FROM NY TIMES (10/14/1971)
College football upstate has been as crisp and attractive as one of those wonderful autumn days in the Finger Lakes region. There have been many shades of success, from the power of Syracuse and the all‐winning record of Cornell to the surprising achievements of little and unbeaten Alfred and Hobart. Colgate, Rochester, Ithaca, Union and St. Lawrence have sparkling teams and individuals like Cornell's Ed Marinaro and Ithaca's quarterback, Doug Campbell, brighten the scene.
Eastern College Football
The most important major college game of the year in the East could be the Syracuse‐Penn State contest Saturday at Syracuse. But just west of Syracuse, on the northern tip of Seneca Lake, about 7,000 persons will jam Boswell Field in Geneva Saturday to watch what they think is the most important game around: Alfred against Hobart.
Don Aleksiewicz, Hobart's running star, has a following somewhat smaller, but no less enthusiastic, than Marinaro's. Alfred maintains that its quarterback, Jim Moretti, is as good as Campbell or anyone else.
Hobart, which had an 0–8 won‐lost mark last year and had 10 straight losing seasons, has responded to new coaching with a 3‐0 record this season. George Davis, a 1951 Syracuse graduate, became the coach this year after many successful seasons at nearby Seneca Falls High School.
Aleksiewicz, known as “A‐ to‐Z,” ran for 317 yards last Saturday in the victory over Hamilton. A year ago, he went 97 yards for a touchdown scamper when Hobart lost to Alfred, 31‐22.
Davis has Hobart working from the wishbone behind an unbalanced line, the famous line formation at Syracuse.
Alfred has enjoyed plenty of success in the 31 years that Alex Yunevich has coached there. The Saxons won seven of eight games last year and have taken four this fall.
“It's really not all the coach,” Yunevich said. “We get too much credit, though we may also be blamed too much. But without those horses, no one does much. Give me those horses and we'll win.
“You see, Hobart has one of them in Aleksiewicz. He's the best running back around. You have to gang tackle him. He'll give you that old limp leg and you don't know where he went.”
Yunevich calls Moretti, his quarterback, “the best bomb man I've ever seen anywhere —not just coached. I don't think anyone can throw longer than Jimmy.”
“He's got some shortcomings but I'm not about to say what they are,” the coach said. “Let them find out. That's their business, Of course, Jimmy wants to run sometimes and I keep telling him not to. He picks up 5 yards and thinks he's Red Grange. I die watching it.”
Friday, October 14, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
A Midseason Retrospective
While many teams would like to be 5-1 at their bye week, the Statesmen were 72 seconds away from doing so as a 6-0 and Top 25 ranked team. Instead, some doubts have been cast after three close calls in LL play and Hobart now needing help in order to not miss the NCAA playoffs for the second year in a row. We talked about this and all the other Week 6 action on In The HuddLLe which you can listen to here.
Also, before we start, congrats to Ali Marpet '15 on getting his first win as a Tampa Bay Bucs player on MNF. Hearing Jon Gruden repeatedly say "Hobart College" was pretty neat!
The stats on the Statesmen so far this season are interesting, if not telling, showing their strengths in certain areas and needs for improvement in others.
The Good:
The Statesmen rank third in total offense and defense in the LL, gaining an average of 416.5 YPG on O and allowing 303.3 YPG on D.
Hobart is the top ranked passing offense due to the outstanding play of JR QB Shane Sweeney. He's completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,011 yards and 20 TDs. He's on pace to set / break several passing records. His current passing yard totals rank him third in the nation and his 335.2 YPG average ranks ninth in DIII.
JR WR Brandon Shed ranks first in the LL with 664 receiving yards and 10 TDs. These same numbers were good for 10th nationally in receiving yards and tied for second in receiving TDs.
Teammates and SR WRs Sean Cunningham and Jack Pfohl are ranked fifth and sixth in the LL with 380 and 348 receiving yards to go with three and four TDs, respectively.
The Hobart OL has done well in pass protection, only allowing five sacks in six games.
JR PK Rio Schmidt is having an All-Conference type of year, leading the league in Net/P with 39.1. 12 of his 28 punts have gone for touchbacks or have been fair caught. Opposing teams have averaged less than a yard on returns, which shows how well he's performing his job.
JR LB Almamy Conde and FY LB Jedh Downey are ranked third and seventh in the LL with 53 and 50 total tackles, respectively. Downey has been a bright spot on a Hobart defense that has not performed as well as prior seasons and, at the moment anyway, has fairly average, if not mediocre stats ranking fifth in scoring defense (22.8 PPG allowed), sixth in rushing defense (178.5 YPG allowed), seventh in rush TDs allowed (12), and sixth in opponent third down conversions (40%). To be fair, the Statesmen defense did a solid job keeping RPI (4-2, 2-1) in check and held the Engineers below their season averages for rushing and scoring. Hobart also held RPI to two of 13 on third downs but ultimately it was the special teams mistakes and penalties that cost them the game.
On the other hand, the Statesmen secondary is the second best passing defense in the LL, allowing only 124.8 YPG and five passing TDs. The only knock against this unit is the fact they've only managed to haul in two interceptions, which ranks last in the LL. One must also keep in mind the fact that Hobart hasn't really played a strong passing team save for Brockport. All three LL opponents played to date average less than 100 YPG passing.
On the DL, SR DE James Hedger and JR DE Brandon Ball are ranked first and tied for third in the LL with five and four sacks each. Ball is tied for fourth with 7.5 TFL and tied for second in forced fumbles with two.
The Bad:
The Statesmen are last in rushing offense, averaging only 81.3 YPG. This in turn has kept the defense on the field for an average of nearly 34 minutes per game, ranking next to last in the LL.
Hobart is the most penalized team in the LL, getting flagged 48 times for -493 yards for an average of -82.2 YPG. It should be noted however that Statesmen opponents have been flagged 38 times for -394 yards so maybe penalties beget penalties? Nationally Hobart is in the bottom 15% of D3 teams (210 out of 244) as far as penalties go.
While he's done a good job overall and leads the team in tackles, RPI targeted Conde in the passing game and had success in beating his coverage. This will be an area that DC Kory David will need to work on and/or adjust his schemes accordingly.
On special teams Hobart is ranked next to last in FG conversions and PATs, going three of six on FGs and 21 of 25 on PATs. The Statesmen are sixth in KO return coverage (38.8 net average) and are next to last in KO return average (16.1). The former really hurt them against RPI last weekend.
