WORCESTER, Mass.—Quarterback Dan Cole fired three touchdown passes and ran for one more in leading RPI to a 31-14 victory over Worcester Polytechnic Institute in front of a disappointed Homecoming Day crowd at WPI’s Alumni Field. Cole earned UCAA Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance.
With the win, Rensselaer is now 2-0, while WPI falls to 1-3. RPI thus retains possession of the Transit Trophy. Since 1980, when this trophy was first battled for, Troy’s Engineers own a 13-8-1 advantage. Overall, Rensselaer has now won five straight in this series that began in 1894. Today’s game marked the 95th between these two prestigious schools.
Overall, Cole, a sophomore, completed 23 passes in 51 attempts for 293 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Two of his touchdown passes went to Joseph Gomez, also a sophomore, for eight and 17 yards.
Cole began the day by directing a 16-play, 61-yard drive with RPI’s first possession. He scored on a sneak from two yards out with 10:22 remaining in the first quarter, giving the Engineers from Troy a 6-0 lead. Brad Morgan’s kick made it 7-0.
Later in the first quarter, Cole hit Gomez from eight yards out, capping an eight-play, 92-yard drive with 3:14 remaining.
WPI finally got on the scoreboard when senior Quarterback Chris Busso found senior Wide Receiver Mark Vandette deep for a 42-yard touchdown bomb with just 51 seconds remaining before the half. That came on 4th down-and-6. Josh Morrison’s extra point made it 14-7, Rensselaer, at the half.
The visiting Engineers opened it up in the third period, scoring 17 unanswered points in that quarter. Cole hit Gomez from 17 yards away on a 4th-and-10, and it was now 21-7.
Morgan’s 30-yard FG made it 24-7, RPI, with 5:31 to go in the third.
Rensselaer closed its scoring when Cole hit Kevin Siska, a senior WR, from 10 yards out with 1:29 left in the third.
WPI tried to make it interesting by scoring on a twisting 12-yard run by Busso with exactly 14 minutes to go in the contest. But that was all the scoring there was to be.
RPI’s offense outperformed WPI’s, 406 yards to 231. Rensselaer had 113 yards rushing and 293 passing, compared to WPI’s 75 and 156.
Siska caught seven balls for 100 yards and one touchdown, and Gomez pulled down seven more for 90 yards and two scores.
For WPI, Busso, a senior, played the entire game and was 14 for 31 for 156 yards and two interceptions. His top receivers were Vandette (five receptions and 76 yards and one touchdown) and senior Tight End Mark Stanton (five catches, 56 yards). WPI’s top playmaker, senior Running Back Eric Thiboutot, sprained an ankle in the first quarter, tried coming back for a couple of plays in the second quarter, but ended the day on crutches. Thiboutot, who was averaging just over 167 yards in all-purpose running, was held to –2 yards rushing on the day in five carries. WPI sophomore Preston Roberts led all rushers with 79 yards on 13 carries.
WPI senior Free Safety Nick Williams, who led the entire nation (all divisions) with five interceptions entering the match, failed to pick one off Saturday.
On defense for RPI, Jai Echols, a sophomore defensive back, had five tackles and two interceptions and was named UCAA Defensive Player of the Week. Rensselaer’s leading tackler was senior Linebacker Marc Blevins with eight tackles.
Editor’s Note: Steve Raczynski is the sports information director for WPI.
