The seventh ranked Hobart College Statesmen locked up their third consecutive Liberty League (LL) championship last Saturday at Boswell Field. The Statesmen’s (8-0, 6-0) goal this weekend is to finish their second consecutive undefeated regular season (and only the third unbeaten regular season in last the 57 years).
Standing in Hobart’s way are their oldest rivals, the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets.
Rochester (5-3, 3-2) was tripped up last weekend in a 31-21 loss to WPI (3-6, 2-3) so instead of this game being for the LL title, it’s really for pride and the Centennial Cup trophy. For the Statesmen, however, this game is more than about a trophy.
Last season the Statesmen beat Rochester in Geneva on Senior Day, 43-24, to clinch their first 10-0 regular season in team history. Although Hobart limited the Yellow Jackets to only 45 rushing yards, then JR QB Dean Kennedy passed for 220 yards and three TDs to keep Rochester (it was only 29-24 Hobart with 9:33 in the fourth quarter) in the game.
This year the Yellow Jackets bring a high octane offense and hard hitting defense to the table. Now SR QB Dean Kennedy leads the LL with 1,596 passing yards (good for basically 200 YPG) and has tossed 11 passing TDs. Kennedy is a mobile QB and is fifth in the LL with around 71 rushing YPG and five rushing TDs. This combination makes Kennedy number one in total offense with 270.2 YPG average.
Kennedy’s top targets are SR WR Thomas Hayes who leads the LL with six RPG. Hayes has caught 42 passes for 435 yards and four scores on the season. SO WR Derek Wager is another receiving threat with 29 receptions for 477 yards and five scores. RBs Myles Austin and Nick Perpignan have gained 409 and 213 rushing yards, including seven and three rushing TDs, respectively.
Rochester’s defense boasts arguably three of the best LB’s in the entire LL. SR LB Tony Ortega leads the LL with a 10.4 TPG average and leads the LL with 83 total tackles. SR LB Zach Cicero and SO LB Thomas Marone have 53 tackles a piece. JR DE J. Barrett has 50 tackles and seven sacks on the season.
SR PK Mark Torosian is a decent kicker, connecting on 16 of 20 PATs but only converting two of five FG’s. FY Mason Parmalee has a 35.2 YPP average with a long of 56 yards.
Keys to the Game:
1. Key on Kennedy – Kennedy’s passing and rushing stats clearly show he’s the key to the Rochester offense. Last week Kennedy put up a lot of yards (over 300 yards of total offense and two TDs) but he was also responsible for four turnovers (two INTs and two fumbles). Look for the Hobart defense (currently second in the LL with a +7 TOM) to try and strip the ball if and when Kennedy drops back or takes off running.
2. Run on Rochester - In spite of the excellent LB corp, the UofR defense allows a nearly LL worst 193.2 rushing YPG and 17 rushing TDs. The Jackets are last in the LL in opponent third down conversions with a 41.4% rate (53 of 128). I expect to see a lot of running plays given Rochester defends the pass well, good for second in the LL with only 135.5 YPG allowed and third in defensive pass efficiency with a 105.9 rating (51.5% opponent completions for 1084 yards and eight TDs compared to six INTs).
3. The Need for Seed – A 9-0 season will pretty much guarantee Hobart at least a number two seed and potentially two home games in the NCAA playoffs. The importance of home field can’t be understated given the Statesmen haven’t lost at the “Boz” in two years. While a loss wouldn’t knock Hobart out of the NCAA bracket (they’re in regardless thanks to the “Pool A”, i.e., automatic qualifier via winning the LL), but an 8-1 record could mean the difference between hosting first (and potentially other) round games and having to be a road team for the playoffs.
Prediction:
Rochester has certainly improved from prior seasons, but their weaknesses were exposed last week. They have lost to other strong running teams (like 9-0 Gallaudet who gained nearly 300 yards on the Jackets) and can be susceptible to turnovers.
Given the above, I’ll take the Statesmen in a hard fought 37-20 win.
