard line. Eric Speidel's 32 yard FG attempt was good and the Wolverines took an early 3-0 lead with 10:33 to go in the first quarter. 

The Wesley and Hobart defensive units would continue to control the game, with each side intercepting the opposing quarterback on successive possessions. The Statesmen had a good opportunity after All American and LL DPOTY SR DE Tyre Coleman sacked Wesley SR QB and Gagliardi trophy semi finalist Joe Callahan for a 10 yard loss to the Wolverine 30 yard line. A short punt then gave Hobart the ball at their 40. Unfortunately on the second play of the drive, Wesley's Andre Connally forced a fumble and Sean Hopkins took it to the house for a TD. The Speidel point after gave the Wolverines momentum and, more importantly, a 10-0 lead with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Hobart's offense would pick itself up and take their next drive all the way to the Wesley five yard line. On 3rd and goal, FY TE Chris Cyr was wide open for a TD. The SO PK Sean Kirshe point after failed and the Statesmen trailed 10-6 with 8:55 to go in the first half.

The Wolverines would find the end zone once more before halftime after a questionable pass interference penalty gave Wesley a first and goal at the Hobart three yard line. SO RB Jamar Baynard would score on the next play and after the Speidel kick was good, extending the Wolverines lead to 17-6 with 1:37 remaining in the first half.

Hobart would go three and out on the ensuing drive and Wesley took a knee and a 17-6 halftime lead.

The Statesmen defense forced a three and out of their own to open the second half but another critical mistake hurt Hobart on a punt snap that wasn't able to be fielded by JR QB/P Parker Thelander. The Statesmen defense stood tall however; and Wesley had to settle for another Speidel FG, which was good from 24 yards out, to push the Wolverines lead to 20-6 with 10:26 to go in the third quarter.

Hobart would start their next offensive possession at their own 36 yard line. Although they appeared to stall, Coach Cragg called for the fake on a fourth and 8 and Thelander took off on a 41 yard run to the Wesley 21. A personal foul on the Wolverines helped the Statesmen to the seven yard line and on third and goal, SR QB Patrick Conlan found SR TE Mike Berkowitz (who gritted out a bad ankle sprain in heroic fashion) for a TD. The Kirshe point after was good and Hobart was back in the game down 20-13 with 5:42 remaining in the third quarter. 

Although Coleman would sack Callahan again, earning him second and third all time on Division 3 career sack and tackles for loss list, he had to leave the game with an injury. On the ensuing Wesley possession, Hobart's FY CB Tommy D'Antonio slipped in tight coverage and All American SR WR Steve Koudossou made an incredible 60 yard catch and run. The long pass play and Speidel extra point would put Wesley up 27-13 with 33 seconds left in the third quarter.

In spite of a two score lead and an ineffective Hobart offense, Wolverine HC Mike Drass kept his foot on the gas in the fourth quarter, padding the Wolverine stats by adding two TDs, including a final 19 yard passing score with 3:01 remaining, to win 41-13.

Leading the Wolverines was Callahan with 315 passing yards, two TDs and one INT. Koudossou was his favorite target and the SR WR made five catches for 125 yards and a score. Baynard had two rushing TDs and a game high 78 rush yards on 21 carries (3.7 AVG).

Hobart was led by Conlan who struggled (but tougher it out playing with a bad shoulder / injury) passing for only 74 yards, two TDs and three INTs. The Statesmen defense was led by JR LB Jacob Stanley, who missed the entire second half due to injury, but still made a team high nine tackles. Coleman also had nine stops and set a Hobart single game record with six TFL to go along with two sacks. Coleman's absence was noticeable given about half of Callahan's passing yards and a TD came AFTER Coleman left the game. It truly was an all time great performance by arguably the greatest player in Hobart College Football's 121 year history.

Wesley's defense was led by All-American SR LB Sosthene Kapepula with a game high 13 stops. The Wolverine defense held Hobart to 163 total yards and most importantly, only three of 17 third down conversions. 

The loss ends the Statesmen's 2014 campaign at 12-1, tying the 2012 team's record for most wins in a season. The win improves Wesley to 12-1 overall and the Wolverines will return to Alliance, OH for a rematch with the 13-0 Mount Union Purple Raiders for a berth into the Stagg Bowl National Championship game

Join us tonight on InTheHuddLLe.com for our season finale at 7:30 PM. We'll interview the voice of the Statesmen, Ted Baker, along with Mount Union's Lenny Reich.

Thanks for reading this season and go Bart!

NCAA ELITE 8 / WESLEY PLAYOFF GAME PREVIEW

The 7/9th ranked Hobart College Statesmen (12-0) will travel to Dover, DE to take on the 4/5th ranked Wesley College Wolverines in the Elite 8 of the NCAA D3 playoffs. Wesley (11-1) has steamrolled their competition and is undefeated (7-0) in D3 play this season. They lost a hard fought 38-33 contest to second year FCS UNC-Charlotte (a team with 85 scholarship players) back on November 15. Even in the loss the Wolverines piled up 530 yards of offense, including 356 passing yards.

In the NCAA playoffs Wesley has dominated their opponents, winning by a combined 111-7 while averaging close to 550 yards of offense per game. The Wolverines have averaged 51.9 PPG on the season while their ball hawk defense has only allowed 9.9 PPG. A good reason for the defense’s success has come from turnovers. Wesley has collected 26 interceptions (INT), 21 forced fumbles, four blocked kicks, 119 tackles for loss (TFL) for -535 yards and 37 sacks for -276 yards.

The last time Hobart faced Wesley was back in the first round of the NCAA playoffs in 2011 when the Class of 2015 were FY. That season backup QB Kelly Olney ‘13 led the Statesmen in a valiant effort fighting back from 14 point deficits four times during the game to pull within 35-28 at the end of the third quarter before falling to Wesley by the same score. 

FY (now SR) WR Steve Koudossou gashed the Hobart secondary for 72 and 66 yard TD catches. QB Shane McSweeny had a big day going 18 for 27 for 336 passing yards and five TDs compared to only one INT. What kept Hobart in the game was three fumbles forced by the Statesmen defense plus a punt block that was returned for a TD by Devin Worthington ’14. The Statesmen had a limited kicking game that season and opted to go for it three times on fourth and goal – two of which came in the fourth quarter - but came up short on the tries which ended up being the key difference in the game.

Scouting the Wolverines: 

#14 SR QB Joe Callahan – a Gagliardi trophy semi-finalist, Callahan is easily the best QB Hobart will have faced this and several prior seasons. He has thrown for 3,435 yards and 43 TDs compared to only five INTs. He’s very accurate, going 238 for 355 (67%) and will likely get an invite to Salem as a Gagliardi finalist as one of the four best college FB players in D3.

#88 SR WR Steve Koudossou – Although not large in stature (~5’9” 170 lbs), Koudossou is probably the best WR in D3. He has 58 receptions for 1,170 yards and 15 TDs this season. In his excellent career, Koudossou is best in the playoffs and his stats - 12 games with 59 catches for 1227 yards and 19 TDs – back that up.

#8 SO RB Jamar Baynard – leads the Wesley rushing attack with 762 yards on 176 carries (4.3 AVG) and nine TDs. Given the Wolverines are really a passing team, Baynard is also a receiving threat catching 35 passes for 568 yards and four TDs.

#85 SO WR Bryce Shade – a return specialist, Shade has returned 20 kickoffs for 482 yards (24.1 AVG) and one TD. He’s second on the team with 38 receptions which have gone for 369 yards and five scores.

#1 SR LB Sosthene Kapepula - leads the Wesley defense with 76 total tackles. Kapepula has also tallied 9.5 TFL, two sacks, three INTs and two forced fumbles.

#9 SR DE Aamir Petrose – A real pass rush threat, Petrose leads the Wolverines defense with nine sacks and 22 TFL.

#4 SR CB Leon Jones – leads the Wesley ball hawking secondary with five INT.

Keys to the Game: 

1. Protect the Football – The Statesmen will need to channel their 4+ turnover margin performance of 2011 to have a good shot at an upset Saturday. Wesley has made a good living capitalizing and scoring points off of opponent’s mistakes. Their quick strike offense can pile up the points so it’s imperative for Hobart to take care of the football on offense and control the TOP as much as they can. Saturday's forecast has an 80% chance for rain meaning the ball will be slick and fumbles could follow. While the rain may help Hobart in slowing down Wesley's passing game, it could spell trouble if the Statesmen struggle with possession.

2. Collapse The Pocket On Callahan & Cut Up Koudossou – The Statesmen DL and LBs will need to create pressure on the Wesley passing attack while taking the pressure off their injury depleted and inexperienced secondary. To the latter’s credit, they did step up against Hopkins last week but SR WR Quinn Donaldson did burn them a couple of times. Koudossou is about 10x better than Donaldson, so Hobart will need to avoid many 1:1 situations and “bring the lumber” when they wrap up this outstanding receiver.

3. Run Like Hell - while I'm dating myself with the Pink Floyd reference, UNC-Charlotte's key to success vs. Wesley was the fact they scored three rushing TDs against the Wolverines. Easier said than done given no D3 opponents save for Rowan were able to run in a TD on the Wolverines D (which otherwise only allows only two YPC on the season).

4. Never Surrender – not many road teams win at this stage in the playoffs and it’s been well chronicled what the Statesmen’s playoff road record looks like. The Statesmen need to stay loose and enjoy the opportunity to lock horns with an elite football program. In 2012 Hobart struggled with turnovers and fell behind early on their way to a lopsided 47-7 Elite 8 loss to eventual Stagg Bowl runner up St. Thomas. Compared to UST, Wesley is a much smaller school (enrollment figures range from 1339 to 1600+ given a few graduate programs), but there’s nothing D3 about their football program (the 11% four year graduation rate reported by US News & World Report and the fact Wesley's Head Coach also happens to be the "Executive Director Intercollegiate Sports" and is a direct report to the College President and a peer to the head of Admissions kind of speaks for itself).

