Football | 10/7/2014 3:46:00 PM

Utica, NY - The Utica College football team (4-1, 2-1 Empire 8) looks to get back on track following its first loss of the season last Saturday against nationally ranked No. 15 Ithaca College. The Pioneers will remain on the road as they travel to Maryland on Saturday to take on Salisbury University. Game time is set for 12 p.m.

BROADCAST INFO:  All Utica College football games will be broadcast on the radio locally at WTLB 99.1 FM/1310 AM (ESPN Radio) by play-by-play man Dave Peroni and color analyst Fred Miller … Live streaming audio can also be accessed on WTLB's website, www.espnur.com.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: All UC football radio broadcasts on WTLB 99.1 FM can be heard on the My Hometown Sports Application available in the Google Play store and on Apple ITunes... After you download the application make sure to select the ESPN Radio coverage … It's a free application so download today!

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you can't make it out to the game make sure to follow live updates on the Pioneers official Twitter feed: @UCPioneers… If you are at the game on Twitter, or talking about the game on Twitter, make sure to use #UCMoose… You can also "Like" the Pioneers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UCpioneers ... Fans can also follow the Pioneers on Instagram: UCPioneers.

STARTING 4-1: The last time UC started the season with a 4-1 overall record was back in 2010 … That season, the Pioneers went onto to improve to 5-1 after a win over St. Lawrence in week six, before dropping their last four games of the season to finish the year 5-5 overall. 

LAST TIME OUT: The Pioneers suffered their first loss of the 2014 season against nationally ranked Ithaca, 27-10, in Empire 8 conference play last weekend … UC collected more total yards than the Bobmers (301-284), but the home team returned a blocked punt 19 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter to change the complexion of the contest … Ithaca held UC scoreless in the final 18 minutes of the game to secure the 17 point win.

ALL-TIME AGAINST SALISBURY: UC has been unable to come out on top in the all-time series since Salisbury joined the Empire 8 as an affiliate member back in 2011 … The closest margin of defeat for the Pioneers was a 27 point differential in 2011.

ROAD TRIP!: This weeks bus trip is the longest trip of the regular season for Utica … The Pioneers travel south approximately seven hours as they span 403 miles to the Salisbury Campus ... Located on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Salisbury University is located two hours from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and only 30 minutes from the ocean.

IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: The Utica College defense ranks first in the Empire 8 and 25^th nationally, allowing an average of just 271.6 yards per contest … UC's defense also ranks second in the Empire 8 and 44^th nationally, allowing an average of just 16.6 points per contest.

INSIDE THE 20: The Pioneers are tied with seven teams for first place nationally in red zone offense … Utica is a perfect 13-for-13 in red zone chances this season, meaning they have converted every visit inside the 20 yard line into points this year.

PROTECTING THE BLINDSIDE: Utica College's offensive line ranks 15^th nationally in average sacks allowed … The Pioneers are allowing an average of just 0.60 sacks per game this season.

UC TOPPING OPPONENTS: Utica leads its opponents in scoring (150-83), first downs (85-75), rushing yards (802-615), passing yards (891-742), and total offense (1693-1357).

BUTKIEWICZ SECURING THE BALL: Since senior quarterback Connor Butkiewicz (Southington, CT/Southington) took the reins under center two games ago he has not allowed a turnover on 77 throws, picking up 483 passing yards.

MULITPLE RECEIVERS GETTING ACTION: Anthony Acevedo (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) leads the Pioneers and ranks fourth in the Empire 8 in receiving yards with 344 yards on 20 catches, averaging 17.2 yards per catch… Sophomore Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) sits just one catch behind Acevedo and he has 223 yards, averaging 11.74 yards per catch…Gregory Palmer (Richland, NY/APW) has six catches for 110 yards, averaging 18.33 yards per catch … Alex DeRusso (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) has six catches for 69 yards, good for an average of 11.5 yards per catch.

