UTICA, NY - The Utica University football team opens its 22nd season of varsity level play under the bright lights of Charles A. Gaetano Stadium, while playing one of its most meaningful contests of the season on Saturday, September 3rd. The Pioneers will battle the University of Rochester in the 5th Annual New York State Tool Believe Bowl to support the Believe 271 Foundation and the Thea Bowman House. Kickoff for the non-conference game is slated for 7 p.m.
Who It Benefits: The game helps to benefit the missions of the Believe 271 Foundation, the Thea Bowman House, and the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge. The Believe 271 Foundation was created in March of 2014 as a means of helping members of the fire service who are affected by cancer. The organization aims to help local firefighters, who are often at increased cancer risk because of their work in the line of duty, with the immense financial and personal burdens that can come with battling cancer. The Thea Bowman house is an area non-profit that serves disadvantaged children and families throughout the Utica area. The organization provides quality care to children throughout the community in the form of daycare, after school care, and a pre-kindergarten program. Its impact can be felt all the way up through graduation and into adulthood. In fact, multiple members of the Utica University Class of 2022 were Thea Bowman House alumni.
Maynard Fire Department member Tom Phelps and Floyd Fire Department chief John Stark are this year's honorary captains. The pair are being recognized for their courage in the face of everyday emergencies, along with their own battles with cancer. Phelps will be honored posthumously, as he sadly passed away this Summer. Members of his family will represent him at the game on Saturday. Honorary captain jerseys were presented at a press conference on Thursday.
First Responders Free: As is tradition, all first responders will receive complimentary admission for Saturday's game. Tickets at the gate will be available at a cost of five dollars for adults, and two dollars for children or non-Utica University students.
Orange Out: The Pioneers will once again call Saturday's game their "Orange Out" game, and will have a variety of ways for fans to get in on the spirit of the night. All fans are encouraged to wear orange to enhance the game day atmosphere. One way to participate in the Orange Out is with a special edition 5th anniversary Believe Bowl t-shirt, available from the Utica University Bookstore. In addition to the bookstore, shirts may be sold on-site while supplies last.
On the field, the program will wear special edition orange Believe Bowl jerseys, with proceeds to benefit the Believe 271 Foundation and the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge. Auction information is located here.
Follow Along: Fans can follow the contest via live video and stats at portal.stretchinternet.com/utica/. This week's broadcast is presented in association with WPNR 90.7 FM, Utica University Pioneer Radio, who will also have the call of the game over local airwaves and at PioneerRadio.org. Fans interested in viewing the game on their televisions are also offered a streamlined experience for their television connected devices through the Empire 8 digital apps. The apps are available for popular devices including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire. See your respective app store for availability.
Season Tickets, 12th Man Club, Etc: Information on season tickets, membership in the 12th man club, and tailgating can be found here.
In the Believe Bowl: Utica is 3-1 in the first four Believe Bowl games. In the inaugural event, the Pioneers fell by a 14-0 score to Ithaca College. The program has since won the last three. They prevailed by scores of 33-7, and 34-28 against St. John Fisher, and welcomed the event's return in Fall 2021 with a 20-3 win over Morrisville. In the 2021 edition of the game, the Utica defense delivered the goods. The Pioneers gave up a first quarter field goal, then pitched a shutout over the final three frames, while the offense racked up twenty unanswered points in the win. The Mustangs accumulated just 150 total offensive yards. Quarterback Sonny Badyna (Brooklyn, NY/St. Peter's) led the Pioneer offense with a pair of passing touchdowns - one to senior receiver Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill), and the other to tight end Tobey Callender (Higganum, CT/Haddam-Killingworth). Safety Devin Bryant (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) led the Pioneers defensively with eleven total tackles.
The Series: Despite just a few hours of highway driving between them, Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Pioneers and Yellowjackets. It will, however, not be the first game played in the Utica area for the visiting team, with trips to Colgate University and Hamilton College fairly common in their century-long football history.
Recapping Last Year: The Pioneers went 4-1 in their first five games, and finished with a 6-5 overall record. That was good enough to launch the program into the ECAC bowl picture for a fourth time. The team wrapped up the season with a loss in the ECAC's Scotty Whitelaw Bowl against Grove City College. In Empire 8 play, the team was 3-3 and placed fourth in the conference standings. A 3-1 regular season non-conference record, and a 3-1 home record were factors in the team's success. Eight Pioneers combined to earn ten all-conference appearances.
