Week 5 - Ithaca Game Preview

While some teams schedule an easy win for their homecoming game, the Hobart College Statesmen will host defending Liberty League champions, Ithaca College, this Saturday. This is the biggest game of the season, as Hobart (3-1) has struggled to solve the Bombers (1-2) for several years now.

The Statesmen have lost six in a row against Ithaca and have a 5-31 all-time mark against their Finger Lakes and LL rivals. Hobart's last win in this series, ironically enough, was also a homecoming game back in 2016. The Statesmen dominated the Bombers that day to the tune of 23-3.

This season Ithaca comes into this game with a losing record, having dropped their first two games against (then) nationally ranked Johns Hopkins and Endicott (who just beat RPI also, 28-20). This makes Saturday's game a playoff elimination game for the Bombers. Hobart will need to dig deep to figure out a way to defeat an Ithaca team that always seems to benefit from good luck against the Statesmen.

We saw that "luck" in action last year, when a bad punt snap gave the Bombers a 14-7 lead in the second quarter they never relinquished. We saw it in 2021 when the Statesmen's top defensive player was ejected in a game that ended up being decided by a TD.

It's not Halloween yet, but Hobart needs to exorcise some Ithaca demons this Saturday to take the next step.

Scouting the Bombers

Ithaca graduated off a good number of seniors and fifth years in the offseason, but there are still several familiar names on the Bombers roster this year. Leading the offense is SR RB Jalen Leonard-Osborne. The Ardsley, NY native always seems to have big games against the Statesmen defense. So far this season he's rushed for 197 yards on 39 carries, adding three catches for 88 yards. He has scored two rushing TDs and is averaging over 30 YPKO in the return game for Ithaca.

Alongside JLO is SR RB Jake Williams. He has rushed 38 times for 139 yards and one rush TD. At QB, the Bombers seem to be running a system where both SO QBs Colin Schumm and Matthew Parker take turns leading the offense. Schumm is 40-70 passing for 475 yards with three pass TDs but also four INTs. Parker, who came in to play for Schumm when he was injured in the Endicott game, has gone 11-20 passing for 138 yards and two INTs. These turnover struggles are a big reason why IC is coming into this game with a losing record.

One thing you notice looking at the stat sheet is Ithaca likes to spread the ball around in the passing game. They have six receivers with at least five catches in the first three games of the season. Leading the way is SO WR Nicholas Lang with a team high 12 receptions for 105 yards and one TD. Not far behind are SO WR Nicholas Matos and SR WR Ben Marinaccio who both have eight catches a piece for a combined 262 yards and one TD.

Defensively Ithaca is led by SR DB Jake Connolly with 24 total tackles and four TFL. On the DL keep an eye on #91 SR DL Owen O'Neill who has a team high 4.5 TFL. SR LB Darren Brunner and JR LB Ryan Burns are solid tacklers also, with 22 and 21 tackles each. 

On special teams Brunner also happens to be the punter, averaging almost 39 YPP. FGs, KOs and PATs are handled by SR PK Derek Baldin. He's 2-2 on the year for FGs with a long of 45 yards (against Hopkins). He averages about 62 YPKO and has six touchbacks on the year, so I don't expect many return chances for Hobart Saturday.

Keys to the Game:

1. Home(coming) Cooking - Hobart's home record under HC Kevin DeWall '00 is 26-3 if my math is correct, but two of those home losses were to Ithaca. Given the Bombers tough start, albeit against a stronger schedule, this is a great opportunity for the Statesmen to finally break the Ithaca winning streak. This season the Bombers didn't get their annual advantage of an extra week of prep for Hobart given their game against Curry College last weekend and their bye in Week 3. Hopefully this will level the playing field some that will allow the Statesmen to give what should be a large, homecoming crowd a lot to cheer about.

2. Turnovers - Last year, Hobart was undone by two fumbles and special teams' miscues that the Bombers were able to capitalize on. This season it looks like Ithaca is a team that struggles protecting the football, having thrown six INTs and fumbling away the ball twice in their 1-2 start. With the Statesmen's swarming defense, Ithaca should have some trouble moving the ball and with enough pressure could end up providing Hobart with a game changing take away (or two) if things go well.

3. Weather the Storm - Every year it always seems like the Statesmen make a big mistake in the game vs. Ithaca that triggers the old "here we go again". Even if Hobart has some bad luck, they need to stay focused and not revert to the past where the Statesmen have lost composure and/or given up big plays down the stretch. Ithaca will come into this game hungry and expecting to win. The Statesmen will need to take a few punches early and deliver a few of their own to let the Bombers know this year will be different.

