Hobart sophomore running back E.J. Taylor (Salon/Salon, Ohio) was named the Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week by the conference office this afternoon. He produced his third straight 100-yard rushing game while leading the Statesmen to a 37-7 win over Rochester in the regular season finale.
Additionally, the league office recognized senior linebacker Anthony Romano (Methuen/Methuen, Mass.) and first-year wide receiver Johnny Harding (McQuaid Jesuit/Rochester, N.Y.) with a spot on the weekly honor roll.
Taylor outrushed Rochester 158 yards to 125 yards on Saturday, scoring a career-high three touchdowns in Hobart’s eighth straight victory. He’s the only Liberty League running back to rush for three touchdowns in a game this season. Taylor scored on runs of 20, 9 and 1 yards. The three-TD game vaulted him into the Liberty League for total touchdowns with 11. Taylor went over the 1,000-yard mark on his final carry of the game, finishing the regular season with 1,002 yards. He’s the first Statesman 1,000-yard rusher since 2021.
Romano led the defense with a game-high 14 tackles, including one for loss, and a forced fumbled. The Statesmen did not allow Rochester’s offense to score and limited the Yellowjackets to just 160 yards in the game, including a mere 35 passing. UR’s only touchdown came on special teams. The Statesmen are tied for the national lead in scoring defense, yielding just 8.3 points per game.
Harding finished Saturday’s game with 50 more receiving yards than the entire Rochester team, turning five receptions into a game-high 85 yards. His first catch of the game was on Hobart’s second play from scrimmage and went for a 68-yard touchdown. Harding broke the Hobart record for receptions by a first-year in a season, raising his total to 41, four more than the previous mark. He also tied teammate Ahmad Crowell for the Liberty League in receiving touchdowns.
Hobart (9-1) won the Liberty League Championship with a 6-0 record and received the conference’s automatic bid to the 40-team NCAA Division III Football Championship. The Statesmen are one of 24 teams in the field with a first-round bye and will face Susquehanna (9-1) in the second round in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Hobart’s 11th NCAA playoff appearance is scheduled to kickoff at noon, on Saturday, Nov. 30.
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