The Hobart Statesmen improved to 2-0 on the season with a resounding 35-21 victory over the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans (1-2) today in Pittsburgh.
The hosts would score on their opening possession, capping a seven play, 53 yard drive via a 10 yard Rob Kalkstein to Chris Garcia TD.
Hobart would respond with 35 unanswered points including three TD runs, including a long of 73 yards, for FY RB Steven Webb. The Statesmen struck with big plays including an onside kick in the second quarter that set up a 49 yard Vella to Muratori strike to post Hobart to a 21-7 lead going into the half.
CMU would score a couple of TDs late in the fourth quarter, but the day was all Statesmen. Hobart racked up nearly 470 yards of offense and the defense collected 10 tackles for losses, including eight sacks. DE James Rayhill lead Statesmen tacklers with 11, including 3 TFL and 2.5 sacks.
Hobart's Vella had a banner day throwing for 274 yards and two TDs. The star once again was FY phenom Steven Webb whose hat trick lead lead the Statesmen ground attack with 120 yards on 13 carries.
Hobart will face off against area rival St John Fisher under the lights - the first ever night game in Hobart Football's 100+ year history - AND I WILL BE THERE!!!!
Will post more analysis on this one and preview the big SJFC match up later this week.
Go 'Bart!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Carnegie Mellon Game Preview
“Carnegie Mellon is a totally different bear that we’ve got to go after, but we’re a little better than I thought we were, which I feel very good about.” — Hobart head coach Mike Cragg (“Hobart’s dandy debut,” Greg McNall, Finger Lakes Times, 9-13-10)
The Hobart Statesmen (1-0) will embark their longest road trip of the season to Pittsburgh, PA to face the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans (1-1) of the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Statesmen have won all three games dating back to the series opener in 2007, but all have been very competitive games usually decided by a touchdown or less. CMU opened their season with a victory over Grove City College (1-1) but lost last weekend 34-27 against Allegheny College (2-0).
Last season Hobart defeated the Tartans by a score of 24-16 at the “Boz”. The Statesmen produced 321 yards of offense in the game, including 216 yards passing from Doug Vella (16-of-26 with two TDs). Hobart RB Andrew Marlier '10 ran a kickoff 85 yards for a TD for the first kickoff return by a Statesman since Sept. 30, 2000, when Dyshaun Washington ’04 ran back the opening kickoff against St. Lawrence a school record 97 yards. The game was back and forth with Hobart hanging onto a one point lead (thanks in part to a blocked PAT by the Statesmen after CMU scored with 11:21 to play) in the fourth quarter until a short Vella to WR Paul Overdorf '10 TD pass put the Statesmen up 24-16 with 7:36 to play in the game.
This season the Tartans return 14 starters (six offensive and eight defensive) from last season’s (5-5, 1-2) squad. On offense CMU is lead by All-UAA SR FB Justin Pratt and All-UAA JR RB back Chris Garcia. This tandem of backs accounted for 1,200 of the Tartans’ 1,769 rushing yards in 2009. Pratt finished the 2009 campaign with a team-leading 11 rushing TDs while Garcia found the end zone three times on the ground and three TD receptions. Garcia was the team’s second-leading receiver with 18 receptions for 268 yards.
The 2010 Tartan defense includes three players who made the All-UAA Team – SR LB Mike Shedlosky (currently leads CMU in tackles with 32 over the past two games) SR DLs Jason Stearns and David O’Connor. Shedlosky led the Tartans with 68 tackles and Sterns and O’Connor combined for five of the Tartans’ 13 sacks in 2009.
Also returning for CMU is SR All-UAA punter Richard Pattison and All-UAA return specialist Dan Miller. For the second straight season, Pattison is coming off a standout performance after ranking nationally all season in punt average. He ended the season with an average of 40.5 yards per punt on 48 punts, ranking fifth in the nation. He placed 15 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and had nine punts of 50 yards or more with a career-long of 68 yards at Kenyon. Miller had a season-long return of 26 yards last season against Ohio Wesleyan.
