Hackett Earns Another All-American Honor

SO PK Kyle Hackett became the first player at his position in Hobart College Football history to earn All-American honors. He was named to the AFCA 2nd team and earned Honorable Mention honors from D3football.com.

Hobart's press release has more information on the AFCA honor, which was announced on Monday, December 10. Hackett and SR TE Matthew Woods were named to the D3football.com All-Region teams the week before. The D3football.com All-American team was announced this Friday afternoon prior to the Stagg Bowl, D3FB's National Championship game.

The Statesmen coaching staff continues to be on the road recruiting and should start releasing names of incoming recruits in the spring of 2019. Hopefully we'll have some updates on the 2019 schedule in the coming months as well.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and New Year!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

2018 Season Review

A new era of Hobart College Statesmen football began last summer, as HC Kevin DeWall '00 returned home to the Finger Lakes. A smaller roster, injuries and other challenges awaited him, but with a solid coaching staff and patience, the Statesmen slowly began to turn the corner en route to a 5-4, 3-2 finish.

While technically this ties the 2010 season as far as the worst W/L record from the last two decades, I wouldn't say this year was a bad one. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as Hobart took on a demanding schedule (actually the highest SOS in the nation) that featured a several teams that appeared in the Top 25. While we all know the Statesmen weren't able to compete with #3 Brockport (11-0) in Week 1; by the latter half of the season, Hobart was literally plays away from knocking off two eight win teams and got the better of a seven win Union squad.

With only 10 SR players graduating, the future looks bright for the Statesmen as 14 of 18 (the most of any team in the LL) players who earned All-Conference recognition should be back in 2019, not to mention a couple of players who's seasons ended prematurely because of injury.

We saw some historic offensive performances, including the incredible 118 points scored in the Week 2 and 3 wins over SUNY-Morrisville (6-5) and Shenandoah (5-5). In the five wins the Statesmen had this season, the Hobart offense averaged over 48 PPG. JR QB Ryan Hofmann struggled with injuries a bit this year, but he still finished with the highest efficiency rating (149.2) and was second in the LL for passing TDs (19), completion percentage (61.6) and YPG (242.3).

JR WRs Jake Catalioto and Ray Conley combined for 80 catches for 1,279 yards and 14 TDs. JR RB Brian Haeffner finished fourth in the LL with 431 rushing yards and six TDs. Overall the Statesmen were the highest scoring offense in the conference, averaging 33.2 PPG.

Hobart also had the two best special teams players in the conference, with SO PK Kyle Hackett having a nearly perfect season, going 38-39 on PATs and 9-9 on FGs. He's 19-19 for FGs in his career and one away from setting the program record. JR WR John DelliSanti led the LL in net punting with a 37.3 average.

Defensively JR OLB David McCarthly finished first on the team and fourth overall in the LL with 75 total tackles. SR DE Al Smith and JR DE Collin Hudgins finished tied for a team leading four sacks. SO OLB Emmett Forde really came into his own this season, finishing second on the team with 52 tackles and 6.5 TFL. SO CB Jared Leake had a great season as well, leading the team with eight pass breakups to go with 36 tackles and one INT. Hudgins, Hackett and JR DB Andrew Koonz were added to the 2018 Google Cloud Division III Academic All-District 3 Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as well. Koonz switched from WR to S and did a nice job in the seven games he played in, adding 38 tackles and a a team-leading three INTs.

The difference between being 5-4 and 9-1 ultimately was ending up on the short end of three closely contested games. Hobart lost these games by a combined 17 points. They showed a lot of heart and could have won all three, but unfortunately, just had some bad luck (e.g., the forward pass as a fumble call in the Ithaca game, unsportsmanlike penalty on the final Endicott drive and the failed onside kick in the RPI game) which didn't help.

As these younger players begin to buy into Coach DeWall's disciplined approach, I think we'll see continued growth (and by extension, more wins) in the very near future. While I'm still not sold on the dual FS / two-three DL fronts, I am willing to be open-minded. The LL is becoming a more pass-heavy offensive league, but Hobart may want to consider going back to their traditional 4x4, with pressure coming from the DEs and OLBs which was so successful in past seasons (but it also obviously dependent on the available personnel).

I am anxious to start seeing in the new recruits that'll be coming in as part of the Class of 2023. Early decision letters will be mailed pretty soon. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys a happy and healthy holiday season.

See you in 2019!

Statesmen Stay Ahead of Saints, 42-31, but Pass on NYS Bowl

The Hobart College Statesmen racked up 275 rushing yards, while holding the Saint Lawrence University Saints to only 52, on a cold and windy day in Canton, NY. The Statesmen (5-4, 3-2) ensured their consecutive winning season mark would stay intact (23 seasons and counting), but the Saints (2-8, 1-4) certainly kept things interesting until the bitter end.

Hobart had a chance to go up 21-0 early in the second quarter, converting a 4th and 10 from the SLU 32 yard line, with a 23 yard FY QB David Krewson to JR WR Ray Conley pass. Credit Saints SO DB Theo Blaschinski for making a head's up play, forcing a fumble at the SLU nine yard line which was recovered by FY DB Kyle Frimel.

That turnover changed the complexion of the game as the Saints found their stride, marching 89 yards for a TD and then another score on their next possession to make it a game, 14-12, with just over five minutes remaining in the first half.

The Statesmen got back on track by Krewson running and passing the ball well. He would find FY WR Javon Coleman (who's listed on the roster as FS) for his first career receiving TD, to push the lead to 21-12. The Saints would only need six plays to score once again, however, to make it 21-18, with only 1:30 remaining on the clock before the half.

The Statesmen defense would shut out the Saints in the third quarter, and SO LB Reilly Pelow forced fumble to set up the Hobart offense at the SLU 45 yard line. JR TE AJ Perlino would score on a five yard pass to push the Statesmen's lead to 28-18, a few plays later. JR RB Brian Haeffner would add to that lead, scoring his second TD of the game, before adding another for the football equivalent of the "hat trick" late in the fourth quarter. Haeffner finished the day with 195 rushing yards, a career best.

Although the Saints would rally, they never got closer than 10 points down the stretch. The Statesmen pass defense had a tough day, giving up 400 yards and five passing TDs, but they did cause three turnovers, including INTs by SO CB Jared Leake and FY FS Jay McCoy. SO PK Kyle Hackett went 6-6 on PATs, but didn't get a chance to break the FG record given the Statesmen's success in the red zone. That'll have to wait until Week 1 of the 2019 season.

The win ends one of Hobart's tougher seasons on a relatively high note, but the excuses given for not accepting the Liberty League's bid to the New York State Bowl will leave a bad taste in many Statesmen's mouths for some time. Cortland State (7-3), who lost a close 24-21 Cortaca Jug game to Ithaca (8-2), would have been happy to host the game. There was money in the budget, it's a short trip and so I honestly don't understand interim-AD Brian Miller's stance on not letting the team play the game. It really sucks, actually, especially for the SR players, many of whom were counting on getting that elusive 10th game, an extra week of practice with their teammates and one last time to suit up before they call it a career.

On a brighter note, the Statesmen's future looks good. A lot of young players gained valuable playing time and experience this season. Hopefully a better schedule and another talented recruiting class - hats off to the Class of 2022 who really stepped in and made contributions right away - will get Hobart back to the top of the LL standings, a place where RPI and Ithaca have supplanted them, for now.

Thanks to all the readers and support of the blog over this season. I'll post more Hobart Football news as it comes along.

