PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Visiting Utica University held off the University of Rochester football team in the season-opener on the gridiron on Saturday afternoon, edging out a 20-17 victory at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
Rochester (0-1) scored the lone points of the second half as Ryan Rose connected with Jackson Kane from 11-yards out with four minutes remaining in the game, but the Pioneers (1-0) were able to run out the clock on the ensuing drive, sealing the victory.
Rose finished with career-high's in passing yards, attempts and completions on the day for the Yellowjackets. The junior quarterback was 18-for-34 passing, tossing for 215 yards and one score. His favorite target was Trey Johnson who hauled in a career-high nine passes for 96 yards. Kane added four receptions for 63 yards and the lone offensive TD of the game for Rochester.
The visiting Pioneers connected on the first two touchdowns of the contest, going up 13-0 through the opening quarter. Matt Brantley razzle-dazzled in from 18 yards out on a pass from Brett Fuller and teammate Travis Decker followed with a 9-yard TD score from Fuller five minutes later. Decker's score was set up deep in Rochester territory by a blocked punt by Utica's Doug Elsesser.
Early in the second quarter, Rochester was able to break through when Happy Chane returned the favor, blocking a Utica punt. Jack Yensel provided the 22-yard scoop-and-score on the return to cut a 13-point Pioneer lead down to six.
After the Yellowjackets score, Utica responded right away with a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 1-yard Sam Florio plunge to rebuild a 13-point advantage.
With time winding down in the opening half, Rochester put together a solid drive over the final five minutes, leading to a 21-yard Jordan Laudani field goal, putting the score at 20-10 entering intermission. Daniel Papantonis hauled in a big 39-yard screen pass while Rose and Johnson connected on a pair of quick-hitting pass plays to fuel the drive.
After Rochester opening the second half with a 3-and-out, Utica was charging to extend the lead again, but a Fuller pass into the end zone was picked off by a diving Judah Thomas for a touchback, keeping the deficit at ten.
The momentum led to a long UR drive that reached the red zone, but an unfortunate penalty on a scoring play at the goal line put the Yellowjackets back outside the 20 yard line. After an incompletion, Laudani's 43-yard field goal attempt had plenty of leg, but just missed wide to the left.
Rochester's defense held the Pioneers at bay the next two drives, forcing a punt and a missed field goal.
With under nine minutes on the clock in the fourth, Rose and company used the passing game to march 76 yards in 14 plays, culminating with touchdown strike to Kane to make the score 20-17 Utica.
After allowing Papantonis to rush for a Rochester single-game record 309 yards in last season's opener, and 422 rushing yards total, the Pioneers seemed set on stopping the Yellowjackets run game on Saturday, only surrendering 1.5 yards per carry in the contest.
UR's reigning All-American Papantonis finished with 23 yards on 16 carries, but made impact plays in both the receiving game (39 yards) and return game (84 yards) to help the Yellowjackets.
Defensively, Keyden Snow led the Yellowjackets with 11 tackles, making eight solo stops. Jordy Tawa and Andy Kristian each had eight stops while Simon Weeren and Bradley Beckwith added seven apiece.
Utica's Brantley rushed for 123 yards on the ground in the win, while Fuller finished 19-for-26 passing for 164 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Decker was the leading receiver with six receptions for 66 yards and a score.
Up next for the Yellowjackets is a 7 pm game at home against Alfred State next Saturday.