Midseason Team MVPs:
Offensively it's pretty obvious Sweeney is the MVP. We knew Shed would have a good season but I will say Pfohl and Cunningham have played outstanding as well, the latter having some of the best games of his career in recent weeks.
Defensively I'm going with JR DB/OLB Tommy D'Antonio as MVP. In spite of his error on the roughing the kicker penalty in the RPI game, D'Antonio has stepped up big time filling in for an injured SR OLB Marcus Jemison and making plays like the two point conversion interception and run back which was a huge momentum shifter in the USMMA game. A close second would probably be Ball who has done very well as a first year starter, both statistically and in general.
Downey is the MVP for the Class of 2020 as I don't think many FY players, save for FY WR Isaiah Hill, have had significant PT so far.
Midterm Grade:
Offensively I'd say Hobart earns a "B" given an A+ passing game but kind of a "C- / D" when it comes to running the ball. Still, the Statesmen can quickly put up points, so you know they'll be able to be in every game down the stretch. Sweeney's ability to stay calm and make plays in close games has been outstanding also, which they'll probably need in match ups against Springfield and SLU.
Defensively I'll say Hobart earns a "C" given larger point and yardage numbers yielded than we thought they'd have going into the season. The Statesmen rush defense remains a particular concern, especially given the types of offenses they'll face in the final four games. The other concern is the lack of turnovers generated such as interceptions which hopefully will go up with two of the top passing offenses in WPI and SLU yet to be played.
Special teams gets a "C-" given the coverage and kicking issues. Punting and punt returns have been very good thanks to Schmidt and Cunningham, the latter of which has earned a STPOTW award from the LL.
The above averages out to a "C / C+" grade at the break, which is not great, but not bad either. One could argue it should be higher given five wins and a Top 25 ranking for a few weeks. I'll stick with that grade though because of preseason expectations (picked by Coaches to win the LL), especially when factoring in the penalties and mental mistakes Hobart made in the RPI game (and in the other league games). Would it have been higher if Hobart hung on to beat the Engineers? Maybe, but not by much. This team has yet to pull together a complete game, which they are capable of, and will need to do so in order to go 9-1 and make the playoffs. Otherwise we can expect another 7-3 or maybe an 8-2 season as a best case scenario (don't get me started on the unwillingness to file for an ECAC post season "bowl game").
Over the bye week, the Statesmen will need to shore up it's rushing defense with Springfield (3-2, 2-1) coming to town. The Pride runs the same triple option offense as USMMA (3-2, 2-1) that Hobart needed a lot of help to defeat in Week 5. The Pride handed Hobart it's first LL loss in four seasons, literally running away with a 35-13 victory last year in Western MA.
I'll have more on that game around this time next week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Also, before we start, congrats to Ali Marpet '15 on getting his first win as a Tampa Bay Bucs player on MNF. Hearing Jon Gruden repeatedly say "Hobart College" was pretty neat!
The stats on the Statesmen so far this season are interesting, if not telling, showing their strengths in certain areas and needs for improvement in others.
The Good:
The Statesmen rank third in total offense and defense in the LL, gaining an average of 416.5 YPG on O and allowing 303.3 YPG on D.
Hobart is the top ranked passing offense due to the outstanding play of JR QB Shane Sweeney. He's completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,011 yards and 20 TDs. He's on pace to set / break several passing records. His current passing yard totals rank him third in the nation and his 335.2 YPG average ranks ninth in DIII.
JR WR Brandon Shed ranks first in the LL with 664 receiving yards and 10 TDs. These same numbers were good for 10th nationally in receiving yards and tied for second in receiving TDs.
Teammates and SR WRs Sean Cunningham and Jack Pfohl are ranked fifth and sixth in the LL with 380 and 348 receiving yards to go with three and four TDs, respectively.
The Hobart OL has done well in pass protection, only allowing five sacks in six games.
JR PK Rio Schmidt is having an All-Conference type of year, leading the league in Net/P with 39.1. 12 of his 28 punts have gone for touchbacks or have been fair caught. Opposing teams have averaged less than a yard on returns, which shows how well he's performing his job.
JR LB Almamy Conde and FY LB Jedh Downey are ranked third and seventh in the LL with 53 and 50 total tackles, respectively. Downey has been a bright spot on a Hobart defense that has not performed as well as prior seasons and, at the moment anyway, has fairly average, if not mediocre stats ranking fifth in scoring defense (22.8 PPG allowed), sixth in rushing defense (178.5 YPG allowed), seventh in rush TDs allowed (12), and sixth in opponent third down conversions (40%). To be fair, the Statesmen defense did a solid job keeping RPI (4-2, 2-1) in check and held the Engineers below their season averages for rushing and scoring. Hobart also held RPI to two of 13 on third downs but ultimately it was the special teams mistakes and penalties that cost them the game.
On the other hand, the Statesmen secondary is the second best passing defense in the LL, allowing only 124.8 YPG and five passing TDs. The only knock against this unit is the fact they've only managed to haul in two interceptions, which ranks last in the LL. One must also keep in mind the fact that Hobart hasn't really played a strong passing team save for Brockport. All three LL opponents played to date average less than 100 YPG passing.
On the DL, SR DE James Hedger and JR DE Brandon Ball are ranked first and tied for third in the LL with five and four sacks each. Ball is tied for fourth with 7.5 TFL and tied for second in forced fumbles with two.
The Bad:
The Statesmen are last in rushing offense, averaging only 81.3 YPG. This in turn has kept the defense on the field for an average of nearly 34 minutes per game, ranking next to last in the LL.
Hobart is the most penalized team in the LL, getting flagged 48 times for -493 yards for an average of -82.2 YPG. It should be noted however that Statesmen opponents have been flagged 38 times for -394 yards so maybe penalties beget penalties? Nationally Hobart is in the bottom 15% of D3 teams (210 out of 244) as far as penalties go.
While he's done a good job overall and leads the team in tackles, RPI targeted Conde in the passing game and had success in beating his coverage. This will be an area that DC Kory David will need to work on and/or adjust his schemes accordingly.
On special teams Hobart is ranked next to last in FG conversions and PATs, going three of six on FGs and 21 of 25 on PATs. The Statesmen are sixth in KO return coverage (38.8 net average) and are next to last in KO return average (16.1). The former really hurt them against RPI last weekend.
