Little did I realize that in the fall, we Hobart College Football fans would be treated to several games that were as good, if not better than some of the ones on my "Best 20" list. Let's look back on this great season and the various ups and downs it presented.
First, a little bit of context...
2015
After a dominant 41-5 run between 2011-14, the Hobart Football program was humbled in 2015, ending the year with a 7-3 overall record. Injuries led to a QB change against #24 Ithaca and the Statesmen committed six turnovers in a 24-6 loss. A couple of weeks later a healthier but overconfident Statesmen squad saw the wheels fall off in what was a shocking 35-13 loss to Springfield (who was only 3-2 at the time). The following week Hobart would lose to RPI 21-20 after coming back and scoring on the final play of the game (a Shane Sweeney to Zach Withers 21-yd TD pass), but the GW 2PT conversion attempt was picked off by Engineers DB Phil Lanieri III.
Hobart would rebound and win their final three games, blowing out Union and Rochester and upsetting then #25 SLU on the final play of the game - a Cooper Merrill 4-yd TD catch that was controversial, but ultimately went to Hobart because of the rules regarding simultaneous possession.
Enter the 2016 season....
Week 1 - @ Brockport
My preseason preview was optimistic but tempered. The Statesmen were picked to finish first in the LL coach's preseason poll and since I wrote the preview for D3football.com's LL teams, I am pretty sure I picked them to win the conference also.
The season opener was against a nearby but unfamiliar Brockport team that was on the rise. It ended up being an offensive shootout that had 11 lead changes if my math is correct. Hobart trailed 28-21 with 14:06 to go in the game until Brandon Shed caught an 75-yard TD bomb to tie it back up one play later. Brockport and Shed would score again to make it 35-35 with 7:05 remaining.
Although the Golden Eagles would break off a 27-yard run on their next play from scrimmage, the Statesmen D was able to shut down Brockport and force a punt that Hobart would receive at their own 12 yard line with 4:05 left in the contest.
Shane Sweeney found Sean Cunningham for a 23-yard play and some breathing room to get out of the shadow of the Hobart end zone. The big play of the drive however came on a 3rd and 4 from the Statesmen's 43 yard line. Ty Barfield was open and made a 42-yard play that had Hobart with a chance to win the game from the Brockport 15.
The Statesmen ran a couple of run plays and were facing a 3rd and 5 with 1:38 left when the Golden Eagles called a time out. Brockport lost their composure in the clutch and got called for a penalty giving Hobart a critical 1st down. The next play Joe Letizia ran it in for the game winning score with under 2 minutes to go.
Although the Golden Eagles would have a last chance with 1:24 remaining, the Statesmen defense held giving Hobart an exciting 41-35 comeback victory. A few interviews and highlights from this game can be seen here.
Weeks 2 and 3 saw the Statesmen easily defeat Endicott and Ithaca by a combined score of 65-23. In the latter game, Hobart held the Bombers to only 3 points.
Week 4 - vs. Union
The LL opener saw the 3-0 Statesmen trail the 1-2 Dutchmen for most of the game. It wasn't until Brandon Shed scored his second TD of the game - an 8-yard pass from Shane Sweeney - that Hobart had a 19-17 lead with 2:01 left in the 3rd. Union would retake the lead, 23-19, with 6:33 remaining on a 1-yard TD run. Tommy D'Antonio would intercept the 2-pt pass attempt and run it back 98 yards to clip the Dutchmen's lead to 23-21.
Hobart had a good KO return and had the ball on their own 31 yard line with 6:26 remaining in the game. Sweeney would spread the ball around between Shed, Barfield, Cunningham and Jack Pfohl. The Statesmen advanced to the Union 16 yard line and, on a 3rd and 1, dodged a bullet.
Sweeney's rush attempt was stuffed, losing 4 yards and he fumbled the ball. Luckily for Hobart, Sweeney was able to recover it quickly, but it left the game in the balance with a 4th and 8 from the Union 23 after the recovery.
