UTICA, NY -- The Utica College football team lost to unbeaten and nationally-ranked No. 15 Alfred University 35-21 in the final regular season home game of the year for the Pioneers in Empire 8 Conference action at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium Saturday. 

Alfred (9-0, 7-0 Empire 8) clinched at least a share of the Empire 8 Conference title with the victory and sets up a showdown between 15th-ranked Alfred and 23rd-ranked St. John Fisher next weekend (Saturday, Nov. 12, 1 p.m.), with the winner earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA championship tournament.

Utica returns to action for its final game of the regular season on Saturday when it travels to Hartwick College to take on the Hawks at 1 p.m. UC will look to secure its seventh win of the season for just the second time in program-history.  The last time Utica won seven games was back in 2014.  A seven win season would place the Pioneers in the conversation for potentially earning a bid into an ECAC Bowl game for just the second time in program-history. 

Utica (6-3, 4-3 Empire 8) pulled the game to within just seven points, 28-21, with 14:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, but that was as close as the Pioneers would get, as Alfred's Tyler Johnson punched in a 40 yard touchdown score with 8:44 to go in regulation and the Saxon defense held on for the victory.

Utica fell into an early 7-0 hole after Brendan Buisch caught a ten yard touchdown pass from Tyler Johnson to cap a 10-play 76 yard scoring drive with 5:40 to go in the first quarter.  UC responded immediately as senior Nicodemus Gambill (Rochester, NY/East High) returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to knot the score at 7-7 in the first quarter.  The score by Gambill was his second kickoff returned for a touchdown this season, and he now has the top two longest kickoff returns in program-history.  Earlier this season Gambill posted a 99 yard kickoff return for a score against Morrisville. Gambill now needs just 10 kick return yards to break the College's single season record set by Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) back in 2014. 

The Pioneers took an early 14-7 lead after Teddy VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) found Imani Vincent (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) for a ten yard touchdown pass with 14:52 left in the second quarter.  VanGalen finished the day with 22 completions for 192 yards and a touchdown.  VanGalen now has over 2,000 passing yards in a single season for the second time in his career.  Imani Vincent (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) capped the afternoon with seven catches for 83 yards and one touchdown. 

Alfred was able to respond with two scores on the ground, both by quarterback Tyler Johnson, before the half and the Saxons held a 21-14 lead at the intermission. Johnson finished the day with 17 carries for 124 yards and four rushing touchdowns.  He also added nine completions for 140 yards and a touchdown through the air. 

Alfred opened the second half scoring when Johnson rushed for his third touchdown of the day, from 12 yards out, to give the Saxons a 28-14 lead with 6:20 to go in the third quarter.

Utica senior running back Ryan Burnett (Mount Vernon, NY/Arch Bishop Stepinac) punched in a one yard score early in the fourth quarter, to make the score 28-21, but the Pioneers were unable to complete the comeback as Alfred scored once more down the stretch to earn the key Empire 8 victory. Burnett finished the day with 20 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. He now needs 22 yards to become just the fifth back in program-history to record over 800 yards rushing in a single season. He also needs 113 rushing yards to move into second place on the College's career rushing yards list.

Jerred Beniquez (Port Ewen, NY/Kingston) finished the day with seven catches for 48 yards. Beniquez needs eight catches to break the program's single season record for receptions in a single season – he currently has 66.

Utica's Anthony Bierria-Anderson (Freeport, NY/Freeport) hauled in two interceptions for Utica and also recorded seven tackles.  Senior Juwan Wilson (South Ozone Park, NY/Holy Cross) posted a team-high 12 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss of 16 yards.  Anthony Beaubrun (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) posted ten stops on the afternoon, while Isaiah Washington (Ozone Park, NY/Fort Hamilton) added ten tackles.

A. J. LiCata made a team-best 13 stops for the Alfred defense, and Isaiah Moak added 12 tackles and one sack. Casey Bright posted 18 carries for 80 yards on the ground for Alfred.  The Saxons totaled 256 yards rushing on the day.