Struggling and sweating, attacking and defending … fighting for inches—a group of men have been working toward one common goal this hot and muggy summer. An NCAA playoff bid for the Engineers is the reason 120 RPI athletes have dedicated part of their break to a mentally and physically grueling regimen of workouts, practices, and pre-season games.
Head Coach Joe King wasn’t satisfied with last year’s 8-2 season and doesn’t want his players to be either. “It was a good solid year last year, close to an undefeated season; we just didn’t get it done in a couple games.” Taking home the ECAC Northwest Bowl last fall was a disappointment to many, who saw it as a consolation bowl. “We’re in this to get an NCAA bid,” concurred senior captain Armin Warner.
Staying hungry for the playoff bid starts with three tough games, in which the character of the team will show quickly. The first two games, where the Engineers have typically caught few lucky breaks, are on the road, followed by a key match against Hobart here on the ’86 Field. “We’ve got a tough first three games … first on the road … and then we play Hobart and they’ve owned us the last three or four years” says King. “The league probably is as good as I’ve seen it since it was formed.”
With 18 returning starters, including the entire offensive line, the experienced veterans will be leading the team toward that NCAA bid. “We’ve got a good nucleus coming back, we’re optimistic.” King continues, “We’re fortunate on offense … we’ve got to stay away from injuries but we do have some weapons offensively.” Included in those offensive weapons King identified are three seniors who were tabbed as Pre-Season National All-Americans.
Coming off his best season yet, running back senior Jay Bernardo will be leading the ground force looking for more of what brought him the 19 touchdowns, including a record 99-yard dash. The second-year captain rushed for 1,422 yards on his way to those touchdowns, and the 11.4 points per game put him sixth nationally. Bernardo acknowledges, “I’m looking for a lot of consistency from the offense; stay level-headed and we can go pretty far. We have a lot of potential but we need to get things done on the field and execute, and of course stay healthy, and this can be a successful season.”
Senior captain tight-end Jon Branche was close behind with 14 touchdowns and is Rensselaer’s all-time leader in career touchdown receptions—he led the team in receiving yards, yards per catch, and receiving yards per game. Branche was also selected as an ESPN the Magazine National Academic All-American last season.
Senior Adam LoGiudice’s 30 punt returns for 222 yards, and 23 kickoffs for 581 yards earned him school records while on special teams. As a defensive back, he made 36 tackles and led the team with four interceptions. The coaches are excited to see what LoGiudice can deliver this season for the special team, an area of major emphasis this season.
With five captains, there is no shortage of leadership both on and off the field. In addition to Bernardo and Branche, offensive lineman Shawn Herrmann and linebacker Warner round out the seniors—while defensive back John Tesiero is the lone junior in the crowd.
“He solidified himself; he had an excellent freshman campaign and we hope he can pick up right where he left off last year,” King said of Jimmy Robertson, now a sophomore, who completed 193 of 325 passes for 2,313 yards in his breakout freshmen year. In addition, he had 26 touchdown passes and ran 64 times for 133 yards last season.
“We’ve been waiting a whole year for this … we’ve worked hard all off-season getting ready for this” the quarterback said. “Last year was definitely a building block, I was learning a whole new system. This year I feel a lot more comfortable, especially with all 11 guys back on offense and a great offensive line that protects me … play-makers all around us. As long as I get them the ball, the play-makers will get the job done for me.” Robertson understands the importance of the early games and feels that the team is ready for them.
The defense may be struggling this year with the loss of four-year starter Grant Cochran and two-and-a-half-year starter Jimmy Motzkin. “Those are two big holes to fill, they were big play people and they need to be replaced,” said King of the loss. One defensive goal is to hold the opponents below 14 points­—“We’re looking to come out really intense,” said Warner. He explains the key is to communicate well while staying intense and enthusiastic. “A measure of how good we’re going to be is how we approach the adversity,” he finishes.
Last year, several freshmen played; aside from quarterback standout Robertson, including two defensive linemen and a defensive back. King says now, “You never know. It’s too early, obviously, until we really start up the edge goes to the upperclassmen. I think some of these kids will come in and contribute before too long and some of them may even start, who knows.”
The first test begins when the team travels to Beverly, Mass., to take on Endicott College on September 9,, where their character will show for the first time.