With the game on the line, Sweeney found Shed for his third TD of the game, giving the Statesmen a 27-23 lead with 2:16 remaining. For the second time in the young season, the defense would have to close it out.
Although the Dutchmen did advance to the Hobart 36 yard line, the defensive stand was good and Hobart won the game, 27-23, to improve to 4-0. You can see the highlights of this game here.
Week 5 - vs. Merchant Marine
The Mariners looked to play spoiler in their final LL match-up against the Statesmen, and they nearly pulled it off. The Statesmen defense struggled early on against the USMMA triple option rushing attack and Hobart fell into a 10-0 hole by the end of the 1st quarter.
A couple of TD passes to Pfohl and Cunningham, the latter coming with only two seconds on the clock, gave Hobart a 14-10 halftime lead. The 3rd quarter went to Hobart given a Shed receiving TD and the defense holding the USMMA to only a FG. The Mariners would retake the lead, 28-21, after a 22-yard TD run. Credit the Statesmen, who battled back to regain a 31-28 advantage, after a FG and another Shed TD catch.
Trailing 31-28, the Mariners went on a 12-play, 75 yard drive that took 3:20 off the clock. USMMA QB Robert "Bryce" Moore would cap it with a 5-yd TD run to give the Mariners a 35-31 lead with only 54 seconds left in the game.
What happened next was something special.
A couple of short and quick Sweeney passes got the Statesmen to their 43 yard line with 36 seconds remaining. An incomplete pass to Cunningham would stop the clock once again with 30 seconds left. On the ensuing play, Sweeney found Pfohl who outrun the coverage and score the GW TD with only 19 seconds left.
While the Mariners did have one last chance, Hobart forced a fumble and hung on for the amazing 35-31 win to improve to 5-0. An interview with Pfohl and highlights from this incredible game can be seen here.
Week 6 @ RPI
In a bit of a revenge game from the 2015 one-point loss, the Statesmen and Engineers slugged it out in a defensive battle for most of this one. Hobart looked good early, leading RPI 10-0 thanks to a Pfohl TD catch and Sean Kirshe FG. The second half the Engineers turned the tables, taking a 14-10 lead with 9:08 remaining. Part of the reason for this lead was the Statesmen's first of several critical 4th quarter mistakes. A roughing the kicker penalty, on an otherwise missed 37-yard FG, gave RPI new life with a 1st and goal from the 10. They would score on that drive and take the lead on what should have been a stop for the defense.
Although Hobart did stall on it's next drive, turning the ball over at the Engineers 24 yard line, the defense forced a punt and Cunningham gave Hobart another chance to comeback after a short return to the Statesmen 40 yard line.
Sweeney leaned on Cunningham for most of the drive, but ultimately it would be Matthew Woods who caught what appeared to be the go-ahead and GW TD with 1:12 left. With a 17-14 lead, a series of critical errors would cost Hobart the game (and have ramifications into the post-season).
While it's not specifically listed in the box score, Kirshe of all people would get called for a personal foul (face mask) on the ensuing kickoff that the Engineers returned 34 yards to the RPI 49 yard line. First off, clearly the KO coverage was poor, and it was a double-whammy that an additional 15 yards was tacked on due to the foul. All of a sudden, a 3-point Hobart lead was in jeopardy given the Engineers having a 1st and 10 from the Hobart 36 with 1:04 remaining - plenty of time for RPI to either tie and force OT, or win the game. Second, how does a PK end up getting this call? Perhaps he was provoked, but regardless, this was a couple of huge mistakes at a critical juncture that showed a lack of composure on behalf of the special teams unit.
The Statesmen defense was on it's heels at first, giving up two quick first downs in only three plays, setting up an Engineers 1st and goal from the 9. Todd Collier would sack RPI QB Ed Trimpert (really the pocket collapsed and he tripped forward) on a CB blitz to force the Engineers to call at timeout with 33 seconds left.
The next play was a roller coaster moment for Hobart fans.