Keys to the Game:
1. Make CMU one dimensional on offense – The Tartans lost their prior QB starter, Phil Pantalone, to graduation last spring so they have a FY QB to run their Wing-T offense in 2010. For those not familiar with the “Wing,” it is a system predicated on forcing the opposing defense into multiple adjustments throughout the game due to the varying position of the wingback. The wingback can be any player in this four back running system and this formation forces the secondary to play at least three deep, due to the possibility of three deep receiving threats. FY QB Rob Kalkstein has been fairly effective and efficient (15 of 25) in his first two starts throwing for 274 yards and three TDs. He appears to be somewhat mobile having called his own number 16 times this season but only gaining 43 (net) yards. If the Statesmen can take away the pass, they will be able to be more aggressive at the point of attack like they were in the Dickinson game and force three and outs. RBs Chris Garcia and Justin Pratt have only averaged ~47 and 24 yards per game so far this season, so neither appears to be a big run threat.
2. Win the field position battle – With a punter like Pattison, Hobart needs to watch having getting pinned back in their own side of the field which leads to:
3. Attack the Tartan defense – The Statesmen should look to challenge a CMU defense that’s allowing an average of 421.5 yards per game (214.5 rushing yards per game and 207 passing yards on average, respectively). Last week Hobart didn’t need much offense given the play of the defense and special teams. Barring plays like blocked punts and kickoff return TDs; however, the Statesmen should look to move the chains and score on each possession, putting more pressure on the young Kalkstein to keep up.
4. Red zone defense – The Tartans are 8 for 8 (100%) in the red zone scoring six TDs and 2 FGs (long of 40). While Dickinson had limited opportunities, last season Hobart ranked 5th in the LL in this category allowing 13 scores (10 TDs, 3 FGs) scores on 18 attempts (72.9%) so they could certainly afford to improve on that statistic in 2010.
Prediction:
Given the fact the average scores between these teams have been 24-19 the past three seasons, I went out on a limb last Sunday night when I predicted a 21-7 Hobart win. That said I am confident the Statesmen are a much better squad than last season and CMU was picked to finish last in the UAA this year - perhaps given the losses at QB and other key positions on offense. This confidence is bolstered by the apparent struggles the Tartans are having on defense (e.g., giving up a lot of yards and a points – 27.5 PPG on average) and the emergence of game breaking players such as Statesman FY RB Steven Webb (3 TDs) and OLB Devin Worthington (10 tackles and a punt block).
Hopefully I’ll be right and Hobart will take care of business this Saturday (and not be looking past CMU to the big St John Fisher / Homecoming game the following weekend).
Kickoff for this Saturday’s game is at 12:00 PM ET. Go ‘Bart!
The Hobart Statesmen (1-0) will embark their longest road trip of the season to Pittsburgh, PA to face the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans (1-1) of the University Athletic Association (UAA). The Statesmen have won all three games dating back to the series opener in 2007, but all have been very competitive games usually decided by a touchdown or less. CMU opened their season with a victory over Grove City College (1-1) but lost last weekend 34-27 against Allegheny College (2-0).
Last season Hobart defeated the Tartans by a score of 24-16 at the “Boz”. The Statesmen produced 321 yards of offense in the game, including 216 yards passing from Doug Vella (16-of-26 with two TDs). Hobart RB Andrew Marlier '10 ran a kickoff 85 yards for a TD for the first kickoff return by a Statesman since Sept. 30, 2000, when Dyshaun Washington ’04 ran back the opening kickoff against St. Lawrence a school record 97 yards. The game was back and forth with Hobart hanging onto a one point lead (thanks in part to a blocked PAT by the Statesmen after CMU scored with 11:21 to play) in the fourth quarter until a short Vella to WR Paul Overdorf '10 TD pass put the Statesmen up 24-16 with 7:36 to play in the game.
