UTICA, NY - The Utica College football team turned to the ground game to secure the program's sixth winning season on Saturday. The Pioneer offense went off for 359 net rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns as they topped visiting St. John Fisher by a 35-14 score in an Empire 8 matchup at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.
Utica wraps up the regular season at 6-4, with a 3-3 record in Empire 8 Conference play. They are bowl-eligible, and will learn on Monday as to whether or not their season will continue in the ECAC Bowl Series.
Utica honored 12 graduating senior players and two student assistants before the game, and hosted a large contingent of veterans from the Sitrin Veterans Program in recognition of Veterans' Day.
The Pioneers had the edge in total offense, 414-197. Passing was neither team's forte' this afternoon with the two sides combining for just 101 passing yards. The third down picture was instrumental to the outcome, with Utica converting 6-of-11 third downs en route to over 36 minutes of possession. The Pioneer defense held the Cardinal offense to just three conversions on thirteen opportunities.
For the first time this season, Utica had two 100-yard rushers in one game. Newcomer James Salles (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) led the way with a season and career high 159 net rushing yards to go with a rushing touchdown. Graduate student Tim Hogan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) rushed for 112 yards on just 13 carries, and produced three rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Brandon Belott (Rexford, NY/Shenendehowa) completed five passes and rushed for a touchdown in his first career start.
On defense, graduate linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) had 12 tackles and a forced fumble. James Prastio had an emergent performance with 11 tackles. Jimmie Warren (Suffern, NY/Suffern) had eight tackles and a team-high two sacks.
At the start of the game, the Pioneers had to contend with a start that felt eerily similar to last week's loss to Alfred. Less than a minute into the matchup, Fisher running back Dahmir Pross rumbled to the end zone from 74 yards away on the second play from scrimmage for a 7-0 Cardinal lead.
However, the Pioneers put together a scoring run worthy of avoiding Deja Vu, with 21 straight points to overturn the early deficit. With 5:38 to go in the first quarter, Salles capped off a six play, 41 yard drive with a touchdown run to pull Utica even at 7-7. Early in the second quarter, Belott finished an eight play drive with a three-yard scoring run, which gave UC a 14-7 lead at the halftime break.
UC took the second half kickoff and polished off their 21 point surge with a 6 play, 61 yard drive that took 3:07 off the clock. Hogan finished the series with a one yard scoring run.
Fisher drew back within a touchdown on the ensuing series, as quarterback Matt Krafty hit former quarterback Johnathan Letta on an 11 yard touchdown pass, which trimmed the differential to 21-14.
However, the Pioneers were determined to put the game away, with one of their Senior Day honorees leading the charge. Hogan scored on rushing touchdowns of one yard and eighteen yards in the fourth quarter, and the Pioneers held Fisher scoreless in the final frame as UC pulled away to the 35-14 win.
