James Salles’s 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Utica’s Sept. 30 homecoming game helped the Pioneers dismantle Hartwick College in a 48-7 victory and move to 5-0 this season.

They began their rout in the first quarter when Sam Florio threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Logan Kraft. Florio went on to rush for a 2-yard touchdown just 90 seconds later giving the Pioneers a 14-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, Utica added 10 additional points courtesy of Ethan Licin’s 15-yard touchdown run and a Corey Lichtman 31-yard field goal. Hartwick’s quarterback James Sobol threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Nate Rath for the Hawks’s lone score of the contest with just under four minutes of play left in the first half. 

The Pioneers, up by 17 at the half, utilized their ground game with two rushing touchdowns from Salles in the third quarter on 11 and 17 yards. Lichtman, from 40 yards out, added another field goal. 

The only score of the final quarter came on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Nick Amendola to Matt Kaires to make the final score 48-7. 

Defense came up trumps in the game as Utica held the Hartwick offense to a single touchdown while also making three interceptions which came from Cam Provenzano, Eli Douglas and Doug Simmons, who also had a forced fumble in the game.

“Last game just really showed us what kind of group we have the potential to be,” senior defensive lineman James Lanier said. “When the offense can score 40+ points and your defense can hold a team to one score that’s always a positive thing. It doesn’t matter who we play.”

Lanier said while starting 5-0 is great, the team cannot become complacent and that they still have to take the remainder of the season week by week.

Lichtman, with a perfect 6/6 on PATs and 2/2 on field goal attempts, went on to win Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance on Saturday. 

“We have a talented football team. This was the most complete game we’ve played this season and the score was a result of that,” Lichtman said. “When we lock in and play to our potential we are a difficult team to beat. This is a team we are better than all around and we did not stoop to their level.”

Following last season, the expectation was to start 5-0. Lichtman and head coach Blaise Faggiano along with the other coaches have built a standard to win football games that he expects to continue, Lichtman said.

After making the first-ever NCAA tournament in program history, Faggiano said that his expectations for his group are always high and his goals are to develop young men, enhance the academic experience and to have a football program that the university, community and alumni can be proud of.

Utica (5-0, 1-0 Empire 8) will look to remain undefeated with their toughest game of the season so far where they will travel to play No. 17th ranked SUNY Cortland (3-1, 1-0 Empire 8) on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.