Week 5 - RPI Comes to Hobart for Homecoming

After a September of bad bounces and calls, maybe what the Hobart College Statesmen need is some old-fashioned home cooking? Hobart (1-3, 0-1) returns to the Boz desperately needing a win after a difficult slate of games and adversity.  

Coming to town is long-time league rival, the RPI Engineers (3-1, 1-0), who are coming off a big 31-3 thrashing of previously unbeaten Rochester (3-1, 0-1). You can read about that game here. 

Hobart and RPI's rivalry dates back to 1910. The Statesmen and Engineers games have traditionally been close ones, and Hobart only has a narrow 34-32-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Statesmen have won four of the last five contests however and have not lost to the Engineers at home since the 2015 season, when they failed to convert a 2-point play at the end of regulation to lose, 21-20.

Last season Hobart jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead but then saw RPI rally back to make it a 27-21 ballgame late in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the Statesmen were able to run out the clock and get away with a hard-fought win.

Scouting the Engineers

RPI is a spread offensive team that employs slotbacks and other receivers. The Engineers have called it down the middle with respect to plays, running the ball 115 times for 531 yards, and have scored most of their TDs on the ground (eight). They've gained more first downs (31-21) via the air and have passed for 813 yards off of 106 attempts with five passing TDs compared to only three INTs. 

RPI is led by SR QB Anthony DeMatteo who's gone 54-97 for 753 yards. JR RB Kayden White leads the ground game with 61 rushes for 292 yards and the eight aforementioned TDs. White is also a threat in the passing game, having caught nine passes for 107 yards and two TDs. He is one of four RPI receivers with over 100 yards on the season. 

Defensively RPI is led by JR and SR DBs Matt Krauza and Miles Lafferty with 30 tackles each. RPI likes to "stack the box" to take up space on the LOS and allow their LBs and DBs to run in for the tackle. The Engineers secondary has three INTs on the season so far and the defense has racked up nine sacks and 24 TFL.

RPI always has a strong special team's unit and has three experienced kickers this season who handle FGs (SR PK Aleksandar Maric), KOs (SR PK Hayden Gray), and punting (SR Anderson Burke), respectively. 

Keys to the Game:

1. QB Consistency: One of Hobart's biggest issues has been the QB play four games into the season. While each has shown flashes, there has not been the level of consistency needed to win ball games. RPI has a proven leader in DeMatteo, once again another very experienced QB the Statesmen defense will need to solve for, but Hobart is still looking for theirs.

2. Run the Ball: I didn't think the Ithaca defense would have much success stopping the run last Saturday, but to their credit, they held Hobart to 79 yards and a paltry 2.9 YPR average. RPI's rush defense is strong also, holding teams to just under 95 YPG and they've yet to allow a rushing score on the season. With the QB troubles we've seen to date, the Statesmen will need to win the LOS and establish a strong running game to have a chance in this one. 

3. Home Sweet Home: I don't know what it is, but Hobart just wins at home (91% of the time). The Statesmen's record at the Boz under HC Kevin DeWall '00 is 30-3. They need some of that Boz magic to make it 31-3 and get a key LL win under their collective belts Saturday. 

Final Thoughts:

It's hard to gauge this game given RPI was steamrolled by a team Hobart beat (Utica) and beat a team the Statesmen lost to (Brockport), albeit barely. Either way, I expect a lower scoring game like last Saturday that could come down to field position and special teams plays. Points will be at a premium, but hopefully the larger Homecoming crowd will give Hobart the home field advantage they need to get back on track. 

Looking forward to tuning into this one. Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Third Down Struggles Sink Statesmen at Ithaca, 13-7

The Hobart College Statesmen dropped another strange and heartbreaking game at Ithaca today, 13-7. There were a mix of bad calls, breaks and just bad play on third down that ultimately sunk the Statesmen's (1-3, 0-1) chances at winning their first ever road game at Butterfield Stadium.

Hobart went 2-13 on third downs and was held to only 79 rushing yards in the loss. All three Hobart QBs played, but none of them were really able to rally the offense. SO QB Aidan Conrath getting the start was a surprise, and while he was in was very efficient, going 9-10 for 87 yards, but his injury from last week must have flared up because he gave way to SR QB Tru Styles. SO QB Jeremy Weiss threw the only Hobart TD of the game - a neat 12-yard sideline pass to SO WR Johnny Harding with 28 seconds before the end of the first half to tie the game at 7-7.

