Dan Suozzi '05 broke the Hobart single game records for receptions (12) and receiving yards (239), while matching the touchdown receptions mark (3). Photo by k. colton/SPORTSPICS.net

October 18, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College football team rode junior wide receiver Dan Suozzi’s (New Hampton/New Canaan, Conn.) 12 catches for 239 yards and three touchdowns to a 28-20 win over Franklin & Marshall College this afternoon on Boswell field. In a game that wasn’t as close as the final score looked, the Statesmen scored 28 unanswered points, before the Diplomats scored on each of their final three possessions.

A record setting afternoon for Suozzi, his 12 catches broke Nico Karagosian’s (Class of ’97) single game mark of 11 set in 1994, his 239 yards surpassed the record of 201 set by Scott Geise ’83, and his three touchdown receptions tied the school’s single game record.

The Statesmen (3-2) amassed 488 yards of total offense, including 324 through the air, behind the stellar play of the offensive line.
Hobart got on board 64 seconds into the second quarter when sophomore running back Ty Godinho (Lancaster/Lancaster, N.Y.) closed out an 86-yard drive with a three-yard run into the end zone. Suozzi set up the score with a 77-yard grab that moved Hobart to the F&M 3.

With 1:59 left in the second quarter, senior quarterback Craig Swanson (Jamestown/Jamestown, N.Y.) connected with Suozzi for 50 yards and six points. Junior Eric Ampuja (Brockton/Brockton, Mass.) converted the extra point to give the Statesmen a 14-0 advantage at halftime.

After the break, the Statesmen running game started firing on all cylinders, as Godinho rushed for 148 of his career-high 174 yards in the second half.

Hobart’s second drive of the third quarter covered 75 yards in 10 plays, and was capped by a two-yard Swanson to a wide open Suozzi in the end zone. With the point after try successful, Ampuja broke the career record for points by a kicker—formerly held by Shawn Fazio ’81—with his 103rd career point.

Three plays later, sophomore defensive back Jamie Anderson (Canandaigua Academy/Canandaigua, N.Y.) recorded his fifth interception of the season on a diving catch at the Diplomats’ 44-yard line. Two plays after that Swanson hit Suozzi for 44 yards and a score, as Hobart took a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Swanson completed 20-of-34 for 324 yards, the fourth highest passing yard total of his career.

Through 11 possessions, Franklin & Marshall punted eight times, turned the ball over on downs, fumbled, and had an interception, but something clicked in the fourth quarter for the Diplomats’ offense.
F&M put together a 13-play 80-yard drive to start the fourth quarter, breaking into the scoring column with 11:36 remaining, when Doug Hiltner (Atlantic City/Margate, N.J.) hit Scott Stephen (Glen Rock/Glen Rock, N.J.) from 15 yards out for six points. The point after try sailed wide left leaving the Statesmen a 28-6 lead.

Recovering a Hobart fumble just over a minute later, the Diplomats drove 44 yards for another touchdown. This time Hiltner found Justin Salton (Watchung Hills/Gillette, N.J.) from five yards out.

Hiltner, who finished 20-of-39 for 191 yards, threw his final TD pass of the day with 2:10 remaining, hooking up with Joe McGuigan (Cinnaminson/Cinnaminson, N.J.) on a one-yard toss.

Salton led Franklin & Marshall with eight catches for 65 yards, while Matt Wagaman (Warwick/Lititz, Pa.) made seven catches for 78 yards.

Defensively, Diplomat senior Dan Nadler (Edgemont/Scarsdale, N.Y.) led all players with 12 tackles, including three sacks, while sophomore linebackers Jimmy Gradis (Elwood John Glenmore/Greenlawn, N.Y.) and Tony Clemente (Troy/Troy, N.Y.) paced the Statesmen with eight stops apiece.

Hobart will hit the road for its next game, visiting Alfred for a 1 p.m., kickoff on Oct. 25.