2022 Season Retrospective

The 2022 season was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Hobart College Football fans. A relatively younger team compared to many in the Liberty League, the Statesmen were predicted to finish third in conference and based on the final standings (7-4, 4-2), did exactly that.

That said many Statesmen alums and others thought this team had more potential than that, but injuries, some personnel issues and bad breaks ended up keeping Hobart from going back to the NCAA playoffs for the fifth season in a row. 

15 Statesmen earned All-League recognition and Hobart finished the year ranked third in total offense (28.5 PPG) and total defense (14.8 PPG allowed). A good deal for the Statesmen's success (and lack thereof) was based on the legs of JR RBs Tim Denham, Jr. and Rayshawn Boswell. Unfortunately their numbers dropped precipitously this season due to health issues, as Denham and Boswell only averaged 71.2 and 45.9 YPG respectively but scored a combined 17 rushing TDs. 

Statesmen Standouts

The passing game was hit and miss, but SO WR Rane Daramola emerged as a new receiving threat, catching 18 passes for over 400 yards and a team-high 4 TDs. Honestly Daramola's 58-yard game winning TD catch against Union with 2:10 remaining was probably the biggest play and highlight of the 2022 season for Hobart.

On the defensive side of things, SO LB Anthony Romano had a fantastic season, leading the Statesmen with 88 total tackles, while adding 10.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 INTs (including the pick six in the ECAC Bowl game at W&J). Classmate SO LB Peterson Monexant also had a strong year, finishing the season with 66 stops, 11 TFL, 4 sacks and an INT. 

On special teams, both FY PK Vicente Lyon and SO PK Tobias Wefering had solid seasons. Lyon finished third in the LL in net punting average. Wefering will need to improve on accuracy as he went 6-12 on FGs with a long of 39.

Looking Back

Based on the Senior Day photos, it looks like Hobart will lose at least 12 players to graduation. Some names who were missing (and/or were recognized last year) included QB David Krewson and DB Jay McCoy. McCoy was second on the team in tackles (82) this season. Krewson finished his Hobart career with 3,568 passing yards and 23 passing, 7 rushing and 1 receiving TD.

Also finishing up their careers as 5th YR SRs included WR Alex LaBella and DE Kyle Spano. LaBella had 53 receptions for 662 yards and 4 TDs over his playing career. Spano had a total of 58 tackles, including 11.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 2 FF, and 1 FR. 

The players who were recognized on Senior Day included the following:

SR DB Blake Hansen - an outstanding safety for Hobart who was the MVP of last year's ECAC Bowl win. He has a year of eligibility left but appears to have played his final season. He will be tough to replace in the defensive secondary. 

SR QBs Kieran Hamilton & Joseph Pelletier - both appeared in a handful of games over the years. I had the pleasure of meeting Joe at Halsey's the night before the Rochester game. 

JR LS Jordan O'Connor - a true specialist for Hobart, serving as the long-snapper on punts, FG, etc.

JR DL Jack Daley - a converted LB, Daley rotated in on the DL over the past two seasons. 

SR LB Vito Visconti - big and tough ILB that rotated in Hobart's very deep and athletic LB corps.

SR DL Naj Johnson - huge interior DL who was a valued run-stuffer and pass rusher. Struggled with injuries over his career but was an impact player when healthy. 

SR OL Kieran Paskewitz, Ben Frank & Cade Frucci - a core group of Hobart's starting OL in 2021 and 2022. Paskewitz earned All-Region honors in 2021 and was consistently ranked as the Statesmen's top OL. Frank was a huge run blocker who often got flagged for being a little too aggressive at times, but it was clear the coaches didn't mind, because he started at LT for an extended run. Frucci switched from guard to tackle this season and was a key anchor to the Hobart run and pass game.

SR TE Mike Zaccone - two-time team captain, Zaccone didn't get a lot of opportunities in the passing game but finished his career with a couple of TDs and was a big reason why the Statesmen's rushing attack was always the strength of the offense.

SR TE Cade Cecere - my "neighbor" here in Orlando, Cade was converted from OL to TE and like Zaccone, was a strong run blocker. 

