The 2011 season was another banner campaign for the Hobart football team. The Statesmen went 7-1 in the regular season and captured their seventh Liberty League championship.

Hobart led the conference in 15 statistical categories, including scoring offense (33.6 ppg) and scoring defense (17.1 ppg). The Statesmen cruised through their first six games, hanging 56 points on St. John Fisher, which entered the game having allowed a combined 10 points in its first two contests. The following week, Hobart pitched a 23-0 shutout of defending Liberty League champion St. Lawrence. The Statesmen defense completely dominated the Saints, limiting them to just 84 yards of total offense.

The Statesmen's lone regular season stumble came against league rival Rensselaer. The Engineers were able to climb out of a 28-7 first-half hole to slip away with a 29-28 win.

Hobart rebounded with a 24-10 win in the annual Centennial Cup game against Rochester, wrapping up a share of the conference title. The Statesmen earned their sixth NCAA Playoff berth by virtue of a 42-24 win over co-champion Union.

An injury-depleted Hobart was sent to seventh-ranked Wesley in the first round. While most pundits dismissed the Statesmen, the student-athletes showed their grit and determination, pushing the Wolverines to the brink before falling a single TD short, 35-28.

Here's a position-by-position look at the Statesmen, who enter the season ranked 22nd in the D3football.com poll:

QUARTERBACK

The Statesmen possess two proven senior quarterbacks. It's returning starter Nick Strang's job to lose, but, with Strang injured, Kelly Olney performed with the skill of a seasoned veteran in the NCAA Playoff at Wesley.

Strang completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 1,483 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first full season as the starter, earning All-Liberty League honorable mention. He tossed five TD passes at St. John Fisher, tying Hobart's single game record for the second time in his career. Strang is elusive in the pocket (sacked just eight times in '11) and was third on the team in rushing yards (334).

Olney's only career start was against the seventh-ranked Wolverines, but he made it a memorable one. Olney threw for a Hobart postseason record 211 yards without an interception, leading the Statesmen to the brink of a major upset.

Sophomores Patrick Conlan and Kyle Bayly are waiting patiently in the wings should either falter.

RUNNING BACK

Hobart used a two-prong attack to average 196.1 rushing yards per game in 2011. Because it worked so well, senior Bobby Dougherty and junior Steven Webb will reprise their roles this year although the coaching staff is confident that either man could handle a larger role.

Webb ran to his second straight first team All-Liberty League selection after leading the team with 584 rushing yards (5.2 yds/rush) and seven touchdowns. Dougherty earned a spot on the conference second team with 458 rushing yards (4.7/rush) and seven TDs. The pair is also a threat in the passing game, combing for 22 receptions for 241 yards and a TD in 2011.

Sophomore Alex Delaney and first-years Conner Hartigan and Garrett Moon will give the Statesmen depth.

FULLBACK

Sophomore Dominique Ellis also played extensively in a platoon last season. As the only returnee from that platoon, expect him to shoulder more of the load this year. Ellis was Hobart's fourth leading rusher with 195 yards (5.2/rush) in 2011.

First-years Elliot Adler, Aaron Derby, and Christopher Holoman will compete for the second spot on the two-deep. Holoman has been the most impressive in the preseason with a strong blend of athleticism and blocking skill.

WIDE RECEIVER

The graduation of Garth Muratori (112 rec, 1,676 yds, 17 TD) will sting a bit, but the Statesmen have plenty of talented receivers waiting in the wings.

Senior Junior Woodard, who ranked in the top 10 in the league in receptions per game (8th, 3.38) and receiving yards per game (9th, 46.6), will lead the group. Senior Jay Cronze (career: 23 rec, 233 yds) and junior Yosh Karbowniczak (17 rec, 200 yds, TD) are the most experienced returnees looking to step into the open starting role.

Sophomore Elvin Souffrant (10 rec, 191 yds, TD), a potent deep threat, and classmate Troy Robinson (4 rec, 37 yds, TD) are also in the hunt for a starting role. Expect all five to be on the field in some of Hobart's spread sets.

Senior Paul Ashburn, sophomore Paul Fasano, and first-year Cooper Merrill are also competing for playing time.

TIGHT END

Hobart is very strong and deep at tight end, despite the graduation of last year's starter,  Greg Clifford. Senior Brent Matazinsky and sophomore Mike Berkowitz are expected to battle for the starting nod. Matazinsky is the better run blocker while Berkowitz is the better receiver.

Senior Andrew Zdrojewski and first-years Ryan Bennett and Josh Britton will also compete for playing time.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The biggest—both literally and figuratively—question on the offensive side of the ball is who will start up front. Hobart graduated five of its top six offensive linemen from last season, including All-Liberty League honorees Kelvin Cruz, Anthony Coletta, Brendan Hatlee, and Kyle Sandy.

