UTICA, NY - Utica football's first road test of the 2026 season is on the horizon! This Saturday, the team will take on an RPI squad looking for revenge for last year's Believe Bowl battle, where the Pioneers took home a big 41-14 win thanks to an efficient day by quarterback Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) and a superb passing defense led by Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and All-American Eli Douglas (Ausable Forks, NY/Ausable Valley). The Engineers and Pioneers both picked up double-digit wins in week one, setting up a high-stakes non-conference clash that D3football.com listed as their game of the week for Region II. Get caught up ahead of this weekend's matchup by checking out our weekly football game notes below!
 
You can find streaming, ticketing, and live statistics information by heading to the following link: https://rpiathletics.com/coverage
 
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 One Recap: The Pioneers kept up their recent streak of Believe Bowl success during the 9th edition of the annual matchup this past weekend against two-time reigning PAC Champion Washington and Jefferson. Against a staunch Presidents' side, the Pioneers' locked down, shutting out the PAC program over the entire opening half, eventually allowing just 11 points during the matchup to secure a 26-11 win. The win could have been even more substantial, however, the Presidents supplied a strong redzone defense, routinely shutting down the orange and blue on the goaline. Despite the tough redzone defense by W&J, senior kicker Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) kicked his team to the win, and kicked himself to the Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week for week one.
 
Three Big Things:
 
1 - Duarte's Perfection: New Jersey native Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) was perfect from the spot on Saturday, going 6-for-6, including four field goals and two extra points, as he outscored the visiting Presidents by himself, notching 14 points in the contest. Duarte also nailed a career-high 41-yarder in the contest, helping him achieve his first career Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week honor in addition to achieving Pioneer Athlete of the Week. His timely kicking helped the team hold onto an advantage throughout the contest, despite being stopped right on the doorstep during many drives. Duarte has an extremely important role this season, ashe'll be relied upon to help a stellar Pioneer defense stay ahead. Speaking of the defense…
 
2 - Route 12 Roadblock Returns: The Pioneer defense picked right up on Saturday, stifling the opposing Presidents and leaving visiting head honcho Mike Sirianni searching for answers on offense. The Presidents came out fast and furious, but the Pioneers were ready for the up-tempo offense, as they quickly forced a QB change for W&J. Wasington & Jefferson was held to just 135 passing yards, becoming the 11th straight program to fall victim to a potent Pioneer passing defense. The Pioneers have not allowed a 200-yard passing game to an opposing quarterback since last year's W&J signal caller Kellan Stahl went for 338 yards in last year's season-opener. All-in-all, the Presidens were held to just 291 yards of total offense, and went just 2-for-10 on third down.
 
Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston) was a big reason for this lockdown effort, posting a team-high 13 tackles in addition to 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. He was flanked by cornerback Jah-Kobiah Cancer (Albany, NY/Kingston), who was efficient in stopping the run and shutting down big plays, logging eight tackles (four solo) and a tackle for loss against powerful running back Andrew Sharp.
 
The defensive line also played its part, as Nicholas DeForrest (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) (five tackles, one sack), Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale) (four tackles, 1.5 sacks), Mason Miranowicz (Pine Bush, NY/Pine Bush) (three tackles, 0.5 sacks), and Darrien Insogna (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa) (two tackles, one sack) combined for four sacks, consistently pressuring the opposing quarterback and forcing W&J into mistakes.
 
An interesting note about last Saturday's defensive performance was the presence of Head Coach Blaise Faggiano on the headset, as the Pioneers' head man called the defense for the first time in many seasons, scheming and executing an expert gameplan to quell the Presidents and give the longest tenured college head coach in New York State his 99th career victory.
 
3 - Ground Game Gains: The orange and blue boasted a robust offensive attack in the Believe Bowl win, as their rushing game came alive, posting the fourth most rushing yards since last year's season opener with 121. Lead back Eze Frazier (Garnerville, NY/North Rockland) was spectacular, becoming the main proprietor behind Utica's domination of possession. Thanks to his performance, the team was able to hold the ball for an extra 10 minutes, holding possession for just under 35 minutes compared to the Presidents' 25 minutes. Frazier also had his first career 100+ yard rushing game, which bodes well for the Pioneers going forward, as a strong rushing attack is the key to the orange and blue holding one of the most balanced and powerful offenses in all of Division III.
 