This season the Tartans return 14 starters (six offensive and eight defensive) from last season’s (5-5, 1-2) squad. On offense CMU is lead by All-UAA SR FB Justin Pratt and All-UAA JR RB back Chris Garcia. This tandem of backs accounted for 1,200 of the Tartans’ 1,769 rushing yards in 2009. Pratt finished the 2009 campaign with a team-leading 11 rushing TDs while Garcia found the end zone three times on the ground and three TD receptions. Garcia was the team’s second-leading receiver with 18 receptions for 268 yards.
The 2010 Tartan defense includes three players who made the All-UAA Team – SR LB Mike Shedlosky (currently leads CMU in tackles with 32 over the past two games) SR DLs Jason Stearns and David O’Connor. Shedlosky led the Tartans with 68 tackles and Sterns and O’Connor combined for five of the Tartans’ 13 sacks in 2009.
Also returning for CMU is SR All-UAA punter Richard Pattison and All-UAA return specialist Dan Miller. For the second straight season, Pattison is coming off a standout performance after ranking nationally all season in punt average. He ended the season with an average of 40.5 yards per punt on 48 punts, ranking fifth in the nation. He placed 15 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and had nine punts of 50 yards or more with a career-long of 68 yards at Kenyon. Miller had a season-long return of 26 yards last season against Ohio Wesleyan.
Keys to the Game:
1. Make CMU one dimensional on offense – The Tartans lost their prior QB starter, Phil Pantalone, to graduation last spring so they have a FY QB to run their Wing-T offense in 2010. For those not familiar with the “Wing,” it is a system predicated on forcing the opposing defense into multiple adjustments throughout the game due to the varying position of the wingback. The wingback can be any player in this four back running system and this formation forces the secondary to play at least three deep, due to the possibility of three deep receiving threats. FY QB Rob Kalkstein has been fairly effective and efficient (15 of 25) in his first two starts throwing for 274 yards and three TDs. He appears to be somewhat mobile having called his own number 16 times this season but only gaining 43 (net) yards. If the Statesmen can take away the pass, they will be able to be more aggressive at the point of attack like they were in the Dickinson game and force three and outs. RBs Chris Garcia and Justin Pratt have only averaged ~47 and 24 yards per game so far this season, so neither appears to be a big run threat.
2. Win the field position battle – With a punter like Pattison, Hobart needs to watch having getting pinned back in their own side of the field which leads to:
3. Attack the Tartan defense – The Statesmen should look to challenge a CMU defense that’s allowing an average of 421.5 yards per game (214.5 rushing yards per game and 207 passing yards on average, respectively). Last week Hobart didn’t need much offense given the play of the defense and special teams. Barring plays like blocked punts and kickoff return TDs; however, the Statesmen should look to move the chains and score on each possession, putting more pressure on the young Kalkstein to keep up.
4. Red zone defense – The Tartans are 8 for 8 (100%) in the red zone scoring six TDs and 2 FGs (long of 40). While Dickinson had limited opportunities, last season Hobart ranked 5th in the LL in this category allowing 13 scores (10 TDs, 3 FGs) scores on 18 attempts (72.9%) so they could certainly afford to improve on that statistic in 2010.
Prediction:
Given the fact the average scores between these teams have been 24-19 the past three seasons, I went out on a limb last Sunday night when I predicted a 21-7 Hobart win. That said I am confident the Statesmen are a much better squad than last season and CMU was picked to finish last in the UAA this year - perhaps given the losses at QB and other key positions on offense. This confidence is bolstered by the apparent struggles the Tartans are having on defense (e.g., giving up a lot of yards and a points – 27.5 PPG on average) and the emergence of game breaking players such as Statesman FY RB Steven Webb (3 TDs) and OLB Devin Worthington (10 tackles and a punt block).
Hopefully I’ll be right and Hobart will take care of business this Saturday (and not be looking past CMU to the big St John Fisher / Homecoming game the following weekend).
