JR QB Shane Sweeney earned Honorable Mention and JR WR Brandon Shed earned 1st Team All-American awards from D3football.com last Friday night before the Stagg Bowl D3 National Championship game (which #1 University of Mary Hardin Baylor won by a score of 10-7 over #4 UW-Oshkosh). These two Statesmen joined three other Liberty League players (two from SLU and one from WPI) who earned spots on these All-American squads.
A link to the 2016 All-American team can be seen here.
Hobart's 9-2 season was good enough to earn them the 19th position on the Final 2016 Top 25. With Sweeney and Shed (and many others) coming back in 2017, a preseason Top 25 for the Statesmen is highly likely next fall.
A link to the final poll can be seen here.
Thanks to everyone for following and reading the blog this season. It's hard to believe we're encroaching 150K views. I'd like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season and New Year.
I'll be back "Comin' Atcha" with more Statesmen news and insights in 2017.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
More Post Season Awards for Statesmen
Several Hobart College Statesmen football players were honored by D3football.com and the ECAC when All-Region Teams were announced last week. The honorees included the following student athletes:
D3football.com
1st Team WR - Brandon Shed
1st Team P - Rio Schmidt
2nd Team QB - Shane Sweeney
2nd Team C - Nick Testani
3rd Team DE - James Hedger
ECAC DIII North
OPOTY - JR QB Shane Sweeney
1st Team QB - Shane Sweeney
1st Team WR - Brandon Shed
1st Team OL - Nick Testani
1st Team DL - James Hedger
2nd Team WR - Jack Pfohl
2nd Team LB - Marcus Jemison
2nd Team P - Rio Schmidt
And that's not all.....
The D3football.com All-American teams will be announced this Friday night so stay tuned to see if any Statesmen earn additional recognition there.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
D3football.com
1st Team WR - Brandon Shed
1st Team P - Rio Schmidt
2nd Team QB - Shane Sweeney
2nd Team C - Nick Testani
3rd Team DE - James Hedger
ECAC DIII North
OPOTY - JR QB Shane Sweeney
1st Team QB - Shane Sweeney
1st Team WR - Brandon Shed
1st Team OL - Nick Testani
1st Team DL - James Hedger
2nd Team WR - Jack Pfohl
2nd Team LB - Marcus Jemison
2nd Team P - Rio Schmidt
And that's not all.....
The D3football.com All-American teams will be announced this Friday night so stay tuned to see if any Statesmen earn additional recognition there.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Looking Back on 2016 (and Looking Ahead to 2017)
The 2016 Hobart College Statesmen gave us one of the more memorable seasons in recent years. While it certainly didn't last as long as the 2012 and 2014 playoff runs, there were arguably many more memorable and exciting moments this season that Statesmen fans won't forget for some time.
The "Cardiac Kids," as WEOS FM's Ted Baker called them, had several close wins and saw the Hobart offense break multiple school records in the passing game. Players like JR WR Brandon Shed and JR QB Shane Sweeney got on the national radar with outstanding statistical and other performances as well.
While SR OL Nick Testani will be missed, the majority of the Statesmen OL will be back in 2017. SO OL John Deveney had a solid year at LT as did SO OL Jack Koch (who btw had one of the best in-game pictures I've seen in a while with this one):
Sweeney earned the LL OPOTY award for his 3,436 passing and 36 TD year. Shed (1,284 RYDs & 17 TDs), SR WR Jack Pfohl (705 RYDs & 9 TDs) and Testani all earned 1st team All-LL awards for their contributions this season. JR TE Zach Withers and Deveney earned 2nd team All-LL awards and SO RB Tynard Barfield, SR RB Brad Burns, and JR OL Alex Helm earned Honorable Mention status.
The Hobart defense gave up more points than they have in prior years, but they also always seemed to come up with big plays down the stretch in a "bend, but don't break" type of fashion. Several young Statesmen made a name for themselves defensively which bodes well for the future. FY LB Jedh Downey finished seventh in the LL with 86 total tackles and linemen such as SO DTs AJ McFarlane and Sean Moore had excellent seasons.
Hobart saw SR DE James Hedger and SR OLB Marcus Jemison earn 1st team All-LL awards for their efforts. SR FS Matt Cragg, JR DB Tommy D'Antonio and JR LB Almamy Conde earned 2nd team All-LL awards. McFarlane and Downey joined SR DB Todd Collier as All-LL Honorable Mention players.
JR PK Rio Schmidt earned a share of the LL STPOTY award. Schmidt had an outstanding season punting for the Statesmen, averaging a league best 41.2 YPP. 29 of his 44 punts were either inside the opposition's 20 yard line (14), called for fair catch or touchbacks and finished in the Top 25 nationally in this category.
Not surprisingly, HC Mike Cragg and staff earned the CSOTY award from the league based on their 6-1 mark and head-to-head victory over Co-Champions, Saint Lawrence (9-1, 6-1).
While there were exciting games every weekend of the 2016 season, for me the turning point of the year was Hobart's coming back to win the WPI game. That drive that culminated with the 18 yard TD catch by SR WR Jack Pfohl with three seconds left was simply amazing.
That may have even eclipsed the GEICO College Football Play of the Year - a 57 yard TD catch and run by Pfohl to win the USMMA game with 19 seconds left - but not by much. The WPI win felt more meaningful to me because it kept the Statesmen's LL title hopes alive and made the following week's match up (and ultimately a win) against SLU that much more significant.
You can see the GEICO POTY here.
As an aside, this was the second year in a row a Hobart player won the award. Last year, SR RB Brad Burns won it for his hurdling 36 yard TD run against Endicott.
Speaking of the Gulls, rumor has it that they and an Empire 8 squad will be on the Statesmen's 2017 schedule. The HWS Athletics site currently shows only seven games due to the departures of WPI, USMMA and Springfield from the LL (they'll join the NEWMAC, an existing New England-based, but new FB conference next season). While a nine game season would be ok, the Statesmen are on the hunt for a 10th game / new series going forward. More on that in future posts.
Looking ahead, Hobart will likely be the favorite to retain the LL title again in 2017. Unfortunately without an additional team joining the LL, Hobart and others could end up in playoff limbo starting in 2018 given the likelihood the NCAA won't provide a "Pool B" (or at large berth to teams in conferences without sufficient representation, i.e., < 7 teams and/or independent programs) and the number of Pool C (at large) berths will also be limited due to more conferences gaining access via the Pool A (aka automatic qualifier or AQ). The good news is the 2017 team will be "grandfathered" in, so the LL Championship team will make the 2017 field as a Pool A bid in spite of the fact they would be below the required number of teams in their conference to gain access via an AQ. More on this in future posts as well.
What we also know about 2017 is Hobart should return about 7-8 starters on offense based on who played in the 11 games this season with several others in the WR corps and other positions like OL and RB with significant in-game experience.
Defensively the Statesmen will have openings at DE, OLB and FS but otherwise should return the majority (7) of the starting defense from 2016.
On special teams JR PK Will McCool or someone else will need to take over the majority of the kicking duties given the graduation of SR PK Sean Kirshe. Perhaps Schmidt will get some looks in this area (he did have one KO for 54 yards this season), otherwise the Statesmen coaches will have to bring in a FY or transfer player to take over these jobs. Hobart struggled on FGs (3-7) and PATs (39-46) this year, so this should be a priority to improve on over the offseason.
SR WR Sean Cunningham will need to be replaced as far as punt return duties are concerned also (his 501 RYDs & 4TD production will be missed too). Kickoffs were handled well by FY WR Isaiah Hill and FY RB Brian Haeffner this season and they will likely get looks to do more of the same in 2017 pending preseason camp competition.
Overall the future looks bright for Hobart who should end the 2016 season ranked in the Top 25 (D3football.com and the AFCA usually release their final standings just after the Stagg Bowl) and potentially ranked in the 2017 preseason Top 25 based on who's coming back.
Make sure you tune into D3football.com's webcast before kickoff of the Stagg Bowl on Friday, December 16th to see if players like Sweeney and Shed make their All-American teams (I have a feeling at least one, if not both of them will).
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
The "Cardiac Kids," as WEOS FM's Ted Baker called them, had several close wins and saw the Hobart offense break multiple school records in the passing game. Players like JR WR Brandon Shed and JR QB Shane Sweeney got on the national radar with outstanding statistical and other performances as well.
While SR OL Nick Testani will be missed, the majority of the Statesmen OL will be back in 2017. SO OL John Deveney had a solid year at LT as did SO OL Jack Koch (who btw had one of the best in-game pictures I've seen in a while with this one):
Sweeney earned the LL OPOTY award for his 3,436 passing and 36 TD year. Shed (1,284 RYDs & 17 TDs), SR WR Jack Pfohl (705 RYDs & 9 TDs) and Testani all earned 1st team All-LL awards for their contributions this season. JR TE Zach Withers and Deveney earned 2nd team All-LL awards and SO RB Tynard Barfield, SR RB Brad Burns, and JR OL Alex Helm earned Honorable Mention status.
The Hobart defense gave up more points than they have in prior years, but they also always seemed to come up with big plays down the stretch in a "bend, but don't break" type of fashion. Several young Statesmen made a name for themselves defensively which bodes well for the future. FY LB Jedh Downey finished seventh in the LL with 86 total tackles and linemen such as SO DTs AJ McFarlane and Sean Moore had excellent seasons.
Hobart saw SR DE James Hedger and SR OLB Marcus Jemison earn 1st team All-LL awards for their efforts. SR FS Matt Cragg, JR DB Tommy D'Antonio and JR LB Almamy Conde earned 2nd team All-LL awards. McFarlane and Downey joined SR DB Todd Collier as All-LL Honorable Mention players.
JR PK Rio Schmidt earned a share of the LL STPOTY award. Schmidt had an outstanding season punting for the Statesmen, averaging a league best 41.2 YPP. 29 of his 44 punts were either inside the opposition's 20 yard line (14), called for fair catch or touchbacks and finished in the Top 25 nationally in this category.
Not surprisingly, HC Mike Cragg and staff earned the CSOTY award from the league based on their 6-1 mark and head-to-head victory over Co-Champions, Saint Lawrence (9-1, 6-1).
While there were exciting games every weekend of the 2016 season, for me the turning point of the year was Hobart's coming back to win the WPI game. That drive that culminated with the 18 yard TD catch by SR WR Jack Pfohl with three seconds left was simply amazing.
That may have even eclipsed the GEICO College Football Play of the Year - a 57 yard TD catch and run by Pfohl to win the USMMA game with 19 seconds left - but not by much. The WPI win felt more meaningful to me because it kept the Statesmen's LL title hopes alive and made the following week's match up (and ultimately a win) against SLU that much more significant.
You can see the GEICO POTY here.
As an aside, this was the second year in a row a Hobart player won the award. Last year, SR RB Brad Burns won it for his hurdling 36 yard TD run against Endicott.
Speaking of the Gulls, rumor has it that they and an Empire 8 squad will be on the Statesmen's 2017 schedule. The HWS Athletics site currently shows only seven games due to the departures of WPI, USMMA and Springfield from the LL (they'll join the NEWMAC, an existing New England-based, but new FB conference next season). While a nine game season would be ok, the Statesmen are on the hunt for a 10th game / new series going forward. More on that in future posts.
Looking ahead, Hobart will likely be the favorite to retain the LL title again in 2017. Unfortunately without an additional team joining the LL, Hobart and others could end up in playoff limbo starting in 2018 given the likelihood the NCAA won't provide a "Pool B" (or at large berth to teams in conferences without sufficient representation, i.e., < 7 teams and/or independent programs) and the number of Pool C (at large) berths will also be limited due to more conferences gaining access via the Pool A (aka automatic qualifier or AQ). The good news is the 2017 team will be "grandfathered" in, so the LL Championship team will make the 2017 field as a Pool A bid in spite of the fact they would be below the required number of teams in their conference to gain access via an AQ. More on this in future posts as well.
What we also know about 2017 is Hobart should return about 7-8 starters on offense based on who played in the 11 games this season with several others in the WR corps and other positions like OL and RB with significant in-game experience.
Defensively the Statesmen will have openings at DE, OLB and FS but otherwise should return the majority (7) of the starting defense from 2016.
On special teams JR PK Will McCool or someone else will need to take over the majority of the kicking duties given the graduation of SR PK Sean Kirshe. Perhaps Schmidt will get some looks in this area (he did have one KO for 54 yards this season), otherwise the Statesmen coaches will have to bring in a FY or transfer player to take over these jobs. Hobart struggled on FGs (3-7) and PATs (39-46) this year, so this should be a priority to improve on over the offseason.
SR WR Sean Cunningham will need to be replaced as far as punt return duties are concerned also (his 501 RYDs & 4TD production will be missed too). Kickoffs were handled well by FY WR Isaiah Hill and FY RB Brian Haeffner this season and they will likely get looks to do more of the same in 2017 pending preseason camp competition.
Overall the future looks bright for Hobart who should end the 2016 season ranked in the Top 25 (D3football.com and the AFCA usually release their final standings just after the Stagg Bowl) and potentially ranked in the 2017 preseason Top 25 based on who's coming back.
Make sure you tune into D3football.com's webcast before kickoff of the Stagg Bowl on Friday, December 16th to see if players like Sweeney and Shed make their All-American teams (I have a feeling at least one, if not both of them will).
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Monday, November 21, 2016
Statesmen Acquit Themselves Well Against the Champs, But Fall 38-21
The Hobart College Statesmen's 2016 campaign ended Saturday at Boswell Field after a 38-21 loss to the defending National Champions, #7 Mount Union. The Purple Raiders took an early 14-0 lead on a couple of long drives, but Hobart battled back to eventually tie the game, 21-21, with just over 5 minutes left in the third quarter.
Instead of a normal blog / newspaper style post recapping the game, I'll just provide the link to our season finale of In The HuddLLe where we break down the game in detail with WEOS FM's Ted Baker, the voice of the Hobart Statesmen.
A link to our show can be found here.
In other news, a concern I had with the 2017 schedule seems to be not as much of an issue, as I found out the Statesmen have nine games on the calendar (instead of the seven currently up on the HWSAthletics.com website). I'll have more on that soon.
Thanks for a great season. I'll post a season recap and look ahead after the holiday. All the best for you and your families, friends and loved ones this Thanksgiving week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Instead of a normal blog / newspaper style post recapping the game, I'll just provide the link to our season finale of In The HuddLLe where we break down the game in detail with WEOS FM's Ted Baker, the voice of the Hobart Statesmen.
A link to our show can be found here.
In other news, a concern I had with the 2017 schedule seems to be not as much of an issue, as I found out the Statesmen have nine games on the calendar (instead of the seven currently up on the HWSAthletics.com website). I'll have more on that soon.
Thanks for a great season. I'll post a season recap and look ahead after the holiday. All the best for you and your families, friends and loved ones this Thanksgiving week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
NCAA Playoffs Rd 1 - Mount Union Game Preview
The #19 Hobart College Statesmen will host the #7 University of Mount Union Purple Raiders this Saturday in a first round playoff match up at Boswell Field. The Raiders (9-1) finished second in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) after being upset, 31-28, by John Carroll University (JCU) last Saturday.
Given Mount Union's 9-1 season, plus the fact they are the defending National Champions, the Raiders qualified for one of the six "Pool C" or at large bids to the tournament. This is the first time the Raiders have gone on the road in the playoffs (other than going to Salem for the Stagg Bowl) since 1996. In fact the last time Mount Union lost a regular season game was all the way back in 2005. The last time they lost two games in the same year was 1994 and the last time they lost two in a row was 1988.
The Statesmen actually do have a 2-1 series edge, having beaten the Raiders twice in the early 1970's. Hobart lost to Mount Union by a score of 42-7 in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs back in 2008. That team had Cecil Shorts III as a member of it, who ironically is now the teammate to former Hobart OL Ali Marpet '15 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
Scouting the Purple Raiders
As in prior seasons, Mount Union has some fairly gaudy stats on both sides of the ball. They average 515.9 YPG, 49.2 PPG while allowing only 9.7 PPG. They are very balanced in terms of passing vs. rushing offensively, but unlike prior years are more inexperienced at QB.
The Raiders have played five different QBs this season but it appears as though #9 FY QB Dom Davis should be the starter for this Saturday's game. Davis hails from Akron (and attended the same HS as LeBron James) and he showed some FY inexperience against a blitz-heavy JCU team that sacked him seven times and forced four turnovers. In spite of these issues, JCU needed a final drive plus some luck to break Mount Union's 112 regular season game winning streak.
