UTICA, NY - Homecoming has arrived at Utica University. The Pioneers will welcome… the Pioneers... in this year's First Source Federal Credit Union Teacher Appreciation Game. After standing tall through a tough non-conference slate, Utica University football officially begins its climb to the summit of the Empire 8, with this weekend's matchup opening conference play. The opponent is back-to-back NCAA Tournament participant Alfred State College, who made the dance in 2023 and 2024 thanks to two straight ECFC Championships. The opposing Pioneers will bring some playoff pedigree to the Empire 8 as they undergo their inaugural season in the league. Both teams will enter this contest with a 2-1 record, along with some momentum, after successful forays in non-conference competition. This week's matchup is sponsored by First Source Federal Credit Union and will also be taking place during a stuffed Homecoming Saturday at the U. At halftime, Utica Athletics will be recognizing its Pioneer Hall of Fame Class of 2025, with legendary linebacker Eric Kahl among this year's inductees. Get caught up ahead of all the action with this week's Utica University football preview! Also, make sure to tune in to the stream at around 12:00 PM on Saturday for this weekend's pre-game show!
 
This Saturday's showdown is slated for a 1:00 PM start down at ABM Field at Gaetano Stadium.
 
Looking for a ticket? No need! Entry is free this weekend for Homecoming.
 
You can stream Saturday's game by heading to the following link: https://www.empire8network.com/utica/

BE SURE TO TUNE IN AT AROUND 12:00 PM FOR THIS WEEKEND'S PREGAME SHOW
 
Interested spectators can also view live statistics by heading to this link: https://uticapioneers.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
 
If you'd like to listen to the matchup, the game will be available on radio by clicking this link: https://player.listenlive.co/42951
 
View this weekend's gameday program here: https://uticapioneers.com/documents/2025/9/25/FB_9.27.25_Homecoming_Program.pdf
 
Be sure to grab your physical copy when you arrive at the stadium!
 
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: Utica at W&J
 
Week Two: Utica vs RPI
 
Week Three: Utica at Hobart
  
This Week's Gameday Sponsor - First Source Federal Credit Union: First Source will be there on Saturday to celebrate homecoming with all of our wonderful teachers, thanks to their sponsorship of Utica University Athletics and the Utica University football team. First Source was founded as Utica Teachers' Federal Credit Union in 1938. Education has always been a key component to who they are at their core, and they are happy to be able to give back to the educational community at Saturday's game. First Source is also a long-time supporter of Utica University Athletics and is entrenched in the local community, where they can often be found volunteering, fundraising, and giving back. First Source offers a full suite of teen solutions from checking accounts with debit cards, to teen auto loans and credit cards. Let them help your teen learn smart money habits and start building good credit today! You can learn more about First Source Federal Credit Union at fsource.org.
 
Along with all of the events put on by First Source, there will also be another special group of Utica icons that will be a part of the action on Saturday:
 
Pioneer Hall of Fame - Class of 2025: This weekend, Utica Athletics will be welcoming four Pioneer icons into the Pioneer Hall of Fame. There will be a special ceremony at halftime of the game to honor these four individuals. This year's class consists of Adam Dekker, Jenny Lounsbury, Pete Tarnapoll, and Utica football great Eric Kahl. For more information on these individuals and their induction, you can view our official Hall of Fame release by heading to this link: Utica University Athletics Announces 2025 Hall of Fame Class
 
Week Three Recap: The Pioneers traveled to Geneva this past Saturday, staring down the Hobart Statesmen in a rematch of the 2023 Clayton Chapman Bowl. In what was an extremely competitive matchup, the Pioneers wrapped up non-conference play with a narrow 20-17 loss to the hosting Statesmen in a game where the Pioneers were the more dominant team throughout.
 
The orange and blue held a massive advantage in the passing game, where they outgained the hosts by nearly 160 yards. The Pioneer defense also played well, holding Hobart to under 250 yards of total offense. The team would overcome an early 13-0 deficit to lead 14-13 at halftime. Utica would also hold the advantage during the majority of the second half. Despite this, some costly turnovers and special teams mishaps cost the team against a polished Hobart squad, with the Statesmen scoring in the final few minutes to take a late lead. The Pioneers will do anything but lose momentum, though, as there's no shame in a close road loss against a perennial NCAA Tournament participant in Hobart. There are many positives to glean from Saturday's showing as the team moves on to face its fourth of five straight NCAA Tournament regulars this week in Alfred State.
 
