PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Visiting Hobart College emerged victorious in overtime, thwarting a big second-half comeback by the University of Rochester football team, winning 28-21 in a Liberty League showdown at Edwin Fauver Stadium on Saturday.
The matchup is played for the Centennial Cup trophy, celebrating over 100 all-time meetings in football between the two upstate New York schools.
With the win, Hobart improves to 3-5 overall and is 2-3 in the Liberty League, while Rochester drops to 5-3 on the season and also sits at 2-3 in conference games. Hobart continues its run in the all-time series, winning its 14th straight against the Yellowjackets.
The Statesmen rode the back of running back E.J. Taylor to jump out to an early lead in the first quarter, with the reigning Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year scampering for a remarkable 130 yards over the opening 15 minutes. That total included runs of 20, 30, and 50 yards, in addition to a 1-yard touchdown plunge to open the scoring.
Later in the opening quarter, Hobart quarterback Jeremy Weiss connected on a 2-yard touchdown pass with Johnny Harding to double the lead to 14-0. The Statesmen score was set up by a Blake Minsterman interception near midfeld.
Following a Kyle Brainard 57-yard punt that pinned the Statesmen down at the 1-yard line, the visitors added to their lead on a 7-play, 99-yard drive. After a 1-yard rush up the middle, Weiss hit Harding for a 24-yard completion to gain some breathing room. Two plays later, the pair connected again, this time for 59 yards to reach the Yellowjacket 12-yard line.
A Taylor rush put the ball at the six and following an incomplete pass, Weiss hit Luke Hescock for a 6-yard touchdown to make the score 21-0 Statesmen.
In the opening half, Hobart accumulated 249 yards of offense to just 60 for the host Yellowjackets.
Rochester's defense more than held its own in the second half and overtime, holding Hobart off the scoreboard while yielding only 146 total yards. The Yellowjackets meanwhile, benefitted from their fourth defensive score of the season, but also had a better second half offensively, accumulating 172 yards.
Back-to-back punts started the second half, giving the Statesmen the ball looking to increase its lead. After reaching Yellowjacket territory, Weiss was intercepted on a 4th-down conversion attempt by Braydon Felsinger, with the junior safety returning the ball back 60 yards to the Hobart 10-yard line.
Despite the red zone drive start, the Yellowjackets were stopped after just four plays, getting no points after running back Cole Raux was stopped by Trey Dillabough on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line.
Hobart's next play from scrimmage was an interception by Judah Thomas, but Weiss was roughed as he threw the pass, allowing the Hobart drive to continue. The late hit did force Weiss from the game with injury, forcing Tru Styles to take over as Hobart quarterback the rest of the game.
Following the penalty, and an additional unsportsmanlike conduct call, Taylor took a carry, but was stripped of the ball by Luke Herter. Felsinger scooped up the fumble and ended up scampering the remaining 26 yards to the house for a Rochester touchdown. Brainard's PAT attempt was good and the Yellowjackets were on the board, trailing 21-7.
Hobart's next drive was a 3-and-out possession, quickly giving Rochester the ball back with under a minute left in the third quarter.
That drive, the Yellowjacket offense clicked, particularly through the air, with Shawn Bellenger completing several big passes to lead to an eventual 1-yard touchdown run to further cut into the Hobart lead. The rookie QB connected for 10-plus yard gains passing to Aidan Papantonis twice and Jackson Kane, with Raux also adding a 12-yard rush on the drive. After Papantonis was stopped at the one, Bellenger finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown on a QB sneak.
Rochester's point after was missed, moving the score to 21-13, with still over 12 minutes remaining in regulation.
On Hobart's next possession, the Yellowjacket defense allowed just seven yards on three runs, forcing another punt from the Statesmen.
The Yellowjackets carried the momentum from the previous scoring drive to embark on its best possession of the game to eventually tie the score. Rochester benefitted from a key third down roughing the passer penalty and eventually went 76 yards in ten plays, with Raux plowing in from five yards to the end zone to pull the 'Jackets within two.
On the two-point try, Bellenger hit an open Papantonis in the flat for the score, moving the score to 21-all with under five minutes left on the clock.
The teams both stalled out possessions before Hobart's last-ditch effort in regulation ended with a Collin Golf missed field goal from 50 yards out.
Rochester won the coin toss in overtime, and selected to go on defense first. Hobart need just three plays to score, with Styles dropping a ball from 15 yards into the arms of Marcus Peterson for what would be the game-winning tally.
UR's overtime possession saw penalties on both teams happen on the first two plays. On a first-and-10 from the 15-yard line, Raux rushed inside the five with an 11-yard gain, setting up the Yellowjackets with four chances to punch in a tying touchdown.
Raux was stopped for no gain on first down before Bellenger just overshot a leaping Samuel Nuamah in the corner of the endzone.
The third down play was a rush by Raux to the two, before Rochester called its lone timeout to set up the eventual game-deciding play. On fourth down, Bellenger attempted a quick slant to Papantonis, but Jeron Atwater Jr. jumped the route and broke up the play, nearly intercepting the ball to clinch the victory for the Statesmen.
Overall in the contest, Hobart piled up 395 yards of offense, including 227 on the ground. Taylor led the Statesmen ground game with 196 total yards and a touchdown.
Rochester, meanwhile, finished with 232 yards of offense. Raux ended with 55 yards rushing and a touchdown, while both Papantonis and Kane finished with over 50 yards receiving, ending at 57 and 53 yards, respectively. Bellenger finished 14-for-28 passing for 128 yards, also chipping in a rushing score.
On defense, Felsinger was the start for the Yellowjackets, ending with a game-high 14 tackles, adding in the 26-yard fumble return TD and his 60-yard interception return. Herter ended up forcing two fumbles and added 12 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Rochester accumulated four sacks on the day, including two by Claudio Pinto who added ten total tackles.
The Yellowjackets remain home next Saturday, hosting conference-leading Union College at Fauver Stadium, starting at noon. Prior to the game, the Rochester senior class will be honored on Senior Day.