/seasons/2015/contrib/20151031vsu3jb

Hobart scary good on Halloween, tops Union 52-14

More news about: Hobart

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—The Hobart College football team scored on five of its first six possessions and produced a season-high 581 yards of offense in a 52-14 rout of Union College on Bailey Field this afternoon. It's the most yards produced by the Statesmen since gaining 648 on Oct. 9, 2010, a 41-35 double overtime win against the Dutchmen.
 
Sophomore Shane Sweeney completed 75 percent of his passes for a career-high 305 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. Classmate Brandon Shed was his top target, pulling in five passes for 179 yards (fourth on Hobart's single game list) including TD receptions that covered 81, 48, and 41 yards. Junior Jack Pfohl had a team-high six catches for 70 yards and a touchdown.
 
On the ground, senior Conner Hartigan ran for a game-high 95 yards on just 12 carries (7.9 yds/att) as the Statesmen notched a season-high 276 yards rushing.
 
The Hobart defense limited Union to 221 yards on the day, almost exclusively through the air. The Dutchmen managed just 14 yards rushing, a total hindered by three sacks.
 
The Statesmen (5-3, 3-2) opened the day's scoring with an 81-yard bomb from Sweeney to Shed on the team's second possession.
 
The Dutchmen (0-8, 0-5) answered the one-play drive with a 7-play, 68-yard march that ended with a 25-yard pass from Dante Cioffi to Jermaine Carn to tie the score.
 
Hobart countered with a seven-play, 89-yard drive that Sweeney capped off with a 48-yard pass to Shed for a 14-7 lead. On the next play from scrimmage, junior linebacker Michael Harper recorded his second interception of the season. Eight plays and 30 yards later, senior fullback Christopher Holoman bulled into the end zone from 1-yard out for a 21-7 lead before the end of the first quarter.
 
Junior Sean Kirshe booted a 37-yard field goal and junior Bradley Burns scored on a 2-yard dive in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 31-7.
 
Union returned to the end zone with 1.9 seconds left in the half, scoring on a 28-yard pass from Cioffi to Joe Vito for the home team's final points. Cioffi finished 19-of-39 for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Kyle Reynolds caught a game-high 10 passes for 77 yards.
 
In the second half, Hobart scored on its first three possessions en route to its most lopsided victory since beating WPI 61-8 on Sept. 29, 2012.
 
Junior defensive end Zach Thornton and sophomore cornerbacks Daryl Scales and Tommy D'Antonio led the Statesmen defense with four tackles apiece.
 
Union linebacker Jake LaRovera made a game-high 19 tackles.
 
Hobart dominated time of possession, holding onto the ball for 39:43. The Statesmen were 9-of-14 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down. Union was just 3-of-12 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down.
 
The Statesmen return home for the final time in 2015 to host Liberty League front-runner St. Lawrence on Saturday, Nov. 7. Kickoff at Boswell Field is scheduled for noon.

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
Maintenance in progress.