Ithaca (3-1, 1-0) would struggle to move the ball all day against an aggressive and stalwart Statesmen defense. SR OLB Mike McGhee was everywhere, tallying 15 tackles. The Bombers were held to 140 passing yards, well below their usual average. The Bombers opened the second half with a quick score but missed the extra point. They missed a FG in the game as well. 

Unfortunately a few bad calls, especially the DPI flag that was picked up when Hobart was driving to potentially win the game, became part of another chapter in the long curse of Butterfield, where strange things happen to help Ithaca win. 

The loss all but ends Hobart's NCAA playoff hopes, barring some kind of three or four car pile-up in the conference standings, which is theoretically possible with seven teams. 

It doesn't get any easier with a resurgent RPI (3-1, 1-0) coming to the Boz for Homecoming on Saturday. The Engineers beat Brockport, 30-24 in overtime in Week 3 and demolished previously unbeaten Rochester (3-1, 0-1), 31-3 today. 

Will have more on the RPI game early next week. This one hurt, but we have to move on. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart.

Week 4 - Statesmen Battle the Bombers to Open League Play

While both Hobart (1-2) and Ithaca (2-1) enter this game with different records, the only one that matters is this one: 0-0. The second quarter of the 2025 season begins this Saturday as the Statesmen look to start their LL Championship title defense and break old curses.

Yes, Hobart is 0-18 all-time at Butterfield Stadium and trails Ithaca 6-31 in the series that dates back to 1961. The fact that should give Statesmen fans hope is that they broke a six-game losing streak to the Bombers last season, after going 4-3 against them between 2000-2016. 

Ithaca has a 45-14 win over a team Hobart lost to, Alfred University (2-1, 0-0) in Week 1, so in theory the Bombers should be big favorites in this one. What we saw last weekend however gives me hope that this group of Statesmen have a chance to finally do what prior teams have failed to pull off - a win at Butterfield.

Scouting Ithaca:

While the Bombers stats have been inflated by a lopsided 65-3 win over Hilbert (0-3) and a bad 42-14 loss to #3 Johns Hopkins; a few things stand out. Ithaca has a fairly balanced offense, leaning towards the passing game as they've averaged 287 passing YPG compared to about 160 rushing YPG. The Bombers have scored 10 passing and seven rushing TDs. First downs (38 and 33) lean to the pass also. Defensively they've held their opponents to about 257 YPG in total offense and 19.67 PPG.

While they were no match for #3 Johns Hopkins (3-0) when I watched that game in Week 1, the Bombers have regrouped and are playing towards their strengths now.

They are led by the experienced JR QB Matthew Parker who a very accurate passer (70% completion percentage) and who's thrown for nearly 650 yards, five passing TDs and two INTs (both against JHU). 

Ithaca has a "RB by Committee" program in the run game, as there are five ball carriers (including Parker) who have double digit carries over the first three games. JR QB Michael Reed scored three rushing TDs against Hilbert in relief, but it seems like SO RB Chase Myers gets the bulk of the work, leading the team with 106 rushing yards and two scores. 

JR WR Nicolas Lang is the Bombers' QB's favorite target. Lang has caught 19 passes for 302 yards and three TDs. Not far behind him is SO WR Tian Murray with 13 catches for 219 yards and 1 TD.

Defensively Ithaca is led by a pair of DBs in GR DB Sam Tourangeau and SO DB Joe Spira with 22 and 20 total tackles, respectively (most of these came against JHU). The Bombers only have two sacks on the season but have given up eight to their opponents.

On special teams, JR PK Luke Savino averages just over 60 YPKO and the punting / FG duties belong to SO PK Caleb Wandell. He's averaged 41 YPP and converted 2-2 FGs with a long of 41 yards.

HC Michael Toerper has a 29-9 record since taking over the Bombers program in 2022. He's fiery on the sideline and an aggressive play-caller.

Keys to the Game:

1. Close off the Quick Strike: In the win over Alfred, Ithaca scored on 10-, five-, two-, eight-, six-, two- and nine-yard drives. The Saxons had no answer to the Bombers air attack, giving up 347 passing yards. Hobart's defense had success in limited a strong passing QB in Szalkowski from Utica last weekend by constant pressure and an array of blitzes. 

2. Park Parker: Given the fact the Ithaca OL has allowed eight sacks this season (to be fair, five of them were to JHU), the Hobart defense needs to make their presence felt early in this one. 

