UTICA, NY - The Utica College football team will open Empire 8 conference play on Saturday, September 5th as it treks to Cortland, New York for a matchup with the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons. Opening kickoff for the league contest is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex.

Follow Along: Live video and stats will be provided on Saturday by Cortland Athletic Communications. In addition, radio play-by-play coverage will be provided by WPNR 90.7 FM, Utica College Pioneer Radio as UC students Adam Ziobrowski and Nicholas Ahles travel to Cortland to bring fans the action. That broadcast is available at 90.7 FM in the immediate Utica area, and online at PioneerRadio.org

Believe Bowl: The New York State Tool Believe Bowl is fast approaching. Fans are reminded that Saturday, October 12th marks the third edition of the New York State Tool Believe Bowl. Come on out to Gaetano Stadium that day as the Pioneers match up with St. John Fisher. The Believe Bowl was created by the Believe 271 Foundation, New York State Tool, and Utica College football to assist children at the Thea Bowman House as well as firefighters battling cancer and life-threatening illnesses. 

See You at UC: The Pioneers play their 2019 Homecoming game on Saturday, October 19th against Morrisville State. The weekend will also include the annual football alumni gathering to take place at Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse on Friday, October 18th at 8 p.m. Proceeds from that gathering will go to benefit awards honoring the memory of John Kaczmarski Jr. and Matt Dunn. All club and varsity football alumni and their guests are welcome to attend the alumni gathering.  For more information on the 2019 Utica College Homecoming festivities, visit http://homecoming.utica.edu/.

The Series: Saturday's game will be the eighth all-time meeting between Utica and Cortland. The Red Dragons control the all-time series by a six games to one margin over the Pioneers. Utica's lone victory in the series came at Gaetano Stadium on September 24th, 2016 by a score of 24-13. Utica had five interceptions in that game, including Dehstin Smart's (Paterson, NJ/Hackensack) interception that ended up on that day's edition of the SportsCenter Top 10. The series dates back to Utica's first varsity season in 2001.

National Attention: Opportunity knocks for the Pioneers on Saturday as the host Red Dragons are the top unranked vote getter in the latest D3Football.com Top 25. Cortland is receiving 68 votes to lead all Empire 8 teams. 

Taking Stock: The Pioneers are 2-1 to open the season in 2019. The Pioneers' start includes wins over St. Lawrence and Buffalo State, and most recently a loss to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The Pioneers had their 2019 bye week last week, and were idle on Saturday, September 28th while others in the Empire 8 played non-conference games. Through week four, the Pioneers are one of five Empire 8 teams to hold a winning overall record.

Last Time Out: The Pioneers took defending Liberty League Champion RPI down to the wire, but a valiant late comeback try fell just short as the Pioneers took their first loss of the season. A two point conversion attempt that would have tied the game was broken up at the goal line, and an onside kick recovery that was returned to the Engineer end zone on the ensuing kickoff was negated by a penalty flag as the Pioneers fell by a 35-33 score in Troy. Utica led 10-0 early in the second quarter on a passing score from Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) to Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly), and a Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) field goal. The Engineers replied with a pair of second quarter touchdowns to take a 14-10 advantage, but Utica pulled back ahead by halftime on a seven yard touchdown run by Brad Dougherty (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy). The Pioneers and Engineers traded the lead in the third quarter as RPI quarterback George Marinopoulous manufactured a pair of touchdown passes to outpace a Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) touchdown pass to Keegan Wright (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse), and the hosts led 28-24 after three quarters. The Pioneers closed the gap to just one point on an early fourth quarter field goal by Medici, then re-closed the gap late after RPI scored another touchdown as Wilcox threw another touchdown to Miller to set up the game's frantic ending. The Pioneers were outgained 370 to 368 in yards of total offense, but Utica held a 324 to 262 yard advantage in the passing game on the night. Wilcox logged his best performance of the season at quarterback for Utica, logging a career-high 32 completions on a season-high 51 pass attempts for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Miller caught two of those touchdowns and had twelve catches for 105 yards. Keegan Wright (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse) had a remarkable breakout performance with 102 yards on seven catches and a touchdown. The Utica defense conceded just 108 rushing yards and were led by Kwasi Addo's (Menands, NY/Shaker) eight tackles and an interception by Marquis Simpson (Middle Island, NY/Longwood). The wild matchup had six different lead changes. 

Where The Pioneers Rank: Among Empire 8 teams, the Pioneers stand third in scoring offense at 33 points per game, and are fourth in scoring defense at 21.3 points allowed per game. Utica is sixth in total offense and defense this season, and average a total net offensive gain of 365 yards per game.

Through The Air: The Pioneer passing game sits fourth among E8 squads with 232.7 passing yards per game. Quarterback Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) is tied for second in the Empire 8 with seven passing touchdowns, and has averaged 232.7 yards per game passing. He surpassed the 3,000 passing yard mark for his career earlier this season and is now less than 1,000 passing yards away from catching Connor Butkiewicz for fourth on the college's career list. He is 52-of-102 on passing attempts this season and had half of his attempts for the campaign in the loss to RPI. He has thrown touchdowns to four different receivers. 