Prediction:

While some may think it's crazy to pick against a team that has an 86% winning percentage against the other; for some reason, kind of like 2016, this feels like the year Hobart will finally beat the Bombers. They've been close in four of the last six contests but found ways to come up short. This year Statesmen offense is coming into their own at the right time and the defense has proven they are a Top 25 caliber unit. I think this will be a lower scoring game, with Hobart able to hang on for a close 23-20 victory that may very well come down to the final play. 

Hoping for the best this homecoming weekend and wishing I was there in person for this one, but I'll have to catch it online per usual. 

Thanks everyone for reading and go 'Bart!

Career Day for Columbi Leads Statesmen, 52-9, Over Keystone

The Hobart College Statesmen played a near perfect game this Saturday, clicking in every aspect with great plays on offense, defense and special teams. The Statesmen (3-1) were a little sloppy, committing 12 penalties for -100 yards, but did pretty much everything else right in PA.

SR QB Johnny Columbi had a career best 15-21 passing (71.4%), 268 yards, 4 passing and 1 rushing TDs. The Hobart defense held Keystone (1-3) to 3 FGs and was paced by FY DB Corey Rock with 2 INTs including a 17-yard pick six.

SR PK Tobias Wefering added a 41-yard FG and went a perfect 5-5 on PATs. 

It was an impressive performance for the Statesmen as they head into Liberty League play next weekend against Ithaca (1-2). I'll have an in-depth preview for that one early next week. 

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 4 - Keystone Game Preview

I'm doing my best Ken DeBolt impression and waiting until the last minute to get my game notes / analysis out. Just kidding, like Ken has it every week during the fall, winter and spring sports seasons, this work week for me has been hell so I am late getting around to this game preview. 

The Keystone College Giants have been a program that's going through the usual growing pains after first starting their football program in 2021. They switched from the ECFC to the Landmark Conference back in 2023 and finished 2-8, 1-5 that season. This year the Giants are off to a 1-2 overall start, and are coming off a tough, 42-40, loss to Saint John Fisher (1-1) last weekend. 

Hobart (2-1) is 3-0 all time against the Keystone, having won all three matchups by an average score of 55-10. I expect this year's game to be fairly lopsided again as the Statesmen's offense seems to be figuring things out. Liberty League play starts up in Week 5 and this is a good final tune up for Hobart going into that critical game against Ithaca. 

Scouting the Giants

Keystone likes to throw the football and pictured above is their number one target, SR WR Jayson Nami. He's collected 13 catches for 268 yards and four TDs this season. The Giants average nearly 250 YPG passing. Running the offense is SR QB Donald Leach III. Through three games this season he's passed for 756 yards, eight TDs and five INTs. 

Their leading rusher is a dual threat as SR RB Mujaheed Muhammad has a team high 62 carries for 428 yards and five rushing TDs. Muhammad has also caught six passes for 85 yards and two receiving TDs. 

Defensively Keystone is led by SR LB Keith Johnson with 21 total tackles, including 1.5 TFL. On special teams the Giants have JR PK Jeremiah Ortiz who handles KO, P and FG/PAT duties. He averages 49.3 YPKO, 32.5 YPP and has gone 1-2 on FGs with a long of 39 yards. He's 12-13 on PATs also.

Return game wise Keystone has averaged 11 YPPR and 21.5 YPKOR.

Keys to the Game:

1. Fast Start - Hobart has yet to score in the first quarter of a game this season. I would love to see the Statesmen take their first drive on offense to the house and set the tone early. 

2. Pressure = Turnovers - Although the Giants are a senior-laden team, they have struggled to protect the football. The Keystone OL has not allowed any sacks so far on the season, but Leach III has been picked off at least once in each game so far this season. Keeping the pressure on the Giants can force some turnovers that will help set up the offense with good field position.

3. Test the Secondary - as good as the Giants are at passing the ball, their pass defense has been suspect, and something the Statesmen can exploit. Keystone is giving up almost 280 YPG passing, so look for SR QB Johnny Columbi to find open Statesmen down the field in this one. 

Prediction:

While I don't think Hobart will crack 50 points in this one, I do feel like the Statesmen should win comfortably. I could see this being a 35-14 game if the offense can come out and get off to a fast start. I could see the defense really give Keystone a long day, but the Giants may still score some points given their experience (and the likelihood of Hobart subbing in some second and third string guys in the second half).

That's it for now. Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Big Plays Give Statesmen, 27-12, Win on Coach Cragg Day

The Hobart College Statesmen overcame an anemic first half with an offensive outburst keyed by big plays on special teams, defense and offense to beat visiting Moravian University, 27-12, today in Geneva. Former HC Mike Cragg was recognized before and after the game, which fortunately turned to a celebration after Hobart (2-1) trailed 6-0 at the half. 

