The Hobart Statesmen football team was honored with seven first team selections to the All-Liberty League team today.
FY OLB/S Devin Worthington took home the "Rookie of the Year" award after leading the LL in tackles for loss and sacks. Worthington ranked 5th in nation in tackles for loss and 7th in sacks (based on NCAA data thru 11/6/10). His 19 tackles for loss ranks second all-time on the Hobart single-season list.
The Statesmen on the First Team consisted of the following players:
Offense
QB Doug Vella
RB Steven Webb
OL Brendan Hatlee*
Defense
LB Reggie Robinson
LB Devin Worthington
DB Drake Woodard*
Special Teams
RS Junior Woodard
*unanimous decision
Statesmen on the Second Team roster included:
Offense
WR Junior Woodard
FB Matt Howard
OL Art Garvey
Defense
DL Chris Luber
DB John Kelliher
Special Teams
P Yosh Karbowniczak
Statesmen receiving Honorable Mention included:
Offense:
WR Garth Muratori
Defense:
DL Nick Auriemma DL
LB Kyle O'Laughlin
DL James Rayhill
Special Teams:
K Conor Callahan
Congratulations to these Hobart honorees!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Hobart gamble doesn't pay off, loses to Rochester 35-34 in 2OT
The Rochester Yellow Jackets came to Geneva this Saturday riding a league best three game winning streak while the Hobart Statesmen were looking to send off the 12 members of its football senior class with a win on Senior Day and Hall of Fame weekend.
The Statesmen would field a short kickoff and begin their first drive from their own 42 yard line. Hobart would use a balanced attack to get to the Yellow Jacket 10, but the Rochester defense would hold on third down forcing the hosts to settle for a 27 yard Conor Callahan field goal with 8:43 to play in the first.
The Yellow Jackets would take the ensuing possession on a short field as well, starting at their 49 yard line after a 24 yard kickoff by freshman Reyes Guevara. Rochester drove down the field and capped an eight play drive when quarterback Braezen Subick found Thomas Norman for a 10 yard touchdown pass with 3:56 to play in the first quarter. The White-Stellato point after was good posting the visitors to a 7-3 advantage.
The Statesmen and Jackets traded possessions until Hobart caught a break when Subick shanked a punt off the side of his foot for seven yards giving the Statesmen the ball on their own 47 yard line. Hobart made the most of the opportunity driving eight plays to the Rochester one yard line when on second down, freshman Steven Webb scored his 12th rushing TD of the season. The point after was good giving Hobart a 10-7 lead with 6:39 remaining in the first half.
Rochester would swarm right back however, converting two fourth down conversions to drive the ball to the Statesmen's eight yard line. On the 14th play of the drive Subick would connect with Norman for their second TD on the day, this time an eight yard pass on 3rd and goal. With the point after, the Jackets were back in front by a score of 14-10 with 16 seconds remaining in the first half.
To Hobart's credit, they made the most of the time remaining, taking another short kickoff to their 49 yard line. Quarterback Doug Vella would find wide receiver Garth Muratori on back-to-back 15 yard pass plays to advance the ball to the Rochester 21 with only four seconds to go in the half. Reyes Guevara would attempt his first career field goal and had just enough to convert the 38 yarder as time expired on the first half. The FG would pull the Statesmen within one, making the score 14-13 Rochester at the half.
The second half would be a defensive battle as both teams struggled to move the ball. Rochester however controlled the time of possession to a 10:24 to 4:36 advantage in the period.
The fourth quarter had an auspicious start for Hobart. Freshman Yosh Karbowniczak failed to convert a fake punt on fourth down giving Rochester the ball on the Hobart 43. The Statesmen would appear to catch a break however when three plays later Chris Bickford fumbled on a short yardage play giving Hobart the ball at the 35. The good luck would be short lived though as Vella would lose control of the ball on a play fake and fumble himself, returning the ball to right back to Rochester at the same spot the Statesmen initially received it.
The Jackets would fail to gain any yardage on their initial three snaps, running for no gain and throwing two incomplete passes setting up a 4th and 10. Subick would find Tony Messana for a 13 yard gain and a first down. On the ensuing first down, Subick would find Norman for the third TD of the day. This time on a 22 yard reception to make it 21-13 with 11:18 to play in the game.
The game would remain deadlocked at this point with both teams attempting and failing to convert fourth downs on successive drives. Hobart had the ball with a first and goal from the Rochester five yard line but failed to find the end zone. This gave the Yellow Jackets the ball with just over three minutes to play with a chance to ice the game – but from their own three.
Hobart would allow Rochester to escape the shadow of their goal line, but eventually clamp down leading to a critical fourth and one with 1:28 to play. Instead of punting the ball away, Yellow Jacket Scott Greene called for another Bickford short yardage play. The Statesmen stuffed the Rochester offense and gave the offense the ball on the Jacket 29 yard line.
Vella would drive the offense to the end zone, hitting Muratori twice on the drive – first on an improbable throw that bounced off a Hobart player's shoulder pads and went straight up in the air. Rochester, who looked poised to make the easy interception, somehow missed the ball and it dropped right into the hands of a prone Muratori, who had fallen to the turf, for a 20-yard gain. On the second pass, Vella hit Muratori for 12 yards and a TD. On the ensuing possession, Hobart's Junior Woodard was wide open in the end zone for the two point conversion, tying the game at 21 all with 34 seconds to play.
After a loss on the first play from scrimmage following the kickoff, Rochester kneeled on the ball and the teams were headed to overtime.
The Yellow Jackets won the toss and elected to go on defense first. After completing two short passes, Vella handed off to Webb who took off for 22 yards and the TD. The point after was good and Hobart had a 28-21 lead.
Rochester would send the game into a second overtime when Subick called his own number on a one yard TD run.
The second overtime began with an incomplete pass from Subick, but he found Byron Saggese for 19 yards to the Hobart six. Three RJ Napadono rushes later and the Jackets were back on top 35-28.
The Statesmen called Webb's number for a three yard gain on first down, but the Rochester defense would throw Webb for a loss on second down. Facing a third and 10, Vella would scramble for eight yards setting up a 4th and 2 from the Rochester 17. On the ensuing play, Vella completed a 13 yard pass to junior Matt Marsh – his first catch of the season – which was good for a first and goal from the Jacket four.
Webb would score on the next play to make it 35-34. Head Coach Mike Cragg – who was honored at halftime along with his fellow Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame inductees – decided to play for the win.
Unfortunately, the Vella pass would be just out of reach for Muratori giving Rochester a 35-34 double overtime win. It was the first time Rochester had beaten Hobart since 2003, which was the last time the Statesmen only had five regular season wins, and only the second time in Hobart history the Statesmen had lost in overtime.
The Yellow Jackets were lead by Subick who completed 21-of-31 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, all to junior tight end Thomas Norman who made seven catches for 76 yards.
