Sept. 20, 2003
Final Stats
Poughkeepsie, NY - The Marist College football team scored 21 unanswered points to rally from a 14-7 second quarter deficit to improve to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Football League, with a 28-14 win over visiting Siena, in front of a crowd of 3,395. The Saints fall to 0-3 on the year and 0-2 in MAAC play.
Trailing 14-7 as the second quarter was coming to a close quarterback James Luft was intercepted in the end zone by Brandon Matano. Guy Smith turned the interception into Marist points, when he stripped Matano and fell on the ball in the end zone, and the ensuing point after touchdown from Adam Tanalski tied the game at 14-14 at the intermission. The Red Foxes tallied a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, and held the Saints scoreless to earn the win.
Luft set a school Division I-AA record in the game; his second record in as many games, as he completed 20 passes, snapping the 1997 record of Jim Daley, who completed 19 against Wagner. Luft, who was 20-31 for 268 yards, is only the second player in school history to complete 20 passes in a single game.
Marist struck first when Brad Rowe scampered 46-yards to make the score 7-0, with 6:10 left in the first quarter. The Saints struck, scoring twice in 1:42 in the second quarter. Matano took a punt from his own 10-yard line and scored, tying it at 7-7, with 12:39 left. The return was the longest punt return in Siena football history. After the Saints defense stuffed Marist, Sal Jeraci took a first down handoff 44-yards for a 14-7 lead.
Luft put the Red Foxes ahead 6:45 into the third quarter when he went right after a play-action on second and goal, for a three-yard touchdown run. Senior Alfredo Riullano capped off the scoring with :13 second left in the third quarter, when he scored from two-yards outs.
Rowe led the Red Foxes with 76 yards rushing, though Jeraci of Siena had a game-high 115 and a touchdown. Siena rushed for 105 net yards, while Marist tallied 84 in the contest. Guy Smith led all receivers with seven catches, for 150-yards, his second consecutive week with 150-yards or more receiving. Tim Traynor had six catches for 54 yards, as six players made receptions in the game.
Payton Rodgers led the Marist defensive effort with 10 tackles, including two sacks, pushing the Saints back 16 yards. He had six solo tackles and a forced fumble. Aubrey Bennett had two tackles and three pass breakups, including an interception in the end zone, to stifle a Saint scoring oppurtunity in the first half. The Red Foxes had 11 pass breakups in the game.
Christian Karolus was 6-15 with two interceptions at quarterback for the Saints, while Alex Conlon went 1-4.
Marist forced seven Siena turnovers in the game, recovering four of them and coming up with two interceptions. Marist had two turnovers in the game.
Marist returns to action next Saturday at non-conference foe Wagner, in a 1:00 pm game on Staten Island, NY.
