Staff Report

Wittenberg was held to a season-low 135 yards of offense in a 35-10 loss to Hobart College in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs Saturday.

Wittenberg’s previous yardage low this season had been 254 yards in an Oct. 6 loss to Wabash. The offensive output was the lowest for the Tigers (10-2) since a 27-6 loss at Wooster in the 2008 season finale.

High winds, swirling snow showers and a wind chill in the low 20s hampered the Tigers (10-2), who a week earlier had thrown for 346 yards and five touchdowns in a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Heidelberg. Quarterback Reed Florence completed 13-of-28 passes for 109 yards, but just one covered more than 20 yards.

“There’s no doubt that there were a handful of plays that made the game a lot different than what it could have been,” Wittenberg coach Joe Fincham said. “We just didn’t make the plays when we needed them.”

The Statesmen contained Wittenberg’s passing attack primarily by bottling up Florence, who had scrambled to great effect a week earlier. He was sacked three times and intercepted once as the Tigers managed just 26 yards rushing. The Tigers were playing without freshman tailback Jimmy Dehnke, the North Coast Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year, due to injury.

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the seventh-ranked Statesmen (12-0) took control. Hobart piled up 286 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, but over the first 30 minutes the Statesmen had 74 yards, including a 30-yard scoring run by quarterback Nick Strang in the second quarter.

Hobart led 7-3 at halftime. Senior kicker Sean Williams accounted for Wittenberg’s only points in the first half, adding to his school record for career field goals. He finished his career with 36. He ended up with 235 career kicking points, five short of the school record.

Hobart went 14-3 with a touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter, scoring on a 1-yard run by Dominique Ellis.

Wittenberg answered with its best drive, marching 60 yards in six plays as junior tailback JaVanh Sanders scored from 3 yards out. A 33-yard pass from Florence to Brendon Cunningham set up the score.

The Tiger stopped Hobart on its next drive but fumbled the ensuing punt. After Josh Montgomery blocked a field goal, Florence fumbled and the Statesmen scored two plays later to take a 21-10 lead.

Wittenberg never got the momentum back as Hobart’s rushing attack took over. The Statesmen completed one pass in the second half, but they wore the Tigers down with scoring drives of 56 and 62 yards in the fourth quarter.

Steven Webb led Hobart with 130 rushing yards on 18 carries. Bobby Dougherty had 85 yards.

Hobart advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time. The Statesmen play St. Thomas (Minn.) on Dec. 1.

Wittenberg will lose some stalwarts to graduation, especially on defense, with linemen Jonathan Daniels, Cory Cosby and Justin Barlett and defensive backs Karlos Marshall and Jamaal Everett all moving on.

But the Tigers will likely be the preseason pick to win the North Coast Athletic Conference championship next season because they return Florence, Cunningham, Dehnke, second-leading receiver Desi Kirkman and fourth-fifths of the offensive line.