Davis has passed for 1,349 yards and 15 TDs while also rushing for 184 yards and four TDs as well. #1 SR RB Bradley Mitchell leads the Raiders with 1,198 rushing yards and 15 TDs. Mitchell runs behind an experienced and big OL that's led by #52 SR OL Mitch Doraty, #75 JR OL Matt Frichet and #56 SR OL Brooks Jenkins.
Mount Union's receiving corps is led by #14 SR WR Tim Kennedy. He has 42 catches for 487 yards and five TDs. Hobart will need to study the JCU film closely as their defensive secondary limited Kennedy to two catches for 17 yards last weekend. #21 JR WR Jared Ruth is another receiving threat, adding 351 yards and three scores.
Defensively Mount Union is led by #34 SR LB Charlie Dear with 59 tackles, including 8.5 TFL and four sacks. #4 SO LB Danny Robinson isn't far behind with 57 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks. Although not very big on the DL, #32 JR DL Elijah Berry has been tough to block, tallying 6.5 sacks and nine TFLs, including a forced fumble. The 3-3-5 defense they run has given Hobart difficulties in the past, but that was back when the Statesmen were a run-first team. We'll see how they fare against it Saturday, but it means that other WRs and TEs will need to get open and make intermediate catches from time to time.
The kicking game is headed up by #19 JR PK Alex Louthan who's made 62-63 PATs while adding nine of 14 in FGs with a long of 44 yards. #30 SO PK Adam Snyder is the punter and averages 39.2 YPP. #5 SO RB Jawanza Evans-Morris handles return duties and has averaged 24.8 yards there. The FL native occasionally spells Mitchell, and is the second leading rusher on the team with 472 rushing yards and five TDs.
Game notes posted by Mount Union can be found here.
Keys to the Game:
1. Turnovers - Hobart can ill afford to spot an elite program like the Raiders with any points due to turnovers. On the flip side, the JCU game showed Davis can get rattled and put the ball on the ground or be intercepted (he was picked off and fumbled twice, one of the latter being returned for a TD), something the Statesmen defense must create and capitalize on as much as possible.
2. Win the LOS & Slow Down the Run - Both teams boast big, athletic OLs. Hobart's DL will need to find ways to create pressure with their front four while allowing playmakers like SR OLB Marcus Jemison to have the opportunity to create havoc in the Mount Union backfield. The Statesmen rush defense will be tested early on in the game. If they can hold up, we've got a ball game. JCU held the Raiders to 2.6 YPC on Saturday. A similar effort by the Statesmen would go a long way in this one. On offense the Hobart OL will need to keep JR QB Shane Sweeney up right and not running for his life against the extremely quick DL and LBs the Raiders will send after him. Mount Union's pass defense isn't elite, they allow over 185 YPG via the air which bodes well for the Statesmen - if the OL can give Sweeney time.
3. Weather the Storm - The Statesmen will need to not get overwhelmed if Mount Union gets off to a fast start and they can't get too overconfident if they don't. JCU led for most of the first half, then trailed for a good part of the second. Like the "Cardiac Kids" however they found ways to hang in the game and battle back to win it late on TD pass with 39 seconds left. If Hobart can keep it close, they'll have a chance late also. Mount Union has outscored their opponents 130-7 in the third quarter so halftime adjustments and not falling behind badly here will also be crucial for the Statesmen.
Final Thoughts:
No one from D3football.com or otherwise will pick the Statesmen to win this game. I've seen some odds / "models" that say Mount Union has a 97% chance of winning and will by about 30 points. This Raiders team may not be as experienced as prior versions (e.g., only six players Saturday were in the Stagg Bowl last December) but it's still an excellent and talented squad with one of the best coaching staffs at any level of CFB. While they'll carry a smaller, playoff sized roster to Geneva, Mount Union will be deeper than Hobart at most, if not every position, which could mean fresher legs for them later on in the game. Weather could play a role also as the forecast is for rain and wind in the afternoon, but hopefully not until afterwards.
I am hoping the Statesmen can play their best game of the season and catch some breaks (not likely given how the officials treat them at home, but you never know). As I said on ITH last Sunday, this isn't good draw for Hobart, but they'd have to play Mount Union at some point regardless. The one X factor is how the Raiders will feel being a road team in the playoffs in unfamiliar surroundings, especially with a younger, less experienced roster?
The X factor for Hobart is that the "Boz" has been good to the Statesmen in NCAA RD 1 home games. While it's true that Hobart hasn't faced the likes of a Mount Union in RD1, the Statesmen are 7-1 on their home field in these opening round games (Hobart also won an ECAC game at home back in 2003 with a 34-18 win over Norwich). Of course the one first round loss was to an OAC team, John Carroll, back in 2002. The Statesmen haven't lost at home in the playoffs since 2013, in the second round to Saint John Fisher.
We will see how it goes Saturday. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Given Mount Union's 9-1 season, plus the fact they are the defending National Champions, the Raiders qualified for one of the six "Pool C" or at large bids to the tournament. This is the first time the Raiders have gone on the road in the playoffs (other than going to Salem for the Stagg Bowl) since 1996. In fact the last time Mount Union lost a regular season game was all the way back in 2005. The last time they lost two games in the same year was 1994 and the last time they lost two in a row was 1988.
The Statesmen actually do have a 2-1 series edge, having beaten the Raiders twice in the early 1970's. Hobart lost to Mount Union by a score of 42-7 in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs back in 2008. That team had Cecil Shorts III as a member of it, who ironically is now the teammate to former Hobart OL Ali Marpet '15 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
Scouting the Purple Raiders
As in prior seasons, Mount Union has some fairly gaudy stats on both sides of the ball. They average 515.9 YPG, 49.2 PPG while allowing only 9.7 PPG. They are very balanced in terms of passing vs. rushing offensively, but unlike prior years are more inexperienced at QB.
The Raiders have played five different QBs this season but it appears as though #9 FY QB Dom Davis should be the starter for this Saturday's game. Davis hails from Akron (and attended the same HS as LeBron James) and he showed some FY inexperience against a blitz-heavy JCU team that sacked him seven times and forced four turnovers. In spite of these issues, JCU needed a final drive plus some luck to break Mount Union's 112 regular season game winning streak.
Davis has passed for 1,349 yards and 15 TDs while also rushing for 184 yards and four TDs as well. #1 SR RB Bradley Mitchell leads the Raiders with 1,198 rushing yards and 15 TDs. Mitchell runs behind an experienced and big OL that's led by #52 SR OL Mitch Doraty, #75 JR OL Matt Frichet and #56 SR OL Brooks Jenkins.
Mount Union's receiving corps is led by #14 SR WR Tim Kennedy. He has 42 catches for 487 yards and five TDs. Hobart will need to study the JCU film closely as their defensive secondary limited Kennedy to two catches for 17 yards last weekend. #21 JR WR Jared Ruth is another receiving threat, adding 351 yards and three scores.
Defensively Mount Union is led by #34 SR LB Charlie Dear with 59 tackles, including 8.5 TFL and four sacks. #4 SO LB Danny Robinson isn't far behind with 57 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks. Although not very big on the DL, #32 JR DL Elijah Berry has been tough to block, tallying 6.5 sacks and nine TFLs, including a forced fumble. The 3-3-5 defense they run has given Hobart difficulties in the past, but that was back when the Statesmen were a run-first team. We'll see how they fare against it Saturday, but it means that other WRs and TEs will need to get open and make intermediate catches from time to time.
The kicking game is headed up by #19 JR PK Alex Louthan who's made 62-63 PATs while adding nine of 14 in FGs with a long of 44 yards. #30 SO PK Adam Snyder is the punter and averages 39.2 YPP. #5 SO RB Jawanza Evans-Morris handles return duties and has averaged 24.8 yards there. The FL native occasionally spells Mitchell, and is the second leading rusher on the team with 472 rushing yards and five TDs.
Game notes posted by Mount Union can be found here.
Keys to the Game:
1. Turnovers - Hobart can ill afford to spot an elite program like the Raiders with any points due to turnovers. On the flip side, the JCU game showed Davis can get rattled and put the ball on the ground or be intercepted (he was picked off and fumbled twice, one of the latter being returned for a TD), something the Statesmen defense must create and capitalize on as much as possible.
2. Win the LOS & Slow Down the Run - Both teams boast big, athletic OLs. Hobart's DL will need to find ways to create pressure with their front four while allowing playmakers like SR OLB Marcus Jemison to have the opportunity to create havoc in the Mount Union backfield. The Statesmen rush defense will be tested early on in the game. If they can hold up, we've got a ball game. JCU held the Raiders to 2.6 YPC on Saturday. A similar effort by the Statesmen would go a long way in this one. On offense the Hobart OL will need to keep JR QB Shane Sweeney up right and not running for his life against the extremely quick DL and LBs the Raiders will send after him. Mount Union's pass defense isn't elite, they allow over 185 YPG via the air which bodes well for the Statesmen - if the OL can give Sweeney time.
3. Weather the Storm - The Statesmen will need to not get overwhelmed if Mount Union gets off to a fast start and they can't get too overconfident if they don't. JCU led for most of the first half, then trailed for a good part of the second. Like the "Cardiac Kids" however they found ways to hang in the game and battle back to win it late on TD pass with 39 seconds left. If Hobart can keep it close, they'll have a chance late also. Mount Union has outscored their opponents 130-7 in the third quarter so halftime adjustments and not falling behind badly here will also be crucial for the Statesmen.
Final Thoughts:
No one from D3football.com or otherwise will pick the Statesmen to win this game. I've seen some odds / "models" that say Mount Union has a 97% chance of winning and will by about 30 points. This Raiders team may not be as experienced as prior versions (e.g., only six players Saturday were in the Stagg Bowl last December) but it's still an excellent and talented squad with one of the best coaching staffs at any level of CFB. While they'll carry a smaller, playoff sized roster to Geneva, Mount Union will be deeper than Hobart at most, if not every position, which could mean fresher legs for them later on in the game. Weather could play a role also as the forecast is for rain and wind in the afternoon, but hopefully not until afterwards.
I am hoping the Statesmen can play their best game of the season and catch some breaks (not likely given how the officials treat them at home, but you never know). As I said on ITH last Sunday, this isn't good draw for Hobart, but they'd have to play Mount Union at some point regardless. The one X factor is how the Raiders will feel being a road team in the playoffs in unfamiliar surroundings, especially with a younger, less experienced roster?
The X factor for Hobart is that the "Boz" has been good to the Statesmen in NCAA RD 1 home games. While it's true that Hobart hasn't faced the likes of a Mount Union in RD1, the Statesmen are 7-1 on their home field in these opening round games (Hobart also won an ECAC game at home back in 2003 with a 34-18 win over Norwich). Of course the one first round loss was to an OAC team, John Carroll, back in 2002. The Statesmen haven't lost at home in the playoffs since 2013, in the second round to Saint John Fisher.
We will see how it goes Saturday. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Monday, November 14, 2016
Hobart Draws Mount Union for Playoffs
The NCAA Selection Committee apparently viewed the defending National Champions Mount Union (9-1) as the fourth rated team in the North and the fact that the second ranked East team was only 322 miles away, they paired Hobart (9-1) with the Raiders.
This is not a surprise for some as the Committee has often paired the LL champions with the what has historically been the most dominant team in D3 history. At least this year, Mount Union will have to go on the road and the Statesmen get to host the Champs.
Below is the link to our ITH broadcast which includes interviews with Jack McKieran, the Committee Chair, HC Mike Cragg and a special guest alumnus who appeared on the show.
You can access that show here.
Thanks for reading (and listening). Will have more on the Mount Union match up later this week.
Go Bart!
This is not a surprise for some as the Committee has often paired the LL champions with the what has historically been the most dominant team in D3 history. At least this year, Mount Union will have to go on the road and the Statesmen get to host the Champs.
Below is the link to our ITH broadcast which includes interviews with Jack McKieran, the Committee Chair, HC Mike Cragg and a special guest alumnus who appeared on the show.
You can access that show here.
Thanks for reading (and listening). Will have more on the Mount Union match up later this week.
Go Bart!
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Hobart Gets Back to NCAAs, Defeats Rochester 56-27 on Senior Day
The Hobart College Statesmen clinched a share of the Liberty League Championship with a commanding 56-27 defeat of oldest rival, Rochester, Saturday in Geneva. Their head-to-head victory over Saint Lawrence (9-1, 6-1), who defeated WPI (6-4, 3-4), 28-21 on a late punt return for TD, gave them the LL Pool A (aka Automatic Qualifier) bid.
Hobart (9-1, 6-1) opened a 19-0 lead and looked great in every area save for maybe special teams to open the game. SR RB Brad Burns, SO RB Tynard Barfield each had a rushing TD and JR WR Brandon Shed added a 10 yard TD reception.
Rochester (1-8, 0-7) got on the board after Luke Szumski made a leaping TD catch to cut the Statesmen's lead to 19-7. Rochester finally got on the board after Luke Szumski made a leaping touchdown catch to cut the Statesmen's lead to 19-7. A Hobart turnover would give the Yellow Jackets a chance to make it a game, but the Statesmen defense held and Rochester missed a field goal. SR FB Sean Bright and SR WR Jack Pfohl would add two more touchdowns on Senior Day. Although there was under two minutes to go, the Hobart defense forced a Rochester punt and allowed JR QB Shane Sweeney to find Shed for a 41 yard TD. The reception would break the all-time career mark and was Sweeney's 50th career touchdown pass as well.
JR RB Joe Letizia would run in a short touchdown and FY DE Adrian Connell would force a safety to give the Statesmen a 56-27 Centennial Cup, and more importantly, a Liberty League Championship win!
Hobart (9-1, 6-1) opened a 19-0 lead and looked great in every area save for maybe special teams to open the game. SR RB Brad Burns, SO RB Tynard Barfield each had a rushing TD and JR WR Brandon Shed added a 10 yard TD reception.
Rochester (1-8, 0-7) got on the board after Luke Szumski made a leaping TD catch to cut the Statesmen's lead to 19-7. Rochester finally got on the board after Luke Szumski made a leaping touchdown catch to cut the Statesmen's lead to 19-7. A Hobart turnover would give the Yellow Jackets a chance to make it a game, but the Statesmen defense held and Rochester missed a field goal. SR FB Sean Bright and SR WR Jack Pfohl would add two more touchdowns on Senior Day. Although there was under two minutes to go, the Hobart defense forced a Rochester punt and allowed JR QB Shane Sweeney to find Shed for a 41 yard TD. The reception would break the all-time career mark and was Sweeney's 50th career touchdown pass as well.
Hobart took a 40-7 halftime lead and would start mixing in the reserves to start the third quarter. Rochester would capitalize, scoring 27 unanswered points, including two touchdowns by SR WR Kyle Allegrini. The Statesmen wouldn't need much time to respond, however, as on the third play of their ensuing drive Barfield broke off a 47 yard TD run to get Hobart back on track.
JR RB Joe Letizia would run in a short touchdown and FY DE Adrian Connell would force a safety to give the Statesmen a 56-27 Centennial Cup, and more importantly, a Liberty League Championship win!
Sweeney led Hobart with 256 passing yards and three scores. The Statesmen defense was led by JR LB Almamy Conde and FY LB Jedh Downey with six tackles each. Rochester was led by backup QB Josh Brown with 136 passing yards and two touchdowns. LB Kevin Leblanc led all tacklers with a game high 10 stops.
The Statesmen will learn of their first round playoff opponent Sunday night at 6 pm on NCAA.com. We will do a NCAA D3 Mock Selection show Saturday night at 11 PM at www.inthehuddlle.com. Our Sunday show will reveal Hobart's first round playoff opponent and our interview with the Head of the Selection Committee, Jack McKieran, so tune in!
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Week 11 - Rochester / Centennial Cup Game Preview
The #21/22 Hobart College Statesmen can clinch the Liberty League (LL) Championship with a win over their oldest rival, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets, Saturday on Senior Day in Geneva, NY.
Hobart (8-1, 5-1) leads the all-time series 53-48-7. Rochester (1-7, 0-6) is struggling through a difficult season with a limited roster. To their credit, the Yellow Jackets defense has improved since giving up 70 points to Springfield (5-4, 4-2) back in Week 7. They lost a shoot out, 37-34, to WPI (6-3, 3-3) last weekend at home which had to sting (pun intended).