Happy Holidays to everyone.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 11 - SLU Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen are looking to end the 2018 regular season on a positive note, travelling up to the "North Country" to take on long-time rival, Saint Lawrence University. While Hobart has dominated the series in the last couple of decades from a W/L perspective (Hobart has only lost to SLU three times in the last 29 seasons, dating back to 1990, 1991 and 2010), the Saints (2-7, 1-3) have given the Statesmen (4-4, 2-2) some close games in the past few seasons.

Hobart leads the all-time series 51-36-2, making this season's match up the 90th meeting of the two programs, dating back to 1901. Last season the Statesmen took care of the Saints will relative ease, winning the game, 34-7, at Boswell Field. Shane Sweeney '18 led the Statesmen with nearly 300 passing yards, while the Hobart defense recorded four sacks, one INT and held SLU to -19 rushing yards on the day.

Scouting the Saints 

FY QB Tyler Grochot turned heads, going 36-71 for 412 yds and 3 TDs, against #14 RPI in a 27-20 loss last Saturday.

This year's Saints squad is a young one, but HC Dan Puckhaber has brought in a lot of talent and SLU has not been an easy out for any of their 2018 opponents. SLU has a couple of talented QBs in Grochot and SO QB Aaron Ruthman. Grochot has struggled protecting the football this season (throwing 10 INTs), but had his best game last weekend against RPI. 

The Saints are primarily a passing team, and they have averaged almost 49 pass attempts, compared to only 24 rushing attempts, a game this season. Overall the Saints are averaging 18.5 PPG, scoring 17 passing and eight rushing TDs on the year. SLU has only converted one FG (only a 21-yarder) on three tries this season. Their starting lineup in last week's game listed four WRs and no RBs.

That said FY RB Jamie Battaglia has been their best runner, gaining 218 yards and two TDs on the year. Not surprisingly, the Saints have six different receivers with double-digit catches, but the clear leader of that group is SO WR Anthony Ferraro with 69 catches for 739 yards and 3 TDs. SR WR Travis Marnell has about half of that amount (34-436) but he's has the most TD receptions on the team with seven.

Defensively the Saints have allowed 29.44 PPG (which is pretty similar to Hobart's average on the season, albeit they have really improved in recent weeks there) and over 400 YPG of offense. They run a traditional 4-3 scheme with JR LB Riley Cott, FY LB Devin Kelley and SO LB Liam Murray as the Sam, Mike and Will, respectively.

Murray leads the unit with 82 tackles, including 7.5 TFL. He's no stranger to the Statesmen, as he's a former teammate to SO FS Cal Sullivan and FY RB Kyle Camposano at Acton-Boxboro HS (MA). The Hobart OL will have to keep an eye on SR DE Tyler Mirabile, who leads the Saints (and is tied for the LL lead) with 7.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL (which is second best in the LL). SO DT Caleb Null has been a good run-stuffer, logging 10.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks, to go with 49 tackles. 

On special teams SLU SR P Jackson Reaper averages 35.32 YPP and JR PK William Manory has averaged 53.9 YPKO. The Saints have a fairly average return unit, averaging about 16 YPKO and only 6.25 YPP. SLU lost it's PAT/FG PK to injury in the RPI game, so if they score, they'll likely be going for two.

Keys to the Game:

1. Start Fast - SLU leads the LL in total YPG, averaging 278.8. That's mostly due to falling behind early and having to play catch-up. The Hobart offense couldn't do much against a tough Ithaca defense last weekend, but they shouldn't struggle as much against SLU. Look for JR WR Jake Catalioto and JR WR Ray Conley to have good games, much like they did against RPI in Week 8.

2. Pin Their Ears Back on Defense - The Saints are one-dimensional on offense so the Statesmen will need to find ways to get to the QB and disrupt their passing game. Hobart only has nine INTs on the season, which is the worst mark in the LL, but they should get at least a couple of opportunities in this game to get a pick or at least match the four sacks they recorded last season against SLU.

3. Make a Little (Hobart) History - I think SO PK Kyle Hackett will break the Hobart all-time FG kicking record in this game, maybe as early as the first quarter, so make sure you tune into Ted Baker's WEOS call to hear (and if you're watching the stream, see) it. 

4. Just Win - There's a great chance that even with a 5-4, 3-2 record, the Statesmen can earn the NYS Bowl bid from the LL with a win Saturday. That extra week of practice and a 10th game, especially against a strong Cortland State (who will end up 7-3 or 8-2 overall after Cortaca) squad, would be a huge opportunity for this young Hobart team.

Prediction:

I think the Hobart offense gets back on track this weekend and the Statesmen run out to an early lead that they'll hang onto until the end, 27-12. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Update: this will be the final game of the 2018 season. The LL has decided not to participate in the NYS Bowl and so the game will not be held this year.

Ithaca Outlasts Hobart, 10-3

The Hobart College Statesmen (4-4, 2-2) lost a tough, defensive battle on Senior Day, 10-3, Saturday in Geneva. The Ithaca Bombers (7-2, 3-1) capitalized on five Hobart penalties during key parts of the game, including an unsportsmanlike penalty on their single TD drive and a fumble call that probably was an incomplete pass that killed Hobart's best drive of the day (the refs at the Boz never seem to call them the Statesmen's way, in football or lacrosse).

The loss drops Hobart to their worst mark since the 2010 season. All is not lost for the Statesmen, however, as a win against SLU (2-7, 1-3) would salvage a winning season and a potential NYS bowl bid given Ithaca could end up in the NCAAs as an at large candidate (but that's a long shot, honestly) or the ECACs (see my post from 10/22/18 - note: even with the 21-16 loss to Brockport, Cortland (7-2) could also still be in the hunt for an at-large / Pool C NCAA playoff berth as well. Worse case they are currently in second place in the E8 and could be Hobart's potential NYS Bowl opponent given Alfred's surprising 28-14 loss to SJFC yesterday).

In yesterday's Ithaca game, the Statesmen got on the board first thanks to a 28-yard SO PK Kyle Hackett FG to take an early 3-0 lead. The kick tied the Hobart all-time mark for FGs made.

The Hobart defense showed up in a big way today, sacking SO QB Wahid Nabi four times. JR OLB David McCarthy, JR DE Collins Hudgins, JR LB Josh Walker and SO DT Isaiah Boone each had a sack on the day. McCarthy led the defense with 12 tackles with two TFL. Hudgins had nine stops and two TFL as well. SR DE Al Smith added three tackles and was ejected from the game in the final seconds. He will be illegible to play in the first half in next weekend's game.

While the defense shined, the offense struggled to move the ball on the Bombers defense, gaining 231 yards on the day. JR QB Ryan Hofmann went 13-25 for 100 yards and threw an INT. JR WR John DelliSanti had a 51-yard pass on a trick play to JR WR Jake Catalioto but the Statesmen were unable to cash it in. Hobart only made it to the red zone twice in the game, converting the Hackett FG in the first quarter.

