A week after a devastating loss to the rival Dutchmen, Jay Bernardo and RPI bounced back with a 26-22 win over St. John Fisher in the ECAC Northwest Championship Bowl.
The junior running back carried the ball 33 times, picking up 160 yards on the ground for Rensselaer. He scored the tying touchdown in the third to knot the score at 13 apiece, and was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player.
Freshman quarterback Jimmy Robertson led the final attack to pull out the victory for the Engineers. With 1:48 left on the clock, Robertson hit sophomore wide receiver Brendan McGowan on a 47-yard touchdown strike, putting RPI up for good.
RPI struggled offensively in the first half, and up until the two minute mark, Robertson and company failed to pass Fisher’s 42-yard line.
“[St. John Fisher] is a very good team,” RPI Head Coach Joe King said of the Cardinals, who were ranked 12th in the nation prior to their loss a week ago to Alfred College. “They threw some looks at us that we weren’t entirely ready for.”
Meanwhile, St. John Fisher built a comfortable two-score lead. Near the end of the first quarter, the Cardinals drove 89 yards thanks to a 61-yard rush by running back James Reile. Reile ended the drive a few plays later with a three-yard touchdown run, but kicker Kyle Piccirilli missed the point after.
Halfway through the second, the Cardinals scored again. Fisher used the short field to their advantage, and quarterback Nick Suchya took advantage of it. Suchya found Noah Fehrenbach in the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown, and after the extra point the Cardinals were up 13.
The Engineers’ offense strung together a nice drive on their final drive of the first half. From his own 12-yard line and down 13-0, Robertson picked apart the Cardinal defense, and with completions to Bernardo, junior tight end Jon Branche, and sophomore wideout Drew Utschig, RPI was suddenly in the red zone.
Robertson found his favorite target, Branche, past the pylon, and got the Engineers back in the game. The extra point was blocked, however, and RPI remained a touchdown behind.
That drive provided some spark for the offense, which moved the ball more efficiently in the second half. This movement was interupted when Robertson was picked off at the 30-yard line on RPI’s first possession.
The Engineer defense provided many opportunities for RPI to catch up, holding the Cardinals to two three-and-outs in the third quarter. Senior linebacker Grant Cochran and graduate student Jimmy Motzkin tied for the team lead in tackles with nine apiece, and senior Honorio Borba added eight in what was the last game for each of them at RPI.
The offense took advantage of the opportunities and took the lead after scoring on two consecutive drives. Midway through the third, the Cardinals were flagged on a roughing the passer penalty, and the Engineers capitalized on the 15 free yards. Bernardo punched it in from nine yards out to tie the game at 13.
Next possession, early in the fourth, Robertson hooked up with Branche in the end zone for a second time on the day, giving RPI their first lead of the day at 20-13.
With that reception, Branche became the school’s all-time career touchdown record holder with 29, passing Evan Cochran. Branche finished with 10 receptions for 102 yards.
“He was good as a freshman and sophomore, but this year he really elevated his play,” King said of Branche, who finished the year with 919 yards on 65 receptions, 14 of which went for touchdowns. Branche entered the season 20 pounds heavier, did not lose any of his speed, and played fearlessly after offseason surgery corrected a shoulder injury which plagued him throughout his sophomore year.
Despite Branche’s record breaking effort, St. John Fisher regained the lead after a touchdown and a safety when they sacked Robertson in the end zone. Down by two and with 3:02 on the clock, Robertson worked his magic, and hit McGowan for the winning score.
Robertson went 27-for-41 on the day for 243 yards. He was recently named Liberty League Rookie of the Year. He finished the year as the league leader in passing yards per game, compiling 2,070 yards and 23 touchdowns. The most telling stat of his season may be his interceptions, or lack thereof. Failing to make many rookie mistakes, Robertson threw only six interceptions, with two coming against St. John Fisher.
RPI finished the season 8-2, and are now 6-0 all-time in ECAC championship games. With the 2005 season over, King and company will look ahead to the 2006 campaign. Losses due to graduation, especially on defense, will be tough to overcome. Borba, Motzkin, defensive lineman Mark Byrne, defensive back Tim Frame, and linebacker Cochran will all be sorely missed King admitted.
“These guys were all a big part of what we did,” King said. This year’s graduating class has compiled a 32-10 record, tied for the most wins by any class in school history.
Next year will also be the first year since 1989 where a Cochran has not worn an RPI uniform, a fact King said will be both strange and sad.
With a young, strong core returning on offense the future looks bright for RPI football.
“Our guys should be happy but not satisfied with our season,” King said. “We have potential for next season, but the guys have to work to improve in the offseason.”
