PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Saint Anselm College football team suffered its first loss in nearly a month on Saturday, falling to Pace in double overtime by a final score of 26-20. Junior wide receiver
Patrick Yesinko (Marshfield, Mass.) set new career-highs with eight catches and 87 receiving yards despite the loss.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm is back home to host Assumption on Saturday, October 19th at 1:00 p.m. from Grappone Stadium.
Score: Saint Anselm 20, Pace 26 (2OT)
Records: Saint Anselm (3-3; 3-1 NE10); Pace (2-4; 2-2 NE10)
Location: Pleasantville, N.Y. (Northwell Stadium)
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Pace received the game's opening kickoff, but the Saint Anselm defense started out strong by forcing a punt to get their offense the ball with 11:08 left in the first quarter.
- The Hawks put together a 14-play, 75-yard drive on their first possession, but came away without points. Sophomore quarterback Drew Forkner (Plano, Texas) led Saint Anselm down the field with four completions and rushed for 20 yards, but a 40-yard field goal by junior kicker Sean Hurley (Bayville, N.J.) was blocked by Pace's Ibrahim Diallo to keep the game scoreless.
- On third down on the next offensive series for the Setters, quarterback Ah-Shaun Davis was sacked for a loss of nine yards by fifth-year Alejandro Santiago (Woodbridge, N.J.) and junior Aidan Noke (Burlington, Mass.), which forced another punt.
- Saint Anselm got on the scoreboard on their next drive to make it 7-0. Forkner tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Andrew Edwards (Cibolo, Texas) to give the Hawks the early lead. Forkner also linked up with Yesinko twice for 25 yards through the air on that drive.
- Before the end of the first quarter, senior defensive back Devin Lee (Brigantine, N.J.) intercepted a deep pass by Davis to give Saint Anselm the football back.
- Both teams went three-and-out on their next offensive possessions to open the second quarter. The Setters were able to flip the field on a 59-yard punt that was downed at the Hawks' one-yard line.
- Paul Cimicata and Travis Osterhout helped Pace's defense capitalize, tackling Saint Anselm freshman running back Jake Croce (Point Pleasant, N.J.) in the Hawks' end zone for a safety to make it a 7-2 game.
- With 9:45 left in the first half, the Hawks got the ball back after another Setters three-and-out. The offense orchestrated a 15-play, 81-yard that lasted almost six minutes, but again ended without points. Forkner drove the squad down the field with 24 rushing yards and 35 passing yards, but another Hurley field goal, this time from 23 yards away, was swatted down by Jeremy Mendez to keep the score 7-2.
- Pace nearly responded on that momentum-shifting play by their special teams unit, driving the ball 80 yards down the field all the way to the Saint Anselm five-yard line. Davis was starting to get into a rhythm with five completions for 58 passing yards on the drive, but was picked off in the end zone by Hawks junior defensive back Mike Weaver, Jr. (Somers Point, N.J.) with 29 seconds left in the half.
- Despite receiving the kickoff to begin the second half, Saint Anselm turned it over to Pace on the first play after losing a fumble on their own 23-yard line.
- The Hawks defense was able to stand its ground and forced a Setters field goal despite their strong starting field position. However, Dylan Squillacioti's 32-yard kick missed and the score remained 7-2.
- Once again, the Saint Anselm offense put together an elongated drive, this time lasting 14 plays and six minutes while traveling 77 yards. Forkner led the Hawks all the way down to the Setters three-yard line after 42 yards rushing, but the visitors were stopped in the red zone and settled for a 21-yard field goal from Hurley that increased their lead to 10-2.
- The Hawks defense then forced a Setters punt after another three-and-out, but they muffed the return, giving the home team the ball just outside the red zone. Pace was unable to do anything with that great field position once again and turned it over on downs after gaining just six yards in four plays.
- The two teams exchanged punts to close the third quarter and Saint Anselm started the fourth with the ball at their own six yard line. Three plays later, Forkner had his third down pass intercepted by Pace's Jack Coleman, giving the Setters another red zone opportunity.
- Pace needed only one play to find the end zone with Davis firing a 20-yard touchdown pass to Robert Ennis. Their two-point try was successful, which tied the score at 10-10 with 13:35 remaining in the game.
- The Hawks responded immediately on special teams with senior Najei Snyder (Deltona, Fla.) running back the ensuing kickoff 54 yards, setting the Saint Anselm offense up at the Pace 32-yard line.
