UTICA, NY - This Saturday, the Pioneers are slated to participate in one of Division III Football's featured matchups, heading down to SUNY Cortland with some momentum in hopes of upsetting the reigning Empire 8 Champions. Down in the Dragon's Den, the Pioneers will attempt to take their up-tempo style and upend a gritty Cortland squad that is under new management this season. Unstoppable will meet immovable this weekend, as the orange and blue will stake it all on taking down the hosts, looking to end Cortland's 28-game Empire 8 unbeaten streak. In storyline, matchup, and feel, this contest is shaping up to be one of the premier battles of the entire Division III Football season. Buckle up, and get ready for this weekend's war with our weekly football preview.
 
This Saturday's showdown is slated for a 1:00 PM start at Grady Field in Cortland, New York.
 
Looking for a ticket? Follow this information from SUNY Cortland's website in order to get your ticket!
 
All tickets are digital, sold through Hudl Ticketing. To purchase tickets, use this link: https://fan.hudl.com/usa/ny/cortland/organization/23284/suny-cortland/tickets
 
Pets are not allowed in the stadium. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted to be brought into venues. Parking on campus is first come, first serve.
 
$6.00 - Adults
$5.00 - Senior Citizens (65+), Youth Ages 5-17, Veterans
FREE - SUNY Cortland Students/Faculty/Staff (with valid college ID), Children 4 and under
 
*all tickets are subject to a $1.00 service fee
 
You can stream Saturday's game by heading to the following link: https://www.cortlandreddragons.com/sports/2019/8/15/BlueFramePage.aspx
 
Interested spectators can also view live statistics by heading to this link: https://www.cortlandreddragons.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
 
Highlights will be available on our athletics YouTube either late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning. Click the links below to get caught up on game highlights from the previous Utica football games:
 
Week One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1uwz6mKYyM&t=4s
 
Week Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktlJmXAs8HY
 
Week Three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNq7-fe0Dmo&t=2s
 
Week Four: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJTkmX2tGK0&t=11s
 
Week Four Recap: Last weekend, the Pioneers welcomed their doppelganger, Alfred State, as the "Pioneer Bowl" took center stage on a big Homecoming weekend. In the third-ever meeting between the two teams, the hosting Pioneers put their foot on the gas pedal right from the get-go, using a 28-point second quarter to take a 35-7 halftime lead, eventually winning 45-13. The orange and blue moved to 3-1 with the win, improving to 2-0 at home while also grabbing their first conference win. The Gaet' effect continued to haunt opposing teams, with the 45-13 win improving the Pioneers' win margin at home to +57, outscoring their two opponents by a combined 84-27 margin.
 
In the matchup, the Utica defense shut down the reigning Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week, Noah Currier, as they stumped the opposing running back, allowing just a single offensive score. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) and the Utica offense continued their powerful play, as the Pioneer quarterback tossed for 285 yards and four touchdowns en route to taking back the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week during this week's award cycle.
 
The orange and blue outgained their Pioneer counterpart by 301 yards, racking up 478 yards of total offense while allowing just 177 yards. Utica also grabbed 28 first downs compared to Alfred State's 11. As a unit, the team passed for 338 yards and five scores, continuing to dominate opposing secondaries. In addition, the hosts maintained complete control of the tempo, holding the ball for 35 minutes and also winning the turnover battle. To cap it all off, the team remained extremely efficient on third down, converting eight of 13 chances.
 
The team's biggest strength on Saturday, though, was the Pioneer special teams, who put together an all-time showing in front of the massive Homecoming crowd…
 
Three Big Things: The orange and blue specialists had an all-time outing in the Homecoming victory, as the Pioneers blocked two punts, a field goal, and also recovered an onside kick - kind of.
 
Nathan Hernandez (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) stepped up to the occasion, proving to be a Homecoming hero as he burst through the Alfred State line twice, blocking two punts. The sophomore's timely plays helped the Pioneers stack up momentum, which they would capitalize on. After Hernandez's first block, it took the offense two plays to score the opening touchdown. The Mechanicville native also became just the fifth Pioneer to ever record multiple blocked kicks in a single season, accomplishing the feat in just 60 minutes on Saturday. Breon Campbell Jr. (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph Collegiate Institute) also joined the block party, bursting through and stuffing Alfred State's only field goal attempt of the afternoon. Javier Rivera-Leal (Latham, NY/Shaker) also came up with the recovery, returning the ball to set the offense up with good field position. The Pioneers have now blocked both opposing field goal attempts that have occurred during their home contests, as Nick DeForrest got a mitt on RPI's only field goal attempt of the Believe Bowl.
 