3. In Taylor We Trust: Seems pretty obvious, but if you can get JR RB E.J. Taylor to run for 100+ yards and score several TDs, you give yourself a great chance to win. Hobart's OL should have a size advantage over Ithaca's DL and LBs. They need to exploit that and if SO QB Jeremy Weiss gets the start, move him around in the pocket to give his receivers time. This is a defense Hobart can gain 300 yards against if they run it well and make a few key passes when they see the opportunities to do so. 

Final Thoughts:

History is not on Hobart's side, so the Bombers will be very confident and looking to exact revenge for last year's 16-7 loss in Geneva. That win by Hobart last season is even more impressive when you factor in the Statesmen QB's went a combined 6-19 for 117 yards and 2 INTs in that game. Ithaca struggled to pass the ball also, and it was big goal-line plays (and an 86-yard punt) that led to the win.

Here's hoping the Statesmen finally get over the hump here. If there's a will, there's a way.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Comes Back to Beat Utica, 20-17

It was a fast start followed by a frustrating three quarters, but we got a dramatic ending we almost didn't deserve. After jumping out to a 13-0 lead given two Utica turnovers, the Statesmen offense struggled on the afternoon, but Hobart won a big game against previously undefeated Utica (2-1, 0-0) to notch their first win of the season, 20-17, improving to 30-3 at Boswell Field under HC Kevin DeWall '00.

Not to say I was right, but the Statesmen pressured the Pioneers QB effectively and made enough plays to generate an early lead. While they didn't run the ball as well as I would have liked, the Statesmen did outgain Utica and averaged 3.5 YPR and called 33 rushing compared to 19 passing plays. Maybe the turnovers were part of the Boz's magic, which propelled Hobart to their 30th home win under Coach DeWall. 

You can read the HWSAthletics.com recap here. 

SO QB Jeremy Weiss came off the bench to go 4-6 for 74 yards, but it was the defense with four sacks, a FF/FR and INT that was the difference. The Statesmen rushed for 114 yards, 105 from JR RB EJ Taylor who scored all three of Hobart's (1-2, 0-0) TDs, in another clutch performance. 

End of the day, a win's a win, and the Statesmen needed one badly. With conference play starting in Week 4, this was exactly the boost of confidence Hobart needed to get ready to defend their LL title. Realistically this should be a 3-0 team, but with a combination of injuries and struggling on the offensive side of the ball, the Statesmen stumbled out of the gate.

They need to go on a seven-game run starting next Saturday. We're here for it.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Looking Back on Week 2, Looking Ahead to Week 3 - Utica Game Preview

For the first time in many years, I missed the window to get a game recap up. I suppose I could blame the family weekend and travel. Really, I think it's the fact that I was just so disappointed with the outcome of Saturday's game, I had to mull it over for a bit before writing anything about it. 

The sad truth of the matter is Hobart (0-2, 0-0) is off to their worst start since 1999. They are at risk of going 0-3 with a surprisingly strong Utica (2-0, 0-0) team that's brought in an upper-division transfer QB who's blown out Washington & Jefferson and RPI in the last two weeks. The Pioneers were the last team to beat the Statesmen on their home field back in 2023, and only Ithaca has defeated Hobart twice at home since HC Kevin DeWall '00 took over the program in 2018. 

Looking Back

You can read the Brockport game recap from HWSAthletics here. Although Hobart led most of the game and the defense stood up for about 58 minutes, the offense gained only 37 yards on 23 plays in the second half. Ultimately what was supposed to be the strength (the offense) of the Statesmen going into this season, has really hurt the team, and when I asked one of the Golden Eagles' coaches who is a long-time acquaintance via In the D3FB Huddle about what's going on with the Statesmen, all he said was "they got some OL depth issues". I think QB play has been pretty inconsistent also, and it's been an issue for some time now. If you look at the teams at the top of D3, they have guys with over 60-70% completion percentages and who can throw for 200-300+ YPG. We haven't had one of those since Shane Sweeney '18. 

Either way, the Statesmen could easily be 2-0 but a couple of bad plays have given them this difficult start. Factoring in Ithaca drubbing Alfred (1-1, 0-0) by a 45-14 margin last weekend also, the rest of September's outlook looks grim to say the least.

So how can Hobart turn things around?

Looking Ahead

Scouting the Pioneers:

A big part of Utica's resurgence has to do with the addition of FCS transfer (via University of Albany and Robert Morris) SR QB Tyler Szalkowski. His numbers so far this season are fantastic, going 55-69 for 913 yards, 10 TDs and only 2 INTs in ONLY TWO GAMES!