Hobart really has nothing to lose from the perspective all the experts will pick the Wolverines to win this going away so it should motivate the Statesmen to prove them wrong or at least acquit themselves as best they can.

Prediction: 

Wesley has made it to the national quarterfinals nine of the last 10 seasons. Hobart has gone two of the last three. This game will be a good measuring stick both on how far the Statesmen have come and to what extent there is still a big divide between the top three or four elite D3 football teams and the rest of the Top 10.

Although the Wolverines look unstoppable, they did lose five D3 games in the past two seasons (to be fair three of the five were one to Mount Union and two to Mary-Hardin Baylor) so if Hobart plays their best, they have a shot.

On Sunday’s ITH I predicted a best case scenario of 34-31 for the Statesmen. My ITH co-host Frank Rossi (who, along with Gordon Mann, will provide a video broadcast of the game) may have been more pragmatic with a 47-24 Wesley pick, but I hope it’s a much more competitive contest.

We’ll find out Saturday.

No matter what happens, Frank and I will recap the game, including highlight clips and more, Sunday at 7:30 PM at www.inthehuddlle.com.

Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

Coach Grange Talks Hopkins and Wesley on ITH

We spoke with Hobart DC Nick Grange Sunday night about the thrilling 24-21 win over Johns Hopkins and previewed the upcoming Elite 8 matchup against Wesley.

A link to the podcast can be found here.

I should have my game preview up by tomorrow. Fans traveling to the game should keep an eye out for tailgating information from the Alumni House in the next 24-48 hours.

More to come. Go Bart!

Statesmen Strike Back, Beat Blue Jays 24-21

The Hobart College Statesmen arguably capped the biggest win in school history by defeating sixth ranked Johns Hopkins University today in a back and forth game, 24-21.

The Statesmen (12-0) took a 10 point lead early on thanks to a FY PK Sean Kirshe 42 yard FG - a career beset. This scoring drive was set up after SO DB Todd Collier intercepted Blue Jays SR QB Braden Anderson on the Blue Jays (11-1) first offensive play from scrimmage.

SO RB Brad Burns capped a 10 play, 80 yard drive with a one yard TD run to push Hobart's advantage to 10-0 with 55 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Hopkins offense finally got on track thanks to a SO RB Stuart Walters five yard TD run with 10:23 to go in the second quarter.

JR RB Alex Furtado scored on a four yard run to push Hobart's lead to 16-7 with 2:31 remaining in the first half. The Statesmen special teams unit took a calculated risk in a short, high kickoff that JR WR Cooper Merrill initially recovered but subsequently fumbled and the ball was recovered by JHU.

The Blue Jays drove 11 plays in 2:27, scoring on a three yard SO WR Quinn Donaldson TD catch on the back line of the end zone. While the momentum was starting to sway to the Blue Jays, the Statesmen still held a 16-14 lead at the half.

The third quarter saw both defenses dig in and neither team scored during that period. Hopkins would take their first lead of the game when Donaldson hauled in a 28 yard TD pass from Anderson with 14:33 to go in the game. Given FY PK Jamie Sullivan's PAT was good, the Blue Jays had a 21-16 lead, meaning Hobart needed a TD to win the game.

After trading field position and a few close calls, the Statesmen's SR QB Patrick Conlan drove the team, into the wind and down the field 88 yards until SR WR John Fasano hauled in a HUGE 14 yard TD catch to regain the lead, 22-21 with only 1:26 remaining in the contest.

The two point play to SR WR Elvin Souffrant was good and Hobart led by a three point margin, 24-21. Although Hopkins would get to the Statesmen eight yard line with only a few seconds remaining, JR LB Jacob Stanley would intercept Anderson and Hobart would hang on to win, 24-21.

Conlan led Hobart with 237 passing yards and one TD. Fasano was his favorite target with six receptions for 79 yards and the game winning score. SR WR Troy Robinson played big as well, catching four passes for 68 yards. Hopkins was led by Anderson with 185 passing yards, two TDs but with two INTs.

Defensively JR LB Trayvon Toney led the Hobart defense with a game high 13 stops. SR DL Michael Rocca led JHU with 12 tackles including one TFL.

In a game of inches, it ended up being the Statesmen's +4 turnover margin (2 FRs - the second fumble coming on what could have been a decisive TD drive for Hopkins, but Hobart recovered at the 12 to start their own game winning drive - to go along with the INTs) that was the difference. Also, although the Hopkins DL/OL took control in the 2nd half, the Hobart OL managed to push through in the 4th quarter in good part thanks to a healthy 36:17 to 23:43 possession advantage.

The Statesmen will travel to Dover, DE to take on top seed Wesley College (11-1*) next Saturday in a rematch of 2011's NCAA 1st RD game that the Wolverines won, 35-28. *Wesley's lone loss this season is to UNC-Charlotte.

Hobart is pretty injury depleted and during today's game players such as SR DB Fajri Jackson and SR TE Mike Berkowitz (ankle) had to leave the field due to injury. SO FS Matt Cragg was also out with an injury as was starting SO RT Patrick O'Connell.

Hobart will have to dig deep in a match up against a FCS-quality Wesley program. More on that game later this week. Tune in to tomorrow's "In The HuddLLe" (www.inthehuddlle.com) at 7:30 PM to hear highlights and interviews from today's big win, plus a preview of the Elite 8 match-ups.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

NCAA RD 2 / JOHNS HOPKINS PLAYOFF GAME PREVIEW

The Hobart College Statesmen will host the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays this Saturday at Boswell Field for a chance to advance into the Elite 8 of the 2014 D3FB Championships. The Centennial Conference (CC) Champion Hopkins (11-0) defeated NJAC Champion Rowan (7-4) last Saturday, overcoming some early offensive turnovers (sound familiar?) to win, 24-16. The Blue Jays and Statesmen (11-0) have a lot in common and the similarities of both programs’ recent runs of success is quite remarkable.

Consider this:

• Both teams are closely grouped together in both national polls 
• Hobart is ranked 7th and 9th in the AFCA and D3football.com polls
• Hopkins is rated 6th and 7th, respectively
• Both SR classes have nearly identical (40-4 & 41-4) career records
• Both teams have won their respective conference titles the last four seasons
• Both teams are making their fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs 
• The Blue Jays had a close game with Wesley in the first round of the playoffs last season, just like Hobart did back in 2011
• Both teams have been to quarterfinals once before, Hopkins in 2009 and Hobart in 2012
• Both programs have been on the losing side of games to Saint John Fisher in the playoffs also 
• Both Head Coaches Mike Cragg and Jim Margraff have led their teams for over 20 seasons
• Both offenses average over 30 PPG
• Both defenses allow only about 14 PPG 
• The JHU OL has only allowed seven QB sacks in 11 games, Hobart has allowed eight
• The JHU D has sacked opposing QBs 31 times, Hobart has 36 sacks on the season

Both teams have also been criticized for their scheduling (or lack thereof) making this game a sort of “Rodney Dangerfield Bowl” as far as national perceptions and/or respect goes. Hopkins beat Randolph Macon (5-5) 42-3 in Week 1 before going into its nine game conference schedule. D3football.com insinuated both teams have “floated up” the rankings due to playing against weaker competition. The only like opponent the teams have had this season is Dickinson (3-7) which Hobart beat 33-21 in Week 1 and who the Blue Jays beat 42-7 in Week 7. I would not look to that game that much however given the final 14 points the Red Devils had against the Statesmen came with eight minutes remaining and with all the backups in the game. Hopkins defeated one of other playoff participant in Muhlenberg back in Wk 4, 42-26. The Mules (9-2) nearly upset MAC Champion Widener (11-0) until a last second 24 yard FG saved the Pride, 36-35.

From a historical perspective, Hobart and JHU haven’t played a football game against one another in nearly 50 years. The Statesmen went 2-0 against the Blue Jays, beating them 27-14 and 41-6, back in the 1965-66 seasons.

Scouting the Blue Jays: 

#12 SR QB Braden Anderson – Anderson is the engine that drives the Blue Jays offense and is both a strong passer and mobile QB. He has thrown for 2,404 yards and 23 TDs with a very accurate 67.5% completion percentage (193 of 286). He has only been intercepted seven times in 11 games. On the ground Anderson leads Hopkins with nine rushing TDs and has carried 62 times for 405 yards (6.5 YPC average).

#88 SO WR Quinn Donaldson – Donaldson leads a corps of four WRs that spread the field on opposing defenses. He leads the team with eight receiving TDs and 749 receiving yards.

#1 SO WR Bradley Munday - The other top target for Anderson is Munday who leads the team with 74.1 receiving YPG and has a team high 56 receptions. His yardage totals are right behind Donaldson with 741 yards and six TDs.

#3 SO RB Stuart Walters & #20 JR RB Brandon Cherry – nearly identical number of carries for Walters (127 for 671 yards or 67.1 YPG and seven TDs) and Cherry (107 for 513 yards or 51.3 YPG and six TDs) means both are viable options in the run game, especially behind a big OL which includes #73 SR LT Kyle Flynn (6’ 3” 310), #57 JR LG Fernando Concepcion (5’11” 255), #71 SR C Martin Scheuring (6’2” 275), #64 JR RG Colin Egan (6’4” 300) and #75 RT Rowan Cade (6’9” 310). 

#34 JR LB Keith Corliss – leads JHU with 76 total tackles.

#18 JR DB/SS Jack Toner – second on the team with 59 tackles and leads the Blue Jays defense with three interceptions and eight pass break ups. Probably plays like an OLB position similar to Hobart’s JR OLB Marcus Jemison. 

#56 SR DL Michael Rocca – tall and athletic, Rocca is tough to move off the line of scrimmage. He has 42 tackles, including seven TFL and five sacks. His height (6’6”) has enabled Rocca to block four passes and one kick on the season.

#16 SR DL Michael Longo – leads the Blue Jays with 10 sacks and 13.5 TFL to go with 49 total tackles, third best on the team.

