By LeMont Joyner
As I stated last week, the Hofstra season is lost. This past defeat to the Richmond Spiders only made my assertion a clear reality to all Chronicle readers. Hofstra was blown out 34-14. The defense gave up 460 yards of total offense which included 302 from Richmond's ground game. On the other side of the ball, the Pride's offense was never able to get their running game going, but maybe that is because Coach Cohen felt forced to pass the ball being down 17-0 at the end of the 1st quarter.
As always in Hofstra's games, there are signs for optimism. Promising rookie quarterback Steve Probst completed 21 of 33 passes for 222 yards, and had one touchdown and one interception. Probst also showed his great mobility as he was the Pride's leading rusher with 13 carries for 40 yards, including a 14-yard scamper to pick up a crucial first down.
Sophomore wideout Aaron Weaver, the Pride's leading receiver, had a good game as well. His nine catches for 132 yards accounted for more than half of Probst's passing yardage, proving that he is the go-to guy in the offense. Weaver's maturity as a player has really shown throughout the year and hopefully he can take his game to the next level with hard work and dedication during his off-season training regime. Whoever Coach Cohen decides to start at quarterback next year, whether it is the experienced Corey Christopher or the raw, yet talented Steve Probst, Weaver will be an integral part of the passing game.
As for the defense, I have no idea what Coach Cohen must do to address their issues. Even though injuries have ravaged the unit, especially in the secondary, Cohen has always stated there are no excuses and that good teams find a way to win. "We can't make excuses," Pride coach Dave Cohen said, "We have to make more plays."
What started out as perhaps Hofstra's greatest strength is now maybe their weakest link. In the beginning weeks of the season, disregarding the game against Division I U CONN, the defense only gave up 45 points. But in the last two games alone, the defense has surrendered 79 points!
Clearly when healthy, the Pride's defense is good enough to win in the CAA. Cohen's main objective at this point should be to focus on his young players and make sure they do not lose confidence in their game.
Next year when everyone is healthy and most of the starters return to the field, the back-ups are again still one play away from seeing action.
So like this year, they must be ready at a moments notice since they are a valuable part of the team. Hopefully when the 09-10 season begins, Hofstra can find continuity throughout all three phases of the game.