Midseason Team MVPs:
Offensively it's pretty obvious Sweeney is the MVP. We knew Shed would have a good season but I will say Pfohl and Cunningham have played outstanding as well, the latter having some of the best games of his career in recent weeks.
Defensively I'm going with JR DB/OLB Tommy D'Antonio as MVP. In spite of his error on the roughing the kicker penalty in the RPI game, D'Antonio has stepped up big time filling in for an injured SR OLB Marcus Jemison and making plays like the two point conversion interception and run back which was a huge momentum shifter in the USMMA game. A close second would probably be Ball who has done very well as a first year starter, both statistically and in general.
Downey is the MVP for the Class of 2020 as I don't think many FY players, save for FY WR Isaiah Hill, have had significant PT so far.
Midterm Grade:
Offensively I'd say Hobart earns a "B" given an A+ passing game but kind of a "C- / D" when it comes to running the ball. Still, the Statesmen can quickly put up points, so you know they'll be able to be in every game down the stretch. Sweeney's ability to stay calm and make plays in close games has been outstanding also, which they'll probably need in match ups against Springfield and SLU.
Defensively I'll say Hobart earns a "C" given larger point and yardage numbers yielded than we thought they'd have going into the season. The Statesmen rush defense remains a particular concern, especially given the types of offenses they'll face in the final four games. The other concern is the lack of turnovers generated such as interceptions which hopefully will go up with two of the top passing offenses in WPI and SLU yet to be played.
Special teams gets a "C-" given the coverage and kicking issues. Punting and punt returns have been very good thanks to Schmidt and Cunningham, the latter of which has earned a STPOTW award from the LL.
The above averages out to a "C / C+" grade at the break, which is not great, but not bad either. One could argue it should be higher given five wins and a Top 25 ranking for a few weeks. I'll stick with that grade though because of preseason expectations (picked by Coaches to win the LL), especially when factoring in the penalties and mental mistakes Hobart made in the RPI game (and in the other league games). Would it have been higher if Hobart hung on to beat the Engineers? Maybe, but not by much. This team has yet to pull together a complete game, which they are capable of, and will need to do so in order to go 9-1 and make the playoffs. Otherwise we can expect another 7-3 or maybe an 8-2 season as a best case scenario (don't get me started on the unwillingness to file for an ECAC post season "bowl game").
Over the bye week, the Statesmen will need to shore up it's rushing defense with Springfield (3-2, 2-1) coming to town. The Pride runs the same triple option offense as USMMA (3-2, 2-1) that Hobart needed a lot of help to defeat in Week 5. The Pride handed Hobart it's first LL loss in four seasons, literally running away with a 35-13 victory last year in Western MA.
I'll have more on that game around this time next week.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Penalties Sink Statesmen in 21-17 Loss to RPI
The (soon to be formerly) 16th/22nd ranked Hobart College Statesmen beat themselves in a game that saw them dominate the overall statistics but were they came undone by a massive edge in penalties. Hobart was flagged 15 times for -148 yards, not all of which seemed fair, but that's how it goes. A drop out of the Top 25 is coming up and the Statesmen's NCAA playoff hopes took a hit too.
We knew the Statesmen (5-1, 2-1) had lived dangerously this season so this type of game wasn't a surprise to me unfortunately. What was a surprise were the number and kinds of calls that went against Hobart. The final nail in the coffin was the pass interference call after SR OLB Marcus Jemison appeared to have made a game saving interception on RPI's (4-2, 2-1) final drive.
Hobart out-gained the Engineers 435 to 192 yards, had over three times RPI's passing yardage and out rushed them also. The Statesmen took a 10-0 lead into halftime after two drives netted a SR WR Jack Pfohl TD catch and a JR PK Will McCool 28 yard FG. Unfortuntely McCool would miss two other FG attempts, which ultimately would have won them the game if converted. This loss isn't on him by any stretch as the entire team made countless mistakes - a false start on 3rd and 1 that ultimately cost Hobart a 14-0 halftime lead, roughing the kicker penalties on special teams that extended RPI scoring and other drives, allowing a 70 yard KO return, a pass interference penalty on 3rd and 11 with RPI on their 31 yard line late in the third quarter - the list goes on and on. The Statesmen were also four-14 on third downs and went 0-3 on fourth downs.
Although it seemed like fate would look kindly on the "Cardiac Kids" after JR QB Shane Sweeney connected with SO TE Matt Woods for a seven yard TD with 1:12 remaining, things fell apart shortly thereafter. The KO unit allowed a 34 yard return then made matters worse by committing a personal foul giving RPI the ball at the Hobart 36 yard line. SO QB Ed Trimpert would score the winning TD a few plays later, after the interception by Jemison was overturned. Trimpert led the Engineers with an efficient 14-20 for 109 yards and two passing scores while adding the rushing TD to go with 14 rushing yards.
This will not be an easy game for the team to watch and it certainly places Hobart's playoff hopes in jeopardy. They will need to win out in order to make it back to the NCAA playoffs as there's no way an 8-2 team will make the field unless it's a conference champion. As of now, #21 Saint Lawrence (6-0, 3-0) controls their own destiny and at this point appears stronger than the Statesmen barring a head-to-head contest against them to settle the score.
I'm curious whether or not the HC Mike Cragg will file a complaint with the LL on this officiating crew? It really seemed like they had it out for Hobart, but at the end of the day, the Statesmen could and should have played better and RPI did what it had to win.
With no game until October 22, we'll have to stew on this one for a while. Hopefully it motivates the squad to fix the areas they know need improvement.
Thanks for reading and please tune into ITH Sunday night for more commentary on this one.
We knew the Statesmen (5-1, 2-1) had lived dangerously this season so this type of game wasn't a surprise to me unfortunately. What was a surprise were the number and kinds of calls that went against Hobart. The final nail in the coffin was the pass interference call after SR OLB Marcus Jemison appeared to have made a game saving interception on RPI's (4-2, 2-1) final drive.
Hobart out-gained the Engineers 435 to 192 yards, had over three times RPI's passing yardage and out rushed them also. The Statesmen took a 10-0 lead into halftime after two drives netted a SR WR Jack Pfohl TD catch and a JR PK Will McCool 28 yard FG. Unfortuntely McCool would miss two other FG attempts, which ultimately would have won them the game if converted. This loss isn't on him by any stretch as the entire team made countless mistakes - a false start on 3rd and 1 that ultimately cost Hobart a 14-0 halftime lead, roughing the kicker penalties on special teams that extended RPI scoring and other drives, allowing a 70 yard KO return, a pass interference penalty on 3rd and 11 with RPI on their 31 yard line late in the third quarter - the list goes on and on. The Statesmen were also four-14 on third downs and went 0-3 on fourth downs.