Marcus Jemison appeared to have saved the Statesmen with an timely INT of Trimpert. On the other hand, Almamy Conde committed a fairly obvious DPI play which negated the turnover. Conde was in coverage against a quicker slot back from RPI and while he tried to make a play, he hit the receiver / jumped a second too soon when he batted the ball down (which he did, effectively assisting Jemison get the pick). You can see it here at the 2 hr 44 min mark of this RPI TV archive.
The result was a 1st and goal from the 5 which Trimpert ran in on the next play, another penalty was called on Hobart after the TD and so the ball ended up being kicked off from the 50, negating any chance of a Statesmen return. Notice a theme here at the end of the game? No comment.
While Sweeney did complete one pass to Brad Burns to get Hobart to their own 40 yd-line, it was too little time left and after one last incompletion, the Statesmen fell, 21-17 and 5-1 overall.
Week 8 vs. Springfield
After what must have been a really long bye week, the Statesmen were humbled, but still hungry. The Pride coming to town may have actually been the perfect opponent due to the prior season's humiliating loss at Springfield. The Pride and Statesmen defenses set the tone early and it was basically a defensive battle all afternoon.
Hobart trailed 7-6 (after a missed PAT on Brad Burns' rushing TD) going into halftime and all the way until the 1:47 remaining mark. Here's how ugly this one was, after the Burns TD, the Statesmen offensive possessions went: Downs, Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt and INT.
The Hobart defense rose to the occasion, forcing the Pride to turn it over on 4th and 9 from the Statesmen 32. With 6:11 remaining and trailing by 1, the Hobart offense would have to overcome some holding penalties to set up a game-breaking play.
On a 3rd and 17, from their own 25, Brandon Shed would haul in a 47-yard pass from Sweeney to give the Statesmen a 1st down at the Pride 28. After a 5-yard Burns run and short pass to Zach Withers, Hobart faced a fourth and 2 with the game (and season) on the line.
While the Pride defense dug in. the Statesmen OL won the LOS and Burns powered ahead for two yards, to earn a hard fought 1st down. Perhaps that took the wind out of their sails, because the Pride defense gave up an 18-yard GW TD to Shed on the next play.
Coach Cragg went for the jugular and it worked. Kirsche delivered a good onside kick and Brian Haeffner secured the ball to give the Statesmen the 12-7 victory. Highlights from this game can be seen here.
Week 9 @ WPI
There was no rest for the weary, as Hobart made the long drive down I-90 to Worcester to take on WPI (who had beaten RPI in Week 8, 19-7). The Engineers led 7-0 early but Hobart responded with a short Brandon Shed TD catch and a punt block returned for a TD by Marcus Jemison to take a 14-7 halftime lead.
WPI would regain the lead after a FG and a 55 yard pass burnt the Statesmen secondary to make it 17-14 with 3:09 left in the 3rd quarter. From there it became an aerial back and forth affair.
Jack Pfohl would score on a 25 yard TD to make it 21-17 Hobart, only to see the Engineers respond with a 33-yard score. Down 24-21, the Statesmen would embark on a 10 play, 83-yard drive that was capped by a Sweeney to Shed 13-yard TD catch to make it 28-24 Hobart with only 1:41 remaining.
While Statesmen fans may have thought that was it, WPI clearly felt otherwise. The Engineers went 68 yards in only 1:12, scoring on a Eccher to Eckler TD pass with only 22 seconds left. The home crowd was ecstatic - but not for long.
A short kickoff was fielded by James Hedger, who normally is a wedge blocker. To Hedger's credit, he rumbled ahead for 12 yards to the Hobart 42. With only 18 seconds left, the Statesmen offense took the field to try to pull off another cardiac ending.
Sweeney found Pfohl on the first play from scrimmage for 23 yards. After a timeout and only 13 seconds left, Sweeney found Joe Barrocas for 17 yards to push the ball to the WPI 18 yard line. Coach Cragg would take a final timeout with only three seconds left.
