Utica's success in NCAA Division III Football can be traced back to the legendary 1970 Utica Football Team, a squad that reached incredible heights in just its fifth year of existence. Club football at Utica was established in 1966 but did not see much success in its first few years, posting a 5-18-1 record over its first four campaigns. However, 1970 broke the mold and brought the College national recognition, thanks to the superb efforts of a "grid" program led by head coach Rich Joseph and captains Tony Joseph, Ken Circelli, and Bob Garrett. In 1970, the "Utes" rebounded from a week one loss to a Tom Couglin-led RIT squad, prompting the future Hall of Fame coach to note the Pioneers as one of his most notable opponents. Following that loss, the Pioneers would reel off five straight wins to finish the season with a stellar 5-1 record, completely shattering nearly all program records in the process. It all began with a week two upset victory over a St. Lawrence team that had beaten the Pioneers 66-0 just two years prior. In that matchup, Bill Wood would launch a 35-yard field goal in the closing seconds to seal a momentous win, which sparked the team throughout the rest of the season. Heading into their final matchup, the Pioneers would find themselves ranked 15th out of 63 nationally ranked football clubs, while also seeing a few players gain national recognition, including Stan Enoch and Bob Garrett. Enoch, a freshman at the time, gave opposing defenses nightmares all year long, as he scored seven touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards a game and 5.7 yards per carry en route to being named the team's MVP. Additionally, Enoch ranked sixth in the entire country for yards per game and eighth in the country for total points. On defense, Garrett proved to be a ballhawk, intercepting four passes in the Pioneers' week three victory over St. Michael's. This saw the captain reach the national rankings for total interceptions. This particular season is special not only for its wins but also for how it shifted the perception of gridiron football at Utica College. Prior to this season, the program had little backing and seemed a long way from becoming a varsity program. However, following the magical 5-1 campaign, the school eventually supported varsity football at Utica College, leading to the formation of the Pioneer football program as we know it today. These 36 men and their coaches were true Pioneers, paving the way for all the players, wins, and recognition that would arrive after their 1970 campaign.
Â
Here is the full schedule from that season:
At Rochester Institute of Technology - L, 21-6
Vs St. Lawrence - W, 19-16
At St. Michael's (VT) - W, 29-12
At Cortland State -
Canceled due to poor field conditions
Vs Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - W, 27-9
Vs Plattsburgh State - W, 14-7
At Union College (NY) - W, 20-13
Â
The members of the team included:
Head Coach: Rich Joseph
Assistant Coaches: George Abdoo, Pete Pace
Captains: Tony Joseph, Ken Circelli, Bob Garrett
Team Manager: Dave Nobles
Statistician: Joe Bottini
Filmer: Bob Joseph
Players: Steve Alcala, Ronnie Barr, Dave Briggs, Joe Calabrese, Pete Caruso, Pete Cataldo, Jerry Cousins, Mark DeCotis, Pat Devaney, John DeLuca, Stan Enoch, Curt Enoch, Santo Falbo, Steve Greenberg, Bart Guglielmetti, Glenn Guzzetti, Pat Helbach, Arnie Hook, Walt Iwanyszyn,
Bob Jones, Carl Klossner, Tom Luley, Jock Macdonald, Larry Maley, Barry Morgan, Kerk Moore, Herman Prince, Jim Ritzel, John Scott, Howard Smith, Tom Spellman, George Talbot, Ed Wallace, and William Wood
Â
The players who helped pave the way for the 1970 team include athletes from 1966-1970, including Larry Custodero, Jim Carroll, Robert Donnelly, Gene Harris, Al Slocum, John Booth, Edward Parker, Mark Gellasch, Peter Glass, Mark Stein, Greg Donahue, Tony Tripodi, Jim Shaut, Wayne Korowitz, Fran Leone, Jerry Loftis, Walt Seminiak, Keith Haller, Don Denato, Bill Meola, Ed O'Toole, Charles Dru Eckert, Gary Rosato, Scott Healy, Michael Freeman, Ron Wargo, Bob Scott, Butch Custodero, Andy Guzzetti, and Onofrio Puleo.
