BOX SCORE
The St. John Fisher College football team came through with a 17-10 win over host Utica College on Saturday in a key Empire 8 Conference game. The Fisher defense held the Pioneers to just 73 total yards on 43 plays, the fewest yards allowed in the program's 22-year history. With the win, Fisher improves to 6-3 overall and with its 4-1 mark in the Empire 8 remains in first place in the conference standings.
Junior running back Brad Carlton, who carried the ball a career-high 30 times, rushed for seven of his 120 yards on a fourth quarter scamper for the game's final touchdown, to snap a 10-10 tie – a lead that would prove to be the final margin. Fisher out-gained the Pioneers 360-73, but Carlton's run was Fisher's only offensive touchdown of the day.
After the Cardinals got on the board in the first quarter with 23-yard field goal from
Ricky Tatar that capped an impressive 16-play 53-yard drive on the Cardinals' opening possession of the game, the defense came through with a huge play to give the Cardinals a 10-point cushion early in the second quarter.
On a second down pass deep in Utica territory, senior linebacker
Josh Gottlieb jarred the ball loose from a Pioneer receiver with a punishing tackle.
#Andy Episcopo#, who was also in coverage on the play, scooped up the ball and rumbled 20 yards down the right sidelines to pay dirt.
The Pioneers, under first-year head coach and former Fisher defensive coordinator Blaise Faggiano, fought back however, drawing to within three points with a two yard TD run with just 1:58 remaining in the second quarter. The Cardinals had the beginnings of a effective drive, but Utica linebacker Terrell Cunningham (Rochester, NY) stepped in front of a pass in the flats and returned the interception 41 yards to the Fisher 29 yard line to set up the score.
The Pioneer defense came up with another big play to set up the field goal that tied the game. After the Fisher defense forced a punt to open the third quarter, the offensive unit strung an 11-play, 57-yard drive that came up just inches short when
Dan Witkowski hauled in a fourth-down pass and was tackled just shy of the first down marker. UC linebacker Eric Kahl (Lockwood, NY) made the stop on the play, and finished the contest with a game-high 10.5 tackles.
The Pioneers drove 60 yards on 13 plays on their ensuing possession, pulling even with a 32-yard field goal in the closing minutes of the third quarter.
After the two teams exchanged punts to bridge the gap into the fourth quarter, Fisher put the game just out of reach with Carlton's touchdown run. Senior wide receiver
Tim Marion highlighted the drive when he made a diving catch on a deep ball from
Tim Bailey to the Utica 7-yard line. The 45-yard pitch and catch was the longest play from scrimmage for either team, and set the Cardinals up to take the lead for good.
Episcopo was the Cardinals top defender with 9.5 tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, and a fumble recovery that he returned for a score, while Gottlieb forced two fumbles and was in on 5.5 tackles.
Sean Trapper finished with two sacks, while
Jake Brant (one sack),
Joel Vickers (half sack), and
Dan Pollock (half sack) were also active on the defensive line.
Marion was the Cardinals top receiver with six catches for 76 yards, including the 45-yarder that set Fisher up for the final score, with Witkowski making four grabs for 38 yards. Sophomore quarterback Bailey completed 16-of-30 passes for 169 yards, but was interecepted once.
Fisher will be idle next week, but will wrap up the regular season with a critical Empire 8 showdown at Alfred University November 15.