LEADING RUSHERS: Senior running back Jesse Baldassare (Mt. Sinai, NY/Mt. Sinai) is the team's leading rusher with 321 yards on 77 carries this year and he now has 1,402 career rushing yards in the blue and orange…Baldassare is the third back in school-history to carry the ball at least 300 times in a career…Freshman running back/return man J'Von Evans (Utica, NY/Proctor) has picked up 240 yards on the season … Evans also ranks fourth in the nation with an average of 23.8 yards per punt return.

TOUCHDOWN MAKERS: J'Von Evans (Utica, NY/Proctor) and sophomore quarterback Will Kassar (Lattingtown, NY/Glen Cove) are tied for third in the Empire 8 with five rushing touchdowns a piece … Evans also has a punt return for a touchdown this season.

STRONG DEFENSE: Sophomore linebacker Juwan Wilson (South Ozone Park, NY/Holy Cross) leads the defense with 54 tackles (25 solo, 29 assisted), which ranks fourth in the Empire 8 … Nick Woodman (Utica, NY/Proctor) still holds the top seat in the Empire 8 with five sacks on the season… Woodman now has 9.5 sacks for his career … Brandon Burnham (Fulton, NY/Mexico) ranks second on the team with 35 tackles, while Mike Sullivan (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) ranks third with 34 tackles … Sullivan also leads the team with two forced fumbles

PEEL'S BOOT: Senior punter Dakota Peel (Alden, NY/Alden) ranks fourth nationally, averaging 43.8 yards per punt … Peel booted the ball eight times for 323 yards and pinned Ithaca inside their own 20 yard line twice last weekend … He has three punts of 50+ yards this season and he has pinned opponents inside their own 20 yard line on seven occasions … He set a new school-record with a punt of 74 yards against Frostburg … Peel currently ranks second all-time at UC with a career average of 39.91 yards per punt.

QUICK HITTERS: Last week senior quarterback Connor Butkiewicz (Southington, CT/Southington) became the third player in program-history to complete at least 300 passes in a career …  He also became the third quarterback in school-history to throw for 3,000+ career passing yards …Kicker Thomas Woodburn (West Islip, NY/West Islip) recently moved into fourth place all-time at UC with 112 career points … Woodburn is currently tied with Casey McNulty '09 for first place all-time with 16 career field goals … Nick Woodman (Utica, NY/Proctor) needs 1.5 sacks to move into fourth place on the College's all-time sack list … Acevedo needs 348 all-purpose yards to surpass Cody Elliot '09 for the College's career lead … Acevedo heads into the weekend with 3,422 all-purpose yards ... Sophomore Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) recently cracked the College's top ten for career all-purpose yard … He has collected 1,463 all-purpose yards in less than two seasons … Senior cornerback Rob Alexander (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Dobbs Ferry) is tied for seventh all-time at UC with four career interceptions … Senior safety James Lenahan (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) ranks seventh all-time at UC with ten career pass break ups.

MEET THE SEA GULLS: Salisbury is coming off a huge overtime win over previously undefeated and nationally-ranked No. 7 St. John Fisher College … Salisbury needed a touchdown to win in overtime, and wasted no time … On their second play from scrimmage in overtime senior super back J.D. Hook rumbled 16 yards for a score to secure the 37-34 victory … Salisbury, traditionally a national power, moved back into the receiving votes category in the latest D3football.com national poll … The Sea Gulls are currently 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the Empire 8 … Their lone conference loss came against Buffalo State (32-28) in week three …Salisbury is traditionally a run-first, option offense and it appears to be the approach the Sea Gulls are taking again this season … Their leading rusher is junior quarterback John Dunbar, the reigning Empire 8 Conference Offensive Player of the Week … Dunbar has 74 carries for 347 yards and five touchdowns this season … J.D. Hook ranks second on the team with 39 carries for 255 yards and two scores … Aarron Moore ranks third on the team with 36 carries for 217 yards and four touchdowns …Nick Anzallo leads the Salisbury defense with 35 tackles … Sophomore defensive lineman Tyler Paradysz has two sacks.