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!
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Saturday, September 22, 2018
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.
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.
Monday, September 17, 2018
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!
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!
Saturday, September 15, 2018
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.
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.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Week 3 - Shenandoah Game Preview
It appears as though Saturday night's game in Winchester, VA is going to be played as Hurricane Florence won't reach up to that part of the state. There hasn't been an official confirmation yet, but it is expected later today that Shenandoah and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) will make a decision (will provide an update on this ASAP).
Assuming the game is allowed to happen as expected, it will be a rematch of last season's 56-30 win by the Statesmen in Geneva. Hobart and the Hornets combined for 44 points in the first half, with the visitors coming back to take a 23-21 lead into the break. The Statesmen would score on back-to-back possessions in the third and fourth quarters to put the game away. The Hobart run game ended up being the story of the night, as they out-gained Shenandoah 368 rushing yards to 69.
Scouting the Hornets
Shenandoah (2-0) is off to a good start, highlighted by preseason All-American SR QB Hayden Bauserman. Bauserman has already passed for 626 yards and nine TDs which is almost three times the Hornets' rushing output. Bauserman's favorite targets are SR RB Jalen Hudson (who's probably more of a slot back when you look at his stats of 160 receiving yards, 2 TDs vs. nine runs for 30 yards), SO WR Jake Wallace (121 yards, 1 TD) and JR WR Casey Stewart (133 yards, 4 TDs). SO TE Austin Ward is basically a blocker, as he has yet to register a catch so far this season.
Up front for Shenandoah is a somewhat smaller, albeit experienced OL that includes the following players (according to last week's BX, there are no injury reports online for D3FB):
JR LT Brad Hoffman (6', 235)
SR LG Andrew Coffman (6'4", 285)
SR C Caleb Hutson (5'11", 225)
SR RG Jonathan Grammo (6'3", 300)
JR RT Michael Davidson (5'10", 220)
Overall this offense averages over 500 YPG and 53 PPG which is pretty impressive. To be fair, Shenandoah's opponents so far have a combined W/L record of 1-3.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Hornets are led by JR LB Tyler Williams with 15 tackles, two TFL and an INT. If there's a weakness to be exploited Saturday night is the fact that Shenandoah is susceptible to the pass. They've allowed almost 360 YPG passing and 27 PPG to opposing offenses.
On special teams the Hornets are led by FY PK Patrick Ritchie. He's converted one FG on the season and is 14-14 PATs. SO WR Brant Butler is Shenandoah's punter, averaging 39 YPP and has done a nice job pinning the opposition. Four of his six kicks have either ended up inside the 20 or have had to be fair caught.
The return game has the combination of Hudson (who has one PR for a TD so far already) and FY RB Rashadeen Byrd, Jr. The FY RB has one return for 56 yards, so Hobart will have to make sure their coverage squad is ready.
Keys to the Game:
1. Test the Shenandoah Secondary - JR QB Ryan Hofmann had a career day last weekend against SUNY-Morrisville and could put up similar stats against what looks like a relatively weak pass defense. The Hornets have only registered two sacks this season, so the Statesmen OL should be able to provide sufficient time on pass protection to allow JR WRs Jake Catalioto and Ray Conley to get open.
2. Get the Run Game Going - So far this season Hobart is averaging just under 60 rushing YPG. That stat has to improve in order for the Statesmen to balance out the offense.
3. "Beat Up" Bauserman - The Hornets offense is predicated on the 6'3" 220 lbs gunslinger. The Shenandoah OL has allowed only one sack so far on the season, so it's up to the Statesmen DL to change that Saturday night.
4. Protect the Football - Shenandoah's defense has been a takeaway machine with six INTs. Hobart may want to avoid SO DB Daquan Pridget, who's second on the team in tackles with 12 to go with three INTs. JR FS Nate Hill has good eyes and feet - he had a 100-yard pick six in Shenandoah's Week 1 win at Methodist (1-1).
Prediction
After a confidence building win last Saturday, Hobart (1-1) has good momentum going into this game. If last season's any indication, there's potential for a shootout, but I like the Statesmen defense to once again hold on late in the game.
I'll take Hobart to come away with a 42-28 win on Saturday night. While the Hornets do have a decent video feed, it's shot from pretty high up so don't expect a lot of close ups in this one. Please tweet us pictures @D3FBHuddle if you're at the game.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Assuming the game is allowed to happen as expected, it will be a rematch of last season's 56-30 win by the Statesmen in Geneva. Hobart and the Hornets combined for 44 points in the first half, with the visitors coming back to take a 23-21 lead into the break. The Statesmen would score on back-to-back possessions in the third and fourth quarters to put the game away. The Hobart run game ended up being the story of the night, as they out-gained Shenandoah 368 rushing yards to 69.
