Football Drops 27-26 Decision at Hobart

Sept. 15 - (GENEVA, N.Y.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team, ranked 22nd, traveled to Geneva, N.Y. Saturday, September 15, and fell by the score of 27-26 to Hobart College at Boswell Field. The loss ends the Tartans 12 game regular season winning streak and moved their record to 2-1. Hobart evens their record at 1-1.

Carnegie Mellon struck first at the 4:07 mark in the first quarter on a three-yard run by senior fullback Travis Sivek (Traverse City, Mich./St. Francis). The Tartans took over at Hobart’s 30 after a 17-yard punt by the Statesmen Dominick Ancona. Six plays later, Sivek found the end zone for his fourth score of the season.

Sivek added his second score of the afternoon and fifth of the season from one-yard out with 5:35 to play in the half. The Tartans drove 71 yards on 12 plays to take a 13-0 lead after a missed extra point.

Hobart wasted little time answering Sivek’s touchdown, as they drove 70 yards on six plays on the ensuing possession that was capped off by a seven-yard touchdown strike from senior Andrew Strom to senior wide out James Wright. Wright’s reception pulled the Statesmen within six, 13-7, with 3:12 to play in the half. After the Statesmen held the Tartans, they got the ball back with 45 seconds on the clock in the half. Hobart’s two-minute offense was able to set-up a 40-yard field goal attempt by Ancona. The senior place kicker drilled the uprights with no time showing on the clock cutting the Tartans lead to 13-10.

The Purple and Orange continued the scoring into the second half, as they knotted the score at 13-13 late in the third quarter on a 29-yard field goal by Ancona. On the scoring drive, Hobart elected to go for it on fourth and inches from their own 40-yard line and a two-yard run by senior tailback Don Gilardi kept the Statesmen drive going.

Like Hobart in the first half, the Cardinal and Gray wasted little time answering the Statesmen score. It took Carnegie Mellon 2:09 on six plays to take a 20-13 advantage with 14:27 left in regulation. Senior running back Robert Gimson (Palm Beach Gardens., Fla./The Benjamin School) took it in from 14 yards out. On the drive, Gimson carried the ball three times, while accounting for 33 or the Tartans' 55 yards.

The tandem of Strom and Wright connected again for another Hobart score, this time coming from 13 yards out with 10:59 to play in the fourth making the score 20-20. After a three and out for the Tartans, Hobart put together an 11-play 73-yard drive spanning over 4:47. The drive ended with a 20-yard touchdown strike from Strom to junior wide out Ryan Lidrazzah giving the Statesmen a 27-20 lead with 4:47 remaining.

After Lidrazzah’s score, the Tartans marched 63 yards on 11 plays scoring on a one-yard run by Sivek with 1:32 to play. Carnegie Mellon then decided to go for the win lining up for a two-point conversion. Junior quarterback Doug Facemyer (Eastlake, Ohio Eastlake North) rolled out to his right and found senior running back Colby Whitman (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney) in the front corner of the end zone, but Whitman was unable to hold on, as Hobart held the 27-26 lead.

The Tartans out gained the Statesmen 308-134 on the ground, but Hobart held the edge in total offense 381-329. Leading the Tartans running attack was Gimson with 170 yards on 26 carries and one score. Sivek finished with 105 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. Senior corner Jon Scholl (Coraopolis, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) headed the defense recording a career-high 20 tackles, 11 solo. Sophomore Stanley Onyimba (Columbia, Md./Altholto) added nine tackles including two for a loss totaling negative 11 yards.

For Hobart, Strom finished 22 of 40 for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Wright caught eight balls for 99 yards and two of Strom’s scores. Defensively, the Statesmen were lead by junior linebacker Justin Hager with 19 stops.

The Tartans will return to Gesling Stadium, Saturday, September 22, as they host Allegheny College for a 7:00 p.m. kick.