#85 FY PK Jamie Sullivan – attended Los Angeles prep powerhouse Oaks Christian (which was across the freeway from my old office) and has hit six of seven FGs, including two vs. Rowan last Saturday. His long is 39 yards, which also occurred in the first round playoff game. Sullivan also handles kickoffs and has averaged 55.9 per KO.

Keys to the Game: 

1. Protect the Football – four turnovers plagued the Statesmen again digging them into a 12-0 halftime deficit, which could have been worse if the defense wasn’t so effective in forcing Ithaca (7-4) to settle for FGs instead of TDs in the red zone. The Statesmen have turned over the ball an incredible 13 times in the last 10 quarters of play. While they’ve made amends for these mistakes with timely plays and gritty comebacks, that only goes so far against Top 10 caliber competition like JHU. Hobart will need to piece together a full 60 minutes to beat a Blue Jays team that is in many ways a mirror image of Hobart both in statistics and overall talent.

2. Keep It Close (Early) and Get Points When You Can – JHU has outscored opponents 164-27 in the first quarter this season. Those big leads ballooned into Hopkins 38.7 PPG and has been protected by a stingy defense that has allowed only 14.5 PPG. Unlike the Statesmen, Hopkins really hasn’t played in a close game since Wk 2 vs. Susquehanna (2-8). Although it was 14-10 against Rowan at the half in Rd 1, JHU scored 10 points in the third quarter to take a 24-10 lead. Rowan’s final score came with under a minute to play, so the game wasn’t really as competitive as it may have appeared. The Blue Jays haven’t allowed more than 17 points in nine of their 11 games, so scoring for Hobart will be at a premium.

3. Pressure Anderson / Protect Conlan – Anderson has only been sacked seven times this season while JHU’s defense has racked up 31 sacks on opposing QBs. Keeping Conlan upright will mean the difference in his being able to make his reads, not telegraph and/or force the ball which is what got the Statesmen in hot water in the first half against Ithaca. Although I’d like to see more running plays (and it merits noting the Rowan's RB had 136 yards rushing against JHU), successfully moving the ball through the air will be important for Hobart. In Hopkins’ last two playoff losses, JHU gave up more passing yards than they completed. In similar fashion, both of Hobart’s two playoff losses since 2012 saw them complete 50% or lower and throw for under 154 yards in those games.

4. Bend Don’t Break – Both teams play similar defensive schemes but I’d give Hobart a slight edge on the DL / LB positions in both closing speed and athleticism. While our secondary is inexperienced and smaller in size, JHU’s WRs are not veterans nor very big / tall either. These WRs can get behind the defense if coverage is soft however (which we saw a few times last Saturday). Both Munday and Donaldson have had 60+ yard receptions and they average 13.2 and 16.6 YPC when open. The Statesmen will need a big play or two on defense or special teams to turn the tide in their favor, especially since the officiating at home doesn’t seem to help them at all. Also either Blue Jay OL/OTs Coleman lines up against will be taller and 50-60 lbs heavier, so blitzing and interior DL play will be crucial. The forecast for this weekend doesn’t look too bad actually (high of 40 and partly cloudy), and it is a good haul for Hopkins to get to Geneva from Baltimore.

Prediction: 

I think a close game is in store with Hobart hanging on (or coming back yet again) to win it 21-17. I initially predicted 27-24 on ITH last Sunday but given both teams are so strong defensively I am backing down a bit, points scored-wise, so to speak.

Ultimately, I think it’ll come down to who controls the line of scrimmage and can take advantage of match ups in the passing game if/when the pass rush doesn’t force Conlan or Anderson into trouble.

While I expect Hobart to be viewed as the underdog, even as the higher seed and host, I’m hopeful they’ll make enough plays to beat the Blue Jays and earn an Elite 8 game with (most likely) top-seed Wesley College (11-0).

Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

Statesmen Rack Up LL Awards, Coleman DPOTY, Marpet Co-OPOTY

The Hobart Statesmen earned 20+ All-Conference awards including SR DE Tyre Coleman getting his third straight Defensive Player of the Year recognition from the LL Coaches. In a rare but deserving nod, SR OL Ali Marpet was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year. He will probably the only OL named as a POTY award winner by any conference in D3 (which is a shame because OL deserve these as much as any QB or RB). Marpet shared the POTY award with SR QB Mike Lefflbine of Saint Lawrence (8-2).

Head Coach Mike Cragg and his staff won the Coaching award for their third consecutive undefeated regular season and fourth straight conference title. A link to the All-LL teams can be found here.

Speaking of Marpet, it was announced he accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine All Star Game on twitter today. St Pete isn't far from me so I am going to have to make some plans to drive down I-4 to see Ali in action. The game is scheduled for Jan. 17, 2015.

In the meantime, Hobart's focus remains on #6/7 Johns Hopkins (11-0). I'll post my NCAA Rd 2 Game Preview tomorrow.

Congratulations to these great Statesmen and go 'Bart!

Hobart Confirmed As Host vs. Hopkins, Conlan on ITH

The NCAA released the host sites for the second round of the D3FB playoffs and to nobody's surprise, the Hobart College Statesmen (11-0) will host Johns Hopkins University (11-0) this Saturday at Boswell Field. Kickoff is at noon and per NCAA guidelines videowill be free and live stats provided by the NCAA.

Tune in tonight at 7:30 pm for our interview with SR QB Patrick Conlan. Also joining us is Hobart '94 and MIT HC Chad Martinovich. Coach Chad has led his squad to a 10-0 mark and its first postseason victory in school history, a 27-20 OT thriller vs. Husson (8-2).

A link to the podcast can be found here.

Thanks for reading and a JHU game preview is coming up soon!

Hobart Comes Back to Win NCAA 1st RD Game, 22-15

It was the worst of times and the best of times.

The Hobart College Statesmen dug themselves into a 12-0 halftime deficit after giving up four turnovers to Empire 8 Champion Ithaca College. The Bombers (7-4) had to settle for FGs vs. TDs however thanks to an excellent game by the Statesmen (11-0) defense.

In spite of what was an otherwise awful first half, Hobart recovered and held Ithaca to 59 yards and three points in the second half as the offense slowly came back to life. Leading the resurrection was SR QB Patrick Conlan who overcame a bad start in throwing three interceptions (two of which were deflections / dropped passes) to finish with 201 passing yards and 62 rushing yards and two rush TDs, including the game winner. Hobart's other rushing TD was scored by JR RB Alex Furtado.

The Statesmen defense held the Bombers SR QB Tom Dempsey to 178 passing yards and one TD. Ithaca only rushed for 34 yards on 26 carries. Overall Hobart out gained Ithaca 355 to 212 yards.

Although it took a while for the OL to get going, Hobart used a key fourth quarter surge to put the Bombers away. The Statesmen rushed for 148 yards on 47 carries, most of which came in the second half as Asst Coach and OC Kevin DeWall '00 seemed determined to try and pass on the Ithaca 3x4 defense.

FY TE Chris Cyr, who led all Hobart receivers with 65 yards, made the catch of the season hauling in a 33 yard Conlan pass to give Hobart the chance to win the game in the final minute. Conlan ran it in on 3rd down for a TD and the FY PK Will McCool PAT gave the Statesmen their first and only lead of the game, 22-15, with 12.4 seconds remaining.

Defensively JR OLB Marcus Jemison returned after missing last week due to a concussion and made a huge impact, tallying eight tackles and 2.5 sacks, including a sack of Dempsey on the final play of the game. SR DE Tyre Coleman tied for 2nd all time on the D3FB career sack list with his 49th.

While this game probably won't go down as one of Hobart's finest, it's a rare win in an otherwise lopsided series vs. Ithaca, and it likely ensures the Statesmen will host Johns Hopkins (11-0) in Rd 2 next Saturday. The Blue Jays, Champions of the Centennial Conference, defeated Rowan (7-4) the New Jersey Athletic Conference Champions, by a score of 24-16.

Kickoff will once again be at noon. The official host locations are announced by the NCAA tomorrow.

More analysis on this tomorrow night at 7:30 pm at www.inthehuddlle.com. Tune in and go 'Bart!

NCAA RD 1 / ITHACA GAME PREVIEW

The seventh / ninth ranked (more on this can be found here) and Liberty League Champion Hobart College will host Empire 8 Champion Ithaca College Saturday in the first round of the NCAA D3FB Championship playoffs at Boswell Field.

The Statesmen (10-0) haven’t played the Bombers (7-3) since the 2003 season, a 14-7 loss. Prior to that game, Hobart went 2-1 against Ithaca, winning 19-0 and 17-6 in 2000 and 2002, respectively (hopefully the fact it’s 2014, an “even year”, is a good omen). The 2000 win was a major turning point for the Statesmen program as Hobart had not beaten the Bombers since 1983 and were 1-22 against their Cayuga Lake neighbors until that game. That 2000 team would be Hobart’s first ever NCAA playoffs qualifier and wrapped up that season 9-2 overall, which tied the Statesmen’s highest win total in program history (set back in 1896) at the time. In spite of their proximity, this weekend’s match up will be the first time the two programs have squared off in the NCAA playoffs.

Ithaca is nursing their pride a bit after a failed FG attempt turned into a game winning TD in their season finale vs. arch rival SUNY Cortland (5-5). The play was picked up by ESPN and the Bombers’ loss was replayed to a national audience which probably didn’t help. Ithaca is a good, but tough, draw for the Statesmen in that they bring some interesting matchup challenges to the “Boz.”

Scouting the Bombers:

#7 SR QB Tom Dempsey – with a strong arm and smarts to boot, Dempsey is easily the best QB the Hobart defense will have faced all season. He’s passed for 2212 yards, going 205-303 (67.65%) with 21 TDs compared to eight interceptions (146.57 pass efficiency rating). The SR QB runs the spread very well and has multiple receivers who are all strong players.

#4 SR WR Vito Boffoli – leads Ithaca with 533 receiving yards and has scored five TDs. Boffoli had 100+ yard receiving games against Alfred and Buff State, but is primary a possession receiver. His longest catch on the season was for 37 yards in the Buff State game.