Last season the Statesmen defeated UofR 42-20 in a game that saw JR QB Shane Sweeney set a school record with six passing TDs. Hobart dominated TOP by a 40-20 margin and basically emptied the bench. The biggest difference from last year's game is that #2 JR QB Dan Bronson did not play due to an injury. His FY when he was named the LL ROTY, the Yellow Jackets only lost to Hobart by a score of 28-23.
Scouting the Jackets
The Rochester offense is all about Bronson. He is third in the LL averaging 95.4 YPG rushing so Hobart tacklers will need to play their assignments and do a better job tackling than they did against Sean Richardson from SLU. Bronson can throw well too and has passed for 1,523 yards (124-228) with 12 TDs compared to only three INTs. Bronson's favorite targets are #3 SR WR Kyle Allegrini and #11 SO WR Shawn Silleman.They have combined for 639 yards and five TDs.
If Bronson isn't calling his own number, he will hand it off to #9 SO RB Emanuel Calmar. He's rushed for 233 yards and five TDs.
On defense the Yellow Jackets are led by the trio of #23 JR CB Ricky Sparks (57 tackles and two INTs), #51 SO LB Ricky Simcic (53 tackles) and #33 SR LB David Wolff (50 tackles).
Keys to the Game:
1. Just Win - Rochester is not a very good football team. They are average on offense and give up the most PPG on defense in the LL (43.3). Their kicking game stinks, ranking last in PATs (20-26), FGs (0-4) and KO coverage (29.8 YPR). Bronson keeps them competitive offensively and somehow he's survived playing behind an OL that has given up the most sacks (23) in the LL. The Statesmen can probably find holes in a passing defense that allows 179 YPG and has given up 15 TDs. If Hobart wanted to improve their rushing statistics, the 317.6 YPG allowed by Rochester would be one way to accomplish that. Ultimately the Statesmen will still need to play their "A" game because a team like Rochester is dangerous in that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain with a win.
2. Standing Tall - The Hobart OL did a great job Saturday in Canton and has gotten better with each week. The Yellow Jackets DL is small and has only produced six sacks this season. The Statesmen's ability to keep Sweeney up right will go a long way in Hobart locking in their latest LL title.
3. Thank You Seniors - A group of 15 Hobart SRs will play their final regular season home game Saturday. These young men have a 37-6 career record to date and will have helped the Statesmen earn three LL titles and playoff berths with a win this weekend. These young men include:
#11 CB Todd Collier
#15 OLB Mike Harper
#19 WR Sean Cunningham
#20 FS Matt Cragg (C)
#26 OLB Marcus Jemison (C)
#29 LB Austin Gallegos
#35 RB Bradley Burns
#36 FB Sean Bright
#46 PK Sean Kirshe
#59 DT Jake Russell
#60 OL Justin DiJiulio
#61 DE James Hedger (C)
#63 OL Nick Testani (C)
#71 OL Patrick O'Connell III (C)
#83 WR Jack Pfohl
Congratulations and thanks to these outstanding young men and student athletes.
Prediction:
I predicted a 35-20 victory on ITH last Sunday and I'll stick with that. I could see the Yellow Jackets score less than that but hopefully most of the scores will come later in the game as Hobart puts in the reserves and prepares to see who they'll play in the NCAAs.
I'll have more on Sunday's playoff selection as we'll have on the Chair of the Selection Committee on ITH for the ninth consecutive year (so make sure you tune in!).
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Hobart (8-1, 5-1) leads the all-time series 53-48-7. Rochester (1-7, 0-6) is struggling through a difficult season with a limited roster. To their credit, the Yellow Jackets defense has improved since giving up 70 points to Springfield (5-4, 4-2) back in Week 7. They lost a shoot out, 37-34, to WPI (6-3, 3-3) last weekend at home which had to sting (pun intended).
Last season the Statesmen defeated UofR 42-20 in a game that saw JR QB Shane Sweeney set a school record with six passing TDs. Hobart dominated TOP by a 40-20 margin and basically emptied the bench. The biggest difference from last year's game is that #2 JR QB Dan Bronson did not play due to an injury. His FY when he was named the LL ROTY, the Yellow Jackets only lost to Hobart by a score of 28-23.
Scouting the Jackets
The Rochester offense is all about Bronson. He is third in the LL averaging 95.4 YPG rushing so Hobart tacklers will need to play their assignments and do a better job tackling than they did against Sean Richardson from SLU. Bronson can throw well too and has passed for 1,523 yards (124-228) with 12 TDs compared to only three INTs. Bronson's favorite targets are #3 SR WR Kyle Allegrini and #11 SO WR Shawn Silleman.They have combined for 639 yards and five TDs.
If Bronson isn't calling his own number, he will hand it off to #9 SO RB Emanuel Calmar. He's rushed for 233 yards and five TDs.
On defense the Yellow Jackets are led by the trio of #23 JR CB Ricky Sparks (57 tackles and two INTs), #51 SO LB Ricky Simcic (53 tackles) and #33 SR LB David Wolff (50 tackles).
Keys to the Game:
1. Just Win - Rochester is not a very good football team. They are average on offense and give up the most PPG on defense in the LL (43.3). Their kicking game stinks, ranking last in PATs (20-26), FGs (0-4) and KO coverage (29.8 YPR). Bronson keeps them competitive offensively and somehow he's survived playing behind an OL that has given up the most sacks (23) in the LL. The Statesmen can probably find holes in a passing defense that allows 179 YPG and has given up 15 TDs. If Hobart wanted to improve their rushing statistics, the 317.6 YPG allowed by Rochester would be one way to accomplish that. Ultimately the Statesmen will still need to play their "A" game because a team like Rochester is dangerous in that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain with a win.
2. Standing Tall - The Hobart OL did a great job Saturday in Canton and has gotten better with each week. The Yellow Jackets DL is small and has only produced six sacks this season. The Statesmen's ability to keep Sweeney up right will go a long way in Hobart locking in their latest LL title.
3. Thank You Seniors - A group of 15 Hobart SRs will play their final regular season home game Saturday. These young men have a 37-6 career record to date and will have helped the Statesmen earn three LL titles and playoff berths with a win this weekend. These young men include:
#11 CB Todd Collier
#15 OLB Mike Harper
#19 WR Sean Cunningham
#20 FS Matt Cragg (C)
#26 OLB Marcus Jemison (C)
#29 LB Austin Gallegos
#35 RB Bradley Burns
#36 FB Sean Bright
#46 PK Sean Kirshe
#59 DT Jake Russell
#60 OL Justin DiJiulio
#61 DE James Hedger (C)
#63 OL Nick Testani (C)
#71 OL Patrick O'Connell III (C)
#83 WR Jack Pfohl
Congratulations and thanks to these outstanding young men and student athletes.
Prediction:
I predicted a 35-20 victory on ITH last Sunday and I'll stick with that. I could see the Yellow Jackets score less than that but hopefully most of the scores will come later in the game as Hobart puts in the reserves and prepares to see who they'll play in the NCAAs.
I'll have more on Sunday's playoff selection as we'll have on the Chair of the Selection Committee on ITH for the ninth consecutive year (so make sure you tune in!).
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Monday, November 7, 2016
Statesmen Crack Top 25 Again, Podcast Appearances & More
The Hobart College Statesmen are back in the Top 25, coming in at 22 in the latest D3Football.com poll.
A link to the Top 25 poll can be found here.
There was a lot of coverage for the Saints-Statesmen game both on our In The HuddLLe podcast and on the ATN one as well. Pat Coleman and Frank Rossi discuss the game at the 29 minute mark of ATN and JR QB Shane Sweeney comes on at the 42 minute mark.
Frank Rossi also had post game interviews with SR DE James Hedger, JR WR Brandon Shed, JR QB Shane Sweeney and HC Mike Cragg on ITH. Our ATL segment also features the exciting highlights from WEOS FM's Ted Baker.
Frank predicts Hobart (8-1, 5-1) will end up ranked second in the next NCAA East Regional Rankings based on their strength of schedule. He also predicts SLU (8-1, 5-1) won't make the final playoff field. Frank will host a D3 Playoff Selection Show on Saturday night live around 11 PM ET.
Finally, a special tip of the cap to Ithaca HC Mike Welch who went 5-0 at home in his final season for the Bombers. We wish him the best in Week 11 and his retirement.
I'll have more on the Week 11 Rochester match up later this week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
A link to the Top 25 poll can be found here.
There was a lot of coverage for the Saints-Statesmen game both on our In The HuddLLe podcast and on the ATN one as well. Pat Coleman and Frank Rossi discuss the game at the 29 minute mark of ATN and JR QB Shane Sweeney comes on at the 42 minute mark.
Frank Rossi also had post game interviews with SR DE James Hedger, JR WR Brandon Shed, JR QB Shane Sweeney and HC Mike Cragg on ITH. Our ATL segment also features the exciting highlights from WEOS FM's Ted Baker.
Frank predicts Hobart (8-1, 5-1) will end up ranked second in the next NCAA East Regional Rankings based on their strength of schedule. He also predicts SLU (8-1, 5-1) won't make the final playoff field. Frank will host a D3 Playoff Selection Show on Saturday night live around 11 PM ET.
Finally, a special tip of the cap to Ithaca HC Mike Welch who went 5-0 at home in his final season for the Bombers. We wish him the best in Week 11 and his retirement.
I'll have more on the Week 11 Rochester match up later this week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Hobart Air Show Upsets #16 Saints, 34-18
JR WR Brandon Shed tied the same single season receptions in a game record his teammate SR WR Jack Pfohl had also tied last week in an awesome 12 catch, 241 yard and two TD performance today in Canton, NY.
Hobart (8-1, 5-1) is one more win away from recapturing the Liberty League title and returning to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season. Shed also set the single season receiving yards, receptions and TD marks and now also holds the record for most receiving yards in a single game. Needless to say, Shed is likely on his way to first team All-American status by the end of the season. He needs one more TD to break the all-time mark and 800 yards to break the all-time record. He's on pace for an 80-85 reception, 1300-1400 yard and 18-21 TD season if you factor in the playoffs which is amazing.
An emotional and fiery Vimeo / pep talk produced by Connor Cough '16 that included testimonials by former Statesmen greats like Ali Marpet '15, Patrick Conlan '15, Trayvon Toney '16 and others about why Hobart needed to win this game must have worked, because the Statesmen came out swinging in this championship caliber fight.
After the Hobart defense held SLU (8-1, 5-1) to a FG, JR QB Shane Sweeney found Shed for a 58 yard TD catch and run that gave the Statesmen their first lead of the game. Although SLU would retake the lead on a SR WR Vincenzo Ferraro TD catch, Sweeney would connect with Shed again from four yards and Pfohl for 10 to give Hobart a 20-10 halftime lead.
The Saints got the ball to start the second half and used better field position and their elusive QB to keep the Hobart defense on the field for most of the third quarter. SLU would force a safety, then score on the ensuing possession to cut the Statesmen's lead to 20-18 with 1:34 left in the third. The two point conversion failed so Hobart hung onto their lead going into the final 15 minutes of the game.
JR WR Joe Barrocas would give the Statesmen some breathing room with a six yard TD catch after SR OLB Mike Harper made what arguably was the play of the game - an interception of Richardson which he returned to the Saints 22 yard line.
Pfohl would supply the final dagger with a TD a few plays later. The game was over when JR DE Brandon Ball took down Richardson on the final play of the game to give Hobart the win. To his credit, Richardson passed for 350 yards and two TDs against the Statesmen. The Hobart rush defense really had a nice game and held the Saints to only 71 rushing yards, 34 of which went to Richardson.
Sweeney passed for 363 yards and five TDs. Pfohl finished with eight catches for 71 yards and two scores. Defensively Hobart was led by JR LB Almamy Conde with a game high 14 tackles. SR DE James Hedger added two sacks and three QBHs.
Hobart will host Rochester (1-7, 0-6) in the annual Centennial Cup game next Saturday in Geneva. The Yellow Jackets lost in a 37-34 come from behind shootout to WPI (6-3, 3-3). I'll have more on this game (including post game interviews with HC Mike Cragg and others) and the next week's match ups on Sunday's In The HuddLLe podcast.
More to come and Hip Hobart!
Hobart (8-1, 5-1) is one more win away from recapturing the Liberty League title and returning to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season. Shed also set the single season receiving yards, receptions and TD marks and now also holds the record for most receiving yards in a single game. Needless to say, Shed is likely on his way to first team All-American status by the end of the season. He needs one more TD to break the all-time mark and 800 yards to break the all-time record. He's on pace for an 80-85 reception, 1300-1400 yard and 18-21 TD season if you factor in the playoffs which is amazing.
An emotional and fiery Vimeo / pep talk produced by Connor Cough '16 that included testimonials by former Statesmen greats like Ali Marpet '15, Patrick Conlan '15, Trayvon Toney '16 and others about why Hobart needed to win this game must have worked, because the Statesmen came out swinging in this championship caliber fight.
After the Hobart defense held SLU (8-1, 5-1) to a FG, JR QB Shane Sweeney found Shed for a 58 yard TD catch and run that gave the Statesmen their first lead of the game. Although SLU would retake the lead on a SR WR Vincenzo Ferraro TD catch, Sweeney would connect with Shed again from four yards and Pfohl for 10 to give Hobart a 20-10 halftime lead.
The Saints got the ball to start the second half and used better field position and their elusive QB to keep the Hobart defense on the field for most of the third quarter. SLU would force a safety, then score on the ensuing possession to cut the Statesmen's lead to 20-18 with 1:34 left in the third. The two point conversion failed so Hobart hung onto their lead going into the final 15 minutes of the game.
JR WR Joe Barrocas would give the Statesmen some breathing room with a six yard TD catch after SR OLB Mike Harper made what arguably was the play of the game - an interception of Richardson which he returned to the Saints 22 yard line.
Pfohl would supply the final dagger with a TD a few plays later. The game was over when JR DE Brandon Ball took down Richardson on the final play of the game to give Hobart the win. To his credit, Richardson passed for 350 yards and two TDs against the Statesmen. The Hobart rush defense really had a nice game and held the Saints to only 71 rushing yards, 34 of which went to Richardson.
Sweeney passed for 363 yards and five TDs. Pfohl finished with eight catches for 71 yards and two scores. Defensively Hobart was led by JR LB Almamy Conde with a game high 14 tackles. SR DE James Hedger added two sacks and three QBHs.
Hobart will host Rochester (1-7, 0-6) in the annual Centennial Cup game next Saturday in Geneva. The Yellow Jackets lost in a 37-34 come from behind shootout to WPI (6-3, 3-3). I'll have more on this game (including post game interviews with HC Mike Cragg and others) and the next week's match ups on Sunday's In The HuddLLe podcast.
More to come and Hip Hobart!
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
NCAA Sends Message In First Playoff Ranking
The first 2016 NCAA DIII Football Playoff Regional Rankings were just released and the East Region results are very interesting.
The rankings were as follows:
Basically it appears as though the Saints low SOS will hamper if not completely prevent them from qualifying for the NCAA's unless they beat Hobart Saturday. A loss by the Statesmen definitely will eliminate them from consideration given they would have 0 wins over regionally ranked opponents. With only six at large spots for teams in conferences, the chance more than one Eastern team getting into the tournament other than winning their league's "Pool A" (aka Automatic Qualifier) is very, very low (if not impossible) given there are seven eastern (playoff qualifying) leagues (ECFC, NEFC, MASCAC, LL, E8, NJAC and MAC).
Suddenly this game has even higher stakes as the loser is almost definitely out of the NCAA playoff race. Sure some 9-1 teams have made it in the past but SJFC's ranking at 3 and Salisbury's at 4 (not to mention Albright and Wesley just behind Hobart, who actually has a high SOS) points to the Committee looking down at the LL versus the other way around.
Looks like the game in Canton is more for survival than just a shot at a league title after all....
