SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—For the second week in a row, the Hobart College football team pitched a first half shutout, building a 13-0 lead at Springfield College this afternoon. However, unlike last week, when the Statesmen pulled away in the second half for a 30-point win over WPI, the Pride rallied with 35 unanswered points to for a 35-13 Liberty League win.
Hobart (4-2, 2-1) passed for 187 yards, but struggled to get its running game on track, managing just 24 yards on the ground. Springfield's option attack gained just 91 rushing yards in the first half, but broke out for 267 yards in the second half.
The teams traded fumbles early in the game, but the Pride's second fumble of the day proved costly. Sophomore cornerback
Tommy D'Antonio scooped up the loose ball and raced 72 yards for a touchdown with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Statesmen added to their lead with a pair of
Sean Kirshe field goals. The first from 21 yards came just over four minutes into the second quarter while the second was from 28 yards and came as time expired on the first half.
Hobart's second turnover also proved costly, as sophomore quarterback
Shane Sweeney was intercepted by senior cornerback Anthony West on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. Five plays and 41 yards later, junior halfback Billy DeLay scored on a 20-yard run to put the Pride on the board.
The Springfield defense forced the Statesmen to punt on their ensuing possession and the Pride offense put together a 15-play, 80-yard drive that ran 8:57 off the clock and ended with a fumble and a fortuitous bounce. On first and goal from the Hobart 7, DeLay took a pitch out to the right and headed for the end zone. Junior linebacker
Marcus Jemison poked the ball out of his hands at the 2 and the ball bounced into the end zone. Unfortunately for the Statesmen, Pride sophomore halfback Steve Comee got to the loose ball first for a touchdown. The extra point gave the home team a 14-13 lead with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Hobart moved across midfield, but Sweeney was sacked and fumbled on third and 7 from the Springfield 48. The Pride recovered, but Sweeney was injured on the play and did not return. He was 13-of-24 passing for 110 yards.
Springfield (4-2, 2-1) added to its lead on a 24-yard completion from sophomore quarterback Jake Eglintine to junior wide receiver Joe Festo, one of only two Pride completions on the day, to take a 21-13 lead.
Hobart responded with its deepest drive into Springfield territory of the second half. Sophomore quarterback
Thomas Sydeski was 5-of-9 on the drive, including a 10-yard completion to senior running back
Conner Hartigan on a fourth and 6 play, but the Statesmen's second fourth down try at the Springfield 38 was incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.
The Pride scored touchdowns on their next two possessions to put the game away and pick up their first win in four tries against Hobart. The loss was the Statesmen's first in conference play since Nov. 5, 2011. Hobart had won 24 straight conference games.
Sydeski was 7-of-15 passing in the fourth quarter for 77 yards. Junior
Jack Pfohl caught a game-high six passes for a game-high 66 yards. First-year
Tynard Barfield was Hobart's top rusher with 13 yards on five carries.
Eglintine ran for a game-high 123 yards, including a 51-yard score late in the game. Senior fullback Keith Rodman also eclipsed the century mark with 121 yards rushing and a TD.
Hobart senior linebacker
Trayvon Toney made a game-high 13 tackles. Jemison added 12 stops.
Springfield sophomore strong safety Christian Zotti had a team-high 11 tackles and forced and recovered a fumble. Senior linebacker Max Nacewicz chipped in eight tackles, including 2.5 for loss and a sack.
The Statesmen are off next Saturday and will return to Boswell Field on Saturday, Oct. 24, to host Rensselaer.
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