Kickoff for this Saturday’s game is at 12:00 PM ET. Go ‘Bart!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Hobart Dominates Devils in Season Opener, 38-7
The Hobart Statesmen opened their 2010 season and the newly remodeled Boswell Field by hosting the Red Devils of Dickinson College. The Statesmen came into the game looking for payback after last season's 26-3 defeat at the hands of the Devils.
Defense looked to the name of the game early on for both teams as each teams' opening drives went three and out. Dickinson's second possession appeared more promising until Red Devil QB Jordan Kaufman was picked off by Hobart LB Reggie Robinson at the HOB 48 yard line.
Once again it looked like the Statesmen drive would stall, but FY punter Yosh Karbowniczak channeled his inner Tyler Vincent and ran a fake punt on 4th down for 17 yards giving Hobart a 1st and 10 at the Dickinson 28 yard line.
Hobart would drive the ball down to the Dickinson 1 yard line and on 2 and goal FY RB Steven Webb would dive into the end zone for his first collegiate TD. A Conor Callahan kick was good and with 6:05 to play in the first quarter it was 7-0 Hobart.
The Hobart and Dickinson defenses continued to assert themselves well into the second quarter. A booming 54 yard punt by Karbowniczak pinned the Devils at their own 6 yard line and a stop by the Statesmen defense helped the offense take a short field to start their next drive from the Dickinson 32 yard line.
In spite of some strong running by Hobart SO RB Bobby Dougherty, the Devils' defense held - forcing the Statesmen to settle for a 30 yard Callahan FG with 8:13 to go in the first half to make it 10-0 Hobart.
After both offenses traded possessions, the Hobart's special teams second big play of the game came when FY OLB Devin Worthington blocked a Gordon Craig punt and JR CB Drake Woodard ran it in for the score with 3:35 to play in the first half. Callahan PAT was good, and Hobart was up 17-0.
An excessive celebration penalty would force Hobart to kickoff from their 15 yard line, giving Dickinson their best field position of the day. Kaufman completed two big pass plays – a 28 and 19 yard strikes to bring the Devils to the Hobart 15. The Statesmen defense held and Dickinson's Gordon Craig missed a 30 yard FG keeping it a shut out for Hobart going into halftime.
The Statesmen came out of the break and effectively broke the game open on a 90 yard Steven Webb kickoff return for a touchdown. Callahan's extra point was good and it was 24-0 Hobart with 14:46 to play in the third quarter.
After another three and out by the Devils, Hobart collected a punt and had a short field, beginning the drive from the Dickinson 27. The Statesmen drove down the field in three plays culminating with QB Doug Vella finding classmate TE Greg Clifford on a 5 yard TD pass. With only 12:21 to play in the third, Hobart was up 31-0.
Hobart dominated the remainder of the game and won easily by a margin of 38-7. The Devils got on the board after back up QB Ricky Martz capped a 12 play, 74 yard drive with 10:20 to play in the fourth quarter.
Hobart was out gained by Dickinson 268 to 198 in total yardage but it was the Statesmen who made all the big plays on the day, including collecting 4 Red Devil turnovers. FY RB Steve Webb lead the Hobart rushing attack with 7 carries for 58 yards and 2 TDs. QB Doug Vella went 8-14 for 65 yards and 1 TD. Dickinson's Evan Fink lead all Devils with 29 yards rushing on 7 carries. Dickinson's Qbs combined for a 12 of 24 for 154 yards and 1 interception. Hobart FY Devin Worthington lead all Statesmen tacklers with 10 stops, including three TFL and the blocked punt. Dickinson's Andrew Fink and Scott Sullivan lead the Devils' defense with 8 tackles a piece.
The loss drops Dickinson to 0-1. Hobart will take their 1-0 mark to Pittsburgh next week when they play the Carnegie Mellon Tartans of the UAA.
All in all, a great start for the Statesmen who christened the new "Boz" with a solid win. Will post more analysis later this week and preview the upcoming game against Carnegie Mellon.
Congrats to the Statesmen on an encouraging start to 2010!