#40 SR FB Ben Cary – A stocky (6’ 225 lbs) blocking back, Cary is actually more of a receiving than rushing threat. He’s carried the ball only five times for 22 yards with a TD. By contrast he leads Ithaca with eight receiving TDs and has caught 43 passes for 370 yards. It’ll be important for whichever Hobart LB draws Cary in coverage keeps him in check.

#2 WR/RB Josh Oliver – a small (5’5” 160 lbs) but tough player, Oliver was a HS teammate of Hobart’s SR DE Tyre Coleman. Initially a receiver (12 receptions for 101 yards), Oliver has converted to RB after #33 FR RB Tristan Brown went down with an injury in the game vs. Salisbury. Brown is back, but he only carried four times for 12 yards against Cortland. Since he took over for Brown, Oliver has carried the ball 76 times for 299 yards (3.93 YPC), scoring two rushing TDs in Ithaca’s last three games. Oliver also primarily handles both kickoff and punt return duties for IC. He’s averaged 10.5 YPR on punts and 23.4 YPR on kickoffs, so look for the angle kick by SO PK Sean Kirshe to keep the ball away from Oliver. 

#47 SR LB Marc Recio – similar to Oliver what Recio lacks in size (5’7” 195lbs) he makes up in gritty play. Recio leads the Bombers defense with 71 tackles, including 5.5 TFL.

#92 JR DL Schnayder Termidor – Ithaca’s best pass rusher, Termidor leads the Bombers with six sacks and 7.5 TFL. He’s forced two fumbles too, which Hobart will need to avoid given their recent turnover struggles.

#34 JR PK Max Rottenecker – handles kickoffs for the Bombers and averages 59.6 YPKO. He has gone five of seven on FGs with a long of 50.

#24 SR PK Garrett Nicholson – has gone seven of nine on FGs with a long of 33. Nicholson has kicked 28 PATs on 32 (87.5%) attempts.

Keys to the Game:

1. Protect the Football – The Statesmen have been their own worst enemy of late, turning over the ball nine times in their last two games. Ithaca is too good of a team to provide short fields and/or points too given the strength of their defense which allows 16.7 PPG and only 293 YPG.
2. Dump Dempsey – Hobart’s pass rush and its success in breaking up the spread will be critical. If Dempsey has time in the pocket he will pick apart Hobart’s pass defense which is not the Statesmen’s strong suit. The Bombers OL is very experienced with four SR and one JR starters, but they have allowed 21 sacks for -154 yards this season.
3. Home Sweet Home – The Statesmen are 7-1 in NCAA first round playoff games played at the “Boz” (8-1 if you count the 2003 ECAC bowl game where Hobart beat Norwich 34-18). The last time Hobart lost in the first round at home was back in 2002 against John Carroll. Hopefully the Statesmen have a bit of a chip on their shoulder given last year’s 27-6 loss to Saint John Fisher (also of the E8). An added bonus would be the possibility of hosting the winner of the Johns Hopkins (10-0) and Rowan (7-3) game if they can get by the Bombers. While the second round hosts won't be announced officially until Sunday, the bracket placement of Hobart points to them being the 2 seed, which would host.

Prediction: 

Saturday will be a tough, physical game that will be won or lost in the trenches. Ithaca’s OL is seasoned but their drop back style of offense plays to Hobart’s defensive strengths of sacking the QB and hitting runners behind the line of scrimmage. On Sunday’s ITH I predicted the Statesmen would win the game 25-17, unless Ithaca is able to capitalize on the turnover issues that have plagued Hobart in recent weeks. My co-host Frank Rossi was more optimistic, picking the Statesmen to win 34-20.

I suspect we’ll see a good dose of running plays by Hobart who averages 224.6 YPG against a Bomber defense that allows 111.1 YPG. Something will give here and I’m hoping it’ll be the Statesmen controlling the clock and slowly grinding down Ithaca. Either way it should be a great game by two storied NYS programs lead by excellent coaching staffs. This is what the playoffs are all about.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Draws Ithaca, Cragg on ITH

The Hobart College Statesmen (10-0) got a nice draw (a likely two seed) in the Wesley bracket of the D3FB NCAA Championships and will face off against Empire 8 Champion Ithaca College in Round 1. Kickoff is scheduled for noon on Saturday, November 22 at Boswell Field.

Ithaca (7-3) is hurting after losing their annual rivalry game 23-20 on a last second broken play / failed FG attempt that turned into the winning TD for Cortland State (5-5).

We spoke to Coach Cragg last night on In The HuddLLe. His interview starts at the 63 minute mark and the link to the podcast can be found here.

I'll have more on the Ithaca matchup later this week. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Hangs On to Centennial Cup to Go 10-0, Awaits NCAA Fate

The eighth ranked Hobart College Statesmen (10-0, 7-0) capped their third straight undefeated regular season in a sloppy but otherwise hard fought win over their oldest rival, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets (5-4, 3-4) yesterday on Senior Day at Boswell Field.

Hobart's fumbling issues continued, as four were either caused or were unforced with two being recovered by Rochester in the game, one for a safety early in the third quarter. The safety play sparked the Yellow Jackets, who were down 21-0 at the half, to a 16 point run that wasn't answered by the Statesmen until JR RB Conner Hartigan went 55 yards for a TD with 12:39 to go in the game.

Although Rochester made it a one score game with 1:30 remaining, the onside kick was recovered by SR WR Troy Robinson and Hobart took to the victory formation for a 28-23 win. SR QB Patrick Conlan led the Statesmen with 157 passing yards and one TD pass (to SR WR Elvin Souffrant). Hartigan led all rushers with a game high 114 yards and two scores. Hartigan has rushed for 239 yards on 27 carries the last two weeks, scoring in big spots for Hobart in both the SLU and UofR games. Needless to say I'd be interested in seeing him with a ~20 carry game come the playoffs.

On defense SO OLB Michael Harper made his first career start in relief of JR OLB Marcus Jemison (who I hope was out for precautionary measures if he is in fact nursing an injury). Harper was outstanding and tallied 11 tackles and 2.5 TFL for the Statesmen "D". SR DE Tyre Coleman added two more sacks and TFL to his already impressive resume. He now stands 3rd all time in sacks and needs one more TFL for fifth all time in that category.

In spite of a few issues in the second half, the Statesmen will find out tonight at 6PM what bracket they will land in the NCAA playoffs. D3football.com's Pat Coleman joined my ITH co-host Frank Rossi last night to go through a mock selection process. Check www.inthehuddlle.com for the recording of that show and D3football.com for their mock brackets (they put Hobart in the Mount Union bracket, hosting Delaware Valley in Round 1). My guess is the Statesmen draw NEFC Champion MIT (9-0) coached by former Hobart QB Chad Martinovich '94.

Tune into NCAA.com for tonight's selection show and In The HuddLLe starting at 7:15 PM. Frank and I will discuss the playoff brackets, interview Duey Naatz, the D3FB Selection Committee Chairman around 7:45 PM, then Coach Cragg after 8 PM tonight on www.inthehuddlle.com.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

UofR / Centennial Cup Game and Senior Day Preview

The eighth ranked Hobart College Statesmen will host their oldest active rival, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets, on Senior Day at Boswell Field this Saturday in each team’s regular season finales. Hobart (9-0, 6-0) is looking to cap their third consecutive undefeated regular season, a feat that is a first in Statesmen history and would end the Class of 2015’s regular season careers’ with an incredible 36-1 (.972) record 38-4 overall, so tomorrow would be their 39th win which is pretty awesome). Conversely the Yellow Jackets (5-3, 3-3) are seeking their first six win season since 2007.

Hobart leads the all time series by a mark of 51-48-7 and has not lost to Rochester since the 2010 season. In 2007, the schools created the Centennial Cup Trophy to commemorate the 100th game between the two rivals. The Statesmen are 6-1 all time in the Centennial Cup series and will look to retain the Cup this season. Last year, Hobart had four takeaways and three sacks in a 42-21 rout of the Yellow Jackets.

Scouting Rochester:

#16 FY QB Daniel Bronson – Although only a rookie, Bronson has quickly become one of the LL’s rising stars and a potential ROTY candidate. He ranks 12th overall in rushing with 416 yards and four TDs while also going 70 of 126 (55.6%) for 944 yards and seven TDs. He has second best pass efficiency rating of active starting QBs but has thrown five interceptions in eight games.

#32 SO RB Myles Allen – has rushed for 594 yards on 123 carries, good for a LL fourth best 71.4 YPG average, and five rushing TDs.

#9 JR WR Farid Adenuga – leads Rochester with 393 receiving yards and five TD catches. His 49.1 YPG average is fourth best in the league.

#28 JR CB R.J. Borgolini – one of the top tacklers on the Yellow Jackets defense, Borgolini has 59 stops in seven games (8.4 TPG) and an interception.

#34 FY OLB Isaiah Smith – another potential ROTY candidate, Smith has been a beast on defense and special teams for Rochester this season. He leads the Yellow Jackets with 67 tackles and was named to last week’s D3football.com’s “Team of the Week” for recovering a fumble and blocking a potential game winning field goal by WPI in a 24-21 OT win for Rochester. He also earned D3football.com TOTW honors back on 10/23 for a 17 tackle performance in a 34-20 win over RPI (5-4, 3-3).

#39 JR OLB Thomas Marone – second on the team with 62 tackles including a team high four sacks.

Keys to the Game: 

1. Ball Control – After committing a season high five turnovers at Saint Lawrence (7-2, 5-1) last Saturday, the Statesmen need to do a better job at protecting the football. The good news for Hobart is that the Yellow Jackets don’t create too many takeaways. In fact, they only have two interceptions and a -5 turnover margin overall.

2. Ball Control, Part II – Hobart has kept time of possession by about five more minutes a game on average than Rochester (33:04 to 28:06). Keeping this edge will go a long way to the Statesmen winning another Centennial Cup game. The Yellow Jackets rush defense is not stout, allowing 198.1 YPG. I expect a lot of running plays to keep the game clock going, especially given the strength of Rochester is their pass defense. The Yellow Jackets only allow 147.8 YPG which is second best in the league. Rochester has allowed only eight passing TDs (basically one per game).

