The St. John Fisher College football team took a tough 56-20 loss on Homecoming Weekend to the Hobart College Statesmen. The loss is Fisher's first of the season, dropping to 2-1 overall on the season.
Fisher had won 17 straight non-conference games against New York State colleges until today's loss. Today also marked the most points the Cardinals have given up since 1991 when they were shutout 71-0 by SUNY Cortland.
Hobart controlled the game from start to finish, holding the Cardinals to just 18 yards in the entire first quarter. The Statesmen's first drive went 79 yards on 13 plays and took over six minutes. Bobby Dougherty scored the touchdown on a 3-yard rush to put the Statesmen up 7-0.
With Fisher unable to move the ball downfield, Hobart scored once more in the opening period. Its next score came on a 54-yard pass from quarterback Nick Strang to Garth Muratori on just the fourth play of the drive.
The Statesmen possessed the ball going into the second quarter and just over one minute into the period they added another touchdown. This time Strang found Junior Woodard on a 12-yard reception to put Hobart up for good, 21-0.
The Cardinals started to come alive in the second quarter, holding Hobart on defense and starting to move the ball on offense. With 9:11 left in the first half, Fisher started a drive that lasted over two minutes, going 61-yards on six plays for a touchdown. Quarterback
Ryan Kramer connected with
Ryan Francis for a 35-yard reception and
Chad Monheim added the extra point.
However, that proved to be the only bright spot in the first half for the Cardinals as they could not swing the momentum. Hobart came methodically down the field for just under six minutes, scoring with just 40 second left in the half. It once again was Strang finding Muratori, this time for a 13-yard touchdown to put the Statesmen up 28-7 going into halftime.
At the start of the second half, Fisher tried to gain momentum again, holding Hobart to a three and out. The Cardinals then put together an 11-play drive that went 48 yards but ended with no points as Fisher elected to attempt a long 41-yard field goal that sailed wide left.
Hobart added two more touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 42-7. On Fisher's first play from scrimmage on the next drive,
Ryan Schmidt took a handoff 65-yards for the score.
Once again Hobart added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter before the Cardinals found pay dirt again. With the score at 56-14, quarterback
Ahmed Hassanien marched Fisher down the field 60-yards on 16 plays, converting two fourth down attempts, including the final play of the drive. Hassanien found
Ryan Sweet on a 6-yard connection for the final score of the game.
Strang finished the game 20-for-29 with five touchdowns, 266 yards and no interceptions. Muratori finished with eight catches, 145 yards and three touchdowns. Reggie Robinson led Hobart on defense, tying for a team-high six tackles and forcing a fumble.
Dave Vosburgh finished with a game-high 11 tackles for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals return to action and open conference play next weekend at 4 p.m. when they host the Alfred University Saxons.