Senior guard Art Garvey (6-3, 270) is the only returning starter from a unit that allowed a league-low nine sacks. He's pretty secure at left guard with his cousin, senior Tyler Garvey (6-2, 265), expected to back him up. Tyler is capable of earning a starting nod as well or he could fill a role like Jarrid Blades '11 did last season, rotating through at every position along the line.

Beyond left guard the questions begin.

Sophomore Ali Marpet (6-3, 280) has done his best to answer at least one of those questions. A strong spring coupled with an outstanding preseason have him penciled in at left tackle.

The rest of the starting o-line is still up in the air. Juniors Michael Green (6-1, 250) and Max Janoff (6-1, 300) are the leading contenders at center. Sophomore DeAndré Smith (6-3, 350) and first-year Brendan Casey (6-2, 275) are fighting for the nod at right guard and juniors Trevor Schutte (6-5, 285) and Alex Bush (6-3, 290) and first-year Emiliano Acosta (6-3, 270) have all shown promise at right tackle.

Additionally, sophomore Ben Dunham-Kapaldo (6-3, 290) and first-years Justin DiJiulio (6-4, 245) and T.J. Scamurra (6-0, 280) have made a case for a spot on the two-deep.

How quickly this unit finds its starting five and develops its chemistry will determine how much and how long the Statesmen will need to lean on their defense.

SECONDARY

Hobart's pass defense led the Liberty League during the regular season, allowing just 149.9 yards per game and only 11 passing TDs. The Statesmen limited five opponents to 120 yards passing or less, including a paltry 25 yards through the air by St. Lawrence.

The secondary will be without the services of four-time, unanimous, first team All-Liberty League pick, Drake Woodard '12. A once in a generation player, Woodard was an exceptional lock down corner that made the entire Hobart pass defense better.

That said, the cupboard is hardly bare. Junior safety Jolyon Davis, junior corner Connor Garrett, junior corner Kevin Hearon, and sophomore corner Fajri Jackson give the Statesmen a quality nucleus that will be, if not as exceptional as last season, certainly strong.

Garrett made 18 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception in 2011, starting opposite Woodard. Davis played in every game, starting four, a year ago. He made 17 tackles and two pass breakups.

Jackson has the lead on the starting nod at the other corner. He posted 25 tackles and a pass breakup last season.
In eight games, including a start, Hearon recorded 21 tackles, two pass breakups, and a pair of interceptions at Rochester. He will rotate in on a regular basis and will be on the field in nickle packages.

Additional depth at the cornerback position will come from sophomore Jordan Smith, who made great strides in spring practice and arrived in preseason camp in peak condition, and first-year Justin Burke.

At safety, sophomore James Smith is a smart player with the inside track on the backup job, but first-year Leif Colberg has impressed the coaches with his athleticism and will push for playing time.

LINEBACKERS

The Statesmen are deepest at linebacker. The coaching staff feels confident that they not only have a strong starting four and quality backups for those four, but that they are strong three deep at each position.

That depth will ease the sting of losing All-Liberty League inside 'backer Reggie Robinson and his 204 career tackles.

Senior captains Andrew Klindera and Nick Zapp will lead the unit as the starting inside linebackers. Now in his second season as a starter, Klindera is set to build on his break-through junior campaign that saw him finish second on the team with 51 tackles. As Robinson's backup, Zapp doesn't have as much experience, but his skill and teamwork have shown through in his work on special teams.

Junior Thomas Elder has displayed a nose for the ball in the preseason and could press Zapp for the starting job. Junior Cory Davis, sophomore Jacob Price, and first-year Treyvon Toney have all made a case for playing time and will challenge the coaches to get them on the field. Toney has been especially impressive, making his case largely on athleticism. As he gets more comfortable with Hobart's defensive scheme, he could challenge for a starting spot.

Junior outside linebacker Devin Worthington, the 2011 Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year, enjoyed another monster season, producing 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, an interception, and league-wide heartburn for offensive coordinators. Despite his success, which includes 2011 second team All-East honors from D3football.com and preseason All-America praise from the website this year, he has remained committed to improving his game, a scary prospect for opponents.

Sophomore Nolan Toran is expected to win the job at the other outside linebacker position. He started four of the six games he played in as a first-year but missed three games due to injury. If Toran can remain healthy, he has all-star potential.

Junior Austin DiMarco and first-year Jacob Stanley are battling for the right to back up Worthington. DiMarco had solid numbers last year, making 24 tackles and returning his first career interception 38 yards for a touchdown to seal the Statesmen's 23-0 win over St. Lawrence.