It's Miller Time: Peyton Miller (Chemung, NY/Waverly) leads the Pioneers with 19 catches for 277 yards and three touchdowns. He ranks second in the conference in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He has had 80 yards or more in all three games this season, and has had sixteen straight games played at receiver with at least 50 yards receiving. That streak began with a 2017 loss at Cortland when Miller burst onto the scene with his best performance of a young receiving career at the time after transitioning from the starting quarterback job at midseason. He had eight catches for 62 yards in that game. He has 120 career catches and needs just four to surpass All-American tight end Matt Dunn and James Proniewych for sixth on the college's career receptions list. He is tied for ninth in career receiving touchdowns in the history of the program alongside Jamie Murphy.

On The Receiving End: Behind Miller, the Pioneers have looked to a bevy of other receivers to bolster the passing game so far this season. Tight end John James O'Connor (Auburn, NY/Weedsport) has come on strong in the last two games for the Pioneers, as he now has eleven catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns to rank second on the team in all three categories. He is tenth in the conference with 56.7 yards per game. Sophomore Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) has caught seven balls for 108 yards and a touchdown. Senior Keegan Wright (Cicero, NY/Cicero North Syracuse) delivered an emergent performance on Saturday as he had his first seven receptions of the year for 102 yards and a touchdown against RPI for his first career 100 yard receiving game. Wright entered the game with just one career catch for eight yards before embarking on his exceptional week three performance. Robert Nicholas (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) and Connor Darmetko (Menands, NY/Watervliet) have both made their first catch as a Pioneer this season. Nicholas has made three catches for sixteen yards, and Darmetko has just one catch but has missed a portion of the season due to injury.

Ground Delivery: The Pioneers are averaging 132.3 yards per game on the ground so far this season. A local tandem of backs has been getting the lion's share of the carries in 2019 for Utica. Proctor graduate Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) has gained 172 net yards through the first three weeks and is Utica's leading rusher. He had a team single game best 123 yards to go with his first collegiate touchdown in a week two win over Buffalo State. Morgan is averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Rome Free Academy graduate Brad Dougherty (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) leads the team in carries with 40, and has rushed for 137 net yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tim Hogan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) and LaMont McGriff have rushed for 49 net yards and 34 net yards, respectively.

In The Long Run: Utica's longest rush of the season came in week one against St. Lawrence. Running back Tim Hogan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) holds that distinction with a 34 yard carry. Hogan is also leading the conference in yards per carry average at 9.8 yards per attempt on his five carries.

Ball Security: Through three games, the Pioneers have fumbled just once, and have yet to lose a fumble in the 2019 season. 

Staying Upright: The offensive line has done a terrific job protecting Logan Wilcox (Utica, NY/Proctor) in the first three games of the season. The Utica signal caller has been sacked just twice, a figure which stands as the fewest of any team in the Empire 8 conference.

Offensive Reliability: The Pioneers have accumulated over 300 yards of total offense in their last six straight games, and have been held under that mark just once in the last sixteen games played. 

Nail Biter Central: Since the series renewed as an Empire 8 conference game in 2015, all four meetings between the Pioneers and the Red Dragons have been decided by two scores or less. That span includes three one possession final scores. The Pioneers have lost the last two meetings against Cortland by a combined eight points. 

Red Zone Ramblings: Utica has routinely capitalized on opportunities to score inside the opponent's 20-yard line in 2019. The Pioneers have held a 10-of-11 success rate inside the red zone through three games. Six of those scores have come by way of touchdown, with three rushing and three passing scores. The remaining four scoring plays have come by way of field goal. Utica's lone offensive misfire in the red zone was a goal line interception against Buffalo State in week two. Opposing offenses have gone 7-for-8 inside the Utica red zone this season.

Consistent Conversions: The Pioneers have been very efficient in third and fourth down scenarios so far this season. The Pioneers are 21-of-46 on third downs on offense, good for a 45.65 percent conversion rate. The squad is also three of four on fourth down, with a pair of conversions coming from the offense, and an additional conversion run by punter Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) in the Buffalo State game. The Pioneers are third in the Empire 8 in third down conversion percentage, and lead the Empire 8 in fourth down conversion percentage this season. The Pioneers have manufactured 57 total first downs, with 17 coming on a rushing play, 5 via penalty, and 35 coming through a pass. 

You Can't Run or Hide: Linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) has continued to be an elite presence at the center of the Pioneer defense this season. He is second on the team in tackles with 24, and 10 of those stops have been solo tackles. He has totaled a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception this year. Addo is fourteenth in the Empire 8 in total tackles.