3. Enjoy the Day – as stated above, this game will be the last home regular season game for the Class of 2015. Their run has been spectacular and I hope the players and their families take in what they have accomplished. Although the weather can change in a New York minute, the current forecast is a cold, but dry and mostly wind free day Saturday which is about as good as you can expect for mid-November Upstate.

Prediction: I think Hobart won’t struggle too much with a good, but not great, Rochester team. I’ll take the Statesmen to win 37-13.

Please tune into NCAA.com at 6PM to find out Hobart’s first round playoff opponent and bracket placement, then to InTheHuddLLe.com at 7:30 PM this Sunday night. On ITH we’ll speak with Head Coach Mike Cragg and NCAA D3FB Championship Committee Char Duey Naatz about the 2014 Playoffs.

Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

2nd NCAA Regional Playoff Rankings Released, Hobart Still 2nd

Although the Hobart College Statesmen have a higher national ranking, one more win over a RRO (regional ranked opponent, in this case Saint Lawrence) and a better SoS; they still ended up second to Delaware Valley (9-0) in the latest NCAA playoff rankings released tonight. A link to the rankings can be found here.

I am at a bit of a loss but at the end of the day all the Statesmen (9-0, 6-0) can do is beat Rochester (5-3, 3-3) and let the rest take care of itself Saturday night (when the final, unpublished rankings come out and the Committee begins creating the respective Championship bracket).

While it seems like the #2 seed they received in 2012 for going 10-0 may not happen this year, it is possible that Widener (9-0) defeating DVC on Saturday for the MAC title could be just enough to boost Hobart into a 2 seeding, especially given the "Whitewater rule". Ultimately less than .02 separates the teams as far as SoS goes and Widener would get a boost from beating DelVal whereas Hobart won't get much, if any lift, from beating UofR.

Regardless, we'll know how it turns out come Sunday at 6 PM. In the meantime, let the fan hand wringing begin (like how Framingham State is ranked four places higher than Rowan, a team it lost to H2H).

I will have the UofR game preview up tomorrow. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

DeWall Talks SLU & UofR on ITH, Polls Drop Hobart to 8th

The Hobart College Statesmen (9-0, 6-0) have a big week coming up after winning their fourth consecutive Liberty League title. We spoke to OC Kevin DeWall '00 last night about the SLU game, the approach to this weekend's UofR (5-3, 3-3) game and potential playoff seedings / draws.

The podcast can be heard here.

In spite of winning their fourth conference title, the Statesmen were leapfrogged by Johns Hopkins to fall to eighth in both the D3football.com and AFCA polls. This seems to fall in line with the recent NCAA regional playoff rankings which came out last Wednesday and will be refreshed this Wednesday afternoon. If Hobart remains in 2nd in the next RRs my guess is barring a potential "photo finish / Whitewater rule" scenario with Widener (currently in 3rd), they'd end up as a third seed in their respective bracket.

While Widener, if they beat Delaware Valley (ranked 1st), would have either the same amount of wins against ranked opponents as or one more (if Lycoming goes 8-2) than the Statesmen, their SoS is actually lower than Hobart's which may help the Statesmen's seeding.

We will have Head Coach Mike Cragg and Duey Naatz, the Chair of the D3FB Championship Committee on ITH next Sunday after 7:30 pm to discuss Hobart's draw in the tournament and other topics, so please tune in.

This week I'll post a reaction to the next set of RR's Wednesday and have the UofR preview up sometime Thursday.

Thanks for reading and go Bart!

Not Pretty, But We'll Take The Win, Hobart Outlasts SLU, 29-27

The #7 Hobart College Statesmen won their fourth straight LL Championship today, 29-27, in a nail biter at Saint Lawrence. Hobart (9-0, 6-0) did their best to give this one away, turning over the ball FIVE times to the Saints (7-2, 5-1) nationally ranked defense.

In the end it was the Statesmen defense who played big and the offense did just enough, overcoming their mistakes with 488 total yards and big runs by JR RBs Conner Hartigan and Alex Furtado behind an excellent game by the Hobart OL in the second half.

But who knew that it would come down to FY PK Will McCool connecting on a 32 yard FG to push the Statesmen to a 29-27 win? On a weekend where higher ranked teams fell in conference championship games (e.g., Ithaca beating Fisher and Morrisville beating Montclair), Hobart hung on and won.

Tune into ITH tomorrow night when we talk to Coach DeWall about today's game.

More analysis to come.

Stanley Talks SLU, Hobart 2nd In Initial NCAA East Region Rankings

Although the Hobart College Statesmen (8-0, 5-0) rank 7th in both the D3football.com and AFCA polls, the NCAA sent a clear message today that they disagree with that ranking. Reading between the lines this probably means only one home playoff game, if they can beat Saint Lawrence (7-1, 5-0) who came in at sixth, and finish 10-0.

Widener (8-0) beating Delaware Valley (8-0) in their season finale may help Hobart, but that remains to be seen. The Statesmen would get both a Strength of Schedule and Regional Ranked Opponent boost by beating SLU. Husson winning the ECFC could help too as their location in ME is a scheduling issue for the NCAA given the 500 mile rule. Best case for the Statesmen would be drawing a tough but beatable Round 1 opponent in say, NJAC champ Montclair, then hosting the winner of the Husson-MIT game. All that is pure projections and may not come to pass. Hobart really just needs to focus on SLU.

A link to the rankings can be found here. 

We discussed Hobart's low SOS as a potential issue on ITH last Sunday and it appears to have hurt them, at least in this first round. Another ranking will be released next week, then a final unpublished one used to seed the 32 team NCAA bracket.

You can hear that discussion plus an interview with JR LB Jacob Stanley here.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart! 

SLU / LL Title Game Preview

So it’s come down to this weekend where the irresistible force meets the unmovable object. On the line for only the fourth time since 2004 is the Liberty League (LL) title in a winner take all game. Both teams have defenses ranked in the Top 10 nationally, so expect a low scoring, hard hitting affair.

Hobart (8-0, 5-0) boasts a strong scoring offense (34.5 PPG) while the Saints (7-1, 5-0) have the LL’s best scoring defense (11 PPG). The Saints offense averages 25.9 PPG is led by a strong passing attack (201.3 YPG) and a LL leading 17 passing TDs. Conversely the Saints are ball hawks, collecting a LL high 17 interceptions (tied for second nationally) while only allowing three passing TDs all season. The Statesmen defensive strength is against the run, having only allowed 87.3 YPG rushing and four rush TDs.

Last season the Statesmen raced out to 24-0 lead before cruising to a 37-7 win over the Saints in Geneva. Hobart held SLU to only 145 total yards and only allowing three of 17 third down conversions. The Statesmen led the all-time series vs. SLU with a 47-37-2 mark. Hobart last lost to the Saints in 2010 in a 24-21 decision that was the first win by SLU over Hobart since 1991.

Scouting the Saints: 

#6 SR QB Mike Lefflbine – the top rated passer in the LL, Lefflbine has a nearly 60% completion rate, going 142 of 237 for 15 TDs and only four INTs. Lefflbine is a mobile QB who is most comfortable in roll out and play action type of plays. While not overly quick, Lefflbine is mobile and has gained 176 rushing yards and scoring two TDs this season.

#72 SR OT Luke Lendaway – a SR Co-Captain, the VT native led an OL that gave up a LL low three sacks in 2013. This season the Saints OL has allowed eight sacks (or one per game) and who’s blocking has assisted SLU maintain a 35:33 TOP average.

#16 SO TE Mitch Gallagher – big (6’2” 225 lbs) and athletic, Gallagher is a match up challenge for Hobart. He is first in the LL with 581 receiving yards and tied for first with five receiving TDs. His counterpart is #86 SO TE Matt Gardiner who is also tall (6’3” 217 lbs) and has caught 26 passes for 294 yards and three TDs.

The “Goon Squad” – A trio of outstanding players in #1 JR Evan Lapice (34 tackles, four INTs including an 80 pick six last week vs. WPI), #4 SO James Holley-Grisham (46 tackles, seven INTs) and dual threat #3 JR Leondre Simmon (14 tackles, five INTs while also adding 10 receptions for 140 yards and four TDs on offense).

#15 SO LB Alec Dietsch – last year’s LL ROTY, Dietsch leads the Saints with 56 tackles. #55 SO DE Chyron Brown-Wallace – leads SLU with 12.5 TFL and seven sacks.

#30 SO PK Andrew Carvalho – Perfect and leading the LL in PATs with a 27-27 mark, Carvalho has struggled with FGs. He’s only four of seven and has a long of 36.

Keys to the Game: 

1. Win the LOS – To me this game is about how Hobart’s OL handles the Saints DL. I have no doubt the Statesmen DL and LBs will put pressure on Lefflbine because they’ll need to in order to avoid him being able to exploit a clear size advantage of SLU’s tall TE’s and WR’s vs. Hobart’s shorter OLB’s and DB’s. The Statesmen will need to be able to run the ball against SLU’s stout rush defense which only allows 114.3 YPG. The Statesmen average 267 YPG rushing, so something’s going to give here. I expect a heavy dose of SR FB Dominique Ellis and JR FB Christopher Holoman to wear down the Saints LBs.

2. Avoid Turnovers / Special Teams Mistakes - the Saints have made a living this season off of turnovers. SLU ranks fifth in the nation with a +17 turnover margin. The Saints also average nearly 20 YPR on kickoffs and Holley-Grisham averages over 16 YPR on punts. He took a WPI punt 52 yards to the house last Saturday in a 20-7 win in Worcester. The Saints have the best punt team in terms of Net/P (34.1 yards) in the LL.