A Gander At The Schedule: Two home games open up a four game non-conference run to start the season. Utica hosts Rochester and Kean in their regular season debuts at Gaetano Stadium over the first two weeks, before paying back 2021 visits from Western New England and Union for weeks three and four. Conference play starts on October 1st with Hartwick in town for homecoming, a game which precedes the bye week. Utica comes back from its open Saturday with two tough home games against Brockport and Cortland, before playing two road games in the final three weeks. Road games against Morrisville and St. John Fisher will bookend a November 5th home game against Alfred that will serve as Senior Day. The Pioneers will play six home games for the first time since 2018, when they won seven games and went on to win their ECAC bowl game against Ithaca College.
The Man In Charge: Head Coach Blaise Faggiano enters his fifteenth season at Utica. The program's winningest head coach has helmed the Pioneers to a 66-70 overall record, and has coached the program to four postseason appearances in the ECAC bowl series.
Season Opening Success: The Pioneers have won their season opener in thirteen consecutive seasons dating back to their last 0-1 start in the 2008 season. That season started with a loss to now-defunct Becker College.
A New Sheriff in Town: For the first time in over a decade, there will be a new face at the controls of the Utica defensive unit. New defensive coordinator Jamey McClendon will make his debut on the Pioneer sideline on Saturday, replacing longtime coordinator Will Pluff. Before Utica, McClendon coached in the Division I FBS ranks with UMass and the University of South Florida. He is a graduate of longtime Division III powerhouse Salisbury, where he was an all-conference linebacker.
The Offensive Side Of The Ball: Last season, the Pioneers were fourth in scoring offense among Empire 8 Conference squads with an average of 16.9 points per game in a season where defenses were generally the more dominant units across the league. The Utica offense was fourth in total offense at 283.8 yards per game, while scoring 28 touchdowns to rank third in the conference. The team was sixth in rushing offense at 103 yards per game, and was third in passing offense at 180.7 yards per game, with their 13 passing touchdowns ranking second in the conference. A 28.7 percent conversion rate on third downs was the fourth-best percentage in the E8. The Pioneers had the longest pass play of the 2021 season among E8 teams at 67 yards in a game against Western New England.
Up Front: After the Pioneers put one of their youngest starting offensive lines ever on the field last season, third team All-Conference lineman John Aliberti (Bellmore, NY/Mepham) leads a more experienced group onto the field this season. Other names to watch as the season progresses include Ben Helfeld (Syracuse, NY/Westhill), Luke McMahon (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon - St. Jude), Mike Kreuter (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge), Noah Turtura (Cleveland, NY/Central Square), Luke McMahon (Buffalo, NY/Bishop Timon - St. Jude), and Daniel Pearo (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East). Utica allowed the second-lowest quarterback sack total in the Empire 8 Conference for the 2021 season.
Under Center: Utica returns second team all-conference quarterback Sonny Badyna (Brooklyn, NY/St. Peter's) for his senior season. Badyna completed 53 percent of his passes for 1,882 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, all figures that ranked second in the conference. He was one of only two starting signal-callers in the E8 with a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2021. Badyna also rushed for five touchdowns to rank tied for fifth among all offensive players in the E8 in that category. While Badyna returns, the quarterback competition has remained extremely healthy through Spring practice and preseason camp. Transfer student Braeden Zenelovic (Ontario Center, NY/Wayne Central ) enters the fold from the FCS level at the University at Albany. Zenelovic completed 12 of 23 passes for the Great Danes for 101 yards in three seasons in a reserve role. Brandon Belott (Rexford, NY/Shenendehowa) and Samuel Florio (Port Jefferson, NY/Port Jefferson) are also back in the mix to vie for playing time, with Florio also adding running back and wide receiver duties as well.
Opportunity Knocks: After handling the role by committee last season, the opportunity is open for one or more of Utica's running backs to seize the moment and take ownership of the rushing attack this season. Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) and Tim Hogan (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove) have exited the picture. Sophomore James Salles (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) was an emergent talent alongside that veteran tandem in 2021, and was Utica's leading rusher with 462 yards to go with three touchdowns. Zach Hoage (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) is a local star out of Whitesboro who has been waiting for a chance to shine on the varsity stage. Matt Brantley (Rochester, NY/Eastridge) moves from the wide receiver position after becoming a huge contributor in the last two seasons. In 2021, Brantley logged 29 catches for 366 yards and four touchdowns, including a season-long of 67 yards. He also had seven rushing attempts for 43 yards.
