Utica vs Morrisville Football Game Notes | Pioneers Look to Bounce Back With Bye Week Looming

MORRISVILLE, NY - The Utica University football team hits the road this weekend for a big bounce-back opportunity against a competitive SUNY Morrisville squad directly ahead of the orange and blue's bye week. Following a tightly contested loss against #15 SUNY Cortland, the Pioneers (4-1, 1-1 E8) will head over to Drake Field with a chance to get back on the right track against a Morrisville team (1-4, 0-2 E8) that nearly upset the moose-clad men during last season's matchup. Despite picking up their first loss this past weekend, the orange and blue still boast one of Division III's best resumes, with national media and analytics ranking the Pioneers' body of work second among all Division III NCAA Tournament At-Large contenders, only falling behind #2 Wheaton. Get caught up ahead of this weekend's matchup down below!

You can stream this Saturday's contest by heading to the following link: https://boxcast.tv/view/morrisville-football-vs-utica-university-m7wzy8zvzqcwrhw6n0gm?b=ljpihf3mm3vj6njvz0a1

For live statistics, you can head to this link: https://morrisvillemustangs.com/sidearmstats/football/summary

Ticket information:
Adults (15+): $5
Senior Citizens, Children under 15: Admitted Free

All tickets can be purchased at the gate of the stadium as early as an hour prior with a cash only purchase option.

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 vs W&J: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_czjU8x7og

Week Two at RPI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fe5s5ZTvf8

Week Three vs Hobart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHDKr7EhZ3w&t=6s

Week Four at Alfred State: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzNPylyaxbQ

Week Five vs #17 SUNY Cortland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fXhCsezzk8

Week Five Recap: The Pioneers took on a tough SUNY Cortland squad this past weekend during the team's annual Homecoming game, roaring back from a 21-0 deficit before ultimately falling 31-21 to a clock-churning Red Dragon squad. The Red Dragons moved to 5-0, while the Pioneers fell to 4-1, albeit with four of the strongest wins in all of Division III. The orange and blue began Saturday with a pair of 3-and-outs, while the Red Dragons managed to score on their first two possessions of the afternoon to shoot out to a 14-0 advantage. A fumble and a blocked punt on the ensuing two possessions by Utica would see the #22 Pioneers fall into a 21-0 hole, one which would be hard to get out of against one of Division III's top rushing attacks in Cortland duo Mike Rescigno and Ethan Gallo. Despite the odds, the Pioneers would manage to find their rhythm, scoring once before halftime and coming inches away from making it a 21-14 game heading into the break. Cortland would do well to salt away the entire third quarter, taking a 28-7 lead into the fourth quarter. However, the Pioneers would score right away to make it 28-14, and threatened again following a Cortland field goal later in the frame, as the Pioneers pulled within one score at 31-21 thanks to back-to-back touchdowns from top tight end Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls). Even with the surging offense, the Red Dragons had done enough to eliminate the clock, as the Pioneers' final score came with just 1:02 left, not affording them enough time to grab more points as the early deficit did them in.

Despite the loss, the Pioneers showed well in the latter stages of the contest, grabbing two more first downs than Cortland, going 12-20 on third down, winning the turnover battle, and racking up just seven fewer yards than the multi-time Empire 8 Champions. Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) completed 29 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, two of which were caught by Frederick, who piled up seven catches for 69 yards and two scores. Safety Nathan Hernandez (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) was solid on the defensive side, wrapping up eight tackles and grabbing a key interception, giving him an Empire 8-best four picks on the season.

Poll Position: The Pioneers fell out of the D3football.com and AFCA polls following this past weekend's loss, but they didn't fall too far behind Division III's top competition, as they currently sit just two places out of the top 25 in both polls. In the D3football.com poll, the Pioneers sit behind top vote-getter Mount Union, while in the AFCA rankings, the Pioneers sit behind top vote-getter Calvin.

The NPI, a collection of metrics that decides the Division III NCAA Tournament field, is not currently published through five weeks. However, there are a few other places that publish unofficial NPI calculations, which can be used to gain a general idea of where the Pioneers fall in the current tournament field.

