UTICA, NY – The Utica College football team returns home from a two-game road trip on Saturday to host Empire 8 opponent Buffalo State at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. It's First Responders Day and it's also a Pink Weekend at the stadium and kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
ESPN Broadcast Info: All Utica College football games will be broadcast on the radio locally at WTLB 99.1 FM/1310 AM (ESPN Radio) by Dave Peroni and UC alum Ray Biggs … Live streaming audio can also be accessed on WTLB's website,
www.espnur.com... Fans can also download the free ESPNUR app on their Iphone or Droid device by searching "ESPNUR" in their respective app store.
WPNR Broadcast Info: Utica College home games are also broadcast over the air and online by Utica College's student radio station, WPNR 90.7 FM.
Pioneers All-Access: Make sure to catch live video, audio and stats on Pioneers All-Access:
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/ … Audio is provided by WPNR 90.7 FM.
First Responders Day: Saturday's game is FREE to all First Responders … As a thank you for all the tireless efforts of first responders, who protect communities across the country, the Utica College family is extending free admission to first responders … Please bring your Fire Department, Police Department or EMS badge and present the badge to the ticket takers for free admission.
SAAC Pink Weekend: Utica College's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is hosting a Pink Weekend at all four of the sporting events on campus this weekend … Saturday at 10:30 a.m., SAAC will be holding a Breast Cancer Walk outside of the Clark Athletic Center on the Utica College Campus … Registration for the walk will be from 10-10:30 a.m. outside of Clark Athletic Center, and everyone is welcome to join in on the walk … The walk will be free of charge, and will consist of a quick loop around the campus … There will be pink ribbons available for purchase for $1 … All proceeds will benefit breast cancer research and awareness.
Last Weekend: UC lost a close one against Empire 8 opponent St. John Fisher 32-27 on Saturday… For the second straight week the Pioneer defense gave up over 200 yards rushing … After falling into an early 20-7 deficit the two teams traded scoring drives starting with a 76 yard interception return for a touchdown by
Matthew McCoy (Sherrill, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) to make it 20-14 … The back and forth ended with
Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston)'s two yard touchdown run with 32 seconds left to bring the game within five points, 32-27 … UC could not recover the ensuing onside kick and snapped a two-game win streak.
Where We Stand: Utica currently stands at 4-3 overall with a conference record of 3-2 after the loss to the Cardinals … UC's four wins have come against Misericordia (42-28) in week one, Morrisville (38-14) in week three, nationally-ranked Ithaca (30-27 OT) in week five, and Brockport (22-19 OT) in week six.
Home Sweet Home: This year the Pioneers are 3-0 at home and have outscored their opponents 110-69 compared to on the road where they are 1-3 and have been outscored 127-111… Including the game against Buffalo State, UC has two of its three remaining games at the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
Conference Standings: Utica is tied for second in the conference with St. John Fisher at 3-2 in Empire 8 play… Cortland stands atop of the conference at 4-1…Alfred, Ithaca, Buffalo State, and Brockport are all tied at 2-2 in the conference … Morrisville and Hartwick bring up the bottom of the conference standing at 2-3 and 0-4, respectively.
Against Buffalo State: The Pioneers are 2-1 all time against the Bengals… UC won 31-21 in 2014, and 51-44 in 2012… Utica's only loss against the Bengals came in 2013 in a 34-19 decision the last time these two teams met at Gaetano Stadium.
UC Assistant Coach Garners Firefighter Teamwork Award: Utica College assistant coach Brian McQueen found out he was diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Eve of 2013 ... Almost two years later, he beat cancer, founded the "Believe 271 Foundation," and was awarded The Firefighter Newspaper's Excellence Through Teamwork Award ...McQueen, a member and past chief of the Whitesboro, New York Volunteer Fire Department, earned one of three awards given out during the annual Excellence Through Teamwork Awards, which took place on Monday ...The Firefighter Newspaper honors people in the fire service, based on a specific incident or ongoing support of those who devote as much of themselves for the benefit of others.
Offensive Notes Offensive Firepower: UC is first in the conference in total offensive yards (3, 073) … The Pioneers are second in the conference in passing yards (2,106), and fifth in the conference in rushing yards (967) … The team is first in the conference and 21
st in the nation in first downs (154), and second in the conference and 12
th in the nation in fumbles lost (two).
Receiving Threats: The Pioneers top two deep threats are
Gregory Palmer (Richland, NY/APW) and
Alex DeRusso (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) … Palmer leads the team with 716 yards off of 36 receptions and is tied for first on the team with four touchdown grabs … DeRusso is second on the team with 587 yards off of 34 receptions and has one touchdown grab … Palmer is third in the conference and 30
th in the nation in receiving yards per game (102.3) while DeRusso is ranked fifth in the conference and 64
th in the nation with 83.9 yards per game… Palmer is averaging 19.89 yards per catch which is fourth in the conference while DeRusso is averaging 17.26 which is good for seventh in the conference … Palmer now ranks sixth on the College's single season list with 716 yards receiving this year.