The Yellowjacket defense kept Vella under pressure throughout the game, logging six sacks. Junior end Cainaan Webb led the charge counting three sacks among his five tackles. First-year linebacker Tony Ortega led Rochester with 10 stops (7 solo).
Vella was 22-of-35 for 222 yards and a TD. Muratori finished the game with 10 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Webb rushed for a game-high 98 yards and three touchdowns.
The Hobart defense was led by senior linebacker and co-captain Kyle O’Laughlin and junior linebacker Reggie Robinson with 12 tackles a piece. First-year strong safety Devin Worthington added eight tackles and a sack. Senior free safety and co-captain John Kelliher had nine tackles and a forced fumble.
With its fourth straight win Rochester improves to 4-5 on the season and 3-3 in the league. Hobart drops to 5-4 overall (the first time Hobart hasn't won six games since 1999) and 3-3 in the league as well.
Although Hobart did receive an ECAC bid in 2003 with a 5-4 record (which they in turn took and defeated Norwich 34-18), that seems very unlikely given the number of teams with better records and the amount of bids submitted (only six teams will be given ECAC berths).
That said, barring a miracle tomorrow when ECAC games are announced, it would appear the 2010 Statesmen season is over.
More analysis to follow and you can catch further discussion on this game, the DIII national playoffs and much more tomorrow night on ITH - www.inthehuddlle.com - we're on at 7:30 PM ET.
The Statesmen would field a short kickoff and begin their first drive from their own 42 yard line. Hobart would use a balanced attack to get to the Yellow Jacket 10, but the Rochester defense would hold on third down forcing the hosts to settle for a 27 yard Conor Callahan field goal with 8:43 to play in the first.
The Yellow Jackets would take the ensuing possession on a short field as well, starting at their 49 yard line after a 24 yard kickoff by freshman Reyes Guevara. Rochester drove down the field and capped an eight play drive when quarterback Braezen Subick found Thomas Norman for a 10 yard touchdown pass with 3:56 to play in the first quarter. The White-Stellato point after was good posting the visitors to a 7-3 advantage.
The Statesmen and Jackets traded possessions until Hobart caught a break when Subick shanked a punt off the side of his foot for seven yards giving the Statesmen the ball on their own 47 yard line. Hobart made the most of the opportunity driving eight plays to the Rochester one yard line when on second down, freshman Steven Webb scored his 12th rushing TD of the season. The point after was good giving Hobart a 10-7 lead with 6:39 remaining in the first half.
Rochester would swarm right back however, converting two fourth down conversions to drive the ball to the Statesmen's eight yard line. On the 14th play of the drive Subick would connect with Norman for their second TD on the day, this time an eight yard pass on 3rd and goal. With the point after, the Jackets were back in front by a score of 14-10 with 16 seconds remaining in the first half.
To Hobart's credit, they made the most of the time remaining, taking another short kickoff to their 49 yard line. Quarterback Doug Vella would find wide receiver Garth Muratori on back-to-back 15 yard pass plays to advance the ball to the Rochester 21 with only four seconds to go in the half. Reyes Guevara would attempt his first career field goal and had just enough to convert the 38 yarder as time expired on the first half. The FG would pull the Statesmen within one, making the score 14-13 Rochester at the half.
The second half would be a defensive battle as both teams struggled to move the ball. Rochester however controlled the time of possession to a 10:24 to 4:36 advantage in the period.
The fourth quarter had an auspicious start for Hobart. Freshman Yosh Karbowniczak failed to convert a fake punt on fourth down giving Rochester the ball on the Hobart 43. The Statesmen would appear to catch a break however when three plays later Chris Bickford fumbled on a short yardage play giving Hobart the ball at the 35. The good luck would be short lived though as Vella would lose control of the ball on a play fake and fumble himself, returning the ball to right back to Rochester at the same spot the Statesmen initially received it.
The Jackets would fail to gain any yardage on their initial three snaps, running for no gain and throwing two incomplete passes setting up a 4th and 10. Subick would find Tony Messana for a 13 yard gain and a first down. On the ensuing first down, Subick would find Norman for the third TD of the day. This time on a 22 yard reception to make it 21-13 with 11:18 to play in the game.
The game would remain deadlocked at this point with both teams attempting and failing to convert fourth downs on successive drives. Hobart had the ball with a first and goal from the Rochester five yard line but failed to find the end zone. This gave the Yellow Jackets the ball with just over three minutes to play with a chance to ice the game – but from their own three.
Hobart would allow Rochester to escape the shadow of their goal line, but eventually clamp down leading to a critical fourth and one with 1:28 to play. Instead of punting the ball away, Yellow Jacket Scott Greene called for another Bickford short yardage play. The Statesmen stuffed the Rochester offense and gave the offense the ball on the Jacket 29 yard line.
Vella would drive the offense to the end zone, hitting Muratori twice on the drive – first on an improbable throw that bounced off a Hobart player's shoulder pads and went straight up in the air. Rochester, who looked poised to make the easy interception, somehow missed the ball and it dropped right into the hands of a prone Muratori, who had fallen to the turf, for a 20-yard gain. On the second pass, Vella hit Muratori for 12 yards and a TD. On the ensuing possession, Hobart's Junior Woodard was wide open in the end zone for the two point conversion, tying the game at 21 all with 34 seconds to play.
After a loss on the first play from scrimmage following the kickoff, Rochester kneeled on the ball and the teams were headed to overtime.
The Yellow Jackets won the toss and elected to go on defense first. After completing two short passes, Vella handed off to Webb who took off for 22 yards and the TD. The point after was good and Hobart had a 28-21 lead.
Rochester would send the game into a second overtime when Subick called his own number on a one yard TD run.
The second overtime began with an incomplete pass from Subick, but he found Byron Saggese for 19 yards to the Hobart six. Three RJ Napadono rushes later and the Jackets were back on top 35-28.
The Statesmen called Webb's number for a three yard gain on first down, but the Rochester defense would throw Webb for a loss on second down. Facing a third and 10, Vella would scramble for eight yards setting up a 4th and 2 from the Rochester 17. On the ensuing play, Vella completed a 13 yard pass to junior Matt Marsh – his first catch of the season – which was good for a first and goal from the Jacket four.
Webb would score on the next play to make it 35-34. Head Coach Mike Cragg – who was honored at halftime along with his fellow Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame inductees – decided to play for the win.
Unfortunately, the Vella pass would be just out of reach for Muratori giving Rochester a 35-34 double overtime win. It was the first time Rochester had beaten Hobart since 2003, which was the last time the Statesmen only had five regular season wins, and only the second time in Hobart history the Statesmen had lost in overtime.
The Yellow Jackets were lead by Subick who completed 21-of-31 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns, all to junior tight end Thomas Norman who made seven catches for 76 yards.