Logan Hansen of D3football.com publishes rankings and resumes based on a model that closely resembles the official NPI. In his post-week five calculations, the Pioneers possess an average NPI rank of 21.7, placing them firmly in the tournament conversation amongst a field of 40 teams. The blue and orange also hold the 15th-best resume in all of Division III Football according to Hansen, the second-best resume among teams with one loss, only falling behind reigning Division III Champion UW-River Falls.

The Pioneers enter the second half of the season with a stellar first-half showing, but much more work to be done to clinch the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

Pioneer Performance: The Pioneer offense is operating at an elite rate through the first five weeks of 2026, piling up 433.2 yards of total offense per game and 6.2 yards of offense per play, both of which rank third on the program's single-season records. This is despite facing a gauntlet of great defenses, including Washington & Jefferson, RPI, Hobart, and Cortland, and it bodes well for the Pioneers as they look to put together another all-time great offensive season.

Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) is having another solid campaign for the Pioneers, with the pocket prodigy posting a 70.31% completion rate, which would shatter his own 2025 single-season record of 67.7%. He's also tossed for 320.6 yards per game in 2026, just 10 yards per game short of his 2025 program record of 330.7. He leads the Empire 8 in nearly all passing categories by a substantial margin, including completions (135), percentage (70.3%), yards (1603), touchdowns (12), and yards per game (320.6).

Szalkowski's success has come in large part thanks to an array of star wideouts, as the trio of Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse Institute of Technology), Gabriel Zawolo (Rochester, NY/McQuaid Jesuit), and Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) all rank top-10 in the Empire 8. Taylor leads the Empire 8 with 504 yards, averaging just over 100 yards per game and averaging 21.91 yards per reception, with all three of those marks ranking in the top 35 of all Division III wide receivers. Taylor is on pace to surpass Bryce Palmer's (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) 2025 total of 1,026 receiving yards, and could have a shot at the single-season record of 1,291 held by Nate Palmer, as long as the current senior keeps up production. Zawolo, on the other hand, is the Pioneers' short-gain target, and has hauled in 45 receptions through just five games, putting him on pace to break the Utica and Empire 8 single-season receptions record, which was set by Palmer with 91 receptions in 2025.

Another major reason behind the team's offensive success is superstar senior Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep), who has achieved two Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week awards through five weeks thanks to a nationally recognized start to the season. Despite not attempting a field goal last weekend, Duarte still ranks #1 in all of Division III for field goals made and field goal percentage, having gone 11-for-11 from the spot for a 1.000 clip. His 11 field goals already place him third in program history, with only Maki Medici (15) and Thomas Woodburn (22) having converted more field goals.

On defense, the Pioneers have been even more disruptive than last season, forcing 15 turnovers over their five games, which is the fourth-best mark in all of Division III. The team's seven fumble recoveries also place them tied for 2nd in all of Division III.

Nathan Hernandez (Mechanicville, NY/Mechanicville) has been a catalyst behind the team's torrent of takeaways, proving extremely successful in the Pioneer secondary as he ranks third on the team in tackles with 25 while also posting a team-high four interceptions through five games. That rate puts him on pace to break the single-season program record for picks, which is held by Jon Klosner, who grabbed seven interceptions during the program's second season in 2002. The Pioneers have employed their safeties aggressively in 2026, as Hernandez and fellow safety Joseph Gentile (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) rank third and second in tackles, respectively.

The Pioneers' main defensive force, however, is junior linebacker Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston), who has totaled an Empire 8-leading 58 tackles through five games, averaging 11.6 takedowns per contest, which currently ranks seventh in all of Division III. Thomas is on pace to break the record for single-season tackle assists, which is currently held by Juwan Wilson with 70.

The Pioneers are tied for the league lead in sacks with 14 total split across eight players, showcasing the depth of the team's defensive front.

