The Hobart College Statesmen's 2025 season hasn't gone as planned, but with five games remaining, it's far from over. As stated in my preseason preview, the hard part was September and the Statesmen's schedule eases up from October on. That doesn't mean Hobart (1-4, 0-2) can just go on cruise control and end up 6-4, with a shot at an ECAC bowl bid.
No, the Statesmen need to start taking this opportunity to rebuild and go 1-0 each week, as there are really no "gimmes" anymore given all the bad breaks they've seen this season. Especially with long-time rival Union College (3-2, 2-0) looking to take the Statesmen down another notch.
Hobart is 51-54-2 all-time against the Dutchmen (I refuse to call them the "Chargers"), making this game the 108th time the two programs have faced off. The Statesmen have struggled to win at Frank Bailey Field, going 25-34-2 and losing four of the last five games there. Hobart's most recent victory in Union territory was ten years ago, an emphatic 52-14 stomping of the Dutchmen on Halloween in 2015.
Last season the Statesmen shutout Union, 27-0, but with a year under his belt, HC Jon Drach has these Dutchmen playing bigger and better than they did in 2024.
Scouting the Dutchmen:
After losing their first two games to nationally ranked teams, the Dutchmen have rattled off three straight wins. They are outscoring their opposition 24.6-17.6 PPG and are, not surprisingly given Drach's pedigree, an explosive offensive team. Union averages nearly 400 YPG in total offense and are almost 50-50 when it comes to the pass (203.8 YPG and eight TDs) and the run (190.2 YPG and seven rushing scores). The Dutchmen average over five yards per rush and seven per reception so the Statesmen defense will have their hands full Saturday.
The Union offense is led by SR QB Patch Flanagan who's improved a great deal since I saw him play in person at Utica in Week 1 of 2024. He struggled with turnovers then and did to start this season, throwing eight INTs compared to eight passing TDs, but six of those INTs came in Weeks 1 and 2. He's gone 77-132 for 986 yards, which averages close to 200 YPG passing.
Flanagan's primary targets are SR WR Gil Rivera (22 catches for 295 yards and four TDs), SR WR Dan Quinn (11-237 and two TDs) and JR WR Owen Corrigan (9-131 and one TD).
The Dutchmen rushing attack is also led by Flanagan, who calls his own number in the RPO a lot. He's rushed for a team high 452 yards and 4 rushing TDs. JR RB Michael Dinardo and SO RB Jah'Cire Jones have combined for nearly 100 carries and over 350 rushing yards.
The defense is led by SO LB John Droggitis and JR LB Dewayne Hinds who've tallied 34 and 33 total tackles each. The defensive front is led by JR DL Jordan Black who has a team high 6.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks (second best to SO DL Peter Nizolek with three sacks). In general, the Dutchmen defense is a physical and attacking unit. They've racked up 44 TFL and 22 sacks over five games, while their OL line, to their credit, has only allowed 22 TFL and two sacks over that same period.
On special teams Union is another team with three PK specialists. FY PK/WR Evan Anderson has handled punts, averaging 41.26 YYP. SO PK Francesco Pileggi (from Brazil of all places), has gone 2-3 on short range FGs. SR PK Ryan Mulderig averages nearly 62 YPKO. Half of his KOs (10/20) have resulted in touchbacks.
Keys to the Game:
1. Keep a Level Head: With no love lost on either sideline between these two rivals, you can expect the Dutchmen to come out very fired up like there's "blood in the water." They would love to continue to pile onto Hobart's struggles, so the Statesmen need to put everything in the rearview mirror and just focus on the current play. Getting drawn into penalties because of jawing and/or cheap shots, which Union has done in the past (I'm hoping Drach has eliminated that from their culture), is something the Statesmen simply cannot afford. This is an important business trip to save the season, so Hobart needs to act like it.
2. Flummox Flanagan: While he is an experienced QB, Flanagan has been turnover prone throughout his career. The Statesmen defense needs to play a game like they did vs. Utica and keep the pressure on the QB to force INTs.
3. The Best Defense is a Good Offense: Hobart needs to win the TOP battle in this one and keep this high-powered Union offense on the sideline. The Dutchmen defense allows close to 300 total YPG and almost five yards per play, so the Statesmen can grind away running and working short passing completions to chip away at the clock. Field position will also be important, if Hobart can't score, they need to flip the playing field and keep Union looking at 80+ yard drives.
Final Thoughts:
The character of this team will be revealed either way in this game. I hope we see a Statesmen squad that fights (fairly, without rash outbursts) all the way to the end of the whistle. I knew it wouldn't take Coach Drach long to turn the Dutchmen around, but I am not ready to see them turn the tide on Hobart just yet.
You can expect a close game, I just hope the Statesmen can put the past behind them and start the second half of the season on a positive note. A rare win at Frank Bailey would go a LONG WAY in doing that.
Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!
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