Defense looked to the name of the game early on for both teams as each teams' opening drives went three and out. Dickinson's second possession appeared more promising until Red Devil QB Jordan Kaufman was picked off by Hobart LB Reggie Robinson at the HOB 48 yard line.
Once again it looked like the Statesmen drive would stall, but FY punter Yosh Karbowniczak channeled his inner Tyler Vincent and ran a fake punt on 4th down for 17 yards giving Hobart a 1st and 10 at the Dickinson 28 yard line.
Hobart would drive the ball down to the Dickinson 1 yard line and on 2 and goal FY RB Steven Webb would dive into the end zone for his first collegiate TD. A Conor Callahan kick was good and with 6:05 to play in the first quarter it was 7-0 Hobart.
The Hobart and Dickinson defenses continued to assert themselves well into the second quarter. A booming 54 yard punt by Karbowniczak pinned the Devils at their own 6 yard line and a stop by the Statesmen defense helped the offense take a short field to start their next drive from the Dickinson 32 yard line.
In spite of some strong running by Hobart SO RB Bobby Dougherty, the Devils' defense held - forcing the Statesmen to settle for a 30 yard Callahan FG with 8:13 to go in the first half to make it 10-0 Hobart.
After both offenses traded possessions, the Hobart's special teams second big play of the game came when FY OLB Devin Worthington blocked a Gordon Craig punt and JR CB Drake Woodard ran it in for the score with 3:35 to play in the first half. Callahan PAT was good, and Hobart was up 17-0.
An excessive celebration penalty would force Hobart to kickoff from their 15 yard line, giving Dickinson their best field position of the day. Kaufman completed two big pass plays – a 28 and 19 yard strikes to bring the Devils to the Hobart 15. The Statesmen defense held and Dickinson's Gordon Craig missed a 30 yard FG keeping it a shut out for Hobart going into halftime.
The Statesmen came out of the break and effectively broke the game open on a 90 yard Steven Webb kickoff return for a touchdown. Callahan's extra point was good and it was 24-0 Hobart with 14:46 to play in the third quarter.
After another three and out by the Devils, Hobart collected a punt and had a short field, beginning the drive from the Dickinson 27. The Statesmen drove down the field in three plays culminating with QB Doug Vella finding classmate TE Greg Clifford on a 5 yard TD pass. With only 12:21 to play in the third, Hobart was up 31-0.
Hobart dominated the remainder of the game and won easily by a margin of 38-7. The Devils got on the board after back up QB Ricky Martz capped a 12 play, 74 yard drive with 10:20 to play in the fourth quarter.
Hobart was out gained by Dickinson 268 to 198 in total yardage but it was the Statesmen who made all the big plays on the day, including collecting 4 Red Devil turnovers. FY RB Steve Webb lead the Hobart rushing attack with 7 carries for 58 yards and 2 TDs. QB Doug Vella went 8-14 for 65 yards and 1 TD. Dickinson's Evan Fink lead all Devils with 29 yards rushing on 7 carries. Dickinson's Qbs combined for a 12 of 24 for 154 yards and 1 interception. Hobart FY Devin Worthington lead all Statesmen tacklers with 10 stops, including three TFL and the blocked punt. Dickinson's Andrew Fink and Scott Sullivan lead the Devils' defense with 8 tackles a piece.
The loss drops Dickinson to 0-1. Hobart will take their 1-0 mark to Pittsburgh next week when they play the Carnegie Mellon Tartans of the UAA.
All in all, a great start for the Statesmen who christened the new "Boz" with a solid win. Will post more analysis later this week and preview the upcoming game against Carnegie Mellon.
Congrats to the Statesmen on an encouraging start to 2010!
Remembering 9/11
Although it's exciting to kickoff another football season, it is bittersweet as we remember the events of 9/11/01. That day we lost three Statesmen, Scott Rohner '01Michael Simon '83 and my former teammate Andrew Glokin '93.
The Statesmen bell will ring solemnly in their honor prior to today's game.
God bless these Statesmen and America.