National Ranks: Below is a list of statistics in which the Pioneers rank top-50 nationally:

Team Statistical Placements:

Fumbles Recovered | 7 | Tied-2nd
Turnovers Generated | 15 | 4th
Passing Yards Per Game | 320.6 | 9th
Total First Downs | 121 (27 Rush, 79 Pass, 15 Penalties) | 10th
Turnover Margin per Game | +1.80 | Tied-11th
Interceptions | 8 | Tied-14th
Completion Percentage | .685 (135 Completions, 197 Attempts) | 18th
4th Down Percentage | .667 (5-for-8) | Tied-31st
Sacks per Game | 2.80 | Tied-42nd
Time of Possession | 162 Minutes (32 per Game) | 42nd
Least Opposing Tackles for Loss Per Game | 4.20 | Tied-43rd
Total Offense Per Game | 433.2 Yards | 43rd
Points Per Game | 35.8 | 46th

Individual Statistical Placements

Duarte | Field Goal Percentage | 1.000 (11 Makes, 11 Attempts) | 1st
Duarte | Field Goals per Game | 2.20 | 1st
Szalkowski | Passing Yards | 1,603 | 1st
Szalkowski | Passing Yards per Game | 320.60 | 4th
Zawolo | Receptions per Game | 9 | 5th
Thomas | Tackles per Game | 11.6 | 7th
Hernandez | Interceptions | 4 | Tied-9th
Szalkowski | Total Offense per Game | 314.6 | 13th
Duarte | Total Points Scored | 51 | 15th
Taylor | Receiving Yards | 504 | 15th
Szalkowski | Completion Percentage | .703 (135 Completions, 192 Attempts) | 16th
Szalkowski | Passing Touchdowns | 12 | Tied-16th
Zawolo | Receiving Touchdowns | 5 | Tied-22nd
Taylor | Receiving Yards per Game | 100.8 | 28th
Duarte | Scoring per Game | 10.2 | 29th
Zawolo | Receiving Yards | 420 | 30th
Szalkowski | Points Responsible For | 74 | Tied-30th
Taylor | Yards per Reception | 21.91 | 34th
Szalkowski | Passing Efficiency | 156.90 | 43rd

Pioneer Playmakers: Below is a list of each accolade the Pioneers have achieved through three weeks of play.

Week One vs W&J
Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) - D3football.com National Team of the Week
Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) - Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week
Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) - Pioneer Athlete of the Week
Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) - 1,000 career receiving yards

Week Two vs RPI
Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse Institute of Technology) - D3football.com National Team of the Week
Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse Institute of Technology) - Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week
Blaise Faggiano - 100 Career Head Coaching Wins

Week Three vs Hobart
Jack Lamphere (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) - D3football.com Week Three Game Ball
Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse Institute of Technology) - 1,000 career receiving yards

Week Four at Alfred State
Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) - Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week
Tahjir Fernand (Fort Lauderdale, FL/New Rochelle) - D3football.com National Team of the Week

Total Awards Count

Team:
Empire 8 Players of the Week: 3
D3football.com Team of the Week: 3

Individual:
Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) - Empire 8 Player of the Week: 2
Tahjir Fernand (Fort Lauderdale, FL/New Rochelle) - D3football.com Team of the Week: 1
Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) - D3football.com Team of the Week: 1
Jack Lamphere (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) - D3football.com Game Ball
Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse Institute of Technology) - Empire 8 Player of the Week: 1
Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse Institute of Technology) - D3football.com Team of the Week: 1

Orange and Blue Archive - Morrisville State: The Pioneers will look to continue their recent success against SUNY Morrisville this weekend, as Utica enters Saturday's matchup with a 6-5 all-time record against the Mustangs. The two programs first met in 2014, with Morrisville earning a 52-41 victory in the inaugural meeting, the only non-conference contest between the two. Since then, the series has featured plenty of close contests, with Utica holding a 6-4 advantage over the last 10 meetings and a 6-4 record against the Mustangs in Empire 8 play. The Pioneers have won four of the last five meetings, including last season's 27-21 victory at Gaetano Stadium, and will look to continue that recent success during Saturday's trip to Drake Field.

