UTICA, NY - The Utica College football team plays the second game of a three-game road trip on Saturday, November 2nd. The Pioneers will travel to southwestern New York for an Empire 8 Conference battle with the Alfred University Saxons. The game will begin at 1 p.m. at Alfred's Yunevich Stadium.

Follow Along: Live Video and Stats for the contest are available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/alfred/. Live video is also available on the Empire 8 apps available for Roku, Amazon Fire, and AppleTV Devices. In addition, live audio of the contest is available through 92.1 FM WCKR in Hornell, which streams online at http://www.fun921.com/.

The Series: This will be the nineteenth all-time meeting between Utica and Alfred. The Pioneers have met the Saxons in every season that Utica has sponsored Varsity Football dating back to 2001. The Saxons lead the all-time series 15-3. Alfred won the first eleven games of the all-time series, but the Pioneers have won three of the last seven. All three of Utica's wins in the all-time series have come at Gaetano Stadium.

Next Home Game: The Pioneers will be back at Gaetano Stadium for their fifth and final home game of the season on Saturday, November 16th. The Pioneers will celebrate Senior Day and Honoring Our Veterans Day that afternoon.

A Common Thread: In recent seasons, both the Pioneers and Saxons have been able to make a difference through their support of the Be The Match program, in which individuals sign up as potential bone marrow donors to help people battling blood related cancers. A recent player from each program has been selected to participate as a donor within the last few seasons after many players signed up through donor registration drives. Utica assistant offensive line coach Pat Gagan was one of those life-saving participants who has donated, while current Alfred defensive lineman Russell Kohler donated back in January of 2018. For more on Coach Gagan's story, visit https://www.utica.edu/campus-community/utica-stories/giving-himself-help-another-battle-cancer

Where We Sit: The Pioneers are now 3-4, and 1-3 in the Empire 8 Conference. The team has lost its last two games and is tied for fifth in the standings. To achieve a winning season, the Pioneers must win their final three games.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers were within thirteen points of defending Empire 8 Champion Brockport in the fourth quarter, but the Golden Eagles pulled away late to a 41-14 win at Brockport's Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium. The Pioneers became the first Empire 8 team to score points on the Golden Eagles this season, and are just the third team in eight weeks to score more than six points against a highly touted defense that ranked first in all of college football against the run entering Saturday's game. The Pioneers employed two quarterbacks with Ryan Vangalen going for 113 passing yards and a touchdown in the first half. Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) played the second half and was 9-of-17 for 81 yards and a touchdown. Keegan Wright (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse) had three catches for a team-leading 72 yards, and Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) snagged five passes for just over 50 yards. Both players had a receiving touchdown. Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) made fourteen tackles to lead the defense, and Antonio Scala (Coram, NY/Longwood) had twelve tackles. Both players recorded a season high for tackles in the game.  The Pioneers totaled 202 yards of offense while holding Brockport to 387.

Last Time Against Alfred: Rover Dehstin Smart (Paterson, NJ/Hackensack) returned a Saxon fumble 60 yards for the winning score, the defense held Alfred to just two field goals in the fourth quarter, and Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) drilled a field goal for some insurance points as the Pioneers unseated Alfred by a 30-22 score at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. Empire 8 leading rusher Nasir Smith of Alfred was held to just 87 yards in the matchup by the Pioneer defense, and they did not allow him to get into the endzone. Smart and defensive lineman Keanu Heedram (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) each had ten tackles to lead the defensive unit. Quarterback Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) set the pace for the Pioneer offense with two first quarter touchdown passes, one to Imani Vincent (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay), and the other to Josh Connor (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West). Alfred pulled ahead with three scores before halftime as quarterback Ben Burk tossed a pair of touchdowns to tie the game, and kicker Ben Sennett landed a field goal with around five minutes left in the half to give Alfred a 16-13 lead at the break. The Pioneer defense kicked into gear by not allowing a second half touchdown, and Utica got the rest of the scoring help it needed on a touchdown run by Isaiah Washington (Ozone Park, NY/Fort Hamilton), and Smart's pivotal fumble return as they marched on to victory. Wilcox finished the day with 236 passing yards, and Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) had a team-high 83 receiving yards. The Utica defensive unit got an interception from Elijah Belle (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield), and the team held Alfred to just four third down conversions on eighteen attempts.