The Statesmen struggled to move the ball on offense for most of the first half, but SR QB Johnny Columbi would find FY WR Johnny Harding for his first receiving TD to open the second half to give Hobart a 7-6 lead. Although Moravian (1-2) would respond and retake the lead, Columbi found JR WR Ahmad Crowell for 77-and-25-yard TD passes in the fourth quarter to put this game away. SO RB E.J. Taylor added 101 rushing yards and a TD on the day as well. 

In a game where yards were initially hard to come by (neither team had a run over 10 yards in the game), the Statesmen offense awoke to gain 233 yards in the second half. Other stars of the game included FY DB Xavier Aviles, who recovered a muffed punt return at the Moravian 33-yard line, setting up Hobart's first TD. SR LB Vincent Giordano punched out the ball and the fumble was recovered by JR DL Dante Randle at a key part in the fourth quarter. 

Up next for Hobart will be a trip to Keystone College (PA) in the final week of OOC play. I'll have more on that one early next week. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 3 - Moravian Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen head back to the Boz for another new opponent, the Moravian Greyhounds of the Landmark Conference (formerly of the Centennial). Moravian (1-1) is coming off an impressive 18-13 win over a good Utica (1-1) team. The Greyhounds were down 13-0 at the half but rallied in the fourth quarter to get the win. 

Scouting the Greyhounds

Moravian is led on offense by SR QB Jared Jenkins. He is an accurate passer with a strong arm but doesn't seem like much of a rushing threat. Over the past two weeks, he's gone 42-63 for 488 yards, 3 TDs and an INT.

Jenkins' favorite target appears to be GR WR Jordan Bingham. The Indianapolis native leads the Greyhounds with 15 catches for 132 yards. Californian SR WR Diego Del Castillo has a team high 172 receiving yards on 9 catches and 2 receiving TDs. 

Shown above is GR RB Joey Richmond, a big (5' 10" and 220 lbs.) back who caught and ran in the game winning TD pass against Utica. He's rushed for 46 yards on 11 carries. He shares carries with JR RB Isiah Rico (21 carries for 59 yards) and backup FY QB Declan McCarthy, who's rushed for 48 yards on 7 carries (he's attempted two passes with one completion also). 

The Greyhound's defense is led by SR DB Chad Newhard with 16 total tackles and a TFL. JR LB Clay Basile is second with 14 tackles and 2 TFL. The Hobart OL will have their hands full with FY LB/DE Malachi McNeil-Harrison. He stands 6' 5" and has three sacks, three TFLs and an INT on the season already.

It appears that Moravian is a bit inexperienced on special teams. FY PK Ryan Child missed two PATs last Saturday and has yet to attempt an FG this season. Opponents have also racked up a decent amount of kickoff return yards (Muhlenberg had a 100-yard KOR for a TD in Week 1) against the Greyhounds, but not much in the punt return department.

Keys to the Game:

1. Stick to the Script: The Hobart defense will need to keep an eye on the Moravian deep threats, and if the offense can build on the passing game, leveraging their TEs, they can keep this Greyhound defense on their heels. On offense the Statesmen can lean on the run game to kill the clock and shorten the game.

2. Explosive Plays: Moravian has shown themselves to be weak on special teams and prone to giving up explosive plays on defense. Hobart should look to take a few shots early in this one and work field position to their advantage, assuming the defense keeps the Greyhounds stuck in a lot of 3 and outs.

3. Win One for the Gipper: Coach Cragg will be honored as part of this game and so I expect some alumni and former Statesmen players to be there to cheer him and the team on. 

Prediction:

We know Hobart has only scored 17 points in the first two weeks of the season, and that may not be enough to get by this Moravian team. I think at home on a nice fall Saturday, Hobart will get things going offensively and may even get a special teams or defensive TD. I'll take the Statesmen in another close one, 20-14.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobarts Loses OT Heartbreaker in Virginia, 14-7

The Hobart College Statesmen took #8/9 ranked Randolph-Macon to the wire, dropping a game they had a chance to win in the final seconds. The Statesmen (1-1) defense looked like a Top 10 unit, stuffing the Yellow Jackets (2-0) all day. Hobart held the Yellow Jackets to 206 total yards but came up short on a game winning field goal from 33 yards out.

The Statesmen defense kept RMC in check, forcing them to punt 11 times in the game (4-15 on third down). Still, the D1 transfer QB Dante Casciola had a good game, finding Landon Farriss in the back corner of the end zone on a fourth down in overtime from 17-yards out for the game winning TD.