Last season, the Pioneers welcomed Morrisville to Gaetano Stadium and built a 20-0 halftime advantage before holding off a late Mustang comeback for a 27-21 victory. Utica's offense found the end zone four times, with Matthew Pallouras (Rochelle Park, NJ/Hackensack) rushing for three touchdowns and Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) adding an 18-yard touchdown reception from Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute). Eze Frazier (Garnerville, NY/North Rockland) led the Pioneers with 97 yards on 19 attempts. Szalkowski completed 21 of 29 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown, while the Utica defense limited Morrisville to just 94 passing yards. The Mustangs rallied with three second-half touchdowns, but Nicholas DeForrest (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) ended the comeback attempt in dramatic fashion, recording two sacks on Morrisville's final possession to seal the six-point victory.

The 2024 meeting in Morrisville was one of the most dramatic games in the recent series, with the Mustangs holding on for a 28-26 victory. Morrisville controlled the ground game throughout the afternoon, rushing 42 times for 256 yards, while Utica countered through the air as Brett Fuller (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis) completed 24 of 27 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns, also recording the then-second most accurate passing game in program history with a 88.9% completion rate. Tyshawn Taylor (Syracuse, NY/Syracuse Institute of Technology) hauled in seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns, including a 44-yard score before halftime and a remarkable 38-yard touchdown with no time remaining that gave the Pioneers an opportunity to tie the game. Utica finished with 395 total yards, but Morrisville's ability to control the clock on the ground proved pivotal. The Mustangs stopped the ensuing two-point attempt, preserving the 28-26 victory in one of the closest finishes in the series.

In 2022, the Pioneers produced one of the most memorable finishes in program history when they traveled to Morrisville and rallied for a 20-17 walk-off victory. Morrisville carried a 7-0 lead into halftime and extended its advantage to 17-7 in the fourth quarter, but Utica rallied behind quarterback and current offensive coordinator Braeden Zenelovic, who completed 25 of 40 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns. The Pioneers cut the deficit to 17-14 with 3:46 remaining before the defense forced a three-and-out to give the offense one final opportunity. Zenelovic then directed a 13-play, 77-yard drive, completing passes to four different receivers before the Pioneers beat the running clock to snap the ball on the final play. With the Morrisville defense believing the game had ended, Joey Nare was left wide open for the game-winning touchdown, giving Utica its seventh victory of the season and tying the all-time series at four wins apiece at the time, as the Pioneers would go on to make their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance thanks in large part to this win.

Preparing for the Mustangs: SUNY Morrisville enters Saturday's matchup at 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Empire 8 play after dropping four straight following a season-opening 33-30 road victory over Kean. The Mustangs followed the Kean win with losses to Rochester, 21-10, Union, 38-17, #18 Cortland, 62-6, and Alfred State, 33-21.

Offense: The Mustangs' offense is led by junior quarterback Logan Watson, who has completed 60 of 94 passes for 591 yards and four touchdowns through five games. Watson has also added 41 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. His best performance of the season came in the opener against Kean, when he completed 15 of 27 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a score. Watson connected with Mason Ondreyko for a 78-yard touchdown and Chaunsey Gilbert for an 82-yard completion, demonstrating the big-play potential that Morrisville possesses. Against Rochester, Watson completed 17 of 25 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, while he threw for 171 yards against Union before being intercepted three times. Morrisville has also used freshman quarterback William Forte, who has completed 17 of 44 passes for 152 yards across three appearances.

The Mustangs' rushing attack is paced by senior Isaac Sylvain, who has carried 58 times for 266 yards and four touchdowns through five games. Sylvain has been especially effective in the red zone, scoring the game-winning touchdown on a two-yard run with 1:44 remaining against Kean before breaking loose for a 49-yard touchdown against Union. He also rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns against Alfred State last weekend, including both of Morrisville's rushing scores in the 33-21 loss. Senior Jalyn Jacques has provided a second option in the backfield, totaling 115 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries. Jacques has shown his ability to contribute in multiple ways as well, adding four receptions for 73 yards. The Pioneers' defensive front will need to account for both backs while remaining prepared for Watson's ability to extend plays with his legs.