Counting It Up: The Pioneers rank fifth in the Empire 8 conference in scoring offense at 30.0 points per game, and rank sixth in scoring defense at 33.0 points per game. They are sixth in total offense and defense this year with an average of 363.3 yards on offense, and they are conceding 408 yards per game on defense. The offense is fifth in the conference with 5.6 yards per play. The Pioneers are fourth in the conference in rushing at 116.4 yards per game, and 5th in rushing defense. They are fourth in the conference through the air with 246.6 passing yards per game, and they have allowed 259 passing yards per game to rank fifth in the conference.

Team Superlatives: The team's best offensive performance of the season came against Morrisville, when the team racked up 555 total yards of offense. The Pioneer offense has eclipsed the 500 yard mark on three different occasions in the last two years. The team's best passing performance came against Cortland with 328 yards. The best rushing performance was a 237 yard afternoon against Morrisville. Defensively, the Pioneers have allowed as few as 319 yards of total offense, a feat they accomplished during the Buffalo State game.

Catch Em If You Can: The Pioneers sport two of the top ten receivers in the conference in receiving yards per game this season. Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) is sixth in the conference with 73.1 yards per game, and Keegan Wright (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse) continues a breakout year with a seventh place ranking at 71.4 yards per game. Miller leads the team with 40 catches, 512 yards, and a career-high seven touchdowns. He is second in the Empire 8 in receiving touchdowns, and third in catches. He has five games with 70 or more yards this year and stands at 1,688 receiving yards and fourteen touchdowns for his career. He is 106 yards from cracking the top five in school history in receiving yards. His fourteenth career receiving touchdown ties him for fourth in school history with Jerred Beniquez. He has averaged 5.64 catches per game, which would rank him a convincing second in school history if he were to continue on that clip. Keegan Wright (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse) had just one career catch for eight yards entering this season, but that didn't stop him from having an enormous impact as a senior. After bursting onto the scene with a 100 yard receiving day at RPI, He has led Utica in receiving yards in three of the last four games played. He has 21 catches for 357 yards and 2 touchdowns, and all of that production has come into play in the last four games.

Tight End Territory: Tight End John James O'Connor (Auburn, NY/Weedsport) has taken advantage of the opportunity to be in a full time starting role at Tight End for the Pioneers. He ranks second on the team with three receiving touchdowns this year.

Chipping In: Local products are leading the Pioneers in yards per reception this season. Sophomore Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) leads the team with 22.46 yards per catch, and transfer student Kevin Warmack (Utica,NY/Utica Notre Dame) is also averaging over 20 yards per reception at 20.38 yards per grab. Both rank in the Top 5 of the Empire 8 Conference in that category.

The Rapid Raider: Former Thomas R. Proctor Raiders running back Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) has been an incredible addition to the Utica backfield this season. He is fourth in the Empire 8 conference in rushing yards per game with 68.4 yards per game. He has rushed for 479 yards and five touchdowns this season. He has a long carry of 62 yards, which he accomplished in the 2019 homecoming game against Morrisville as part of a career-best 162 yard rushing effort. He has rushed for over 100 yards three different times, all of which have come at home. He rushed for the century mark in back-to-back games against Fisher and Morrisville.

The Running Roman: Brad Dougherty (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) has rushed for 269 yards and three touchdowns this season. Each of his three rushing touchdowns has happened in a different game this season.

Quarterback Quibblings: The Pioneers have utilized two quarterbacks so far this season. Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) has completed 110 of 224 passes for 1,539 yards and fourteen touchdowns. He is second in school history with 37 touchdown passes, and is just 110 pass yards away from surpassing Connor Butkiewicz for fourth on the school's career list. Ryan VanGalen (Clifton Park, NY/Shenedehowa) has completed 8 of 20 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. VanGalen made his second career start on Saturday, and his first since getting the nod in a game in 2016 with Cortland.

