Utica Game Notes

Fisher Game Notes

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BROADCAST INFO: All Utica College games will be broadcast on the radio at WTLB 1310 AM (ESPN Radio) … Links for live stats for Saturday's contest will be available at www.ucpioneers.com and http://athletics.sjfc.edu/ … Live streaming audio can also be accessed on WTLB's new website, www.espnur.com. 

CARDIAC KIDS: The Pioneers have engineered last-minute game-winning drives in each of their last two outings to secure consecutive conference victories over Hartwick and Ithaca … Over the course of their last three games the Pioneers have started out slow, scoring zero points in the first quarter of each contest, but they have come on strong in the second half, outscoring RPI, Hartwick and Ithaca by a combined 26 points … UC has played especially well in the fourth quarter, outscoring its opponents 34-15 in its last three games.  

THREE IN A ROW: The Utica College football team is currently riding the highs of a three game winning streak … UC has not won three games in a row since the start of last season when the Pioneers won a school-record four consecutive games … Last season, Fisher was the team that snapped Utica's four game winning streak. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Utica is 2-1 on the road this season, posting victories at St. Lawrence in week one (48-35) and RPI in week six (38-28) … The Pioneers' lone road loss of the season came at the hands of conference foe Frostburg State (44-24) … Utica has lost five straight games at Growney Stadium, with their best effort coming in 2009 when they dropped a 34-17 decision at the hands of the Cardinals.

IF THE ITHACA GAME TELLS US ANYTHING: Both St. John Fisher and Utica College defeated Ithaca by five points or less … If this common opponent tells us anything - it's that Saturday's match-up between the Cardinals and Pioneers will be a good one. 

WELCOME BACK COACH FAGGIANO: UC's fourth year Head Coach Blaise Faggiano spent nine seasons as the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at St. John Fisher College before landing his first head coaching job at Utica … Faggiano also played high school football at Rush-Henrietta High School, which is less than ten miles away from Fisher's campus. 

LAST TIME AGAINST FISHER: The Utica College football team had nationally-ranked No. 24 St. John Fisher College on the ropes but the Pioneers could not muster the offense to get over the hump in a 35-24 loss to the visiting Cardinals in front of a packed house of 3,567 fans at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium ... The Pioneer offense came out of the gates hot scoring 21 of its 24 points in the first half, but UC could not keep the momentum going in the second half, as they dropped their first contest of the 2010 season. 

FISHER HAS HAD UTICA'S NUMBER: Utica has never beaten Fisher in ten previous meetings … The Pioneer's closest encounter with the Cardinals was in 2008 when UC lost by a mere seven points, 17-10, at home … The largest margin of defeat was in the Pioneers' second varsity season, back in 2002, when the Cardinals took home a convincing 68-0 victory. 

PIONEERS LIKE 'EM CLOSE: UC has won three ganes this year by five points or less, including a 28-27 win over Union, a 20-17 win over Hartwick and a 20-15 win over Ithaca last week. 

IRONMAN: Junior quarterback Andrew Benkwitt (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) is making his 27th consecutive start on Saturday and he continues to live up to the hype, ranking 26th in the nation and first in the E8 with an average of 281.29 total yards per contest … He has completed 169 passes for 1,941 yards to go along with a conference-best 15 touchdown passes … Maybe even more impressive is that he has only thrown four interceptions in seven games. 

LARSON LOOKS TO MAKE IT FIVE IN A ROW: Junior running back Jake Larson (Bemus Point, NY/Maple Grove) has posted four consecutive 100+ yard rushing performances … He has tallied eight rushing touchdowns in the last four games and he now leads the team and ranks third in the E8 with ten rushing touchdowns … He averages 99. 3 yards rushing per game, which ranks second in the conference.  

O-LINE DESERVES SOME PUB: Despite losing all-conference offensive lineman Matt Malunat (Minisink Valley, NY/Slate Hill) to injury in week four against Salisbury, the Pioneers offensive line has continued to impress all season … Freshman Zach Hunnewell has emerged as the starting left tackle, moving senior Andrew Hems (Palmyra, NY/Palmyra-Macedon) (former left tackle) to center … Senior Greg Caloia (Solvay, NY/Solvay) has stepped in at right tackle and Tom Owens and Mike Vitacolonna have both been rocks at the left and right guard positions. 

HERBERGER KEEPS THE PRESSURE ON: Junior defensive end Michael Herberger (Amherst, NY/Williamsville North) has recorded five sacks in the last five games and he is currently tied for first in the conference with an average of .77 sacks per contest … Herberger also ranks fourth on the team with 42 tackles off the edge. 

JENSEN MAKES HIS MARK ON DEFENSE: Senior captain Zachary Jensen (Vernon, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) was named the Empire 8 Conference Defensive Player of the Week and the College's Male Athlete of the Week after a break out performance in the Pioneers' 20-15 win over Ithaca College Saturday …  Jensen, who has been a wide receiver for his entire career, was playing in just his second game at the linebacker position when helped guide the Pioneers' to their third straight victory …  Jensen recorded a career-high seven tackles, with six solo hits, and he tied the school's single-game record for sacks …  All three of his sacks came in the second half, including a show-stopper on the second to last play of the game.

SECURITY BLANKETS: Sophomore safety Eric Rindo (Lancaster, NY/Lancaster) and junior safety Luke Manolescu (New York Mills, NY/Notre Dame) rank first and second on the team in total tackles, respectively … Rindo leads the team with 65 tackles and one interception, while Manolescu has 59 total stops. 

MURPHY'S LAW: Sophomore receiver Jamie Murphy (Canadaigua, NY/Marcus Whitman) caught a game-high nine balls for 97 yards against Ithaca last week … He currently ranks third on the team with 32 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns. 

ACEVEDO RUNNING WITH A PURPOSE: Sophomore receiver Anthony Acevedo (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) currently ranks third in the conference with an average of 145 all-purpose yards per game … He leads Utica with 41 catches for 642 yards and three touchdowns this season … He is currently averaging 91.7 yards receiving per game.

UC LAST WEEK: The Utica College football team outscored visiting Ithaca College 20-5 in the second half on its way to a 20-15, come-from-behind victory in Empire 8 Conference action at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium Saturday afternoon ... Utica engineered a game-winning drive for the second consecutive week, capped by Jake Larson (Bemus Point, NY/Maple Grove)'s 15 yard touchdown run with 1:01 left in regulation to help the Pioneers – winners of three games in row – defeat Ithaca for the first time in program-history in front of a state-wide television audience.

SCOUTING FISHER:  The Cardinals (6-1, 1-3 E8) are winners of four consecutive games, including a convincing 33-6 win over Springfield College last Saturday … The Fisher defense has allowed ten or less points in all six of its wins so far this season … Their opponents are averaging just13.1 points per game and that includes a 52-3 loss at the hands of Hobart … Senior defensive back Dave Vosburgh, son of Fisher Head Coach Paul Vosburgh (winningest coach in program-history), leads the defense with a team-high 64 tackles and seven pass break ups … Troy Sant has a team-best four interceptions … Fisher's offense has taken a new direction this season with the absence of a traditional pocket passer … Junior Ryan Kramer and senior Ryan Schmitt, both from the Mohawk Valley, make up the majority of the Cardinals offensive out put … Kramer has thrown for a team-high 1,007 yards and ten touchdowns to go along with 395 yards on the ground and three rushing TD's … Schmitt has been Kramer's favorite target this year and he currently leads the conference with 51 catches.