I'll take a look at the SLU early next week. The Saints gave LL Champions RPI (8-0, 4-0) all they could handle, falling 27-20, yesterday at the ECAV. FY QB Tyler Grochot had a big day, passing for 412 yards (dropping back 71 times!?!? in the process) and 3 TDs against the Engineers.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 10 - Ithaca / Senior Day Game Preview

The Ithaca College Bombers will come to Geneva for their final LL game as Hobart looks to stake a claim for second place in the conference. As the final regular season game at the Boz, Hobart (4-3, 3-2) will recognize and thank the Class of 2019 on Senior Day for their contributions to the program, including:

2			Al Smith	DE	SR	6-0	240	Harlem, N.Y.	Cardinal Hayes
7			Jake Henzes	CB	SR	5-11	185	Clarks Summit, Pa.	Abington Heights
9			Brendan McCloskey	FS	SR	6-1	205	Lincoln University, Pa.	St. Elizabeth
26			Bobby Lewis	RB	SR	6-0	204	Bronx, N.Y.	Iona Prep
30			Kai Brandford	FS	SR	6-0	175	Baltimore, Md.	Archbishop Curley
70			John Deveney	OL	SR	6-5	295	Ewing, N.J.	Notre Dame
84		C	Matthew Woods	TE	SR	6-6	232	Latham, N.Y.	Shaker
99			Sean Moore	DT	SR	6-1	275	Bohemia, N.Y.	Connetquot
			Jack Koch	ASST	SR	6-2	220	New City, N.Y.	Bergen Catholic

This is one of the smallest SR classes Hobart has had in some time and certainly represents the changing of the guard and the challenges the Statesmen have dealt with this and in prior years. Credit to these players for sticking with their team and their contributions over the last four seasons won't be forgotten.

The Statesmen are 5-26 all-time against the Bombers, but the vast majority of those Ithaca wins pre-date this century. Hobart and Ithaca have played much more evenly in the past couple of decades, as the Statesmen have a 4-4 record against the Bombers (6-2, 3-1) going back to 2000. 

Apparently Hobart may have an advantage Saturday given they are 4-0 against Ithaca at the Boz in even years, having defeated the Bombers 19-0 in 2000, 17-6 in 2002, 22-15 in 2014 in Round 1 of the NCAA playoffs and 23-3 in 2016.

Interestingly enough, Ithaca got the better of Hobart in the odd years of 2001, 2003, 2015 and 2017 -  winning those games 52-14, 14-7, 24-6 and 24-21. The Statesmen had an extra week of preparation, which, in theory, should help as well.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the first ever Hobart win of the series was in 1983, a 23-20 victory for Hobart at (where else?) the Boz.

Scouting the Bombers

Ithaca is very strong football team that combines a balanced offense with a gritty, tough defense. The offense, which is averaging a modest 22 PPG, is led by SO QB Wahid Nabi. Nabi's struggled a little with injuries this season, but appears healthy going into this game. He's passed for almost 1,400 yards with close to a 60% completion percentage. He's thrown eight TDs, but has also struggled with turnovers, having been intercepted seven times.

The Bombers have two good RBs in JR RB Kendall Anderson and JR RB Isaiah D'Haiti. These two have combined for nearly 600 rush yards and 11 TDs. Anderson has carried the load of late with D'Haiti being more of a short yardage (and TD) specialist.

Nabi's favorite target is JR WR Will Gladney, who was pegged as an All-American candidate in the preseason. He missed a couple of games this season due to injury also, but is back and leads the team with 543 receiving yards and 5 TDs. SO WR Andrew Vito leads the team with 46 receptions and has added 473 yards and three scores. What he lacks in size (5' 9" 160 lbs) he makes up in toughness. HC Dan Swanstrom describes Vito as one of, if not the hardest workers on his squad.

The OL is led by SR RT Jake Bernstein, one of Ithaca's co-captains. JR DL Michael Conley has converted to play C, and Bernstein is joined on the right side by SR OL Bobby Puckey. The left side is manned by JR OL Kyle Berna and big (325 lbs) SO OL Matt Healey.

The Bombers defense is one of the best in the East, if not the nation, only allowing 227 YPG (which is currently ranked 11th nationally) and 9.1 PPG (ranked 9th). SR LB Pat Minogue leads this unit with 66 tackles and 9.5 TFL. The Bombers use a five-man front and have held opposing offenses to a paltry 58.2 RYPG and only two rushing TDs all season. They are tough to pass on as well, and have picked off opposing QBs 11 times this season to go with 168.4 YPG passing and seven TDs allowed statistics. SR DL Brian Pacholec has 4.5 sacks to go with six TFL and two FF this season, so the Hobart OL will need to be focused on keeping their blocks on him.

On special teams Ithaca has leaned on FY PK Brian Fallon of late. He's averaging 53.4 YPKO and has gone 3-6 on FGs with a long of 42 yards. Minogue does double duty as the team's punter, averaging a little of 36 YPP.

Keys to the Game

1. Get to the Red Zone - The Statesmen are 1st in the nation in red zone offense. They have scored on every single trip (24) they've made this season. A big part of that has been the reliability of SO PK Kyle Hackett, and Hobart will need to take points from Ithaca when and wherever they can get them.

2. Defuse the Bombers Offense - The RPI-IC game provides a good template on how to beat the Bombers. Ithaca out-gained RPI by a pretty large amount, but RPI sacked SR QB Peter Pawczewski (who filled in while Nabi was injured) three times and intercepted him once. The Engineers defense also eliminated the threat of the Ithaca run game, forcing them to be one-dimensional. 

3. Keep Fighting - Ithaca was literally seconds away from being 8-0. They trailed by 6 with 1:38 to go against #3 Brockport and were a missed 2-point play away from upsetting RPI. The Statesmen will need to be prepared to go to the wire in this one. The Bombers will be for sure.

Prediction:

I think this one will be a low-scoring, defensive battle between two pretty evenly matched teams. Both offenses have strong passing games and the Hobart defense has steadily improved. The Statesmen will need to avoid the same slow start that cost them a chance to beat RPI before the bye week, however, and may need to relay on special teams, as it's an area Hobart clearly has an advantage compared to Ithaca. While I think it's ok to trade blows and field position with the Bombers, Hobart simply can't afford to fall too far behind against a defense of this caliber.

With RPI (7-0, 3-0) pretty much being a lock to beat SLU (2-6, 1-2) Saturday and claiming the LL title and Pool A bid, Ithaca is out of the playoff race and could be caught looking ahead to their annual rivalry game against a surging Cortland State (7-1, 5-1) team that will be playing for the E8 title against Brockport Saturday.

I'll take a win any way Hobart can get it, and I think they'll surprise Ithaca at the Boz in a close 15-13 Senior Day win.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

All Eyes on Ithaca (but what's that about Alfred?)

The Hobart College Statesmen football team are at another bye week, having to wait until November 3rd before hosting the Ithaca College Bombers on Senior Day at the Boz. The Bombers (5-2, 2-1) will host the Saint Lawrence University Saints (2-5, 1-1) this Saturday in Ithaca.

The Statesmen will get an extra week of practice to prep for this key Week 10 LL show-down, with the winner being in excellent position to lock down second place by season's end. The reason that honor has become more important was the creation of the LL-E8 New York State Bowl game from last season.

It is possible that Hobart could end up in this game, tentatively scheduled to be hosted by the E8 runner up (LL hosts on odd years) on Saturday, November 17th, based on a couple of different scenarios. Regardless, "In the (D3FB) Huddle" will welcome LL Commissioner Tracy King back on the show to reveal which teams will be playing in that game after Week 11 is in the books. More on that later.

While it's possible that a tiebreaker scenario could still happen with #17 RPI (6-0, 2-0), but based on their three final opponents - Rochester (1-5, 0-2), SLU and Union (5-2, 1-2) - I would be very surprised if the Engineers didn't end up 5-0. Even if they were tripped up by Union in the season finale, they'd still win the LL Pool A playoff bid based on H2H wins over IC and Hobart.

So, if we take the RPI / LL tiebreaker scenario out of the equation, we can hypothesize the following:

Scenario 1:

 - Hobart beats Ithaca and SLU to finish the season 6-3, 4-1

This to me is the obvious best case scenario for the Statesmen. A win over Ithaca will be tough to come by, but it's certainly not out of the question. In this scenario Hobart would be the clear second place team in the LL and would be offered the LL NYS Bowl bid based on my understanding of league guidelines.