Three Big Things: Up against a staunch Statesmen secondary, one thing that was made apparent about this iteration of Utica football is the sheer depth the squad has out on the wings. After an injury to star receiver Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Institute of Technology), it was next man up for the Pioneers as they sought to continue their streak of stellar passing performances. Even down a big target, the Pioneer passing game was still as present as ever, with Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) executing an excellent game plan by pass game coordinator Braeden Zenelovic, and the Pioneer receiving corps more than making up for the loss of Taylor. Five different receivers caught more than one pass each in the game, with Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) slotting in as the lead man thanks to a 12-catch, 88-yard performance. Antonio Cianfarani (Scotia, NY/Scotia Glenville) also bounced back after a quiet week two, catching six passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns, including a clutch fourth-down conversion for the Pioneers' opening score. Lorenzo Velez (East Setauket, NY/Ward Melville) stepped up in Taylor's absence, hauling in three catches for 66 yards, while Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) and Scotty Thompson (Fairport, NY/Fairport) continued to produce from the tight end spot, as Frederick grabbed five catches for 39 yards, and Thompson received two catches for 29 yards. All-in-all, the Pioneer pass game more than proved its potency and depth on Saturday.
 
Another positive was the Pioneer defense, which had another great week after a solid showing against RPI the week before. The defensive unit allowed just 20 points to the Statesmen, doing even better than the score indicates, as they held the opposition to under 250 yards of total offense. The Utica secondary stood tall, building on their disruptive outing against RPI as they held Hobart to just 128 passing yards. The defensive backs allowed just eight completions in 19 attempts by the Statesmen signal-callers, locking down the airways. This gave the team a massive advantage in the second half as they started to solve the problem of star running back EJ Taylor. The team allowed just seven points in the second half, finding their solution to the Hobart rushing attack and holding strong during most of the final 30 minutes.
 
Another highlight of the Pioneers' defensive effort was their depth and tackling, as 15 different Pioneers managed to record at least a single solo tackle in the contest. Everyone was involved in shutting down the Statesmen, with 23 total players logging at least one tackle and 14 players grabbing multiple tackles. The balanced defensive effort allowed some new Pioneers to break out, including sophomore linebacker Mason Nolan (Hilton, NY/Hilton Central), who was recognized by the Empire 8 for his effort against the Statesmen…
 
Nolan Knows / Three-in-a-Row: Mason Nolan (Hilton, NY/Hilton Central) was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week following a dominant defensive performance against a rugged Hobart team last weekend. This was the sophomore linebacker's first career conference honor, and marks the third consecutive week that the Pioneers have achieved an Empire 8 accolade to begin the 2025 season.
 
Nolan had a breakout game this past Saturday against the Hobart Statesmen, leading a Pioneer defense that held the hosts to under 250 total yards. Nolan managed to rack up four tackles (two solo) while also raiding the opposing backfield for two powerful sacks, costing the Statesmen 21 yards in the process. Nolan's aggressive defense halted multiple opposing drives in their tracks, as he shut down the Statesmen with his pair of quarterback takedowns. This is the sophomore's first season at the top of the depth chart, and it has been a breakout season so far for the outside linebacker.
 
Over the past two seasons, the Pioneers have earned Empire 8 recognition in 10 out of a possible 13 weeks, a stunning run.
 
Hitting the Nation's Radar: The hometown squad has earned more than just conference recognition, however, as the team and a couple of its players have cemented themselves among the top producers across the country in a number of different categories. Quarterback Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) has earned top-12 rankings in 12 different statistics, including five top-3 placements. Receiver Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) ranked among the top-22 in four categories, tying for 4th and 6th best in two of them. The orange and blue as a whole found themselves in the top-10 of six different team statistics.
 
As many following the team so far this season have witnessed, Szalkowski has played incredibly for Utica. He has been called upon often, finding success at a very high rate and putting himself among the top of the nation in all major quarterback categories. He has thrown the 4th-most pass attempts (111), completing 83 of them, the third most in the country, for a 7th-best 74.8% completion percentage. His high pass attempts have helped propel him to 1,200 passing yards, second most in the nation, and 12 passing touchdowns, where Szalkowski joins just four players to reach that number
 
Palmer has earned particular note in the total receptions category. His 29 total receptions tie for 4th best, with his 9.67 receptions per game ranking just behind in a tie for 6th place. Getting the ball in his hands at a high rate has allowed Palmer to rack up 357 receiving yards (14th) at an average of 119.0 per game (22nd).
 
Utica's high-ranking team stats tell two stories: that of an efficient pass offense and a dangerous special teams unit. The orange and blue Pioneers have converted a 10th-best 55.9% of their 3rd down conversion attempts. Their 76 total first downs, tied for 9th most, have come largely in the air, achieving a total of 52 first downs by way of pass, tied for 3rd most. Utica has shown exceptional ability to get their hand on special teams kicks, blocking three kicks and two punts. The team joins just 10 teams with three or more blocked kicks, and just seven teams with two or more blocked punts.
 