3. Third Down – SLU has struggled on third downs in spots, only converting 35.5% vs. Hobart’s LL leading 48.5%. However, the Saints defense leads the LL allowing only 29.2% opponent conversions. If the Statesmen rushing game stalls in the cold, grass field at Leckonby Stadium, Hobart will need SR QB Patrick Conlan to take to the air and gain valuable yards. Last season the Statesmen only went three of 13 on third down but had enough success on first and second down to warrant only four punts in the game. Hobart went for it four times and converted twice, and may elect to attempt some fourth down plays, pending field position and weather conditions (currently showing high, but otherwise dry, 39 after a snowy Friday).

Prediction: 

I believe the first half will be a back and forth, lowing scoring affair. I do think the Statesmen offense will catch steam and pull away late in the third quarter to win the game 24-10 and capture a fourth straight LL championship.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

PS - check back for quick update tmw once the NCAA East Regional Playoff rankings come out....

Defense Dominates Dutchmen in 30-6 Win

The eighth ranked Hobart College Statesmen hosted their second oldest active rival, the Union College Dutchmen Saturday at Boswell Field. After the Statesmen defense forced a Union three and out, SR QB Patrick Conlan led Hobart on a 12 play drive that was capped by a nine yard TD pass to SR WR Troy Robinson, his first TD catch of the season.

FY PK Will McCool's point after was good and the Statesmen took an early 7-0 lead with 7:24 to go in the first quarter. The Dutchmen offense would respond as FY QB Dante Cioffi led Union to the Hobart 14 yard line. After a SR RB Darnel Thomas run on third down was stopped for no gain, JR PK David Pope came on to attempt a 31 yard field goal. The kick was good and the Dutchmen trimmed the Statesmen’s lead to 7-3 with 3:52 to go in the first.

Hobart would get back to work on offense and drive to the Union nine yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, SR TE Mike Berkowitz scored his 15th career TD on a nine yard pass play. The McCool kick was good and the Statesmen led 14-3 with 14:56 to go in the first half. The next 13 minutes saw both teams defenses dig in. Hobart would finally reach the Union 13 yard line but couldn’t convert on third down. McCool would come into the game to attempt his first career field goal on this play which was good from 30 yards out to push the Hobart's lead to 17-3.

Although Union only had 1:39 left before half time an excellent kickoff return (or not so good coverage, which was an issue in today's game) gave the Dutchmen the ball at their 44 yard line. Cioffi would drive his team to the Hobart 22 yard line, when once again Pope was called on to attempt another field goal attempt, this time from 39 yards. The kick was good and the 17-6 score would stand at the half.

Both offenses struggled to start the second half but on Hobart’s third possession, the Statesmen running game started to gain traction. Behind the Hobart OL, SO RB Brad Burns, JR FB Christopher Holoman and JR RB Alex Furtado helped drive the team to the Dutchmen 14 yard line. The Statesmen called a timeout with 3:48 to go in the third quarter. On the ensuing play SR FB Dominique Ellis ran in for a TD. The McCool kick was good and Hobart extended its advantage to 24-6 with 3:41 to go in the quarter.

Both defenses kept the opposing offenses at bay into the fourth quarter. The Statesmen defense would make a statement when JR LB Jacob Stanley broke through the Union line, sack Cioffi, force a fumble, then scoop and score from 44 yards out. The McCool point after was no good but Hobart had a 30-6 lead with 11:34 to go in the game.

Hobart would try and add to this lead but committed two turnovers in the final drives of the fourth quarter. Although Hobart wouldn’t score again, they did enough to win the game 30-6. The Statesmen defense has not allowed a TD since the 2nd quarter of the Springfield game back on October 11th. Hobart held Union to a paltry 10 rushing yards while controlling TOP by an incredible 38:16 to 21:44 margin.

Leading the Dutchmen on offense was Cioffi with 206 passing yards. He was intercepted late in the game by JR LB Trayvon Toney. Conlan led Hobart with 148 passing yards and two TDs. Defensively Union was led by JR LB Thomas Hayes with a game high 10 tackles, including one for a loss and forcing a Statesmen fumble.

Hobart was led by SR DB Fajri Jackson with eight stops. Stanley and JR OLB Marcus Jemison recorded seven tackles a piece. SR DE Tyre Coleman Swas credited with a sack and one and half tackles for a loss. The sack moved Coleman in sole possession of fourth place in the all time career list for Division III. He’s eighth all time in tackles for a loss.

The win improves Hobart to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the league. The Statesmen will take on Saint Lawrence (7-1, 5-0) next Saturday in Canton, New York for the Liberty League Championship. The loss drops Union to 1-7 overall and 1-4 in the league. The Dutchmen will host the Merchant Marine Academy (2-6, 0-5) next Saturday in Schenectady.

With fifth ranked Linfield being upset 31-28 by Willamette today it's possible Hobart will move up one spot to seventh in the D3football.com and AFCA polls. Tune in to ITH tomorrow night at 7:30 PM where we'll have highlights from this game, plus an interview with Jacob Stanley.

Thanks for reading and go Bart!

Union Game Preview

Normally “Union Week” is the most anticipated one of the regular season. Unfortunately for the Dutchmen, a combination of injuries and key mistakes in close games have seen them limp to a 1-6, 1-3 record making this game not have (for this fan anyway) the same sense of urgency as in prior seasons.

To be fair, eighth ranked Hobart (7-0, 4-0) needs to win this weekend to continue their pursuit of a fourth straight LL title. At this point, it appears the Statesmen are on a collision course with Saint Lawrence (6-1, 4-0), who plays WPI (3-4, 2-2) this Saturday. While I don’t see the Union matchup as a “trap game” given the long history and rivalry between the two programs, the Statesmen will need to execute and exploit the Dutchmen’s weaknesses in order to stay on track. If Hobart and SLU win Saturday, their game on November 8th in Canton will be for the LL title and accompanying NCAA AQ berth.

The all time series has Union with a 50-45-2 edge. The rivalry is Hobart’s second oldest, dating all the way back to 1896. Last season the Statesmen defeated the Dutchmen for the fourth year in a row, 41-20.

Scouting Union

#27 SR RB Darnel Thomas – a captain and one of the top RBs in the conference, Thomas has gained 777 yards on 158 carries (4.9 YPC) this season. He’s scored four rushing TDs and has caught 19 passes for 129 receiving yards.

#12 FY QB Dante Cioffi – Once the third string QB, Cioffi has worked his way up the depth chart via injuries and hard work. While he’s struggled as a starter so far, completing only 43% of his passes with no passing TDs and three interceptions, he’s a big kid (6’3” 225) with a strong arm.

#1 SR WR Kyle Reynolds – leads the team with 501 receiving yards on 35 catches and scoring four TDs.

#2 JR WR Andrew Baker – another strong receiver, Baker has 378 yards and four scores with a team long of 61 yards.

#42 JR DE Jake LaRovera – leads Union with 60 total tackles, tied for team lead with two INTs.

#44 JR LB Thomas Hayes – one of the better LBs in the LL, Hayes is big (6’2” 245) and physical. He has 51 stops and team high five and a half TFL and two sacks.

#96 JR PK David Pope – went 3-3 on FGs and 1-1 on PATs to account for 10 of Union’s 16 points in last week’s 16-14 win over Rochester (4-3, 2-2). Pope has also averaged 59.7 yards on kickoffs.

#35 FY P Tyler Barnes – averages 35.9 yards as the Dutchmen’s punter (hopefully we will see him a good deal ;).

Keys to the Game:

1. Start Fast, Stay Furious – In spite of their difficulties in the W/L column, most of Union’s games have been close. If Hobart can jump out to an early lead, it’ll force Cioffi to have to play catch up, leading him vulnerable to the Statesmen’s pass rush. Union’s OL has allowed 22 sacks in seven games and I expect Hobart to increase that number by around six or more Saturday like they did against RPI.

2. Third Down – Speaking of the Engineers, RPI (4-4, 1-3) held Hobart to four of 10 third down conversations last Saturday which kept the first half a little bit closer than it would have been otherwise. Union’s offense has struggled on third down, converting only 30.8% (33 of 107) but their defense has been solid only allowing a 37.5% (36 of 96) conversion rate.

3. Go Vertical – The Dutchmen’s defense have struggled the most against good passing teams and they allow nearly 215 passing YPG and 14 YPC.

Prediction:

Sunday I believe I called a 33-14 Hobart victory. Hopefully some of the post-bye week rust will be off the offense, which tends to play better at home. The Statesmen “O” has averaged 37 PPG at the “Boz” this season and I could see Hobart break 40 points Saturday if they get on a roll. While Union does have some good athletes, I can’t see them doing much against the Statesmen defense. That said I’ll revise my prediction to Hobart winning 42-7.

Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

Hobart Rolls RPI, 35-3

This was a travel weekend for me, so I'll be brief. A lot of conversation, highlights and other commentary around this weekend's game can be found on tonight's ITH. A link to the podcast can be found here.

I'll have some commentary regarding Saturday's win over RPI and preview the Union game early this week.

Coleman Featured in D3football.com Around The Region

Andrew Lovell, the East Region columnist for D3football.com's Around the East column, profiled the career and accomplishments of SR DE Tyre Coleman today.

A link to the article can be found here.

Coleman needs only one more sack in Saturday's game vs RPI (4-3, 2-2) to crack the top five all time D3 career sack list. He stands at sixth with 42.

RPI Game Preview

The eighth ranked Hobart College Statesmen (6-0, 3-0) return to action Saturday when they travel to Troy, NY to face off against Liberty League rival RPI. The Engineers (4-3, 2-2) started off strong but have fallen back to the pack since the loss of their starting JR QB Jeff Avery to injury. Although SO QB Tommy Morgan has built some confidence in his first two collegiate starts, he has struggled in key spots committing at least five turnovers (four interceptions and a fumble that was the game clincher for Rochester last Saturday).

Last season the Statesmen gave up an initial TD to RPI before running off 35 unanswered points en route to a 35-13 win. The all time series, which began back in 1910, is even at 28-28-1. RPI is the last LL team to defeat Hobart (back in 2011 aka the “Mike Hermann game”).

