RPI’S Smith proves to be clutch right from the start
Sophomore’s first two career receptions both go for TDS
When he was coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, the late Buddy Ryan once complained of his receiver, Cris Carter, “All he does is catch touchdowns.”
Ryan acted as if it were a bad thing, but isn’t that the object?
Nate Smith, a sophomore pass-catcher for RPI, rekindled memories of Carter on Saturday. He had his first two career receptions, and both went for touchdowns, as the Engineers of RPI defeated the Engineers of Worcester Polytechnic Institute 25-14 at ECAV Stadium.
“Opportunity called,” said Smith, a Wayne, N.J., native who missed all of last season with a knee injury. “It was my time. I was in the end zone, so they turned out to be touchdowns.”
RPI’S victory in the nonconference meeting kept the Troy school in possession of the Transit Trophy, established in 1979. It was the 112th meeting between the engineering schools, and RPI leads the series 60-47-5.
“I don’t want to put any game above another,” Smith said, “but for a Transit Trophy against WPI, it felt huge. It felt huge to contribute for my team.”
Smith’s touchdowns of 10 and 4 yards, his only receptions of the game, helped RPI (2-0) build an early 19-0 lead.
Sophomore quarterback and Guilderland graduate George Marinopoulos had 155 of his 210 passing yards in the first half. He finished 22-for-41 with three touchdowns and an interception.
“He’s been working hard,” Marinopoulos said of Smith. “He was out last year with an injury. I know it’s even sweeter for him.”
“I felt so good for him being able to produce, get on the field and to make some plays,” RPI coach Ralph Isernia said. “He’s overcome so much adversity with his injury, and he’s worked so hard to get himself to a point where he’s going to be a factor on the field.”
WPI (1-1), which won its season opener 56-0 over Anna Maria College, narrowed the margin to 19-14 early in the fourth quarter before John Sadak’s 28-yard interception scoring return provided RPI a comfort zone.
The visitors held RPI’S offense to 39 yards in the second half.
“It didn’t seem like we were in a rhythm,” Isernia said. “Things weren’t just rolling for us. Give credit to them, because that’s a really good defense. That was a 9-2 team a year ago.”
RPI was saved by four interceptions, all in the second half.
It could have been five, but Luke Watanabe, a senior defensive back from Issaquah, Wash., showed the intelligence of engineering majors. On a fourth-down play in the first quarter, rather than catch an errant throw by WPI quarterback Julian Nyland, Watanabe batted the ball to the turf, likely saving RPI 30 yards of field position.
“It’s more of just knowing the situation,” Watanabe said. “Fourth down, it was a deep ball. I actually heard somebody yell at me, ‘Knock it down! Knock it down!’ as I was running toward it. That’s what we pride ourselves on, playing smart.”
RPI extended its home winning streak to 10 games. Its most recent loss in Troy came Oct. 22, 2016 — a date Isernia quickly cited to the media — against WPI.
“We play two trophy games every single year,” said Isernia, referencing the annual Dutchman Shoes game against Union, “and one trophy is not more important than the other trophy. When we look at our goals for the season, winning the Transit, that’s one of our goals.
“We’ve got a space for it in our trophy case. I let our guys know, when you come over to the facility today, that trophy will not be in that case, so make sure you take a look at that empty trophy case and how it makes you feel. Our guys saw that when they were walking over here, and that’s not something they would like to see.”
pdougherty@timesunion.com 518-4545416 @Pete_dougherty