Empire 8 Excellence: Palmer continues to show excellence within the conference as well, currently leading in each of the three major receiving statistics. He holds a seven-catch lead with his 29 receptions, an 87-yard lead on his 357 total receiving yards, and is just one of four E8 players to catch three touchdowns.
 
Two Utica defensive players have found themselves high on the charts. Sophomore linebacker Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston) has landed a 5th-place ranking with his 26 total tackles so far. Captain Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley) has been crucial in disrupting the pass game for the defense, intercepting two passes and recording another two pass breakups. He joins just seven E8 players with multiple interceptions, and is one of just two players with four total passes defended.
 
Orange and Blue Archive - vs Alfred State: This will be the third ever "Pioneer Bowl", as the two teams bearing the same mascot will meet for the first time since 2021 this weekend. Utica currently has a 2-0 record against the blue counterpart, with a 39-21 win over Alfred State in 2021, and a 29-7 win way back in 2001, which was the program's first-ever win at the varsity level. Both of those games took place in enemy territory, meaning this will be the first-ever matchup between these two programs to take place at Gaetano Stadium.
 
In 2021, the orange and blue captured victory thanks to Sonny Badyna, who threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for another two touchdowns, and powered the visiting Pioneer offense to a 39-21 victory. In what was the first game of the 2021 campaign, Utica outgained Alfred State by a 469-173 margin. The dominance also expanded to Utica's defense, as they held the Alfred State rushing attack to just a measly eight yards.
 
Nate Palmer also had a great day during that particular outing, putting up a career-high 177 yards and one touchdown.
 
Preparing for… The Pioneers?: The opposing Pioneers of Alfred State will enter this weekend's contest with a 2-1 record, falling in their season-opener to Anderson University in Indiana by a 6-7 final before rebounding with wins at Hilbert (49-13) and home against Buffalo State (56-20).
 
The man at the top of Utica's scouting report will assuredly be junior tailback Noah Currier, who's rushed for 322 yards and an impressive seven touchdowns through three games this season. Currier currently ranks 27th and fourth in all of Division III for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. If that wasn't enough, Currier is heavily involved in the passing game as well, posting receiving numbers of 11 catches for 112 yards and three touchdowns. Alfred State heavily relies on its other rushers, too, with the rushing game compiling a total of 656 yards through their games so far, an average of 210 yards per game. They've also racked up nine combined touchdowns on the ground.
 
Justin Horvath leads the air attack for Alfred State, as the senior signal caller has tossed for 492 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. Horvath has gone 46-69 (66.67%), also picking up two interceptions along the way.
 
Elijah Georges leads the receiving corps alongside Currier, as the sophomore from Middletown has posted 12 catches for 172 yards and two scores.
 
Evan Cervantes leads the Alfred State defense with 22 total tackles from the linebacker position. Cervantes, just a freshman, has already made his presence known at the collegiate ranks, forcing and recovering two fumbles in his first three collegiate games.
 
Flanking Cervantes is the defensive back duo of Chris Bergman and Donnell Hall, who've both captured two interceptions each through the non-conference campaign.
 
Lastly, Coen Miles III is the opposing Pioneers' main backfield disruptor, already having three and a half sacks in 2025.
 
Keys Against Alfred State: A key path to victory for Utica will be minimizing the damage of junior running back Noah Currier. The rush attack as a whole for the visiting Pioneers has run at an efficient 5.7 yards per carry. Leading the way is Currier, who has averaged 6.0 yards per attempt over his 51 rushes, punching home seven of Alfred State's nine rushing touchdowns. He has been a crucial piece in the air as well, catching 11 passes, just one less than his team lead, for 112 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. He is one of just two blue and yellow Pioneers to reach 100+ receiving yards this season, and leads the team with 3 receiving touchdowns.
 
Utica's offensive line will be set for a challenge in the contest. Alfred State has had five separate players record 4.0 or higher tackles for loss, reaching a total of 32.0 as a team. Of the 32 tackles in the backfield, nine of them have resulted in sacks. The defensive unit has achieved eight turnovers so far, five by interception and three by fumble.
 
Into the Dragon's Den: After opening up conference play against Alfred State, the Pioneers will travel south to SUNY Cortland for a 1:00 PM matchup with the 2024 Empire 8 Champion Cortland Red Dragons. That game will take place at Grady Field and will have huge playoff implications despite it being so early in the conference season. Cortland currently has a D3football.com ranking of 24, and will meet Morrisville State this weekend ahead of next week's tilt.
 
Be sure to tune in this weekend for the First Source Federal Credit Union Teacher Appreciation Game against Alfred State!!!