The big plays didn't end there, though, as the kickoff unit created a remarkable opportunity during the second quarter. Following a Utica touchdown, Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) landed the ensuing kickoff down near the opposing 30-yard line. The Alfred State return unit thought the kick might trickle out of bounds; however, a fortunate bounce kept the ball in play, and Tony Dorozynksi was immediately on the scene, scooping the ball up for a bizarre onside kick recovery. The Pioneers then went on to score again. The second point of strength was just that, the Pioneers' penchant for creating big, momentum-shifting plays. Whether it be blocks, onside kick recoveries, or even forcing turnovers, the Pioneers have been adept at forcing their opponents to make mistakes. Even earlier in Saturday's matchup, Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley) ended an Alfred State possession with an interception, his third of the season. This momentum then carried over into what was another Pioneer touchdown drive. The fast-paced, disruptive nature of the team has permeated every level of the game, making it an area where the Pioneers can gain an edge.
 
Another advantage for the Pioneers has been their depth at every position, and this was never more evident than during Saturday's matchup. The team continued its expert distribution of the ball, as nine different Pioneers logged at least one reception during the Homecoming tilt. They also spread the wealth on the ground, with seven different players pounding the rock. This depth even carried over to the defensive end, with a legion of orange and blue defenders logging tackles. 29 different defenders registered a takedown, while 19 of those players picked up at least a single solo tackle. None of this was the most interesting display of depth, though, as that came behind center. During Saturday's game, all four of the Pioneer quarterbacks saw substantial snaps, as the quartet of Szalkowski, Brett Fuller (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis), Matthew Pallouras (Rochelle Park, NJ/Hackensack), and Nazir Kelly all got important playing time. Szalkowski and Fuller dominated through the air, while Pallouras and Kelly got the running game going on some designed quarterback runs. The creativity and longevity of the team were on full display during Saturday's action, even down to the most important position.
 
Three-Time Ty: For one of the Pioneer signal callers, Saturday was business as usual, with Szalkowski picking up his third Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week honor in just four weeks of games. In 2024, no Pioneer received the award more than once, but the Pioneers' new quarterback has now captured three. In addition, he's sitting near the top of Division III in many different statistical categories, including a few where he has the top spot…
 
Division III Dossier: The Pioneers entered last week with a variety of high-ranking spots among the Division III statistical categories. After Saturday's thumping of Alfred State, those spots were solidified even more, with the team appearing heavily across the Division III stat leaders.
 
Individually, the aforementioned Szalkowski has a monopoly on many of the quarterback categories, holding the following rankings:
 
1st | Passing Yards - 1485
1st | Passing Touchdowns - 16
2nd | Points - 102
3rd | Passing Yards/g - 371.25
6th | Completion Percentage - 74.3%
7th | Passing Efficiency - 196.21
8th | Completions/g - 26.75
8th | Total Offense - 369.8 yds/g
10th | Points/g - 24
13th | Yards/Attempt - 10.31
 
Additionally, the Pioneer receiving corps, which has helped Szalkowski to many of the rankings above, also finds themselves among the Division III leaders in different spots. Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) currently sits fourth for receptions per game, nearly averaging double-digit receptions per game, but settling for a stellar 9.75 catches average. The local product also ranks 18th in reception yards per game with 117.2. Antonio Cianfarani (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville) and Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) are currently tied for 33rd in receiving touchdowns, as each player has hauled in four scores.
 
On the defensive side, Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley) is tied for 17th in interceptions per game, with his three picks in four outings giving him a 0.75 in that category.
 
As a team, the big story for the Pioneers is their special teams, having the most blocked kicks in Division III. The team's blocked kick total of six is also two more than the next closest unit. In terms of blocked punts, the Pioneers are also first, having four stuffs in the early going.
 
The orange and blue offense also performs well in several categories, particularly in the passing game, ranking third in total passing yards (1,538) and fifth in pass yards per game (384.5). Utica has the fourth-most first downs in Division III, with 104, while also converting third downs at the 13th-highest rate (57.4%). On the topic of conversions, the Pioneers have been nearly unstoppable in the red zone, currently being tied for the 23rd-best redzone conversion percentage at 93.8%. In 16 redzone trips, the Pioneers have scored 13 touchdowns (four rush, nine pass), and hit two field goals, only coming up empty in one trip. Another area where the Pioneers have relied is on their superior ball control, as the team has routinely out possessed its opponents this year. Utica has held the ball for 34 minutes per game, 16th in all of Division III. Finally, the Pioneer offense ranks 15th in total offense (486 yards/g, 1,948 yds) and is tied for 34th in points per game (38).

Click here to view the NCAA Division III Football Statistical Leaderboards: https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/d3
 
Orange and Blue Archive - vs Cortland: This weekend, the Pioneers will meet an opponent who's gained massive amounts of national recognition over the past few years. However, this presents an opportunity for the orange and blue to steal the spotlight in what is undoubtedly one of the highest-profile games in program history. Cortland will enter this game ranked #20 in the AFCA poll and #22 in the D3football.com poll, giving the Pioneers an opportunity to upend a ranked opponent for the first time since the 2022 NCAA Tournament when they defeated then #11-ranked Susquehanna. Since 2020, the Pioneers have gone 2-6 against ranked opponents, but have fared extremely well in enemy territory, having a 2-3 record on the road in those games.
 
