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!