Sports
Hamilton falls to 2-2 after hot start
By Dave Meisel '13, Sports Staff Writer
October 20, 2011
This one’s not for you, Dennis Green. The Continentals are not who we thought they were.
Hamilton’s first two victories—a 24-16 defeat of Tufts on Sept. 24 and a 7-6 win against Wesleyan on Oct. 1—were inspiring because the two teams had defeated the Continentals by a combined 25 points last season. Hamilton forced turnovers, hung onto the ball, and was efficient in the passing game—all things it didn’t do last year.
Those were goals the team set out to accomplish during the preseason. With four picks on defense, three turnovers on offense and with Jordan Eck ’13 completing 77 percent of his passes, the Continentals would seemingly be on the right track.
Achieving these individual goals is great, but the Continentals haven’t been able to put it all together. The wheels have come off in the last two games, with a 35-0 Oct. 8 defeat at Trinity and a 20-7 loss at Bowdoin on Oct. 15.
“We need to improve in every aspect of the game,” said Coach Steve Stetson. “Having said that our biggest areas to improve upon are running the ball and scoring points.”
The Continentals snuck up on Tufts and Wesleyan with an unexpectedly strong passing game and stout defense. But their anemic running game has been an even bigger shock.
Hamilton’s running game was assumed to be a strength heading into the season, spearheaded by running back James Stanell ’14. Stanell averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season. With a solid offensive line, the Continentals were supposed to be able to run to set up the pass. The short, efficient passing attack would then move the ball downfield methodically; with the defense trying to stop the run, Kevin Petrick ’13, Ryan Cray ’12 and Garrett Hoy ’13 would be able to rack up big gains after the catch. The reality, though, is stark: Stanell’s averaging 3.4 yards per carry, the team is averaging 1.4 yards per carry, and the passing attack has been buried. Despite his high completion percentage, Eck’s yards-per-attempt average is just over six. Look no further than the loss to Bowdoin—he went 30 for 40 but for just 226 yards.
The lack of a running game is creating a vicious cycle for the Continentals. Without being able to run effectively, they can’t pass effectively. They can’t sustain long drives and are consistently losing the time of possession battle. They’re getting buried even further by their opponents’ offensive strategy.
The book on the Continentals’ defense tells teams to take advantage of an undersized front seven. No one could have expected the approach opponents are taking, though. Halfway through the season, teams have 869 yards against the Continentals. The number seems gaudy, but the most important number is 193—the number of rushing attempts by Hamilton’s opponents. That’s an unheard-of 48 attempts per game. Therein lies the Continentals’ biggest problem.
They’re allowing 4.1 yards per carry, which is traditionally acceptable. However, when teams run 50 times in a game, the battle in the trenches severely wears down the Continentals’ defense.
“Our defense played well enough for us to win [against] Bowdoin,” said Stetson, “our offense did not and has not since the Tufts game.”
Still, Hamilton’s approach won’t change. “We are going to alter little and make every effort to what we do better than what we have,” added Stetson. And they shouldn’t. Hamilton’s game plan is straightforward and strong and will work with execution, as Stetson stressed since the start of the season.