The Yellowjacket defense kept Vella under pressure throughout the game, logging six sacks. Junior end Cainaan Webb led the charge counting three sacks among his five tackles. First-year linebacker Tony Ortega led Rochester with 10 stops (7 solo).
Vella was 22-of-35 for 222 yards and a TD. Muratori finished the game with 10 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Webb rushed for a game-high 98 yards and three touchdowns.
The Hobart defense was led by senior linebacker and co-captain Kyle O’Laughlin and junior linebacker Reggie Robinson with 12 tackles a piece. First-year strong safety Devin Worthington added eight tackles and a sack. Senior free safety and co-captain John Kelliher had nine tackles and a forced fumble.
With its fourth straight win Rochester improves to 4-5 on the season and 3-3 in the league. Hobart drops to 5-4 overall (the first time Hobart hasn't won six games since 1999) and 3-3 in the league as well.
Although Hobart did receive an ECAC bid in 2003 with a 5-4 record (which they in turn took and defeated Norwich 34-18), that seems very unlikely given the number of teams with better records and the amount of bids submitted (only six teams will be given ECAC berths).
That said, barring a miracle tomorrow when ECAC games are announced, it would appear the 2010 Statesmen season is over.
More analysis to follow and you can catch further discussion on this game, the DIII national playoffs and much more tomorrow night on ITH - www.inthehuddlle.com - we're on at 7:30 PM ET.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Centennial Cup / Rochester Preview
The Hobart Statesmen (5-3, 3-2) will be playing for pride and for a potential, but not guaranteed, shot at an ECAC “regional bowl” when they host their oldest rivals, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets (3-5, 2-3). This Saturday at Boswell Field, the Statesmen will recognize their graduating senior class which includes the following student athletes:
7 WR Mike Lazore
18 SS Fernando Jones
21 FB Matt Howard
22 CB Nick Bianchi
29 FB Shlomo Gelernter
30 FS and Co-Capt John Kelliher
31 WR Kevin Grogan
39 OLB and Co-Capt Kyle O’Laughlin
55 OL and Co-Capt Sean Kluber
57 DE Chris Luber
64 OL and Co-Capt Kelvin Cruz
97 DE James Rayhill
Hobart and Rochester will face off for the “Centennial Cup” in the 103rd game between the two schools. The rivalry dates back to 1892 and the Statesmen have a slight 48-47-7 edge overall in the series, mostly in part to the fact Hobart has won six straight against the Yellow Jackets. The Statesmen defeated Rochester 34-20 at Fauver Stadium last season. The Yellow Jackets’ last win came in 2003, a 17-13 win at Boswell Field.
After a tough start to the 2010 season, including the loss of their All-League RB Clarence Onyiriuka, the Jackets have won their last three straight, including a dominating 34-14 win of LL champions Saint Lawrence (4-5, 4-1). In fact, including the 24-14 victory over Alfred (who won the Empire 8 after a convincing 31-16 win over Ithaca last Saturday); Rochester has knocked off two NCAA qualifiers in the last two weeks.
The Yellow Jackets defense has been the primary reason holding their last three opponents to only two touchdowns a game. The rush defense has also seen a resurgence as Rochester has allowed only 20 and 52 yards rushing, respectively, in the last two games.
Keys to the Game:
1. Turnovers – Hobart committed 4 turnovers in last week’s loss to RPI. The Statesmen had five turnovers in their loss to SLU. In general this category has really hurt Hobart all season and they are ranked at -7 in turnover margin, the worst in the LL. WEOS play-by-play man Ted Baker emailed me the following stats which shows that Hobart to the extent turnovers have steadily increased in the past few seasons:
2009: +3, ranked 4th in the LL in turnover margin
2008: +4, 3rd
2007: +18, 1st
2006: +4, 3rd
2005: +12, 1st
2004: +19, 1st
2003: +11, 2nd
On a more positive note, Hobart has been less turnover prone at home, e.g., of Doug Vella's 11 interceptions on the season, only two have occurred at Boswell Field.
2. Air it out – The Statesmen's #1 passing offense (averaging 235.1 YPG) should look to test Rochester’s pass defense given it ranks last in the LL allowing 206.4 YPG and 13 passing TDs (also last in the LL).
3. Bend, but don’t break – Hobart will need to brace itself for a Yellow Jacket offense that has risen to third in the conference gaining 302.9 YPG. In spite of this success, Rochester has only punched in 15 TDs, compared to the Statesmen’s 31. If the Hobart defense can clamp down – especially in the red zone where Rochester is second only to the Statesmen in red zone offense (75% - 15 scores, including 12 TDs and three FGs in 20 trips - compared to Hobart’s 80% - 17 TDs and three FGs on 25 trips) – the Statesmen should prevail.
4. Senior Day / Hall of Fame Weekend – Hobart is a much better home than road team and this weekend also marks Head Coach Mike Cragg’s induction into the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame which is a rare and unique, but also well deserved, accomplishment for an active coach. Hobart has also not finished a regular season with less than six wins since 1999, so here’s hoping that trend continues on Saturday.
Prediction:
As I stated last Sunday on “In the HuddLLe” (www.inthehuddlle.com) I have to give a slight edge to Rochester given how well they have played in recent weeks. The Statesmen have been inconsistent during the same time frame – looking dominant, but letting Merchant Marine come back from a 23-0 deficit, dominating WPI, then turning the ball over four times against RPI en route to a heart breaking loss.
That said, I will take a leap of (partisan) faith and assume that Boswell Field, Senior Day, HOF weekend and the fact a potential berth into an ECAC game is on the line will allow the Statesmen to prevail in a close contest.
I’ll take Hobart to rebound and to win this weekend, 31-20.
Kickoff is 12 PM ET.
We’ll be recapping this game as well as welcoming the Chair of the DIII Football Championship Selection Committee onto “In the HuddLLe” as well as getting reactions to the ECAC bids (also out on Sunday night with Hobart hopefully getting a bid) so hope you can tune into our show at 7:30 PM ET on BlogTalkRadio.com!
Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!
7 WR Mike Lazore
18 SS Fernando Jones
21 FB Matt Howard
22 CB Nick Bianchi
29 FB Shlomo Gelernter
30 FS and Co-Capt John Kelliher
31 WR Kevin Grogan
39 OLB and Co-Capt Kyle O’Laughlin
55 OL and Co-Capt Sean Kluber
57 DE Chris Luber
64 OL and Co-Capt Kelvin Cruz
97 DE James Rayhill
Hobart and Rochester will face off for the “Centennial Cup” in the 103rd game between the two schools. The rivalry dates back to 1892 and the Statesmen have a slight 48-47-7 edge overall in the series, mostly in part to the fact Hobart has won six straight against the Yellow Jackets. The Statesmen defeated Rochester 34-20 at Fauver Stadium last season. The Yellow Jackets’ last win came in 2003, a 17-13 win at Boswell Field.