Scouting the Hornets
Shenandoah (2-0) is off to a good start, highlighted by preseason All-American SR QB Hayden Bauserman. Bauserman has already passed for 626 yards and nine TDs which is almost three times the Hornets' rushing output. Bauserman's favorite targets are SR RB Jalen Hudson (who's probably more of a slot back when you look at his stats of 160 receiving yards, 2 TDs vs. nine runs for 30 yards), SO WR Jake Wallace (121 yards, 1 TD) and JR WR Casey Stewart (133 yards, 4 TDs). SO TE Austin Ward is basically a blocker, as he has yet to register a catch so far this season.
Up front for Shenandoah is a somewhat smaller, albeit experienced OL that includes the following players (according to last week's BX, there are no injury reports online for D3FB):
JR LT Brad Hoffman (6', 235)
SR LG Andrew Coffman (6'4", 285)
SR C Caleb Hutson (5'11", 225)
SR RG Jonathan Grammo (6'3", 300)
JR RT Michael Davidson (5'10", 220)
Overall this offense averages over 500 YPG and 53 PPG which is pretty impressive. To be fair, Shenandoah's opponents so far have a combined W/L record of 1-3.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Hornets are led by JR LB Tyler Williams with 15 tackles, two TFL and an INT. If there's a weakness to be exploited Saturday night is the fact that Shenandoah is susceptible to the pass. They've allowed almost 360 YPG passing and 27 PPG to opposing offenses.
On special teams the Hornets are led by FY PK Patrick Ritchie. He's converted one FG on the season and is 14-14 PATs. SO WR Brant Butler is Shenandoah's punter, averaging 39 YPP and has done a nice job pinning the opposition. Four of his six kicks have either ended up inside the 20 or have had to be fair caught.
The return game has the combination of Hudson (who has one PR for a TD so far already) and FY RB Rashadeen Byrd, Jr. The FY RB has one return for 56 yards, so Hobart will have to make sure their coverage squad is ready.
Keys to the Game:
1. Test the Shenandoah Secondary - JR QB Ryan Hofmann had a career day last weekend against SUNY-Morrisville and could put up similar stats against what looks like a relatively weak pass defense. The Hornets have only registered two sacks this season, so the Statesmen OL should be able to provide sufficient time on pass protection to allow JR WRs Jake Catalioto and Ray Conley to get open.
2. Get the Run Game Going - So far this season Hobart is averaging just under 60 rushing YPG. That stat has to improve in order for the Statesmen to balance out the offense.
3. "Beat Up" Bauserman - The Hornets offense is predicated on the 6'3" 220 lbs gunslinger. The Shenandoah OL has allowed only one sack so far on the season, so it's up to the Statesmen DL to change that Saturday night.
4. Protect the Football - Shenandoah's defense has been a takeaway machine with six INTs. Hobart may want to avoid SO DB Daquan Pridget, who's second on the team in tackles with 12 to go with three INTs. JR FS Nate Hill has good eyes and feet - he had a 100-yard pick six in Shenandoah's Week 1 win at Methodist (1-1).
Prediction
After a confidence building win last Saturday, Hobart (1-1) has good momentum going into this game. If last season's any indication, there's potential for a shootout, but I like the Statesmen defense to once again hold on late in the game.
I'll take Hobart to come away with a 42-28 win on Saturday night. While the Hornets do have a decent video feed, it's shot from pretty high up so don't expect a lot of close ups in this one. Please tweet us pictures @D3FBHuddle if you're at the game.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Statesmen Await to Hear from Shenandoah
With several other mid-atlantic D3FB schools either outright cancelling or postponing their Week 3 games given the approach of Hurricane Florence, Hobart College football players, coaches and families await to hear whether or not there will be a game to play in Winchester, VA this Saturday night.
As of now VA is in a State of Emergency, but so far Shenandoah has only released a general announcement as far as preparedness is concerned, but that's about it as of today.
More news on this to follow.
We covered this news, as well as paid a 9/11 tribute to former Statesmen football player Andrew Glokin '93 in today's In the D3FB Huddle episode.
Stay tuned and go 'Bart!
As of now VA is in a State of Emergency, but so far Shenandoah has only released a general announcement as far as preparedness is concerned, but that's about it as of today.
More news on this to follow.
We covered this news, as well as paid a 9/11 tribute to former Statesmen football player Andrew Glokin '93 in today's In the D3FB Huddle episode.
