UTICA, NY – The Utica College football team returns home for its regular season finale as the Pioneers celebrate Senior Day and Veterans Appreciation Day on Saturday against Empire 8 opponent Hartwick College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

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. 

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.

WPNR Broadcast Info:  All Utica College home football games are also broadcast over the air and online by Utica College's student radio station, WPNR 90.7 FM … Fans can also download the WPNR app by searching "WPNR" in their respective app store.

Senior Day: The Pioneers will honor 21 members of the football program who are participating in their final game prior to the contest on Saturday.

Veterans Appreciation Day: The Pioneers would like to thank all veterans for their service on Saturday by hosting Veterans Appreciation Day … All veterans will receive free admission to the contest.

Building a Winning Tradition: A win on Saturday against the Hawks would mark the fifth time in the last six seasons that the Pioneers have won five or more games in a single season.

Home Sweet Home: Utica is 3-1 overall with a 2-1 Empire 8 record at the friendly confines of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium this season. 

Last Time Out: The Pioneers dropped a heartbreaker against Empire 8 opponent Alfred on Saturday … Alfred completed the comeback with 21 seconds left on the game clock and downed the Pioneers, 20-16 … Utica is currently on a three game skid.

Where We Stand: For the first time all season the Pioneers have dropped below .500 and currently sit at .444 (4-5) overall and .429 (3-4) in Empire 8 Conference play … UC had victories in week one over Misericordia (42-28), week three over Morrisville (38-14), week five over Ithaca (30-27 OT), and week six over Brockport (22-19 OT) … The Pioneers losses came to Ohio Northern (29-22), SUNY Cortland (47-40 OT), St. John Fisher (32-27), Buffalo State (28-16), and Alfred (20-16).

Oh So Close: Four of Utica's five losses have come by seven points or less and one of the losses came in overtime at Cortland … Six of UC's nine games have been decided by seven points or less. 

Conference Standings: There is a three-way tie at the top of the Empire 8 between Alfred, St. John Fisher, and Cortland who are all at 5-2 in E8 play … In fourth is Buffalo State (4-3) followed by Morrisville (4-4) in fifth … UC and Brockport are tied for sixth with 3-4 conference records … Ithaca (2-5) and Hartwick (1-6) bring up the bottom of the pack ranking eighth and ninth.

Against Hartwick: The Pioneers are 3-2 against the Hawks in the last five years … In all three victories UC scored 20 or more points and twice scored more than 42 points (47-24 in 2014, 43-7 in 2012, and 20-17 in 2011) … In both losses Hartwick scored 20 or more points (21-10 in 2013 and 24-21 in 2010) … These two teams have met every year since 2002 … Hartwick holds the all-time series lead with an 8-5 advantage… It is usually a very competitive game between these two rivals, with 7-of-13 meetings being decided by 10 points or less … Four of the meetings have been decided by three points or less.

History Lesson: On November 10, 2007, Utica and Hartwick set an NCAA Division III record by combining for 142 points in a single game … Utica lost the four overtime decision by the score of 72-70 at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

Offensive Notes 
Where The Offense Stands: Utica is fifth overall in the conference in offensive yards (3,612), while ranking seventh in rushing (1,136), and third in passing yards (2,476) … The team is first in the conference in first downs (191), first in the conference and 38^th in the nation in passing offense per game (275.1), and fifth in total offense per game (401.3) … The 2015 edition of the Pioneers are first in the College's single-season record book in average yards per completion (13.3), third in yards per game (275.1), third in total offense per game (401.3), third in all-purpose yards per game (526.7), fifth in pass reception yards (2,476), fifth in passing yards (2,476), sixth in pass completions (186), and sixth in total points scored (253).

Quarterback Play: Teddy VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) has passed for 2,376 yards on 310 attempts and 183 completions … VanGalen is second in the conference and 23^rd in the nation in passing yards, he is third in the conference and 29^th in the nation in passing yards per game (264.0), and he is third in the conference and 42^nd in the nation in total offense per game (270.1) … He is ranked sixth in pass attempts and pass completions in the College's single-season record books.

Receiving Threats: The Pioneers top two deep ball threats are Alex DeRusso (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) and Gregory Palmer (Richland, NY/APW) … DeRusso has 782 yards, 45 catches, and averages 17.38 yards per catch to go along with one touchdown … Palmer has 754 yards, 40 catches, 18.85 yards per catch, and four touchdowns … Palmer is seventh in receiving yards in the school's single-season record book (754), and is ninth in the career record book (1,200), 10^th in pass receptions (71), and he is tied for seventh in touchdowns catches (nine) … DeRusso is sixth in the single season record books with 782 receiving yards, and 10^th in the school career record book in receiving yards (1,104).

