Game Leaders
Team Stats
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Time of Poss.
SCHENECTADY, NY -- The Utica College football team came back from a 16-0 halftime deficit to defeat Union College, 23-16 at a wet Frank Bailey Field Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers kept the Dutchmen scoreless in the second half to improve to 2-0, while the Dutchmen are 0-2 after this non-league contest.
Jon Cappotelli made 17 tackles and Juwan Wilson had 14 stops with two pass deflections for Utica, which was held to 95 yards in the first half but kept the Dutchmen to 101 yards in the second half. Jesse Baldassare had a game high 85 yards rushing on 28 carries with a touchdown and Will Kassar completed nine of 24 passes for 155 yards. Anthony Acevedo had 96 yards on four catches for the Pioneers.
Tim Lucey led Union with 14 tackles and Nick Littas had 12 while Jake LaRovera and Thomas Hayes made 11 stops each. Connor Eck was 17 for 37 for 153 yards and two touchdowns and Kyle Reynolds had 66 yards receiving on five catches.
Union opened the scoring with 11:04 left on Jonathan Schaible's 33 yard field goal, cappting an impressive drive. It was the opening drive of the game for Union and lasted 10 plays on 51 yards. The Dutchmen made it 9-0 after Eck found Reynolds for a 12 yard touchdown with 5:49 left in the first period. A bad snap forced a run attempt that failed and it remained 9-0. It was an eight play, 42 yard drive.
The Dutchmen took a 16-0 lead just 4:54 into the second quarter. Eck completed a nine yard pass to Andrew Baker and after the kick it was a 16-0 Union lead. The drive started when LaRovera interecepted a pass at the Utica 31 and returned it to the 14, and the drive took just three plays and 1:38 off the clock.
Utica got on the board with 4:19 left in the third quarter. Kassar rushed in for one yard and then passed to Mike Russo for the two point conversion to make it 16-8. The 14 play drive went 50 yards and took 4:19. After forcing a four-and-out on Union, the Pioneers tied it up. Baldassare scored from 22 yards out with 1:32 left and Kassar rushed in for two points to tie the contest.
Union started a drive 43 seconds into the fourth quarter. On the third play from the Dutchmen-31 yard line, Eck ran back 14 yards and then had a pass attempt that was ruled a fumble instead of a forward pass. The ball was picked up by Irvens Eristil and he ran it 17 yards in on the right sidelines for the score. The kick provided the eventual 23-16 final. After the ensuing kickoff, Union marched down to the Utica 18 yard line but on a Second-and-Five Mike Sullivan forced a fumble and Jimmy McLaughlin recovered for the PIoneers at their own 26 to end the threat.
The Dutchmen are idle next week then open Liberty League play at St. Lawrence on September 27. Utica opens the home and Empire 8 season next Saturday at 12 p.m. against Frostburg State.