Although it seemed like fate would look kindly on the "Cardiac Kids" after JR QB Shane Sweeney connected with SO TE Matt Woods for a seven yard TD with 1:12 remaining, things fell apart shortly thereafter. The KO unit allowed a 34 yard return then made matters worse by committing a personal foul giving RPI the ball at the Hobart 36 yard line. SO QB Ed Trimpert would score the winning TD a few plays later, after the interception by Jemison was overturned. Trimpert led the Engineers with an efficient 14-20 for 109 yards and two passing scores while adding the rushing TD to go with 14 rushing yards.
This will not be an easy game for the team to watch and it certainly places Hobart's playoff hopes in jeopardy. They will need to win out in order to make it back to the NCAA playoffs as there's no way an 8-2 team will make the field unless it's a conference champion. As of now, #21 Saint Lawrence (6-0, 3-0) controls their own destiny and at this point appears stronger than the Statesmen barring a head-to-head contest against them to settle the score.
I'm curious whether or not the HC Mike Cragg will file a complaint with the LL on this officiating crew? It really seemed like they had it out for Hobart, but at the end of the day, the Statesmen could and should have played better and RPI did what it had to win.
With no game until October 22, we'll have to stew on this one for a while. Hopefully it motivates the squad to fix the areas they know need improvement.
Thanks for reading and please tune into ITH Sunday night for more commentary on this one.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Week 6 - RPI Game Preview
The 16th/22nd ranked Hobart College Statesmen have won three games this season thanks to last second comebacks. That wasn't the case last season, when RPI upset the Statesmen by a score of 21-20 after a game winning two point conversion attempt was intercepted by the Engineers' All-American CB Philip Lanieri III '16.
While RPI (3-2, 1-1) has struggled somewhat this season, they appear to be a stronger team than one might have expected after having graduated a large number of starters from last year's 9-2 squad, including LL Co-OPOTY QB Jeff Avery. That group went on to earn a share of the LL title (thanks in part to Hobart beating Saint Lawrence) and captured an ECAC Bowl Championship in an exciting come from behind 20-13 win over Buffalo State.
This will be the 60th all-time meeting between these two programs, a rivalry that has been spread out of the years since it's initial start in 1910 (but I believe this will be the 52nd straight meeting since 1964). RPI and Hobart are tied 29-29-1 so the winner of Saturday's game gets some extra bragging rights, not to mention a very valuable league win.
The Engineers present some formidable challenges that the Statesmen (5-0, 2-0) have struggled with so far this season including a strong running game (249.6 YPG, good for second in the LL) and leading the league with nine INTs (three have been returned for TDs). RPI has done well on special teams, leading the LL in punt returns (20.8 YPR), punting (36.1 YPP net) and kicking going six for seven on FGs and a perfect 18-18 on PATs. RPI is also the second ranked scoring defense at the moment, allowing 18.6 PPG while putting up 28.8 PPG on offense (ranking fifth).
Leading the Engineers is #2 SO QB Ed Trimpert. More of a game manager, Trimpert has passed for 338 yards, three TDs and three INTs. His pass completion is just under 44%, so he has some work to do there, but he has good feet, rushing for 81 yards and one TD so far this season. The RPI OL has allowed seven sacks so far, but has done well opening holes for #6 JR RB Mike Tivinis. The Middleton, MA native has gained 442 yards on 75 carries (5.9 YPR), leading the team with five rushing TDs. The RPI OL is led by #53 SR OL and Co-Captain Steve Mills.
Trimpert's favorite targets this season have been #14 SO WR Keaton Ackermann and #18 JR RB Johnny Ramsdell. Ackermann and Ramsdell have caught a total of 16 passes for a combined 245 yards and two TDs. Ramsdell is also a short yardage specialist, gaining 128 rushing yards and three TDs.
On defense the Engineers are led by Co-Captains #44 SR LB Alex Greenidge and #25 SR DB Ryan Buss. Greenidge leads RPI with 42 tackles on the season to go with a 34 yard "pick six." Buss has 26 tackles and two INTs. #74 SR DL Thomas Bennett has been trouble for opposing OLs, picking up 20 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks.
On special teams the Engineers have the most accurate kicker in the LL in #4 JR PK Christian Kapp. #88 JR PK Matt Raczak handles the punting duties, averaging nearly 40 YPP. So far seven of his 22 punts have pinned the opposition inside the 20 yard line and three were for over 50+ yards.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stop the Run - I'm getting to be like a broken record here but much like Ithaca and Union, this RPI team is fairly one dimensional on offense. The Engineers run to pass ratio is basically 80:20 so the Statesmen defense will need to improve upon their nearly last place (197.6 YPG and 11 TDs allowed) rushing D to stay in this game.
2. Start Fast - The Statesmen gotten off to slow starts in the last couple of games. It would do them a lot of good to put the Engineers in an early hole and force them to pass the ball, given the inexperience (and inaccuracy) of Trimpert, and play catch up.
3. Turnovers - It's very surprising to some football purists that Hobart has gone 5-0 with a turnover margin of -1. It's also somewhat of a surprise that the Statesmen secondary with all of it's depth and experience has only generated three INTs on the season so far. To be fair, Hobart's pass defense has been very strong, ranking second overall in the LL with only 128 YPG and only three total passing TDs allowed on the season. Since I don't expect Trimpert to pass that much unless the Statesmen force him to, Hobart tacklers need to try and force or recover fumbles as much as possible. RPI has been susceptible to this - fumbling the ball nine times and losing six to the opposition, slightly more than one per game. On the flip side, Hobart has to avoid the Engineers ball hawk defense.
