McConville Named Co-Defensive Player of the Week

Oct. 9: Senior linebacker Ryan McConville was named Liberty League Co-Defensive Player of the week for his performance in the Saints 42-38 come-from-behind victory over Rensselaer Oct. 7. The All-League linebacker from Cold Spring, N.Y. tallied five tackles and a game-changing interception for the Saints.

 

Trailing 38-28 with nine and a half minutes left in the game, McConville intercepted Rensselaer quarterback Jimmy Robertson at the RPI 24 yard line and retuned the interception for a touchdown.

 

"I read the quarterback's eyes and I was able to tell where he was going to throw it, " McConville said. "The receiver fell down and all I could see was the end zone."

 

McConville's score tightened the Engineers lead to 38-35 and shifted the momentum in the Saints direction. According to head coach Chris Phelps, it was the turning point of the game.

 

"That was the real momentum shift for us because after that everyone just elevated their play a couple of notches," Phelps said.

 

 

SAINTS COME FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT RENSSELAER 42-38

Oct. 7: Jimmy Robertson's fourth down pass hung in the air for an eternity. Hovering above Rensselaer wide receiver Chris Graef, who was heavily guarded in the end zone by cornerback Devaun McFarland, the pass could have gone to either player. Just when Graef reached up to grab the 15 yard toss that would have given RPI the game winning score, McFarland tipped it away.

 

Ballgame!

 

Trailing 42-38 with 3:31 left in the game, the Engineers orchestrated a nine play, 57 yard drive that gave them a first and goal from the Saints nine yard line and a chance to win the game. Robertson rushed for four yards on first down to give RPI a second down and goal from the Saints five yard line. The Engineers were whistled for a false start on second down, moving them back to the ten yard line. On the following play, Saints defenders Jordan Burger and Gerard Bryant brought RPI running back Jay Bernardo down in the backfield for a four yard loss. An incomplete third down pass set up the game-deciding fourth down play.

 

"I saw the the ball coming down and I turned around to see where it was," McFarland said. "They challenged me and I figured I would try and step up at the end of the game."

 

With the win, the Saints moved to 3-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Liberty League. Perhaps more importantly however, they seized some momentum going into their bye weekend Oct. 14.

 

"It was just one of those games where we toughed it out," Saints head coach Chris Phelps said. "Last week, Rochester came down and scored on us to win the game and these guys could have backed up and let that happen again, but they stayed tough."

 

The Saints scored 21 unanswered points to rally from a 28-7 halftime deficit. On their second drive of the third quarter, the Saints struck quickly, scoring on a four play 42 yard drive that took only one minute 59 seconds. The score tightened the Engineers lead to 28-14. RPI however, responded on their ensuing possession with a 36 yard field goal by Drew Taranto, putting them up 31-14 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

 

On the next drive, Saints quarterback Matt Bezio connected with wide receiver Jeremy Cronin for a 35 yard pass play that put the Saints in scoring position. Bezio hit tight end Brett Young, who led the Saints with 7 catches for 111 yards, for an eight yard touchdown pass. With 14:19 left in the game, the Saints trailed 31-21.

 

The Engineers continued the scoring trend when Robertson completed a four yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brendan McGowan, putting RPI up 38-21 with 12:09 left in the game.

 

That is when the Saints rattled off 21 straight to come from behind. On their next drive, the Saints marched 63 yards in 11 plays. St. Lawrence passed on nine plays of the drive, including a 24 yard pass play from Bezio to Connor Hackett on third down and 12 to keep the drive alive. Bezio capped the drive off with an 11 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Lassial, tightening the score to 38-28 with nine and a half minutes left in the game.

 

The Saints defense came up with perhaps the biggest play of the game just two plays later. Linebacker Ryan McConville intercepted Robertson at the RPI 24 yard line and returned it for a touchdown, putting the Saints within one score.

 

"We were in man coverage, and I could tell where he was going to throw it, "McConville said. "The receiver fell down and all I could see was the end zone."

 

If you ask Phelps, he will tell you that was the turning point of the game.

 

"I didn't even see it because we were talking to our guys on the sideline," Phelps said with a laugh. "But all of the sudden everyone was going crazy and I heard it over the headset. That was the real momentum shift for us because after that everyone elevated their play a few notches."

 

Trailing just 38-35 with about nine minutes left in the game, the Saints defense held the Engineers to a three and out on the next drive, setting up the offense for a game-winning opportunity.

 

A 20 yard pass from Bezio to Young prefaced the offensive highlight of the game for the Saints. On the next play, Bezio lofted a perfect pass to the Saints speedy wide receiver, Mike O'Donnell, who made an athletic over-the-shoulder grab in the corner of the end zone.

 

Saints 42, Rensselaer 38.

 

With the score, the offense's job was done. With three and a half minutes left in the game, the Saints defense took the field with the game on the line. After surrendering a few big yardage plays, the Saints held the Engineers in the red zone for four plays, including McFarland's game-deciding break-up.

 

"I told the kids at halftime that we weren't out of this one," Phelps said. "Sometimes when your down by that much, something like that is hard to believe, but these kids believed and because of that we won the game."