The Statesmen bell will ring solemnly in their honor prior to today's game.
God bless these Statesmen and America.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Hobart Official (HWS) Preseason Preview is Online
You can download the 2010 Hobart Football Media Guide at the following link:
http://www.hwsathletics.com/sports/2008/10/21/HFB_1021084839.aspx?path=football
For a preview on this weekend's opponent, the Dickinson Red Devils, you can check out:
http://www2.dickinson.edu/sports/statistics/mfb/2010dcfbpreview.pdf
Go 'Bart!
http://www.hwsathletics.com/sports/2008/10/21/HFB_1021084839.aspx?path=football
For a preview on this weekend's opponent, the Dickinson Red Devils, you can check out:
http://www2.dickinson.edu/sports/statistics/mfb/2010dcfbpreview.pdf
Go 'Bart!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Dickinson Game Preview
The Hobart Statesmen will host the Dickinson College Red Devils in their respective season openers this weekend. This game will also be the much anticipated debut of the newly remodeled Boswell Field at the Caird (H56) Center for Sports and Recreation. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 PM ET.
The Statesmen will be looking to avenge last season’s 26-3 bedeviling defeat to Dickinson in Carlisle, PA. The Red Devils literally ran all over the Statesmen on that day to the tune of 298 yards rushing. Although the Statesmen kept stand out WR Pat O’Connor in check, Hobart continually made mistakes, including a fumble and two unsportsmanlike penalties as they struggled to get anything going on offense. The Statesmen kept the game close in the first half and went into the break only down 7-3, but Dickinson came out in the second half firing on all cylinders and effectively put the game away with 32 seconds to play in the third quarter on a 19 yard QB Ian Mitchell TD run, his second of the day. The win was Dickinson’s tenth in the 19 game series between the two schools. The Devils have defeated the Statesmen twice in the past three seasons.
Although the Red Devils have lost several key players to graduation on offense including Mitchell (first QB in the history of the Centennial Conference to both rush for over 2,000 yards and pass for over 5,000 yards in his college career) and O’Connor (lead the Devils with 579 yards receiving and is Dickinson’s career leader for receptions with 167 for 2,548 yards and 18 TDs); they return the bulk of their defense (eight starters) which held Hobart to its lowest scoring output in over 15 seasons.
Key offensive players returning for the Devils includes SR RB Greg Lord who’s made a nice living running on the Statesmen defense the past two seasons. Lord lead all Dickinson rushers with 117 yards on 14 carries (one TD) in last season’s win over Hobart. Lord also racked up 108 yards on 19 carries (two TDs), albeit in a 28-21 loss, against the Statesmen in 2008. That said Lord wasn’t even Dickinson’s first (Mitchell) or second (SR RB Tim Smith who rushed for 606 yards on 123 carries and four TDs) leading rusher in 2009!
Given this stable of backs, not to mention Mitchell’s ability as a mobile QB, the Devils ranked 15th (out of 238) in the nation in rushing offense (243.8 YPG) last season. Needless to say I think Hobart can expect a healthy running game from Dickinson this Saturday – especially given the competition for the starting QB between JR QBs Rick Bowie, Jordan Kaufman and Ricky Martz is “wide open” per Dickinson Head Coach Darwin Breaux.
On defensive side of the ball the Red Devils are lead by LB Kevin Wood (leading tackler with 69 total stops, including 3 TFL) and SS Pat McNeal (66 tackles, one sack, four INTs). Also returning are LBs Pete Hamill (66 tackles, 6.5 TFL), Jack Connolly (60 tackles, 8.5 TFL), CB Andrew Fink (63 tackles) as well as DLs Corwyn Gordon (55 tackles, team high 9.5 TFL), Josh Harrison and Adam Farrell (six TFL, four sacks).
On special teams, Dickinson returns PK Gordon Craig (37 of 39 on PATs and 9 of 10 on FGs).