After a tough start to the 2010 season, including the loss of their All-League RB Clarence Onyiriuka, the Jackets have won their last three straight, including a dominating 34-14 win of LL champions Saint Lawrence (4-5, 4-1). In fact, including the 24-14 victory over Alfred (who won the Empire 8 after a convincing 31-16 win over Ithaca last Saturday); Rochester has knocked off two NCAA qualifiers in the last two weeks.
The Yellow Jackets defense has been the primary reason holding their last three opponents to only two touchdowns a game. The rush defense has also seen a resurgence as Rochester has allowed only 20 and 52 yards rushing, respectively, in the last two games.
Keys to the Game:
1. Turnovers – Hobart committed 4 turnovers in last week’s loss to RPI. The Statesmen had five turnovers in their loss to SLU. In general this category has really hurt Hobart all season and they are ranked at -7 in turnover margin, the worst in the LL. WEOS play-by-play man Ted Baker emailed me the following stats which shows that Hobart to the extent turnovers have steadily increased in the past few seasons:
2009: +3, ranked 4th in the LL in turnover margin
2008: +4, 3rd
2007: +18, 1st
2006: +4, 3rd
2005: +12, 1st
2004: +19, 1st
2003: +11, 2nd
On a more positive note, Hobart has been less turnover prone at home, e.g., of Doug Vella's 11 interceptions on the season, only two have occurred at Boswell Field.
2. Air it out – The Statesmen's #1 passing offense (averaging 235.1 YPG) should look to test Rochester’s pass defense given it ranks last in the LL allowing 206.4 YPG and 13 passing TDs (also last in the LL).
3. Bend, but don’t break – Hobart will need to brace itself for a Yellow Jacket offense that has risen to third in the conference gaining 302.9 YPG. In spite of this success, Rochester has only punched in 15 TDs, compared to the Statesmen’s 31. If the Hobart defense can clamp down – especially in the red zone where Rochester is second only to the Statesmen in red zone offense (75% - 15 scores, including 12 TDs and three FGs in 20 trips - compared to Hobart’s 80% - 17 TDs and three FGs on 25 trips) – the Statesmen should prevail.
4. Senior Day / Hall of Fame Weekend – Hobart is a much better home than road team and this weekend also marks Head Coach Mike Cragg’s induction into the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame which is a rare and unique, but also well deserved, accomplishment for an active coach. Hobart has also not finished a regular season with less than six wins since 1999, so here’s hoping that trend continues on Saturday.
Prediction:
As I stated last Sunday on “In the HuddLLe” (www.inthehuddlle.com) I have to give a slight edge to Rochester given how well they have played in recent weeks. The Statesmen have been inconsistent during the same time frame – looking dominant, but letting Merchant Marine come back from a 23-0 deficit, dominating WPI, then turning the ball over four times against RPI en route to a heart breaking loss.
That said, I will take a leap of (partisan) faith and assume that Boswell Field, Senior Day, HOF weekend and the fact a potential berth into an ECAC game is on the line will allow the Statesmen to prevail in a close contest.
I’ll take Hobart to rebound and to win this weekend, 31-20.
Kickoff is 12 PM ET.
We’ll be recapping this game as well as welcoming the Chair of the DIII Football Championship Selection Committee onto “In the HuddLLe” as well as getting reactions to the ECAC bids (also out on Sunday night with Hobart hopefully getting a bid) so hope you can tune into our show at 7:30 PM ET on BlogTalkRadio.com!
Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
RPI kills Hobart's NCAA hopes on last second FG, Statesmen fall 24-21
Both the Engineers and Statesmen looked to keep their NCAA playoff hopes alive when they faced off Saturday at the East Campus Athletic Village Saturday in Troy, NY.
The visitors struck first as Hobart drove 60 yards and capped an eight play drive when junior quarterback Doug Vella scored on a 1 yard run with 8:45 to play in the first quarter. The Statesmen's momentum looked to continue into the second quarter when the Hobart defense blocked a 29 yard Peter Nilson field goal attempt. Hobart would fail to cash in on the opportunity, as Vella had a pass batted down by RPI defensive lineman Darryl Brown and intercepted by Mike Kukesh.
Sophomore quarterback Mike Hermann would get the Engineers on the board completing a one play, 42 yard TD from WR Ray Davis on the option pass on the ensuing possession.
After the Nilson point after was good, the score was knotted at 7-7 with 9:34 to play in the second quarter. The Engineers would hit pay dirt again when Bryan Carmody hauled in a 3 yard pass from Hermann capping a 13 play, 71 yards drive with 22 seconds to play in the half. Although Hobart's Steven Webb's kickoff return gave the Statesmen (who still had all three time outs) a shot to score, Brown sacked Vella on the ensuing play and the Statesmen elected to kneel on the ball to end the half with the Engineers ahead by a score of 14-7
In the second half RPI would cash in on another Hobart miscue, this time on a muffed punt with the Statesmen backed up to their end zone. Dustin Schuld pounced on the ball for the touchdown giving the hosts a 21-7 advantage with 12:33 to play in the third quarter.
To Hobart's credit, they came back, overcoming a Vella fumble thanks to the Statesmen defense and special teams units. After holding RPI on their ensuing possession, Hobart returned the Engineer's punt to the 50 yard line. The Statesmen would drive the short field on nine plays leading to Vella's second TD run.
With the extra point made by freshman Reyes Guevara, who was filling in for junior kicker Conor Callahan, Hobart cut the Engineer lead to 21-14 with 3:25 to play in the third.
The remainder of the third and much of the fourth quarter would remain a defensive battle. The Statesmen would take advantage of another short field and drove 51 yards in six plays capped by Webb's first touchdown on the day, his 11th rushing touchdown of the season.
The score would tie the game at 21 a piece with only 1:20 remaining in the game.
Although the Hobart defense had been stout all game, Hermann lead the Engineers down the field to set up another potential game winner for Nilson, who kicked a 37 yarder two weeks ago to knock off then #20 Alfred.
Nilson hit the 34 yarder as time expired in the game and on the Statesmen's NCAA hopes. Saint Lawrence had lost earlier in the day, but the loss effectively handed the Saints the title and Hobart with its second year in a row of losing two LL games.
RPI was lead on offense by Hermann who passed for 181 yards and one touchdown. Just like last week, senior wide out Pat McCarthy was Hermann's favorite target, collecting six catches for 77 yards.
The Engineer “black shirt” defense was lead by graduate student Colin King with 10 tackles, but Ray Pasco (8 tackles, including 3 sacks and an interception) and Darryl Brown (8 tackles, one for a loss) also came up big for RPI.
Hobart was lead by Webb who gained 83 yards and a touchdown. Although Vella threw for 238 yards and accounted for two of Hobart's rushing TDs, he also was responsible for three turnovers in the game.
The Statesmen's defense was once again lead by freshman safety Devin Worthington who tallied eight tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks.