Looking Ahead

There will be some holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but 2023 should be another season of potentially good things in store for Hobart Football. Sure, the Statesmen will need to get some new starters on the OL and see if SO QB Johnny Columbi is the man of the future in running the offense. I know there are two FY QBs on the roster (including Tabor Engle from my hometown of Avon, CT), so this will be a position battle of interest in the off-season. On the flip side, Hobart brings back a large amount of defensive and special teams' talent, not to mention the one-two punch of Boswell and Denham, Jr.

The 2023 schedule could present some changes given the addition of the Landmark Conference to D3FB and the fact they made an alliance with the Empire 8. This puts LL teams at a scheduling disadvantage, but it could also mean we as fans may get to see Hobart square off against teams from other parts of the nation we normally wouldn't otherwise (except for maybe in the playoffs or a bowl game). 

Otherwise, I'll post as recruiting or other relevant news pops up. Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Turnovers Sink Statesmen in Bushnell Bowl, 35-18

The Hobart College Statesmen saw a dropped pass on 4th down, an INT and a blocked punt result in a disastrous 2nd quarter that ultimately led to a 35-18 loss to Washington & Jefferson College in yesterday's Asa Bushnell ECAC Bowl game. W&J (9-2) capitalized on all these Hobart errors, cashing in to build a 35-12 lead at the half.

Not that you'd want to, but you can read the HWSAthletics.com recap of the game here.

The loss drops the Statesmen to 7-4 overall and it's the second time in the last four seasons Hobart has lost 4 games. Prior to 2018, the Statesmen's worst season was a 5-4 campaign in 2010.

It was also Hobart's first ever ECAC bowl loss, having won last season and all the way back in 2003. At the end of the day, the Statesmen were consistently inconsistent this year and it showed in games like yesterdays. The offense had its moments, and for the first time all season the defense was really undressed, but mostly due to the turnovers and short fields than anything.

Fortunately, Hobart should bring back a strong core of upperclassmen who hopefully can continue to build upon this year's successes. With players like JR RBs Rayshawn Boswell and Tim Denham, Jr. coming back on offense and SO LB Anthony Romano (who had a pick six against W&J and really should have been the LL DPOTY) coming back, there's a lot to be optimistic about.

I'll have a more complete season retrospective in the next couple of days. While the W&J broadcast was fantastic, there wasn't much to be happy about as a Hobart fan after the 1st quarter.

This one will sting for a bit, but we'll be back.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

ECAC Asa S. Bushnell Bowl (II) - Washington & Jefferson Game Preview

For the second year in a row, the Hobart College Football Statesmen have been selected by the ECAC and will look to effectively defend last season's Bushnell Bowl Championship against the Washington & Jefferson Presidents. W&J (8-2, 6-2), not unlike the Statesmen, were a few plays away from a conference championship but still notched some impressive wins over #21 John Carroll (35-26), Westminster (17-14) and Grove City (31-14) this season.

Hobart (7-3, 4-2) technically got placed above two teams (Morrisville and RPI) in the seedings they lost to head-to-head (RPI also had a better overall LL conference record) but has to go on the road once again for their third straight postseason bowl game trip since 2019. The good news is Hobart is 3-0 in those games, and 2-0 in ECAC Bowl games, including their first one which goes all the way back to 2003.

As previously stated, it's been 80 years since these two teams have faced off. The Statesmen's 0-2 series record against W&J is a bit irrelevant based on the amount of time that's passed since they last played. That said the Presidents have had mixed results against LL and E8 teams in prior ECAC Bowl games, including last season's 20-7 loss at Brockport. They won 20-17 at Ithaca in 2019 and won 38-31 over Brockport in 2016 at Franklin Field (a year in which the ECAC's were held at UPenn's football stadium). W&J last went to the NCAAs in 2017 and 2018, beating Johns Hopkins in 2017 before losing to (now D2) Frostburg State. They lost to Centre in the first round of the 2018 playoffs.