Given Cortland will play #3 Brockport (7-0, 5-0) in Week 10 and the Dragons (6-1, 4-1), barring an upset, they will likely end the regular season with a 5-2 E8 record (assuming they lose to the Golden Eagles but beat Saint John Fisher and Hartwick, who are currently a combined 3-10). Cortland lost to Alfred in Week 4, 38-33, so the Saxons would hold a H2H tiebreaker over the Dragons for second place in the E8. This is also assuming Alfred (4-3, 3-2) wins out against Hartwick, Fisher and Rochester (not exactly a murderer's row).

Scenario 2:

 - Hobart loses to Ithaca, but beats SLU to finish the season 5-4, 3-2

Obviously less than ideal, but this scenario does not eliminate Hobart from a NYS Bowl invite, necessarily. Here's why - the Bombers played Alfred in Week 3 (a 21-13 win) and will play Cortland in Week 11. Last season Ithaca finished as the LL runner up given the H2H loss to RPI, but opted to accept an ECAC Bowl game invite instead of having to play E8 runner up Cortland once again. Instead, the LL and E8 elevated Union, the LL's 2017 third place team (they had a H2H win over 3-2 Hobart), into the inaugural NYS Bowl game.

A similar situation could occur again, given IC has already played several E8 teams this season and would likely look for a new opponent, probably in another ECAC game. In this scenario, this year, Hobart would have the H2H win over Union, so even if the Dutchmen managed to get to 3-2 in LL play, the Statesmen would have the edge. This scenario basically assumes SLU goes 2-8, 1-4 to wrap the season, which is obviously would be bad for Saints fans, but certainly given their struggles, could also be a real possibility.

Obviously there are a lot of "what if's"and lots of games yet to be played in the above, but what else can we talk about during a bye week with the postseason only three weeks away?

Ultimately the main focus for Hobart has to be on beating Ithaca, but for us fans, this is good water cooler type of stuff to tide us over until next week. Anyway, I predict Hobart at Alfred on 11/17 - you know where you read it first.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Slow Start Sinks Statesmen Against #17/19 Engineers

An early INT and multiple issues in the first half led to a 31-24 Hobart defeat today in Troy, NY. The loss drops Statesmen to 4-3, 2-1 overall on the season and moves RPI into the drivers seat for the LL title as the lone undefeated team (6-0, 2-0).

To be fair the Engineers weren't particularly dominant, other than on defense, as they struggled to score points early on against a vastly improved Statesmen defense. A punt block late in the second quarter ended up being a big difference in the game, as RPI converted that turnover for a TD with under a minute remaining before halftime.

Another quick score to open the second half had Hobart looking at a 24-3 deficit, but give the Statesmen credit, they never quit fighting back. FY QB David Krewson, who went 6-8 for 70 yards in relief, found JR WR Ray Conley for a 37-yard score to clip the Engineers lead to 24-10 late in the third quarter. Conley would score another TD from JR QB Ryan Hofmann (after a prior play was called back because of holding) to make the score 24-17 with under three minutes left.

Unfortunately the onside kick would not be able to be recovered and RPI scored quickly after a wildcat formation play by SR WR Conor Davies went for a TD with only 2:10 remaining. SR TE Matt Woods would haul in another Hofmann TD pass, with 1:18 left, to make it 31-24. Although the next onside kick was a solid attempt, RPI recovered and ran out the clock for the hard fought victory.

Hofmann finished the game 28-43 for 295 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Hobart never really was able to establish a run game against the tough RPI defense, netting 84 rush yards. SO RB Alex Milliken had 50 yards on 11 attempts. JR OLB David McCarthy finished with a game-high 15 tackles and SR FS Brandon McCloskey added nine stops (he was incorrectly referred to by the WRPI broadcasters as JR WR John DelliSanti all game).

While I do think Hobart has a great chance to continue it's season with a winning record, the loss today means they will likely miss the NCAA playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Ultimately the kinds of penalties, injuries and missed opportunities that did them in today are the story of the 2018 season.

The Statesmen will have a second bye week prior to taking on Ithaca College on Senior Day. The Bombers (5-2, 2-1) beat Rochester today, 28-3. Ithaca will face off against Saint Lawrence (2-5, 1-1), who lost to Union, 27-9, at home next Saturday.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 8 - RPI Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen will travel to the Capitol Region Saturday for a key Liberty League showdown against #17 / #19-ranked RPI (5-0, 1-0). Hobart and the Engineers have had some memorable battles over the years, and have split the series 4-4 this decade (RPI won in 2010-11 as well as 2015-16 with Hobart taking the 2012-14 and 2017 contests). The overall series, which began back in 1910, is also deadlocked at 30-30-1 after Hobart's 30-0 victory over RPI last season.

Scouting the Engineers

This season RPI is riding a win streak that included an ugly, 10-9, defensive duel with Ithaca (4-2, 1-1) that came down to the final play. The Engineers aren't an extremely talented offensive team, but they are a highly efficient one. They've averaged 28.4 PPG on offense, and have been especially effective in the red zone. The Engineers have scored on 17-20 trips (85%) with 10 of those ending up as TDs.

SO QB George Marinopoulous, who saw his first collegiate action in Geneva last season, has gone 10-0 in the regular season since getting the starting job. He is 77-140 (55%) for 880 yards and six TDs, compared to two INTs, so far in 2018. He spreads the ball out well in HC Ralph Isernia's option offense, finding five different receivers for TDs this season. The OL is anchored by SR LT Chris Neu as well as SR C Bobby Boos and SR RT Aaron Castillo. RPI has two new FY OL in LG Thomas Olausen and RG Rick Denboske.

You'll see a number of WR / slot-backs in RPI's offensive scheme, meaning the Hobart secondary and LBs will be busy. SR WR/RB Rob Law is a particularly potent weapon, leading the team with 197 receiving yards and one TD as well as adding 94 rushing yards and three TDs on the season. SR RB Nick Cella is the leading rusher with 311 yards and two TDs on the season. FY RB Joe Scaglione will occasionally spell Cella and has done well, rushing for 153 yards and two scores.

RPI's real strength is it's defense, which is holding opponents to 15.2 PPG. They are extremely difficult to run the ball on, allowing only two rushing TDs and 101.2 YPG. The Engineers have given up more passing yardage, allowing 261.2 YPG, but be warned. With a very talented and experienced secondary and LB unit, the Engineers have more than twice as many INTs (13) as passing TDs allowed (six).

SR LB Jack Hoggard leads RPI's defense with 57 tackles and JR LB John Sadak has added 31 stops and three INTs this season. SR DB Sean Egan has two INTs (although he didn't play against IC) and SR CB DJ Stefonsky has three picks as well. SO DE Amaechi Konkwo leads the team with 3.5 sacks and is tied for the lead with 3.5 TFL. RPI runs a three-man-front with a hybrid DE/OLB who lines up in different positions on the line, depending on down and distance. Ultimately, while not overly fast, RPI's defense is viewed as a stout one and Hobart will need to find some success running the ball Saturday if they want to be able to upset the ranked Engineers.

SO PK Sanjay Krishnan has converted 7-9 FGs on the season with a long of 35 (one block, the other was a 36 yard attempt that failed vs. IC). He averages over 50 YPK on KOs. The punting duties are handled by SO PK Zac Montrief, who's averaged over 38 YPP, dropping nine inside their opponents' 20-yard line and hitting three over 50 yards (long of 71). Return duties are handled by SR WR Conor Davies, who averages over 21 YPR on punts and 24.3 YPR on KOs.