The Pioneers' defense has been allowing over 22 PPG, but Szalkowski and the offense has put up an average of 45 PPG, which they'll likely expect to do to the Statesmen this weekend. Three Utica WRs have over 100 yards receiving already and the running game is led by JR RB Eze Frazier (39 rushes for 139 yards and 1 TD), but honestly, the Pioneers haven't needed to run the ball much. 

Defensively, Utica is led by SO LB Isaiah Thomas with 18 total tackles. SR DB Eli Douglas has 2 INTs already on the season. JR DL Jordan Davis leads the team with two sacks. 

On special teams the Pioneers have only punted three times and are 0-1 on FGs, so not much to report there. JR PK Nico Duarte has been averaging just over 48 YPKO and has gone 12-13 on PATs. 

Leading Utica since 2008 is HC Blaise Faggiano who is currently the longest tenured D3 HC (if not all of NYS, would need to double check that) in NYS. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Sack Szalkowski - It goes without saying that Hobart must get pressure on this talented QB. He has carved up opposing defenses in the last two weeks and the most points Hobart has allowed in the DeWall era at the Boz was 31 to Ithaca back in the 2022 season. Utica will look to stretch the field and get points on the board quickly. They've scored 21 and 28 points in the first half in both their Week 1 and 2 games, respectively. 

2. Back to Basics - While I know the OL is banged up (they've lost 2-3 starters), establishing the run and controlling the clock is a big key to keeping Szalkowski on the sideline. JR RB E.J. Taylor will need to get rolling, as the Utica defense has allowed over 3 YPR and close to 93 YPG rushing (but that number is deceiving given how their opposition has had to play from behind). You could make an argument to try starting SR QB Tru Styles and go with a more RPO based offense against the Pioneers, but that's up to the coaches, not me. 

3. Home Sweet Home - We all know that Hobart has a 90.6% winning percentage at home since the 2018 season. One of those losses was a surprising one to Utica in 2023, however, so they will be very confident coming to the Boz this Saturday. The Statesmen just have to play a strong fundamental football game and not beat themselves like they have in Weeks 1 and 2. 

Final Thoughts:

I don't bother with Logan Hansen's ratings or models, but my guess is he has Utica as at least 10–14-point favorites in this game. You don't need to be a statistician after watching the games to see that Hobart has some issues they need to fix. Utica seems to be on a roll and could be looking to make another statement like they did against W&J and RPI.

Hobart hasn't started 0-3 since 1996, Coach Cragg's second season as HC. Here's hoping the Statesmen can lean on their winning ways at the Boz and pull off kind of an upset win Saturday.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart! 

Week 2 - Statesmen vs. Golden Eagles Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen return to a familiar, but difficult place to win, this Saturday when they take on the Brockport Golden Eagles. It's been a short series, but one that's covered many years, dating all the way back to 1949. After that initial game, the Statesmen didn't see the Eagles again until the 1970's (1974, 19977-79) and kept the series going for a bit in the 1980's (1980-82), until shutting it down for a few decades. 

Hobart and Brockport's modern era really started in 2016 and went four years with the teams splitting the home-and-home schedule, 2-2. Overall, the Golden Eagles have a 7-5 advantage in the overall series, but Hobart did win the last match up pretty convincingly, 33-7.

This season this is a tale of two very different teams and programs. Last Thursday night in Week 1, Brockport (1-0, 0-0), steamrolled a hapless Buffalo State, 41-0. We know what happened with the Statesmen. 

Hobart (0-1, 0-0) comes into this game needing a win, but they will be the underdogs. 

Scouting the Golden Eagles

Offensively, the Brockport running game is the key for the Statesmen. The Golden Eagles SR RB Isaiah Simmons is the best RB in the Northeast not named EJ. He rushed for 174 yards on 25 carries and scored three TDs in Week 1. He is coming off a 2024 season where he rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and scored 19 rushing TDs.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles have run a version of the 3-3 stack for at least a decade now. Hobart has moved in that direction with 3 DL and having the flexibility to stack LB/DBs in different roles depending on what the offense shows them. Last week the Brockport defense was led by SR LB Luca Friedman with six total tackles. FY DL Jayden Ferrell had a nice debut, logging five tackles, two TFL and a sack. 

