Coach Yoder took over the Hornets program following the 2012 season and has earned a 20-22 overall record since. Shenandoah (2-0) is off to a fast start this season, but to be fair, neither Gallaudet (0-2) nor NC Wesleyan (0-2) are very good programs. This will be the first time Hobart (1-1) will take on the Hornets and the Statesmen will hit the road to VA as part of this new series in 2018.
Scouting Shenandoah:
The Hornets initial slate of games has enabled their offense to rack up some impressive stats, including averaging over 50 PPG and 555 YPG of total offense. On the flip side, the defense has held their opponents to 14 PPG, and seems to be better against the pass than the run. To be fair, Gallaudet is a triple option offense that rarely passes the ball, which slants the statistics accordingly.
One thing the statistics do tell me is that Coach Yoder likes to throw the ball, as JR QB Hayden Bauserman has already attempted 101 passes in the first two games of the season. Bauserman has completed 59 of those passes for a solid 58.4% pass completion and 144.4 efficiency rating. He has racked up 728 yards, including nine TDs (which is good for fifth in the nation), compared to only two INTs.
Like Hobart, the Hornets use multiple RBs and have a solid one-two punch between SO RB Mario Wisdom and SR RB Cory Bell. They've combined for 310 rushing yards and three TDs, with nearly equal numbers as far as yardage and carries go.
In the receiving game, Shenandoah looks to another dynamic duo in SR WRs Michael Ashwell and Leonard Scott. They have combined for 312 yards and five TDs.
On special teams, JR RB Jalen Hudson leads the team with 99 all-purpose YPG as the Hornets primary KO and PR specialist. SR PK Jacob Newton is nearly perfect, making both short FG attempts and going 11-12 on PATs. SR PK Christian Arias is the punter, averaging 30.7 YPP.
Defensively, Shenandoah is led by JR LB Andy Sartain. He has 13 tackles on the season and is followed by a pair of SO LBs in Tyler Williams and Bernie Hayes III, who've tallied 11 and 10 tackles this season, respectively.
One stat that jumps of the sheet is how effective Coach Yoder's defense has been at creating turnovers. The Hornets have forced six fumbles and have collected three INTs in only two games. SO FS Nate Hill has two of those picks, to go along with one of the FFs, and he has added eight tackles and three pass breakups.
Keys to the Game:
1. Protect the Football - It's always hard to gauge matchups when you have two programs that have never faced off against one another, so it made sense to me to focus on the fundamentals in this one. As stated above, the Hornets will look to force Hobart into turning the ball over on offense, especially being the visitors in front of a big Homecoming crowd, to give themselves momentum and better field position.
2. Take a Shot - The Statesmen offense has the ability to put teams on their heels and it would go a long way if they can take an early lead against Shenandoah. The Hornets defense is really untested in my opinion, as neither GU nor NCW have the kind of athletes Hobart brings to the table. A couple of scores offensively and stops defensively early on, could put Shenandoah's back to the wall. Couple that with about 3,000 people in the Boswell stands and you'd have a lot of momentum in the stadium for Hobart.
3. Button Up - Statesmen fans (including lacrosse ones) know that the refs never give Hobart a true home field advantage. Hobart needs to improve upon the 21 penalties for -184 yards they been flagged for in the past two games at Boswell Field. The Hornets will be looking for any and every advantage they can get in this game, so the Statesmen need to play better fundamentally to avoid this type of laundry.
Prediction:
Coach Yoder has done a nice job in getting Shenandoah's football program back on track. He had the Hornets in ODAC / playoff contention last season with a 6-2 record going into Week 10. Although they ultimately dropped close games to Hampden-Sydney and W&L, Coach Yoder has built his team into a competitive one.
That said I'll take Hobart to win this game, 27-14, in what I think may end up being more of a defensive struggle as these two teams feel each other out in the first half.
I hope everyone enjoys the rare treat of a Saturday night game at the Boz for Homecoming Weekend. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
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