Running Game: Junior Ryan Burnett (Mount Vernon, NY/Arch Bishop Stepinac), freshman Malcolm Stowe, senior Mike Cottle (Windsor, CT/South Windsor), and junior Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) make up the majority of the UC backfield production … Burnett leads the team with 342 yards off of 106 attempts, averaging 3.2 yards per carry, and two touchdowns … Stowe has 297 yards off of 91 attempts, averaging 3.3 yards per carry, and three touchdowns … Cottle has 174 yards off of 39 attempts, averaging 4.5 yards per carry … Gambill has 152 yards off of 31 attempts, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and two touchdowns … Burnett is sixth in the College's career record book in rushing yards (881) and only needs eight yards to move into fifth place.

Special Teams
Taking It To The House: Josh Conner was filling in for an injured Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) on Saturday when he fielded a punt and returned it 48 yards for his first collegiate touchdown … His score gave UC a 10-0 lead in the first quarter at Alfred … Conner also had a big day as a wide receiver leading the team with seven catches for 70 yards.

National Leader: Thomas Woodburn (West Islip, NY/West Islip) added three more field goals on Saturday … He currently leads all levels of NCAA College football (FBS, FCS, DII, DIII) with an average of 2.44 field goals per game … His 22 field goals this season are tied for second in the NCAA Division III single season record book … Woodburn now ranks third in the conference in scoring with 87 points on the season … He is first in the conference and fifth in the nation in field goal percentage (.846) … He attempted six field goals against Alfred which is the most field goal attempts in a single game for Utica College …Woodburn is second in the College's single season record book in points (87) and only needs four points to secure sole possession of first place all-time … He is first in field goals made in a single season (22), and first for field goals attempted in a single season (26) … In the school career record book he is first in total points scored (229 off of 106 PAT and 41 FG), he is also first in field goals made with 41 which is good enough for 18^th all-time in the NCAA Division III record books. 

Defensive Notes
Where The Defense Stands: UC is seventh in the conference in overall defense allowing 3,428 yards … The team is seventh in rush defense (1,370) and fourth in passing defense (2,061) … The defense is ranked first in the conference and fourth in the nation in defensive touchdowns (four), second in the conference and 14^th in the nation in team sacks per game (3.44), and fourth in the conference in tackles for a loss per game (7.0).

Sack City: UC broke the school-record for most team sacks in a season after recording four team sacks against Alfred … Utica now has 31.0 sacks this season as a team … Derrick Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) is second on the team with 5.5 sacks followed by Frank DeNome (New Windsor, NY/Cornwall) who has 3.5 sacks … Mike Kata (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) has three sacks while Nicholas Bruzzese (Utica, NY/Proctor) and Jimmy McLaughlin (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) each have 2.5 sacks.

QB's Nightmare: The Pioneers have nine players with at least one sack on the year … Nick Woodman (Utica, NY/Proctor) leads the team and the conference with 11 sacks so far this season … He is first in the conference and 10^th in the nation in sacks per game (1.11) … Woodman's 11 sacks this year ranks second on the College's single season list and he needs one more sack to tie his own school-record of 12.0 which he set in 2014 … Woodman is the College's career leader with 27.5 sacks … Woodman has six career forced fumbles which is second on the school's all-time record book.

Tackling Machine: Juwan Wilson (South Ozone Park, NY/Holy Cross) leads the team and the conference with 103 total tackles … Wilson is first in the conference and 19^th in the nation with 11.4 tackles per game … He also has two interceptions, two sacks, 7.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception returned for a touchdown … Wilson is ninth in the school's single season record book in total tackles, and sixth in the school record book for all-time total tackles with 223 … He only needs six more tackles to move into fifth place all-time in total tackles.

Adding INT's: The Pioneers defense has seven players with at least one interception on the year … Matthew McCoy (Sherrill, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) leads the team with three interceptions on the season which ties him for eighth in the school's single season record book … Wilson and Sekuterski are second on the team with two interceptions a piece … Chance Harris (West Henrietta, NY/Rush Henrietta), Anthony Bierria-Anderson (Freeport, NY/Freeport), Isaiah Washington (Ozone Park, NY/Fort Hamilton), and Dehstin Smart each have one interception on the year … The teams 11 interceptions are tied for fourth in the College's single season record book ... The teams 33 pass breakups are ranked second all-time at UC … McCoy is tied for third in the school's all-time pass breakups (14).

Hartwick's Profile
Scouting The Hawks: Hartwick is 3-6 overall with a 1-6 Empire 8 record … The Hawks are coming off a 41-34 loss to St. John Fisher last Saturday … Hartwick is ranked third in the conference in total offensive yards (3,798), ninth in the conference in rushing yards (543), and first in the conference in passing yards (3,255) … The Hawks defense is last in the conference in total yards allowed (3,863), their rush defense is last allowing a conference-high 1,730 yards, and their pass defense is sixth in the conference allowing 2,133 yards on the season … The offense is led by John Garcia (192 completions, 362 attempts, 3,156 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 15 interception), Brad Garcia (64 receptions, 1,200 yards, and 13 touchdowns), and Tanner Williams (52 receptions, 1,154 yards, and six touchdowns) … The defense is led by Ali Matthews (72 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, and three sacks) and Nick Sorrenti (60 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, and three sacks).