With the win RPI improves to 5-3, 3-2 in the league and Hobart drops to the same record. Next week the Statesmen host Rochester in Geneva for the annual Centennial Cup game. RPI wraps up its regular season in Kings Point, Long Island vs. the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
We'll be recapping this game, among others, tomorrow night on In the HuddLLe (www.inthehuddlle.com).
The visitors struck first as Hobart drove 60 yards and capped an eight play drive when junior quarterback Doug Vella scored on a 1 yard run with 8:45 to play in the first quarter. The Statesmen's momentum looked to continue into the second quarter when the Hobart defense blocked a 29 yard Peter Nilson field goal attempt. Hobart would fail to cash in on the opportunity, as Vella had a pass batted down by RPI defensive lineman Darryl Brown and intercepted by Mike Kukesh.
Sophomore quarterback Mike Hermann would get the Engineers on the board completing a one play, 42 yard TD from WR Ray Davis on the option pass on the ensuing possession.
After the Nilson point after was good, the score was knotted at 7-7 with 9:34 to play in the second quarter. The Engineers would hit pay dirt again when Bryan Carmody hauled in a 3 yard pass from Hermann capping a 13 play, 71 yards drive with 22 seconds to play in the half. Although Hobart's Steven Webb's kickoff return gave the Statesmen (who still had all three time outs) a shot to score, Brown sacked Vella on the ensuing play and the Statesmen elected to kneel on the ball to end the half with the Engineers ahead by a score of 14-7
In the second half RPI would cash in on another Hobart miscue, this time on a muffed punt with the Statesmen backed up to their end zone. Dustin Schuld pounced on the ball for the touchdown giving the hosts a 21-7 advantage with 12:33 to play in the third quarter.
To Hobart's credit, they came back, overcoming a Vella fumble thanks to the Statesmen defense and special teams units. After holding RPI on their ensuing possession, Hobart returned the Engineer's punt to the 50 yard line. The Statesmen would drive the short field on nine plays leading to Vella's second TD run.
With the extra point made by freshman Reyes Guevara, who was filling in for junior kicker Conor Callahan, Hobart cut the Engineer lead to 21-14 with 3:25 to play in the third.
The remainder of the third and much of the fourth quarter would remain a defensive battle. The Statesmen would take advantage of another short field and drove 51 yards in six plays capped by Webb's first touchdown on the day, his 11th rushing touchdown of the season.
The score would tie the game at 21 a piece with only 1:20 remaining in the game.
Although the Hobart defense had been stout all game, Hermann lead the Engineers down the field to set up another potential game winner for Nilson, who kicked a 37 yarder two weeks ago to knock off then #20 Alfred.
Nilson hit the 34 yarder as time expired in the game and on the Statesmen's NCAA hopes. Saint Lawrence had lost earlier in the day, but the loss effectively handed the Saints the title and Hobart with its second year in a row of losing two LL games.
RPI was lead on offense by Hermann who passed for 181 yards and one touchdown. Just like last week, senior wide out Pat McCarthy was Hermann's favorite target, collecting six catches for 77 yards.
The Engineer “black shirt” defense was lead by graduate student Colin King with 10 tackles, but Ray Pasco (8 tackles, including 3 sacks and an interception) and Darryl Brown (8 tackles, one for a loss) also came up big for RPI.
Hobart was lead by Webb who gained 83 yards and a touchdown. Although Vella threw for 238 yards and accounted for two of Hobart's rushing TDs, he also was responsible for three turnovers in the game.
The Statesmen's defense was once again lead by freshman safety Devin Worthington who tallied eight tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks.
With the win RPI improves to 5-3, 3-2 in the league and Hobart drops to the same record. Next week the Statesmen host Rochester in Geneva for the annual Centennial Cup game. RPI wraps up its regular season in Kings Point, Long Island vs. the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
We'll be recapping this game, among others, tomorrow night on In the HuddLLe (www.inthehuddlle.com).
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
RPI Game Preview
The Hobart Statesmen (5-2, 3-1) will take on another group of Engineers, this time the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (4-3, 2-2), on Saturday in Troy, NY. The Statesmen’s league leading scoring and total offense will look to best the league’s current #1 scoring and #2 total defense in Saturday’s showdown at the “ECAV”. RPI is holding their opposition to 16.3 points per game (PPG) and has allowed the fewest number of touchdowns (15 TDs) in the Liberty League.
Last year Hobart blanked the Engineers by a score of 10-0 at Boswell Field in a defensive struggle that saw both offenses complete only two third down conversions (out of 32) the entire game. Overall the Statesmen and RPI have faced off 52 times since 1910 with the Engineers enjoying a slight edge in the series (26-25-1), but Hobart has had RPI’s number of late. The Statesmen went 8-2 vs. the Engineers in the last decade and haven’t lost to the men from Troy since former QB Jimmy Robertson took advantage of a soft Hobart prevent defense to the tune of 67 yards in 35 seconds to lead the Engineers a 35-31 victory in the final 48 seconds of that game.
This season RPI is lead on offense by SO QB Mike Hermann. This QB is a big guy (6’ 6”, 240 lbs) who is first in the LL in total offense with 212.7 yards per game (YPG). Hermann has passed for 1159 yards, including nine passing touchdowns compared to five interceptions. Hermann is also a threat to run the ball and currently ranks seventh in rushing in the LL, posting 330 yards rushing and one touchdown on the season.
Hermann’s favorite target is SR WR Pat McCarthy who racked up LL Offensive Player of the Week honors due to a game-high eight catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend’s “Dutchman Shoes” game, a 21-7 victory over Union College (2-5, 2-3). McCarthy is complimented by a duo of dynamic receivers including SO WR Austin Caswell (24 catches for 218 yards and four TDs) and SR WR Ray Davis (13 catches for 130 yards and one TD).
When Hermann is not passing or calling his own number in the running game, the Engineers feature a tandem of backs. SO RB Matt Wood has carried the ball 54 times for 220 yards and SR RB Nick Costa has carried 68 times for 202 yards. Both Wood and Costa have scored one rushing touchdown a piece. Wood also handles return duties for the Engineers.
On defense the Engineers are lead by SR LB Jeff McCormick who’s tallied 72 total tackles including six and a half tackles for a loss (TFL) and a sack. Graduate student and LB Colin King, nephew of RPI HC Joe King, has added 56 tackles including five TFL and a sack and an interception.
Special teams is also a strength of RPI as they boast one of the LL’s best kickers, SR Peter Nilson, who is tied for first in field goal percentage making seven of 11 tries with a long of 37 yards.