On The Ground: Junior
Ryan Burnett (Mount Vernon, NY/Arch Bishop Stepinac), freshman Malcolm Stowe, and junior
Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) make up the majority of Utica's backfield production … Burnett has a team high 99 attempts for 336 yards, two touchdowns, and a 3.4 average yards per carry … Burnett needs 14 yards rushing to move into fifth on the College's all-time rushing yards list … He also needs two more rushing touchdowns to become just the seventh player in program-history to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in a career … Stowe is second on the team with 84 carries for 294 yards, three touchdowns, and a 3.5 average yards per carry … Gambill has 30 carries for 149 yards, two touchdowns, and an impressive 5.0 yards per carry.
Going Airborne: Utica quarterback
Teddy VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) is second in the conference and fifth in the nation in total passing yards (2,106) … He is also second in the conference and 14
th in the nation in passing yards per game (300.9) … VanGalen is second in the conference and 19
th in the nation in total offense per game (308.4) … He is first in the conference in attempts (250) and completions (151) … VanGalen has a completion percentage of 60.4 and has thrown 11 touchdowns to only eight interceptions … His 11 touchdown passes this season ranks sixth on the College's single season list.
Mr. Utility: Junior
Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) is ranked third in the conference and 37
th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game (151.71) … Over seven games he is second in the conference with 1,062 total all-purpose yards … Beniquez has nine carries for 87 yards, one touchdown, and an impressive 9.7 yards per carry … He has 49 receptions for 475 yards and is tied with a team-high four touchdown grabs … He has added one punt return for 23.0 yards and has 19 kickoff returns for 477 yards and a touchdown … Beniquez is also moving up the Utica College record books this season … He now has 1,223 receiving yards in his career which is ranked eighth and he only needs three yards to move into seventh place … He has 114 career receptions and is ranked seventh, only needing 10 more to move up to fifth … His seven career touchdowns (four this year) has him tied for seventh on the all-time list, he only needs two more to move up to sixth.
Special TeamsOwning the E8 Special Teams Awards: Beniquez was named the Empire 8 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against St. John Fisher on Saturday … The honor marks the second time this season that Beniquez has earned special teams player of the week status … A Pioneer has earned the award in 5-of-7 weeks so far this season, with senior kicker
Thomas Woodburn (West Islip, NY/West Islip) earning the award three times.
Through the Uprights: Thomas Woodburn (West Islip, NY/West Islip) has 67 points on the year which ranks third all-time on the college's single scoring season list … Woodburn is first in the conference and second in the nation field goal percentage (.941), and is first in the conference and first in the nation in field goals per game (2.29) … For the first time all year, Woodburn was held without a field goal but kicked three extra points against St. John Fisher.
Defensive Notes Nick Woodman (Utica, NY/Proctor): Woodman is first in the conference and seventh in the nation in blocked kicks (2), he is first in the conference and 13
th in the nation in sacks per game (1.14), and he is fifth in the conference and 36
th in the nation in tackles for a loss per game (1.7) … Woodman leads the conference in total sacks (eight), and is third in the conference in total tackles for a loss (12.0).
Racking Up The Tackles: Juwan Wilson (South Ozone Park, NY/Holy Cross) is first in the conference and 17
th in the nation in total tackles per game (11.4) … Wilson leads the conference with 80 total tackles … He also has five tackles for a loss and one sack on the year.
Adding Interceptions: The Pioneers are tied for third in the conference in interceptions (10), are third in the conference in interception return yards (174.0), and are tied for second in interceptions returned for a touchdown (2) …
Matthew McCoy (Sherrill, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) leads the team with three interceptions … McCoy's 76 yard interception return for a touchdown last weekend is the third longest in program-history …
Derrick Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) and Wilson each have two interceptions and Wilson returned one for a touchdown …
Chance Harris (West Henrietta, NY/Rush Henrietta),
Isaiah Washington (Ozone Park, NY/Fort Hamilton), and
Anthony Bierria-Anderson (Freeport, NY/Freeport) each have one interception.
QB's Nightmare: UC is second in the conference in sacks with 24 on the year … After Woodman, the team is led by Sekuterski and
Mike Kata (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) who each have 3.0 sacks on the year…
Nicholas Bruzzese (Utica, NY/Proctor), and
Frank DeNome (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall) each have 2.5 sacks …
Jimmy McLaughlin (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) rounds out the top six with 2.0 sacks on the year.
Quick History Update:- VanGalen has 11 touchdown passes this season which ranks sixth on the College's single season list.
- Beniquez has 49 catches this year, ranking him seventh on the program's single-season list … He also has 1,062 all-purpose yards this year which ranks 10th all-time.
- Woodburn holds the school's single season record with 16 field goals made this season.
- McCoy's three interceptions in a single season are tied for seventh all-time at UC.
- Woodman's eight sacks this year rank fourth on the College's single season list.
Buffalo State Profile Scouting Buffalo State: The Bengals are 4-2 with a 2-2 Empire 8 record … Buffalo State has won its last three games including victories over Cortland (29-21), and St. John Fisher (30-7) … The Bengals are second in the conference in rushing yards (1,302) and seventh in the conference in passing yards (1,298) … Buffalo State is first in the conference in rushing yards allowed (510) and third in passing yards allowed (1,203) … The Bengals offense is led by Tre Jones (90 carries for 503 yards, eight touchdowns, and 5.6 yards per carry), and Dale Stewart (41 carries for 375 yards, five touchdowns, and 9.1 yards per carry)… Buffalo State's defense is led by Shaq Frederick (52 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and two forced fumbles), and Rey Jordan (19 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, and four interceptions).