Junior Taylor Delperuto and sophomore Matt McGriff will challenge Toran for a spot in the starting lineup and will battle each other for a spot on the two deep. Delperuto had 19 tackles as a reserve last year while McGriff made three stops in limited playing time.

DEFENSIVE LINE

There's no denying Drake Woodard had the most impact on the opponent's passing game last year. A close second was Hobart's relentless pass rush.

Sophomore Tyre Coleman was nearly unblockable, posting 19 tackles for a loss and 13 sacks. Both numbers led the Liberty League, while his sack total was a record for a Hobart first-year and one off the Statesmen record for a season. Coleman ranked second in the nation in sacks per game and eighth in tackles for a loss per game.

Junior Juan Breton is expected to start opposite Coleman. A converted  linebacker, he's found a home at defensive end and is ready to make an impact.

Sophomore Jake Currie, first-year Charlie Ehlers, and first-year Mark Guarino-Hyde will fill out the two-deep.

At tackle, senior Nick Auriemma and sophomore Troy Johnson are the returning starters and two of the best tackles in the Liberty League. Auriemma (6-0, 275) does a great job of occupying multiple blockers, freeing up the linebackers to make the stop. Johnson (5-10, 260) enjoyed a solid rookie season and is poised for a breakthrough in 2012.

Junior Cory Einbeck and first-years Tucker Gumkowski and Lou Testani add depth to the middle of the line.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Due to injuries and fatigue, Hobart used three different punters last season, Karbowniczak (career 33.8 yds/p), Souffrant (33.3), and Webb (32.0). To keep their legs fresh, the Statesmen may return to that strategy. With a skill position player at punter rather than a pure kicker, the coaches enjoy the added flexibility to throw a fake punt at opponents.

Place kicking will be an adventure. Due to his academic load, Stephen Bruening (19-20 PAT, 3-8 FG) elected to forego his senior season leaving first-years Josh Neuss and James Hull to fight for the job. Hull has the lead coming out of camp.

Kick return duty will once again rest on the capable shoulders of Webb (career 30.1 yds/KOR) and Dougherty (20.0). Troy Robinson, Fasano, and Hartigan largely untested and are the likely backups.

Hobart has two experienced punt returners in Junior Woodard and Connor Garrett. Woodard average 9.9 yards per return in 2010, while Garrett averaged 8.8 last season. The job could also fall to Troy Robinson. The coaches are excited about his development and are looking for more ways to get him involved.

SCHEDULE

Liberty League
Preseason Coaches Poll

No	School (No. 1 votes)	Rec	Pts
1.	HOBART (7)	7-2	49
2.	Springfield (1)	6-4	40
3.	Union	6-4	36
4.	Rensselaer	4-5	31
5.	Rochester	4-5	25
6.	St. Lawrence	3-6	17
t7.	Merchant Marine	3-7	13
t7.	WPI	2-7	13

One of the biggest changes for Hobart this season is the schedule. In 2011, the Statesmen had just eight games on the slate and only three on Boswell Field at the Caird Center for Sports and Recreation.

This year, Hobart will play a full 10-game schedule and play six games on the Boz.

The Statesmen will play their first two contests at home, taking on Dickinson on Sept. 1 and Geneva College seven days later. The series with the Red Devils is even 10-10-1, while this will be the first meeting with the Golden Tornadoes.

Hobart will close out its non-conference schedule at Utica. The 7 p.m. kickoff is the Statesmen's only night game and the first meeting with the Pioneers.

Homecoming on Sept. 22 marks the start of Liberty League play. The Statesmen will welcome Merchant Marine to campus, looking to extend an eight-game winning streak against the Mariners.

Hobart heads to WPI on the final weekend of September with an unblemished 8-0 all-time mark against the Engineers.
The Statesmen will be home for its first meeting with the league's newest associate member, Springfield. The showdown with the Pride will be followed by a week off.

While every game is critical to a team's postseason hopes, Hobart's two-game stretch on Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 could be the most important in the Statesmen's quest for a seventh NCAA Playoff appearance. The Statesmen will visit Rensselaer looking to snap a two-game slide against the Engineers and then return home to face Union. The Dutchmen will have revenge on their mind after missing out on a trip to the NCAAs by virtue of a 41-24 loss to Hobart in Schenectady. RPI and Union are the only teams on this year's schedule with an all-time winning record against the Statesmen.

Hobart travels to St. Lawrence for its final road trip of the regular season. With a 23-0 whitewashing of the Saints a year ago, the Statesmen are 45-37-2 all-time against their North Country rivals.

The regular season concludes with the annual Centennial Cup game against Rochester. Hobart will enter the 105th showdown with the Yellowjackets with a 49-48-7 edge in the series.