Football | 9/2/2023 4:57:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY - The Utica University football team opened its 2023 season with a hard-fought 20-17 road win over the University of Rochester Yellow Jackets on Saturday. The win marked the 15th consecutive season in which Utica won its season-opener, a streak that dates back to the 2009 season.
In his first career start, Brett Fuller threw for 164 yards on 19-for-26 passing with a pair of touchdowns on one interception. Travis Decker dazzled with six receptions for 66 yards and a score while Matt Brantley reeled in four catches for 30 yards and a touchdown. Brantley also rushed for 123 yards on 18 carries for an average of 6.8 yards per touch.
On defense, Anthony Fasano led the unit with 11 total tackles (six solo) and 2.5 tackles for a loss, a mark that was also matched by teammate Doug Simmons. Simmons was also responsible for Utica's lone sack of the afternoon. Terrance Toussaint and Anthony Novello finished with eight tackles each while Nick Billand, Eli Douglas and Simmons all had five-plus. John Stroughn finished his day with four tackles, 0.5 for a loss, and a pair of quarterback hurries.
The sides traded three empty drives each to open the game before the Pioneers opened the scoring. Matt Brantley capped off a six play, 55 yard drive with an 18 yard touchdown reception from Brett Fuller for a 6-0 lead. Corey Lichtman's ensuing point after was no good as the Utica defense took the field with a six point edge.
With under two minutes to play in the first and Rochester set to punt from its own nine, Doug Elsesser got a hand on the ball, allowing Darius Johnson to recover at the line of scrimmage to set Utica up with a 1st and goal opportunity. On the first play of the drive, Fuller hit Travis Decker in the end zone for six more and after Lichtman's converted PAT, a 13-0 lead.
Rochester would go on to avenge its botched punt with a block of its own on Utica punter Freddie Callo. With just under 10 minutes to play in the half, the Yellow Jackets returned the blocked punt 21 yards to the house to come back within one possession. On the ensuing drive, however, Utica marched down the field on 10 plays for 75 yards that resulted in a Sam Florio goal line touchdown rush to make it a 20-7 lead.
The Yellow Jackets added a field goal before the break as Utica led 20-10 with 30 minutes to play.
Offenses settled in throughout the third quarter and much of the fourth as neither side could muster up points for over 25 minutes. With under four minutes to play in the fourth though, Rochester made things interesting thanks to an 11 yard touchdown pass to finish off a 14 play, 76 yard drive that took 4:478 off the clock.
Now up by three points, the Pioneers looked to run out the clock and did just that. Utica did not face a 3rd down over the first three minutes of the drive until a 3rd and 3 with 58 seconds to go. Florio called his own under and pounded the ball up the gut for seven yards to wind down the clock and secure the week one win.
Utica (1-0, 0-0 Empire 8) will host Moravian University for its home opener on Saturday, September 9 at 1 p.m. in the Mastrovito Hyundai Believe Bowl.
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