- On third-and eight, Forkner floated a pass to the back corner of the end zone for junior Jaidin Haynes (Sayreville, N.J.), who made the catch for a 17-yard touchdown to give the Hawks a 17-10 lead.
- Pace was able to tie the score at 17-17 after a 12-play, 68-yard drive of their own. 36 rushing yards by Davis helped the Setters reach goal-to-go, where running back Christopher McGuire scored on the ground from a yard out.
- Neither team was able to score over the final 5:54 as the game headed for overtime. The Hawks defense came up with a huge fourth down stop with 16 seconds left at their own 37-yard line courtesy of a pass breakup by Snyder.
- With offensive drives starting at the opposing 25-yard lines in overtime, both teams settled for field goals to force double overtime. Hurley knocked his kick through the uprights from 37 yards away, while Squillacioti tied the score at 20-20 after a 24-yard field goal.
- The Setters started the second overtime period with the ball. Nasir Robinson scored the go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard rush to give Pace a 26-20 lead. Their ensuing two-point try (mandatory in the new overtime rules for double overtime) was no good.
- With a chance to tie or win the game, Saint Anselm was stopped on fourth down on their double overtime possession as the game ended with a final score of 26-20.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Yards of offense were almost identical with Saint Anselm gaining 319 total yards and Pace gaining 327.
- The Hawks picked up 20 first downs in the game, while the Setters moved the chains 18 times.
- Saint Anselm outgained Pace on the ground, 151-139. The Hawks averaged 3.8 yards per carry compared to 4.3 yards per rush by the Setters.
- Pace compiled 188 yards through the air compared to 168 passing yards produced by Saint Anselm.
- There were five total turnovers on the afternoon. The Hawks had an interception and lost two fumbles, while the Setters had two interceptions.
- Saint Anselm punted three times for a total of 73 yards (24.3 average). Pace punted six times for a total of 248 yards (41.3 average) including two that went 50 or more yards and three that landed inside the opposing 20-yard line.
- The Setters committed six penalties and lost 40 yards in the game. The Hawks committed two penalties for a loss of 15 yards.
- Time of possession was split down the middle with Saint Anselm controlling the ball for 30:37 and Pace spending 29:23 with the ball.
- On third down, the Hawks converted seven out of 19 times while the Setters converted just five out of 16 times. Saint Anselm excelled on fourth down, going 3-for-4 in the game, while Pace went 1-for-3.
- The home team scored four times out of their six trips to the red zone, while the visitors also scored four times out of their seven red zone trips.
- Defensively, both teams registered two sacks for losses of nine yards.
- For Saint Anselm, Forkner completed 20 of his 43 pass attempts for 168 yards to go along with two touchdown passes and one interception. He also rushed 15 times for 77 yards.
- For Pace, Davis also completed 20 of his 43 pass attempts for 188 yards to go along with one touchdown pass and two interceptions. He picked up 69 rushing yards on 11 attempts.
- Croce led the Hawks on the ground with 14 carries for 48 rushing yards.
- Robinson led the Setters on the ground with 16 carries for 56 rushing yards and a touchdown.
- On the receiving end, Yesinko posted both career-highs and game-highs with eight catches and 87 receiving yards for the Hawks. Haynes caught four balls for 36 yards and a touchdown, while Edwards had a 13-yard touchdown reception.
- Teddy Harper had five catches for 61 receiving yards for the Setters, while Ennis had three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
- Noke led the defensive effort for Saint Anselm with a game-high nine total tackles in addition to half of a sack. Seven Hawks finished the game with five or more total tackles.
- Lee and Weaver, Jr. both recorded their first collegiate interception for the Saint Anselm.
- Eliot Porter and Christian Aiken led the Setters with nine total tackles apiece. Diallo and Mendez each blocked a field goal for Pace as well.
- Hurley made both of his extra point attempts and went 2-for-4 on field goals, making kicks from 21 and 37 yards.
- Also on special teams for the Hawks, Snyder recorded his fourth game this season with a kickoff return of 50 or more yards.
- It is the first overtime game for Saint Anselm since September 8, 2018 when they suffered a 57-54 loss in triple overtime to Stonehill.
- This marked the 27th all-time meeting between Saint Anselm and Pace. The Hawks fall to 16-11 against the Setters and have now lost the last three meetings.
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