I hope that the game will be in hand by the third quarter and the team stays healthy throughout. I also hope you will join me Sunday night at 7:30 PM when Frank Rossi and I interview UW-Stout AD and NCAA D3 Football Tournament Chair, Duey Naatz, on the process and outcome of the 2013 NCAA D3 Football Championship Bracket.
The selection will be made public around 6 PM ET.
We’ll be live on www.inthehuddlle.com 90 minutes later to discuss the bracket with Coach Cragg among other guests.
Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Davis Appears on Last Sunday's ITH
SR FS and Co-Captain Joylon Davis was interviewed on last Sunday night's "In The HuddLLe" Division III Football and Liberty League (LL) talk show.
A link to the podcast is below:
www.blogtalkradio.com/ith/2013/11/11/in-the-huddlle--liberty-league-football-talk-show
We'll have a preview of the Centennial Cup / UofR game later this week.
Go 'Bart!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Hobart Sacks Saints, 37-7, and Gets Help from WPI to Win Another LL Crown
The Saint Lawrence University Saints looked to keep their turnaround 2013 season going with a victory over the seventh ranked Hobart College Statesmen Saturday at Boswell Field in Geneva, New York.
The Statesmen defense made an early statement when SR OLB Devin Worthington stripped SR QB Zane Fish and SR OLB Taylor Delperuto recovered at the Saint 9 yard line just over a minute into the contest.
Although given a short field, the Hobart drive stalled and FY PK Sean Kirsche was called in to kick a 24 yard field goal, which was good. The kick gave the Statesmen a 3-0 lead with 12:40 to go in the first quarter.
Another Saint Lawrence fumble, this one forced by FY DB Gabriel Smith and recovered by classmate FY DB Matt Cragg, gave Hobart a short field again. Five plays later, SR RB Steven Webb scored from 17 yards out and rewrote the Statesmen record books (more on that in a minute).
The Kirsche point after pushed Hobart's lead to 10-0 with 3:23 to go in the first. Although the Statesmen offense would continue to sputter, the Hobart special teams unit blocked a Saint Lawrence punt and SR CB Connor Garrett ran it back for a touchdown. JR QB Patrick Conlan would overcome an 0-8-1 start to connect on three passes, the final being a TD to JR WR Elvin Souffrant (who otherwise had a case of drops most of the game).
The Kirsche point after was good and Hobart had a commanding 24-0 lead with 7:16 to go in the first half. Although Fish would break the shutout on a pass to RB/TE Mitch Gallagher for 6 yards with 38 seconds remaining in the first half, the Statesmen would add two more TDs (another by Webb and a JR WR Troy Robinson score) in the second and win going away, 37-7.
Hobart was led by Conlan with 140 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Webb would add 90 yards on 18 carries and score two touchdowns, the first being his 48th career rushing and 52nd career total touchdowns to go with raising his career point total to 312, all three marks being Hobart records (previously held by HOFer Rich Kowalski '76).
Saint Lawrence, which was held to only 29 rush yards, was led by Fish with 96 passing yards. Defensively the Saints were led by FY LB Alex Dietsch with eight tackles. Hobart was led by SO DE Mark Guarino-Hyde with a game high nine stops.
With the win Hobart improves to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the Liberty League. Given a 31-21 loss by Rochester to WPI, the Statesmen claimed their third consecutive Liberty League title and the accompanying NCAA automatic qualifier. The loss dropped the Saints to 6-3 overall, 4-2 in the league.
The Statesmen will travel to Rochester next Saturday to play for the Centennial Cup (and more importantly a likely / potential number two seed in the NCAA brackets due out on November 17).
The Statesmen defense made an early statement when SR OLB Devin Worthington stripped SR QB Zane Fish and SR OLB Taylor Delperuto recovered at the Saint 9 yard line just over a minute into the contest.
Although given a short field, the Hobart drive stalled and FY PK Sean Kirsche was called in to kick a 24 yard field goal, which was good. The kick gave the Statesmen a 3-0 lead with 12:40 to go in the first quarter.
Another Saint Lawrence fumble, this one forced by FY DB Gabriel Smith and recovered by classmate FY DB Matt Cragg, gave Hobart a short field again. Five plays later, SR RB Steven Webb scored from 17 yards out and rewrote the Statesmen record books (more on that in a minute).