Scouting the Presidents

Like many teams in the post-COVID season, W&J has a large senior class, so they bring a lot of experience to the table. Speaking of experience, the Presidents are coached by HC Mike Sirianni who's in his 20th season at W&J. Sirianni played at Mount Union ('94) and has an all-time record of 175-42, which is good for an 80.65 winning percentage, one of the best in the nation, at any level. If his last name sounds familiar, yes, he is the older brother of Philadelphia Eagles HC Nick Sirianni. 

The Presidents are a very balanced team on offense, having called 347 rushing and 355 passing plays on the season. W&J has used two QBs this season, starting off with JR QB Colton Jones, but it appears that SO QB Jacob Pugh has assumed the starting job going back to around the Westminster game.

Both have similar stats, completing more than 60% of their passes and throwing 11/12 TDs compared to 6 INTs, respectively. In the running game, the Pugh leads the Presidents with 7 rushing TDs. SO RB Raymond Holmes is a stocky (5' 10", 220 lbs.) runner who leads W&J with 485 rushing yards and 5 TDs.

The Presidents' leading receiver is FY WR John Peduzzi, one of several younger WRs on the roster having an impact this season. Peduzzi has caught 50 passes for 813 yard and 6 TDs. Overall, W&J likes to spread the ball around, with TDs going to a dozen different receivers for the season. 

Defensively, the Presidents are led by JR LB Justin Johns with 87 total tackles, with 3.5 TFL, a sack and an INT. In the secondary, the guy to keep an eye on is SR DB Tyler Sabo who's used his size (6'2" 200 lbs) and skill to lead the team with 4 INTs. Overall, it appears as though W&J is +6 in TOM, so Hobart would do well to protect the football.

On special teams, FY PK Deven Wyandt handles KOs (59.2 YPKO average), FGs (4-7 with a long of 38 yards) and punting (35.4 YPP average) duties. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Establish the Run (to Take Some Shots): The Presidents have a very strong rushing defense, allowing less than 3 yards per carry on the season and only 4 rushing TDs over 10 games. CMU was able to crack the 100-yard threshold in their win over W&J, carrying the ball 38 times. Case Western had little success running against the Presidents, but instead were able to set up enough play action (via 31 rush attempts) to have success in the passing game, going 23-35 for 302 yards and 2 TDs. While I don't expect 5th YR SR QB David Krewson to drop back 35 times, he can use his athleticism to extend plays and take some well-timed shots down the field. 

2. Bend Don't Break: On the defensive side of the ball, the Statesmen will need to find a way to hold a powerful W&J offense which averages just over 415 YPG and 37.9 PPG below those marks. A couple of teams have accomplished that this season, including CMU & CWRU who held the Presidents to 7 and 10 points, respectively. Keeping it a lower scoring game will play to Hobart's strengths. It should also be noted that in the two losses, W&J went 2-for-6 in the red zone, scoring only one TD and settling for one FG and turning it over on downs. 

3. Bushnell Bowl, Part Two, Redux: Following a similar script from last year's game - coming out and jumping on the Presidents early like the Statesmen did against the Titans will go a long way to getting another Bushnell Bowl win. A key defensive play like a punt block, pick six or otherwise will put pressure on the home team, who I've seen wilt a few times over the past couple of years in regular season games when things got tough. 

Prediction:

With what looks like a bitter cold (low of 20, high of 32) forecast Saturday, you can expect a lower scoring and hard-hitting game. As much as the Presidents have impressed over the years, I still have a bias that the LL is a better conference than the PAC (and that JCU and the OAC are overrated these past couple of years). 

I think Hobart can punch their way to a win by playing like they did in the second half of the Rochester game. Mixing it up with JR RB Rayshawn Boswell in the wildcat will be something that W&J isn't used to seeing and if Krewson can connect on some long passes like he did vs. RPI and Union, we should leave PA with another ECAC trophy and a hard-fought win.

I'll take Hobart 21-13.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Draws W&J in the ECAC Bushnell Bowl! Heading Back to PA for Post-Season Play

The Hobart College Statesmen will face off against the Washington & Jefferson College Presidents for the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl game, Saturday, November 19 in Washington, PA. Kickoff is slated for 12 PM (but I could see it moved back to 1 PM, will be up to W&J as the hosts). 