The rankings were as follows:
| 1 | Alfred | 8-0 | |
| 2 | Stevenson | 8-0 | |
| 3 | St. John Fisher | 7-1 | |
| 4 | Salisbury | 7-1 | |
| 5 | St. Lawrence | 8-0 | |
| 6 | Hobart | 7-1 | |
| 7 | Albright | 6-2 | |
| 8 | Wesley | 6-2 | |
| 9 | Western New England | 8-0 | |
| 10 | Frostburg State | 7-1 |
Basically it appears as though the Saints low SOS will hamper if not completely prevent them from qualifying for the NCAA's unless they beat Hobart Saturday. A loss by the Statesmen definitely will eliminate them from consideration given they would have 0 wins over regionally ranked opponents. With only six at large spots for teams in conferences, the chance more than one Eastern team getting into the tournament other than winning their league's "Pool A" (aka Automatic Qualifier) is very, very low (if not impossible) given there are seven eastern (playoff qualifying) leagues (ECFC, NEFC, MASCAC, LL, E8, NJAC and MAC).
Suddenly this game has even higher stakes as the loser is almost definitely out of the NCAA playoff race. Sure some 9-1 teams have made it in the past but SJFC's ranking at 3 and Salisbury's at 4 (not to mention Albright and Wesley just behind Hobart, who actually has a high SOS) points to the Committee looking down at the LL versus the other way around.
Looks like the game in Canton is more for survival than just a shot at a league title after all....
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Week 10 - Saint Lawrence Game Preview
The Hobart College Statesmen will travel to the North Country looking to continue their quest for another Liberty League Championship this Saturday. Standing in their path is #16 and undefeated Saint Lawrence University (8-0, 5-0). Hobart (7-1, 4-1) is also looking to continue it's five game winning streak against the Saints, who lost to the Statesmen 19-17 last year on a controversial, but still winning TD catch by Cooper Merrill '15. Hobart leads the all-time series 49-36-2 but has really dominated the series since 1991, going 24-1 against the Saints over the last 25 seasons.
In spite of this recent series dominance, the Statesmen will enter this game like they did last year's, as the underdogs. SLU boasts the #1 scoring defense in the LL, as well as in the nation, only allowing 6.9 PPG and pitching four shut outs this season.
Here's the "tale of the tape" (based on LL statistics)
SLU HOB
#1 scoring offense (32.8 PPG) #3 scoring offense (29.4 PPG)
#1 scoring defense (6.9 PPG)* #4 scoring defense (21.9 PPG)
#2 total offense (416.8 YPG) #4 total offense (394.8 YPG)
#1 total defense (217.5 YPG) #5 total defense (328.6 YPG)
#5 rushing offense (162.4 YPG) #8 rushing offense (75.9 YPG)
#2 rushing defense (103.3 YPG) #7 rushing defense (185 YPG)
#2 passing offense (254.4 YPG) #1 passing offense (318.9 YPG)
#1 passing defense (114.3 YPG)* #2 passing defense (143.6 YPG)
#1 red zone defense (.357)** #5 red zone defense (.840)
#1 passing defensive efficiency (91.7) #2 passing offensive efficiency (152.6)
#1 kickoff returns yardage (24.8) #7 KOR (16.4)
#1 PATs (33-33) #7 PATs (26-31)
#1 TOP (33:41) #7 TOP (27:03)
#2 INTs (tied w/ 8) #8 INTs (4)
#7 punting (29.6 yards net) #1 punting (40.4 yards net)
* = #1 in nation
** = #2 in nation
While there are other salient stats (e.g., punt returns, sacks for & against, kickoff coverage, etc.), Hobart and SLU were relatively even enough in those categories that I didn't think it merited mentioning them here in additional detail. That said the overall team statistics favor the Saints, but one key stat (or equation I suppose) to keep in mind, is this one:
NCAA Strength of Schedule:
SLU #165 (.472) < HOB #33 (.571)
The Statesmen have played a much tougher slate to date, especially in OOC games, than the Saints have. To their credit, SLU did beat RPI 20-14 back in Week 4 and have dispatched similar opponents by wider margins of victory than Hobart.
Scouting the Saints:
This season the Saints are led by #8 JR QB Sean Richardson. The East Syracuse, NY native has passed for 1,878 yards with 16 TDs compared to 7 INTs. His much more mobile than his predecessor and has run for 505 yards on 80 carries (5.5 YPC) and three rushing TDs. #32 SO RB Roderick Payne is having a nice season and has 673 rushing yards and three TDs while also adding 18 catches, 126 receiving yards and one score.
Richardson has several favorite targets but #81 JR WR Vincenzo Ferraro is the team leader with 627 yards to go with five receiving TDs. #16 SR TE Mitch Gallagher is a match up nightmare for opposing defenses, using his height and size (6'1" 240) to gain 355 receiving yards and four TDs.
Defensively SLU is led by Co-Captain #55 SR DT Chyron Brown-Wallace, a preseason All-American who's performing at that level again. He has 11 TFL, four sacks and scored a safety in last weekend's 26-14 victory over Union (2-6, 1-4). #15 SR LB Alec Dietsch is the other captain of this SLU squad and has tallied 60 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the season. Overall #43 JR LB Skyler Williamson (who hails from my Dad's hometown of Canton, CT) leads the team with 77 tackles, 11.5 TFL and who tallied 20 tackles in a 8-0 shutout of USMMA back in Week 8.
The defensive secondary is led by #4 SR DB James Holley-Grisham. "JHG" is tied for first in the LL with four INTs and he doubles as the Saints punt return specialist, averaging 12.1 yards and scoring a TD.
#22 JR DB Austen Lauricella may be small and stocky (5' 5" 184), but he leads the LL with a 26.4 YPR average on kickoffs. While he's a great return man, he's struggled as a punter, averaging only 29.1 yards net and seeing three of his kicks blocked (which is a play Hobart knows how to make and did last Saturday when SR OLB Marcus Jemison blocked a WPI punt and returned it for a TD). #19 JR PK Daly Hebert has a good leg, and hasn't missed a PAT all season. He's made seven of eight FGs, including a long of 39 yards.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stop & Score First - Unlike the Statesmen, the Saints have never trailed from the second quarter on in any of their games and have only trailed for only 15 minutes of play, all of which was in the first quarter, this season. If Hobart can strike first, it'll pay dividends later on when the defenses most likely take control of the game. If the Saints start on offense, JR LB Almamy Conde and FY LB Jedh Downey (who've combined for 136 tackles) will need to watch out for receivers like Gallagher and #86 SR TE Matt Gardiner running routes through the middle of the defense. Hobart struggled with this last weekend and will be critical to shore this up in order to put the Saints offense back on the sideline.
2. Go Team Air Show - Hobart probably will look to top last season's 264 yard passing performance which saw JR QB Shane Sweeney drop back 46 times as the Statesmen had to battle back from a 17-7 halftime deficit. SR WR Brandon Shed was actually fairly limited last season since he was covered by All-American DB Leondre Simmon '15 for most the game. Shed did score a key TD in the fourth quarter, however, but overall only had 26 receiving yards. SR WR Jack Pfohl stepped up and led Hobart with 10 catches for 80 yards. Pfohl is coming off the best game of his career which earned him LL OPOTW and ECAC honors with a 12 catch, 197 yards and two TDs performance against WPI (5-3, 2-3).
3. Close the Door - although a lot of recaps on last year's 19-17 thriller focused on simultaneous possession rules, the real story in my opinion was the fact that the Hobart defense shut out SLU and made them go 0 for five on third down in the second half. Neither team was really able to run the ball well all day, so it allowed Sweeney to out-gun Lefflbine late in the game when it mattered most. The Saints were undefeated in LL play coming into that game and you could tell they got scared once it was 17-13 after the Shed TD in the fourth quarter. Lefflbine started to hold the ball longer and was stopped by Statesmen tacklers. The difference this year is that Richardson is a much more mobile QB so he will be harder to bring down. The Statesmen defense will have to wrap up upon contact to avoid letting Richardson break off a long run like the 78 yard game winning TD he had vs. USMMA. While Brown-Wallace gets a lot of ink, SR DE James Hedger and JR DE Brandon Ball have quietly had All-Conference type of seasons with six sacks by Hedger which leads the LL. Ball is up to 9.5 TFL to go with four sacks and both will play a big role in keeping Richardson and the Saints offense in check.
Prediction:
This is a tough one. The stats say Saints, and based on that (my head) I did pick them to win 17-14 on last Sunday's ITH here.. I picked against Hobart back in 2011 to lose to Saint John Fisher and the Statesmen proved me wrong in a big way. Hopefully that'll be the case here because my heart knows the Statesmen have almost always found ways to outlast the Saints and can do so again here. I would also hate to see SLU celebrate a LL title while also effectively ending Hobart's season but I am aware that could and very well may happen Saturday. I'll be hoping that SLU's statistical advantage is just "smoke and mirrors" and they'll won't be able to stop the high flying passing attack of Sweeney and the Statesmen.
We'll find out Saturday.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
In spite of this recent series dominance, the Statesmen will enter this game like they did last year's, as the underdogs. SLU boasts the #1 scoring defense in the LL, as well as in the nation, only allowing 6.9 PPG and pitching four shut outs this season.
Here's the "tale of the tape" (based on LL statistics)
SLU HOB
#1 scoring offense (32.8 PPG) #3 scoring offense (29.4 PPG)
#1 scoring defense (6.9 PPG)* #4 scoring defense (21.9 PPG)
#2 total offense (416.8 YPG) #4 total offense (394.8 YPG)
#1 total defense (217.5 YPG) #5 total defense (328.6 YPG)
#5 rushing offense (162.4 YPG) #8 rushing offense (75.9 YPG)
#2 rushing defense (103.3 YPG) #7 rushing defense (185 YPG)
#2 passing offense (254.4 YPG) #1 passing offense (318.9 YPG)
#1 passing defense (114.3 YPG)* #2 passing defense (143.6 YPG)
#1 red zone defense (.357)** #5 red zone defense (.840)
#1 passing defensive efficiency (91.7) #2 passing offensive efficiency (152.6)
#1 kickoff returns yardage (24.8) #7 KOR (16.4)
#1 PATs (33-33) #7 PATs (26-31)
#1 TOP (33:41) #7 TOP (27:03)
#2 INTs (tied w/ 8) #8 INTs (4)
#7 punting (29.6 yards net) #1 punting (40.4 yards net)
* = #1 in nation
** = #2 in nation
While there are other salient stats (e.g., punt returns, sacks for & against, kickoff coverage, etc.), Hobart and SLU were relatively even enough in those categories that I didn't think it merited mentioning them here in additional detail. That said the overall team statistics favor the Saints, but one key stat (or equation I suppose) to keep in mind, is this one:
NCAA Strength of Schedule:
SLU #165 (.472) < HOB #33 (.571)
The Statesmen have played a much tougher slate to date, especially in OOC games, than the Saints have. To their credit, SLU did beat RPI 20-14 back in Week 4 and have dispatched similar opponents by wider margins of victory than Hobart.
Scouting the Saints:
This season the Saints are led by #8 JR QB Sean Richardson. The East Syracuse, NY native has passed for 1,878 yards with 16 TDs compared to 7 INTs. His much more mobile than his predecessor and has run for 505 yards on 80 carries (5.5 YPC) and three rushing TDs. #32 SO RB Roderick Payne is having a nice season and has 673 rushing yards and three TDs while also adding 18 catches, 126 receiving yards and one score.
Richardson has several favorite targets but #81 JR WR Vincenzo Ferraro is the team leader with 627 yards to go with five receiving TDs. #16 SR TE Mitch Gallagher is a match up nightmare for opposing defenses, using his height and size (6'1" 240) to gain 355 receiving yards and four TDs.
Defensively SLU is led by Co-Captain #55 SR DT Chyron Brown-Wallace, a preseason All-American who's performing at that level again. He has 11 TFL, four sacks and scored a safety in last weekend's 26-14 victory over Union (2-6, 1-4). #15 SR LB Alec Dietsch is the other captain of this SLU squad and has tallied 60 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the season. Overall #43 JR LB Skyler Williamson (who hails from my Dad's hometown of Canton, CT) leads the team with 77 tackles, 11.5 TFL and who tallied 20 tackles in a 8-0 shutout of USMMA back in Week 8.
The defensive secondary is led by #4 SR DB James Holley-Grisham. "JHG" is tied for first in the LL with four INTs and he doubles as the Saints punt return specialist, averaging 12.1 yards and scoring a TD.
#22 JR DB Austen Lauricella may be small and stocky (5' 5" 184), but he leads the LL with a 26.4 YPR average on kickoffs. While he's a great return man, he's struggled as a punter, averaging only 29.1 yards net and seeing three of his kicks blocked (which is a play Hobart knows how to make and did last Saturday when SR OLB Marcus Jemison blocked a WPI punt and returned it for a TD). #19 JR PK Daly Hebert has a good leg, and hasn't missed a PAT all season. He's made seven of eight FGs, including a long of 39 yards.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stop & Score First - Unlike the Statesmen, the Saints have never trailed from the second quarter on in any of their games and have only trailed for only 15 minutes of play, all of which was in the first quarter, this season. If Hobart can strike first, it'll pay dividends later on when the defenses most likely take control of the game. If the Saints start on offense, JR LB Almamy Conde and FY LB Jedh Downey (who've combined for 136 tackles) will need to watch out for receivers like Gallagher and #86 SR TE Matt Gardiner running routes through the middle of the defense. Hobart struggled with this last weekend and will be critical to shore this up in order to put the Saints offense back on the sideline.
2. Go Team Air Show - Hobart probably will look to top last season's 264 yard passing performance which saw JR QB Shane Sweeney drop back 46 times as the Statesmen had to battle back from a 17-7 halftime deficit. SR WR Brandon Shed was actually fairly limited last season since he was covered by All-American DB Leondre Simmon '15 for most the game. Shed did score a key TD in the fourth quarter, however, but overall only had 26 receiving yards. SR WR Jack Pfohl stepped up and led Hobart with 10 catches for 80 yards. Pfohl is coming off the best game of his career which earned him LL OPOTW and ECAC honors with a 12 catch, 197 yards and two TDs performance against WPI (5-3, 2-3).
3. Close the Door - although a lot of recaps on last year's 19-17 thriller focused on simultaneous possession rules, the real story in my opinion was the fact that the Hobart defense shut out SLU and made them go 0 for five on third down in the second half. Neither team was really able to run the ball well all day, so it allowed Sweeney to out-gun Lefflbine late in the game when it mattered most. The Saints were undefeated in LL play coming into that game and you could tell they got scared once it was 17-13 after the Shed TD in the fourth quarter. Lefflbine started to hold the ball longer and was stopped by Statesmen tacklers. The difference this year is that Richardson is a much more mobile QB so he will be harder to bring down. The Statesmen defense will have to wrap up upon contact to avoid letting Richardson break off a long run like the 78 yard game winning TD he had vs. USMMA. While Brown-Wallace gets a lot of ink, SR DE James Hedger and JR DE Brandon Ball have quietly had All-Conference type of seasons with six sacks by Hedger which leads the LL. Ball is up to 9.5 TFL to go with four sacks and both will play a big role in keeping Richardson and the Saints offense in check.
Prediction:
This is a tough one. The stats say Saints, and based on that (my head) I did pick them to win 17-14 on last Sunday's ITH here.. I picked against Hobart back in 2011 to lose to Saint John Fisher and the Statesmen proved me wrong in a big way. Hopefully that'll be the case here because my heart knows the Statesmen have almost always found ways to outlast the Saints and can do so again here. I would also hate to see SLU celebrate a LL title while also effectively ending Hobart's season but I am aware that could and very well may happen Saturday. I'll be hoping that SLU's statistical advantage is just "smoke and mirrors" and they'll won't be able to stop the high flying passing attack of Sweeney and the Statesmen.
We'll find out Saturday.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Sweeney to Pfohl Saves Season, Hobart Outlasts WPI, 35-31
The Hobart College Statesmen continued their "Cardiac Kids" act by having to comeback twice with under two minutes left in the game against a gritty WPI Engineers squad. JR QB Shane Sweeney broke the Hobart season record for pass completions on a four yard pass to SR RB Brad Burns halfway through the fourth quarter in what was a defensive battle turned shoot out in the final game of this series.
SR WR Jack Pfohl would have a career day, catching 12 passes for 197 yards and two TDs. The second would be for 18 yards and ultimately was the game winner for Hobart (7-1, 4-1) with only 3 seconds remaining. The 12 receptions tied a Hobart record set by Dan Suozzi '05 back in 2003. I interviewed Pfohl for Sunday night's ITH podcast which you can listen to here. Speaking of podcasts, the D3football.com ATN show gives a shout out to Sweeney and the Statesmen around the 29 minute mark. You can tune into that show here.
