Statesmen Ranked in Top 10
18 July 2013 Statesmen Ranked in Top 10
The Hobart College football team will enter the 2013 season ranked seventh in the nation, according to the D3football.com preseason poll. Its the highest the Statesmen have ever been ranked in the websites preseason poll and matches Hobarts high-water mark in the poll in Week 11 last season.
Click here to view the rest of the top 25 on D3football.com The Statesmen are coming off the best season in school history. Hobart ran through its regular season slate with an unblemished 10-0 record, winning by an average of 24.1 points per game. The programs first undefeated regular season since 1957 included the Statesmens second straight Liberty League Championship.
In the NCAA Playoffs, Hobart outran the nations No. 1 rushing team, ODAC Champion Washington & Lee. The Statesmen piled up 284 yards and five touchdowns on the ground and limited the Generals to a season-low 188 yards rushing in a 38-20 win.
In the second round, Hobart posted nearly identical numbers, rushing for 286 yards and five touchdowns while holding No. 24 Wittenberg to a season-low 135 yards of total offense in a 35-10 win. The Statesmens season came to an end with a 47-7 loss at national runner-up St. Thomas (Minn.) in the quarterfinals. Hobart boasted a season record 12 wins against just a single loss.
The 2013 season will mark the 120th varsity season for Hobart football. The Statesmen will welcome back 13 starters (6 off./7 def.) and 35 lettermen.
The defense, which ranked fifth in the nation last season (241.0 yds/g), will be led by a pair of 2012 D3football.com All-Americans, first team defensive end Tyre Coleman (67 tkls, 30.5 TFL, 17.5 sacks, 4 FF) and second team linebacker Devin Worthington (52 tkls, 21.5 TFL, 10.0 sacks, 2 INT).
The offense, which paced the Liberty League in total offense last year (414.3 yds/g) will lean on a pair of D3football.com All-East picks, second team offensive lineman Ali Marpet and third team running back Steven Webb. The o-line returns three starters, including Marpet, after allowing the fewest sacks in the league (8) last year. Webb led the Liberty League in yards per carry (6.0, min. 10 carries/g), rushing (1,197 yds, 92.1/g) and all purpose yards (1,525, 117.3/g).
Hobart opens the season at Dickinson on Sept. 7. The Statesmen will play their home opener under the lights of Boswell Field, hosting Utica at 7 p.m. on Sept. 21.
D3football.com is the premier website for Division III football information. Hobart also earned a spot in the Sporting News preseason top 25 (No. 12) and Lindys Sports Annuals