Scouting the Engineers

#1 GR WR/RB Reggie Colas – A talented and versatile athlete, Colas is a big play threat any time he touches the football. He leads RPI with 9.5 YPC and has rushed for three TDs, including a 71 yarder last Saturday against UofR (4-2, 2-2). He also leads the Engineers with 20 catches with five receiving TDs.

#6 FY RB Mike Tivinis – This FY RB has emerged as a solid contributor and leads RPI with four rushing TDs. He will likely split carries with #21 JR RB Nick Schlatz, who leads the Engineers with 360 rushing yards.

#85 JR WR Logan Gaddar – Tall (6’ 2”) and athletic, Gaddar has 14 catches on the season for a team high 357 receiving yards and four TDs.

#56 SR LB Colby Tragni – An aggressive tackler, Tragni is co-captain and leads the RPI defense with 38 tackles, three TFL and one sack.

#4 SR DB Nick Borkowski – Another co-captain, Borkowski is an excellent cover man who will blitz off the corner. Borkowski is third on the team with 32 tackles, including five TFL and two INTs. In fact the strength of the RPI defense is it’s secondary which includes players like #31 JR DB Philip Lanieri III (leads team with four INTs) and #46 SR FS Connor Young (24 tackles and two INTs).

#3 SR PK Andrew Franks – A potential NFL talent, Franks has made 12 of 16 FG attempts with a long of 51 yards. Last week he broke the RPI record when he converted his 32nd career FG. He’s almost automatic making 23 of 24 PATs but what’s most impressive is how Franks has 29 touchbacks on 41 kickoffs (70.7%). He also is a good punter, averaging just under 40 YPP.

Keys to the Game:

1. Bottle Up Colas – RPI’s offense simply isn’t the same since it lost Avery. RPI’s best chance to do anything against the Statesmen defense is to try and get the ball to Colas, who missed last season due to injury. It’s likely Coach Isernia will look to put Colas in motion and/or test the Hobart contain with pitch option plays that can get Colas in space. The key for the Hobart LBs and DBs will be to come up and make the tackle on initial contact. Colas isn’t that big (5’ 11” 175) so he won’t bowl anyone over. However if you miss him or don’t wrap him up, he has the speed to break a long run.

2. Create and Cash In on Turnovers – The Engineers have been their own worst enemy during this two game losing streak. Given the pressure that will be coming from the Statesmen DL, the LBs and DBs could have at least a couple of interceptions and/or fumble recoveries if they stay on their assignments and play the ball. As an aside SR DE Tyre Coleman can crack the top five of the D3 career sack list if/when he gets one (or more) sack(s) Saturday.

3. Stop the Run – RPI’s run and shoot style option offense uses up a decent amount of clock given the number of running plays (the Engineers run 71.4% of time). If the running game fails the Engineers will be forced to pass which has not gone well for Morgan. He has a 35.9% completion percentage (14 of 39) and has thrown four INTs compared to two TDs.

Prediction:

I thought this game would be a tough contest a couple of weeks ago when RPI was standing at 4-1 and clicking on both sides of the ball. Since then they’ve really struggled and I could see this game getting away from them quickly. To their credit RPI played Saint Lawrence (5-1, 3-0) who has similar defensive stats as Hobart close in the first half. What kept the Engineers in the game was their ability to pressure Lefflbine and stop SLU on third downs (the Saints went five of 13 or 38% in that game).

I predict a healthy dose of running plays by the Statesmen to look to wear down the Engineer defense with a couple of down field strikes and/or roll out passing plays. RPI really struggled defending SLU’s big TE and WRs, so I could see SR TE Mike Berkowitz and the Statesmen WRs have some chances in the red zone. Hobart’s first two TDs vs. the Engineers last season where ironically to “Berk” and now SR WR Elvin Souffrant.

All that said I’ll pick Hobart to win this one 42-7.

Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

Midseason Review

The eighth ranked Hobart College Statesmen have reached what’s effectively the midpoint of the season with an undefeated 6-0 overall and 3-0 Liberty League record. The Statesmen are averaging 35.2 PPG and 399.7 YPG on offense while surrendering only 13.3 PPG and 242.2 YPG on defense. All of these marks rank second in the LL, but I’d venture a guess Hobart would be first if they kept starters in later in the second half.

Although D3football.com views the Statesmen as having “floated high” (meaning they may not merit their high ranking given who they’ve beaten, a group of teams that are 12-18 overall), I think this team is showing a lot of potential to reclaim the LL crown and make a run in the playoffs. Time will tell, but the first half of the schedule has provided this young team a chance to gel.

SR QB Patrick Conlan is completing over 60% of his passes in LL play and has averaged 155.7 YPG with the second highest efficiency rating in the conference. He’s connected for five TDs and only one interception over the past three games. The OL has allowed only four sacks on the season and has helped pave the way for the Statesmen’s 227.2 rushing YPG and 19 TDs. The passing game has picked up and allowed Hobart to have a more balanced attack, a roughly 57-43 running to passing ratio (especially compared to last season’s 70-30 mark).

Leading the ground game is JR RB Conner Hartigan with 382 yards and five TDs. SR FB Dominique Ellis leads the team in rushing scores with six TDs. JR RB Alex Furtado has added another dimension to the run game, while adding 252 yards and four TDs.

SR WR Elvin Souffrant leads the receiving corps with 18 catches for 310 yards and two TDs. SR TE Mike Berkowitz leads the team in receiving scores with three.

Hobart’s offense overall has been very good and has scored on 22 of 23 (95.6%) red zone trips. The only time they failed to score was when SO PK Sean Kirshe missed a 39 yard FG at Endicott (4-2). Otherwise Kirshe has been fantastic, going three of four on FGs with a long of 39, averaging nearly 60 yards on kickoffs and converting 26 of 29 PATs (89.6%).

Defensively JR LB Trayvon Toney leads the Statesmen with 42 tackles. Classmates Jacob Stanley and Marcus Jemison have tallied 36 and 33 stops a piece. The young Hobart secondary has yet to be really tested but several players, including SO DB Todd Collier and SO FS Matt Cragg have played well in their first season as starters. SR DB Fajri Jackson has broken up a team high five passes.

Hobart will face off against their traditional LL rivals on the remainder of the schedule, starting at RPI (4-2, 2-1) next Saturday, October 25th. Next week we’ll preview that game among other news.

Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

Hobart Ranked 2nd in Initial Lambert Cup Poll

The Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) published its first 2014 Lambert Cup poll today. Hobart (6-0) debuted in second place, behind Wesley College (6-0) of Delaware. The Wolverines have won the Lambert four times, including three years in a row during the 2009-11 seasons. Last year Saint John Fisher won the Cup.

The Statesmen won the Lambert Cup trophy in 2012. It's awarded to the best eastern football team at each level of play at the end of the season. A history of the award can be found here.

A link to the new Lambert rankings / today's press release can be found here.

I'll have a mid season review up soon and preview the RPI game middle of next week.

Thanks for reading this update and go 'Bart!

Hobart Rolls Pride, 37-7

The eighth ranked Hobart College Statesmen made a statement yesterday holding the Springfield College Pride to 175 yards of total offense. JR LBs Trayvon Toney and Marcus Jemison were all over the field, tallying 15 and 12 tackles respectively.

After settling on a SO PK Sean Kirshe FG on their first drive, Toney set up the offense after stripping Springfield SR QB Jonathan Marrero of the football. The Statesmen (6-0, 3-0) took over at the seven yard line and only needed two plays for SR FB Dominique Ellis to find the end zone from four yards out.

The Pride (4-2, 2-1) would recover and catch the Statesmen secondary napping when Marrero found backup QB turned WR Tim O'Brien wide open for a 30 yd completion to get Springfield into Hobart territory. It took two fourth down conversions, but the Pride cracked the end zone on a one yard FY FB Stephen Spiedel TD run.

To paraphrase Ted Baker of WEOS, it's not that you gave up the TD, it's how you respond. The Statesmen offense went right back to work and Ellis had his second TD of the game. Up 17-7, the Statesmen never looked back. 

Ellis would complete the football equivalent of the hat trick with a third TD and SR TE Mike Berkowitz and SR WR Elvin Souffrant added receiving TDs from SR QB Patrick Conlan (who's played outstanding in the past two weeks) to win 37-7.

Basically this was exactly the right combination of play calling and execution by Hobart that should convince the skeptics of the quality of this year's squad. The Statesmen get a well timed week off before traveling to RPI (4-2, 2-1).

I'll look back on the season to date and tune in tonight to ITH for highlights of this game and our interview with Trayvon Toney. We're live at 7:30 pm and on podcast after 9 pm.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Springfield Game Preview

The eighth ranked Hobart College Statesmen (5-0, 2-0) will face their first real test of the 2014 season when they line up against the Springfield College Pride. The Pride (4-1, 2-0) lead the Liberty League in scoring offense (45.4 PPG), total offense (505 YPG), rushing (417.2 YPG), and first downs (23.2 PG). The speed and quickness of their triple option offense is explosive and although focused on the run, is able to pull up and go deep when you least expect it. The Pride are coming off a 42-35 shootout win over Union College (0-4, 0-2) and are in the midst of a four game winning streak. Last season Hobart beat Springfield 49-21 in a game that didn’t even feel that close. This year’s Pride team is improved and more importantly, much healthier, team than the squad the Statesmen saw in Springfield, MA last season. Hobart and Springfield have only met twice and the 2012 game was a 28-7 Statesmen win.

Scouting the Pride:

#2 SR QB Jonathan Marrero – The key to Springfield’s offense is the play of their QB. Marrero has really blossomed after combating injuries in his JR season to be a true leader of the Pride offense and football team. Marrero leads the LL in rushing and scoring, averaging 108.6 YPG and racking up 54 points (eight rush TDs, six passing TDs and four 2 point PAT conversions). While he’s only attempted 34 passes on the year, Marrero has completed almost half of them (16 of 34 or 47.1%), averaging 79.6 YPG and has only thrown one interception in five games.

#6 JR FB Keith Rodman – The triple option is all about the FB and Rodman is a good one. He’s rushed for 427 yards and six TDs on the season.