Keys to the Game:

1. Protect the Football - RPI has won some close games this season and the difference, other than a tough run defense, is causing turnovers. They have intercepted opposing QBs in EVERY game this season, three times this season they have multiple picks. Hobart QBs - whether it's JR QB Ryan Hofmann or FY QB David Krewson - has to be smart about not giving RPI's offense short fields or more TOP.

2. Run the Ball / Kill the Clock - I realize the Statesmen may want to run the ball, but their ability to do so will be dependent on personnel. SO RB Dakota Harvey is likely out once again and so it may take a few different looks (e.g., with a FB lead blocking, sweeps or other plays) to see what, if any, yards can be gained on the ground. I wouldn't be surprised to see some plays like we saw at Union, as the Hobart WRs should have some match up advantages against the RPI secondary.

3. Take the Points - The Engineers have allowed only 5 TDs on 17 red zone drives this season so it could be a busy day for SO PK Kyle Hackett. RPI has allowed 5-9 FG attempts on the season.

4. Throw Out the Records - Both the Engineers and Statesmen have played spoiler to the other when one was undefeated / ranked higher. It's happened enough times over the history of this series that I think you can consider these squads as completely having a 50/50 chance of winning. RPI may be a favorite on paper, but the Statesmen could easily win this game also. The history of these games between these two programs proves that over and over.

Prediction:

RPI has found ways to win, ugly or otherwise. If Hobart can establish a balanced attack, not shoot themselves in the foot (the 2016 loss to the Engineers was totally predicated on dumb penalties, for example), then the Statesmen have a chance.

I'll take Hobart to grind out a close one, 19-17, playing spoiler to the RPI Family Weekend crowd.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Runs Over Rochester, 52-7

The Hobart College Statesmen improved to 4-2, 2-0 overall on the season with a fairly one-sided affair against oldest rivals, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets. The Statesmen welcomed back HC Chad Martinovich '94 but didn't show his struggling squad much love the rest of the day.

Hobart ground out a season high 280 rushing yards, using 10 different ball carriers in the game. Rochester (1-5, 0-2) only managed 126 total yards on the day. Both SO RB Alex Milliken and JR RB Brian Haeffner led all rushers with 81 yards and a TD, a piece. FY RB Dante Kimbrough had two rushing TDs to go with 62 rushing yards.

FY QB David Krewson got his first career start, passing  for 169 yards and three TDs. Seven different Statesmen receivers had catches, with JR WR Ray Conley leading the team with two for 63 yards and a TD. FY WR Shahkyle Matthews and SR TE Matthew Woods also had receiving TDs. SO QB Matt Maute also saw some action, going an efficient three for four passing.

You can read more about the game here.

This win sets up a potential LL Championship type of game between Hobart and #19 RPI (5-0, 1-0) this Saturday in Troy, NY. The Engineers had a bye week after narrowly beating Ithaca (4-2, 1-1) in Week 6. RPI has been one of Hobart's toughest conference foes to date, as they've split the series, 4-4, so far this decade.

Last season the Statesmen were the lone loss for the Engineers in LL play, beating them soundly, 30-0. RPI settled in on SO QB George Marinopoulous after that game and have gone 10-0 in the regular season since.

I'll have more on this match up along with the usual ITH content, a little later this week.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 7 - Rochester / Centennial Cup Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen (3-2, 1-0) will face off against their oldest rivals the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets (1-4, 0-1) for the Centennial Cup once again this Saturday, albeit much earlier in the regular season than in recent years' past. This will be the 111th meeting and the 12th time the Cup is up for grabs between the two programs.

The Statesmen have not lost to the UofR since the 2010 season, a 35-34 decision, when a Hobart 2-point conversion came up short at the end of the game. Last season, the Statesmen won big, 51-12, in JR QB Ryan Hofmann's first collegiate start. Then FY RB Dakota Harvey rushed for 207 yards and three TDs in that game, but he won't play in this season's match-up due to a hamstring pull.

New Rochester HC Chad Martinovich '94 has been working on rebuilding the UofR program and the Yellow Jackets have struggled, with only one win against a slate that is 10-16 overall (Hobart's opponents by comparison are 18-8 - which according to D3football.com makes the Top 5 for Strength of Schedule in the nation). This weekend shouldn't really be a close game, but future contests, as Coach Chad gets in his recruiting classes, will become more and more competitive.

This year's game will also coincide with the annual Tackles & Touchdowns for the Ability Partners Fundraiser. JR OL Micah Holloway is leading the charge and you can read more about that here.

Keys to the Game:

1. Attack the Defense - Rochester lost last weekend to Saint Lawrence (2-4, 1-0), 38-24, giving up 357 passing and 237 rushing yards. Hobart should have no trouble putting up points on this 4-3-4 group, but the Yellow Jackets may try and disrupt the Statesmen's passing game by running stunts and leveraging newcomer FY LB Caden Cole, who leads the team with 39 tackles. SR LB Ricky Simcic is talented, and is second on the team with 35 stops to go with a sack, TFL and INT. The third leading tackler is SR LB Christian Marini. In spite of these players, this group is allowing over 425 YPG and so we should expect Hobart to be able to move the ball on them fairly easily Saturday.

2. Keep UofR One-Dimensional Offensively - The Yellow Jackets have struggled to run the ball all season, scoring only two rushing TDs, earning only 24 rushing first downs (less than five per game) and averaging only 98.2 YPG. The Statesmen faced SR QB Josh Brown last season, but it appears as though Saturday they'll match up against SR QB Matt Gallagher, who went 21-36 for 278 yards, three TDs and one INT against SLU last weekend. FY WR Noah Shinaman has nearly twice as many catches as any other Rochester receiver with 22 for 294 yards and three TDs.

3. Look for More Ways to Improve Defensively - The Statesmen made some key plays down the stretch to beat Union last weekend and we'd like to see more of the same against the UofR. While I thought we'd see a four man DL front based on the game notes, it appears as though the three man front remains the favored option. While I'm not entirely sold on that yet, I am willing to give it more time. Hopefully this game will allow Hobart to try several different looks and personnel to bolster experience.

Prediction:

I think the Statesmen should fare well and improve to 2-0 in conference play, winning this game by a score of 42-21.

With a second bye week following this game, we could see the starters in for longer than you might expect. I'd hope that they'd be saved for the big Week 9 @ RPI game, but it'll depend on how it goes Saturday.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

It's Great to Be A Statesmen!

Yesterday was a special Taco Tuesday for former Hobart College LT Ali Marpet '15 who signed a big extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We are thrilled for him and his family. Congratulations!

Frank and I also had a good conversation with HC Kevin DeWall '00 on the Union game and the state of Hobart College football halfway through the season. You can view that conversation here.

I'll have a preview up tomorrow on the Centennial Cup game against the UofR.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Shed Signs with San Antonio

Yesterday former D3football.com All-American and Hobart WR Brandon Shed '18 announced he has signed with the San Antonio Commanders of the newly created AAF. He will be coached by Mike Reilly, who got his coaching career at (now D3) Linfield College in the late 1970's before going on to win two Grey Cup Championships in the CFL.

This is a culmination of a lot of hard work and sacrifices on Brandon's part, so I wish him nothing but the best with his latest opportunity. Hopefully the Commanders will have a game here in Orlando in the spring of 2019 so I can see him play once again.

He will join a few other former D3FB stars in the new league, such as Andrew Franks of RPI, who is on the roster of the new Orlando Apollos franchise.

Congratulations Brandon and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Comeback to Stun Previously Undefeated Dutchmen, 29-28

What a game.

What else can you say about a gritty Hobart College Statesmen team that revived their season, coming back from being down 14-3, 21-10 and 28-19 today?!?