The Mustangs' top receiving threat is Mason Ondreyko, who has caught 20 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns through five games. Ondreyko immediately demonstrated his big-play ability in the season opener, hauling in a 78-yard touchdown against Kean, and he later caught six passes for 94 yards against Cortland despite Morrisville's offensive struggles in the 62-6 loss. Chaunsey Gilbert has averaged an impressive 27.5 yards per catch on his four receptions, including an 82-yard reception against Kean, while Larry German has added 13 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Lawrence Duncan IV has also become a reliable underneath option, catching 12 passes for 88 yards. Morrisville's passing game has produced explosive plays, but Utica's secondary will have an opportunity to force the Mustangs to sustain longer drives rather than allowing another series of chunk plays.

Defense: Morrisville has allowed 36.8 points and 433.8 yards per game through five contests, but the Mustangs have shown flashes of being able to generate pressure and create turnovers. The defense has recorded nine sacks and six interceptions, with Zavion Daniels leading the team with three interceptions. Daniels made an immediate impact in the season opener against Kean, recording six tackles, two interceptions and three pass breakups, including a second interception with 1:33 remaining that helped secure the 33-30 victory. He has been joined in the secondary by Thomas Eison, who has recorded an interception, while the Mustangs have totaled seven takeaways through five games.

At the heart of the defense is Israel Baker, who leads Morrisville with 37 tackles while adding 4.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Baker has been consistently productive throughout the opening five games, including a 10-tackle performance against Union and six tackles against Rochester. DeSean Bruce has also been a steady presence, ranking second on the team with 29 tackles, while Kahlil Terry has 28 tackles and a forced fumble. Freshman linebacker Bruce Wingate has made an immediate impact as well, recording 27 tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception in just four games. The Mustangs have also received pressure from Kadofi Abbott, who has 1.5 sacks in three games, and Ja'Mar Harvey, who has recorded 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Special Teams: Special teams have provided some important contributions for the Mustangs this season. Bran'Dale Lester has handled the majority of the punting duties, averaging 37.7 yards on 29 punts with a long of 63 yards, while Jesus Cediel has converted both of his field-goal attempts and is 2-for-3 overall on field-goal tries. Cediel's two makes have both come from between 20 and 29 yards, with his longest traveling 23 yards. Christ Augustin has handled most of the extra-point duties, converting six of seven attempts. Morrisville has also demonstrated the ability to create momentum through special teams, with its season-opening victory over Kean ultimately being decided after a muffed punt gave the Mustangs possession at midfield late in the fourth quarter.

Keys Against Morrisville State:

1: Spread the Defense: The Mustangs did well during last season's bout, holding down a Pioneer passing attack that looked unstoppable up to that point in the season. The secondary strategy was effective against Szalkowski and the rest of Utica's aerial combatants, limiting the orange and blue to 249 yards passing and one touchdown through the air. This season, the Pioneers will need to establish more aerial dominance and land a few massive receptions to speed up the tempo of the all-important tilt.

2: Establish Possession: The team will also look to get back to its trend of heavy possession that it displayed over the first four weeks of the season. In 2025, the Pioneers allowed Morrisville to break even in possession, thanks to the Mustangs establishing a strong running game down the stretch, led by Sylvain, who had 143 yards and a score. This season, the Pioneers will need to gain a notable advantage in possession time and find ways to halt the rushing pressure of the opponents.

3: Stay on the Gas: The Pioneers will look to recapture the energy they brought during the first four weeks of the season, a span in which they scored over 30 in all but one matchup - a 26-point outing against Washington and Jefferson. The Pioneers will attempt to pour it one once again, and speed out to a big lead in this one. If they can get the tempo moving, it will bode well in their quest to head into the bye week at 5-1.

After Meeting the Mustangs: The Pioneers will head to the bye week following their matchup with Morrisville. The team will have a weekend off before returning to play with an October 24th home matchup against Alfred University. That contest will be the Pioneers' Breast Cancer Awareness Game sponsored by Gilroy, Kernan, and Gilroy, along with Sullivan Contracting. That showdown with the Saxons kicks off at 12:00 PM.

Tune in on Saturday as the Pioneers look to bounce back against Morrisville State!

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