Keys to the game:
1. The Hobart Front Four – Given a new starting QB, Dickinson will likely play to its strength which will be to challenge the “brand new” Statesmen DL with a great deal of running plays. Last season the Red Devils called 44 running (72%) vs. 17 passing plays and I expect this year’s team will follow a similar strategy. If the DL struggles, expect a long day and busy day for the Hobart LB and DBs.
2. Ball control / limit mistakes – Hobart lost the turnover and the penalty battle in last year’s game costing the Statesmen a couple of scoring opportunities. Needless to say the Statesmen need to avoid handing over the ball to a Red Devil offense that’s prone to long, clock-killing drives. Last year, although they fought to the end, the Hobart defense eventually wore down in the second half due to losing the time of possession battle 17:26 to 12:34.
3. Build confidence on offense – Last season Vella only passed for 65 yards against a Dickinson secondary that gave up nearly 300 yards passing to Grove City the week before. Given Hobart will likely be challenged to move the ball on the ground against the Red Devils, Vella will need to be patient, make his reads and challenge Dickinson down field. That said I expect the Devils to blitz Vella constantly, so TE Matt Marsh and the Statesmen RBs will need to probably need to stay on their blocks or at least make some initial contact before releasing into the flat. The Statesmen OL and WRs will need to do a better job than they did last season – albeit some pundits claimed Vella was quick to give up on the pass and run the ball himself (he did lead all Statesmen rushers with 79 yards on 15 attempts). Having spoken directly to the JR QB a few weeks ago, I doubt this will be an issue. He said he’s matured a great deal and has a lot of confidence in his receivers (i.e., expect Muratori to have an active role in this game).
Prediction:
While I expect Dickinson to gain more than their fair share of rushing yards, I also think the Hobart offense will have a better passing day against the Devils this season. The Statesmen will be looking for pay back for last season so I am expecting Hobart to attack early and often on offense. That said I do expect this to be a slightly lower scoring game than those in recent years between these two teams. Ultimately if the Hobart defense keeps the Red Devil running game at bay in / near the red zone, I like the Statesmen’s chances to win the game.
That said I am picking Hobart to win their home opener (they were 4-0 at home last season) 24-14.
The Statesmen will be looking to avenge last season’s 26-3 bedeviling defeat to Dickinson in Carlisle, PA. The Red Devils literally ran all over the Statesmen on that day to the tune of 298 yards rushing. Although the Statesmen kept stand out WR Pat O’Connor in check, Hobart continually made mistakes, including a fumble and two unsportsmanlike penalties as they struggled to get anything going on offense. The Statesmen kept the game close in the first half and went into the break only down 7-3, but Dickinson came out in the second half firing on all cylinders and effectively put the game away with 32 seconds to play in the third quarter on a 19 yard QB Ian Mitchell TD run, his second of the day. The win was Dickinson’s tenth in the 19 game series between the two schools. The Devils have defeated the Statesmen twice in the past three seasons.
Although the Red Devils have lost several key players to graduation on offense including Mitchell (first QB in the history of the Centennial Conference to both rush for over 2,000 yards and pass for over 5,000 yards in his college career) and O’Connor (lead the Devils with 579 yards receiving and is Dickinson’s career leader for receptions with 167 for 2,548 yards and 18 TDs); they return the bulk of their defense (eight starters) which held Hobart to its lowest scoring output in over 15 seasons.
Key offensive players returning for the Devils includes SR RB Greg Lord who’s made a nice living running on the Statesmen defense the past two seasons. Lord lead all Dickinson rushers with 117 yards on 14 carries (one TD) in last season’s win over Hobart. Lord also racked up 108 yards on 19 carries (two TDs), albeit in a 28-21 loss, against the Statesmen in 2008. That said Lord wasn’t even Dickinson’s first (Mitchell) or second (SR RB Tim Smith who rushed for 606 yards on 123 carries and four TDs) leading rusher in 2009!