On special teams, the Golden Eagles only punted twice so not much to report there. FY PK Connor Parker kicked one 59 yards and back up SO QB Anthony Vino apparently did a "quick kick" for 34 yards. JR PK Zach McGowan averaged nearly 61 YPKO, with two touchbacks. One KO rolled out of bounds. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Stop Simmons: While Hobart can't sleep on the experienced and accurate JR QB Ben Gocella (10-12, 140 yds., 1 Pass. TD vs. BSU), Simmons is the key to the Brockport offense. Their big OL will look to establish the run early and keep Hobart on their toes. I do expect Gocella to take a few deeps shots (SO WR Nathan Williams was his favorite target in Week 1 to the tune of four catches for 75 yards and one TD), so we'll need guys like JR DB Zeshaun Dixon ready and playing better than we saw in Week 1. The Golden Eagles ran 40 times compared to 18 pass attempts against BSU, probably because they could, so you can do the math. If Hobart can create issues for them in the run game, that will help the Statesmen level the playing field.

2. Negative Plays: A big reason for the Hobart Week 1 loss was simple - three turnovers and seven penalties for 63 yards. Some of those penalty yards were unnecessary too, but the either the coaching staff didn't stress the new injury rules enough, or the players just made mental mistakes in not going down fast enough to avoid the flags. Once bitten, twice shy is what I hope we see this weekend. We can't afford many more injuries, obviously, but turnovers and negative yardage will kill Hobart against a team as good as Brockport. 

3. Just Win: To say this is a must win game is an understatement. Utica (1-0) put up close to 600 yards of offense on PAC co-champions W&J in Week 1. The Statesmen need a get out of this OOC schedule with some positive momentum, especially with LL play starting at Ithaca in Week 4. 

Prediction: 

While I had some concerns about Hobart being a close to .500 road team, the reality is more than half (nine) of those 15 losses were to ranked teams, and eight of them to LL rivals (Ithaca, Union and RPI), which, when it comes to conference play, isn't a surprise. Almost all of them were also close (7-14 points, or less), save for one (and a lopsided loss to Ithaca in 2019), which was the 2018 Brockport game which was HC Kevin DeWall's debut with a young, inexperienced team against one that ended up in the final four, losing to the eventual National Champions. 

The Statesmen can go on the road and win this game, but they will have to execute better than they did last week. I expect a low-scoring defensive battle that will come down to who rushes the football better and doesn't commit the most mistakes. I'll be optimistic and say Hobart can win this game, 24-21, because if they start 0-2, 0-3 and 0-4 likely follows and that's not the road we want to see this team go down. 

LFG Bart. Time to win.

Never Forget

On this 24th 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.

Saxons Turn Out the Lights on Statesmen, 28-23

The Hobart College Statesmen 2025 regular season got off to a dubious start last Friday night with an unexpected, 28-23, loss to the Alfred University Saxons. Alfred had been the team who Hobart (0-1, 0-0) had a 14-game winning streak against dating back to 1996 going until this year.

The Saxons (1-0, 0-0) capitalized on several Statesmen mistakes and penalties, including a pick six interception return for a TD by SR DB Thomas Welch. SO QB Aidan Conrath got the start and made a few rookie mistakes (the pick six included) along the way. JR RB E.J. Taylor had a good night, rushing for over 100 yards and scoring all three of Hobart's TD's. Injuries to the OL and the new injury rules implemented by the NCAA bit the Statesmen multiple times. At this point the Hobart are potentially down three starters, which is pretty shocking this early in the year. Hopefully they will all make quick recoveries, and this won't be like the lacrosse team who seems to lose key contributors on the regular every season. Makes me wonder if we have a S&C issue, or just really bad luck. 

While I didn't understand the lack of urgency / use of a no huddle offense in the final drive of the game, clearly the coaching staff felt with the two minute and three timeouts they'd be ok. In the end, it didn't pan out that way. Hobart took nearly six minutes to score, couldn't convert the onside kick and Alfred made some plays and ran out the clock to win the game. 

You can read more about the game from the HWSAthletics.com recap here. 

The loss drops Hobart's road record under Coach DeWall to 18-15. The Statesmen just seem like a different team away from Boswell Field. Something I want to deep dive into soon. 

Looking ahead, a motivated and strong Brockport (1-0, 0-0) team that blasted Buffalo State (0-1, 0-0), 41-0, last Thursday night awaits. Equipped with one of the best OL's and RBs in the Empire 8 (if not Region 2), the Statesmen could be looking at an 0-2 start. Brockport DC Mike Fox runs a trickly 3-man stack defense that an inexperienced OL and QB may struggle against. 

I have to say after last Friday, I am less optimistic about Hobart's chances in this one but will hold out hope they can make some corrections quickly.