GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College football team scored the final 17 points, including a 28-yard
Kyle Hackett field goal as time expired to beat Rowan University 20-17 on Boswell Field at Urick Stadium this afternoon. The Statesmen improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2016, while the Profs slip to 0-3 for the first time since 1979.
Stymied by the size of Rowan's defensive front, Hobart all but abandoned the run and attacked the Profs through the air. Senior quarterback
Ryan Hofmann attempted a Statesmen record-tying 59 passes, completing 26 for 380 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver
Jake Catalioto had a game-high nine receptions for 89 yards. Junior wide receiver
Mike Giacobbe added seven catches for a game-high 112 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown catch that tied the game at 17 with 4:37 remaining.
Rowan did most of its damage on the ground, gaining 204 yards in the rushing game. Junior running back Messiah Devine led the way with 25 carries for 84 yards. Senior wide receiver Elijah Rehm added 43 yards on four carries, scoring on a 39-yard reverse play that saw him run nearly sideline to sideline, giving the Profs a 17-3 lead early in the third quarter.
Hobart's defense came up huge time and again. The Statesmen recorded nine tackles for loss to raise their season total to 29 and posted two more takeaways, senior
Andrew Koonz's first quarter interception and a critical fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. Junior cornerback
Jared Leake punched the ball out of Devine's hand and Koonz recovered the loose ball with 1:38 to go, setting the stage for the game-winning drive.
Senior linebacker
David McCarthy led the charge with a game-high 13 tackles (10 solo), including two for loss. Senior defensive end
Collin Hudgins added 11 stops, including a game-high 3.5 for loss.
After a scoreless first quarter, Rowan put up points on two of its first three possessions of the second quarter to build a 10-0 lead. The Profs opened the scoring on a 32-yard Jake Hurler field goal at the 8:47 mark. They were able to add to their lead thanks in part to a Hobart miscue on special teams. Lined up to punt, the snap sailed over the punter's head. Senior
John DelliSanti fell on the loose ball at the Hobart 7. Three plays later, sophomore quarterback Mike Husni completed a 3-yard toss to senior Mike Grosso for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
The Statesmen responded with an 11-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a 34-yard field goal by Hackett 17 seconds before halftime. Rowan took a 10-3 lead into the break.
Rehm's reverse made it a two-touchdown game early in the second half, but Hobart countered with a nine-play, 78-yard drive that featured three big pass plays. The first was a 30-yard pickup by senior tight end
AJ Perlino, converting on third and 18 from the Hobart 14. The second was a 26-yard gain by Catalioto that moved the Statesmen across midfield and then a 17-yard strike to Perlino for a touchdown to make it a 17-10 game with 6:26 left in the third quarter.
Hobart had a golden opportunity to tie the game on its next possession, but senior cornerback Kameron Kennedy intercepted Hofmann on the goal line. Kennedy finished the game with a team-high nine tackles.
Neither offense was able to move the ball especially well in the fourth quarter until Hobart caught a break late in the frame. On third and 10 from the Hobart 22, the Statesmen threw an incompletion, but Rowan was flagged for holding, giving Hobart new life. Catalioto caught a 21-yard pass to move the Statesmen across midfield and then Giacobbe followed with his TD. The throw to Giacobbe was to the inside as he streaked up the sideline. He adjusted his route, reaching over his defender to make the catch, then cut to the inside and outran everyone to the end zone.
After the teams trading punts on their ensuing possessions, Leake forced the fumble that put Hobart on the road to victory.
The Statesmen will play their final non-conference game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 28, hosting Montclair State (1-1) on Homecoming and Family Weekend. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