4. Balance - The good news is RPI is 0-2 against undefeated (and ranked) teams, losing 33-17 to #25 Alfred (5-0) and 20-14 to #21 SLU (5-0, 2-0). The Engineers fell behind in both of those contests, but fought back to make things interesting. The Saxons used a very balanced offense to control the clock and their defense held RPI to five of 13 on third downs. Alfred rushed 46 times for 243 yards which we know the Statesmen won't (and probably can't) match. The Saints forced two Trimpert interceptions and had the ball for over 40 minutes, rushing for 185 yards on 47 carries, in their 20-14 defeat of RPI. Needless to say, I think Hobart has to execute better when running the ball to win this game otherwise I assume JR QB Shane Sweeney will have to attempt ~40 passes to get the Statesmen a road victory. While the Statesmen run to pass ratio is actually about 40:60 (and is probably slightly lower if you factor out the number of scrambles Sweeney has made), Hobart's offense is only gaining about 20% of their total yards on the ground. Although RPI has had success defending their end zone, RPI's rushing and passing defense aren't great, both rank sixth in the LL, allowing 158 rushing YPG and four TD and 203.2 passing YPG and six TDs. The Engineers passing defense efficiency (ranked fourth) has been helped by all the INTs they've forced.
Prediction:
Hobart has been banged up and living dangerously to open the first half of the season. A win before the bye week would do a lot of good before the back stretch of the schedule. RPI is exactly the type of team that the Statesmen have struggled to put away so far this season, but as we've seen, the "Cardiac Kids" can never be counted out given their quick strike abilities.
While I do think this is a game RPI can win, I'll tag along my ITH co-host Frank Rossi's prediction that Hobart will need to comeback, but will prevail by a score of 30-24.
Before I signoff, a special shout out to the Berkowitz family who I know will be in attendance for Saturday's game. Mike Berkowitz '15 just passed the Series 7 and is doing well post-graduation, working in the Capitol Region and living in RPI's backyard of Troy, NY.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
While RPI (3-2, 1-1) has struggled somewhat this season, they appear to be a stronger team than one might have expected after having graduated a large number of starters from last year's 9-2 squad, including LL Co-OPOTY QB Jeff Avery. That group went on to earn a share of the LL title (thanks in part to Hobart beating Saint Lawrence) and captured an ECAC Bowl Championship in an exciting come from behind 20-13 win over Buffalo State.
This will be the 60th all-time meeting between these two programs, a rivalry that has been spread out of the years since it's initial start in 1910 (but I believe this will be the 52nd straight meeting since 1964). RPI and Hobart are tied 29-29-1 so the winner of Saturday's game gets some extra bragging rights, not to mention a very valuable league win.
The Engineers present some formidable challenges that the Statesmen (5-0, 2-0) have struggled with so far this season including a strong running game (249.6 YPG, good for second in the LL) and leading the league with nine INTs (three have been returned for TDs). RPI has done well on special teams, leading the LL in punt returns (20.8 YPR), punting (36.1 YPP net) and kicking going six for seven on FGs and a perfect 18-18 on PATs. RPI is also the second ranked scoring defense at the moment, allowing 18.6 PPG while putting up 28.8 PPG on offense (ranking fifth).
Leading the Engineers is #2 SO QB Ed Trimpert. More of a game manager, Trimpert has passed for 338 yards, three TDs and three INTs. His pass completion is just under 44%, so he has some work to do there, but he has good feet, rushing for 81 yards and one TD so far this season. The RPI OL has allowed seven sacks so far, but has done well opening holes for #6 JR RB Mike Tivinis. The Middleton, MA native has gained 442 yards on 75 carries (5.9 YPR), leading the team with five rushing TDs. The RPI OL is led by #53 SR OL and Co-Captain Steve Mills.
Trimpert's favorite targets this season have been #14 SO WR Keaton Ackermann and #18 JR RB Johnny Ramsdell. Ackermann and Ramsdell have caught a total of 16 passes for a combined 245 yards and two TDs. Ramsdell is also a short yardage specialist, gaining 128 rushing yards and three TDs.
On defense the Engineers are led by Co-Captains #44 SR LB Alex Greenidge and #25 SR DB Ryan Buss. Greenidge leads RPI with 42 tackles on the season to go with a 34 yard "pick six." Buss has 26 tackles and two INTs. #74 SR DL Thomas Bennett has been trouble for opposing OLs, picking up 20 tackles, 4.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks.
On special teams the Engineers have the most accurate kicker in the LL in #4 JR PK Christian Kapp. #88 JR PK Matt Raczak handles the punting duties, averaging nearly 40 YPP. So far seven of his 22 punts have pinned the opposition inside the 20 yard line and three were for over 50+ yards.
Keys to the Game:
1. Stop the Run - I'm getting to be like a broken record here but much like Ithaca and Union, this RPI team is fairly one dimensional on offense. The Engineers run to pass ratio is basically 80:20 so the Statesmen defense will need to improve upon their nearly last place (197.6 YPG and 11 TDs allowed) rushing D to stay in this game.
2. Start Fast - The Statesmen gotten off to slow starts in the last couple of games. It would do them a lot of good to put the Engineers in an early hole and force them to pass the ball, given the inexperience (and inaccuracy) of Trimpert, and play catch up.
3. Turnovers - It's very surprising to some football purists that Hobart has gone 5-0 with a turnover margin of -1. It's also somewhat of a surprise that the Statesmen secondary with all of it's depth and experience has only generated three INTs on the season so far. To be fair, Hobart's pass defense has been very strong, ranking second overall in the LL with only 128 YPG and only three total passing TDs allowed on the season. Since I don't expect Trimpert to pass that much unless the Statesmen force him to, Hobart tacklers need to try and force or recover fumbles as much as possible. RPI has been susceptible to this - fumbling the ball nine times and losing six to the opposition, slightly more than one per game. On the flip side, Hobart has to avoid the Engineers ball hawk defense.
4. Balance - The good news is RPI is 0-2 against undefeated (and ranked) teams, losing 33-17 to #25 Alfred (5-0) and 20-14 to #21 SLU (5-0, 2-0). The Engineers fell behind in both of those contests, but fought back to make things interesting. The Saxons used a very balanced offense to control the clock and their defense held RPI to five of 13 on third downs. Alfred rushed 46 times for 243 yards which we know the Statesmen won't (and probably can't) match. The Saints forced two Trimpert interceptions and had the ball for over 40 minutes, rushing for 185 yards on 47 carries, in their 20-14 defeat of RPI. Needless to say, I think Hobart has to execute better when running the ball to win this game otherwise I assume JR QB Shane Sweeney will have to attempt ~40 passes to get the Statesmen a road victory. While the Statesmen run to pass ratio is actually about 40:60 (and is probably slightly lower if you factor out the number of scrambles Sweeney has made), Hobart's offense is only gaining about 20% of their total yards on the ground. Although RPI has had success defending their end zone, RPI's rushing and passing defense aren't great, both rank sixth in the LL, allowing 158 rushing YPG and four TD and 203.2 passing YPG and six TDs. The Engineers passing defense efficiency (ranked fourth) has been helped by all the INTs they've forced.
