RPI wins first NCAA First Round matchup since 2003 with 38-14 win over Husson
TROY >> After a loss at the hands of Union last week, RPI Football came into the first round of the NCAA tournament with something to prove.
“We played our brand of football and did what we wanted to do,” said RPI Head Coach Ralph Isernia. “It was a great job. We challenged our guys all week to play their best game and I think we played pretty close to that today.”
Saturday’s 38-14 win over Husson University was also a celebration for the RPI East Campus Athletic Village Complex, which hosted its first NCAA first round tournament game.
“This was a great debut for ECAV,” said Isernia. “Our facilities crew got this place ready to play, everything shoveled off, had the stands shoveled out. Those guys were working night and day to get this thing ready and it looks great and my hats are off to them.”
The Engineer’s offense
kicked things off with a one yard Tommy Avery run. A quick second quarter rebuttal from the Eagles on a 35 yard passing touchdown by Cory Brandon to Kyle Gaudet wiped the slate clean.
That scored seemed to be continuing into halftime before RPI forced Husson to punt with about a minute left on the clock.
That minute was enough time to give RPI Quarterback George Marinopoulos a chance to march down the field and hit the efficient Nick Smith in the endzone for a last second, Hail Mary touchdown, to end the half.
“I knew my opportunity was coming, the ball was in the air, and our wide receivers coach tells us ‘ball in the air — your ball,’” said Smith. “I went up, grabbed it, and came down with it.”
Smith this season has 13 catches, four of which are touchdowns, for a total of 214 yards.
“Anytime the ball comes my way I’m always trying to do anything I can to get it,” said Smith. “All receivers went down there and it really is just a tip play. It’s whoever really wants it the most and that was me that time.”
Marinopoulos finished the day with 273 yards and three touchdowns on 16 completions over 26 attempts.
Nick Smith finished with one big catch, for 34 yards, and one big touchdown.
The second half belonged to the shut down defense of RPI and a good offensive run control from the hydra that is the RPI offense.
“Anybody they throw it to is going to make plays,” said Smith.
“It’s crazy because most teams we play never play man to man coverage with us, so our receivers never get the opportunity to physically get open,” said RPI’s leading receiver Saturday Keaton Ackermann. “We have all these playmakers and we were waiting to play against man to man coverage and we finally got it, and everyone showed.”
Ackermann finished the day with 150 yards on six catches and a touchdown.
Sanjay Krishnan kicked in an early third quarter field goal and Conor Davies ended the quarter with a 16 yard touchdown reception from Marinopoulos to make it 24-7 going into the fourth.
Husson’s Quan Soyini returned an 82 yard punt all the way to the endzone at 7:57 in the fourth quarter. That was Soyini’s third punt return for a touchdown this season.
In the fourth, Jack Hoggard’s interception set up the Marinopoulos and the RPI offense inside Husson 15.
“The pass rush was fantastic,” said Hoggard. “That’s what you dream of. This is a great win for the program and we are really excited about where we are at.”
Marinopoulos hit Ackermann for the 12 yard touchdown pass to follow up Hoggard’s pick.
“He comes in here and has great confidence and poise in the pocket,” said Ackermann on Marinopoulos. “He sits back there, makes big throws, takes big hits, and still gets right back up. That’s the biggest thing in a quarterback if he can be cool, calm, and collected back there and make some throws.”
The final dagger came with under a ten seconds left when Luke Watanabe returned a pick for 89 yards and a touchdown, punching RPI’s ticket to round two next Saturday, November 24.
RPI will travel to Brockport, NY next Saturday to take on the College at Brockport Golden Eagles.
“We’re not done yet though,” said Hoggard. “We’re confident. We’re excited. It’s going to be great.”