With Ali Marpet '15 and other alumni in the stands, Hobart (3-2, 1-0) sent the Union College Dutchmen (the Fighting Dutchmen, not Flying, sorry Ted ;) back to Schenectady with their first loss of the 2018 season.

A lot of great Statesmen, including Mike Berkowitz '15, Jarrid Blades '12, Ali Marpet '15 and former HC Mike Cragg were there to cheer on Hobart today.

Union (4-1, 0-1) saw SO PK Kyle Hackett make the first of his three FGs (which tied a Hobart record for most FG made in a single game) early on, as he connected on a 31-yarder with 3:31 remaining in the first quarter. This gave Hobart it's first and pretty much only lead for the majority of the game, as the Dutchmen stormed back with back-to-back TDs by FY RB Ike Irabor. Irabor caught a 19-yard pass from SO QB Will Bellamy and ran one in from three yards out to post the Dutchmen to a 14-3 lead.

The Statesmen only needed one play to make it a game again, as JR WR Ray Conley took a screen pass and ran it 43 yards to the house. Bellamy would find Beal for another TD catch to push the Union lead to 21-10.

Once again JR QB Ryan Hofmann would make another long TD pass, this time to JR WR Jake Catalioto for 66 yards to bring Hobart back within a TD, but the PAT snap was low and FY QB David Krewson's head's up scramble ended up just short of the pile on for the 2-point play. Catalioto would finish with a game-high eight catches, 148 yards and 1 TD. Hofmann finished with 326 passing yards and three TDs.

Hackett would keep the Statesmen in striking distance with 36 and 41 yard FGs, which was important, especially after Bellamy found Andre Ross, Jr for a 27-yard score to make it 28-19 with 9:47 left in the 3rd quarter. Ross ended up with six catches for 152 yards on the game.

JR TE AJ Perlino would not be denied, breaking tackles as he tied the game from 16 yards out with 8:28 remaining. The Hackett PAT, and a couple of key defensive plays by FY CB Jay McCoy and SO FS Cal Sullivan with big INTs down the stretch, not to mention a huge sack by SR DE Al Smith in the final seconds, sealed the comeback win for Hobart.

Hobart will face off against the UofR (1-4, 0-1) next weekend for the Centennial Cup. More on that game plus look for an appearance by HC Kevin DeWall '00 on ITH early next week!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 6 - Union Game Preview

It's Union Week.

The Liberty League conference opener is finally upon us and after a football-less weekend (well, credit the Statesmen JV team for rallying from being down 24-0 beating Saint John Fisher 35-32 on Sunday of Homecoming Weekend), I'm ready to put Weeks 1-5 in the rear view mirror.

Hobart (2-2) will take on long-time LL rivals Union College (4-0) in what's certainly a must-win game for the Statesmen. While a loss wouldn't mathematically eliminate Hobart from postseason contention, it probably would for all intents and purposes.

This will be the 102nd meeting of the two teams with the Dutchmen holding a slight 51-48-2 overall series edge. They beat Hobart last season, 28-23, after capitalizing on Statesmen mistakes to take a 21-3 lead with about a minute remaining in the 3rd quarter. Although Hobart would rally, it was too little, too late and the Statesmen's seven game win streak over Union was finally snapped.

Scouting the Dutchmen

This year Union College brings a really balanced team, probably one of the best they've had since their 10-0 undefeated regular season in 2005. The Dutchmen's recent success really starts with their defense, which is one of the best in the nation. The Dutchmen are tied for 8th nationally in scoring defense with #4 Brockport (4-0), allowing 8.25 PPG. Union is 10th nationally in total defense allowing 212.5 YPG. Teams are struggling to convert on 3rd downs against this unit, as the Union has only allowed 14-56 conversion attempts (25%) and 3-11 on 4th down (27%) this season.

The defense is led by SR LB Jack Reilly (a 1st team All-Conference player in 2017), who has 10.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks, as Union's pass rush really comes off blitzes instead of their front three. While JR DE Vincent DiCaterino, SR NG Bobby Law and SR DE Phil Pancini are a strong and experienced group, their stats are relatively modest (only two sacks and 4.5 TFL between all three players). This front is mostly there to plug gaps and allow guys like Reilly (26 tackles), SO LB Colin Lama (who leads the team with 30 tackles, including one TFL), SR LB Hunter Ordukhanyan (27 tackles, one TFL and one sack) and JR LB Evan Gilland (16 tackles, one TFL and one INT) to swarm to the ball.

The defensive secondary is led by SR CB Tucker Newman. He has two INTs on the season to go with 10 tackles. The other corner is JR CB Paul Chambers and the two safeties are SR SS Sebastien Lubrano and JR S Joe Vanderhoof. The latter only has six tackles on the season, which shows you how well the Dutchmen front seven is playing.

The Union offense is vastly improved and cruising well under the direction of SO QB Will Bellamy. He has passed for 1,231 yards (89-135-1 or 65.93%) and 13 TDs (307.75 YPG - which is in the Top 25 of offensive players nationally).

He has a trio of receivers which is led by FY WR Andre Ross, Jr with 31 catches for 619 yards and eight TDs. JR WR Griffin Beal was the number one target last season, but he's taken a back seat to Ross, Jr. He's still a viable possession WR though, catching 22 passes for 252 yards and four TDs. Rounding out the trio is SR WR Chris Nicholas. While Nicholas sees less passes, but his average demands the Statesmen pay attention to him. Nicholas has 11 receptions for 168 yards, one of those going for 55 yards, so he can get behind defenses. SR TE Pat Ryan is really a blocker, but his one catch, for three yards, was good for TD in the Week 4 game against Curry (2-3).

The OL is a younger one like the Statesmen's, but they have the advantage of starting all of the games in the 2017 season and into this year making them a very cohesive unit. The upperclassmen are SR RT Alex Hamilton and JR RG Turner Geenty. A trio of SO OL C Ryan Ehrets, SO LG Chris Katchadurian and SO LT Teddy Hood are the remaining starters. They aren't a very big group - they average out around 270 lbs - but they are effective pass blocking and opening holes for the Dutchmen RBs.

While SO RB Travis Demby has been listed as the "starter", he is really not the feature back. That honor goes to FY RB Ike Irabor who's been really impressive so far. He leads the team with 294 rushing yards, 5 TDs and an impressive 6.4 YPC average.

On special teams the Dutchmen FG specialist is SO PK Marcus Rodriguez. He has converted 2-4 FGs with a long of 28 while adding 20 PATs. His weaker leg is likely the reason Union has gone for it eight times on 4th down this season, converting six times. JR PK Will Halpin III is the KO specialist and punter. He's averaged 53.9 YPK on KOs and 38.41 on punts, dropping nine inside the opponents 20 yard line and forcing five fair catches.

Beal has typically handled KORs - albeit only four which is the most on the team since the defense rarely allows TDs - averaging just over 25 YPR. PRs have been handled by Newman who has 10 for 120 yards, but with a long of 43, which skews his average a bit.

Keys to the Game:

1. Play Better on Defense - This Union offense is strong enough to score on Hobart right out of the gate and the last thing the Statesmen need is to fall behind early. If Hobart can force some early three and outs, maybe get a TOP or field position advantage, we'll have a game. If the Statesmen defense plays like they have before the break, it's going to be a long day.

2. Run the Ball - SO RB Dakota Harvey showed a decent amount of rust in his return to action against Endicott (3-2). Hopefully the bye week has done him (and the OL) some good. The Dutchmen will stack the box and look to make the Statesmen one-dimensional. Reilly will blitz at will, looking to sack JR QB Ryan Hofmann or force him out of the pocket and into mistakes, like what we saw in the Endicott game. To help the run game, I would employ SO FB Shane White and/or JR FB Omari Davis to act as lead blockers to take on the aggressive gap-filling LBs that Union will be sending on most plays.

