With freshmen quarterback Chad Wysocki at the helm again, and a great performance from both of the men in the backfield, RPI bounced back after the team’s first consecutive losses since the 2000 season.

The Engineers came out strong, scoring on their first possession to grab a 7-0 lead. The drive was capped off by a two-yard score by sophomore running back Jay Bernardo, but had many contributors.

“We made a real commitment to running the football,” Coach King said. “The kids up front played well, and Otis [Williams] blocked real well.”

Wysocki made some big plays, converting a big third-and-11 to Brendan McGowan and a fourth-and three to Jon Branche on that drive. Overall, Wysocki looked much more comfortable in the pocket on Saturday, and threw a beautiful 40-yard pass to Dan Stephens to cap off the game in the fourth quarter.

“To ask a freshman to do everything is not fair,” admitted King. “We didn’t ask him to do as much as we have in the previous weeks.”

The Bears didn’t get on the board until midway through the second quarter. They had excellent field position, but didn’t take full advantage of it because the Engineer’s defense came up with a huge stop in the red zone. Coast Guard was forced to settle for three.

Grant Cochran made two huge tackles, including the one on third down to force Coast Guard to kick the field goal. King seems to expect a big year out of the junior linebacker, and judging by the performance of his brothers here at RPI, there’s not much to worry about.

“I think [he] is coming along,” King commented on the sixth Cochran brother to play for him. “That was his second game at linebacker, and he made some big hits.”

After halftime, RPI came out swinging again, and on a gutsy play call by King on fourth and two, Bernardo cut his way into the end zone from the 17-yard line.

Bernardo was named Liberty League co-Offensive Performer of the Week. He had a “great game,” said King, with a career high 220 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. He became the first Engineer with a 200 yard game since Krishaun Gilmore in 1998. Otis Williams also had over 100 rushing yards on the day.

After Coast Guard quarterback Cory Anderson drove down the field to pull the Bears within four, their defense started to hold RPI down. But after a punt from Colin Adalian, Otis Williams forced a fumble on the return that set up Bernardo’s third touchdown and put the Engineers in the lead for good.

Sean Doran had a great game on the defensive side of the ball, including an interception on the Bears’ last drive to seal the victory. The team leader in tackles was named Co-Defensive Performer of the Week in the Liberty League.

King realizes how much this game meant to the morale of his players, and hopes it will ignite the team as they go up to St. Lawrence next weekend.

“It was a tremendously important game,” and King said that after the game it was “like a burden had been lifted from our shoulders.” Conference play continues next week for the Engineers and they will need a strong performance to stay in the thick of things.