UTICA, NY – The Utica College football team was held to 131 yards of total offense in a 24-0 loss to host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Saturday at '86 field.
The Pioneers dropped their second consecutive game and are now 1-2 on the year, while the Engineers remain undefeated at 2-0. UC has not been shut out by RPI since their first meeting in 2002, when RPI defeated UC 47-0. RPI leads the all-time series 5-1. UC defeated the Engineers 9-7 in 2004.
Utica was held to 31 yards on the ground and 100 yards in the air. Junior quarterback Greg Pinelli (Bristol/Bristol, PA) was 18-for-30 with 100 yards and on interception, while freshman fullback Brendon Ring (St. Francis/Eden) led all UC rushers with 13 yards on seven carries.
UC's defense played extremely well once again but the lack of offensive firepower prevented UC from making a late charge. Senior linebacker Corey Jure (Sheepshead Bay/Brooklyn) made a game-high ten stops, while sophomore Eric Kahl (Spencer-Van Etten/ Lockwood) and freshman Terrell Cunningham (Marshall/Rochester) each tallied seven tackles.
Junior quarterback Jimmy Robertson led the way for the Engineers completing 21-of-36 passes for 304 yards, becoming the third player in school history to throw for 5,000 yards. Robertson threw two touchdowns in RPI's first two possessions and the Engineers jumped out to a 14-0 lead with 38 seconds left in the first quarter. Mike Fil caught the first touchdown pass, while Brendan McGowan capped a four play sixty yard drive with a 44-yard touchdown catch.
The Pioneers defense held its ground until the fourth quarter when RPI kicker Nick Lalumia knocked home a 32-yard field goal with 12:08 left in the contest. Bob Munier capped the scoring on the day when he scampered for a 15-yard touchdown run with 6:44 left in the game.
Other highlights for the Pioneers included punter
Ben Atwood (Vernon Verona Sherrill/Verona), who averaged 37.3 yards on seven punts, including a 43 yard punt. Wide receiver Jim Pincher (Christian Brothers Academy/Albany) snagged four balls for 20 yards, while senior captain James Proniewych (Patchogue Medford/Medford) caught three passes for a team-high 39 yards receiving.
The Pioneers have a bye week next Saturday and return to action against nationally-ranked No. 9 Springfield College on September 29, 2007. The date marks Homecoming Weekend for UC. The game can be heard live on the Sports Stars Radio Network (1230, 1350, 1480, 1550 AM) or streaming live on the web at: www.ucpioneers.com. Empire 8 Conference rival Springfield College lost to host Montclair State 33-30 on Saturday.
(New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) #