There was some controversy with the finish, something Frank and I will discuss on the next In the D3FB Huddle show, as SR QB Johnny Columbi appeared to have gained a first down in the OT possession for Hobart, but a fumble was ruled, then reversed by the officials. They called the game when it may not have been over.

Either way, it was a fantastic effort for Hobart who showed a lot of grit in this tough loss to a great program. With other teams in the Liberty League struggling and Ithaca starting 0-2, things are looking up for the Statesmen. Still, Moravian beat a strong Utica team yesterday, 18-13, so Hobart needs to focus on Week 3 and not look ahead to league play.

I'll have more on that game soon.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Never Forget

On this 23rd anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, I wanted to recognize former Hobart College football player and alumnus Andy Glokin '93 as well as fellow grads Scott Rohner '01 and Michael Simon '83, P '11 who lost their lives that unfortunate day.

HWS did a nice piece on their website commemorating and remembering this tragic event back in 2021.

I'd also like to recognize the Toyen family, who lost their daughter and sister Amy in the attacks. She was the younger sister of my Avon High School classmate, Heather.

Never Forget.

Week 2 - Randolph-Macon Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen will make one of their longest road trips in sometime, travelling over 425 miles and seven-plus hours to take on the #9 Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets. This will be the first ever meeting between these two schools.

RMC (1-0) is the defending Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship and coming off a national semifinal run and 13-1 mark in the 2023 season. The Yellow Jackets have been one of the best programs in the nation in recent years. They have a 56-8 overall record (.875) going back to the 2018 season.

Scouting RMC

This season the Yellow Jackets had to reload at several key positions but seem to have done so quite well. The Jackets used their opportunistic defense to blow past Dickinson (0-1) last Saturday by a 47-21 margin. Their new starter, SR QB Dante Casciola, was efficient in his debut, going 12-17 passing for 162 yards. He scored on a rushing TD and a three-headed backfield of SR RB Kwesi Clarke, JR WR Jason Moore (who also had 94 receiving yards) and JR RB Cameron Chatmon rushed for a combined 168 yards and 4 TDs on 31 carries.

Defensively the Jackets were led by JR LB Neftali Reyes with 10 total tackles. The RMC forced four turnovers (2 INTs and 2 FRs) to help rally their team after falling behind 14-7 going into the third quarter.

The Jackets have three specialists including SR PK Kyle Ihle (2-2 FG, 5-6 PATs), SO K/P Jordan Etz who averaged 45 yards punting and JR KO Tyler Graham, who had a busy day on KOs, with 9 averaging 48.2 YPKO. There wasn't much from a PR or KOR game against Dickinson to write much there. That said Hobart is always strong in ST coverage, so I don't view this as an important aspect of this game. 

Keys to the Game:

1. First Down Offense: Hobart (1-0) was terrible on first down in last Friday's game. Needless to say, on the road at a nationally ranked opponent, they have to do better and not always have 2nd and 10's.

2. Protect the Football: Dickinson was winning the game last week until turnovers did them in. RMC is clearly opportunistic, and SR CB Coleton Payne's pick six was the beginning of the end for the Red Devils. 

3. Nothing to Lose: In the grand scheme of things, while a win would be amazing, a loss here won't wreck the Statesmen's season nor really impact their playoff chances given the new NPI system. Win or lose, Hobart controls its destiny in what really feels like a wide-open Liberty League. I saw Union and RPI in person last weekend and watched most of the Johns Hopkins-Ithaca game. The Bombers still seem like the team to beat, but either way, a 9-1 (or 8-2 via a tiebreaker) Liberty League champion seems very likely. 

Prediction:

While I'd love to predict a Hobart upset that would shock the nation, I just don't think this young, inexperienced team is ready to pull that off. I'd rather see them execute better and gear up for what the real biggest game of the season is, Week 5 at home vs. Ithaca. RMC isn't a huge team, but they are skilled, well-coached and quick. I just hope we see a better offensive effort from the Statesmen from an execution standpoint, otherwise this could be a long game. The defense can keep us in it, but they will need some special teams and offensive plays to avoid being worn down.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart! 

Statesmen Survive Season Opener Scare by the Saxons, 10-7

The Hobart College Statesmen had the home crowd on the edge of their seats last Friday night, having to overcome offensive struggles, missed scoring opportunities, and enduring a couple of weather delays in order to beat Alfred University, 10-7.

Along with my recap below, you can check the HWSAthletics release and the Finger Lakes Times recap here also. 