With the win over WPI the Statesmen continue their collision course with undefeated and #16 Saint Lawrence (8-0, 5-0) for the Liberty League Championship next Saturday in Canton, NY. The Saints struggled somewhat but finally put away Union College (2-6, 1-4) by a score of 26-14. Both my ITH co-host Frank Rossi and Pat Coleman (managing editor / founder of D3football.com) plan to attend and cover the Hobart-Saint Lawrence game at both a regional and national level.
WPI (5-3, 2-3) out-gained Hobart by 520 to 426 yards but the Statesmen got the plays they needed late to win the game.
The Engineers broke an early stalemate after a 10 yard FY RB Sean McAllen run capped an 89 yard to give WPI a 7-0 lead with 1:15 remaining in the first quarter. Both teams committed turnovers early in the game but neither came up with points afterwards. The Statesmen would eventually bounce back and take a 14-7 lead into halftime after JR WR Brandon Shed scored on a six yard TD pass and SR OLB Marcus Jemison scooped and scored on a blocked punt in the second quarter.
In the third quarter Hobart saw their lead disappear after a FG and 55 yard TD strike gave WPI a 17-14 advantage. A very timely SR OLB Michael Harper interception would set up Pfohl's first TD catch of the game, a 25 yarder, to give the Statesmen a 21-17 lead with 14:53 remaining.
That's when things got "interesting" and WPI and Hobart would score two TDs each en route to an exciting finish. WPI SR WR Brandon Eccher hauled in two TD catches to help the Engineers while Shed and Pfohl scored their second TDs of the game.
Sweeney finished the game 26 for 36 with 346 passing yards and four TDs. Defensively Hobart FY & JR LBs Jedh Downey and Almamy Conde had eight tackles each. JR CB Tommy D'Antonio continued his All-American season with six solo stops, a forced fumble and INT.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
SR WR Jack Pfohl would have a career day, catching 12 passes for 197 yards and two TDs. The second would be for 18 yards and ultimately was the game winner for Hobart (7-1, 4-1) with only 3 seconds remaining. The 12 receptions tied a Hobart record set by Dan Suozzi '05 back in 2003. I interviewed Pfohl for Sunday night's ITH podcast which you can listen to here. Speaking of podcasts, the D3football.com ATN show gives a shout out to Sweeney and the Statesmen around the 29 minute mark. You can tune into that show here.
With the win over WPI the Statesmen continue their collision course with undefeated and #16 Saint Lawrence (8-0, 5-0) for the Liberty League Championship next Saturday in Canton, NY. The Saints struggled somewhat but finally put away Union College (2-6, 1-4) by a score of 26-14. Both my ITH co-host Frank Rossi and Pat Coleman (managing editor / founder of D3football.com) plan to attend and cover the Hobart-Saint Lawrence game at both a regional and national level.
WPI (5-3, 2-3) out-gained Hobart by 520 to 426 yards but the Statesmen got the plays they needed late to win the game.
The Engineers broke an early stalemate after a 10 yard FY RB Sean McAllen run capped an 89 yard to give WPI a 7-0 lead with 1:15 remaining in the first quarter. Both teams committed turnovers early in the game but neither came up with points afterwards. The Statesmen would eventually bounce back and take a 14-7 lead into halftime after JR WR Brandon Shed scored on a six yard TD pass and SR OLB Marcus Jemison scooped and scored on a blocked punt in the second quarter.
In the third quarter Hobart saw their lead disappear after a FG and 55 yard TD strike gave WPI a 17-14 advantage. A very timely SR OLB Michael Harper interception would set up Pfohl's first TD catch of the game, a 25 yarder, to give the Statesmen a 21-17 lead with 14:53 remaining.
That's when things got "interesting" and WPI and Hobart would score two TDs each en route to an exciting finish. WPI SR WR Brandon Eccher hauled in two TD catches to help the Engineers while Shed and Pfohl scored their second TDs of the game.
Sweeney finished the game 26 for 36 with 346 passing yards and four TDs. Defensively Hobart FY & JR LBs Jedh Downey and Almamy Conde had eight tackles each. JR CB Tommy D'Antonio continued his All-American season with six solo stops, a forced fumble and INT.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Week 9 - WPI Game Preview
The Hobart College Statesmen will make their final road trip to Worcester this weekend to take on the WPI Engineers. WPI (5-2, 2-2) defeated RPI (4-4, 2-3), 19-7, last Saturday and still is somewhat in control of its own destiny in the final weeks of the regular season. The Engineers will depart the LL after this year and are hoping to go out with a win as they have never defeated the Statesmen, going 0-12, since joining the league as an associate member for football back in 2004. Last year Hobart beat WPI by a score of 37-7 in Geneva.
Hobart (6-1, 3-1) needs to beat WPI in order to set up what would be the de facto LL Championship game against #16 Saint Lawrence (7-0, 4-0) in Canton, NY on November 5th. The Saints will host Union (2-5, 1-3) in the only other league game Saturday. First things first, however, as the Statesmen can't overlook a senior-laden Engineers squad that has a balanced offense, tough defense and a solid special teams unit.
One of the key differences between WPI and Hobart's more recent opponents is that the Engineers are one of the only true passing teams Hobart has faced since Week 1. The Engineers #9 SR QB Dan Eckler leads the LL in passing efficiency (163.5) with a 60.5 completion percentage. He's thrown for 1,524 yards, 15 TDs and eight INTs. #76 SR OL Chad DellaPorta leads the OL and he appeared on last weekend's In the HuddLLe podcast. You can hear that show here.
Although WPI did graduate one of their best rushers in program history, two FY RBs have filled in and performed well this season. #7 FY RB Connor Field and #4 FY RB Sean McAllen (a couple of CT kids like me) have gained 219 and 601 yards rushing, respectively, to go with a total of five TDs. #89 SR WR Brandon Eccher is Eckler's best friend and favorite target. Eccher is currently third in the LL with 509 receiving yards to go with seven TDs. Eccher also doubles as the Engineers punt return specialist. He's done well there, gaining 10.5 yards on average and even scored a TD on a 78 yard return in a 21-14 win over Union. Overall the Engineers are second in scoring, averaging 32.1 PPG and boast the third best passing offense (233.1 YPG) in the LL. Although they are ranked sixth in rushing, that is more based on their balanced play-calling (and the lopsided stats teams like USMMA, Springfield, Union and RPI have had) than anything to be concerned about. WPI averages a respectable 155.4 YPG and has scored 10 rushing TDs.
Defensively the Engineers are led by #35 SR LB Brian Murtagh. He leads the LL with 92 total tackles, 58 of which were solo stops. #50 SO LB Sam Malafronte is also having a good year, tallying 51 tackles. The WPI defense has allowed 21.7 PPG (ranked fifth) and is ranked sixth against the run (188.1 YPG and 10 TDs allowed) and third against the pass (130.9 YPG and eight TDs allowed). The Engineers D has eight INTs and caused two safeties on the season as well.
#2 SR PK Blaine Bursey is one of the better kickers in the LL, averaging 45 yards (net) on kickoffs and going eight for 10 in FGs (with a long of 37). While he has struggled a bit in PATs, converting 24 of 27, he has performed better than any of the Hobart PKs. Where the Statesmen have a decided edge is in punting. JR PK Rio Schmidt leads the LL with a 40 net average. WPI's #93 SR PK Vinny Tavernelli is next to last in the league with a 29.2 net average.
Keys to the Game:
1. Strength vs. Strength - The Engineers will test Hobart's top rated passing defense which is ranked first in the LL and in the nation, having allowed only 107 YPG. To be fair the Statesmen have faced mostly run-oriented offenses (e.g., Springfield only attempted two passes and didn't complete either last weekend), so it's hard to say whether or not the secondary is that strong. Still, Hobart did a nice job holding Brockport (5-2) to 152 passing yards in Week 1 (they average 217.7 YPG now). Eckler is a good QB, and given the relatively fair conditions Saturday, you can expect Eckler to attempt around 22+ passes based on his season average. The only area Eckler has struggled is he averages one interception per game, so it would be good if the Hobart defense can make a play and help the offense on one (or more) Saturday. JR QB Shane Sweeney struggled going 12 for 25 in the wind and rain against Springfield but a cool and dry fall day should open up the passing game for Hobart. WPI's passing defense is no slouch, so the Statesmen will have to look for match ups and not have as many drops as last week.
2. Next Man Up - Hobart has seen a number of starters on offense (OL, RB & WR) lost to injury, but depth and experience has helped them stay on track. SR RB Brad Burns had a good day running and catching the ball against Springfield and should have more attempts against WPI's 3-4 front. SO WR Joe Barrocas didn't have a catch in his first collegiate start but was targeted twice. SO WR Jake Henzes also got a look on offense and could make some plays with WPI focusing in on JR WR Brandon Shed and SR WR Jack Pfohl. FY RB Brian Haeffner spelled Burns a couple of times and did a nice job gaining 50 yards on kick returns.
3. Comeback / Cardiac Kids - Ted Baker, the voice of the Statesmen on WEOS, pointed out on social media recently that Hobart has trailed in every game they've played this season. The Statesmen have trailed and taken back the lead five times in the fourth quarter which is pretty incredible. WPI has had games where they've gone on 17-20 point runs so the Hobart defense needs to avoid getting put back on its heels and hope the offense will bail them out. Conversely, the Engineers have been susceptible to giving up similar 17-20+ point runs defensively so maybe this could be a rare instance (for so far this season anyway) of Hobart getting a lead and maintaining it instead of having to come back to win for a change?
Prediction:
Although the Statesmen have rarely struggled to defeat WPI (average margin of victory in the all-time series is 21.5 PPG), Hobart can't afford to overlook the Engineers. I predicted a Hobart 21-17 victory on ITH and while I think there's a chance the Statesmen could win by more, I don't want to take anything for granted. I also have a feeling this game may end up as more of a defensive battle than track meet, but the latter wouldn't surprise me either.
We'll know for sure soon.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Hobart (6-1, 3-1) needs to beat WPI in order to set up what would be the de facto LL Championship game against #16 Saint Lawrence (7-0, 4-0) in Canton, NY on November 5th. The Saints will host Union (2-5, 1-3) in the only other league game Saturday. First things first, however, as the Statesmen can't overlook a senior-laden Engineers squad that has a balanced offense, tough defense and a solid special teams unit.
One of the key differences between WPI and Hobart's more recent opponents is that the Engineers are one of the only true passing teams Hobart has faced since Week 1. The Engineers #9 SR QB Dan Eckler leads the LL in passing efficiency (163.5) with a 60.5 completion percentage. He's thrown for 1,524 yards, 15 TDs and eight INTs. #76 SR OL Chad DellaPorta leads the OL and he appeared on last weekend's In the HuddLLe podcast. You can hear that show here.
Although WPI did graduate one of their best rushers in program history, two FY RBs have filled in and performed well this season. #7 FY RB Connor Field and #4 FY RB Sean McAllen (a couple of CT kids like me) have gained 219 and 601 yards rushing, respectively, to go with a total of five TDs. #89 SR WR Brandon Eccher is Eckler's best friend and favorite target. Eccher is currently third in the LL with 509 receiving yards to go with seven TDs. Eccher also doubles as the Engineers punt return specialist. He's done well there, gaining 10.5 yards on average and even scored a TD on a 78 yard return in a 21-14 win over Union. Overall the Engineers are second in scoring, averaging 32.1 PPG and boast the third best passing offense (233.1 YPG) in the LL. Although they are ranked sixth in rushing, that is more based on their balanced play-calling (and the lopsided stats teams like USMMA, Springfield, Union and RPI have had) than anything to be concerned about. WPI averages a respectable 155.4 YPG and has scored 10 rushing TDs.
Defensively the Engineers are led by #35 SR LB Brian Murtagh. He leads the LL with 92 total tackles, 58 of which were solo stops. #50 SO LB Sam Malafronte is also having a good year, tallying 51 tackles. The WPI defense has allowed 21.7 PPG (ranked fifth) and is ranked sixth against the run (188.1 YPG and 10 TDs allowed) and third against the pass (130.9 YPG and eight TDs allowed). The Engineers D has eight INTs and caused two safeties on the season as well.
#2 SR PK Blaine Bursey is one of the better kickers in the LL, averaging 45 yards (net) on kickoffs and going eight for 10 in FGs (with a long of 37). While he has struggled a bit in PATs, converting 24 of 27, he has performed better than any of the Hobart PKs. Where the Statesmen have a decided edge is in punting. JR PK Rio Schmidt leads the LL with a 40 net average. WPI's #93 SR PK Vinny Tavernelli is next to last in the league with a 29.2 net average.
Keys to the Game:
1. Strength vs. Strength - The Engineers will test Hobart's top rated passing defense which is ranked first in the LL and in the nation, having allowed only 107 YPG. To be fair the Statesmen have faced mostly run-oriented offenses (e.g., Springfield only attempted two passes and didn't complete either last weekend), so it's hard to say whether or not the secondary is that strong. Still, Hobart did a nice job holding Brockport (5-2) to 152 passing yards in Week 1 (they average 217.7 YPG now). Eckler is a good QB, and given the relatively fair conditions Saturday, you can expect Eckler to attempt around 22+ passes based on his season average. The only area Eckler has struggled is he averages one interception per game, so it would be good if the Hobart defense can make a play and help the offense on one (or more) Saturday. JR QB Shane Sweeney struggled going 12 for 25 in the wind and rain against Springfield but a cool and dry fall day should open up the passing game for Hobart. WPI's passing defense is no slouch, so the Statesmen will have to look for match ups and not have as many drops as last week.
2. Next Man Up - Hobart has seen a number of starters on offense (OL, RB & WR) lost to injury, but depth and experience has helped them stay on track. SR RB Brad Burns had a good day running and catching the ball against Springfield and should have more attempts against WPI's 3-4 front. SO WR Joe Barrocas didn't have a catch in his first collegiate start but was targeted twice. SO WR Jake Henzes also got a look on offense and could make some plays with WPI focusing in on JR WR Brandon Shed and SR WR Jack Pfohl. FY RB Brian Haeffner spelled Burns a couple of times and did a nice job gaining 50 yards on kick returns.
3. Comeback / Cardiac Kids - Ted Baker, the voice of the Statesmen on WEOS, pointed out on social media recently that Hobart has trailed in every game they've played this season. The Statesmen have trailed and taken back the lead five times in the fourth quarter which is pretty incredible. WPI has had games where they've gone on 17-20 point runs so the Hobart defense needs to avoid getting put back on its heels and hope the offense will bail them out. Conversely, the Engineers have been susceptible to giving up similar 17-20+ point runs defensively so maybe this could be a rare instance (for so far this season anyway) of Hobart getting a lead and maintaining it instead of having to come back to win for a change?
Prediction:
Although the Statesmen have rarely struggled to defeat WPI (average margin of victory in the all-time series is 21.5 PPG), Hobart can't afford to overlook the Engineers. I predicted a Hobart 21-17 victory on ITH and while I think there's a chance the Statesmen could win by more, I don't want to take anything for granted. I also have a feeling this game may end up as more of a defensive battle than track meet, but the latter wouldn't surprise me either.
We'll know for sure soon.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Hobart Rallies Late Once Again to Beat Pride, 12-7
The Hobart College Statesmen struggled to move the ball on a cold, windy day in Geneva. The visiting Springfield College Pride triple option rushing attack drove 13 plays and 80 yards to take a 7-0 lead on their opening possession.
Hobart (6-1, 4-1) would respond with nine play, 50 yard scoring drive which was capped by SR RB Bradley Burns after he took a six yard run in for a TD. The JR PK Will McCool PAT hit the upright however so Springfield (4-4, 3-2) clung to a 7-6 lead that would stand at the half.
The second half saw the defense and field position take over. JR PK Rio Schmidt would tie a Hobart record with a 68 yard punt that pinned the Pride deep. Although JR QB Shane Sweeney would throw an interception halfway through the fourth quarter, the Statesmen defense held. Hobart would look to be in trouble after a couple of ill-timed penalties had them facing a third and 17 from their own 25, but JR WR Brandon Shed beat the Springfield coverage and grabbed a 47 yard pass to get the Statesmen into Pride territory! A few plays later, Shed ultimately caught a game winning 18 yard TD pass with only 1:47 remaining in the game!