Given this stable of backs, not to mention Mitchell’s ability as a mobile QB, the Devils ranked 15th (out of 238) in the nation in rushing offense (243.8 YPG) last season. Needless to say I think Hobart can expect a healthy running game from Dickinson this Saturday – especially given the competition for the starting QB between JR QBs Rick Bowie, Jordan Kaufman and Ricky Martz is “wide open” per Dickinson Head Coach Darwin Breaux.
On defensive side of the ball the Red Devils are lead by LB Kevin Wood (leading tackler with 69 total stops, including 3 TFL) and SS Pat McNeal (66 tackles, one sack, four INTs). Also returning are LBs Pete Hamill (66 tackles, 6.5 TFL), Jack Connolly (60 tackles, 8.5 TFL), CB Andrew Fink (63 tackles) as well as DLs Corwyn Gordon (55 tackles, team high 9.5 TFL), Josh Harrison and Adam Farrell (six TFL, four sacks).
On special teams, Dickinson returns PK Gordon Craig (37 of 39 on PATs and 9 of 10 on FGs).
Keys to the game:
1. The Hobart Front Four – Given a new starting QB, Dickinson will likely play to its strength which will be to challenge the “brand new” Statesmen DL with a great deal of running plays. Last season the Red Devils called 44 running (72%) vs. 17 passing plays and I expect this year’s team will follow a similar strategy. If the DL struggles, expect a long day and busy day for the Hobart LB and DBs.
2. Ball control / limit mistakes – Hobart lost the turnover and the penalty battle in last year’s game costing the Statesmen a couple of scoring opportunities. Needless to say the Statesmen need to avoid handing over the ball to a Red Devil offense that’s prone to long, clock-killing drives. Last year, although they fought to the end, the Hobart defense eventually wore down in the second half due to losing the time of possession battle 17:26 to 12:34.
3. Build confidence on offense – Last season Vella only passed for 65 yards against a Dickinson secondary that gave up nearly 300 yards passing to Grove City the week before. Given Hobart will likely be challenged to move the ball on the ground against the Red Devils, Vella will need to be patient, make his reads and challenge Dickinson down field. That said I expect the Devils to blitz Vella constantly, so TE Matt Marsh and the Statesmen RBs will need to probably need to stay on their blocks or at least make some initial contact before releasing into the flat. The Statesmen OL and WRs will need to do a better job than they did last season – albeit some pundits claimed Vella was quick to give up on the pass and run the ball himself (he did lead all Statesmen rushers with 79 yards on 15 attempts). Having spoken directly to the JR QB a few weeks ago, I doubt this will be an issue. He said he’s matured a great deal and has a lot of confidence in his receivers (i.e., expect Muratori to have an active role in this game).
Prediction:
While I expect Dickinson to gain more than their fair share of rushing yards, I also think the Hobart offense will have a better passing day against the Devils this season. The Statesmen will be looking for pay back for last season so I am expecting Hobart to attack early and often on offense. That said I do expect this to be a slightly lower scoring game than those in recent years between these two teams. Ultimately if the Hobart defense keeps the Red Devil running game at bay in / near the red zone, I like the Statesmen’s chances to win the game.
That said I am picking Hobart to win their home opener (they were 4-0 at home last season) 24-14.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Are you ready for some football??!?!?!
Although the Statesmen's home opener is still over a week away, today is the "official" kick off of the 2010 football season. Liberty League teams such as St. Lawrence and WPI have games this weekend (assuming Hurricane Earl doesn't affect them).
With that in mind, my co-hosts and I will preview the LL season, including an interview with Hobart's JR QB Doug Vella. You can access the show live at www.inthehuddlle.com beginning at 8 PM ET. A recording of the show will be available for download shortly after the live broadcast wraps.
Next week I'll post my Dickinson game preview.
Go 'Bart!
With that in mind, my co-hosts and I will preview the LL season, including an interview with Hobart's JR QB Doug Vella. You can access the show live at www.inthehuddlle.com beginning at 8 PM ET. A recording of the show will be available for download shortly after the live broadcast wraps.
Next week I'll post my Dickinson game preview.
Go 'Bart!
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