Pioneer Playmakers: Below is a list of each accolade the Pioneers have achieved through one week 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
 
Total Awards Count
 
Team:
Empire 8 Players of the Week: 1
D3football.com Team of the Week: 1
 
Individual:
Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) - D3football.com Team of the Week: 1
Nico Duarte (Kearny, NJ/Saint Peter's Prep) - Empire 8 Player of the Week: 1
 
Trax Fax:

• Coach Faggiano made an emphatic return to the playcalling ranks, as his game plan, alongside the talent of Pioneer defenders such as Isaiah Thomas (Kingston, NY/Kingston) and Jordyn Davis (Hempstead, NY/Uniondale), helped hold Washington & Jefferson to its lowest point total since 2022.
• The Pioneer defense also held yet another opponent to under 200 yards passing, a trend that's continued since week one of last season, when the Pioneers gave up 338 passing yards to Kellan Stahl. The team has not allowed another 200-yard passing game since then, going 11 games over that span.
• Superstar tight end Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls), had another great outing on his 22nd birthday, hauling in over 100 yards in the passing game to help power the Pioneer offense. That performance helped him surpass the 1,000-yard receiving threshold, joining recent Pioneers like Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill), and Antonio Cianfarani, who achieved the feat this past season. Frederick accomplished the feat on just 86 catches, averaging six catches per outing, 12.4 yards per catch, and 75.9 yards per game.
• Senior wideout Tyshawn Taylor, is also nearing the feat, currently having 720 yards on 46 catches, an average of 15.7 yards per catch.
• Szalkowski tossed for 302 yards in Saturday's contest, boosting his total of 300+ yard games to seven in just 12 career games.
• The Pioneer offensive line extended its streak of sackless games to seven, with the last recorded sack against the Utica offense coming in week five of last season, when the team traveled to face Cortland. The Red Dragons sacked Szalkowski in the third quarter with about eight minutes left, meaning that the team has gone 337 days, 443 minutes of gametime, and 497 offensive plays without allowing a single sack.

Orange and Blue Archive - vs RPI: The Pioneers will look to continue building on their all-time series history against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this weekend, as Utica enters Saturday with a 4-9 record against the Engineers. The two programs first met during the Pioneers' second ever season in 2002, with RPI taking the inaugural matchup 47-0 in Troy. Since then, the series has featured several tightly contested games, including a 9-7 Utica victory in 2004, back-to-back wins for the Pioneers in 2010 and 2011, and a pair of heart-pounding losses in 2018 and 2019. Utica has also struggled on the road against the Engineers, holding a 1-5 all-time record in Troy. The team will looking to right the ship on their odyssey out to ECAV Stadium this Saturday, looking to get a big road win in their first roadtrip of the 2026 campaign.
Last season, the Pioneers continued their Believe Bowl streak in emphatic fashion during the annual matchup at Gaetano Stadium, cruising to a 41-14 victory over the Engineers. Utica jumped out to a 28-0 halftime advantage and never looked back, with Tyler Szalkowski (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute) throwing for 385 yards and five touchdowns while connecting with Bryce Palmer (Verona, NY/Vernon-Verona-Sherrill) twice and Logan Frederick (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) twice for scores. The Pioneers finished with 30 first downs and 520 yards of total offense, including 385 through the air, while holding RPI to just 259 yards of offense. The victory marked Utica's largest margin of victory in the all-time series and snapped a string of close contests between the programs.
In 2019, the Pioneers nearly pulled off a road victory in Troy, but RPI escaped with a 35-33 win in a back-and-forth affair. Utica opened the game with a long 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive and held a 17-14 lead at halftime before the Engineers surged ahead in the second half. Logan Wilcox threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, with Peyton Miller hauling in two touchdown passes, including a one-yard score with just 19 seconds remaining. The Pioneers' two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, however, allowing RPI to hold on for the two-point victory. Despite the loss, Utica outgained the Engineers through the air, 324-262, and finished with 22 first downs to RPI's 16.
The 2018 meeting was even more dramatic, as the two teams battled through regulation and three overtime periods before RPI escaped with a 23-20 victory at Gaetano Stadium. Utica trailed 10-7 heading into the fourth quarter but regained the lead when Xyier Woodard recovered a fumble in the end zone with 6:46 remaining. RPI answered with a touchdown to tie the game at 17-17, sending the matchup to overtime. Utica's Dan Tette opened overtime by drilling a 37-yard field goal, but RPI kicker Sanjay Krishnan answered with two field goals of his own, including the game-winning 35-yarder in the third overtime. The Pioneers actually held advantages in total offense, first downs and rushing yards, but three interceptions ultimately proved costly in the narrow defeat.

Preparing for the Engineers: The Pioneers will head to Troy this weekend to take on an RPI squad that is coming off an impressive 2025 campaign and an even more impressive opening performance in 2026. The Engineers finished last season with an 8-3 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Liberty League play, averaging 35.45 points per game while holding opponents to just 17.27 points per contest. RPI advanced to the ECAC Clayton Chapman Bowl, where it defeated St. John Fisher 35-24 at Growney Stadium to close the year on a three-game winning streak. The Engineers have carried that momentum into 2026, opening the season with a dominant 35-7 victory over WPI in the Transit Trophy Game.

