RPI completed a sweep of its trophy games on Saturday with a convincing 33-7 victory over Union to reclaim the Dutchman’s Shoes. The win advances their record to 5-0 and, coupled with a Hobart loss to Rochester, leaves the Engineers in sole possession of first place in the UCAA.
The Engineers played by far their most fundamentally sound game of the year. Only two RPI plays went for lost yardage, and the offensive line afforded quarterback Dan Cole all the time he needed, allowing no sacks. Rensselaer’s only turnover came when Flynn Cochran was stripped of the ball in a pile up at Union’s two-yard line in the waining moments of the first half.
On defense, RPI held the Dutchmen to just two third-down conversions in 12 tries. There were few missed tackles and Union managed only two big plays, matched against three interceptions by the Rensselaer defense.
The Engineers were also dominant on special teams: The Dutchmen’s best starting field position was their own 33-yard line, Matt Verenini was perfect on five place kicks, and Dylan Cooper blocked a punt early in the second quarter, resulting in a safety.
Rensselaer opened the scoring on the last play of the first quarter on a diving catch by Cochran from five yards out. The score was set up by Mike Defilippi’s interception at the RPI 26, followed three plays later by a 57-yard run by Cole to the Union eight-yard line.
Cochran completed a 19-yard reverse option pass to Dan Stephens on the next drive to pave the way for another RPI score—Cole hit a wide-open Cochran with a 36-yarder two plays later. Union’s next possession ended with Cooper’s punt block and subsequent safety that put RPI up 16-0.
The halftime margin could have been much larger, but the Dutchmen, who played tough throughout the game, made key stops on RPI’s first and last drives of the half.
The Engineers opened the game with a ground assault, rushing on 11 of 13 plays to drive to the Union six-yard line, but Union stacked up Otis Williams for no gain on fourth-and-one to take over on downs. With 30 seconds remaining in the half, Cochran’s fumble saved at least three points for Union.
The second half, though, played out very much like the first—RPI moved the ball well while Union stalled or was intercepted nearly every time they got something going. Brent Hanson’s 34-yard punt return in the middle of the third quarter put RPI in easy striking range, and Stephens caught a five-yard touchdown pass two minutes later to put the Engineers up 23-0.
Union broke into RPI territory for the first time in the game on the next play from scrimmage, a 55-yard fullback draw by Tom Arcidiacono; he scored from 12 yards out two plays later for the Dutchmen’s only points of the day.
The Engineers responded by scoring on their next two drives: Verenini’s 29-yard field goal and yet another Cochran touchdown catch (set up by a Tim Frame interception near midfield) accounted for the final score of 33-7. Union’s final two drives were both ended by Defilippi—another interception and a pass breakup on fourth-and-five. The Engineers took over with six minutes remaining in the game and never relinquished the ball again.
For the second time this season, the Engineers’ balanced attack produced two hundred-yard rushers: Williams finished with 22 carries for 147 yards, and Cole had 12 carries for 100 yards. Cole also 27 of 42 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns. Cochran was the game’s top receiver, with ten catches for 134 yards and three scores. Stephens caught seven balls for 65 yards and a touchdown, and Pat Hughes pulled in nine catches for 59 yards.
In Geneva on Saturday, the Statesmen forced eight Rochester turnovers but were unable to take advantage of them, as the Yellowjackets defeated Hobart 17-13. It was the Statesmen’s first loss at home in over two years. This win guarantees that an RPI win over Hobart in Troy in the last game of the season would give the Engineers the conference title.
Before that, though, Rensselaer has a three-game road trip to deal with. After a bye week this Saturday, the Engineers will travel to Oneonta to take on a struggling Hartwick team on October 25. The next week, RPI faces what may be their toughest challenge of the year: a surging St. John Fisher squad whose only two losses have been tight games against Brockport and Ithaca, the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in upstate New York. (RPI is the No. 2 team; St. John Fisher is No. 4.)
Rensselaer then goes to Canton for a match against St. Lawrence—a team that has made great improvements since last year—before closing out their regular season against Hobart on November 15.