The Kirsche point after pushed Hobart's lead to 10-0 with 3:23 to go in the first. Although the Statesmen offense would continue to sputter, the Hobart special teams unit blocked a Saint Lawrence punt and SR CB Connor Garrett ran it back for a touchdown. JR QB Patrick Conlan would overcome an 0-8-1 start to connect on three passes, the final being a TD to JR WR Elvin Souffrant (who otherwise had a case of drops most of the game).
The Kirsche point after was good and Hobart had a commanding 24-0 lead with 7:16 to go in the first half. Although Fish would break the shutout on a pass to RB/TE Mitch Gallagher for 6 yards with 38 seconds remaining in the first half, the Statesmen would add two more TDs (another by Webb and a JR WR Troy Robinson score) in the second and win going away, 37-7.
Hobart was led by Conlan with 140 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Webb would add 90 yards on 18 carries and score two touchdowns, the first being his 48th career rushing and 52nd career total touchdowns to go with raising his career point total to 312, all three marks being Hobart records (previously held by HOFer Rich Kowalski '76).
Saint Lawrence, which was held to only 29 rush yards, was led by Fish with 96 passing yards. Defensively the Saints were led by FY LB Alex Dietsch with eight tackles. Hobart was led by SO DE Mark Guarino-Hyde with a game high nine stops.
With the win Hobart improves to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the Liberty League. Given a 31-21 loss by Rochester to WPI, the Statesmen claimed their third consecutive Liberty League title and the accompanying NCAA automatic qualifier. The loss dropped the Saints to 6-3 overall, 4-2 in the league.
The Statesmen will travel to Rochester next Saturday to play for the Centennial Cup (and more importantly a likely / potential number two seed in the NCAA brackets due out on November 17).
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Saint Lawrence / Senior Day Game Preview
The Saint Lawrence University Saints will come marching into Geneva Saturday to take on the seventh ranked Hobart College Statesmen on Senior Day. The Saints have made an incredible turnaround from last season’s 0-10 record with a 6-2 overall and 4-1 mark in the Liberty League (LL) in 2013. Saint Lawrence’s improvement has made this game a “LL Championship, Part One” and should be a physical one based on the Saints line play and pass rush.
Last season Hobart struggled to dispatch the Saints until pulling away in the second half thanks to a nearly perfect passing day from QB Nick Strang ’13 (who went 15 of 18 for 233 yards, including three passing TDs and one INT). The Statesmen ultimately won the game 34-14, but it was 7-7 at the half.
This season the difference for the Saints has been their offensive and defensive line play. Saint Lawrence has sacked opposing QB’s 24 times for -154 yards while only allowing one sack for -5 on the season. Another huge improvement by SLU has been in turnover margin. In 2012 they finished seventh in the LL with a -7 mark. This year they lead the LL with an impressive +17. The Saints ball hawk defense has picked off opposing QBs 14 times and their tough LB and DL have caused 13 fumbles!
JR QB Mike Lefflbine has had a great season for Saint Lawrence, throwing for 1,062 yards and nine TDs until he was hobbled by an injury in the Springfield game. If he’s unable to go, SR QB Zane Fish is the likely starter. Fish has thrown for 391 yards, and is coming off a career best four TD pass game against WPI where he led the Saints to a 32-18 victory.
The small (5’5”) but speedy SO RB Maurice Irby leads the Saint Lawrence rushing attack. Irby has 548 yards on 139 carries this season (68.5 YPG) and has scored five rushing TDs. FY RB Mitch Gallagher is the thunder (6’2” 225) to Irby’s lightning. Gallagher doesn't carry the ball much (only three rushes for eight yards), but he’s a strong blocker and has good hands, especially near the goal line (10 catches for 62 yards and three TDs).