Stay tuned and go 'Bart!
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Statesmen Break Mustangs, 62-24
JR QB Ryan Hofmann tied a school record with six TD passes Saturday for Hobart College's home opener. His favorite targets were JR WR Jake Catalioto and JR WR Ray Conley had three and two TDs, respectively. Hofmann finished the day 14-20 for 239 yards and was a big part in the Statesmen's setting a modern era scoring record in the process.
The Statesmen defense recovered well from last week, forcing four Morrisville turnovers. Hobart was led by SO OLB Emmett Forde and JR OLB David McCarthy with seven tackles each. SR DT Sean Moore had a great game, tallying four tackles and leading Hobart with two TFLs, a sack and a forced fumble.
SO PK Kyle Hackett remained perfect, hitting two FGs, one for 23 and another for 39 yards. He was also a perfect 7-7 on PATs. The final PAT was converted by FY PK Rob DiGregorio (according the BX, anyway). Hackett moved past my former team and roommate Matt Edwards into sixth place on the Statesmen's all-time FG's made list.
While it was a great all around day for Hobart, the run game still needs work. The Statesmen averaged 2.6 YPR, but they did get two rushing scores via FY RB Dante Kimbrough and FY QB David Krewson. FY WR De' John King got his first career TD on a 27-yard pass from Hofmann in the third quarter.
Hobart will travel to VA next week to take on Shenandoah University in a rare Saturday night game to face off against former DC Scott Yoder '01. More on that game early next week, but for now, congratulations to Coach DeWall '00 on his first career win as HC!
The Statesmen defense recovered well from last week, forcing four Morrisville turnovers. Hobart was led by SO OLB Emmett Forde and JR OLB David McCarthy with seven tackles each. SR DT Sean Moore had a great game, tallying four tackles and leading Hobart with two TFLs, a sack and a forced fumble.
SO PK Kyle Hackett remained perfect, hitting two FGs, one for 23 and another for 39 yards. He was also a perfect 7-7 on PATs. The final PAT was converted by FY PK Rob DiGregorio (according the BX, anyway). Hackett moved past my former team and roommate Matt Edwards into sixth place on the Statesmen's all-time FG's made list.
While it was a great all around day for Hobart, the run game still needs work. The Statesmen averaged 2.6 YPR, but they did get two rushing scores via FY RB Dante Kimbrough and FY QB David Krewson. FY WR De' John King got his first career TD on a 27-yard pass from Hofmann in the third quarter.
Hobart will travel to VA next week to take on Shenandoah University in a rare Saturday night game to face off against former DC Scott Yoder '01. More on that game early next week, but for now, congratulations to Coach DeWall '00 on his first career win as HC!
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Week 2 - Morrisville State Game Preview
After just getting back from a very hot, but fun, weekend in Upstate, NY, I don't really have much to say about the Brockport game. I decided to pass on writing a recap on it as I think it was well covered in our live In the D3FB Huddle game day pre-and-post-game shows. I wish I had more time to visit with and meet more of the current Statesmen's families (I did enjoy speaking with a few here and there over the weekend) and spend more time with the coaches, but it was a pretty hectic day and weekend for everyone.
The link to the Hobart recap on the game can be seen here. While I credit the team to fighting through adversity and avoiding a shutout thanks to SR TE Matt Woods TD; in terms of losses, yes, this is right up there as one of the worst in recent memory.
While the 47-7 loss to St. Thomas in the 2012 national quarterfinals was lopsided, you'd really have to go back to 1988-90 to find a Statesmen defense that gave up over 50 points in a game. Needless to say I think the SUNY-Morrisville Mustangs will be a more feasible match-up, but certainly no push-over, for the Statesmen.
Last season the Mustangs finished 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the Empire 8 with a team that reportedly struggled with a great deal of injuries. A lot of those players are healed and back this season, and so they welcomed as many as 15 returning starters - eight on offense and seven on defense - coming in to 2018. Let's take a look at them and this week's home opener:
Scouting the Mustangs
The Statesmen and Mustangs will meet for the very first time, which is kind of surprising given the schools are only 84 miles apart from one another. SUNY-Morrisville opened their 2018 season with a 34-13 win over Norwich University (0-1) from the NEWMAC in Vermont. SR QB Brandon Gwinner had a big day, passing for 316 yards and four TDs. Gwinner spread the ball around, hitting four different receivers multiple times led by big SR TE Petrit Boga for 91 yards and a TD. At 6' 2" 240 lbs #5 is easy to see but he got behind the Cadets defense on a 58-yard pass and score late in the game. SR WR Raffaele Bradshaw, JR WR Jermaine Cooper and FY WR Toure Hall, Jr. combined for 190 yards and three TDs.