3. Play Smarter - The Statesmen have been penalized about -80 yards per game this season. You can't give away free yardage to a team like Union. The Dutchmen will come into this game cocky and confident, looking to rub Hobart's noses into the turf and ridicule them after having struggled against them for a better half of a decade. The Statesmen will need to play tough, but keep their composure,  Saturday.

4. Have Pride - I know for a fact there will be a contingent of young alums in attendance to cheer on this year's Hobart team. That group never lost to Union, let alone to hardly anyone other than Top 10-25 caliber teams in the NCAA playoffs. These alums will be looking at this year's group to have pride in this rivalry and not fall again to the hated Dutchmen.

Prediction:

On paper this should be a 37-14 Union win.

Hobart's defense has not had a good game all season, save for SUNY-Morrisville (2-2) which will probably end up as a sub .500 team by the end of the 2018 season.

The Statesmen will need to play their best football game to have a chance. Hopefully with alumni in the house like Ali Marpet '15, these Hobart men will rise to the occasion. It's do or die time.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

0-0 with 1 to go (Hobart Mid-season Review)

The Hobart College Statesmen (2-2) are playing .500 football into Week 5 for the first time since the 2010 season. Much like that up and down year, there have been some very bright spots and some significant struggles so far this fall.

The Good:

JR QB Ryan Hofmann has played better than some may have expected, completing 75 passes on 119 attempts (63%) for 14 TDs compared to four INTs. The Statesmen have spread the ball around to 14 different receivers, and have had excellent seasons so far by JR WR Jake Catalioto, JR WR Ray Conley and SR TE and Co-Captain Matt Woods. Catalioto leads the team with 24 receptions for 352 yards and five TDs. Conley and Woods aren't far behind and have scored four TDs each.

FY LB Brian Aguilar has emerged as the leading tackler of the defense with 29 stops and 4.5 TFL. SO OLB Emmett Forde is emerging as a key contributor with 27 tackles, one sack and 3.5 TFL. Last season he played mostly in a reserve capacity, playing in all 10 games, but only making six tackles. JR FS Andrew Koonz has successfully transitioned from WR to defense, tallying 26 tackles with one TFL, a pass BU and two INTs.

The Statesmen OL has helped the Hobart offense average 37.25 PPG and 322.8 YPG while allowing only four sacks (basically one per game).

SO PK Kyle Hackett continues to climb the all-time record book as a kicker. He's been perfect so far this season, hitting 3 FGs and 19 PATs. According to WEOS PBP legend Ted Baker, Hackett has made 73 kicks (PATs and FGs) in a row. He missed his first ever kick, a PAT in the 2017 season opener vs. Brockport, but hasn't since. Ted also noted that the Statesmen have allowed only nine PR yards in their last 13 games, which is pretty amazing work from a special teams perspective. JR WR John DelliSanti has averaged 39 net yards on his 11 punts so far this season, dropping five inside the opponents' 20-yard line, forcing three fair catches and booting two punts over 50 yards.

Last but not least, congratulations to SR FS Kai Brandford on becoming a semifinalist, the only one from LL, for the prestigious Campbell Trophy. You can read more on that accomplishment here.

The Bad

The Statesmen defense have allowed 38.75 PPG and 453.8 YPG, which ranks near the bottom of all of D3FB.

The running game hasn't worked well either and the Statesmen OL need to improve the current 77.8 RYPG and 3.0 RYPC statistics we've seen so far this season. SO RB Alex Milliken has had flashes filling in for an injured SO RB Dakota Harvey, including a significant 70-yard TD run in the Shenandoah game, but otherwise Hobart's leading rusher has only gained an additional 26 net yards on his 22 other carries (1.18 YPC).

SR DB Jake Henzes transition to defense has not been a good one. He has been beaten deep on TDs passes in multiple games, and made a very costly mistake by taunting an Endicott receiver on a 2nd and 14 with about five minutes remaining, down 27-24. While the Gulls didn't score on the drive, the penalty gave them a 1st down at the Hobart 37 and ultimately burned the clock down to 2:11, backing up the Statesmen offense as the ball ended up at the Statesmen 5-yard line after the punt, effectively winning the game for Endicott.

The Ugly

Members of the Hobart DL have been flagged with numerous unsportsmanlike penalties, including late hits, tossing an opponent's helmet across the field, and refusing to shake hands after the last game which is hard to believe.

The Statesmen have been flagged 32 times for -314 yards (78.5 YPG) and have given the opposition 11 first downs because of it. Two different Hobart players were ejected in the first three games. I don't remember that ever happening since I started following the program back in 1992.

So Now What?

While I understand the frustration that comes with losing and struggling to win games, these behaviors have to stop. The Statesmen have seen an exodus of talent for a number of reasons ranging to transfers (e.g., Downey, Barfield, King, and Hill), guys just simply quitting the team (e.g., Wheeler and Conshafter) and multiple injuries to key players like former DE A.J. MacFarlane, SR OL Jack Koch, JR OL Elijah Weiss and others.

While there are a number of younger players stepping up, growing pains and all, the upperclassmen on the team need to do a better job leading this group. This includes executing plays, wrapping up on tackles and not getting flagged with avoidable penalties as we know they can based on prior seasons.

Going into Week 6, Hobart will face off against a red hot and unbeaten Union Dutchmen team that finally broke their seven-game losing streak to the Statesmen last season.

The Dutchmen have an experienced OL, a tough defense led by 1st team All-LL SR LB Jack Reilly , a QB with already 1k+ passing yards, and two rookie specialists in FY RB Ike Irabor and FY WR Andre Ross, Jr that have already combined for 13 TDs.

As challenging as the first four weeks have been, the reality is that this season only gets tougher from here. I'll have more on the match up against Union early next week.

It's 0-0 and one to go time for the Statesmen.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Suffers Humbling Defeat, 27-24, to Endicott

There would be no revenge for HC Kevin DeWall '00 against his former employer, as the Endicott Gulls (2-2) shredded the Statesmen defense to the tune of 409 yards. While I know there's a lot of new players on this year's squad, this still goes down as one the most embarrassing losses by Hobart that I can recall in my 25+ years of following the team. There really is no excuse for losing to a 1-2 CCC team, even if it was one built by Coach DeWall. The Statesmen's many missed tackles and offensive turnovers certainly hurt them today, and it's remains hard to comprehend a loss to a team that the Statesmen had beaten by at least two or more TDs in the prior four seasons.

Hobart being held to 19 rushing yards by a defense that had given up over 200 to Framingham State and almost 140 to MIT, is also really surprising. That statistic (and the fact that 7 FY players were listed among the 10 OL two-deep on the line up card today), is partially why JR QB Ryan Hofmann was forced to drop back 50 times in the game. He finished the day with 294 passing yards and three TDs, but was also intercepted twice.

Defensively FY LB Bryan Aguilar was a lone bright spot, who once again led the Statesmen with 10 tackles, including two TFL (one which really should have been scored as a sack). Getting his first start was FY DL Ryan Cottom who held his own with SR DL Reid Crobok suspended.

Unfortunately, today's result will call into serious doubt that Hobart will be favored in any, save for potentially two, Liberty League contests the rest of the year, and at 2-2, are in serious jeopardy of fielding the first losing season by a Statesmen team since 1995.

Not really much to say about this game. Will have some analysis later in the week given Hobart's passing on playing #6 Frostburg State for Homecoming and there being a bye week / no game next Saturday.

Tough season for the Statesmen.