#35 FY FB Stephen Speidel – Spelling Rodman is the stocky but speedy Speidel. The FY has 344 rushing yards and five scores.

#13 SO HB Blake Joppy - Joppy has moved up the depth chart due to injuries to #42 JR Louis Fenaroli and #4 SR Franco Bianchi. He’s rushed for 215 yards and a TD. Joppy has also caught four passes for 114 yards and two TDs.

#1 GR HB Andres Martin - While Martin is listed as HB, his contributions have primarily come as a WR. Martin has five catches for 209 yards and three TDs. One of those scores was a 77 yarder against Union where he got behind his defender and ran in otherwise untouched.

#49 SR DE / OLB Max Nacewicz – An All American level player, Nacewicz missed all of 2013 due to injury. He’s back with a vengeance this season and leads the Pride with 55 total tackles, seven sacks and 10 TFL.

#41 SR LB Danny Macalena – Macalena has 42 tackles on the season, one sack and a tackle for loss. Although he’s only 5’10”, he blocked two PATs that gave Springfield one point victories over Saint Lawrence and Norwich last season.

#8 SO LB Kenny Calaj – Calaj has 28 stops on the season, five TFL and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions (#22 SO FS Nick Welsh has three INTs as well).

#53 JR LB/PK Nick Pydeski – The Pride have not attempted any FGs so far this season so it’s hard to gauge Pydeski other than he’s hit 21 of 25 on PATs (which is pretty good for 6’3” 245lb LB if you ask me!). Otherwise Springfield’s kickoff coverage has been a bit low at 30.8 net average. Duncan Preston was listed in the Union BX as the kickoff specialist but for some reason he’s not on the Pride’s roster (on their online one anyway). Based on a quick review of the Union game, it looks like Preston has a strong leg, booting several 50+ yard kickoffs.

#84 FR QB Whitton DeVaux – serves as the punter for the Pride, averaging 35.3 YPP with a long of 45.

Keys to the Game:

1. Win the Line of Scrimmage – This game will be decided in the trenches. Hobart’s rushing defense is tops in the LL allowing a paltry 77.8 YPG and at least half of that average is due to the second string. The pressure will be on SO DE James Hedger who Springfield Coach Delong is likely to test early and often in the game. The Hobart DL will need to stay in their gap assignments while aggressively moving to the ball in order to shut down the potent Pride offense.

2. Pass Protection - The Hobart OL will likely see another stacked box similar to the scheme WPI used in last Saturday’s game. Hobart has only allowed four sacks all season and SR QB Patrick Conlan has been intercepted only once, and not since the first game of the season. The Pride has eight INTs on the season so far and 13 sacks. The OL will need to key in on Nacewicz and give Conlan time to find receivers. Springfield has allowed 201.6 YPG passing and a league high 12 passing TDs. Given Conlan’s career game vs. WPI, the Statesmen may need a similar performance (or better) against Springfield Saturday.

3. Field Position / Turnovers – Given the Pride’s recent struggles in kick coverage (although Preston acquitted himself very well vs Union), Hobart could have a field position advantage. Hobart is second in the LL averaging 33:20 in time of possession and keeping the Pride offense off the field is really their best defense. Tackling with intent to strip the football is also something the Statesmen should exploit as Springfield rushers have lost seven of 11 fumbles this season.

4. Play Smart – Springfield has been flagged for 230 yards in penalties the last two games. Field position and creating longer yardage situations for a rush oriented team will cause some issues for the Pride from a play calling perspective, so the Statesmen should look to take advantage of the same.

Prediction:

On Sunday’s ITH I picked Hobart to win 28-21. While I am not changing the initial prediction, after looking at the defensive stats, I have a feeling this game may end up like the 2012 meeting. In that game Hobart took a 14-0 lead into halftime, then saw the Pride make it 14-7 before the Statesmen pulled away and won the game in the fourth quarter. Hobart held the Pride to 150 rushing yards, forced a fumble and took advantage of TOP by a 32:36 to 27:24 margin. That said I’ll go with a revised 31-14 score.

Either way this should be an excellent test for Hobart right before they go into the bye week. While I doubt it would quiet the "scheduling" critics for long, a win over a great team like Springfield would say a lot about where the Statesmen are headed in 2014. I know I’ll be tuning in to hear about it plays out. Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart.

Statesmen Air It Out, Beat WPI 28-14

The ninth ranked Hobart College Statesmen gained a 28-0 advantage before settling for a 28-14 win over WPI today in Worcester, MA. SR QB and Co-Captain Patrick Conlan had a career day, going 22 for 38 (58%) while passing for 257 yards and three TDs. The OL struggled in the run game against the Engineers (1-4, 0-2) as Hobart (5-0, 2-0) only gained 92 yards on 43 carries (2.1).

SR WR Elvin Souffrant led the Statesmen with six catches for 83 yards. SR WR John Fasano and SR TE and Co-Captain Mike Berkowitz each scored on short routes. SO WR Sean Cunningham opened the game with a 31 yard catch for a TD, his first career score, as well. The other Hobart TD was a one yard JR RB Conner Hartigan run.

Hobart out gained WPI 354 to 205 yards but struggled on third down, converting only five of 18 tries (28%). The Statesmen dominated TOP, holding the ball for nearly 39 minutes.

WPI only mustered 20 rushing yards on 13 carries and only had 10 first downs, all via the pass. Hobart's defense was led by JR LBs Trayvon Toney and Jacob Stanley with six stops a piece.

With seventh ranked Saint John Fisher losing in OT to Salisbury I expect Hobart to jump a spot to #8 in the National Rankings. I'll have highlights from today's game and discussion around Hobart's first half of the regular season tomorrow night on www.inthehuddlle.com. Tune in live at 7:30 pm or catch the podcast.

More thoughts on this game and the upcoming contest against a rolling Springfield (4-1, 2-0), who defeated Union in a 42-35 shootout today in Schenectady.

Thanks for reading and go Bart!

WPI Game Preview

The ninth ranked Hobart College Statesmen (4-0, 1-0) will make their third trip to New England Saturday to square off against WPI. The Engineers (1-3, 0-1) have struggled after losing their best offensive player to injury and committing nine turnovers (seven interceptions and two fumbles) in four games.

WPI ranks last in the LL in scoring offense (14.8 PPG), total offense (244.8 YPG), rushing offense (98.8 YPG), passing efficiency (76.9), kickoff returns (17.8 yard average), field goals (60%), offensive first downs (13 per game) and third down conversions (21.7%). 

The Engineers defense has played tough however and is the fourth ranked LL scoring defense allowing 18.5 PPG. Their pass defense efficiency and sacks by totals are ranked second with a rating of 91 and 12 sacks, respectively. Their DL and secondary (which has eight interceptions, including one returned for a TD) are solid, but often left out to dry because the offense's possession issues.

Scouting the Engineers 

Given last week's struggles my guess is Coach Robertson will start #18 SR QB Jacob Grills given his benching of #9 SO QB Dan Eckler after throwing three interceptions against RPI (3-1, 1-0) last Saturday in a 27-6 defeat.

A pair of SO WRs named Joe Igoe (81) and Brandon Eccher (89) lead WPI with 20 and 15 catches for 233 and 136 receiving yards each. Defensively #35 SO LB Brian Murtagh leads the Engineer defense with 43 tackles. 

#92 SR PK Blaine Bursey handles the kicking duties on special teams. #93 JR PK Vinny Tavernelli leads the LL in punting with a 42.8 YPP average, including a long of 68 yards.

Keys to the Game 

1. Show Up / Final Tune Up - This comes across harsh, but this will be Hobart's fifth game against a team with a losing record (I get Dickinson was 0-0 on 9/6 but they are 1-3 since and their sole, one point, win was against a team that is 0-4). Overall the Statesmen have beaten teams with a combined 6-14 mark. Those six wins by Hobart's opponents came against teams that are a combined 1-17. The good thing for the Statesmen in this "extended preseason" is that it's given this young team a chance to gel, get a lot of new (to varsity) players on the field and so far avoid any serious injuries. Hobart's defense has been fantastic against the run, and don't expect a offensively struggling WPI team to give the Statesmen much trouble. It should be noted that the Statesmen are a perfect 10-0 against the Engineers. In the past two seasons Hobart has rolled up a combined 102 (while only giving up 15) points against WPI.

2. Don't Get Caught Looking Ahead - The second half of the Statesmen's season comes against Hobart's main LL rivals and teams currently sporting an 11-7 overall record. The only team on that list that has a losing record is Union (0-3, 0-1) who are off to another bad start. To the Dutchmen's credit, their opponents are a combined 10-1, and Union lost those games by the equivalent of a TD or less. The other three 1-0 LL teams chasng Hobart (RPI, SLU and SC) were a combined 10 points away from being 12-0 overall.

3. Keep on Running (But Maybe Some Roll Outs Could Work Too) - 

WPI has a good rush defense, allowing 138.2 YPG but Hobart's rushing attack is above and beyond what the Engineers have seen to date. It also has emerged as their best foot forward (pun intended) given the initial struggles of SR QB and Co-Captain Patrick Conlan. Conlan is ranked fifth in the LL with a sub 50% completion percentage. To his credit he has four passing TDs and hasn't thrown an interception in the last three games. While he clearly has the arm strength, his accuracy and consistent timing with the WR corp hasn't clicked just yet. Hobart's SR WRs haven't been as much of a factor in the offense (five catches for 54 yards in the last two games) given the emergence of new talent like FY WR Brandon Shed and SO WR Jack Pfohl, as well as injuries, including that to National Football Foundation Award Semifinalist, SR WR and Co-Captain Troy Robinson. Conlan is very athletic and can run so I'd think some pistol style and/or roll out plays might better suit him vs a more traditional drop back and read style of QB play.

Prediction

On Sunday night's InTheHuddLLe.com podcast I predicted thst the Statesmen would win by a lopsided score of 55-7. I'll dial it back to 45-7 but I'm still going with Hobart. Their rush offense will keep churning away and the defense will bottle up WPI.

Thanks for reading and go Bart!