Offense: RPI's offense will be led by sophomore quarterback Micah Balzarini, who made a strong impression in his first game of the season against WPI. Balzarini completed just eight of 17 passes, but managed to rack up a staggering 221 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception, averaging an impressive 13.0 yards per completion. He connected with Nate Ehui for a 40-yard touchdown in the first quarter before finding Josh Young for an 18-yard score on a 96-yard second-quarter drive. Balzarini also showed the Engineers' ability to create explosive plays, completing passes of 52 yards to Ehui and 32 yards to Robbie Peterson in the second half.
The Pioneers will also have to account for Kayden White in the RPI backfield. White established himself as one of the Engineers' premier offensive weapons last season, rushing for 1,019 yards and 19 touchdowns on 167 carries while averaging 6.1 yards per attempt. In last year's Believe Bowl against the Pioneers, White carried the ball 15 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns, finding the end zone on a one-yard run in the third quarter and a two-yard score in the fourth. He picked up right where he left off in the opener, carrying the ball 17 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns against WPI. White scored on runs of four and one yards in the second half, helping RPI turn a 14-7 halftime advantage into a 35-7 runaway victory. Adrien Gurung provides another option in the backfield after rushing for 198 yards and two touchdowns last season, and he added 17 yards on four carries in the opener.
The Engineers also have an explosive receiving group that can turn short opportunities into big plays. Ehui was the clear standout in the opening week, hauling in four passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, including catches of 40 and 52 yards. Young added two receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown, while Peterson contributed a 32-yard reception. That group will be looking to build upon an RPI passing attack that totaled 2,129 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

Defense: If there was one unit that truly set the tone for RPI's season opener, it was the defense. The Engineers held WPI to just 26 rushing yards on 34 attempts while recording 15 tackles for loss and five sacks. RPI also forced three turnovers, including interceptions from Aidan Bekkenhuis and Jonathan Walker, with Walker turning his pick into a 66-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The Engineers' defense completely took over after halftime, allowing WPI to score just seven points while forcing the opposing Engineer offense into several negative plays. Their play contributed to a truly odd box score that saw RPI allow just seven points despite seeing WPI run double the amount of plays (89 - 40) and possess the ball for nearly three times as much time as RPI (43:41 WPI, 16:19 RPI). 
Linebacker Joe Dechiaro led the defensive effort with 14 tackles in the opener, while fellow linebacker P.J. Poknis added 11 stops. Matt Krauza was particularly disruptive, finishing with five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Jack Chappa recorded two sacks, while Gianluca Santarelli added three tackles for loss and a half-sack. RPI's ability to generate pressure will be a major challenge for the Pioneer offensive line, especially against an Engineers defense that recorded 32 sacks during the 2025 season. That battle will be a major point of contention, as the Pioneers look to extend their streak of seven straight games without allowing a sack.

Special Teams: RPI will also bring a strong special teams unit into Saturday's matchup. Kevin Lukash handled the kicking duties in the opener, successfully converting all five of his extra-point attempts, while Nick Esterly averaged 46 yards on his lone punt against WPI. Nate Ehui also serves as a dangerous return option, returning a kickoff 20 yards in the opener. Last season, the Engineers averaged 23.34 yards per kickoff return and 19.04 yards per punt return, while their punting unit averaged 39.05 yards per punt with a 36.13-yard net average. The Pioneers will need to limit RPI's ability to create favorable field position and capitalize on every opportunity in the kicking game.

Keys Against RPI: 
1: Limit Explosive Plays: RPI racked up over 200 yards passing on just eight completions in the matchup against WPI. Last week, a big reason for the Pioneers' success was their ability to stymie the Presidents when they attempted to gain momentum from chunk plays. The Pioneer secondary will once again be put to the test as they try to slow down a quick-hitting Engineer passing game.
 
2: Find the Endzone Early and Often: The Pioneers struggled to convert their redzone opportunities into touchdowns during last weekend's clash, having to settle for field goals on numerous occasions while also throwing two interceptions in the endzone. The Pioneers did excel at holding possession and finishing drives off with field goal makes, however, much of last season's success came early in the game, as the Pioneers managed to score more often than not in the first quarters of their 2025 campaign. The orange and blue will look to break the goal line early in Saturday's matchup and put some points on the board.
 
3: Win in the Trenches: RPI boasts a powerful pass rush, and the key to achieving that second goal will be to keep the pocket clean, and establish the run, just like they did against W&J last Saturday. Frazier and the rest of the Pioneer running backs will look to give the offense more balance, and a superstar offensive line will try to extend their run of stellar play.
 
After Squaring Off With the Engineers: The Pioneers will return home next Saturday, September 19th for the Pioneers' annual Mohawk Valley Challengers Day. The team will take on Hobart College and will look to slow down EJ Taylor and the Statesmen offense, hoping to get a win back against one of their few losses from the 2025 season. That game kicks off at 1:00 PM from Gaetano Stadium.
 
Tune in on Saturday as the Pioneers clash with the Engineers!