The two point play would fail but HC Mike Cragg surprised Springfield with an onside kick that was recovered by the Statesmen. A few plays later Hobart took the victory formation and won the game.
Although I wasn't sure because of the whole 2006-7 sanctions thing, the HWSAthletics website and story confirmed after the fact that this was officially the 500th win in Hobart College history.
The Statesmen were out-gained by the Pride 289 to 233 yards but as you can see, a good chunk of those came on the first drive of the game. After that the Hobart D really made some big plays and held Springfield's offense to four of 13 and two of six on third and fourth downs, respectively.
Hobart was led by Sweeney with 164 passing yards, a TD and an INT. Burns led the rushing attack with 64 yards and a TD. Defensively the Statesmen were led by SR OLB Marcus Jemison with 11 tackles, including a sack and a TFL.
The win keeps Hobart's LL title hopes alive but they'll need to take down a tough WPI squad that improved to 5-2, 2-2 today with a convincing 19-7 win over RPI (4-4, 2-2). I'll have more on today's game on Sunday night's ITH podcast and more on WPI next week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Hobart (6-1, 4-1) would respond with nine play, 50 yard scoring drive which was capped by SR RB Bradley Burns after he took a six yard run in for a TD. The JR PK Will McCool PAT hit the upright however so Springfield (4-4, 3-2) clung to a 7-6 lead that would stand at the half.
The second half saw the defense and field position take over. JR PK Rio Schmidt would tie a Hobart record with a 68 yard punt that pinned the Pride deep. Although JR QB Shane Sweeney would throw an interception halfway through the fourth quarter, the Statesmen defense held. Hobart would look to be in trouble after a couple of ill-timed penalties had them facing a third and 17 from their own 25, but JR WR Brandon Shed beat the Springfield coverage and grabbed a 47 yard pass to get the Statesmen into Pride territory! A few plays later, Shed ultimately caught a game winning 18 yard TD pass with only 1:47 remaining in the game!
The two point play would fail but HC Mike Cragg surprised Springfield with an onside kick that was recovered by the Statesmen. A few plays later Hobart took the victory formation and won the game.
Although I wasn't sure because of the whole 2006-7 sanctions thing, the HWSAthletics website and story confirmed after the fact that this was officially the 500th win in Hobart College history.
The Statesmen were out-gained by the Pride 289 to 233 yards but as you can see, a good chunk of those came on the first drive of the game. After that the Hobart D really made some big plays and held Springfield's offense to four of 13 and two of six on third and fourth downs, respectively.
Hobart was led by Sweeney with 164 passing yards, a TD and an INT. Burns led the rushing attack with 64 yards and a TD. Defensively the Statesmen were led by SR OLB Marcus Jemison with 11 tackles, including a sack and a TFL.
The win keeps Hobart's LL title hopes alive but they'll need to take down a tough WPI squad that improved to 5-2, 2-2 today with a convincing 19-7 win over RPI (4-4, 2-2). I'll have more on today's game on Sunday night's ITH podcast and more on WPI next week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Thursday, October 20, 2016
High Winds, Cold Forecast for Saturday's Springfield Game
Hobart College alumnus and Weather Channel Producer Steve Petyerak '94 just tweeted out what is a potentially game changing forecast for Saturday's Hobart vs. Springfield matchup.
Winds up to 23-24 mph may ground the Statesmen's (5-1, 3-1) high flying passing game, forcing Hobart to run the ball more (an area the Statesmen have struggled with so far this season). This will be less of an issue for the Pride (4-3, 3-1) who run the ball over 90% of the time (and will be the focus of the Hobart defense who gave up almost 400 rushing yards the last time they played a triple option team).
Just another twist on what's a critical Week 8 game for both squads.
Winds up to 23-24 mph may ground the Statesmen's (5-1, 3-1) high flying passing game, forcing Hobart to run the ball more (an area the Statesmen have struggled with so far this season). This will be less of an issue for the Pride (4-3, 3-1) who run the ball over 90% of the time (and will be the focus of the Hobart defense who gave up almost 400 rushing yards the last time they played a triple option team).
Just another twist on what's a critical Week 8 game for both squads.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Week 8 - Springfield Game Preview
The Hobart College Statesmen will come out of their bye week looking to start a 4-0 run to capture the LL title and return to the NCAA playoffs. Standing in the Statesmen's way to start is a resurgent Springfield College team.
Hobart (5-1, 3-1) is 3-1 all time against the Pride, winning the first three games of Springfield's short stint in the LL. The Statesmen did drop last season's game in what was a shocking 35-13 upset at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field.
The Pride's 70 points scored last weekend against the Yellow Jackets broke their prior record of 66 scored against the USMMA, which they accomplished back in 2012. The 117 total points broke a LL record (104) that was previously held by the Statesmen and RPI, who battled to a 56-48 3OT Hobart win back in 2005 (a game I ranked #13 in my Best Games of the Last 20 Seasons posts from this summer).
Springfield (4-3, 3-1) is an established triple option team and has won four of their last five. Helping this turn around has a lot to do with the play of some new talent and the return of starter #2 JR QB Jake Eglintine who's back from injury. The Pride are second in the LL this season averaging 305 rushing YPG and they lead the LL with 24 rushing TDs scored. Defensively they are the third rated rushing defense, allowing only 132.1 rushing YPG but they've struggled against strong passing teams, allowing 187.9 YPG (ranked sixth) and a LL worst 16 passing TDs, which includes the five TDs, Rochester (1-5, 0-4) had last weekend.
The Pride will bring a host of rushers to Geneva this weekend, including Eglintine who's gained 195 yards in the last two games with one rushing and one passing TD. #23 JR FB Jordan Wilcox had a career game vs. the Yellow Jackets (174 rush yards and four TDs) and leads the Pride with 442 yards, which is tied for sixth in the LL. #90 SO FB Josh Thomas has also scored four rushing TDs but didn't play in the Rochester game, so we may instead see players like #31 SR HB Drew Brown, who also is back from injury. Brown had a 34 yard rushing TD Saturday. Finally, #19 FY HB Hunter Belzo is making a case for LL ROTY after back to back 100+ yard rushing games. Saturday he only touched the ball twice but broke off 69 and 91 yard TD runs. Although Springfield rarely passes, only attempting 43 (and only completing 13 or 30%) over seven games, when they have, #6 JR HB Tyler Hyde leads the team with five for 150 yards.
Defensively the Pride is led by a strong LB corps that includes #1 SR LB Kenny Calaj (49 tackles), #9 JR LB Dominic Traversa (49 tackles), and #43 JR LB Christian Ziotti (47 tackles and a sack). #94 SO DE Nick Giorgio is tied for the LL lead in TFL with 11.5 and has added three sacks to go with 46 total tackles. #22 SR FS and Co-Captain Nick Welsh led the Springfield secondary but didn't appear in the Rochester game. If he remains out, the Pride secondary is even more inexperienced, given losses from 2015 to graduation like CBs Anthony West and Joey Racioppi.
On special teams, #89 SO PK Blake Heller has not missed a PAT (25-25) but has had mixed results in the FG game, going three of six. The Pride's KO coverage is average (ranked sixth) but their punter #84 JR PK Walt DeVaux is ranked third in the LL, averaging 36.8 Net/P.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stick to the Script - Hobart will look to spread the field and look for matchups in the pass game Saturday as has been their approach all season. The Pride rush defense will be tough to run on, but Hobart will need to mix in some runs to keep them honest. Clearly the Rochester game tape shows that Springfield's pass (if not total) defense is somewhat suspect. Saint John Fisher defeated the Pride in Week 2 by jumping out to an early lead and completing a combination of short range to longer passes to put Springfield in a hole from which they were never able to get out. Three Cardinals WRs had catches of 17 yards or better, with one making catches of 47 and 54 yards including two TDs. JR WR Brandon Shed's hot start cooled off with only five catches for 42 yards against RPI (4-3, 2-2). I don't think the Pride has the personnel to cover him in this game, so we should see JR QB Shane Sweeney add to their TD and yardage totals.
2. Hold the Pride to < 240 Rushing Yards - The Statesmen rush defense will need to limit long break away and clock killing four to five yard runs Saturday. Playing their gap assignments and limiting gains after initial contact will be at a premium. The Pride are 0-3 when they are held to under 240 rushing yards. WNE (6-0) and SJF (6-1) held them to under 200 rushing yards. In the USMMA (4-2, 3-1) game, Hobart allowed 13 of 21 third down conversions and 397 rushing yards. That's a killer against a triple option team. Fortunately they shored that up against RPI limiting them to only two of 13 on third down and 83 rushing yards. The Statesmen can afford to stack the box with 8 or 9 defenders given Springfield's passing struggles. That'll require whomever is out in single man coverage doesn't make a mental or other error and allow a long gain via the air.
3. Eliminate Penalties (& Mental Mistakes) - The Statesmen need to play a more buttoned up style of football. Penalties that keep the Pride's offense on the field or hurt Hobart field position wise just can't keep happening in what is basically a playoff / elimination game between these two (second place) teams.
Prediction:
I predicted a 45-42 shootout win for Hobart on last Sunday's ITH show. You can listen in to that discussion here. Taking a closer look at the stats this week, plus the added motivation of rebounding after the RPI loss and to avenge last season's 35-13 defeat to the Pride, the Statesmen will come to play their best game of the season. I'll edit my prior prediction and say that Hobart will win the game, 41-21.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Hobart (5-1, 3-1) is 3-1 all time against the Pride, winning the first three games of Springfield's short stint in the LL. The Statesmen did drop last season's game in what was a shocking 35-13 upset at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field.
The Pride's 70 points scored last weekend against the Yellow Jackets broke their prior record of 66 scored against the USMMA, which they accomplished back in 2012. The 117 total points broke a LL record (104) that was previously held by the Statesmen and RPI, who battled to a 56-48 3OT Hobart win back in 2005 (a game I ranked #13 in my Best Games of the Last 20 Seasons posts from this summer).
Springfield (4-3, 3-1) is an established triple option team and has won four of their last five. Helping this turn around has a lot to do with the play of some new talent and the return of starter #2 JR QB Jake Eglintine who's back from injury. The Pride are second in the LL this season averaging 305 rushing YPG and they lead the LL with 24 rushing TDs scored. Defensively they are the third rated rushing defense, allowing only 132.1 rushing YPG but they've struggled against strong passing teams, allowing 187.9 YPG (ranked sixth) and a LL worst 16 passing TDs, which includes the five TDs, Rochester (1-5, 0-4) had last weekend.
The Pride will bring a host of rushers to Geneva this weekend, including Eglintine who's gained 195 yards in the last two games with one rushing and one passing TD. #23 JR FB Jordan Wilcox had a career game vs. the Yellow Jackets (174 rush yards and four TDs) and leads the Pride with 442 yards, which is tied for sixth in the LL. #90 SO FB Josh Thomas has also scored four rushing TDs but didn't play in the Rochester game, so we may instead see players like #31 SR HB Drew Brown, who also is back from injury. Brown had a 34 yard rushing TD Saturday. Finally, #19 FY HB Hunter Belzo is making a case for LL ROTY after back to back 100+ yard rushing games. Saturday he only touched the ball twice but broke off 69 and 91 yard TD runs. Although Springfield rarely passes, only attempting 43 (and only completing 13 or 30%) over seven games, when they have, #6 JR HB Tyler Hyde leads the team with five for 150 yards.
Defensively the Pride is led by a strong LB corps that includes #1 SR LB Kenny Calaj (49 tackles), #9 JR LB Dominic Traversa (49 tackles), and #43 JR LB Christian Ziotti (47 tackles and a sack). #94 SO DE Nick Giorgio is tied for the LL lead in TFL with 11.5 and has added three sacks to go with 46 total tackles. #22 SR FS and Co-Captain Nick Welsh led the Springfield secondary but didn't appear in the Rochester game. If he remains out, the Pride secondary is even more inexperienced, given losses from 2015 to graduation like CBs Anthony West and Joey Racioppi.
On special teams, #89 SO PK Blake Heller has not missed a PAT (25-25) but has had mixed results in the FG game, going three of six. The Pride's KO coverage is average (ranked sixth) but their punter #84 JR PK Walt DeVaux is ranked third in the LL, averaging 36.8 Net/P.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stick to the Script - Hobart will look to spread the field and look for matchups in the pass game Saturday as has been their approach all season. The Pride rush defense will be tough to run on, but Hobart will need to mix in some runs to keep them honest. Clearly the Rochester game tape shows that Springfield's pass (if not total) defense is somewhat suspect. Saint John Fisher defeated the Pride in Week 2 by jumping out to an early lead and completing a combination of short range to longer passes to put Springfield in a hole from which they were never able to get out. Three Cardinals WRs had catches of 17 yards or better, with one making catches of 47 and 54 yards including two TDs. JR WR Brandon Shed's hot start cooled off with only five catches for 42 yards against RPI (4-3, 2-2). I don't think the Pride has the personnel to cover him in this game, so we should see JR QB Shane Sweeney add to their TD and yardage totals.
2. Hold the Pride to < 240 Rushing Yards - The Statesmen rush defense will need to limit long break away and clock killing four to five yard runs Saturday. Playing their gap assignments and limiting gains after initial contact will be at a premium. The Pride are 0-3 when they are held to under 240 rushing yards. WNE (6-0) and SJF (6-1) held them to under 200 rushing yards. In the USMMA (4-2, 3-1) game, Hobart allowed 13 of 21 third down conversions and 397 rushing yards. That's a killer against a triple option team. Fortunately they shored that up against RPI limiting them to only two of 13 on third down and 83 rushing yards. The Statesmen can afford to stack the box with 8 or 9 defenders given Springfield's passing struggles. That'll require whomever is out in single man coverage doesn't make a mental or other error and allow a long gain via the air.
3. Eliminate Penalties (& Mental Mistakes) - The Statesmen need to play a more buttoned up style of football. Penalties that keep the Pride's offense on the field or hurt Hobart field position wise just can't keep happening in what is basically a playoff / elimination game between these two (second place) teams.
Prediction:
I predicted a 45-42 shootout win for Hobart on last Sunday's ITH show. You can listen in to that discussion here. Taking a closer look at the stats this week, plus the added motivation of rebounding after the RPI loss and to avenge last season's 35-13 defeat to the Pride, the Statesmen will come to play their best game of the season. I'll edit my prior prediction and say that Hobart will win the game, 41-21.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Friday, October 14, 2016
On This Day, 45 Years Ago....
FROM NY TIMES (10/14/1971)
College football upstate has been as crisp and attractive as one of those wonderful autumn days in the Finger Lakes region. There have been many shades of success, from the power of Syracuse and the all‐winning record of Cornell to the surprising achievements of little and unbeaten Alfred and Hobart. Colgate, Rochester, Ithaca, Union and St. Lawrence have sparkling teams and individuals like Cornell's Ed Marinaro and Ithaca's quarterback, Doug Campbell, brighten the scene.
Eastern College Football
The most important major college game of the year in the East could be the Syracuse‐Penn State contest Saturday at Syracuse. But just west of Syracuse, on the northern tip of Seneca Lake, about 7,000 persons will jam Boswell Field in Geneva Saturday to watch what they think is the most important game around: Alfred against Hobart.
Don Aleksiewicz, Hobart's running star, has a following somewhat smaller, but no less enthusiastic, than Marinaro's. Alfred maintains that its quarterback, Jim Moretti, is as good as Campbell or anyone else.
Hobart, which had an 0–8 won‐lost mark last year and had 10 straight losing seasons, has responded to new coaching with a 3‐0 record this season. George Davis, a 1951 Syracuse graduate, became the coach this year after many successful seasons at nearby Seneca Falls High School.
Aleksiewicz, known as “A‐ to‐Z,” ran for 317 yards last Saturday in the victory over Hamilton. A year ago, he went 97 yards for a touchdown scamper when Hobart lost to Alfred, 31‐22.
Davis has Hobart working from the wishbone behind an unbalanced line, the famous line formation at Syracuse.
Alfred has enjoyed plenty of success in the 31 years that Alex Yunevich has coached there. The Saxons won seven of eight games last year and have taken four this fall.
“It's really not all the coach,” Yunevich said. “We get too much credit, though we may also be blamed too much. But without those horses, no one does much. Give me those horses and we'll win.
“You see, Hobart has one of them in Aleksiewicz. He's the best running back around. You have to gang tackle him. He'll give you that old limp leg and you don't know where he went.”