Keys to the game:
1. Turnovers – RPI ranks second in the LL with a +4 turnover margin. Last season Hobart took advantage of two Engineer turnovers – first being a fumble on a punt that set up a 28 yard Conor Callahan FG and the second being a John Kelliher interception of Hermann at the Hobart 46 and returning it 43 yards to the RPI 11. A few plays later, RB Andrew Marlier ‘10 punched in the only TD for either team on the day. Hermann was picked three times in last year’s contest, but he’s a year older and wiser coming into this game. Although Hermann trails Vella in passing yards, touchdowns and efficiency; the SO has thrown four less interceptions than the Hobart QB.
2. Balance – Hobart and RPI’s rushing and pass defense are virtually even, with the Engineers allowing a few less YPG than the Statesmen. The difference in the game could be Hobart’s passing attack as the Statesmen are currently #1 in the LL averaging 233 YPG thru the air. That said I wouldn’t be surprised to see a defensive struggle with Hobart having to grind out tough yards like they did in 2009. Hobart racked up 156 yards rushing in that game. The Engineers made the passing game virtually non-existent holding QB Doug Vella to a season low 37 yards passing and an interception. However, RPI has only allowed five rushing TDs this season, so FY RB Steven Webb may not see the end zone as much as he has in prior weeks, thus putting the game in the hands of Vella and his trio of WRs Muratori, Woodard and Lazore. Last season Hobart negated McCarthy holding him to only two catches for 14 yards. If the Statesmen can force Hermann to try and run the ball himself, we could see some hurried throws (or fumbles) that could lead to turnovers for RPI.
3. Focus (i.e., just win) – The Statesmen will likely know the outcome of the Rochester vs. Saint Lawrence game as early as the first quarter given the later kickoff against RPI (this game is 2 pm start, while the Saints and Jackets game starts at 12 pm). It is possible that the Statesmen could have a letdown if the Saints win and know their NCAA hopes are dashed. Obviously the Statesmen would be bolstered by a Saints loss, but it is my hope that Hobart will remain focused regardless of the outcome.
Prediction:
I think this game will come down to quarterback play and the respective defenses. Hobart put together one its most dominant defensive games of the season forcing five WPI turnovers, including a fumble return for a TD. RPI’s defensive is equally stout and hasn’t given up more than three touchdowns all season since a 42-21 loss to Utica College back in September. By comparison, the Engineer offense is only averaging 15 PPG, less than half what the Statesmen have been scoring each week.
Needless to say, something’s got to give in this game.
That said I’ll take Hobart in close one 24-17 and hope the Saints get stung by Yellow Jackets keeping Hobart’s NCAA hopes on life support until the regular season finale.
Last year Hobart blanked the Engineers by a score of 10-0 at Boswell Field in a defensive struggle that saw both offenses complete only two third down conversions (out of 32) the entire game. Overall the Statesmen and RPI have faced off 52 times since 1910 with the Engineers enjoying a slight edge in the series (26-25-1), but Hobart has had RPI’s number of late. The Statesmen went 8-2 vs. the Engineers in the last decade and haven’t lost to the men from Troy since former QB Jimmy Robertson took advantage of a soft Hobart prevent defense to the tune of 67 yards in 35 seconds to lead the Engineers a 35-31 victory in the final 48 seconds of that game.
This season RPI is lead on offense by SO QB Mike Hermann. This QB is a big guy (6’ 6”, 240 lbs) who is first in the LL in total offense with 212.7 yards per game (YPG). Hermann has passed for 1159 yards, including nine passing touchdowns compared to five interceptions. Hermann is also a threat to run the ball and currently ranks seventh in rushing in the LL, posting 330 yards rushing and one touchdown on the season.
Hermann’s favorite target is SR WR Pat McCarthy who racked up LL Offensive Player of the Week honors due to a game-high eight catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend’s “Dutchman Shoes” game, a 21-7 victory over Union College (2-5, 2-3). McCarthy is complimented by a duo of dynamic receivers including SO WR Austin Caswell (24 catches for 218 yards and four TDs) and SR WR Ray Davis (13 catches for 130 yards and one TD).
When Hermann is not passing or calling his own number in the running game, the Engineers feature a tandem of backs. SO RB Matt Wood has carried the ball 54 times for 220 yards and SR RB Nick Costa has carried 68 times for 202 yards. Both Wood and Costa have scored one rushing touchdown a piece. Wood also handles return duties for the Engineers.
On defense the Engineers are lead by SR LB Jeff McCormick who’s tallied 72 total tackles including six and a half tackles for a loss (TFL) and a sack. Graduate student and LB Colin King, nephew of RPI HC Joe King, has added 56 tackles including five TFL and a sack and an interception.
Special teams is also a strength of RPI as they boast one of the LL’s best kickers, SR Peter Nilson, who is tied for first in field goal percentage making seven of 11 tries with a long of 37 yards.
Keys to the game:
1. Turnovers – RPI ranks second in the LL with a +4 turnover margin. Last season Hobart took advantage of two Engineer turnovers – first being a fumble on a punt that set up a 28 yard Conor Callahan FG and the second being a John Kelliher interception of Hermann at the Hobart 46 and returning it 43 yards to the RPI 11. A few plays later, RB Andrew Marlier ‘10 punched in the only TD for either team on the day. Hermann was picked three times in last year’s contest, but he’s a year older and wiser coming into this game. Although Hermann trails Vella in passing yards, touchdowns and efficiency; the SO has thrown four less interceptions than the Hobart QB.
2. Balance – Hobart and RPI’s rushing and pass defense are virtually even, with the Engineers allowing a few less YPG than the Statesmen. The difference in the game could be Hobart’s passing attack as the Statesmen are currently #1 in the LL averaging 233 YPG thru the air. That said I wouldn’t be surprised to see a defensive struggle with Hobart having to grind out tough yards like they did in 2009. Hobart racked up 156 yards rushing in that game. The Engineers made the passing game virtually non-existent holding QB Doug Vella to a season low 37 yards passing and an interception. However, RPI has only allowed five rushing TDs this season, so FY RB Steven Webb may not see the end zone as much as he has in prior weeks, thus putting the game in the hands of Vella and his trio of WRs Muratori, Woodard and Lazore. Last season Hobart negated McCarthy holding him to only two catches for 14 yards. If the Statesmen can force Hermann to try and run the ball himself, we could see some hurried throws (or fumbles) that could lead to turnovers for RPI.
3. Focus (i.e., just win) – The Statesmen will likely know the outcome of the Rochester vs. Saint Lawrence game as early as the first quarter given the later kickoff against RPI (this game is 2 pm start, while the Saints and Jackets game starts at 12 pm). It is possible that the Statesmen could have a letdown if the Saints win and know their NCAA hopes are dashed. Obviously the Statesmen would be bolstered by a Saints loss, but it is my hope that Hobart will remain focused regardless of the outcome.
Prediction:
I think this game will come down to quarterback play and the respective defenses. Hobart put together one its most dominant defensive games of the season forcing five WPI turnovers, including a fumble return for a TD. RPI’s defensive is equally stout and hasn’t given up more than three touchdowns all season since a 42-21 loss to Utica College back in September. By comparison, the Engineer offense is only averaging 15 PPG, less than half what the Statesmen have been scoring each week.