The Statesmen (7-3, 4-2) were picked for the second year in a row in the top ECAC game as a "1 seed" against a strong W&J (8-2, 6-2) team that finished second in the PAC this season, and who defeated #21-ranked John Carroll, 35-26, back in Week 1 of this year. 

Hobart and W&J have not faced each other in 80 years (since 1942)! The Statesmen are 0-2 all-time against the Presidents, but that was literally multiple generations ago now. 

The other ECAC Bowl matchups are:

Westminster College (7-3) @ SUNY Brockport (7-3) in the Clayton Chapman Bowl

Morrisville State (7-3) @ RPI (7-3) in the Scotty Whitelaw Bowl

FDU – Florham (6-4) @ Grove City College (7-3) in the James Lynah Bowl

I'll have more on this game later this week. The Presidents will be a tough test for Hobart, but this is a game the Statesmen can definitely win.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Runs Past Rochester, 27-7, Awaits ECAC Bowl Bid

It was great to be there in person for this game and I'm going to keep this write up short given you can read the HWSAthletics.com recap of it here. While it wasn't always pretty at times, the Statesmen (7-3, 4-2) wrapped up their 2022 regular season with a 27-7 and 11th straight Centennial Cup trophy win.

Before the game, Hobart recognized the fourth- and fifth-year SRs who were playing in their final home game at Boswell Field. I'll have something on these guys after the bowl game / off-season. 

The Hobart OL opened holes for a season best 313 rushing yards. JR RBs Rayshawn Boswell and Tim Denham, Jr. each found the end zone twice on an overcast, but seasonably mild, Upstate NY afternoon. I posted videos of all four TDs on the Hobart Football Parents and Fans Facebook page and @D3FBHuddle twitter handle.

The defense was led by 5th YR SR Jay McCoy (who may still have a year of eligibility left?) with a game high 17 tackles. My #36 buddy JR LB Drew Walsh (pictured below) had five stops and a share of a TFL.

The win puts Hobart in great position to get an ECAC Bowl Game, which Frank and I will announce at or around noon today on our Twitter and Facebook live feeds for ITH. 

More on that soon.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 11 - Senior Day - Rochester Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen will wrap up the 2022 regular season against their oldest rival, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets, Saturday at the Boz. Kickoff is slated for 1 PM. The Jackets (3-6, 1-4) are still in rebuilding mode under Hobart alum and HC Chad Martinovich '94 but are taking strides towards becoming a much more competitive program. 

The Statesmen (6-3, 3-2) have won the last ten meetings and lead the overall series 58-48-7. Based on that number, this will be the 114th installment of this rivalry game. Hobart defeated the Jackets by a convincing 31-0 margin last season. 

This game will be for the Centennial Cup trophy (which you can see a picture of in the link above), which originated back in 2007 to mark the 100th meeting between these two programs. As I stated in a prior post, I'll be in Geneva for this one (after we attend the fall admissions open house), so I'm hoping the nice weather holds up (but not counting on it).

Scouting the Yellow Jackets

You can tell Rochester is building themselves back up again by just looking at the numbers. Offensively, Rochester has averaged 313.2 YPG, not far off from Hobart's 323 YPG. Defensively the Statesmen (6-3, 3-2) have been stronger, holding teams to 266.1 YPG compared to the Jackets 357.1 YPG allowed (nearly a 100 YPG difference).

The other big difference is in PPG scored (29.8) and allowed (13.4) by Hobart compared to Rochester's (15.9 and 27.9). Where the Jackets have excelled is in the run game, averaging 215 YPG, which is the second best in the league. They are dead last in passing, however, averaging a paltry 98.2 YPG with a 47% completion rate.

Speaking of the run game, Rochester boasts the top and third ranked RBs in the league (based on RYPG average). JR RB Daniel Papantonis turned national heads when he opened the season with an 18 rush, 309 yards and 4 TD game against Utica. He followed that up with a 30 rush, 278 yards and 3 TD game against Alfred State in Week 2. He has nearly 1,200 rushing yards on the season but has only scored 2 TDs since his big debut.