Helping balance the offensive attack was bulky SR RB Nick Edmond who at 5' 10" 243 lbs is a load to bring down. He carried the ball 22 times for 113 rushing yards while being spelled by classmate SR RB Darrell West who added 45 yards on 11 carries. Leading the way for these runners will likely be JR FB Jeffrey Carozza (who tips the scales at 280 lbs!).
These offensive specialists are protected by an experienced line that features SR OL Marcus Thompson (6'3" 290), JR OL Zach Hutchinson (6'1" 305), JR OL Tyler Elmore (6'1" 365) and SR OL Niko Cejic (6'2" 255). This group won the LOS overall, but they did give up two sacks last Saturday and saw the Cadets manage six TFL for -21 yards and a forced fumble.
Defensively the Mustangs were led by JR LB Taylor Avanzato with seven total tackles. Overall Morrisville's defense held Norwich to 215 total yards, particularly due to only allowing two of 12 on third down conversions in the game. Although he only had three tackles in Saturday's game, SO SS Jose Garcia is considered one of the Mustangs' best overall athletes. JR S Mike Bodnar had six tackles against Norwich from the weak side. SO CB Deondrade Wells is considered Morrisville's top cover corner, but he will be at a size disadvantage (5'9" 163) compared to some of Hobart's taller WRs. JR DL Jermaine Rankine and SR DL Jordan Robinson bring experience to the interior of the defense, but they are on the smaller side at only 230 and 247 lbs, respectively.
One area where the Mustangs are a bit weak is in the kicking game. FY PK Zan Stewart was only 2-5 with a long of 36 on FGs Saturday, but he went 4-4 on PATs. He averaged 57.1 yards PKO, but did land one out of bounds. Morrisville didn't attempt a punt in the game.
Keys to the Game:
1. Sustain Drives - Nobody on the Statesmen OL had a good game last Saturday, even returning All-LL SR OL John Deveney was beaten regularly throughout the game by the #5 Golden Eagles rushers. If Hobart is to once again to be without leading rusher SO RB Dakota Harvey and receiver JR WR John DelliSanti, then the Statesmen will need to find other ways to move the chains. Norwich had similar struggles on offense against Morrisville in Week 1, losing the TOP battle by a 34-26 margin because of it.
2. Make Gwinner a Loser - The Hobart defense had zero sacks and, even more telling, zero QB hits last weekend. While SO OLB Emmett Forde and SO DE Zach Rudolph did have one TFL each, the Statesmen will need to apply a lot more pressure to defend their home turf Saturday.
3. Play All Four Downs - If it comes down to the kicking game, the Statesmen have a big advantage. It wouldn't surprise me given Morrisville's FG kicking issues we could see the Mustangs go for it more often on fourth down, so the Hobart defense needs to be ready.
4. Stay Confident - It seems like all the wind went out of the Hobart sideline after the first play, 77-yard Brockport TD last weekend. This young team, which is going through a lot of personnel changes as the coaching staff works with the roster, needs to keep it's heads' up. SUNY-Morrisville will be very excited to get a shot at Hobart and a win over the Statesmen would be a big feather in their cap as they get ready for E8 play. Last season they barely lost to Union, so the Mustangs will be confident they can win on Saturday. While I know Hobart fans were a bit stunned by last weekend's result, the Mustangs aren't on Brockport's level. With a large home crowd, filled with alums from multiple decades in attendance, there should be a lot of positive vibes for the Statesmen to latch onto and run with Saturday.
Prediction:
I think this game will be more of an offensive shootout than a defensive struggle given the experience Morrisville has at OL, WR and RB. Their SR TE will present some match-up problems also, but I do think the Statesmen can come out on top, and will, by the score of 34-28.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
The link to the Hobart recap on the game can be seen here. While I credit the team to fighting through adversity and avoiding a shutout thanks to SR TE Matt Woods TD; in terms of losses, yes, this is right up there as one of the worst in recent memory.
While the 47-7 loss to St. Thomas in the 2012 national quarterfinals was lopsided, you'd really have to go back to 1988-90 to find a Statesmen defense that gave up over 50 points in a game. Needless to say I think the SUNY-Morrisville Mustangs will be a more feasible match-up, but certainly no push-over, for the Statesmen.