The Saints are really a passing team however, and they’ll test the Statesmen secondary with their four receiver sets. SR WR Mike Tateosian leads the Saints with 573 receiving yards and seven TDs. Tateosian’s 71.6 YPG average leads the LL and he’s second in the LL with 5.4 receptions per game. His seven receiving TDs are also a league best. Other Saint Lawrence receiving threats include JR WR Colby Johnson (374 yards, two TDs), big (6’3” 220) JR TE Maxwell Johnson (212 yards, two TDs) and SR WR Evan Shifley (122 yards and one score).
Saint Lawrence’s defense is led by FY LB Alec Dietsch with 68 total tackles and three INTs. FY DB James Holley-Grisham has added 56 tackles and three INTs as well. SR OLB Obi Nwaigwe (pronounced “Weg-way”) has been an absolute force, racking up 56 total tackles, but more importantly, a LL best 10.5 sacks and 22.5 TFL. SR LB’s Andrew Cox and Shane “the Hitman” Hart have tallied 47 and 38 tackles, respectively.
Keys to the Game:
1. Gone Fishing – The Saints are coming to the Lake Trout Capital of the World, and it’ll be important for Hobart’s defensive line to pressure Zane Fish and lock down Saint Lawrence’s talented receiving corp. The Statesmen haven’t really played many true drop back passing teams this season, and with the Saints averaging nearly 200 YPG passing, Hobart’s secondary will be under fire if the DL can’t get to the QB.
2. Third and long – While the Saints offense is improved, they have had some trouble converting on third down. Saint Lawrence has a somewhat mediocre 35.4% third down conversion rate this season. Hobart leads the LL with a 31.3% rate in holding the opposition on third down.
3. Run to the Record – SR RB Steven Webb will likely break the Hobart rushing / total TD marks early in the game. He’s been nothing but sensational in his career as a Statesmen and it’ll be extra special for him to earn that mark at home, in his final regular season game. If they have an Achilles heel, the Saints rushing defense may be it. Saint Lawrence allows 186.1 YPG to opponents, while Hobart averages 261.8 YPG on offense.
Prediction:
While the Statesmen have owned the series against the Saints for quite some time winning every contest against Saint Lawrence since 1992, save for the unfortunate 2010 four turnover edition. This year the Saints won’t be easily defeated, but I also don’t see the Statesmen being denied on Senior Day. I’ll take Hobart to more than double up Saint Lawrence’s average points allowed mark (15.88 PPG) and win this one by the score of 37-14.
Thanks for reading (the blog went over 50K hits last night) and go 'Bart!
Last season Hobart struggled to dispatch the Saints until pulling away in the second half thanks to a nearly perfect passing day from QB Nick Strang ’13 (who went 15 of 18 for 233 yards, including three passing TDs and one INT). The Statesmen ultimately won the game 34-14, but it was 7-7 at the half.
This season the difference for the Saints has been their offensive and defensive line play. Saint Lawrence has sacked opposing QB’s 24 times for -154 yards while only allowing one sack for -5 on the season. Another huge improvement by SLU has been in turnover margin. In 2012 they finished seventh in the LL with a -7 mark. This year they lead the LL with an impressive +17. The Saints ball hawk defense has picked off opposing QBs 14 times and their tough LB and DL have caused 13 fumbles!
JR QB Mike Lefflbine has had a great season for Saint Lawrence, throwing for 1,062 yards and nine TDs until he was hobbled by an injury in the Springfield game. If he’s unable to go, SR QB Zane Fish is the likely starter. Fish has thrown for 391 yards, and is coming off a career best four TD pass game against WPI where he led the Saints to a 32-18 victory.
The small (5’5”) but speedy SO RB Maurice Irby leads the Saint Lawrence rushing attack. Irby has 548 yards on 139 carries this season (68.5 YPG) and has scored five rushing TDs. FY RB Mitch Gallagher is the thunder (6’2” 225) to Irby’s lightning. Gallagher doesn't carry the ball much (only three rushes for eight yards), but he’s a strong blocker and has good hands, especially near the goal line (10 catches for 62 yards and three TDs).