Yunevich calls Moretti, his quarterback, “the best bomb man I've ever seen anywhere —not just coached. I don't think anyone can throw longer than Jimmy.”
“He's got some shortcomings but I'm not about to say what they are,” the coach said. “Let them find out. That's their business, Of course, Jimmy wants to run sometimes and I keep telling him not to. He picks up 5 yards and thinks he's Red Grange. I die watching it.”
College football upstate has been as crisp and attractive as one of those wonderful autumn days in the Finger Lakes region. There have been many shades of success, from the power of Syracuse and the all‐winning record of Cornell to the surprising achievements of little and unbeaten Alfred and Hobart. Colgate, Rochester, Ithaca, Union and St. Lawrence have sparkling teams and individuals like Cornell's Ed Marinaro and Ithaca's quarterback, Doug Campbell, brighten the scene.
Eastern College Football
The most important major college game of the year in the East could be the Syracuse‐Penn State contest Saturday at Syracuse. But just west of Syracuse, on the northern tip of Seneca Lake, about 7,000 persons will jam Boswell Field in Geneva Saturday to watch what they think is the most important game around: Alfred against Hobart.
Don Aleksiewicz, Hobart's running star, has a following somewhat smaller, but no less enthusiastic, than Marinaro's. Alfred maintains that its quarterback, Jim Moretti, is as good as Campbell or anyone else.
Hobart, which had an 0–8 won‐lost mark last year and had 10 straight losing seasons, has responded to new coaching with a 3‐0 record this season. George Davis, a 1951 Syracuse graduate, became the coach this year after many successful seasons at nearby Seneca Falls High School.
Aleksiewicz, known as “A‐ to‐Z,” ran for 317 yards last Saturday in the victory over Hamilton. A year ago, he went 97 yards for a touchdown scamper when Hobart lost to Alfred, 31‐22.
Davis has Hobart working from the wishbone behind an unbalanced line, the famous line formation at Syracuse.
Alfred has enjoyed plenty of success in the 31 years that Alex Yunevich has coached there. The Saxons won seven of eight games last year and have taken four this fall.
“It's really not all the coach,” Yunevich said. “We get too much credit, though we may also be blamed too much. But without those horses, no one does much. Give me those horses and we'll win.
“You see, Hobart has one of them in Aleksiewicz. He's the best running back around. You have to gang tackle him. He'll give you that old limp leg and you don't know where he went.”
Yunevich calls Moretti, his quarterback, “the best bomb man I've ever seen anywhere —not just coached. I don't think anyone can throw longer than Jimmy.”
“He's got some shortcomings but I'm not about to say what they are,” the coach said. “Let them find out. That's their business, Of course, Jimmy wants to run sometimes and I keep telling him not to. He picks up 5 yards and thinks he's Red Grange. I die watching it.”
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
A Midseason Retrospective
While many teams would like to be 5-1 at their bye week, the Statesmen were 72 seconds away from doing so as a 6-0 and Top 25 ranked team. Instead, some doubts have been cast after three close calls in LL play and Hobart now needing help in order to not miss the NCAA playoffs for the second year in a row. We talked about this and all the other Week 6 action on In The HuddLLe which you can listen to here.
Also, before we start, congrats to Ali Marpet '15 on getting his first win as a Tampa Bay Bucs player on MNF. Hearing Jon Gruden repeatedly say "Hobart College" was pretty neat!
The stats on the Statesmen so far this season are interesting, if not telling, showing their strengths in certain areas and needs for improvement in others.
The Good:
The Statesmen rank third in total offense and defense in the LL, gaining an average of 416.5 YPG on O and allowing 303.3 YPG on D.
Hobart is the top ranked passing offense due to the outstanding play of JR QB Shane Sweeney. He's completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,011 yards and 20 TDs. He's on pace to set / break several passing records. His current passing yard totals rank him third in the nation and his 335.2 YPG average ranks ninth in DIII.
JR WR Brandon Shed ranks first in the LL with 664 receiving yards and 10 TDs. These same numbers were good for 10th nationally in receiving yards and tied for second in receiving TDs.
Teammates and SR WRs Sean Cunningham and Jack Pfohl are ranked fifth and sixth in the LL with 380 and 348 receiving yards to go with three and four TDs, respectively.
The Hobart OL has done well in pass protection, only allowing five sacks in six games.
JR PK Rio Schmidt is having an All-Conference type of year, leading the league in Net/P with 39.1. 12 of his 28 punts have gone for touchbacks or have been fair caught. Opposing teams have averaged less than a yard on returns, which shows how well he's performing his job.
JR LB Almamy Conde and FY LB Jedh Downey are ranked third and seventh in the LL with 53 and 50 total tackles, respectively. Downey has been a bright spot on a Hobart defense that has not performed as well as prior seasons and, at the moment anyway, has fairly average, if not mediocre stats ranking fifth in scoring defense (22.8 PPG allowed), sixth in rushing defense (178.5 YPG allowed), seventh in rush TDs allowed (12), and sixth in opponent third down conversions (40%). To be fair, the Statesmen defense did a solid job keeping RPI (4-2, 2-1) in check and held the Engineers below their season averages for rushing and scoring. Hobart also held RPI to two of 13 on third downs but ultimately it was the special teams mistakes and penalties that cost them the game.
On the other hand, the Statesmen secondary is the second best passing defense in the LL, allowing only 124.8 YPG and five passing TDs. The only knock against this unit is the fact they've only managed to haul in two interceptions, which ranks last in the LL. One must also keep in mind the fact that Hobart hasn't really played a strong passing team save for Brockport. All three LL opponents played to date average less than 100 YPG passing.
On the DL, SR DE James Hedger and JR DE Brandon Ball are ranked first and tied for third in the LL with five and four sacks each. Ball is tied for fourth with 7.5 TFL and tied for second in forced fumbles with two.
The Bad:
The Statesmen are last in rushing offense, averaging only 81.3 YPG. This in turn has kept the defense on the field for an average of nearly 34 minutes per game, ranking next to last in the LL.
Hobart is the most penalized team in the LL, getting flagged 48 times for -493 yards for an average of -82.2 YPG. It should be noted however that Statesmen opponents have been flagged 38 times for -394 yards so maybe penalties beget penalties? Nationally Hobart is in the bottom 15% of D3 teams (210 out of 244) as far as penalties go.
While he's done a good job overall and leads the team in tackles, RPI targeted Conde in the passing game and had success in beating his coverage. This will be an area that DC Kory David will need to work on and/or adjust his schemes accordingly.
On special teams Hobart is ranked next to last in FG conversions and PATs, going three of six on FGs and 21 of 25 on PATs. The Statesmen are sixth in KO return coverage (38.8 net average) and are next to last in KO return average (16.1). The former really hurt them against RPI last weekend.
Midseason Team MVPs:
Offensively it's pretty obvious Sweeney is the MVP. We knew Shed would have a good season but I will say Pfohl and Cunningham have played outstanding as well, the latter having some of the best games of his career in recent weeks.
Defensively I'm going with JR DB/OLB Tommy D'Antonio as MVP. In spite of his error on the roughing the kicker penalty in the RPI game, D'Antonio has stepped up big time filling in for an injured SR OLB Marcus Jemison and making plays like the two point conversion interception and run back which was a huge momentum shifter in the USMMA game. A close second would probably be Ball who has done very well as a first year starter, both statistically and in general.
Downey is the MVP for the Class of 2020 as I don't think many FY players, save for FY WR Isaiah Hill, have had significant PT so far.
Midterm Grade:
Offensively I'd say Hobart earns a "B" given an A+ passing game but kind of a "C- / D" when it comes to running the ball. Still, the Statesmen can quickly put up points, so you know they'll be able to be in every game down the stretch. Sweeney's ability to stay calm and make plays in close games has been outstanding also, which they'll probably need in match ups against Springfield and SLU.
Defensively I'll say Hobart earns a "C" given larger point and yardage numbers yielded than we thought they'd have going into the season. The Statesmen rush defense remains a particular concern, especially given the types of offenses they'll face in the final four games. The other concern is the lack of turnovers generated such as interceptions which hopefully will go up with two of the top passing offenses in WPI and SLU yet to be played.
Special teams gets a "C-" given the coverage and kicking issues. Punting and punt returns have been very good thanks to Schmidt and Cunningham, the latter of which has earned a STPOTW award from the LL.
The above averages out to a "C / C+" grade at the break, which is not great, but not bad either. One could argue it should be higher given five wins and a Top 25 ranking for a few weeks. I'll stick with that grade though because of preseason expectations (picked by Coaches to win the LL), especially when factoring in the penalties and mental mistakes Hobart made in the RPI game (and in the other league games). Would it have been higher if Hobart hung on to beat the Engineers? Maybe, but not by much. This team has yet to pull together a complete game, which they are capable of, and will need to do so in order to go 9-1 and make the playoffs. Otherwise we can expect another 7-3 or maybe an 8-2 season as a best case scenario (don't get me started on the unwillingness to file for an ECAC post season "bowl game").
Over the bye week, the Statesmen will need to shore up it's rushing defense with Springfield (3-2, 2-1) coming to town. The Pride runs the same triple option offense as USMMA (3-2, 2-1) that Hobart needed a lot of help to defeat in Week 5. The Pride handed Hobart it's first LL loss in four seasons, literally running away with a 35-13 victory last year in Western MA.
I'll have more on that game around this time next week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Also, before we start, congrats to Ali Marpet '15 on getting his first win as a Tampa Bay Bucs player on MNF. Hearing Jon Gruden repeatedly say "Hobart College" was pretty neat!
The stats on the Statesmen so far this season are interesting, if not telling, showing their strengths in certain areas and needs for improvement in others.
The Good:
The Statesmen rank third in total offense and defense in the LL, gaining an average of 416.5 YPG on O and allowing 303.3 YPG on D.
Hobart is the top ranked passing offense due to the outstanding play of JR QB Shane Sweeney. He's completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,011 yards and 20 TDs. He's on pace to set / break several passing records. His current passing yard totals rank him third in the nation and his 335.2 YPG average ranks ninth in DIII.
JR WR Brandon Shed ranks first in the LL with 664 receiving yards and 10 TDs. These same numbers were good for 10th nationally in receiving yards and tied for second in receiving TDs.
Teammates and SR WRs Sean Cunningham and Jack Pfohl are ranked fifth and sixth in the LL with 380 and 348 receiving yards to go with three and four TDs, respectively.
The Hobart OL has done well in pass protection, only allowing five sacks in six games.
JR PK Rio Schmidt is having an All-Conference type of year, leading the league in Net/P with 39.1. 12 of his 28 punts have gone for touchbacks or have been fair caught. Opposing teams have averaged less than a yard on returns, which shows how well he's performing his job.
JR LB Almamy Conde and FY LB Jedh Downey are ranked third and seventh in the LL with 53 and 50 total tackles, respectively. Downey has been a bright spot on a Hobart defense that has not performed as well as prior seasons and, at the moment anyway, has fairly average, if not mediocre stats ranking fifth in scoring defense (22.8 PPG allowed), sixth in rushing defense (178.5 YPG allowed), seventh in rush TDs allowed (12), and sixth in opponent third down conversions (40%). To be fair, the Statesmen defense did a solid job keeping RPI (4-2, 2-1) in check and held the Engineers below their season averages for rushing and scoring. Hobart also held RPI to two of 13 on third downs but ultimately it was the special teams mistakes and penalties that cost them the game.
On the other hand, the Statesmen secondary is the second best passing defense in the LL, allowing only 124.8 YPG and five passing TDs. The only knock against this unit is the fact they've only managed to haul in two interceptions, which ranks last in the LL. One must also keep in mind the fact that Hobart hasn't really played a strong passing team save for Brockport. All three LL opponents played to date average less than 100 YPG passing.
On the DL, SR DE James Hedger and JR DE Brandon Ball are ranked first and tied for third in the LL with five and four sacks each. Ball is tied for fourth with 7.5 TFL and tied for second in forced fumbles with two.
The Bad:
The Statesmen are last in rushing offense, averaging only 81.3 YPG. This in turn has kept the defense on the field for an average of nearly 34 minutes per game, ranking next to last in the LL.
Hobart is the most penalized team in the LL, getting flagged 48 times for -493 yards for an average of -82.2 YPG. It should be noted however that Statesmen opponents have been flagged 38 times for -394 yards so maybe penalties beget penalties? Nationally Hobart is in the bottom 15% of D3 teams (210 out of 244) as far as penalties go.
While he's done a good job overall and leads the team in tackles, RPI targeted Conde in the passing game and had success in beating his coverage. This will be an area that DC Kory David will need to work on and/or adjust his schemes accordingly.
On special teams Hobart is ranked next to last in FG conversions and PATs, going three of six on FGs and 21 of 25 on PATs. The Statesmen are sixth in KO return coverage (38.8 net average) and are next to last in KO return average (16.1). The former really hurt them against RPI last weekend.
Midseason Team MVPs:
Offensively it's pretty obvious Sweeney is the MVP. We knew Shed would have a good season but I will say Pfohl and Cunningham have played outstanding as well, the latter having some of the best games of his career in recent weeks.
Defensively I'm going with JR DB/OLB Tommy D'Antonio as MVP. In spite of his error on the roughing the kicker penalty in the RPI game, D'Antonio has stepped up big time filling in for an injured SR OLB Marcus Jemison and making plays like the two point conversion interception and run back which was a huge momentum shifter in the USMMA game. A close second would probably be Ball who has done very well as a first year starter, both statistically and in general.
Downey is the MVP for the Class of 2020 as I don't think many FY players, save for FY WR Isaiah Hill, have had significant PT so far.
Midterm Grade:
Offensively I'd say Hobart earns a "B" given an A+ passing game but kind of a "C- / D" when it comes to running the ball. Still, the Statesmen can quickly put up points, so you know they'll be able to be in every game down the stretch. Sweeney's ability to stay calm and make plays in close games has been outstanding also, which they'll probably need in match ups against Springfield and SLU.
Defensively I'll say Hobart earns a "C" given larger point and yardage numbers yielded than we thought they'd have going into the season. The Statesmen rush defense remains a particular concern, especially given the types of offenses they'll face in the final four games. The other concern is the lack of turnovers generated such as interceptions which hopefully will go up with two of the top passing offenses in WPI and SLU yet to be played.
Special teams gets a "C-" given the coverage and kicking issues. Punting and punt returns have been very good thanks to Schmidt and Cunningham, the latter of which has earned a STPOTW award from the LL.
The above averages out to a "C / C+" grade at the break, which is not great, but not bad either. One could argue it should be higher given five wins and a Top 25 ranking for a few weeks. I'll stick with that grade though because of preseason expectations (picked by Coaches to win the LL), especially when factoring in the penalties and mental mistakes Hobart made in the RPI game (and in the other league games). Would it have been higher if Hobart hung on to beat the Engineers? Maybe, but not by much. This team has yet to pull together a complete game, which they are capable of, and will need to do so in order to go 9-1 and make the playoffs. Otherwise we can expect another 7-3 or maybe an 8-2 season as a best case scenario (don't get me started on the unwillingness to file for an ECAC post season "bowl game").
Over the bye week, the Statesmen will need to shore up it's rushing defense with Springfield (3-2, 2-1) coming to town. The Pride runs the same triple option offense as USMMA (3-2, 2-1) that Hobart needed a lot of help to defeat in Week 5. The Pride handed Hobart it's first LL loss in four seasons, literally running away with a 35-13 victory last year in Western MA.
I'll have more on that game around this time next week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Penalties Sink Statesmen in 21-17 Loss to RPI
The (soon to be formerly) 16th/22nd ranked Hobart College Statesmen beat themselves in a game that saw them dominate the overall statistics but were they came undone by a massive edge in penalties. Hobart was flagged 15 times for -148 yards, not all of which seemed fair, but that's how it goes. A drop out of the Top 25 is coming up and the Statesmen's NCAA playoff hopes took a hit too.
We knew the Statesmen (5-1, 2-1) had lived dangerously this season so this type of game wasn't a surprise to me unfortunately. What was a surprise were the number and kinds of calls that went against Hobart. The final nail in the coffin was the pass interference call after SR OLB Marcus Jemison appeared to have made a game saving interception on RPI's (4-2, 2-1) final drive.
