ALFRED, NY – The Utica College football team rallied from a 17-3 third quarter deficit and made it seven point game with 2:05 left in the contest, but the Pioneers comeback bid fell short as host and nationally-ranked No. 19 Alfred University hung on for a 24-17 victory in Empire 8 Conference action Saturday afternoon.

In the conference opener for both teams, Alfred (2-0, 1-0 Empire 8) piled up more than 400 yards of offense, while the AU defense held the visiting Pioneers (1-2, 0-1 E8) to 267 yards.

Utica's Lindell Reed (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) carried the ball 12 times for 52 yards and also caught a 16 yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left in the third quarter to pull the Pioneers within seven, 17-10. 

UC fell into an early 10-0 hole in the first half behind a nine yard touchdown pass from Bryce Morrison to Jayden Gavidia to go along with a 43 yard field goal from Saxon kicker Trevor Monk. 

Utica's momentum began to build at the end of the second half.  Freshman kicker Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) drilled a 22 yard field goal as the first half clock expired to make the score 10-3 at the half.

Alfred struck first in the second half when Casey Boston broke loose for a 57 yard TD run to make the score 17-3 with 13:13 left in the third.

UC began its comeback late in the third quarter as sophomore quarterback Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) capped a five play 55 yard drive with his first collegiate touchdown pass to Lindell Reed (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) to make the score 17-10. Alfred answered with a score early in the fourth quarter to push its lead back to 14 points, 24-10, with 12:20 remaining in regulation.

The Pioneers were able to cut their deficit to just seven points after Josh Hood (Oneida, NY/Oneida) caught his first collegiate touchdown pass, a 17 yard reception from Miller, with 2:05 remaining in the contest. UC attempted an on-side kick on the ensuing kickoff but it was recovered by the Saxons. Alfred was able to run out the clock from that point to earn the key Empire 8 Conference victory.

Miller passed for 192 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Josh Hood (Oneida, NY/Oneida) caught five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and Darrell Jones had four receptions for 42 yards.

Linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) had a career-high 11 tackles (1 ½ for loss) and senior Derrick Sekuterski (Depew, NY/Depew) had 10 (one sack) for Utica. Cornerbacks Chancellor Harris (West Henrietta, NY/Rush Henrietta) (five tackles, three pass breakups) and Mark Taylor (Buffalo, NY/Kenmore West) each picked off a pass. Harris also added three pass breakups.

Erik Lyndaker (Beaver River, NY/Beaver River) made nine stops and broke up a pass while Anthony Beaubrun (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) made eight tackles in his first game of the season.

Alfred's Jayden Gavidia caught a school-record 13 passes for 207 yards, with 10 receptions (for 145 yards) coming in the first half alone. Morrison finished 19-of-34 for 269 yards and a touchdown and two INTs.  Fuentes had 83 yards rushing and a score on 19 carries, while Boston ran for 71 yards and a TD on four carries.

Utica caps a three game road trip next Saturday when the Pioneers travel to SUNY Brockport for Empire 8 Conference action at 4 p.m. Alfred is in action next Saturday at 1 p.m., when the Saxons host the University of Rochester on Homecoming.