The Saints are really a passing team however, and they’ll test the Statesmen secondary with their four receiver sets. SR WR Mike Tateosian leads the Saints with 573 receiving yards and seven TDs. Tateosian’s 71.6 YPG average leads the LL and he’s second in the LL with 5.4 receptions per game. His seven receiving TDs are also a league best. Other Saint Lawrence receiving threats include JR WR Colby Johnson (374 yards, two TDs), big (6’3” 220) JR TE Maxwell Johnson (212 yards, two TDs) and SR WR Evan Shifley (122 yards and one score).
Saint Lawrence’s defense is led by FY LB Alec Dietsch with 68 total tackles and three INTs. FY DB James Holley-Grisham has added 56 tackles and three INTs as well. SR OLB Obi Nwaigwe (pronounced “Weg-way”) has been an absolute force, racking up 56 total tackles, but more importantly, a LL best 10.5 sacks and 22.5 TFL. SR LB’s Andrew Cox and Shane “the Hitman” Hart have tallied 47 and 38 tackles, respectively.
Keys to the Game:
1. Gone Fishing – The Saints are coming to the Lake Trout Capital of the World, and it’ll be important for Hobart’s defensive line to pressure Zane Fish and lock down Saint Lawrence’s talented receiving corp. The Statesmen haven’t really played many true drop back passing teams this season, and with the Saints averaging nearly 200 YPG passing, Hobart’s secondary will be under fire if the DL can’t get to the QB.
2. Third and long – While the Saints offense is improved, they have had some trouble converting on third down. Saint Lawrence has a somewhat mediocre 35.4% third down conversion rate this season. Hobart leads the LL with a 31.3% rate in holding the opposition on third down.
3. Run to the Record – SR RB Steven Webb will likely break the Hobart rushing / total TD marks early in the game. He’s been nothing but sensational in his career as a Statesmen and it’ll be extra special for him to earn that mark at home, in his final regular season game. If they have an Achilles heel, the Saints rushing defense may be it. Saint Lawrence allows 186.1 YPG to opponents, while Hobart averages 261.8 YPG on offense.
Prediction:
While the Statesmen have owned the series against the Saints for quite some time winning every contest against Saint Lawrence since 1992, save for the unfortunate 2010 four turnover edition. This year the Saints won’t be easily defeated, but I also don’t see the Statesmen being denied on Senior Day. I’ll take Hobart to more than double up Saint Lawrence’s average points allowed mark (15.88 PPG) and win this one by the score of 37-14.
Thanks for reading (the blog went over 50K hits last night) and go 'Bart!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Hobart Ranked First in NCAA East Region
The NCAA Division III Playoff Committee released the initial regional rankings today, placing Hobart (7-0, 5-0) at the top of the East Region.
Now while definitely an honor, the confusing thing about these rankings are they don't necessarily mean the Statesmen would get a number one seed come playoff time as the DIII playoff brackets are built around four teams vs. regions.
Make sense? Not really, but we'll discuss all this and more come Sunday night at 7:30 on www.inthehuddlle.com. Tune in or catch the podcast to hear more on Hobart's playoff chances and potential seeding.
D3football.com has a lot of good information to go along with the rankings. Check out this link right here.
Now while definitely an honor, the confusing thing about these rankings are they don't necessarily mean the Statesmen would get a number one seed come playoff time as the DIII playoff brackets are built around four teams vs. regions.
Make sense? Not really, but we'll discuss all this and more come Sunday night at 7:30 on www.inthehuddlle.com. Tune in or catch the podcast to hear more on Hobart's playoff chances and potential seeding.
D3football.com has a lot of good information to go along with the rankings. Check out this link right here.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Hobart Gets Past the Dutchies (on the left hand side), 41-20
The seventh ranked Hobart College Statesmen improved to 7-0 and 5-0 respectively after a hard fought game against rival Union College. Hobart made plays in all facets of the game - special teams (two blocked punts, the second being returned for a TD), offense (377 yards and 41 points) and defense (only six points allowed until the subs were put in late in the third quarter).