Here's Johnny: Rover John Nish (Canastota, NY/Oneida) currently leads the squad with 28 tackles, and 20 of those stops have been of the solo variety. He is fifth in the Empire 8 in total tackles, and third in solo tackles this season. He is tied with Antonio Scala (Coram, NY/Longwood) for the team lead in tackles for loss with 3.0.

Tony Terrific: Anthony Beaubrun (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) has been a sure tackler for Utica this season. Of his sixteen tackles, eleven of his tackles have been solo. Utica has three players with ten or more solo tackles this season. 

A Torrent of Takeaways: The Pioneer defense has five interceptions this season and leads the Empire 8 conference with two interception return touchdowns after setting school records in both categories in 2018. Marquis Simpson (Middle Island, NY/Longwood) and Elijah Belle (Plainfield, NJ/Plainfield) each have two interceptions, while linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) has the other. The Pioneers have also forced two fumbles, both of them stripped by Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker), and Robert Diaz-Judson (Rochester, NY/Irondequoit) holds Utica's fumble recovery this season. The Pioneers have at least one interception in their last eight games, and have a total of fourteen picks over that time frame.

From The Line: Defensive end Jack Derby (Fonda, NY/Fultonville Fonda) leads all Pioneer defensive linemen with fourteen tackles in the 2019 campaign. He has 2.5 tackles for loss this season. Derby is a 2019 team captain. 

Oliver and Company: Graduate student Ryan Oliver (Vernon Center, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) continues to make the best of his extra season of eligibility. Through three games, Oliver has stood as one of Utica's top playmakers at linebacker with sixteen tackles. He has two tackles for loss and a sack. Off the field, Oliver has made a significant mark on local and global society through his community service efforts. He was recently announced as a member of the 2019 Allstate Good Works team, which stands as college football's highest community service honor. Oliver is one of just 22 players in all of college football to be selected to this year's team, and he will have the opportunity to fly to New Orleans after the holidays to be part of a community service project and attend the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. 

Last Year Against Cortland: The Pioneers and Red Dragons pushed one another to the limit in an offensive slugfest at Gaetano Stadium on September 29, 2018 as part of Utica's 2018 homecoming weekend. The Pioneers were down by ten points at the start of the fourth quarter and went on a 10-0 run in the frame to even the score at 38-38. That held promise until Cortland quarterback Brett Segala and the Red Dragon offense executed a 7 play, 65 yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Nick Anderson with just over a minute remaining, and the Pioneers' last drive stalled at midfield as Cortland collected a 45-38 win. The offense turned in an electrifying performance as the Pioneers accumulated a school record 688 yards of total offense, led by Logan Wilcox's (Utica, NY/Proctor) then-school record 461 passing yards on a school-record 61 pass attempts. He threw four touchdown passes. Josh Connor (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) caught seven balls for 107 yards and two touchdowns, while Imani Vincent (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) caught two balls for 103 yards and two TDs. Malcolm Stowe (Coram, NY/Longwood) had what was then the third best rushing game in school history at Utica with 211 yards while also adding a touchdown. He later bumped his Cortland game performance down to fourth on the school's all-time list when he ran for 228 yards as the Pioneers obliterated Hartwick in the regular season finale. The Utica offense finished the afternoon 11 for 20 on third downs. The Utica defense held Cortland to just 56 rushing yards, and were led by Dehstin Smart (Paterson, NJ/Hackensack) and Antonio Scala (Coram, NY/Longwood), who each had nine tackles. Scala also recovered a fumble in that game. Defensive lineman Keanu Heedram (Rochester, NY/Rush-Henrietta) had eight tackles and a quarterback sack. Segala threw for 438 yards and four touchdowns for Cortland, and receiver Jake Smith made eight catches for 157 yards.

About Cortland: The Red Dragons are the only unbeaten team remaining in the Empire 8 at 3-0. They have wins against Fitchburg State and The College of New Jersey, and most recently beat Buffalo State 59-21. Cortland scored on seven of its first eight offensive series to beat the Bengals. Quarterback Brett Segala threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Zach Tripodi had 131 rushing yards on fifteen carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. Paul Imperiale and John Listwan had seven tackles apiece for a defense that held Buffalo State to just 131 passing yards and 280 total offensive yards. The offense is averaging 51.0 points per game and 476 yards of total offense per game to lead the Empire 8 conference. Segala has thrown for a conference best nine passing touchdowns. Cole Burgess and Jason Carlock rank among the top ten in the conference in receiving yards. Tripodi is second in the conference at 327 yards per game and is averaging 7.8 yards per carry. Cortland leads the Empire 8 in total defense with 192.0 yards allowed per game, and has been especially stingy against the pass. Devin Smith has three quarterback sacks on defense to rank third in the Empire 8 conference. The Cortland offensive line was named to the D3Football.com Team of the Week for its performance against Buffalo State.

Up Next: The Pioneers return home on Saturday, October 12th to meet St. John Fisher in the New York State Tool Believe Bowl.