Needless to say, something’s got to give in this game.
That said I’ll take Hobart in close one 24-17 and hope the Saints get stung by Yellow Jackets keeping Hobart’s NCAA hopes on life support until the regular season finale.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Robinson, defense leads Statesmen past Engineers, 38-13
The Hobart Statesmen (5-2, 3-1) used a combination of turnovers and a balanced offensive game to defeat visiting WPI (3-5, 1-4) last Saturday at Boswell Field.
It was a very impressive defensive performance by the Statesmen who ended up collecting seven turnovers off of the Engineers including three interceptions, two fumbles, and two stands on 4th down. Hobart also held the #1 rushing offense in WPI to only 116 yards - a season low for the Engineers.
JR LB Reggie Robinson made several big plays including returning a 41 yard interception return to the WPI 9 yard line which set up FY RB Steven Webb's second TD on the day. Robinson also forced a fumble that was returned 53 yards by FY S Devin Worthington to post the Statesmen to 21-0 halftime lead. This fumble return for a TD was the longest by a Statesman in over 10 years!
SR S John Kelliher returned from injury and had two interceptions off of the newly minted WPI starting QB Johny Antonopolous (who was a lone bright spot for the Engineers rushing for 52 yards and passing for 198 and two TDs). SR LB Kyle O'Laughlin lead the Hobart defense with 10 tackles and a forced fumble.
Although WPI out gained the Statesmen 324 yards to 294, most of that yardage came in "garbage time" with the Statesmen ahead by a comfortable margin.
While the Hobart offense did struggle a bit (only accumulating 137 passing yards) against the #1 pass defense in the nation; given the field position and big plays afforded by the defense, didn't matter at the end of the day. The Statesmen rushed for 163 yards and were lead by Steven Webb (12 carries for 60 yards and two TDs). Webb's classmate, FB Juan O'Farrill scored his first career TD and SO RB Bobby Dougherty scored a TD as well.
Perhaps my favorite stat of the game is this one:
Penalties: Number-Yards 4-30
This tied the season low for number of penalties and was the lowest amount of penalty yards that the Statesmen have been flagged for all season. Hopefully this will become the norm for Hobart going forward.
Looking ahead
WEOS play-by-man Ted Baker got Coach Cragg to state that the ECACs "were possibility" for the Statesmen this year in the event Saint Lawrence (4-4, 4-0) wins one of its last two games and thus clinching the Liberty League title. The Statesmen will need to win out as well to benefit from a SLU stumble for a NCAA berth.
The Saints' next opponent is the Rochester Yellow Jackets (2-5, 1-3) who upset #20 Alfred University (6-2, 3-0) 24-14 at Alfred last Saturday.
Hobart will travel to league rival RPI (4-3, 2-2) who regained the "Dutchman Shoes" trophy from rival Union College (2-5, 2-3) at the ECAV in Troy, NY.
I'll have more on that game later this week - you can also catch a preview of said game from the "In the HuddLLe" (http://www.inthehuddlle.com/) archive.
Until then, thanks and go 'Bart!
It was a very impressive defensive performance by the Statesmen who ended up collecting seven turnovers off of the Engineers including three interceptions, two fumbles, and two stands on 4th down. Hobart also held the #1 rushing offense in WPI to only 116 yards - a season low for the Engineers.
JR LB Reggie Robinson made several big plays including returning a 41 yard interception return to the WPI 9 yard line which set up FY RB Steven Webb's second TD on the day. Robinson also forced a fumble that was returned 53 yards by FY S Devin Worthington to post the Statesmen to 21-0 halftime lead. This fumble return for a TD was the longest by a Statesman in over 10 years!
SR S John Kelliher returned from injury and had two interceptions off of the newly minted WPI starting QB Johny Antonopolous (who was a lone bright spot for the Engineers rushing for 52 yards and passing for 198 and two TDs). SR LB Kyle O'Laughlin lead the Hobart defense with 10 tackles and a forced fumble.
Although WPI out gained the Statesmen 324 yards to 294, most of that yardage came in "garbage time" with the Statesmen ahead by a comfortable margin.
While the Hobart offense did struggle a bit (only accumulating 137 passing yards) against the #1 pass defense in the nation; given the field position and big plays afforded by the defense, didn't matter at the end of the day. The Statesmen rushed for 163 yards and were lead by Steven Webb (12 carries for 60 yards and two TDs). Webb's classmate, FB Juan O'Farrill scored his first career TD and SO RB Bobby Dougherty scored a TD as well.
Perhaps my favorite stat of the game is this one:
Penalties: Number-Yards 4-30
This tied the season low for number of penalties and was the lowest amount of penalty yards that the Statesmen have been flagged for all season. Hopefully this will become the norm for Hobart going forward.
Looking ahead
WEOS play-by-man Ted Baker got Coach Cragg to state that the ECACs "were possibility" for the Statesmen this year in the event Saint Lawrence (4-4, 4-0) wins one of its last two games and thus clinching the Liberty League title. The Statesmen will need to win out as well to benefit from a SLU stumble for a NCAA berth.
The Saints' next opponent is the Rochester Yellow Jackets (2-5, 1-3) who upset #20 Alfred University (6-2, 3-0) 24-14 at Alfred last Saturday.
Hobart will travel to league rival RPI (4-3, 2-2) who regained the "Dutchman Shoes" trophy from rival Union College (2-5, 2-3) at the ECAV in Troy, NY.
I'll have more on that game later this week - you can also catch a preview of said game from the "In the HuddLLe" (http://www.inthehuddlle.com/) archive.
Until then, thanks and go 'Bart!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
WPI Game Preview
It will be another case of the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object when Hobart and their Liberty League (LL) leading scoring offense, averaging 31.5 points per game (PPG), faces the leading scoring defense (14.7 PPG – good for top 20 in all of DIII) of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute this Saturday at Boswell Field.
After a promising start to 2010, WPI (3-4, 1-3) has stumbled of late losing three in a row after a somewhat surprising 24-10 victory over RPI on 9/25. The Statesmen (4-2, 3-1) lead the all-time series 6-0 and defeated the Engineers with relative ease last season in Worcester by a 41-20 margin.
That said WPI has a new head coach in Chris Robertson who specializes in defense. WPI’s pass defense is tops in the league allowing only 100.9 YPG through the air. The Engineers also lead the LL in total defense (240.7 YPG) and have only allowed 13 touchdowns over seven games.
SO LB Chris O’Connor leads all WPI defenders with 52 total tackles, while SRs DL Brendan Gove and co-captains LB Michael Oliveri and FS Jack Mulhern have 39, 33 and 31 tackles, respectively. Gove and Oliveri also both have 2.5 sacks a piece on the year.
