BIDDEFORD, ME – The University of Rochester football team took down its third straight unbeaten opponent, topping the host University of New England 29-27 in double-overtime on Saturday afternoon at Blue Storm Stadium.
Rochester improves to 3-1 on the season, playing its first double-overtime since a 35-34 win over Hobart back in 2010. The host Nor'easters drop to 3-1 with the loss after starting perfect through three games for the first time in school history.
The Yellowjackets converted on a double-overtime two-point conversion from Ryan Rose to Trey Johnson which proved to be the difference. The conversion happened after Rochester took the lead after a Rose to Aidan Papantonis 5-yard score to start the second extra period.
After UNE scored a touchdown in just two plays in their turn on offense, quarterback Jarrett Henault couldn't connect to AJ DeFilio in the flat on the two-point try, with Jordy Tawa providing the coverage for the Yellowjackets, sealing the victory.
Rochester's three-game winning streak is the first since the Yellowjackets opened the 2015 season with wins in their first three games.
On the day, Rose tossed for 186 yards and three touchdowns, one each to Jay Zheng, A. Papantonis and Johnson. On the ground, UR piled up 177 yards, with Daniel Papantonis finishing with 99 yards on 23 carries, adding a TD. Will Varney chipped in 77 yards on just nine totes, averaging 8.6 yards per carry, with his day highlights by a 45-yard scamper in the opening quarter.
Defensively, Rochester took the ball away from the Nor'easters twice, with Judah Thomas and Jack Yensel providing interceptions. Tawa finished as the game's leading tackler with 12 stops, ten of which were solo tackles and two pass break-up's. Fellow DB Simon Weeren added seven tackles for UR, and J.T. Monahan had Rochester's lone sack in the contest.
On New England's second drive of the game, a bad snap on a punt gave Rochester tremendous field position and the Yellowjackets converted for the opening score of the game. D. Papantonis carried twice, earning eight yards and then plunging in from two yards out. The Yellowjackets were up 7-0 after Jordan Laudani converted the PAT.
The Nor'easters responded with a long 12-play, 72-yard drive over five and a half minutes to tie the game up late in the opening quarter. Henault rushed up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown after converting on a couple of big throws during the drive. UNE's quarterback found Damien Jones for 19 yards and later connected on a third down with Berto Zepeda for a 26-yard gain.
Rochester answered right back, when Varney rushed for 45 yards up the middle on the next offensive play, getting deep into UNE territory. After an incomplete pass and one-yard run, Rose found Zheng on a third down wheel route out of the backfield for a 24-yard score, moving Rochester back up in front 14-7.
UR's defense forced the Nor'easters into a 3-and-out on their next offensive drive, but the Yellowjackets were unable to capitalize after getting the ball right back, despite reaching inside the UNE 30-yard line.
UNE threatened to score on its next drive, reaching the Yellowjacket red zone, but Thomas made a terrific catch in the back of the end zone, snagging a Henault pass for an interception, keeping Rochester in front. The pick was Thomas' third of the season across the four games.
After neither team could score in the second quarter, Rochester received the second half kickoff and marched 15 plays and over 50 yards to reach the Nor'easter red zone.
Following a big 3rd-and-12 conversion with a 19-yard completion to A. Papantonis, Rose had a pass intercepted by Dylan Ibbitson to stall the drive. Ibbitson jumped out in front of a slant route, with the intended target being Johnson.
UNE converted the turnover into points, needing seven plays to go 81 yards for the game-tying score. Nathan Delgado had the big play for the Nor'easters on the drive, rushing up the right side for 43 yards to the UR 22-yard line. Two plays later, Jones rushed up the middle for a 3-yard TD.
Rochester's offense went 3-and-out on its next drive but immediately got the ball right back, when Henault overthrew a UNE receiver along the left sideline and saw Yensel come down with a toe-tapping interception for the Yellowjackets.
UR couldn't capitalize though, needing to punt the ball away after just three plays. On the punt, a bobbled return put the Nor'easters back up against the wall, with the drive starting inside the 1-yard line.
New England made it all the way out to the Yellowjackets 18 across 17 plays and over seven minutes, but the drive ended without a score as Jack Niland missed a 35-yard field goal attempt just off to the right.
On Rochester's next drive, the ground game was going strong, as UR rushed it 11 straight times, moving the ball from its own 20 to the UNE 23. On 3rd-and-6, D. Papantonis was stuffed for a one-yard loss, forcing Laudani to attempt a 41-yard field goal to potentially take the lead.
The kick ended up short, as a breezy Maine wind knocked the ball down, keeping the game tied at 14-14.
After one drive for each side the rest of regulation, the teams headed to overtime, Rochester's first overtime trip since a 2014 contest against WPI.
In the first overtime, Rochester won the coin toss and elected to defend first. UNE quickly scored in four plays, after Henault pushed in from two yards out. The big mover was the opening play as Henault found Zepeda on a post to reach the one-yard line.
Rochester dug a hole in its first offensive attempt in OT after an incomplete pass and false start penalty pushed the Yellowjackets backwards.
Rose followed with completions to Braden Greif and A. Papantonis for a key first down, landing the 'Jackets inside the ten. Three plays later, Rose found Johnson in the back of the end zone for the touchdown, and after Laudani made the extra point, the game headed to a second extra session.
The second OT saw Rochester make a gutsy call, going for it on 4th-and-2 from the four-yard line, instead of opting for a go-ahead field goal. The call paid off as D. Papantonis converted for the first down and two plays later, Rose tossed his third TD of the game to the younger A. Papantonis.
A quick out route on the two-point try was good to Johnson, putting UR in front 29-21.
Johnson finished the game with 60 yards receiving on eight catches, adding a TD and the game-winning two-point conversion. A. Papantonis was the game's leading receiver, catching eight passes for 80 yards and a score.
UNE's Henault finished 24-for-39 passing with one TD and two interceptions, throwing for 262 yards. Nine different Nor'easters caught a pass, with Defilio leading the way with five catches for 68 yards. Henault also was UNE's leading rusher, toting 18 times for 57 yards and two scores. Delgado added 49 yards on three carries and Jones chipped in 47 yards rushing and a score.
Rochester's next contest opens up Liberty League play, with the Yellowjackets traveling to Buffalo State next Saturday for 5 p.m. kickoff.
Rochester Improves to 3-1, Downs UNE in Double OT
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20230923_91au.xml
2023
Rochester
29
University of New England
27
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester (3-1) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 29 |
| University of New England (3-1) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
Sep 23, 2023