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BROADCAST INFO: Saturday's game will begin at 1 p.m. and it is a part of the College's homecoming weekend … All Utica College games will be broadcast on the radio at WTLB 1310 AM … Links for live stats for Saturday's contest will be available at www.ucpioneers.com … Live streaming video can be accessed online at empire8.tv and fans can now watch live video on their Iphone, Android or Blackberry devices at m.empire8.tv … Live streaming audio can also be accessed on WTLB's new website, www.espnur.com … All of UC's home games will also be broadcast on WPNR 90.7 FM.

UC AND 'WICK BUILDING QUITE A RIVALRY: Since 2001, UC and Hartwick have played each other once a year … Hartwick currently leads the all-time series with a commanding 8-2 advantage …  However, six games in the series have been decided by ten points or less …  Utica won by two points in 2005 and Hartwick won by two points in the epic 72-70 quadruple overtime thriller in 2007 … The combined total of 142 points still stands strong as the highest scoring game in the history of NCAA Division III football …  Hartwick has won five straight games against Utica, but the last four meetings have been extremely close, including a 24-21 victory for the Hawks last season.

UC LIKES TO IMPRESS ON HOMECOMING: The Pioneers' have won their last two homecoming games … UC defeated Wilkes 24-10 on alumni weekend last year and in 2009 the Pioneers' downed visiting Castleton 62-10 … Historically the Pioneers' have played very well on homecoming, including two program-defining wins over Springfield, 34-33, in 2005 and RPI, 9-7, in 2004 … Utica is 4-3 over the course of its last seven homecoming match-ups.

LAST TIME AGAINST HARTWICK: The Utica College football team opened a 21-14 lead in the third quarter but host Hartwick answered with the game's final ten points to earn a 24-21 victory in Empire 8 Conference play on Nov. 6, 2010 … Acevedo caught a game-high ten balls for 94 yards and he also rushed the ball three times for 12 yards and one touchdown in the loss … Benkwitt completed 31 passes for 293 yards. 

UC UNDER A MICROSCOPE: Utica is currently averaging 36.6 points per game to go along with an average of 430.6 yards of total offense per contest … The Pioneers' are averaging 146.8 rushing yards per game and 283.8 passing yards per contest … The Utica pass defense has put forth a great effort so far this season, allowing just 178.6 yards passing per game … As a team, the Pioneers have posted seven sacks to go along with three interceptions. 

MR. CONSISTENCY: Junior quarterback Andrew Benkwitt (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) leads the Pioneers' offensive unit with 1,344 yards passing this season … He has thrown 14 touchdowns and boasts a completion percentage of 66.1 (111-of-168) … Benkwitt has started every game of his career and Saturday will mark his 26th consecutive start … He is currently on pace to break his own single-season records for yards passing and touchdowns and over the course of the last six years he has totaled 6,323 passing yards. 

RUNNING BACKS MAKING A STATEMENT: Junior Jake Larson (Bemus Point, NY/Maple Grove) and sophomore Jesse Baldassare (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai) each posted career-highs last week en route to helping the Pioneers' compile 263 yards rushing on the ground … Larson has rushed for 100+ yards in two consecutive contests, including a career-best 173 yard effort against RPI on Saturday … Baldassare rushed for a career-high 92 yards and added two touchdowns … Baldassare more than doubled his season-total heading into the contest … Larson has 430 yards total through five games to go along with five touchdowns. 

A CORNERBACKS WORST NIGHTMARE: Sophomore wide receiver Anthony Acevedo (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) has registered 100+ yards receiving in each of the last three games and he leads UC with 32 catches for 517 yards … In 12 career games he has totaled 75 catches for 1,192 yards and nine touchdowns (seven receiving, two rushing) ... Acevedo is not just catching passes, he is also returning kicks at a record-breaking pace … Two weeks ago against Salisbury he broke the school-record for all-purpose yards in a single game with 334 (175 return, 146 receiving, 46 passing, 13 rushing).

MANOLESCU IS TOUGH TO GET BY: Junior safety Luke Manolescu (New York Mills, NY/Notre Dame) has posted nine or more tackles in each of his last four games, including double-digit performances in the last three contests … He currently leads the team with 45 tackles this year to go along with a team-high three pass break-ups. 

HERBERGER SACKFEST CONTINUES: Junior defensive end Michael Herberger (Amherst, NY/Williamsville North) ranks second in the conference with four sacks … All four of his sacks have come in the last three games …  He also leads all defensive lineman with 29 tackles this season.

MITCHELL PICTURE PERFECT: Junior kicker Seth Mitchell (Fonda, NY/Fonda-Fultonville) is now 6-for-6 on field goal attempts this season and he currently leads the team with 39 total points scored … He broke the school's single-game record with three field goals in the Pioneers' 28-27 win over Union in week two. 

DUNN'S A RED-ZONE TERROR: Junior tight end Matt Dunn (Miller Place, NY/Miller Place) leads the team with four touchdown grabs this year … Three of his four touchdown catches have come inside the Pioneers' eight yard line … He also ranks second on the team with 20 catches. 

UC LAST WEEK: The Pioneers are fresh off a 38-28 victory over host RPI last Saturday, marking the Pioneers tenth straight non-conference victory … UC totaled 552 yards of offense in the victory and the rushing attack, led by Larson and Baldassare, tallied three touchdowns ...  Acevedo had another stellar performance grabbing eight balls for 157 yards, while Dunn added five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown … Cornerback Jon White (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) registered six solo tackles to go along with a huge interception … Dana Christofferson (Richford, NY/Dryden) had 12 total tackles, including five solo, while Manolescu added ten for the UC defensive unit.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: Benkwitt currently leads the Empire 8 and ranks 23rd in the country with a 156.01 passing efficiency rating … He also leads the conference and ranks 34th nationally with an average of 276 total yards of offense per game. … Acevedo leads the conference and is tied for 18th in the country with an average of 170.20 all-purpose yards per game.

SCOUTING HARTWICK:  The Hawks (2-3, 0-2 E8) look to snap a three game slide on Saturday when they head to Utica.  However, Hartwick took nationally-ranked No. 23 Alfred University to overtime last Saturday, eventually falling 32-29.  The Hartwick defense has allowed just 18.2 points per contest so far this season.  Senior linebacker Jordan Spirou leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with 51 total tackles.  He leads the Empire 8 with five sacks this season.  Spirou also has one interception and one fumble recovery.  Senior quarterback Dan Brainard has completed 77 passes for 953 yards and five touchdowns this year.  Four of his touchdown passes were thrown to all-conference receiver Jordan Wilkins.  Wilkins leads the Hawks with 31 catches for 555 yards this year.

TIME WARNER IS BACK!: The Pioneers will welcome Time Warner Cable Sports back to campus on Saturday, Oct. 22nd as UC takes on Ithaca College … If you cannot make it out to campus on Oct. 22nd the contest will be available on your local Time Warner Cable Sports TV station or online at http://www.twcs.tv.