Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
TROY, N.Y. - The No. 20 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) football team scored two touchdowns in a span of 2:24 in the second quarter and the Engineers held Dickinson College off the scoreboard over the final 59:07 of the contest to earn a 14-7 victory in a non-league game at East Campus Stadium. The game was the season opener for both.
Trailing 7-0 midway through the second frame, RPI gained control of the ball on the Dickinson 20 yard line as a result of an errant snap on a punt attempt. Senior running back Dylan Burnett proceeded to pick up 17 yards on three carries, including a five-yard run up the middle that put the home team on the board. The extra point by freshman Aleksandar Maric tied the game with 8:14 left in the first half.
The Engineers' defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing drive and RPI answered three plays later when senior quarterback Matt Petercuskie found Gil Goldsmith for a play that covered 52 yards down the right sideline. Goldsmith caught the ball at the 18 yard line, shook a defender and made his way to the end zone. Maric's second PAT made it 14-7.
The Red Devils jumped out to the lead on their first series when Bryce Peterson snared a pass that had gone through a teammates hands but came right to him and the senior receiver outran the defense for a 57 yard touchdown reception from classmate Presely Egbers just 53 seconds into the game.
Egbers completed 7 of 14 passes for 107 yards and rushed for 29 on six attempts before departing the game due to injury. Matt Maiona, a junior, went 7 of 21 for 35 yards and an interception in relief. Diante Ball led the rushing attack with 57 yards on 18 attempts and Peterson had three receptions for 64 yards.
Tanner Long was Dickinson's top tackler with 13 stops (1 solo), while Chris Klem made eight tackles, all assisted.
RPI's defense, which allowed only 191 yards of total offense (49 rushing), was paced by senior linebacker Conner Noyes, who had 10 tackles (4 solo), and graduate student Amaechi Konkwo, who made six stops with two of them being for lost yards (10). Senior safety Spencer Brockdorff had three solo tackles, two pass breakups and an interception late in the fourth quarter that sealed the win.
Petercuskie connected on 8 of 26 passes for 152 yards while running for 15. Burnett netted 85 yards on 22 attempts and Goldsmith had 70 yards on two catches.
Rensselaer is back home next Saturday against Carnegie Mellon University, while the Red Devils play at No. 11 Muhleberg College on Saturday. Both games begin at 1pm.