Hobart out-gained the Engineers 435 to 192 yards, had over three times RPI's passing yardage and out rushed them also. The Statesmen took a 10-0 lead into halftime after two drives netted a SR WR Jack Pfohl TD catch and a JR PK Will McCool 28 yard FG. Unfortuntely McCool would miss two other FG attempts, which ultimately would have won them the game if converted. This loss isn't on him by any stretch as the entire team made countless mistakes - a false start on 3rd and 1 that ultimately cost Hobart a 14-0 halftime lead, roughing the kicker penalties on special teams that extended RPI scoring and other drives, allowing a 70 yard KO return, a pass interference penalty on 3rd and 11 with RPI on their 31 yard line late in the third quarter - the list goes on and on. The Statesmen were also four-14 on third downs and went 0-3 on fourth downs.
Although it seemed like fate would look kindly on the "Cardiac Kids" after JR QB Shane Sweeney connected with SO TE Matt Woods for a seven yard TD with 1:12 remaining, things fell apart shortly thereafter. The KO unit allowed a 34 yard return then made matters worse by committing a personal foul giving RPI the ball at the Hobart 36 yard line. SO QB Ed Trimpert would score the winning TD a few plays later, after the interception by Jemison was overturned. Trimpert led the Engineers with an efficient 14-20 for 109 yards and two passing scores while adding the rushing TD to go with 14 rushing yards.
This will not be an easy game for the team to watch and it certainly places Hobart's playoff hopes in jeopardy. They will need to win out in order to make it back to the NCAA playoffs as there's no way an 8-2 team will make the field unless it's a conference champion. As of now, #21 Saint Lawrence (6-0, 3-0) controls their own destiny and at this point appears stronger than the Statesmen barring a head-to-head contest against them to settle the score.
I'm curious whether or not the HC Mike Cragg will file a complaint with the LL on this officiating crew? It really seemed like they had it out for Hobart, but at the end of the day, the Statesmen could and should have played better and RPI did what it had to win.
With no game until October 22, we'll have to stew on this one for a while. Hopefully it motivates the squad to fix the areas they know need improvement.
Thanks for reading and please tune into ITH Sunday night for more commentary on this one.
We knew the Statesmen (5-1, 2-1) had lived dangerously this season so this type of game wasn't a surprise to me unfortunately. What was a surprise were the number and kinds of calls that went against Hobart. The final nail in the coffin was the pass interference call after SR OLB Marcus Jemison appeared to have made a game saving interception on RPI's (4-2, 2-1) final drive.
Hobart out-gained the Engineers 435 to 192 yards, had over three times RPI's passing yardage and out rushed them also. The Statesmen took a 10-0 lead into halftime after two drives netted a SR WR Jack Pfohl TD catch and a JR PK Will McCool 28 yard FG. Unfortuntely McCool would miss two other FG attempts, which ultimately would have won them the game if converted. This loss isn't on him by any stretch as the entire team made countless mistakes - a false start on 3rd and 1 that ultimately cost Hobart a 14-0 halftime lead, roughing the kicker penalties on special teams that extended RPI scoring and other drives, allowing a 70 yard KO return, a pass interference penalty on 3rd and 11 with RPI on their 31 yard line late in the third quarter - the list goes on and on. The Statesmen were also four-14 on third downs and went 0-3 on fourth downs.
Although it seemed like fate would look kindly on the "Cardiac Kids" after JR QB Shane Sweeney connected with SO TE Matt Woods for a seven yard TD with 1:12 remaining, things fell apart shortly thereafter. The KO unit allowed a 34 yard return then made matters worse by committing a personal foul giving RPI the ball at the Hobart 36 yard line. SO QB Ed Trimpert would score the winning TD a few plays later, after the interception by Jemison was overturned. Trimpert led the Engineers with an efficient 14-20 for 109 yards and two passing scores while adding the rushing TD to go with 14 rushing yards.
This will not be an easy game for the team to watch and it certainly places Hobart's playoff hopes in jeopardy. They will need to win out in order to make it back to the NCAA playoffs as there's no way an 8-2 team will make the field unless it's a conference champion. As of now, #21 Saint Lawrence (6-0, 3-0) controls their own destiny and at this point appears stronger than the Statesmen barring a head-to-head contest against them to settle the score.
I'm curious whether or not the HC Mike Cragg will file a complaint with the LL on this officiating crew? It really seemed like they had it out for Hobart, but at the end of the day, the Statesmen could and should have played better and RPI did what it had to win.
With no game until October 22, we'll have to stew on this one for a while. Hopefully it motivates the squad to fix the areas they know need improvement.
Thanks for reading and please tune into ITH Sunday night for more commentary on this one.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Week 6 - RPI Game Preview
The 16th/22nd ranked Hobart College Statesmen have won three games this season thanks to last second comebacks. That wasn't the case last season, when RPI upset the Statesmen by a score of 21-20 after a game winning two point conversion attempt was intercepted by the Engineers' All-American CB Philip Lanieri III '16.
While RPI (3-2, 1-1) has struggled somewhat this season, they appear to be a stronger team than one might have expected after having graduated a large number of starters from last year's 9-2 squad, including LL Co-OPOTY QB Jeff Avery. That group went on to earn a share of the LL title (thanks in part to Hobart beating Saint Lawrence) and captured an ECAC Bowl Championship in an exciting come from behind 20-13 win over Buffalo State.
This will be the 60th all-time meeting between these two programs, a rivalry that has been spread out of the years since it's initial start in 1910 (but I believe this will be the 52nd straight meeting since 1964). RPI and Hobart are tied 29-29-1 so the winner of Saturday's game gets some extra bragging rights, not to mention a very valuable league win.
The Engineers present some formidable challenges that the Statesmen (5-0, 2-0) have struggled with so far this season including a strong running game (249.6 YPG, good for second in the LL) and leading the league with nine INTs (three have been returned for TDs). RPI has done well on special teams, leading the LL in punt returns (20.8 YPR), punting (36.1 YPP net) and kicking going six for seven on FGs and a perfect 18-18 on PATs. RPI is also the second ranked scoring defense at the moment, allowing 18.6 PPG while putting up 28.8 PPG on offense (ranking fifth).
Leading the Engineers is #2 SO QB Ed Trimpert. More of a game manager, Trimpert has passed for 338 yards, three TDs and three INTs. His pass completion is just under 44%, so he has some work to do there, but he has good feet, rushing for 81 yards and one TD so far this season. The RPI OL has allowed seven sacks so far, but has done well opening holes for #6 JR RB Mike Tivinis. The Middleton, MA native has gained 442 yards on 75 carries (5.9 YPR), leading the team with five rushing TDs. The RPI OL is led by #53 SR OL and Co-Captain Steve Mills.
Trimpert's favorite targets this season have been #14 SO WR Keaton Ackermann and #18 JR RB Johnny Ramsdell. Ackermann and Ramsdell have caught a total of 16 passes for a combined 245 yards and two TDs. Ramsdell is also a short yardage specialist, gaining 128 rushing yards and three TDs.
On defense the Engineers are led by Co-Captains #44 SR LB Alex Greenidge and #25 SR DB Ryan Buss. Greenidge leads RPI with 42 tackles on the season to go with a 34 yard "pick six." Buss has 26 tackles and two INTs. #74 SR DL Thomas Bennett has been trouble for opposing OLs, picking up 20 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks.
On special teams the Engineers have the most accurate kicker in the LL in #4 JR PK Christian Kapp. #88 JR PK Matt Raczak handles the punting duties, averaging nearly 40 YPP. So far seven of his 22 punts have pinned the opposition inside the 20 yard line and three were for over 50+ yards.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stop the Run - I'm getting to be like a broken record here but much like Ithaca and Union, this RPI team is fairly one dimensional on offense. The Engineers run to pass ratio is basically 80:20 so the Statesmen defense will need to improve upon their nearly last place (197.6 YPG and 11 TDs allowed) rushing D to stay in this game.
2. Start Fast - The Statesmen gotten off to slow starts in the last couple of games. It would do them a lot of good to put the Engineers in an early hole and force them to pass the ball, given the inexperience (and inaccuracy) of Trimpert, and play catch up.
3. Turnovers - It's very surprising to some football purists that Hobart has gone 5-0 with a turnover margin of -1. It's also somewhat of a surprise that the Statesmen secondary with all of it's depth and experience has only generated three INTs on the season so far. To be fair, Hobart's pass defense has been very strong, ranking second overall in the LL with only 128 YPG and only three total passing TDs allowed on the season. Since I don't expect Trimpert to pass that much unless the Statesmen force him to, Hobart tacklers need to try and force or recover fumbles as much as possible. RPI has been susceptible to this - fumbling the ball nine times and losing six to the opposition, slightly more than one per game. On the flip side, Hobart has to avoid the Engineers ball hawk defense.
4. Balance - The good news is RPI is 0-2 against undefeated (and ranked) teams, losing 33-17 to #25 Alfred (5-0) and 20-14 to #21 SLU (5-0, 2-0). The Engineers fell behind in both of those contests, but fought back to make things interesting. The Saxons used a very balanced offense to control the clock and their defense held RPI to five of 13 on third downs. Alfred rushed 46 times for 243 yards which we know the Statesmen won't (and probably can't) match. The Saints forced two Trimpert interceptions and had the ball for over 40 minutes, rushing for 185 yards on 47 carries, in their 20-14 defeat of RPI. Needless to say, I think Hobart has to execute better when running the ball to win this game otherwise I assume JR QB Shane Sweeney will have to attempt ~40 passes to get the Statesmen a road victory. While the Statesmen run to pass ratio is actually about 40:60 (and is probably slightly lower if you factor out the number of scrambles Sweeney has made), Hobart's offense is only gaining about 20% of their total yards on the ground. Although RPI has had success defending their end zone, RPI's rushing and passing defense aren't great, both rank sixth in the LL, allowing 158 rushing YPG and four TD and 203.2 passing YPG and six TDs. The Engineers passing defense efficiency (ranked fourth) has been helped by all the INTs they've forced.
Prediction:
Hobart has been banged up and living dangerously to open the first half of the season. A win before the bye week would do a lot of good before the back stretch of the schedule. RPI is exactly the type of team that the Statesmen have struggled to put away so far this season, but as we've seen, the "Cardiac Kids" can never be counted out given their quick strike abilities.
While I do think this is a game RPI can win, I'll tag along my ITH co-host Frank Rossi's prediction that Hobart will need to comeback, but will prevail by a score of 30-24.
Before I signoff, a special shout out to the Berkowitz family who I know will be in attendance for Saturday's game. Mike Berkowitz '15 just passed the Series 7 and is doing well post-graduation, working in the Capitol Region and living in RPI's backyard of Troy, NY.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
While RPI (3-2, 1-1) has struggled somewhat this season, they appear to be a stronger team than one might have expected after having graduated a large number of starters from last year's 9-2 squad, including LL Co-OPOTY QB Jeff Avery. That group went on to earn a share of the LL title (thanks in part to Hobart beating Saint Lawrence) and captured an ECAC Bowl Championship in an exciting come from behind 20-13 win over Buffalo State.
This will be the 60th all-time meeting between these two programs, a rivalry that has been spread out of the years since it's initial start in 1910 (but I believe this will be the 52nd straight meeting since 1964). RPI and Hobart are tied 29-29-1 so the winner of Saturday's game gets some extra bragging rights, not to mention a very valuable league win.
The Engineers present some formidable challenges that the Statesmen (5-0, 2-0) have struggled with so far this season including a strong running game (249.6 YPG, good for second in the LL) and leading the league with nine INTs (three have been returned for TDs). RPI has done well on special teams, leading the LL in punt returns (20.8 YPR), punting (36.1 YPP net) and kicking going six for seven on FGs and a perfect 18-18 on PATs. RPI is also the second ranked scoring defense at the moment, allowing 18.6 PPG while putting up 28.8 PPG on offense (ranking fifth).
Leading the Engineers is #2 SO QB Ed Trimpert. More of a game manager, Trimpert has passed for 338 yards, three TDs and three INTs. His pass completion is just under 44%, so he has some work to do there, but he has good feet, rushing for 81 yards and one TD so far this season. The RPI OL has allowed seven sacks so far, but has done well opening holes for #6 JR RB Mike Tivinis. The Middleton, MA native has gained 442 yards on 75 carries (5.9 YPR), leading the team with five rushing TDs. The RPI OL is led by #53 SR OL and Co-Captain Steve Mills.
Trimpert's favorite targets this season have been #14 SO WR Keaton Ackermann and #18 JR RB Johnny Ramsdell. Ackermann and Ramsdell have caught a total of 16 passes for a combined 245 yards and two TDs. Ramsdell is also a short yardage specialist, gaining 128 rushing yards and three TDs.
On defense the Engineers are led by Co-Captains #44 SR LB Alex Greenidge and #25 SR DB Ryan Buss. Greenidge leads RPI with 42 tackles on the season to go with a 34 yard "pick six." Buss has 26 tackles and two INTs. #74 SR DL Thomas Bennett has been trouble for opposing OLs, picking up 20 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks.
On special teams the Engineers have the most accurate kicker in the LL in #4 JR PK Christian Kapp. #88 JR PK Matt Raczak handles the punting duties, averaging nearly 40 YPP. So far seven of his 22 punts have pinned the opposition inside the 20 yard line and three were for over 50+ yards.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stop the Run - I'm getting to be like a broken record here but much like Ithaca and Union, this RPI team is fairly one dimensional on offense. The Engineers run to pass ratio is basically 80:20 so the Statesmen defense will need to improve upon their nearly last place (197.6 YPG and 11 TDs allowed) rushing D to stay in this game.
2. Start Fast - The Statesmen gotten off to slow starts in the last couple of games. It would do them a lot of good to put the Engineers in an early hole and force them to pass the ball, given the inexperience (and inaccuracy) of Trimpert, and play catch up.
3. Turnovers - It's very surprising to some football purists that Hobart has gone 5-0 with a turnover margin of -1. It's also somewhat of a surprise that the Statesmen secondary with all of it's depth and experience has only generated three INTs on the season so far. To be fair, Hobart's pass defense has been very strong, ranking second overall in the LL with only 128 YPG and only three total passing TDs allowed on the season. Since I don't expect Trimpert to pass that much unless the Statesmen force him to, Hobart tacklers need to try and force or recover fumbles as much as possible. RPI has been susceptible to this - fumbling the ball nine times and losing six to the opposition, slightly more than one per game. On the flip side, Hobart has to avoid the Engineers ball hawk defense.
4. Balance - The good news is RPI is 0-2 against undefeated (and ranked) teams, losing 33-17 to #25 Alfred (5-0) and 20-14 to #21 SLU (5-0, 2-0). The Engineers fell behind in both of those contests, but fought back to make things interesting. The Saxons used a very balanced offense to control the clock and their defense held RPI to five of 13 on third downs. Alfred rushed 46 times for 243 yards which we know the Statesmen won't (and probably can't) match. The Saints forced two Trimpert interceptions and had the ball for over 40 minutes, rushing for 185 yards on 47 carries, in their 20-14 defeat of RPI. Needless to say, I think Hobart has to execute better when running the ball to win this game otherwise I assume JR QB Shane Sweeney will have to attempt ~40 passes to get the Statesmen a road victory. While the Statesmen run to pass ratio is actually about 40:60 (and is probably slightly lower if you factor out the number of scrambles Sweeney has made), Hobart's offense is only gaining about 20% of their total yards on the ground. Although RPI has had success defending their end zone, RPI's rushing and passing defense aren't great, both rank sixth in the LL, allowing 158 rushing YPG and four TD and 203.2 passing YPG and six TDs. The Engineers passing defense efficiency (ranked fourth) has been helped by all the INTs they've forced.
Prediction:
Hobart has been banged up and living dangerously to open the first half of the season. A win before the bye week would do a lot of good before the back stretch of the schedule. RPI is exactly the type of team that the Statesmen have struggled to put away so far this season, but as we've seen, the "Cardiac Kids" can never be counted out given their quick strike abilities.
While I do think this is a game RPI can win, I'll tag along my ITH co-host Frank Rossi's prediction that Hobart will need to comeback, but will prevail by a score of 30-24.
Before I signoff, a special shout out to the Berkowitz family who I know will be in attendance for Saturday's game. Mike Berkowitz '15 just passed the Series 7 and is doing well post-graduation, working in the Capitol Region and living in RPI's backyard of Troy, NY.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
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