Prediction:
Hobart has been banged up and living dangerously to open the first half of the season. A win before the bye week would do a lot of good before the back stretch of the schedule. RPI is exactly the type of team that the Statesmen have struggled to put away so far this season, but as we've seen, the "Cardiac Kids" can never be counted out given their quick strike abilities.
While I do think this is a game RPI can win, I'll tag along my ITH co-host Frank Rossi's prediction that Hobart will need to comeback, but will prevail by a score of 30-24.
Before I signoff, a special shout out to the Berkowitz family who I know will be in attendance for Saturday's game. Mike Berkowitz '15 just passed the Series 7 and is doing well post-graduation, working in the Capitol Region and living in RPI's backyard of Troy, NY.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Monday, October 3, 2016
Sweeney to Pfohl Saves Statemen, Hobart Survives, 38-35
The Hobart College Statesmen needed a 57 yard pass and run by SR WR Jack Pfohl to complete another furious comeback against a determined league opponent. This time it was the United States Merchant Marine Academy and their #1 ranked rushing offense which nearly broke the Statesmen. The Mariners (2-2, 1-1) rushed for 397 yards and five TDs but it was not enough to halt Hobart's "Team Air Show" and JR QB Shane Sweeney from accumulating 416 passing yards and five TDs.
A full recap from the HWSAthletics website can be seen here. The final play was so exciting it was nominated as the "Play of the Week" on D3football.com. You can view it and the other nominees here.
The LL's best rushing defense stifled the Hobart run game to a paltry 16 yards on 18 attempts. Three Statesmen rushers, including Sweeney (who was sacked twice), had negative yardage totals. The Mariners however had three players rush for over 100 yards. By contrast, "Bartwick" attempted 51 passes as the Statesmen had to rally several times, being down 10-0, 20-14, 28-20 and 35-31 in the contest.
These defensive struggles and close calls over the past couple of weeks may have led to Hobart's dropping one spot in the D3football.com and AFCA Top 25 polls (probably not though, other teams keep winning and so log jams ensue). What's most notable to me is that in the D3football.com poll, the team that leapfrogged them is league rival, Saint Lawrence (5-0, 2-0), who defeated Springfield (2-2, 1-1) in convincing fashion, 42-14.
This weekend Hobart will face off against a strong RPI (3-2, 1-1) squad. The Engineers earned a share of last season's LL title by defeating the Statesmen in Geneva, 21-20. I'll have more on that game later this week. We recapped the USMMA vs. Hobart game, plus other LL and East Region action on our latest ITH podcast. You can download it here.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
A full recap from the HWSAthletics website can be seen here. The final play was so exciting it was nominated as the "Play of the Week" on D3football.com. You can view it and the other nominees here.
The LL's best rushing defense stifled the Hobart run game to a paltry 16 yards on 18 attempts. Three Statesmen rushers, including Sweeney (who was sacked twice), had negative yardage totals. The Mariners however had three players rush for over 100 yards. By contrast, "Bartwick" attempted 51 passes as the Statesmen had to rally several times, being down 10-0, 20-14, 28-20 and 35-31 in the contest.
These defensive struggles and close calls over the past couple of weeks may have led to Hobart's dropping one spot in the D3football.com and AFCA Top 25 polls (probably not though, other teams keep winning and so log jams ensue). What's most notable to me is that in the D3football.com poll, the team that leapfrogged them is league rival, Saint Lawrence (5-0, 2-0), who defeated Springfield (2-2, 1-1) in convincing fashion, 42-14.
This weekend Hobart will face off against a strong RPI (3-2, 1-1) squad. The Engineers earned a share of last season's LL title by defeating the Statesmen in Geneva, 21-20. I'll have more on that game later this week. We recapped the USMMA vs. Hobart game, plus other LL and East Region action on our latest ITH podcast. You can download it here.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Week 5 - USMMA Game Preview
The #15/21st ranked Hobart College Statesmen will host the United States Merchant Marine Academy Saturday at Boswell Field. Hobart (4-0, 1-0) and the USMMA (2-1, 1-0) are coming off Liberty League (LL) wins over Union (1-3, 0-1) and Rochester (1-2, 0-1), respectively.
The Statesmen have gone 12-0 since the Mariners and Hobart renewed their series back in 2004. USMMA went 4-0 vs. the Statesmen from between three games in the 1960's and one in 1970. Last season Hobart defeated the Mariners by a score of 30-15, even though the Statesmen were outgained 215 to 244 total yards. Hobart jumped out to 14-0 lead but USMMA would score with 39 seconds left in the second quarter to cut the Statesmen's advantage to 14-7. Hobart increased their lead to 23-7 thanks to a (then) JR DB Todd Collier 41 yard punt return for a TD and a JR PK Sean Kirshe 31 yard FG. Although the Mariners rallied to pull within eight points, the Statesmen would win the game after a Conner Hartigan '16 two yard run for a TD capped a nine play, 75 yard drive with 4:02 left in the contest.
Keys to the Game:
1. All Hands on Deck - The USMMA bring the top rated rushing offense in the nation, which has averaged an outstanding 375.7 YPG, to the "Boz" this Saturday. I have already chronicled some of Hobart's struggles against strong rushing teams, and the triple option requires a lot of patience and discipline to defend. #7 JR QB Robert Moore earned a LL OPOTW award after a stalwart 104 rushing yards and three TD performance last Saturday against Rochester. Moore leads the LL with 149 rushing YPG and is tied for second place in the LL with a handful of other rushers with four TDs. He was a perfect five for five passing for 176 yards and two passing TDs against the Yellow Jackets including an 81 yard strike to #24 SR RB Spencer Blauw and a 53 yard pass to #27 FY WR Luke Jamison. The Mariners have only passed the ball 15 times in three games, but have completed nine of those for a LL leading 232.7 passing efficiency rating. This will force Hobart to respect the long ball, while needing to focus on their gaps and multiple pitchmen that the Mariners triple option offense will utilize. Moore can be rattled however and if played well, the Statesmen could create turnovers like the fumble / scoop and score by Coast Guard (1-3) in the Secretaries Cup game in Week 2 and the game ending interception against SUNY-Maritime (2-1) the Mariners dropped by a score of 20-16. Other players of note include #33 SO FB Wiley Martin, last season's LL ROTY, who's off to another strong start this season, rushing for 260 yards and a LL best six TDs. #14 JR FB Luke Tiefenthaler is a strong blocker at 6'0" 215 lbs. as is #85 SR TE Robert Baker (6'3" 230 lbs.). Baker isn't much of a receiving threat, but when used (twice) he's averaged 17.7 YPC. The experienced USMMA OL is led by #71 SR Parker Johnson (6'2" 272 lbs.) and #70 Ian Stoner (6'1" 266 lbs.).