Classmate JR RB Will Varney has picked up some of the slack in recent weeks, rushing for over 100 yards in the last three games and scoring 2 rushing TDs over the same period. He has gained 648 rushing yards on 120 carries this season.

Handing the ball off to Papantonis and Varney is SO QB Ryan Rose. He's dropped back 180 times this season and completed 85 passes, including 6 TDs. Part of Rochester's struggles have been because he's turned the ball over, throwing 11 INTs (more than 1 per game on average). 

Rose's favorite target has been JR WR Trey Johnson, who leads the team with 33 catches for 346 yards and 3 TDs. Johnson has also returned kicks and punts for the Jackets.

Defensively, SR LB Caden Cole leads the team with 84 tackles. which ranks first in the LL. He has added 4 TFL and a sack along the way.

On special teams, Rochester boasts three different specialists. SO PK Alex Wing handles punting duties, averaging 38.31 YPP. Kickoffs have and FGs have been handled by SO PK Jordan Laudani. He's averaging 55.5 YPKO and has gone 8-12 on FGs this season. SR PK Shane Bombace has 20 KOs on the season, but he didn't appear in last weekend's 19-13 win over Hartwick. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Stop the Run - It's not rocket science based on the numbers. The Yellow Jackets are a pretty one-dimensional team on offense. If the Hobart defense can disrupt their run game and force Rose to try and beat them with his arm, you can expect some short fields for the Statesmen offense and maybe even another defensive score (or two) Saturday. Defensively, Rochester has given up a lot of points and yards to teams with winning records and I expect the same to happen Saturday.

2. Enjoy the Moment - Saturday will be Senior Day for the 4th YR SRs who plan to move on and graduate and the 5th YRs who came back for one more year. It's always a bittersweet occasion and should be celebrated accordingly. Today Hobart filed for an ECAC Bowl Game bid, so there may be one more after this one, if the Statesmen can

3. Just Win - A potentially successful bid will be contingent on the Statesmen ending up 7-3, which will put them in good company amongst ECAC Bowl eligible teams. While there were 20 on the list, based on current NCAA Pool A and other conference bowl games (e.g., MAC-Centennial, New England, etc.) scenarios, at 7-3, Hobart would only be behind Utica and W&J as far as overall records go. They are certainly not a lock, however, as my projections have at least four other eligible teams (Morrisville, Brockport, Westminster and GCC) also ending up 7-3 overall. RPI could be the 5th if they can beat Union Saturday in the annual Dutchmen's Shoes trophy game. 

Prediction:

I'll make two. The Statesmen will win 31-14 on what looks like a potentially cold and maybe even wet Week 11 gameday. Monday at noon, Frank and I will call Hobart's name as an ECAC Bowl game participant, likely on the road to either a PAC or E8 opponent's field for Saturday, Nov. 19.

The first one's got to come true for the second one to have a shot. Here's hoping.

Go 'Bart!

 

Statesmen Blow Out Bengals, 63-7

SO PK Tobias Wefering set a program record with 9 PATs in a blowout over winless Buffalo State, 63-7. SO LB Anthony Romano and JR DB James Mahoney each had "pick sixes" (5th YR SR DB Jay McCoy also had a INT he returned 50 yards), SO DB Zac Ambielli added a 93-yard scoop and score while the Statesmen racked up 437 yards of offense in the rout.

5th YR SR QB David Krewson passed for 186 yards and 1 TD. JR RB Rayshawn Boswell rushed for 70 yards and 2 scores. JR RB Tim Denham, Jr. also had a rushing TD. SO WR Peyton Cayea got his first TD as a Statesmen, hauling in a 23-yard pass.

The defense was led by JR LB Drew Walsh with 8 tackles, including 2 TFL. 

Hobart (6-3, 3-2) will close out their regular season next Saturday at home against Rochester (3-6, 1-4). The Yellow Jackets rallied to comeback and defeat Hartwick,, 19-13. This will be the 14th year that the Statesmen and Rochester will play for the Centennial Cup trophy. Hobart has held onto the trophy for last 10 years, winning 10 in a row over the Jackets dating back to 2011.

I'll have more on that matchup ealry next week. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!