Union (2-5, 2-3) came out fired up, but two JR QB Patrick Conlan TD passes to JR WRs Troy Robinson and John Fasano gave the Statesmen an early 14-0 advantage. The Dutchmen looked to turn the tide, and after a forced fumble, had some momentum and the ball on the Hobart 33 yard line. Six plays later SR RB T.J. Franzese caught a JR QB Nick Becker six yard pass for a TD. Although the point after failed, Union was only down 14-6 with 11:08 to go in the first half.
The Statesmen responded quickly and confidently, scoring twice on a SR RB Steven Webb three yard run and an 18 yard punt block by FY CB Gabriel Smith. The irony of the latter play was having seen Head Coach Mike Cragg go over to Smith after he blocked a punt against Springfield and saying "Next time, scoop and score". Smith, a graduate of LaSalle, not far from Union's campus, made the play just like Coach told him in front of his home crowd and family.
The second half was more Statesmen and the record books started being updated. Webb broke 1,000 yards on the season about halfway through the third quarter. He scored his 47th rushing and 50th overall TD with 2:33 to go in the third tying the Hobart All-Time marks in both categories. FY RB Brad Burns added another TD prior to Webb's second, and the Statesmen were up 41-6.
The reserves allowed two Union scores, but Hobart would win easily 41-20. The victory was the Statesmen's fourth consecutive win over the Dutchmen, a feat that hasn't happened since the 1975 season. Hobart was led by Conlan with 192 passing yards, two TDs and one INT. Webb tallied 128 yards, his 14th career game over the 100 yard mark, to go with two rushing TDs. The Statesmen "D" was once again led by SR LB Cory Davis with eight stops.
The only other commentary I'll add regarding this game was that the officiating was awful. They perpetuated an environment that allowed extra-curricular late and other hits, gave bad spots and otherwise endangered the safety of the players on the field. The two teams were flagged a total of 19 times for -185 yards, but at least another -100+ yards of penalties (e.g., missed face mask and other late hits) weren't called.
Needless to say this crew should never be allowed to call another NCAA game unless they receive some additional training / admonishment from the Liberty League. Ultimately a lot of the "chippyness" of this game could have been addressed if the officials simply told the respective team captains that any misbehavior would result in expulsion. Their allowing the "huffing" and extra-curricular activities, just made the game worse. In the end it still goes down as a Hobart win, but these aren't the kind of games anyone wants to see.
Coming up later this week I'll preview the Saint Lawrence / Senior Day game. I have a feeling we'll see the TD mark fall....
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!!
Union (2-5, 2-3) came out fired up, but two JR QB Patrick Conlan TD passes to JR WRs Troy Robinson and John Fasano gave the Statesmen an early 14-0 advantage. The Dutchmen looked to turn the tide, and after a forced fumble, had some momentum and the ball on the Hobart 33 yard line. Six plays later SR RB T.J. Franzese caught a JR QB Nick Becker six yard pass for a TD. Although the point after failed, Union was only down 14-6 with 11:08 to go in the first half.
The Statesmen responded quickly and confidently, scoring twice on a SR RB Steven Webb three yard run and an 18 yard punt block by FY CB Gabriel Smith. The irony of the latter play was having seen Head Coach Mike Cragg go over to Smith after he blocked a punt against Springfield and saying "Next time, scoop and score". Smith, a graduate of LaSalle, not far from Union's campus, made the play just like Coach told him in front of his home crowd and family.
The second half was more Statesmen and the record books started being updated. Webb broke 1,000 yards on the season about halfway through the third quarter. He scored his 47th rushing and 50th overall TD with 2:33 to go in the third tying the Hobart All-Time marks in both categories. FY RB Brad Burns added another TD prior to Webb's second, and the Statesmen were up 41-6.
The reserves allowed two Union scores, but Hobart would win easily 41-20. The victory was the Statesmen's fourth consecutive win over the Dutchmen, a feat that hasn't happened since the 1975 season. Hobart was led by Conlan with 192 passing yards, two TDs and one INT. Webb tallied 128 yards, his 14th career game over the 100 yard mark, to go with two rushing TDs. The Statesmen "D" was once again led by SR LB Cory Davis with eight stops.
