“It was a fitting way to go out. Last game played out there, frozen field … It was a great way to close out ever playing out there,” said Head Coach Joe King.

The Engineers led for most of the game, but the Saxons were able to take a 31-27 lead midway through the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Tom Secky found senior receiver Trevor Bork for the wideout’s second touchdown on the day.

But the Engineers responded on their next drive. Sophomore wide receiver Ray Davis was on the receiving end of a 36-yard pass from sophomore wideout Patrick McCarthy to move RPI into the red zone. Then after a pass interference penalty on Alfred on a fourth-and-goal play from 26 yards out extended the drive, Davis caught a 12-yard pass in the back of the end zone from senior quarterback Jimmy Robertson to reclaim the lead.

The Saxons were left with about four minutes to respond and were able to advance to midfield; however, junior defensive back Justin Foglia intercepted Secky to give the ball back to the Engineer offense.

Alfred’s offense would not get another chance, as RPI sustained its drive with three first downs and Robertson took a knee to run the clock down to zero in the final play on the ’86 Field. Alfred finishes the year at 7-4.

The victory ends the Engineers’ season at 8-2 overall, and gives the team’s seniors their third ECAC Championship in their four years here. “It’s very fitting for that group of seniors—they’re a special group—to go out with a win and another championship,” stated King.

“You look at their record. You look at what they’ve accomplished,” said King of the team’s seniors. “They played a lot of good football,” he said, noting that they would “be hard to replace.”

“We’ve got a lot of quality people to replace, and not just as players, but what they meant to the program as far as stuff that they do off the field. They certainly led by example and had great leadership,” explained King.

Alfred outgained RPI 512 yards to 398 in the game, rushing for 175 yards and getting 337 yards through the air from Secky. For the Engineers, sophomore runningback Nick Costa broke the century mark with 113 yards on the ground, and Robertson finished 257 yards and two touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown. Davis was named Most Outstanding Player in the contest, catching nine passes for 197 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The contest marked the final game on the ’86 Field for the Engineers. “I think that was added incentive, the fact that we’re playing at home, and get one last opportunity to win a game out there,” said King.

Robertson put the Engineers ahead on their opening drive when he scored from one yard out on the group. After Alfred kicked a field goal and RPI’s next three drives ended with a three-and-out and two interceptions, Davis reeled in a 45-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to take a 14-3 lead with just over 10 minutes to play in the half. On the ensuing Saxon drive, junior wide receiver Jared Manzer caught a 64-yard pass from Secky to cut the deficit to 14-10.

Later in the second quarter, Costa found the end zone from the Saxons’ two-yard line to capitalize on a turnover and extend the lead to 21-10, but Alfred responded with a touchdown reception from Bork with 49 seconds remaining before halftime. The Saxons were unable to convert the extra point, and the Engineers were able to set up a field goal from sophomore kicker Peter Nilson from 32 yards for a 24-16 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, junior Vinson Hendrix scored on a one-yard rush and Alfred added a two-point conversion to tie the game at 24, but Nilson connected on a 22-yard field goal to put the Engineers back ahead 27-24. That lead stood until Bork and Davis each scored their second touchdowns in the game to leave the final score at 34-31.