ONEONTA, N.Y.—The Hobart College football team dominated both sides of the ball during the second half of a 49-27 non-conference win at Hartwick College this afternoon. The Statesmen improve to 5-2 overall, while the Hawks fall to 3-4.
Hobart carried a 21-20 lead into halftime, despite being outgained 305-199. After the break, the Statesmen offense tacked on four touchdowns and the defense turned up the pressure. Hartwick managed just 138 yards after the in the second half and didn't score on its final four possessions.
The Hawks were 16-of-23 passing for 218 yards and two TDs in the first 30 minutes without giving up a sack or an interception. In the second half, the home team was just 13-of-23 passing for 112 yards and a touchdown. The Statesmen rang up a pair of sacks and two interceptions down the stretch.
Hobart senior quarterback Shane Sweeney finished the day 19-of-29 for 305 yards and four touchdowns. It's the ninth time in his career that he's thrown for 300 or more yards and the ninth time he's tossed four or more TDs. Senior wide receiver Brandon Shed caught four passes for a team-high 111 yards and a TD. It was his 14th 100-yard receiving game. Junior tight end Matthew Woods caught three passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Joe Letiziaran for 71 yards and two TDs on seven carries.
Senior linebacker Almamy Conde, junior free safety Kai Brandford, junior cornerback Sam Wheeler, sophomore linebacker Jayson Prince and sophomore linebacker Jedh Downey shared team-high honors with seven tackles apiece. Prince and sophomore linebacker David McCarthy each made a fourth quarter interception. Wheeler and senior cornerback Tom D'Antonio both logged three pass breakups. Senior defensive tackle Zackary Robak notched 1.5 sacks.
The Statesmen found themselves in a 10-0 hole late in the first quarter following a 22-yard touchdown pass from Billy Pine to Koree Reed and a 31-yard field goal by Brian McGovern. Hobart got on the board when Sweeney and Shed teamed up for a 63-yard touchdown with just under two minutes left in the opening frame.
Pine and Reed teamed up again for the first score of the second quarter, this time from 28-yards out, but Hobart countered with another long TD. This time, Letizia broke free for 54-yard TD run. McGovern added a 28-yard field goal less than five minutes before halftime, but Sweeney engineered a nine-play, 72-yard drive that ended with senior tight end Zach Withers scoring on a 33-yard reception with 13 seconds left in the half. First-year kicker Kyle Hackett made all three of his first half PATs to send Hobart into the locker room with a one-point lead.
Hobart got the ball to start the second half and went right to work. Woods caught a 35-yard pass on a third-and-nine play and sophomore wide receiver Jake Catalioto pulled in a 23-yard reception on a third-and-14 play later in the drive, setting up Letizia for a 1-yard plunge into the end zone and a 28-20 lead.
Hartwick kept it close with an eight-play, 45-yard answering drive that Pine finished off with an eight-yard pass to Reed. McGovern kicked the extra point to trim Hobart's lead to 28-27. Hobart kept its foot on the gas with another scoring drive, this one finished off on a five-yard Sweeney to Woods pass for a 35-27 lead that held up through the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, McCarthy's interception ended the Hawks' first possession and set the stage for a 10-yard Sweeney to Woods TD pass. On its ensuing possession, Hartwick drove to the Hobart 25, but faced a fourth-and-six play with about six minutes left. Trailing by 15 points, the Hawks elected to go for it, but Conde and Robak sacked Pine for a 10-yard loss.
Hobart effectively iced the game with a seven-play, 65-yard drive that junior running back Tynard Barfield capped with a seven-yard rush to the end zone. Hackett's seventh PAT of the game closed out the day's scoring and extended his consecutive PATs made streak to 31, the third longest streak in Hobart history and 10 shy of the record.
Pine threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Reed caught nine passes for 156 yards and three TDs, but just three catches for a mere 32 yards and a TD in the second half. Ronald Ballard was Hartwick's leading rusher with 61 yards on 16 carries. Mark Hackett had a team-high 11 tackles.
Hobart will remain on the road for its next game, returning to Liberty League play on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Union (6-1, 2-0). Kickoff at Frank Bailey Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Strong 2nd half carries Hobart to victory at Hartwick
/seasons/2017/boxscores/20171014_ro6d.xml
2017
Hobart
49
Hartwick
27
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart (5-2) | 7 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 49 |
| Hartwick (3-4) | 10 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
Oct 14, 2017