GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart football team capped a perfect run through the Liberty League with a 37-7 win over Rochester on Boswell Field this afternoon. The Statesmen rushed for a season-high 232 yards and did not allow the Yellowjackets' offense to score to clinch the Liberty League Championship outright.
Senior linebackers
Anthony Romano and
Jaimen Bliss led the Hobart defense. Romano posted a game-high 14 tackles, while Bliss added 12 stops, including a game-high 3.5 for loss. The Statesmen forced four turnovers, recovering two fumbles and making two interceptions. First-year
Corey Rock made his team-leading fourth interception of the season to kill a promising UR drive and first-year
Jay Brunson Jr. scored the final touchdown of the game on a 32-yard pick six, his first collegiate pick.
Sophomore running back
E.J. Taylor rushed for 159 yards and three touchdowns to lead Hobart's ground game. Senior quarterback
Johnny Colombi threw for 176 yards and a touchdown. First-year wide receiver
Johnny Harding was his top target, pulling in five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.
FOR THE RECORD
- Hobart won its eighth straight game to improve to 9-1 overall, 6-0 in the Liberty League.
- Rochester lost its third straight to end the regular season 6-4, 2-4 in the league.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Yellowjackets got the ball first, but lost 2 yards with their first three plays and punted.
- On Hobart's second play from scrimmage, Colombi connected with Harding for a 68-yard touchdown on a fly route.
- Taylor added to the lead with a 20-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter and scored on a 9-yard run midway through the second quarter to help send Hobart into the break with a 20-0 lead.
- Senior kicker Tobias Wefering accounted for the only points of the third quarter, making a 20-yard field goal, his Hobart record 15th of the season.
- Taylor scored on a 1-yard plunge five minutes into the fourth quarter. Wefering's extra point gave the home team a 3-0 advantage.
- On the ensuing kickoff, Rochester produced its only points of the game when Trey Johnson broke free for a 97-yard return for a touchdown.
GAME NOTES
- Hobart went undefeated in Liberty League play for the first time since 2014.
- Taylor went over 100 yards rushing for the third straight game and fourth time this season. He was 1 yard shy of his career high for rushing yards.
- Taylor took over the team lead in touchdowns with nine on the year. He leads the conference in rushing yards and total touchdowns (11; 10 rush, 1 rec).
- With the last of his 22 carries in the game, he picked up 3 yards to raise his season rushing yards total to 1,002. He's the first Statesman with a 1,000-yard season since Tim Denham Jr. in 2021.
- Harding has 41 receptions this season, the most by a first-year in Hobart history. The previous record was 37. He also has at least one catch in every game.
- Harding and Ahmad Crowell are tied for the Liberty League lead with eight receiving touchdowns this season.
- With seven points today (4 PATs, FG), Wefering remains the Liberty League's leading scorer with 72 points.
- Junior punter Vicente Lyon punted four times for a 50.5-yard average, landing three of his kicks inside the Rochester 20. He leads the league in punting average (43.6).
SELECTION SUNDAY
- The 40-team NCAA Division III Football Championship bracket will be announced at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. The show will be streamed on NCAA.com.
- Hobart will be making its 11th NCAA playoff appearance and first since 2016.