2. Let's Go Team Air Show - JR WR Brandon Shed ranks second in the nation in receiving TDs (eight) and third in receiving yards (546). Not surprisingly then, JR QB Shane Sweeney is ranked seventh in the nation as a passer and is easily the top passing QB in the LL with an impressive 1,255 yards and 13 TDs compared to only three INTs. The USMMA defense allows just under 200 receiving YPG (197.7) but their opposition's pass completion percentage is on the high side at 63.3%. You can bet OC Jon Drach will look to test this tough Mariners defense, the top ranked rush D in the LL (allowing only 66 YPG and only one rushing TD), through the air. SR WRs Jack Pfohl and Sean Cunningham are off to solid starts catching a combined 31 passes for 341 yards and three TDs. Also off to a good start is the combo of JR TE Zach Withers and SO TE Matt Woods have 175 receiving yards and one score. The USMMA defense is led by #49 SR LB Josh Woodburn (22 total tackles) and #20 SR DB Patrick Keyes (17). Both are All-Conference caliber talents and will need to accounted for by Statesmen blockers.
3. TOP - One of the reasons for success of the triple option is the amount of clock it can burn and how it can wear down a defense. Statesmen fans saw that first hand against Springfield last season and Union used a similar strategy last weekend, keeping the Hobart defense on the field for almost 37 minutes of the contest. While the Statesmen's quick strike offense is fun to watch, the lower amount of running plays can put more pressure on the defense who have to grind it out longer because of it. The Mariners are second in the LL averaging 34:28 of possession. I'd like to see more like a 32-28 ratio Saturday.
Prediction:
On Sunday night I picked Hobart to win by a score of 35-21. After a closer look at the Mariners I think this game will be similar to last year's contest, competitive and lower scoring. I still think the Statesmen will win it, but I'll say it's by a 28-17 margin.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
The Statesmen have gone 12-0 since the Mariners and Hobart renewed their series back in 2004. USMMA went 4-0 vs. the Statesmen from between three games in the 1960's and one in 1970. Last season Hobart defeated the Mariners by a score of 30-15, even though the Statesmen were outgained 215 to 244 total yards. Hobart jumped out to 14-0 lead but USMMA would score with 39 seconds left in the second quarter to cut the Statesmen's advantage to 14-7. Hobart increased their lead to 23-7 thanks to a (then) JR DB Todd Collier 41 yard punt return for a TD and a JR PK Sean Kirshe 31 yard FG. Although the Mariners rallied to pull within eight points, the Statesmen would win the game after a Conner Hartigan '16 two yard run for a TD capped a nine play, 75 yard drive with 4:02 left in the contest.
Keys to the Game:
1. All Hands on Deck - The USMMA bring the top rated rushing offense in the nation, which has averaged an outstanding 375.7 YPG, to the "Boz" this Saturday. I have already chronicled some of Hobart's struggles against strong rushing teams, and the triple option requires a lot of patience and discipline to defend. #7 JR QB Robert Moore earned a LL OPOTW award after a stalwart 104 rushing yards and three TD performance last Saturday against Rochester. Moore leads the LL with 149 rushing YPG and is tied for second place in the LL with a handful of other rushers with four TDs. He was a perfect five for five passing for 176 yards and two passing TDs against the Yellow Jackets including an 81 yard strike to #24 SR RB Spencer Blauw and a 53 yard pass to #27 FY WR Luke Jamison. The Mariners have only passed the ball 15 times in three games, but have completed nine of those for a LL leading 232.7 passing efficiency rating. This will force Hobart to respect the long ball, while needing to focus on their gaps and multiple pitchmen that the Mariners triple option offense will utilize. Moore can be rattled however and if played well, the Statesmen could create turnovers like the fumble / scoop and score by Coast Guard (1-3) in the Secretaries Cup game in Week 2 and the game ending interception against SUNY-Maritime (2-1) the Mariners dropped by a score of 20-16. Other players of note include #33 SO FB Wiley Martin, last season's LL ROTY, who's off to another strong start this season, rushing for 260 yards and a LL best six TDs. #14 JR FB Luke Tiefenthaler is a strong blocker at 6'0" 215 lbs. as is #85 SR TE Robert Baker (6'3" 230 lbs.). Baker isn't much of a receiving threat, but when used (twice) he's averaged 17.7 YPC. The experienced USMMA OL is led by #71 SR Parker Johnson (6'2" 272 lbs.) and #70 Ian Stoner (6'1" 266 lbs.).
2. Let's Go Team Air Show - JR WR Brandon Shed ranks second in the nation in receiving TDs (eight) and third in receiving yards (546). Not surprisingly then, JR QB Shane Sweeney is ranked seventh in the nation as a passer and is easily the top passing QB in the LL with an impressive 1,255 yards and 13 TDs compared to only three INTs. The USMMA defense allows just under 200 receiving YPG (197.7) but their opposition's pass completion percentage is on the high side at 63.3%. You can bet OC Jon Drach will look to test this tough Mariners defense, the top ranked rush D in the LL (allowing only 66 YPG and only one rushing TD), through the air. SR WRs Jack Pfohl and Sean Cunningham are off to solid starts catching a combined 31 passes for 341 yards and three TDs. Also off to a good start is the combo of JR TE Zach Withers and SO TE Matt Woods have 175 receiving yards and one score. The USMMA defense is led by #49 SR LB Josh Woodburn (22 total tackles) and #20 SR DB Patrick Keyes (17). Both are All-Conference caliber talents and will need to accounted for by Statesmen blockers.
3. TOP - One of the reasons for success of the triple option is the amount of clock it can burn and how it can wear down a defense. Statesmen fans saw that first hand against Springfield last season and Union used a similar strategy last weekend, keeping the Hobart defense on the field for almost 37 minutes of the contest. While the Statesmen's quick strike offense is fun to watch, the lower amount of running plays can put more pressure on the defense who have to grind it out longer because of it. The Mariners are second in the LL averaging 34:28 of possession. I'd like to see more like a 32-28 ratio Saturday.
