TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) football team opened Liberty League play in dominant fashion, defeating the University of Rochester 31–3 Saturday afternoon at ECAV Stadium.
RPI wasted no time establishing control, marching 73 yards on its opening series and finishing the drive with a 53-yard touchdown strike from Anthony DeMatteo to Dalton Grant.
On the Engineers’ second possession, DeMatteo connected with Josh Young from five yards out, and Aleks Maric added a 19-yard field goal late in the first quarter to push the lead to 17–0.
Early in the second quarter, Kayden White broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run to extend the margin, capping a one-play drive set up by Gage Swanger’s punt return. Rochester got on the board midway through the second with a 30-yard field goal, but that would be its only points of the day.
The Engineers’ defense stifled Rochester throughout, limiting the Yellow Jackets to 225 total yards and just seven first downs. RPI’s defensive front tallied three sacks, including 1.5 sacks from T.J. Chadwick. Lance Hersh made a key play early in the second half, as he recovered a muffed punt to give the Engineers an extra possession.
DeMatteo finished 13-of-23 for 177 yards and two scores. White carried the offensive load with 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 18 attempts, while also catching two passes. Nate Ehui posted a team-high 80 receiving yards on four catches, and Grant added 63 yards with his long first-quarter touchdown. Josh Young contributed three receptions, including his first-quarter score, while Robbie Peterson added a 48-yard grab that helped set up another touchdown.
RPI’s special teams were equally sharp, with Swanger returning five punts for 53 yards to consistently set up favorable field position. Maric connected on his lone field goal attempt and was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points, while Hayden Gray averaged nearly 58 yards on six kickoffs. Rochester struggled to flip field position, punting ten times while converting only 2-of-16 third-down opportunities.
With the victory, RPI improves to 3–1 overall and 1–0 in Liberty League play, while Rochester drops to 3–1 and 0–1 in the conference. The Engineers will next face defending league champion Hobart next Saturday at 1 p.m. in Geneva, N.Y.
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