ALFRED, NY - The Utica College football team showed its resilience with another comeback against a conference opponent on Saturday. The Pioneers reduced the depth of a 24-7 hole with a ten point rally to pull within a touchdown, but host Alfred held off Utica by a score of 24-17 in an Empire 8 football game at Yunevich Stadium.
Utica falls to 5-4, and 2-3 in conference play. Alfred improves to 4-5, and 3-2 in conference play.
Alfred had 480 yards of total offense to Utica's 194. The Saxons piled up 345 net rushing yards to Utica's 17, while the Pioneers held a 177-135 yardage advantage through the air. The teams were a combined 5-of-24 on third downs.
Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) led UC with 47 net rushing yards and a touchdown. Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) made three catches for 41 yards, and also rushed for a touchdown. Tight end Clifton Manns (Albany, NY/Albany) made 3 grabs for 32 yards. Quarterback Sonny Badyna (Brooklyn, NY/St. Peter's) threw for 177 yards on 21-of-37 passing.
On defense, Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) and Dan Amady (Suffern, NY/Suffern) each had seven tackles, with Amady tacking on a pair of pass breakups. Terrance Toussaint (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) and Nick Platia (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) each had an interception, with the former running his pick back 81 yards to set up a touchdown.
Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) converted one of two field goal attempts, while Braden Hoffman (Ilion, NY/Central Valley Academy) ran back three kickoffs for 55 return yards.
Zuke Smith and Max Freeman each rushed for over 100 yards for Alfred. Alfred had five quarterback sacks.
It took Alfred just one play from scrimmage to grab the lead, as Smith darted to the end zone for a 75 yard rushing score. The kick was good, and the Saxons led just twelve seconds into the game by a 7-0 score.
The Saxons tacked on a field goal to extend their lead, as Alfred kicker Dustin McCaslin converted the longest field goal in the conference this season from 48 yards to give the hosts a 10-0 lead.
Following the field goal, the Pioneers received the kickoff and went down the field on a 67 yard scoring drive to get on the board. Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) led the way on the series, rattling off a 39 yard run into Alfred territory. Badyna gashed the Saxons for another 13 yard gain on the ground, before Morgan made the one yard plunge into the end zone to cut the deficit to 10-7.
Alfred scored two second quarter touchdowns to extend their lead, as Smith recorded his second rushing score, and Kevin Bragaglia added one of his own. Late in the stanza, Toussaint's interception provided a key turning point for Utica to get back in the game, as his interception and subsequent return set up a four yard rushing touchdown for Palmer as the clock hit zero on the first half. Alfred took a 24-14 lead into the break.
The Pioneers continued the momentum to begin the second half, as they nabbed the second half kick and went downfield on a 63 yard series, polished off by a Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) 26 yard field goal. However, the 24-17 score was as close as Utica could get on this particular afternoon.
On the game's final series, Utica picked up two first downs through the air and were approaching midfield before a fumble deflated their chances at tying the game as Alfred hung on for the home win.
The Pioneers will get one final chance at a winning season in front of their home fans as they host St. John Fisher on Saturday, November 13th at Gaetano Stadium. UC will observe Senior Day and Veterans' Day at next Saturday's game.
