Fiore scores 4 TDs in Union football's 44-7 rout of St. Lawrence

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

Union's Michael Fiore charges up the middle between Utica's Nicky Amandola and Jimmie Warren at Frank Bailey Field Saturday, September 24, 2022.

CANTON — Union football rolled into its bye week with a dominant performance against St. Lawrence, powering to a 44-7 Liberty League win on Saturday as Michael Fiore ran for four touchdowns and Donovan Pacatte efficiently guided the offense in his return after missing last week’s game against Buffalo State due to injury.

Fiore had the hot hand in the deep running back rotation for Union (2-0 Liberty League, 5-0 overall), carrying the ball 26 times for 126 yards and scoring on runs of 7, 4, 2 and 6 yards. Jonathan Anderson added 58 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, and Ike Irabor had three carries for 29 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter that opened the scoring.

Pacatte, who injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder two weeks earlier against Utica, completed 14 of 16 passes for 206 yards, with an interception being the lone mark against him.

The Union defense kept St. Lawrence (0-1, 2-3) off the board after the Saints scored on a 9-yard Daniel Lawther touchdown pass to TJ Cornacchia late in the first quarter. St. Lawrence was limited to just 68 rushing yards, and the Union defense sacked Lawther five times and intercepted him once.

More: All Sports | All Union College

The Dutchmen will be idle next week and return to action Oct. 22 at home against Rochester before a difficult three-week closing stretch of the regular season with games at Hobart, home against Ithaca and at rival RPI for the Dutchman Shoes Trophy.

Union 7 14 10 13 — 44
St. Lawrence 7 0 0 0 — 7
U — Irabor 9 run (Lau kick)
SLU — Cornacchia 9 pass from Lawther (Fogler kick)
U — Fiore 7 run (Lau kick)
U — Fiore 4 run (Lau kick)
U — Lau 19 field goal
U — Anderson 10 run (Lau kick)
U — Fiore 2 run (kick failed)
U — Fiore 6 run (Lau kick)

RPI 42, BUFFALO STATE 14

BUFFALO — Dylan Burnett led a dominant performance from the RPI rushing attack, carrying the ball 23 times for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Engineers rolled up 348 yards on the ground in rolling past Buffalo State.

RPI (2-0, 4-2) dominated the ball, running 84 offensive plays to just 50 for Buffalo State (0-2, 0-5) and holding a 17-minute advantage in time of possession. An 8-yard touchdown run from Burnett late in the first quarter and an 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by Carlos Davis less than two minutes later spotted the Engineers to a 14-0 lead, and they never looked back.

Jake Kazanowsky threw for 140 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was returned 70 yards for Buffalo State’s first score. The RPI defense came up with three interceptions and held Buffalo State to just 30 rushing yards on 17 attempts.