In The Red Zone: The Pioneers are 24-of-29 this season in the red zone, with fifteen of those scores being touchdowns. Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) has converted nine of his field goals after the Pioneers have entered red zone territory.

The Medici Machine: Kicker Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) is now 10-of-11 on field goals this season. He is one of just eight kickers in the nation currently sitting at 90 percent or above. He is fifth nationally at 90.9 percent. Medici is averaging 38.7 yards per punt attempt to rank 38th nationally. He leads the conference in both punting average and field goal percentage.

Give It Away, Give It Away Now: The Pioneers have picked off a total of six passes so far this season to rank fifth in the Empire 8 Conference. They have also forced eight fumbles off of their opponents, and have wrested away six of them into their grasp. Elijah Belle (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) leads the team with three interceptions, two of which have gone on to be returned for touchdowns. He is the college's all-time leader in interception return touchdowns with three in his career, and is the only Pioneer to run back two in a single season. He is one of sixteen Pioneers in the history of the program to record three or more interceptions in a season, and is one of only three players in school history to do it twice. Jon Klosner and James Lenahan are the others. Belle also has seven pass breakups and needs one more to jump into a tie for seventh on the single season list. John Nish (Canastota, NY/Oneida) sets the pace in forced fumbles for the Pioneers with two this season. He becomes the 30th player in school history to force multiple fumbles in a season.

Tacking On Tackles: Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) leads the team this season with 67 total tackles and is coming off of a season high performance in the Brockport game. He has 168 tackles for his career, and needs just 26 more tackles to tie Travis Ladd for tenth in school history. He is third in the conference this season with 9.6 tackles per game. 

We Do Know Jack: Senior defensive lineman Jack Derby (Fonda, NY/Fultonville Fonda) has been one of the more versatile defensive linemen the Pioneers have had in recent memory. He is sixth on the team with 35 total tackles this season, second among defensive linemen on the team. He also has 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and three pass breakups to rank second on the team this season.

Big Bad John: Freshman John Stroughn (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity) has led all Utica defensive linemen in tackles this season with 36. He has 3.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks this season. 

Oliver Named to Good Works Team, Fan Vote Now Underway: Graduate student linebacker Ryan Oliver (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) was awarded one of the highest honors in all of college football earlier this season. Oliver is just one of 22 players nationally this season to receive the award, which recognizes college football players who are actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while also maintaining a strong academic standing.  Oliver earned the award for his work with the Haiti Rehabilitation Project. He will receive an all-expenses paid trip to New Orleans to participate in a special service project and attend the Allstate Sugar Bowl, where he will be recognized at halftime. Oliver and the Pioneers need your help to take this special honor one step further. From now until November 22nd, log on to http://promo.espn.com/espn/contests/allstate/2019/ and vote for Ryan to be named a team captain. Fans can vote once per day. Oliver is in tremendous company for this year's Good Works Team, as the roster includes Georgia star quarterback Jake Fromm, and the honorary head coach of the team is defending national champion head coach Dabo Swinney of Clemson. This season, Oliver has 21 total tackles.

On The Docket: Three games are scheduled for the Empire 8 Conference in week nine. In addition to the Utica-Alfred game, Morrisville will play at Hartwick. The two Empire 8 teams with unbeaten conference records will also collide as Brockport meets Cortland in a battle for the top spot in the conference. 

About Alfred: The Saxons are 5-2 this season and have won three of their last four games. They most recently topped Hartwick by a 34-7 score. Running back Aaron Griffin has already rushed for 977 yards this season to lead the conference, and he has scored nine rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Casey Boston has thrown for 728 yards and six touchdowns. Receiver A.O. Othman has caught three touchdown passes. Nick Milgate leads the defense with an Empire 8 best 79 tackles this season, and has been named to the D3Football.com National Team of the Week twice, including this past week after a 15 tackle performance. Defensive back Raeqwon Greer is second on the team in tackles.

Up Next: The Pioneers go on to non-conference action next weekend in Schenectady as they battle the Union Dutchmen at Frank Bailey Field on Saturday, November 9th.