GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College football team scored early and often on the way to a 62-24 victory over Morrisville State College this afternoon. First-year Head Coach Kevin DeWall's first Hobart win was a record-setting day for junior quarterback Ryan Hofmann and sophomore kicker Kyle Hackett.
Hofmann completed 14-of-20 passes for a career-high 239 yards to go with his six TDs. He matched the record set by Shane Sweeney '18 on Nov. 14, 2015 at Rochester. Hofmann also broke the game record for quarterback rating, finishing the day with a 269.4 QBR, 0.3 better than Sweeney's mark set at Union in 2015.
Hackett made all seven of his point after kicks and added field goals from 23 and 39 yards for 13 points, eclipsing the mark of 12 he shared with Eric Ampuja (at Rensselaer in 2004) and Kevin Olson (vs. Rensselaer in 2005). Hackett also moved from tied for ninth to tied for sixth on Hobart's career field goals made list. He's 12-for-12 in his career, seven shy of the record.
Junior wide receiver Jake Catalioto was Hofmann's top target, pulling in five passes for 84 yards and three touchdowns, one shy of Hobart's game record. Classmate Ray Conley caught two passes, both first quarter touchdowns, covering 40 yards. First-year De' John King took his one reception 27 yards for his first collegiate TD.
The 62 points scored are the program's modern record, surpassing the previous standard of 61 originally established in 1953 against Kenyon (W 61-0) and matched in 2012 at WPI (W 61-8). The program's all-time record was set in a 70-0 win over the Geneva Athletic Club in 1896.
Hobart's defense played well, especially in the first quarter as the Statesmen raced out to a 28-0 lead. The Mustangs managed just 10 yards of offense in the opening 15 minutes. Morrisville State trailed 38-7 at halftime and 52-10 through three quarters. The Statesmen produced six takeaways on the day, recovering four fumbles and making a pair of interceptions. Junior David McCarthy and sophomore Emmett Forde each had seven tackles to lead Hobart. McCarthy recovered a fumble and Forde had one of Hobart's two sacks.
Hobart (1-1) scored touchdowns on its first four possessions and recorded points on eight of its first 10 possessions.
After the Mustangs (1-1) punted on the game's opening drive, Hobart countered with an eight-play, 37-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard pass from Hofmann to Catalioto. Morrisville fumbled the ensuing kickoff and sophomore Collin Urie recovered for Hobart at the Mustangs' 32. Hofmann connected with Conley on the very next snap for a 32-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter.
Morrisville turned the ball over a second time on a fumble that McCarthy recovered at the Mustang 35. Three player later, Hofmann hit Catalioto for a 14-yard touchdown.
A third straight Morrisville possession ended in a turnover when junior Andrew Koonz intercepted Brandon Gwinner and returned it 25 yards to the Mustang 6. Hofmann threw his fourth TD to Conley, an 8-yard play, to make it 28-0 with 2:47 left in the opening frame.
Morrisville got on the board with the first drive of the second quarter. Darrel West scored on a 1-yard dive, capping a seven-play, 48-yard drive. Hobart countered with a 23-yard Hackett field goal and a 49-yard TD pass from Hofmann to Catalioto for a 38-7 lead at the half.
The Statesmen stretched their lead to 52-7 on a 1-yard TD run by first-year Dante Kimbrough and King's 27-yard TD reception on their first two drives of the second half.
The Mustangs scored on three straight possessions spanning the third and fourth quarters to make it a 52-24 game early in the final frame. Hackett matched his career long with a 39-yard field goal and first-year quarterback David Krewson scored on a 1-yard run to cap the day's scoring.
For Morrisville, Gwinner was 10-of-22 passing for 104 yards. He was intercepted twice. West finished with a game-high 67 yards rushing on 12 carries. Toure Hall, Jr., caught a team-high three passes for 36 yards. Shamari Griffin had a game-high eight tackles, including two for loss, and forced a fumble.
Hobart will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 15, when the Statesmen travel to Winchester, Va., to take on Shenandoah. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.