On Saturday, Sept. 27, the coaches of the Hobart football team will sport the school colors with a patch of blue and lime green. Head Coach Mike Cragg and his assistants are once again banding together with football coaches across the nation to support the American Football Coaches Association's Coach to Cure MD program, wearing special patches on game day.
 
Prior to the 1 p.m. kickoff of the Statesmen's Homecoming game against Liberty League rival Merchant Marine, the Jorgensen family of Ithaca will join the teams' captains and the referee at midfield for the coin toss. Aaron Jorgensen, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, will be an honorary captain for Hobart.
 
The Coach to Cure MD program is now in its sixth season. It has raised more than $1 million for research projects supported by Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. focused entirely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
 
Football fans can donate to Duchenne muscular dystrophy research by going online at CoachtoCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999 (a $5 donation will automatically be added to your next phone bill).
 
The Statesmen are 3-0 and ranked 11th in the nation in both major Division III polls. The three-time defending Liberty League Champions are coming off a 43-13 victory at Curry last week. First-year Brandon Shed caught two touchdown passes against the Colonels for a team-high 103 yards and earned Liberty League and ECAC Northwest Rookie of the Week honors.
 
The Statesmen defense has been impressive in the first three weeks of the season. Hobart leads the league and is third in the nation in rushing defense (41.0 yds/g) and is third in the conference and 33rd in the nation in total defense (275.7 yds/g).
 
Merchant Marine is 2-1 following a 34-17 win over SUNY Maritime last week. The Mariners are fifth in the league in total offense (370.0 yds/g) and eighth in total defense (382.7 yds/g).
 
Hobart leads the all-time series between the two schools 10-4. Merchant Marine won the first four meetings between 1962 and 1970, but the Statesmen have triumphed in each of the past 10 seasons, including a pair of Homecoming wins over the Mariners (2011, 42-14 and 2012, 42-12).
 
The game will be broadcast live on WEOS-FM (89.5/90.3). Fans can also tract the action online with All-Access video and Live Stats.