The Yellowjacket football team fell short of victory at the hands of the Hobart College Statesmen in their final game of the season last Saturday. The 10-7 loss dropped UR’s overall record to 3-7.
Due to the muddy conditions, both teams had difficulty holding onto the ball the ‘Jackets turned the ball over a total of four times while the Statesmen had a total of five turnovers. As a result of high turnover rates, neither team was able to produce on offense. UR gained a total of 199 yards, while Hobart totaled 143.
The ‘Jackets had the first possession of the game but were unable to move the ball. After exchanging punts with Hobart, UR once again regained possession with 11:31 to play in the first quarter. Sophomore quarterback Patrick Keegan engineered a 13-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off by a 4-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Zach Ingoldsby. The extra point attempt was successful, giving the ‘Jackets a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, a Keegan pass attempt was intercepted by a Hobart defender and was returned all the way to the UR 9-yard line. In three plays, Hobart was able to move the ball down to the UR 2-yard line, leaving it with a fourth and goal situation.
Rather than taking the field goal, the Hobart coach decided to go for the touchdown. Senior defensive lineman Tim Berwind came up with a huge tackle on the play to stop Hobart’s offense and prevent them from scoring.
‘It was my last game that I’m ever going to play,” Berwind said. ‘There is no way that I wasn’t going to leave everything I had out on the field to come up with a big stop.”
Berwind had one of his best games of the season in addition to coming up with the stop, he also recovered a fumble in the second quarter.
The rest of the first half was a defensive struggle for both teams, as neither of them were able to score, allowing for UR to take a 7-0 lead into halftime.
With 8:53 to go in the third quarter, Hobart got possession of the ball on the UR 28-yard line following a long punt return. On fourth and three, a questionable pass-interference call against sophomore defensive back Matt Francis gave Hobart first and goal at the UR 7-yard line. The Statesmen eventually scored a touchdown, tying the game at seven. For the rest of the game UR’s offense was unable to move the ball and put any points on the board.
As time wound down in the fourth quarter, Hobart drove down to UR’s 2-yard line and lined up to attempt a game-winning field goal. With 1:07 left to play, head coach Scott Greene called a timeout in an attempt to ice the kicker, but the Hobart player remained cool under the pressure and was able to kick the game-winning field goal. The 10-7 loss to Hobart concluded the ‘Jackets’ season.
Senior outside linebacker Jake Vanwhy had a solid game, forcing a fumble, breaking up a pass and making four tackles.
The loss dropped UR’s record to 3-4 in the Liberty League and a fifth-place finish in the conference.
Horowitz is a member of the class of 2009.
