The Utica College football team (5-3, 0-3 Empire 8) closes out its three game road trip in Oneonta, NY as the Pioneers look for their first conference win against Hartwick College Saturday. After opening the season with a program best four straight wins, UC has fallen on hard times as of late and hope to rebound from a two game losing streak this weekend. The Hawks are currently 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Empire 8 Conference. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Wright Stadium, located on Oyaron Hill.
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The Season:
The Pioneers are nationally-ranked in the top 20 in red zone efficiency (14), passing offense (17), and passing efficiency (19). UC dropped to 42nd in the nation in scoring offense (35 ppg) after posting only 22 points over the course of the last two weeks. Utica is currently ranked 38th nationally in total offense averaging 422.88 yards per game. Sophomore quarterback
Andrew Benkwitt (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) heads into Saturday's game ranked 19th in the country with 2,173 yards, 19 TD's and only five interceptions. His completion percentage is 65.40 and he averages 271.63 yards per game, good enough for 17th in the nation.
The Series:
Utica is 2-7 all-time against Hartwick College and has been outscored 314-209 in the series. The Pioneers last beat the Hawks, 42-40, back on Nov. 12, 2005 paving the way for the program's best finish since its' inception. UC finished 6-4 that year with a 3-3 record in the conference. Utica beat Hartwick two years in a row, back in 2004 and 2005, by a total of six points and hasn't won since, losing the last four meetings.
Scouting the Opponent:
The Hartwick Hawks are currently ranked 25 nationally in passing offense, right behind UC. They average 276.14 yards a contest. However, their rushing game is only averaging 83.43 yards per game and is ranked 211 in Division III. Hartwick is led by junior wide receiver Jordan Wilkins. Wilkins is ranked eighth in the nation, with 841 yards, 10 TD's, 43 receptions, and a 120 yard per game average.
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