JR LB Mike McGhee would save the day with a game winning interception and the home team would escape with a win. Hobart (1-0) went 1-8 on first down passing plays and really struggled to move the ball against a tough Saxons (0-1) defense. The Statesmen would eventually rack up 328 total yards, but scoring chances were few and far between. Hobart went 2-11 on third down and were flagged nine times for -76 yards, which didn't help.

On a more positive note, SO RB E.J. Taylor had an excellent debut as a starter, gaining a career high 159 rushing yards on a game high 19 attempts. He broke a 72-yard run at the start of the 4th quarter which finally got the Statesmen on the scoreboard thanks to a SR PK Tobias Wefering 26-yard FG to make it, 7-3 Alfred, with 11:04 remaining in the game. 

The Statesmen defense would hold Alfred on the ensuing possession, but the Saxons would return the favor, sacking SR QB Johnny Columbi for a 10-yard loss to the Statesmen 43- yard line. SR DB Chris Ntumba would recover the ball on the muffed punt return by Alfred, setting the offense back up at the Saxons 26-yard line.

Columbi would eventually call his own number and rush for the go-ahead TD with 1:52 remaining. You know the rest.

A couple of FY players had big contributions in the win as FY WR Johnny Harding would lead the team with four catches for 35 yards. FY WR Luke Hansen hauled in two passes for 40 yards as well.

SO DL Billy Brosko (a transfer from Drexel), helped the Hobart defense with seven tackles and two TFL. SR LB Jamien Bliss led the defense with eight stops and a TFL.

Up next for Hobart will be nationally ranked and defending ODAC Champions, Randolph-Macon College, who had a big 47-21 over Dickinson on Saturday. 

More on that one in the coming days. Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 1 - Alfred Game / Season and Home Opener Preview

The 130th season of Hobart College Football is set to get underway on Friday night, September 6th with a 7 PM kickoff against the Alfred University Saxons. This will be the 81st installment of this series that dates all the way back to 1902. Hobart has a 42-35-4 overall lead and has won the last 13-straight against their nearby Empire 8 foes.

The Saxons are coming off of a 4-6 season in 2023 and Alfred hasn't been an over-.500 team dating all the way back to 2018, when they went 7-4 overall. Last season Hobart jumped out to a commanding 24-0 lead before cruising to a 31-9 win over the Saxons. 

Scouting the Saxons

I don't believe the Empire 8 released a preseason poll like the Liberty League has, but they did produce a preview / overview for fans to read. 

Here are some of the highlights from the Alfred capsule:

• 70 players, including 16 starters return. 
• Senior linebacker and co-captain Joe Copp returns. He led the Empire 8 with 122 tackles (58 solo, 64 assisted) and was third nationally with 12.2 tackles per game to go along with 9.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks. Copp has 357 tackles in his collegiate career. 
• Four all-conference selections return in addition to Copp, including first team defensive lineman Danny Quinones, third team defensive back Adam Mietz and two-time All-E8 selection, running back Max Freeman IV and wide receiver Dion Anderson, on the offensive side. 
• Fellow upperclassmen Gavin Bartholomew, Carter Fronk, Tommy Welch, Roque Santiago, Luke Atlas, and TJ Marsh LB will look to play a greater role in 2024.

You can read more about the Empire 8 in their preview here. Alfred also published their own preview, which you can review here. 

So far, the Statesmen have scrimmaged both Brockport and Cortland, basically the top two teams in that conference. The results of those scrimmages, depending on how you look at them, can be somewhat concerning. The Hobart offense didn't score much, and one of the E8 coaches I texted with was complimentary of the defense, but basically said the offense needs more speed and a WR who can win 1:1, which isn't encouraging. 

That said I expect a defensive, lower scoring game on Friday night. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Win the LOS - The strength of the Hobart offense this year should be an experienced and big OL. Establishing a strong running game and moving the sticks on first and second down will be important. I expect the Saxons to stack the box and effectively dare the Statesmen to throw the ball, so some play-action and/or RPO calls could be helpful. 

2. Look for 88 - If the WRs still need time to develop, the return of SR TE Luke Hescock from injury could be a much-needed outlet for the Hobart passing attack. Standing 6' 5" and 230 lbs., Hescock is a big target that Alfred will struggle to match up well against. 

3. Do Your Thing on Defense - Since renewing this rivalry back in 2021, the Statesmen defense has only allowed 3, 6 and 9 points in the last three games against the Saxons. This stingy approach should help carry the Hobart offense as they form their identity and game plan. 

Prediction:

I think Hobart will see SR PK Tobias Wefering kick a few FGs, the defense will have some big plays and SO RB E.J. Taylor should find the end zone at least once, so I'll take the Statesmen to win this one, 23-10.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!