UTICA, NY - The Utica College football team looks to bounce back from its first loss of the 2021 season, while also opening up Empire 8 Conference play on Saturday, October 2nd. The Pioneers will head southward to Oneonta, NY to square off against Hartwick College at Hartwick's Wright Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
Follow Along: Live Video and Stats will be available for Saturday's game courtesy of Hartwick College Athletic Communications. Live stats will be at http://livestats.hartwick.edu/FootBall/MFB1718/xlive.htm. Live video will be available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/hartwick/ or on the FREE Empire 8 apps available for Roku, Amazon Fire, and AppleTV devices.
On The Road Again: This three-game road stretch is the longest of the season for Utica, and is the first three-game road trip for the team since 2019, when they played Brockport, Alfred, and Union before wrapping their home schedule with senior day. Utica came within six points of a winning record on that road trip, which featured two nationally-ranked opponents.
The Series: This will be the twentieth all-time meeting between Utica and Hartwick, with the Hawks holding a 10-9 edge in the series. Hartwick won the majority of the early meetings between the teams with an 8-2 record in the first ten contests, and Utica has closed the gap since with a 7-2 record in the last nine games. The Pioneers have won the last four battles between the two sides, and three of the four were decided by two possessions or more.
Last Time They Met: The Pioneers held Hartwick to -29 net rushing yards, while scoring 44 of the game's first 51 points as they routed the Hawks by a 58-14 score at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium on November 16th, 2019. Utica held the Hawks to a negative rushing total for a second straight meeting, while the defense had eight sacks, which is the third-highest single game total in school history. UC had 386 yards of total offense in the contest. Quarterback Ryan VanGalen threw four touchdown passes to lead the offense. The defense made headlines in the fourth quarter when Antonio Scala recovered a fumble and ran it deep into Hartwick territory, and then pitched a lateral to Markell Griggs, who took it the distance for a highlight-reel score. That play earned Griggs a nomination for the Piesman Trophy, a national award given to a collegiate lineman who does "un-lineman-like" things.
Last Time Out: The Pioneers did all they could to stay in the battle through three quarters, but No. 12 Union broke open a 14-9 game with sixteen fourth quarter points to send UC to a 30-9 home defeat. The Pioneers out-gained the visitors in total offense for the afternoon 292-261. Rushing offense was at a premium, with Union edging Utica 79-47 in yardage. Utica piled up more yards than Union through the air as the Pioneers held a 245-182 edge. Graduate student kicker Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) performed well. He connected on field goals of 30, 24, and 42 yards to comprise Utica's scoring output for the afternoon. Medici was named the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.
Where We Sit: Utica now sits at 3-1 after splitting their two-game September homestand, which also coincides with the end of non-conference play for the team this season. Head Coach Blaise Faggiano is now 31-17 in non-league play in his career, with his 30th out-of-conference win coming against Kean University.
The Law of Averages: Utica ranks second in the Empire 8 Conference in scoring offense at 19.3 points per game. That average comes at a point in the season where scoring amongst Empire 8 programs is at a premium heading into league play. Only one squad in the E8 is averaging over 20 points per game. The Pioneers are also second in total offense at 383.8 yards per game, and their fourteen touchdowns also sit in the runner-up spot in the conference. Defensively, Utica is fifth in scoring defense at 17.0 points allowed per game, and is third in total defense at 283.3 yards per game conceded.
Through The Air: Utica ranks second in the E8 in passing offense at 284 yards per game this season. Quarterback Sonny Badyna (Brooklyn, NY/St. Peter's) has emerged as the wheelman for Utica's aerial attack, as he has completed 82 of 151 passes for 1,110 yards and nine touchdowns. He is averaging 13.53 yards per completion. With one more passing score, he would crack the top ten in single season passing touchdowns by a UC quarterback as early as the fifth game of the season. On the receiving end, four different receivers have ten or more catches. Senior wide receiver Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) has a team-high 421 yards to go with two touchdowns, all the while leading the E8 in all-purpose yards at 162.3 per game. Wideouts Matt Brantley (Rochester, NY/Eastridge) and Elijah Parker (New London, CT/New London) each have 241 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Joey Nare (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) has made ten grabs for 138 yards this season.
On The Ground: Running back Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) is the team's leading rusher, as a 100 yard performance against Western New England University has put him at 165 net rushing yards this season. As a team, the Pioneers are sixth in the E8 in rushing offense at 99.8 yards per game.
Keeping it Alive: Fueled by their passing game, the Pioneers rank third in the Empire 8 in offensive third down conversions this season at 31.1 percent. 44 of the team's 63 first downs this season have come by way of the pass.
In The Drivers' Seat: Utica's 492 yards of total offense in the win over Western New England stands as the highest single game total in the E8 this year.
The Battle at the Line: The pass rush could be definitive in how this week's game will play out. Defensively, Utica is leading the conference in sacks with thirteen in the first four games of the season. Hartwick leads the conference in sacks allowed with just two surrendered in its first two games. While that appears to be quite a matchup when the Hawks have the ball, the Pioneers have demonstrated an advantage in the same area when they have the football. Utica is allowing less than one sack per game on offense, with just three in the first four games. Hartwick's defense ranks sixth in the conference with just five sacks.
Air Traffic Control: Utica is third in the conference with six interceptions this season, and the Pioneers are also third in the E8 at defending the pass at 187.5 yards per game allowed. Cornerback Terrance Toussaint (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) leads the Pioneers with five pass breakups, while fellow defensive backs Jamel Smith (Spring Valley, NY/Avon Old Farms) and Dan Amady (Suffern, NY/Suffern) have four apiece. Devin Bryant (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) adds another three. Bryant is one of nine players in the conference with two interceptions.
Wrapping Them Up: Linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) is eighth in the conference, and first on the team with 30 tackles this season. He has a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Safety Devin Bryant (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) has 20 tackles, and defensive lineman John Stroughn (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity) also has 20, including 4.0 tackles for loss. Stroughn's tackle for loss total stands tenth in the conference, and Addo's total tackles has him in eighth position at the present time. Addo now has 228 career tackles, ranking him a tie for sixth alongside Dana Christofferson on the college's all-time list. Another five tackles will see him moving into the top five alongside Jason Colunio.
Return Policies: Utica has a player occupying the conference lead in both kick return average and punt return average this season. Jamel Smith (Spring Valley, NY/Avon Old Farms) sets the pace in the E8 with a 25.2 yard average on kick returns this year. Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) and Joey Nare (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) occupy the top two spots in punt return average, with Palmer averaging 43 yards per return.
About Hartwick: The Hawks are 1-1 this season under veteran head coach Mark Carr. Both of their games have been decided by nine points or less. Most recently, the Hawks fell by a 14-7 score at Curry on Saturday, September 18th. Quarterback Kyle Szokoli threw for 158 yards in the loss, while versatile back Davien Kuinlan rushed for 105 yards. The Hawk defense allowed just 39 yards rushing in the loss. Kuinlan rushed for 147 yards in Hartwick's 23-14 home win over Alvernia on September 11th. Linebacker Bryan Grimes has a team-leading 17 tackles, and Jeremy Gerdevil has 2.5 sacks in the first two games.
Up Next: The Pioneers will have their bye week, and then head west for a night contest at SUNY Brockport on October 16th. Opening kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Brockport's Eunice Kennedy Shriver Stadium.