Last season the Mustangs finished 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the Empire 8 with a team that reportedly struggled with a great deal of injuries. A lot of those players are healed and back this season, and so they welcomed as many as 15 returning starters - eight on offense and seven on defense - coming in to 2018. Let's take a look at them and this week's home opener:
Scouting the Mustangs
The Statesmen and Mustangs will meet for the very first time, which is kind of surprising given the schools are only 84 miles apart from one another. SUNY-Morrisville opened their 2018 season with a 34-13 win over Norwich University (0-1) from the NEWMAC in Vermont. SR QB Brandon Gwinner had a big day, passing for 316 yards and four TDs. Gwinner spread the ball around, hitting four different receivers multiple times led by big SR TE Petrit Boga for 91 yards and a TD. At 6' 2" 240 lbs #5 is easy to see but he got behind the Cadets defense on a 58-yard pass and score late in the game. SR WR Raffaele Bradshaw, JR WR Jermaine Cooper and FY WR Toure Hall, Jr. combined for 190 yards and three TDs.
Helping balance the offensive attack was bulky SR RB Nick Edmond who at 5' 10" 243 lbs is a load to bring down. He carried the ball 22 times for 113 rushing yards while being spelled by classmate SR RB Darrell West who added 45 yards on 11 carries. Leading the way for these runners will likely be JR FB Jeffrey Carozza (who tips the scales at 280 lbs!).
These offensive specialists are protected by an experienced line that features SR OL Marcus Thompson (6'3" 290), JR OL Zach Hutchinson (6'1" 305), JR OL Tyler Elmore (6'1" 365) and SR OL Niko Cejic (6'2" 255). This group won the LOS overall, but they did give up two sacks last Saturday and saw the Cadets manage six TFL for -21 yards and a forced fumble.
Defensively the Mustangs were led by JR LB Taylor Avanzato with seven total tackles. Overall Morrisville's defense held Norwich to 215 total yards, particularly due to only allowing two of 12 on third down conversions in the game. Although he only had three tackles in Saturday's game, SO SS Jose Garcia is considered one of the Mustangs' best overall athletes. JR S Mike Bodnar had six tackles against Norwich from the weak side. SO CB Deondrade Wells is considered Morrisville's top cover corner, but he will be at a size disadvantage (5'9" 163) compared to some of Hobart's taller WRs. JR DL Jermaine Rankine and SR DL Jordan Robinson bring experience to the interior of the defense, but they are on the smaller side at only 230 and 247 lbs, respectively.
One area where the Mustangs are a bit weak is in the kicking game. FY PK Zan Stewart was only 2-5 with a long of 36 on FGs Saturday, but he went 4-4 on PATs. He averaged 57.1 yards PKO, but did land one out of bounds. Morrisville didn't attempt a punt in the game.
Keys to the Game:
1. Sustain Drives - Nobody on the Statesmen OL had a good game last Saturday, even returning All-LL SR OL John Deveney was beaten regularly throughout the game by the #5 Golden Eagles rushers. If Hobart is to once again to be without leading rusher SO RB Dakota Harvey and receiver JR WR John DelliSanti, then the Statesmen will need to find other ways to move the chains. Norwich had similar struggles on offense against Morrisville in Week 1, losing the TOP battle by a 34-26 margin because of it.
2. Make Gwinner a Loser - The Hobart defense had zero sacks and, even more telling, zero QB hits last weekend. While SO OLB Emmett Forde and SO DE Zach Rudolph did have one TFL each, the Statesmen will need to apply a lot more pressure to defend their home turf Saturday.
3. Play All Four Downs - If it comes down to the kicking game, the Statesmen have a big advantage. It wouldn't surprise me given Morrisville's FG kicking issues we could see the Mustangs go for it more often on fourth down, so the Hobart defense needs to be ready.
4. Stay Confident - It seems like all the wind went out of the Hobart sideline after the first play, 77-yard Brockport TD last weekend. This young team, which is going through a lot of personnel changes as the coaching staff works with the roster, needs to keep it's heads' up. SUNY-Morrisville will be very excited to get a shot at Hobart and a win over the Statesmen would be a big feather in their cap as they get ready for E8 play. Last season they barely lost to Union, so the Mustangs will be confident they can win on Saturday. While I know Hobart fans were a bit stunned by last weekend's result, the Mustangs aren't on Brockport's level. With a large home crowd, filled with alums from multiple decades in attendance, there should be a lot of positive vibes for the Statesmen to latch onto and run with Saturday.
Prediction:
I think this game will be more of an offensive shootout than a defensive struggle given the experience Morrisville has at OL, WR and RB. Their SR TE will present some match-up problems also, but I do think the Statesmen can come out on top, and will, by the score of 34-28.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
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