The only other commentary I'll add regarding this game was that the officiating was awful. They perpetuated an environment that allowed extra-curricular late and other hits, gave bad spots and otherwise endangered the safety of the players on the field. The two teams were flagged a total of 19 times for -185 yards, but at least another -100+ yards of penalties (e.g., missed face mask and other late hits) weren't called.
Needless to say this crew should never be allowed to call another NCAA game unless they receive some additional training / admonishment from the Liberty League. Ultimately a lot of the "chippyness" of this game could have been addressed if the officials simply told the respective team captains that any misbehavior would result in expulsion. Their allowing the "huffing" and extra-curricular activities, just made the game worse. In the end it still goes down as a Hobart win, but these aren't the kind of games anyone wants to see.
Coming up later this week I'll preview the Saint Lawrence / Senior Day game. I have a feeling we'll see the TD mark fall....
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Union Game Preview
In some ways this week feels a little less intense than in prior years. The Union game is always the biggest on Hobart's schedule and the rivalry between these two schools remains as strong as ever. Unfortunately injuries and other issues have hampered the Dutchmen (2-5, 2-2) and Union will likely have its first losing season since 2010.
The Statesmen (6-0, 4-0) have had the Dutchmen's number of late, boasting a three game win streak over their rivals since that same 2010 season. That year a then SO QB Nick Strang '13 came off the bench and broke a Hobart record with 498 yards of total offense, leading the Statesmen to an exciting 41-35 win in 2OT. Last season I got to see Hobart beat Union 42-34 in Geneva. That game started out like a potential rout, but the Dutchmen battled back and actually out scored the Statesmen 27-14 in the second half.
Hobart hasn't beaten Union four straight since the 1970s. Back then the Statesmen ran off 8 consecutive wins from the 1971 to 1979 seasons. After a two year hiatus, the series resumed in 1982 and Union won 16 straight games against Hobart. It took 17 seasons, and Coach Cragg's third as Head Coach, for Hobart to finally beat the Dutchmen, 19-14, and break that streak in 1998.
The last decade and the start of this one saw the Statesmen finally get more competitive and eventually surpass their rivals, winning nine of the last 15 games, including three game winning streaks between 2002-2004 and 2010-2012. Can Hobart win a fourth in a row? The last SR class to go 4-0 vs. the Dutchmen was the Class of 1980.
Keys to the game:
1. Ya Gotta Tackle Thomas (and TJ) - Union's best offensive weapon is JR RB Darnell Thomas, who had a big game vs Hobart last season racking up 141 rushing yards on 16 carries (8.8 YPC) and scoring two TDs. This season Thomas has 453 yards and five rushing TDs. SR RB TJ Franzese is also a good back, gaining 408 yards and five scores. WR Kyle Reynolds (five catches for 85 yards and two TDs) and QB Connor Eck (245 passing yards) also had big numbers against the Statesmen defense, but neither will play Saturday. JR QB Nick Becker is the current Union signal caller. Becker has gone 17 of 39 (43.59%) but for only 47 YPG, no TDs, and two INTs. Needless to say, Union will need good games from both RBs to have a chance at beating the Statesmen.
2. DTR- the Dutchmen's strength is their stout defense, who despite the losing record, leads the LL in rushing defense (106.1 YPG allowed) and are second only to Hobart in total defense (282.3 YPG allowed) and opponent's third down conversions (37.9%). Union's defense is led by SO LB Thomas Hayes with 60 tackles, tied for second in the LL with an 8.6 TPG average. The Dutchmen lead the LL in TOP (34:17), so if Hobart can control the clock, it would eat into the Dutchmen's bread and butter.
3. Pass Protect - The Statesmen OL was a bit off for the early part of last week's RPI game allowing four sacks after not allowing any since the Dickinson game (and that was only one). With SR OL Alex Bush out due to an injury, the OL will need to improve its protection against a tough Union defensive front. Last season JR TE Mike Berkowitz had a breakout game (89 yards and two TDs) against Union last season and is coming off a similar game from last weekend when he caught two TDs against RPI. On the flip side, the Dutchmen OL has struggled, and they are last in the LL in sacks allowed with 27 for -214 yards.