Although it wasn't as long a play, Pfohl once again scored a GW TD in the final seconds to help lift Hobart to an improbable 35-31 win. Sitting at 7-1, the Statesmen would face 8-0 and #13/16 SLU the following weekend for a chance to win the LL title and NCAA playoff berth.
Week 10 @ SLU
Although this game was close for the majority of it, the Statesmen really only trailed by 3 points for parts of the first half. After Sweeney found Shed and Pfohl for short passing TDs late in the 2nd quarter, Hobart basically never looked back.
To be fair, the Saints did rally somewhat, pulling within two points, 20-18, after forcing a safety and scoring a TD with 1:34 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The fourth quarter was all Hobart however, as Barrocas and Pfohl punctuated the 34-18 "upset" win over SLU.
Week 11 was a Senior Day, 56-27 blowout over Rochester to clinch the LL title, another NCAA playoff berth and the Centennial Cup. Hobart led 40-7 at halftime and six Statesmen players scored TDs, including #36 SR FB Sean Bright in his final regular season game.
2016 Postseason
Sunday, November 13th I attended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Chicago Bears game at Raymond James Stadium with my then-girlfriend, future-wife Jenn. The Bucs won convincingly, 36-10, breaking a two-game losing streak and keeping them alive in the NFL playoff hunt. We had a celebratory dinner back at the Marpet household afterwards and I was, let's just say, enjoying myself throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
Around 6 PM, Frank Rossi and I did a live show for In the HuddLLe - this was our last year of just covering the LL primarily - and as a "radio" podcast that night Frank was calling in from his home in NY, the NCAA from Indy and I called in from my phone on the porch in Tampa. Needless to say I was at a loss for words / couldn't get them out (not one of my better times on air) when we interviewed the NCAA Committee Chair about Hobart's selection to the tournament and having to host the defending National Champions, Mount Union.
To say Hobart was screwed is an understatement, and we pretty much confirmed the same from the NCAA in our interview that night. It was "just one of those things" given the fact MU was upset by conference rival John Carroll in Week 11 and they "had to put the Raiders somewhere."
The Statesmen were to blame in a way also, because the loss to RPI (who ended the regular season at 5-5) ultimately sealed their fate. If Hobart hadn't self-destructed at the end and won that game, they would have been better "protected" via a higher seed. Hindsight is 20:20, and as WEOS PBP man Ted Baker said repeatedly over the 2016 season, the Statesmen could have easily been 5-5 as 9-1 or 10-0 based on how many close games and comebacks that they were in.
At the end of the day, Hobart acquitted itself well against the Raiders, coming back from a 21-7 deficit to tie the game with 5:15 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The 21 points scored by the Statesmen that game ended up being tied for the 3rd highest allowed by the MU defense that season. The Raiders ultimately were defeated 14-12 by eventual 2016 National Champions, University of Mary-Hardin Baylor, their first NC in program history.
Final Thoughts
What a ride.
I hope you enjoyed revisiting this historic season as much as I did. While none of us suspected this would be Hobart's last LL title and NCAA run since (although to their credit, the 2019 Statesmen did match this team's 9-2 record and accomplished a postseason win, which alluded the 2016 one), there are some lessons to be learned from this season.
Ultimately why the 2016 season was so successful is these Statesmen were able to create an identity separate from the "glory days" of the 2012-14 teams. They found an offense that had multiple receiving threats - while Shed and Sweeney got the All-American accolades, and justly so, in my opinion Pfohl and Cunningham were probably the MVPs of this team - a defense that could close games and make big plays and a reliable special teams unit (save for a few seconds in Week 6).
Hopefully the 2020 Statesmen will be able to take lessons from this group - fighting to the very end, how critical playing smart on EVERY play of the game is and never underestimating an opponent - but do so from lenses / perspectives that works with the identity they'll form this season.
Each team is unique and Team 127 will certainly be as well. Wishing everyone the best during these strange and unsettling times.
Thanks as always for reading (hey, we cracked 270K!) and go 'Bart!
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