UR?s football team was badly beaten by the Hobart College Statesmen last Saturday, losing 38-12 on the road in Geneva, N.Y. The loss dropped UR?s record to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association.
The game was a very rough one for the Yellowjackets right from the get-go. After going three-and-out on their opening drive, UR punted, giving Hobart the ball on the UR 34-yard-line.
On their first play from scrimmage, the Statesmen hit pay dirt.
Hobart tailback Ty Godinho accepted a handoff and raced all the way into the end zone for a touchdown with just over one minute of game time elapsed.
After just one play by the Statesmen, they were ahead 7-0. Godinho had a great day on the ground, finishing with a TD and 101 yards on 19 carries, averaging an impressive 5.3 yards-per-rush.
UR?s senior quarterback Jeff Piscitelli had a hard time getting his game in gear. An interception by Hobart?s Pat Lester and numerous dropped passes by the UR receiving corps made it hard for the offense to gain any momentum in the first quarter.
The defense did its best to give Piscitelli and the offense some chances to score.
Senior strong safety Marcel Pomerleau recovered a fumble forced by cornerback sophomore Kassim Howell midway through the first quarter, but UR was unable to convert this into points.
Instead, it was the Statesmen who put points on the board later that quarter.
Hobart back John Holleran ran for a 34-yard touchdown, the second Statesmen TD from that distance in the quarter, with 1:33 left in the first period for a 14-0 lead.
In the first possession of the second quarter, Piscitelli threw his second interception of the game to David Szentesy deep in Hobart territory. The Yellowjacket defense didn?t allow Hobart to capitalize this time, forcing a punt six plays later.
At last, with 8:12 remaining in the second quarter, the Jackets began their first scoring drive.
On 3rd and 2 from the Hobart 20, UR?s junior halfback John Breedy ran the ball for 15 yards to the 5-yard-line before having it jarred loose by a Hobart defender.
The pigskin took a favorable bounce for the Yellowjackets, however, ending up in the clutches of receiver junior Parker Jacques in the end zone for a touchdown.
Sophomore place-kicker Chris Johnston was unable to convert the extra point, so the Hobart lead was only cut to 14-6, and that is how the half ended.
The second half was all Statesmen. On the opening drive, Hobart marched from their own 38 to the UR 46 in three plays, and on the fourth QB Craig Swanson connected with Joe Pirozzolo for a 46-yard touchdown strike.
Szentesy intercepted Piscitelli for a second time on Rochester?s next possession, and the turnover led to an Eric Ampuja field goal from 31 yards out.
Hobart defender Jesse Aquillano added to Piscitelli?s misery later in the quarter, picking up a fumble by the UR QB and rumbling 3 yards for a score.
The Hobart scoring was capped off by a 10-yard TD pass from Swanson.
UR?s only retaliation was a four-yard touchdown burst by Piscitelli in the fourth quarter.
On one positive note for the Yellowjackets, senior receiver Anthony Yandek caught four passes for 37 yards, tying him with Tom Sheehan for the all-time UR reception lead with 128 catches.
He stands just 169 yards away from Sheehan?s career receiving yardage record.
Yandek and the Yellowjackets hope to improve next Saturday, Oct. 13 in the homecoming game vs. University of Chicago at 1 p.m.
Pisco can be reached at jpisco@campustimes.org.
