UTICA, NY - The Utica University football team plays its first road contest of the season on Saturday, September 17th as they head to Springfield, Massachusetts for a non-conference matchup with Western New England University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Western New England's Golden Bear Stadium.
Follow Along: Live video and stats will be provided by Western New England Athletic Communications.
Calling All Football Alumni: It's time to come back to Utica for Homecoming Weekend, which will be held from September 30th to October 2nd. On Friday, September 30th, the program will hold its Club Football Reunion Dinner at Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse at a cost of 50 dollars per person. On Saturday, October 1st, the program starts a new tradition with an alumni gathering in the West End Zone VIP Tent at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium, beginning at 11 a.m. The cost, which includes food, drink tickets, and a gift, is 40 dollars. Kickoff against Hartwick is scheduled for 1 p.m. that day. For more information, go to www.utica.edu/homecoming.
Where It All Stands: The Pioneers are 2-0 to start the season for a fourth time in a five year period. The team is one of three unbeaten squads remaining in the Empire 8.
Last Time Out: Host Utica held visiting Kean without an offensive point for the first three quarters, but a fourth interception by Anthony Novello (Mepham, NY/Mepham) and consequent insurance touchdown from sophomore running back James Salles (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) provided enough security to overcome a late score by Kean and prevail 21-15 in a non-conference game at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. Kean held a 345-244 advantage in total offense, including a 160-48 rushing yardage gap, and had the ball for 37:06 in the game. The Pioneers secured the win through timely offense, tough situational defense, and some costly kicking game miscues by the visiting team. Sam Florio (Port Jefferson, NY/Port Jefferson) added a second rushing touchdown for Utica, and Braeden Zenelovic (Ontario Center, NY/Wayne Central ) found Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) on a first quarter touchdown pass to round out the Pioneers' scoring output for the day. Anthony Fasano (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) had a team-high 12 tackles in the Utica linebacking corps.
Big One On The Road: In the four seasons that Utica has qualified for an ECAC bowl appearance, the Pioneers have won their first road game of the season in all four of those years, including last year's season-opening win at Alfred State. The Pioneers finished the 2021 season with a 3-4 road record.
The Series: Utica has played WNEU one time, with that meeting coming last season at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium. The Pioneers came out on top by a 37-28 score. The matchup was a feast for both offenses as they combined for just over 900 yards of total offense. Quarterback Sonny Badyna (Brooklyn, NY/St. Peter's) threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for another score. Matt Brantley (Rochester, NY/Eastridge) caught touchdown tosses of 67 and 23 yards to break open a two point game in the fourth quarter and secure victory, and Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) added a 51 yard touchdown grab of his own. Both receivers eclipsed the century mark for receiving yards in the contest, and Jamarious Morgan (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) added a 100 yard rushing game as well. Kwasi Addo (Menands, NY/Shaker) had a team-high 11 tackles to lead the defense, and Terrance Toussaint (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) and Jamel Smith (Spring Valley, NY/Avon Old Farms) broke up three passes apiece.
By The Numbers: The Pioneers are 67th nationally in scoring offense at 32 points per game through two contests, a figure that ranks third in the Empire 8 Conference. They rank 93rd in scoring defense, as they allow 21.5 points per game out of the 242 programs in Division III. They are third in the conference and 87th nationally in total offense at an average of 370.0 yards per game, and that unit is led by a 65th-ranked passing offense at 265 yards per game, a figure which stands second among E8 squads at the present time. Utica has the conference's second-ranked pass defense.
Ball Security: The Pioneers have kept turnovers to a minimum through the first two games of the season, a fact that has been instrumental in their two wins. The Pioneers scooped up a fumble and notched an interception in week two, while the only direct takeaway from the offense came on an interception against Kean. Utica is one of 79 teams nationally who have not yet lost a fumble, and one of 91 teams that maintain a positive turnover margin.
The Palmer Show: Graduate wide receiver Nate Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon Verona Sherrill) has put on a show during the first two weeks of the season. While setting some of the program's best marks in its two decade history, he has also shined nationally. He has fourteen catches for 360 yards and five touchdowns. He leads the country in receiving yards, is second in receiving yards per game, and is second in receiving touchdowns. All the while, his 222 receiving yards from the opener against Rochester is the second-highest single game total in the history of the program, he tied the program single-game record in that matchup with four touchdown receptions, and he has joined just a handful of receivers in program history to hit 1,500 yards in a career.
Slinging It: Braeden Zenelovic (Ontario Center, NY/Wayne Central ) has enjoyed a healthy start to his Utica career. The Pioneers' new signal caller has completed 30 of 49 pass attempts for four touchdowns and just one interception. He is second in the conference in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and is 41st in all of Division III in passer efficiency.
In The Ground Game: Four different Pioneers have a rushing touchdown this season, with Matt Brantley's (Rochester, NY/Eastridge) two trips to the end zone setting the pace. James Salles (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) and Sam Florio (Port Jefferson, NY/Port Jefferson) have also added rushing scores so far this season. Salles is the team's leading rusher with 96 net rushing yards, and he has kept up the positive momentum after standing as the team's leading rusher last year. He is eighth in the conference in rushing yards.
Tackle Talk: Eight Pioneers have ten or more tackles on the defensive side of the football through the first two games of the season. Linebacker Anthony McDonald (Huntington, NY/Huntington) is the squad's leading tackler with 18 in total, which ranks fourth in the Empire 8 on a per-game basis. Anthony Fasano (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park), James Prastio (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa), and Jimmie Warren (Suffern, NY/Suffern) each have sixteen tackles apiece, while Anthony Novello (Mepham, NY/Mepham) has fifteen. Prastio has a forced fumble to his name this season as well, while Novello has the team's lone interception, which he made happen during the Kean game. Nick Billand (Towaco, NJ/Montville) has twelve total tackles and is enjoying a new opportunity on the field after making the switch from wide receiver. Jamel Smith (Spring Valley, NY/Avon Old Farms) has ten tackles and a fumble recovery on the books, while defensive mainstay Joey Lipani (Rochester, NY/Hilton) also has snagged ten tackles at this point in the year.
Watch Your Back: Senior defensive end Jimmie Warren (Suffern, NY/Suffern) has a quarterback sack in both games this season, giving him ten for his collegiate career. He is the tenth player in program history to hit that mark. He is fourth on the team with sixteen total tackles. He has sacked the quarterback in four straight games dating back to last year.
About The Golden Bears: Western New England is 1-1, with games played against local rivals Springfield and Westfield State. The Golden Bears lost to Springfield in their opener, 42-14, before rebounding to win their President's Trophy rivalry game against Westfield State by a 38-14 score. Junior quarterback Tyler Millerick has taken the starting job from incumbent starter Bryce Karstetter and junior classmate Conrad Swanson. Millerick has thrown for 324 yards and four touchdowns, three of which came in last week's game against Westfield. Dillon Kohl is the team's leading rusher with 100 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore wideout De'Andre Harris has caught two of the team's four passing touchdowns. The offense employs a balanced attack to the tune of 320 yards per game to start the 2022 season. Defensive back Thomas Gasbarro leads the defense with sixteen tackles. The defensive unit concedes 361 yards and 28 points per game through the first two games of the season. WNEU finished 2021 with a 7-4 record, and their year wrapped up in the New England Bowl against the Merchant Marine Academy. They are coached by Jason Lebeau.
What's Next: The Pioneers stay on the road next weekend as they visit Frank Bailey Field in Schenectady for a non-conference battle against Union College.