Downfield Options: The Pioneers are excited about their returning depth at wide receiver, led by all-conference pick and graduate student Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill). Palmer was an all-conference selection as a wide receiver, all-purpose player, and return specialist. He was fourth in the conference with 628 receiving yards while catching four touchdowns and rushing for two more. He was also fifth in the Empire 8 with 90.1 all-purpose yards per game while also averaging 34.8 yards per punt return. Palmer needs just 68 yards to become the eighth player in program history to reach 1,500 receiving yards. Joey Nare (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie), Cam Davis, and Travis Decker (Oneida, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) also caught passes in 2021 alongside Brantley, who has moved to running back. Doug Elsesser (Massapequa, NY/Plainedge) also looks to join in the regular rotation. A deep and competitive tight end group will also be a feature, with Tyler Kolenda (Harwinton, CT/Lewis S. Mills), Tobey Callender (Higganum, CT/Haddam-Killingworth), Jordan Kalberer (Glen Cove, NY/Glen Cove), and Logan Kraft (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) among the players vying for playing time.
Defense By The Numbers: The Pioneers had no trouble getting after the quarterback in 2021, with an impressive 31 sacks to lead the conference. They were 28th in the nation in that category a season ago. Utica was third in the E8 in scoring defense at 21.7 points allowed per contest, and the squad was sixth in total defense at 342.6 yards allowed. Utica was fourth in the conference against the run in 2021, and seventh against the pass. Opponents converted 34.2 percent of their third downs against the Utica defense last year.
Warren Leads The Way: Senior linebacker Jimmie Warren (Suffern, NY/Suffern) will chair up the Pioneer defensive unit after a first team All-Conference campaign in 2021. Warren was third on the roster with 60 tackles, and led the team in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (7.0). He also broke up three passes and forced a fumble. He is the team's leading returning tackler.
Who To Watch For On Defense: The Pioneers expect to have the majority of their defensive unit back, including Warren, but there will be some certain changes with three All-Conference performers missing in linebacker Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker), defensive lineman Marquez Lott-Douglas (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena), and defensive back Devin Bryant (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy). Addo's lofty total of over 300 career tackles will certainly be missed in the middle of the Pioneer defense, but Warren and Anthony McDonald (Huntington, NY/Huntington) will factor into being part of the solution. McDonald finished last season with 50 tackles. Anthony Novello (Mepham, NY/Mepham), Anthony Fasano (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park), Darius Johnson (Webster, NY/Webster), and Jaylen Bush (Huntington, NY/Huntington) will all be counted on in the linebacking corps as well. On the defensive line, John Stroughn (Baldwin, NY/Holy Trinity), Josh Powell (Tampa, FL/Sickles), Ben Arthur (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial), Jordan Weaver (Goshen, NY/Goshen High School), Mike Rollins (Port Henry, NY/Moriah), Doug Simmons (White Plains, NY/Archbishop Stepinac), and Evan Gohringer (Utica, NY/Proctor) form a strong veteran rotation, and will be joined by an interesting prospect who is changing positions. After spending his career as a defensive back and rover linebacker, Daryl Savage (Elmira, NY/Elmira) will work with the defensive ends this season in hopes of utilizing his versatility to his advantage as a graduate student. In the defensive backfield, senior safety Dan Amady (Suffern, NY/Suffern) racked up 39 tackles last season, of which 30 were solo. He also broke up 7 passes. Both starters from the team's bowl game against Grove City, Terrance Toussaint (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) and Jamel Smith (Spring Valley, NY/Avon Old Farms), return at cornerback. The pair combined for 21 pass breakups and two interceptions last year.
Change In The Kicking Game: A huge change is on tap in the kicking game for the Pioneers in 2022. 2019 All-American Maki Medici (Watervliet, NY/Shaker) has moved on after a remarkable career, leaving a mix of newcomers and returners to vie for duties. Senior Corey Lichtman (Bellemore, NY/Mepham) handled a portion of the kickoffs last season while also attempting two field goals, and Nick Gicewicz (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem) is expected to pick up the punting chores to start the year. Junior Bryan Reitberger (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) and freshman Devin Taylor (New Port Richey, FL/Wendell Krinn Technical ) are also options for the team on specialist duties.
Scouting The Jackets: Rochester wrapped up the 2021 season at a record of 3-7 overall under head coach Chad Martinovich. On offense, Ryan Rose and Ryan Eamer are the returning signal-callers vying to take over the job vacated by Sean Casey under center. Running backs Daniel Papantonis and Will Varney both return as well. Papantonis led the team with 788 net rushing yards, while Will Varney rushed for nine touchdowns. Wide receiver Peyton Monaco and tight end Ryan Pasquali provide quality targets in the aerial game for Rochester. On defense, leading tackler Caden Cole is back in the mix at linebacker after logging 80 total tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. As a team, the Jackets averaged 16.6 points per game on offense, and conceded 28 points per game on average defensively in 2021.
Next Up: The Pioneers will square off with Kean in the home leg of a multi-year home-and-home series. Kickoff is slated for noon on Saturday, September 10th.
