Game Leaders
Team Stats
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Turnovers
Time of Poss.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Visiting Union College rode a sturdy defense and timely scoring to a 27-0 Division III football victory over the University of Rochester at Edwin Fauver Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Dutchmen intercepted six Yellowjacket passes –three by Tucker Newman – and registered five sacks – two by Jake Lombardo – to earn the shutout. It was Union's sixth consecutive victory (6-1 overall, 2-0 Liberty Legaue). Union hosts defending Liberty League champion Hobart College next Saturday in its Homecoming game.
Rochester dropped its second straight. The Yellowjackets are 2-4 overall, 0-2 in the Liberty League. Rochester goes to St. Lawrence next Saturday, then has a week off before going to RPI on November 4 and finishing the year with a home finale on November 11 vs. Hobart.
The Yellowjacket defense held up reasonably well also. Rochester had four sacks – Devin Woodyard and Christian Marini had 1.5 apiece, totaled nine tackles for 36 yards in losses, recovered one fumble, and intercepted one pass.
Offensively, the numbers were low. Union rushed 39 times for a new of 89 yards. QB Nick Cascione was sacked four times. The rushing leder was Connor Kinzelmann who ran 11 times for 60 net yards and scored two TDs – one on a 29-yard spring midway through the second quarter (to make it 14-0) and one on a five-yard plunge early in the fourth (boosting the lead to 21-0).
Rochester finished with 189 yards in offense – 50 net yards rushing and 139 through the air.
Cascione completed 10 of 15 passes for 135 yards with one INT and one touchdown. A minute into the second quarter, he threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Brett Waller and Jonathan Schaible kicked the PAT. It came right after penalties were assessed each way following a Rochester punt.
Tyler Barnes punted to the Rochester three. When the Yellowjackets couldn't move, Paul Mokrzycki punted 40 yards to the UR 43. Jason Nelson returned it six yards to the UR 37. Union was flagged for holding and marched back 10 yards. Rochester was penalized for a face mask. That moved the ball to the 32 where Cascione and Waller connected for the first score.
The Dutchmen immediately went back to work after Rochester stalled at its own 36. A shanked punt put UC at midfield. It took five plays to score with Kinzelmann bursting 29 yards for the 14-0 lead after the Schaible PAT.
Jason Nelson returned a punt 47 yards to the Rochester 7 in the fourth and Kinzelmann carried twice to push it into the end zone. Alex Waller rushed for a four-yard TD on the next possession after Newman picked off Josh Brown and returned it 18 yards to the 29.
Brown completed 14 of 34 passes for 139 yards with the six INTs. That is a Rochester school record for interceptions thrown by one quarterback and ties the UR mark for most INTs thrown by a combination of QBs. Brown took every snap behind center except for one play (72 plays in all).
Chris Penman caught four passes for 56 yards and Jason Cunningham had three catches for 26 yards. Cunningham started at running back. He gained 26 yards on 15 carries.