Another area that WPI excels in is turnover margin, where they lead the LL with an impressive +12 compared to Hobart’s -7 (second to last in the LL). They are also the second least penalized team in the LL whereas the Statesmen are the most. JR DB John Perron is third in the LL with 4 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
That said the problem for WPI in recent weeks has been the offense, which has averaged less than 14 PPG during their current losing streak. The Engineers are last in the LL in passing, throwing for a paltry 81 YPG. However, where the Engineers excel is in the running game, where they are currently #1 in the LL averaging 190.9 YPG. By comparison Hobart is second with 154.3 YPG. The WPI rushing attack is lead by JR RB Ernie Mello who has racked up 530 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Mello leads the LL in yards per carry (5.2). JR QB Pat McAuley has gone 58 for 133 for 533 passing yards, including 5 TD and 4 INT. The JR QB has also rushed for 311 yards and 1 touchdown.
On special teams, JR PK Cody Beckel has booted eight FGs on the season, which is good for a #2 ranking in the LL, with a long of 30 yards.
Keys to game:
1. Shut down the run; force the pass – WPI will likely focus on rushing the ball so look for Hobart to stack the line with their linebackers and blitz FY S Devin Worthington regularly. The Statesmen will likely bring pressure on most plays, but need to be careful not to get sloppy on contain assignments if McAuley decides to run. If Hobart is successful in limiting the run game, the Statesmen could have some opportunities to pick off McAuley given his relative inexperience as a passing QB.
2. Avoid turnovers and penalties – Hobart’s achilles heel has been this category all season and it will likely ultimately cost them a NCAA berth if they lose another game and/or Saint Lawrence doesn’t win one of its last two games. Given WPI’s opportunistic defense’s ability to force turnovers, the Statesmen will need to be extra careful with the ball. The interceptions last week in the MMA game gave the Mariners new life in a game that Hobart otherwise was completely dominating.
3. Run to set up play action – Last season Statesmen QB Doug Vella only completed nine passes against this Engineer team, but did throw for 192 yards and a touchdown. Vella was fairly effective last week, other than the two interceptions in the third quarter, throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. I imagine JR WR Garth Muratori will get more looks downfield given last week’s 129 yard and three touchdown performance against MMA, but given the strength of the WPI pass defense, it may make sense for Vella to hand the ball off and look for shorter patterns to his TEs and RBs coming out of the backfield. Hopefully Steven Webb and the stable of Statesmen runners will get many opportunities to carry the ball. Last season Hobart had eight different ball carriers en route to a 198 yard rushing day that tallied five rushing touchdowns.
Prediction:
I like Hobart to get another win at the “Boz” this weekend as they hang on for dear life in the LL playoff race. WPI’s defense will be tough, but the Engineer offense just isn’t potent enough to keep up with the Statesmen’s.
Therefore, I’ll take Hobart 28-14 in this one. Kickoff is Saturday at noon. Game notes are up and can be accessed here:
http://www.hwsathletics.com/documents/2010/10/27/WPInotes.pdf
Go ‘Bart!
After a promising start to 2010, WPI (3-4, 1-3) has stumbled of late losing three in a row after a somewhat surprising 24-10 victory over RPI on 9/25. The Statesmen (4-2, 3-1) lead the all-time series 6-0 and defeated the Engineers with relative ease last season in Worcester by a 41-20 margin.
That said WPI has a new head coach in Chris Robertson who specializes in defense. WPI’s pass defense is tops in the league allowing only 100.9 YPG through the air. The Engineers also lead the LL in total defense (240.7 YPG) and have only allowed 13 touchdowns over seven games.
SO LB Chris O’Connor leads all WPI defenders with 52 total tackles, while SRs DL Brendan Gove and co-captains LB Michael Oliveri and FS Jack Mulhern have 39, 33 and 31 tackles, respectively. Gove and Oliveri also both have 2.5 sacks a piece on the year.
Another area that WPI excels in is turnover margin, where they lead the LL with an impressive +12 compared to Hobart’s -7 (second to last in the LL). They are also the second least penalized team in the LL whereas the Statesmen are the most. JR DB John Perron is third in the LL with 4 interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
That said the problem for WPI in recent weeks has been the offense, which has averaged less than 14 PPG during their current losing streak. The Engineers are last in the LL in passing, throwing for a paltry 81 YPG. However, where the Engineers excel is in the running game, where they are currently #1 in the LL averaging 190.9 YPG. By comparison Hobart is second with 154.3 YPG. The WPI rushing attack is lead by JR RB Ernie Mello who has racked up 530 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Mello leads the LL in yards per carry (5.2). JR QB Pat McAuley has gone 58 for 133 for 533 passing yards, including 5 TD and 4 INT. The JR QB has also rushed for 311 yards and 1 touchdown.
On special teams, JR PK Cody Beckel has booted eight FGs on the season, which is good for a #2 ranking in the LL, with a long of 30 yards.
Keys to game:
1. Shut down the run; force the pass – WPI will likely focus on rushing the ball so look for Hobart to stack the line with their linebackers and blitz FY S Devin Worthington regularly. The Statesmen will likely bring pressure on most plays, but need to be careful not to get sloppy on contain assignments if McAuley decides to run. If Hobart is successful in limiting the run game, the Statesmen could have some opportunities to pick off McAuley given his relative inexperience as a passing QB.
2. Avoid turnovers and penalties – Hobart’s achilles heel has been this category all season and it will likely ultimately cost them a NCAA berth if they lose another game and/or Saint Lawrence doesn’t win one of its last two games. Given WPI’s opportunistic defense’s ability to force turnovers, the Statesmen will need to be extra careful with the ball. The interceptions last week in the MMA game gave the Mariners new life in a game that Hobart otherwise was completely dominating.
3. Run to set up play action – Last season Statesmen QB Doug Vella only completed nine passes against this Engineer team, but did throw for 192 yards and a touchdown. Vella was fairly effective last week, other than the two interceptions in the third quarter, throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. I imagine JR WR Garth Muratori will get more looks downfield given last week’s 129 yard and three touchdown performance against MMA, but given the strength of the WPI pass defense, it may make sense for Vella to hand the ball off and look for shorter patterns to his TEs and RBs coming out of the backfield. Hopefully Steven Webb and the stable of Statesmen runners will get many opportunities to carry the ball. Last season Hobart had eight different ball carriers en route to a 198 yard rushing day that tallied five rushing touchdowns.
Prediction:
I like Hobart to get another win at the “Boz” this weekend as they hang on for dear life in the LL playoff race. WPI’s defense will be tough, but the Engineer offense just isn’t potent enough to keep up with the Statesmen’s.
Therefore, I’ll take Hobart 28-14 in this one. Kickoff is Saturday at noon. Game notes are up and can be accessed here:
http://www.hwsathletics.com/documents/2010/10/27/WPInotes.pdf
Go ‘Bart!
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