The RPI football team’s offense scored five touchdowns and the defense intercepted WPI quarterbacks three times to earn a 35-21 victory in its home and Liberty League opener this weekend to claim the Transit Trophy.
“We played hard. I think all areas of the team probably played their best game of the season to date,” stated Head Coach Joe King. “We were certainly very, very happy to be coming out of that game with the win.”
“I feel like the whole team really came out fired up,” said senior quarterback Jimmy Robertson.
Senior wide receiver Eren Savasli got things started for RPI when he took a pass on a slant route 68 yards for a touchdown, one of three receiving for him on the day. On its next drive, RPI drove 82 yards on five plays for another score, as junior wide receiver Pat McCarthy dove for the pylon to complete a 14-yard touchdown reception for a 14-0 lead.
WPI responded instantly, finding the end zone on two of its next three drives on one-yard touchdown runs by Aaron Champagne and Justin Wells. The game looked to be turning into WPI’s favor when its defense then forced the RPI offense to go three-and-out on the following series.
Senior defensive lineman James McLaughlin quickly swung the momentum back toward the home-standing Engineers with a big interception just a few plays later, setting the RPI offense up on the WPI 21-yard line. “McLaughlin made a great play on the ball and picked it off. That was a huge play for us,” explained graduate student and fellow defensive lineman Nick Casale.
RPI’s offense capitalized on McLaughlin’s interception by driving the 21 remaining yards in six plays. Savasli reeled in a two-yard toss from Robertson to reclaim the lead, 21-14, with just over three minutes to play in the first half.
With the momentum back on its side, RPI forced a WPI three-and-out and then proceeded on another scoring drive. This time, sophomore runningback Nick Costa took the ball over the goal line for a two-yard touchdown, doubling WPI’s score at 28-14.
In the third quarter, RPI used some trickery to score its fifth touchdown of the afternoon. Robertson took the snap out of the shotgun, and tossed it backwards to McCarthy. Savasli got behind the WPI defense, and McCarthy hit him for a 29-yard touchdown. “WPI was giving us bubble screens all game, and we were taking it,” explained Savasli. “At that point in the game, they’d seen so much of it, that when Jimmy [Robertson] threw the bubble pass to Pat [McCarthy], the cornerback and safety both bit on it hard.”
WPI responded with another touchdown run from Wells on its next drive to cut the lead to 14, but RPI’s defense held throughout the rest of the game, preserving the 35-21 victory.
Savasli finished with 174 receiving yards and three touchdowns, increasing his season totals to 365 yards and four touchdowns through just three games.
He credited Robertson with this success: “When he finds me, he is throwing me a perfect ball to catch … he’s made it really easy on my part.”
Robertson had a big day passing, completing 27 of 33 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. “The offensive line is doing a great job,” said Robertson. “I feel like they give me all day back there. That’s what allowed us to complete as many passes as we did.”
Robertson was named the Offensive Performer of the Week in the Liberty League for his play in the game.
After allowing 156 and 132 rushing yards in its first two contests, the RPI defense clamped down in run defense against WPI, holding the visitors to just 53 yards on the ground. RPI was also able to get pressure on the quarterback, recording three sacks in the game. Casale noted that “the defensive line got off the ball a lot better this past week than [it] did against Endicott and Utica.”
The win leaves RPI at a perfect 3-0 on the season, and 1-0 in the Liberty League. This weekend, the team will have a difficult test when it travels to the University of Rochester for another Liberty League matchup on Saturday. The Yellowjackets stand at 1-0 in the Liberty League after defeating Union College 29-25 on the road, and was the one team that defeated RPI during the regular season last year.
“We’ve struggled against Rochester the past two years. They’ve beaten us two years in a row,” said King. “Offensively, I think we need to take care of the football. I think we need to run the ball some.”
King explained that on the defensive side of the ball against the Yellowjackets, the Engineers will look to “limit the running game and not give up big plays. That’s what killed us last year, was giving up the big play.”
Casale echoed those goals: “We have to stop the run, and stop the big play. If we can do that, our chances are pretty good. It’s tough to drive the whole length of the field.”
“It’s definitely going to be a battle. Going out there is to their advantage as well, so we definitely need a great week of practice and to come out with our A-game on Saturday,” said Robertson.
The Engineers’ next home game will be Homecoming October 18 at 1 pm against Susquehanna University on the ’86 Field.