This will be the 13th meeting between the Pioneers and Red Dragons, with Cortland holding 12 wins in the series. However, despite the Red Dragon's majority of the overall wins, the Pioneers were extremely competitive in many of those games, including a stretch of four matchups from 2015 to 2018 that were all decided by one score or less.
 
Preparing for the Red Dragons: Like the Pioneers, the Red Dragons will enter Saturday's contest with a 3-1 record, posting lopsided wins versus Union (30-6), and on the road at Hartwick (59-9) and Morrisville (48-3). The team's lone loss came in its season-opener to Grove City, who took down the Red Dragons by a 31-14 final. The Wolverines fell to the eventual Red Dragons 25-24 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament due to a late Cortland touchdown, coupled with a Grove City missed field goal as time expired. However, this time around, the Wolverines intercepted new Cortland quarterback Mike Rescigno five times en route to a season-opening upset.
 
Despite that early setback, though, Rescigno and the new-look Red Dragons have found success, especially in the ground game. For a team that has been very pass-heavy over the past few seasons, this year marks a dramatic shift in offensive tactics for Cortland, as they now rely heavily on their multi-pronged rushing attack. On the ground, the Red Dragons' leading rusher is their main quarterback in Rescigno. The sophomore leads the team in rushing yards with 473, also stacking up six rushing touchdowns. Ethan Gallo also gets it done in the Cortland rushing game, with the junior running back having 287 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. The combination of Rescigno and Gallo has led an offensive unit that has tallied 1,008 total rushing yards, averaging 234 per game, making this the preferred method of attack for Cortland.
 
The Red Dragons can still get it done in the air, as Rescigno has tossed for 538 yards and five touchdowns this season. The Cortland receiving corps is very balanced, having three players over 100 yards receiving and a fourth who has just under 100. Jayson Zeva (159 yds, 2 TDs), Jacque LaPrarie (136 yds, 1 TD), Sam Cotton (131 yds, 1 TD), and Joe Iadevaio (95 yds, 1 TD) make up the quartet of top targets for the Red Dragons. Although Rescigno, the sophomore from Arlington, New York, has been prone to making mistakes, having recorded eight interceptions in his four starts. This will be an area for the Pioneers to target.
 
On defense, the Red Dragons remain a physical and fast unit. The defense as a whole has been extremely disruptive, logging eleven sacks, six interceptions, 20 pass breakups, and four fumble recoveries. Cortland relies on two defensive superstars at different levels of the unit, on senior defensive lineman Aden Wiser up front, and on junior defensive back Nazair Jean-Lubin in the secondary.
 
Wiser has been beastly in the trenches, grabbing 15 total tackles, including 5.5 sacks in just four games, the highest sack total in the Empire 8. He'll be looking to make life tough for the Pioneer offensive line and quarterback Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute). Though the biggest battle of the afternoon may be waged between Szalkowski and the Red Dragons' other defensive star in Jean-Lubin. The junior from Freeport, New York, has recorded two interceptions, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble on the season, and makes plenty of momentum-changing plays through his role in the secondary.
 
Other players to watch out for on the Red Dragon defense are linebacker Aidan Lochner (27 tackles) and defensive back Alessandro DeRosa (23 tackles).
 
Keys Against Cortland: For the Pioneers, two big points of emphasis stand out in this matchup: stop the run and play mistake-free football.
 
On offense, the Red Dragons will attempt to pound the rock all game, and it's up to the Pioneer defensive front to limit the hosts in this category. If the Pioneers can force Cortland into some passing plays, Douglas and a quick Pioneer secondary could look to have an advantage. It all starts with stopping the rush, as the Red Dragons could control the tempo throughout if their rushing game is effective. The biggest battle will take place right at the line of scrimmage, with the Pioneer defensive line and linebacker units facing off against a balanced Cortland rushing attack.
 
The other key for the Pioneers is to play as mistake-free as possible. Much like the Utica defense, Cortland will be looking for big, momentum-swinging plays. Its up to Szalkowski and the other top offensive players to keep hold of the ball, and continue to utilize their possession-heavy style to keep the Red Dragon defense out there and allow their own defense time to recover.
 
Additionally, the Pioneers will hope for another solid game from their special teams unit, as that could give them a massive advantage. Getting good field position against Cortland can give the Pioneers the slight edge they need to start gaining traction in the matchup.
 
Regardless, there are plenty of amazing individual battles to keep an eye on in this one, from Szalkowski and Palmer facing off against Jean-Lubin, ADante Bianchino (Albany, NY/Shaker) and the offensive line looking to halt Wiser, and even Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale) and the defensive line looking to slow down Rescigno and the Red Dragon rush; this one is shaping up to be a great matchup.
 
Next Weekend's Party at the Gaet: Next weekend, the Pioneers will return to Gaetano Field for their only October home game, meeting the Morrisville Mustangs in the GKG, Sullivan Contracting, and Strategic Financial Breast Cancer Awareness Game. That matchup is scheduled to start at 12:00 PM on Saturday, October 11th.
 
Tune in this weekend to watch the Pioneers face off against the Red Dragons!!!