Prediction:
On Sunday night I picked Hobart to win by a score of 35-21. After a closer look at the Mariners I think this game will be similar to last year's contest, competitive and lower scoring. I still think the Statesmen will win it, but I'll say it's by a 28-17 margin.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
A Case for The Defense
After listening to a replay of last Sunday's In The HuddLLe podcast, I wondered if I wasn't being a bit of a "downer" or too harsh a critic of the Statesmen defense? That said I wanted to take a closer look.
After four contests the Hobart defense is allowing 20.3 PPG, which is right in the middle of the LL (ranked fourth), pack. Not bad, but not great either. As a Top 25 team (the Statesmen are ranked tied for 15th in the AFCA Coach's Poll and 21st in the D3football.com Top 25), Hobart (4-0, 1-0) should be more formidable in my opinion than the stats show.
To be fair, there are a lot of new or first time starters across the front seven that probably just need time to gather the experience to be a more cohesive unit. Players like SO DE A.J. McFarlane, JR DE Brandon Ball, JR LB Almamy Conde, JR CB Daryl Scales, SO OLB Kai Brandford and FY LB Jedh Downey have done well as relative newcomers to their starting roles. SO DT Sean Moore has also looked good and could earn a starting job soon.
So am I being too critical?
With that in mind, I looked at the NCAA stat book (note there is some noise due to single game NESCAC teams and associated data so you can adjust the below around 2-5 spots). All of the below are out of the 244 teams in D3FB.
Hobart is currently (nationally) ranked:
46th in total defense (YPG)
66th scoring defense (PPG)
121st rushing defense (YPG)
36th in defensive pass efficiency
To put the above into context, #24/25 SLU (4-0, 1-0) is ranked:
3rd total defense
4th scoring defense
20th rushing defense
3rd in defensive pass efficiency
While it's true that SLU has more veteran squad, they also have played slightly easier slate than Hobart so far based on W/L record (Hobart's opponents are 5-10 while SLU's are 3-11).
My main concern are the rushing defense stats, especially given the USMMA (2-1, 1-0) is heading to Geneva averaging 375.7 YPG, which is currently number one in the nation. Those stats were bolstered however by a Rochester (1-2, 0-1) squad that may not win another game this season.
Taking a closer look at the rushing numbers the Statesmen have allowed:
195 yards and four TDs to Brockport (2-2) who has averaged 180.3 YPG (ranked 74th) since with an overall 12 total rush TDs
166 yards and one TD to Endicott (1-3) who has averaged 125.5 YPG (155th) and four TDs
99 yards and to Ithaca (1-2) who has averaged 35.3 YPG (242nd - that's not a typo) and zero rushing TDs on the season
175 yards and two TDs to Union (1-3) who has averaged 169.8 YPG (92nd) and seven TDs overall
One could argue that two of the above rushing TDs really aren't the defense's fault as the punt unit gave Brockport the ball at the one yard line in Week 1 and the offense gave Union the ball at the nine last weekend. Also, if you take the Endicott pick six from Week 2 off the board, Hobart's defensive allowed average drops to ~15 PPG, which is a considerable improvement.
Given the above, while the above rushing stats remain a concern, it appears as though the Statesmen defense is playing much better than I thought, especially considering the number of new starters.
There you have it, I stand corrected. I'll have a USMMA game preview up by Thursday at the latest.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
After four contests the Hobart defense is allowing 20.3 PPG, which is right in the middle of the LL (ranked fourth), pack. Not bad, but not great either. As a Top 25 team (the Statesmen are ranked tied for 15th in the AFCA Coach's Poll and 21st in the D3football.com Top 25), Hobart (4-0, 1-0) should be more formidable in my opinion than the stats show.
To be fair, there are a lot of new or first time starters across the front seven that probably just need time to gather the experience to be a more cohesive unit. Players like SO DE A.J. McFarlane, JR DE Brandon Ball, JR LB Almamy Conde, JR CB Daryl Scales, SO OLB Kai Brandford and FY LB Jedh Downey have done well as relative newcomers to their starting roles. SO DT Sean Moore has also looked good and could earn a starting job soon.
So am I being too critical?
With that in mind, I looked at the NCAA stat book (note there is some noise due to single game NESCAC teams and associated data so you can adjust the below around 2-5 spots). All of the below are out of the 244 teams in D3FB.
Hobart is currently (nationally) ranked:
46th in total defense (YPG)
66th scoring defense (PPG)
121st rushing defense (YPG)
36th in defensive pass efficiency
To put the above into context, #24/25 SLU (4-0, 1-0) is ranked:
3rd total defense
4th scoring defense
20th rushing defense
3rd in defensive pass efficiency
While it's true that SLU has more veteran squad, they also have played slightly easier slate than Hobart so far based on W/L record (Hobart's opponents are 5-10 while SLU's are 3-11).
My main concern are the rushing defense stats, especially given the USMMA (2-1, 1-0) is heading to Geneva averaging 375.7 YPG, which is currently number one in the nation. Those stats were bolstered however by a Rochester (1-2, 0-1) squad that may not win another game this season.
Taking a closer look at the rushing numbers the Statesmen have allowed:
195 yards and four TDs to Brockport (2-2) who has averaged 180.3 YPG (ranked 74th) since with an overall 12 total rush TDs
166 yards and one TD to Endicott (1-3) who has averaged 125.5 YPG (155th) and four TDs
99 yards and to Ithaca (1-2) who has averaged 35.3 YPG (242nd - that's not a typo) and zero rushing TDs on the season
175 yards and two TDs to Union (1-3) who has averaged 169.8 YPG (92nd) and seven TDs overall
One could argue that two of the above rushing TDs really aren't the defense's fault as the punt unit gave Brockport the ball at the one yard line in Week 1 and the offense gave Union the ball at the nine last weekend. Also, if you take the Endicott pick six from Week 2 off the board, Hobart's defensive allowed average drops to ~15 PPG, which is a considerable improvement.
Given the above, while the above rushing stats remain a concern, it appears as though the Statesmen defense is playing much better than I thought, especially considering the number of new starters.
There you have it, I stand corrected. I'll have a USMMA game preview up by Thursday at the latest.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
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