Week 4 - Endicott Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen offense has scored a program record 118 points in the last two games, and will look to continue that trend in their (likely final) encounter with the Endicott College Gulls this Saturday in Beverly, MA. The Statesmen have faced off against the Gulls every season since 2014, winning all four contests.

As most Hobart and D3FB fans already know, Statesmen HC Kevin DeWall '00 was surprisingly dismissed by EC AD Dr. Bryan Wylie last season so he could bring in former Endicott assistant Paul McGonagle as HC. McGonagle, who had left the Gulls program a few years earlier for a position at Assumption College (a MA DII-school), earned his first win with a 17-3 win over Bridgewater State (1-2) in Week 2 and came real close to getting his second, last Saturday against MIT.

The Gulls (1-2) came up a few plays short against the Engineers (3-0), dropping their second game by a score of 31-29. Endicott trailed 28-9 at the half but came back to make it a two-point game with 1:56 remaining. The two-point attempt after the TD failed and the Engineers hung on to win the game.

Last season, Hobart beat the Gulls 34-17 in Geneva behind four Shane Sweeney '18 TD passes and two SO PK Kyle Hackett FGs.

Scouting the Gulls

Endicott is a solid football team that has good players on both sides of the ball. They've averaged 318.7 YPG and 19.7 PPG offensively while giving up 336 YPG and 22.7 PPG on defense so far this season. They've struggled a bit offensively, scoring only six TDs in three games, three rushing and three passing. One area the Gulls need to improve on is scoring TDs, but they do have what seems to be a very reliable player in JR PK Nick DiCairano. DiCairano has been perfect to date, hitting 6-6 on FGs and 5-5 on PATs to lead the team with 23 points.

Endicott's has a new signal caller this season in SO QB Dylan Bonfilo. It appears as though JR QB Joe Kalosky, who faced off against Hobart last season, is out with an injury. Bonfilo has passed for 482 yards and three TDs so far this season while adding 135 rushing yards and two scores (effectively he's accounted for all but one of Endicott's TDs so far this season). FY RB John Kenney leads the team with 181 rushing yards and one TD. His OL is led by SR C Drew Salvo. JR RT Kha-lil Goodman and JR RG Isaiah Gibbs are returning starters as well.

Also back are JR HB/WR Zach DeNike and SO TE Riley Shanley (who happens to be from the same area as where I grew up). These two are the Gulls first and second leading receivers with over 300 yards combined. A goal-line threat, Shanley has caught a TD pass in each of the past two weeks' games.

JR PK Jon Glaser is the punter and has averaged 38.4 YPP this season, with a long of 57. In the return game, SO WR Liam Wallace has done the most work, averaging nearly 20 and 14 YPR for KOs and punts, respectively.

The Endicott defense is once again led by SR LB William Rivera with 31 total tackles, including a sack and 3.5 TFL. He led the Gulls against Hobart last year with 11 stops. The Endicott defense has produced four sacks and 24 TFL so far on the season, as well as two INTs, so they are a tough squad. The Gulls run a 4-3-4 style, where SR LB/SS Christian Pizzotti is a bit of a hybrid player. He is second on the team with 12 tackles and one TFL.

Keys to the Game:

1. Find a Defensive Identity - Hobart's found ways to win back-to-back games with impressive (and historic) offensive numbers, but the defense has really struggled. They are giving up more than 42 PPG and almost 470 YPG of offense to the opposition. Established players like SR DT Sean Moore and JR OLB Jayson Prince haven't played at the same level as they did in 2017 just yet (Moore has had some flashes, however), and other more experienced players like SR DE Al Smith and JR DE Collin Hudgins are also not making as much of an impact as I'd hoped so far this season. In Hudgins defense, I will say he was clearly putting the most pressure on Bauserman Saturday night. SR DT Reid Crobok has committed too many late hits and unsportsmanlike penalties for my liking (e.g., he was ejected from the game Saturday, had two calls in the Morrisville game for unsportsmanlike behavior, etc.), and needs to get back to playing Statesmen football. If Hobart's going to improve to compete with the top teams in the Liberty League, they'll need to perform better defensively, period. Hopefully the two-down linemen experiment from the Shenandoah game won't be brought back and we'll see continued growth in younger players such as SO CB Jared Leake, SO OLB Emmett Forde, SO OLB Collin Urie, SO DT Isaiah Boone, SO DE Zach Rudolph, FY ILB Bryan Aguilar and FY DB Jay McCoy. There is talent there, but it's on DC Aaron Backhaus '00 and his staff to find a better way to use it, which so far, they really haven't quite been able to figure out just yet.

2. Break Down Bonfilo - It's pretty clear that the Gulls QB is their main offensive weapon, although he does have a couple of strong receivers that could be trouble for Hobart. Shanley is of particular concern as the Hornets ran a lot of plays that ended up having the Statesmen LBs & Ss covering receiving backs and/or going long to create mismatches. JR S Andrew Koonz seemed to be targeted a decent amount by Shenandoah, and to his credit, Koonz did make nine tackles and a pass break up, earning honorable mention in this week's LL awards. Both Koonz and SR CB Jake Henzes are on a steep learning curve, but are doing yeoman's work and steadily improving after converting to defense from being part of the WR corps the last two (or three, in the case of Henzes) seasons.

3. Keep Improving - With a bye week coming up after this weekend and a huge Week 6 conference home game against Union (3-0) looming in a couple of weeks, the Statesmen have to take advantage of this one last non-conference tuneup before the games really start to count as far as a league titles and postseason play is concerned. Endicott is a good team, but Hobart should be able to handle them. If the defense can cause issues like they did to Morrisville in Week 2, the Statesmen should be in good shape to improve to 3-1 on the season.

Prediction:

At the end of the day, the CCC, MASCAC and NEWMAC just aren't up to the same level, competition-wise, as most LL and NYS programs yet. Endicott has some weapons for sure, but Hobart has plenty of talent, especially on offense, to make this a pretty one-sided affair if they get out to a fast start and keep executing. JR QB Ryan Hofmann has been outstanding so far (he earned his second consecutive OPOTW award from the LL for Week 3), and the Statesmen WR corps may be one of the most talented and underrated groups in the East Region.

I'll take the Statesmen to make a bit of a statement here, as Coach DeWall likely won't see his old team for quite some time as the Gulls won't renew a game contract with Hobart after this season.

My pick for Saturday is Hobart 49 - Endicott 27.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Outlast Shenandoah in a 1K+ Shootout, 56-48

Hobart College endured a track meet style football game tonight to defeat the Shenandoah Hornets (2-1) 56-48.

The Statesmen (2-1) were out-gained 575 to 501 yards, but Hobart kept up with great offensive and special team plays to get the win. The Statesmen lost the TOP battle almost 36-24 but the defense made enough plays to save the day.

JR QB Ryan Hofmann went 18-24 for 328 yards and four TDs. His main target was JR WR Jake Catalioto for 168 yards and a TD. Classmate JR WR Ray Conley finished with 83 yards and a TD and SR TE and Co-Captain Matthew Woods had 2 TDs, including the effective game winner.

FY WR Shahkyle Matthews broke a 95-yard KO return for TD to give Hobart a 35-27 lead with 7:34 remaining before halftime. SO RB Alex Milliken broke a 65 yard rushing TD on Hobart's first play from scrimmage as well to help the Statesmen tonight.

FY LB Brian Aguilar (who wears my old #36) led the Statesmen defense with 10 tackles, with 2 TFL and the game ending INT was great too. Not necessarily heralded but equally great was FY FS James McCoy who made some incredible plays on special teams.

Hobart improves to 2-1 on the season and will face Endicott (1-2) next weekend.