Nov 16, 2013
The seventh-ranked Hobart College football team generated four takeaways and logged three sacks as the Statesmen completed their second consecutive undefeated regular season, defeating the University of Rochester 42-21 at Edwin Fauver Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., this afternoon.
Hobart (9-0, 7-0 Liberty League) intercepted the Yellowjackets' league-leading passer Dean Kennedy three times and recovered a fumble without turning the ball over. Sophomore linebacker Trayvon Toney logged a game-high 14 tackles (13 solo) to lead the charge. Senior Jolyon Davis had two of the three picks, recording his first on the final play of the first half in the end zone to prevent a Rochester score. He ran back his second 43 yards for a touchdown and a 28-14 third quarter Hobart lead.
Senior linebacker Devin Worthington recorded three tackles for loss, including a sack, breaking the Hobart career record for tackles for loss, previously held by Rob Gould (59.0). Worthington has 61.5 heading into the NCAA Playoffs. Gould slips back to No. 3 on the all-time list, as junior defensive end Tyre Coleman had one tackle for loss raising his career total to 59.5.
Hobart clinched the Liberty League title outright a week ago when the Statesmen defeated St. Lawrence and Rochester lost to WPI. However, with the win, the Statesmen retain The Centennial Cup, a trophy created in 2007 to mark the 100th game between the Upstate New York rivals. Hobart has won the trophy six times in seven years. The Statesmen lead the all-time series, which began in 1892, 51-48-7.
Senior quarterback Patrick Conlon threw for a pair of touchdowns and junior fullback Dominique Ellis ran for two scores to lead the offense. Junior wideout Elvin Souffrant was Hobart's top receiver with three catches for 77 yards.
Conlan completed 9-of-14 throws for 185 yards. He threw a 17-yard TD pass to junior tight end Mike Berkowitz with 5:33 left in the second quarter to give Hobart a 14-7 lead heading into the locker room. In the third quarter, Conlan found junior wideout John Fasano behind the Yellowjacket defense for a 64-yard TD and a 35-14 lead. That capped a 21-0 run by Hobart after Rochester knotted the score at 14-14 on its first possession of the second half.
Ellis ran 11 yards to score early in the second quarter. That capped a nine-play 55-yard drive. Rochester drove 86 yards in 11 plays to tie it at 7-7. Kennedy ran in from 6 yards out. The Conlan-to-Berkowitz TD pass ended a six-play, 67-yard drive.
Kennedy threw a 29-yard TD pass to Thomas Hayes just three plays after the Yellowjackets blocked a Hobart punt. That evened it at 14-14with 11:32 left in the third quarter. Less than two minutes later, Hobart went ahead for good. Ellis drove through left guard and burst into the Rochester secondary outrunning pursuers to the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown. Hobart led, 21-14, with 9:33 left in the third.
On Rochester's next possession, Davis' pick six doubled Hobart's lead.
Senior running back Steven Webb led the Hobart ground game with 95 yards on 19 carries. He scored on a 48-yard run in the fourth quarter, extending the Statesmen lead to 42-14. He now has 17 touchdowns on the year, two shy of the Hobart season record shared by Don Aleksiewicz (1971) and Bobby Dougherty (2012).
Kennedy tied the Rochester record for completions in a game by hitting 28-of-45 for 326 yards and two TDs. Hayes caught 10 passes for 156 yards. The other touchdown throw came midway through the fourth when Kennedy found linebacker Tony Ortega on the left side of the end zone.
The Statesmen will find out where their third consecutive NCAA Division III Football Championship appearance will begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17, when the 32-team tournament field is revealed in the selection show webcast on NCAA.com.