The Hobart College football team will look to capture the Centennial Cup for the ninth straight season when the Statesmen and the University of Rochester wrap up the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff of the Liberty League contest is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. at Fauver Stadium.
 
The game will be the 112th all-time meeting between Hobart and Rochester, a rivalry that dates back to 1892. In 2007, a trophy was commissioned—the Centennial Cup—to celebrate the 100th contest in a series. The Statesmen have won eight straight and 11 of 12 Centennial Cup games.
 
Hobart improved to 56-48-7 all-time against the Yellowjackets with last season's 52-7 win in Geneva.
 
The Statesmen enter the game with a 7-2 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the Liberty League. Hobart is averaging 25.6 points per game, while its defense ranks second in the conference, allowing just 17.9 points per game.
 
Hobart is averaging 108.4 yards rushing and 218.1 yards passing. The ground game hit its stride over the past two weeks, averaging 210.5 yards in wins over St. Lawrence and Buffalo State. Senior running back Brian Haeffner is second in the league with 571 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
 
Senior quarterback Ryan Hofmann directs the passing attack, throwing for 1,754 yards and 17 touchdowns. He's tied for seventh on the program's single season list for TD passes. Senior wide receiver Jake Catalioto has a team-high 46 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. He had 53 receptions last season and needs four more to become just the second Statesman with two seasons of 50 or more catches. Dan Suozzi '05 is currently the only member of that exclusive club.
 
Hobart's defense is third in the league against the rush, the pass and in total defense. The Statesmen have three linebackers with 60 or more tackles, led by junior Emmett Forde's 68 stops. The South Boston, Mass., native also paces the team in tackles for loss with 18 (10th in the nation) and sacks with 5.0. Senior David McCarthy has 66 tackles and sophomore Bryan Aguilar has 64.
 
Hobart is 14th in the nation in turnovers gained, bosting 15 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. Senior free safety Andrew Koonz leads the ball-hawking crew with a league-leading five interceptions (12th in the nation).
 
Rochester is mired in a 16-game losing streak that dates back to September of last season. The Yellowjackets slipped to 0-9 overall, 0-5 in league play, with last week's 15-19 loss at St. Lawrence. UR is last in the league in total offense (282.4 yds/g) and sixth in total defense (414.9 yds/g).
 
The game will be broadcast live on WEOS-FM (89.5/90.3).