Prediction:
Although Union has struggled this season, they will be up for this game. Hobart has lost in the past to "lesser" Union teams (meaning the Statesmen had a much better record coming into the contest), 2008 (and 2009 for that matter) come to mind. Still, I don't see the Statesmen taking their primary LL rivals lightly, especially with big games coming up with improved Saint Lawrence (5-2, 3-1) and Rochester (5-2, 3-1) teams looming on their schedule.
I'll take Hobart to win in a more defensive, hard-hitting game 31-14 vs. the shoot outs of the past couple of seasons.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
The Statesmen (6-0, 4-0) have had the Dutchmen's number of late, boasting a three game win streak over their rivals since that same 2010 season. That year a then SO QB Nick Strang '13 came off the bench and broke a Hobart record with 498 yards of total offense, leading the Statesmen to an exciting 41-35 win in 2OT. Last season I got to see Hobart beat Union 42-34 in Geneva. That game started out like a potential rout, but the Dutchmen battled back and actually out scored the Statesmen 27-14 in the second half.
Hobart hasn't beaten Union four straight since the 1970s. Back then the Statesmen ran off 8 consecutive wins from the 1971 to 1979 seasons. After a two year hiatus, the series resumed in 1982 and Union won 16 straight games against Hobart. It took 17 seasons, and Coach Cragg's third as Head Coach, for Hobart to finally beat the Dutchmen, 19-14, and break that streak in 1998.
The last decade and the start of this one saw the Statesmen finally get more competitive and eventually surpass their rivals, winning nine of the last 15 games, including three game winning streaks between 2002-2004 and 2010-2012. Can Hobart win a fourth in a row? The last SR class to go 4-0 vs. the Dutchmen was the Class of 1980.
Keys to the game:
1. Ya Gotta Tackle Thomas (and TJ) - Union's best offensive weapon is JR RB Darnell Thomas, who had a big game vs Hobart last season racking up 141 rushing yards on 16 carries (8.8 YPC) and scoring two TDs. This season Thomas has 453 yards and five rushing TDs. SR RB TJ Franzese is also a good back, gaining 408 yards and five scores. WR Kyle Reynolds (five catches for 85 yards and two TDs) and QB Connor Eck (245 passing yards) also had big numbers against the Statesmen defense, but neither will play Saturday. JR QB Nick Becker is the current Union signal caller. Becker has gone 17 of 39 (43.59%) but for only 47 YPG, no TDs, and two INTs. Needless to say, Union will need good games from both RBs to have a chance at beating the Statesmen.
2. DTR- the Dutchmen's strength is their stout defense, who despite the losing record, leads the LL in rushing defense (106.1 YPG allowed) and are second only to Hobart in total defense (282.3 YPG allowed) and opponent's third down conversions (37.9%). Union's defense is led by SO LB Thomas Hayes with 60 tackles, tied for second in the LL with an 8.6 TPG average. The Dutchmen lead the LL in TOP (34:17), so if Hobart can control the clock, it would eat into the Dutchmen's bread and butter.
3. Pass Protect - The Statesmen OL was a bit off for the early part of last week's RPI game allowing four sacks after not allowing any since the Dickinson game (and that was only one). With SR OL Alex Bush out due to an injury, the OL will need to improve its protection against a tough Union defensive front. Last season JR TE Mike Berkowitz had a breakout game (89 yards and two TDs) against Union last season and is coming off a similar game from last weekend when he caught two TDs against RPI. On the flip side, the Dutchmen OL has struggled, and they are last in the LL in sacks allowed with 27 for -214 yards.
Prediction:
Although Union has struggled this season, they will be up for this game. Hobart has lost in the past to "lesser" Union teams (meaning the Statesmen had a much better record coming into the contest), 2008 (and 2009 for that matter) come to mind. Still, I don't see the Statesmen taking their primary LL rivals lightly, especially with big games coming up with improved Saint Lawrence (5-2, 3-1) and Rochester (5-2, 3-1) teams looming on their schedule.
I'll take Hobart to win in a more defensive, hard-hitting game 31-14 vs. the shoot outs of the past couple of seasons.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
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