Box Score | Game Highlights

MEADVILLE, N.Y. - Senior Rob Law scored two rushing touchdowns and another receiving, compiling 141 yards in total, and the defense forced six turnovers to lead the No. 25 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) football team to a 40-19 victory over Allegheny College in its 2018 season debut. The meeting was the first between the two programs.

Law, a running back, finished with 141 total yards. He carried the ball six times for 57 yards with scores of 30 and 14 yards, and had 84 receiving yards with a 71-yard touchdown. His first TD, which came on a sweep that he cut up the middle and ran untouched to the end zone, gave the Engineers a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter. His second, another sweep which he ran up the right side, made it a 13-3 lead with 8:57 left in the second quarter. 

As a receiver, Law had three catches including the 71-yard score on a completion up the middle that answered an Allegheny score and put RPI ahead 33-16 with 12:32 left in the fourth quarter. He led the team in both receiving yards and rushing yards.

Freshman Joe Scaglione was second on the Engineers with 36 rushing yards, including a four-yard run up the middle with two minutes remaining for a 40-19 lead. Senior Danny Calabro was second in receiving yards with 53 yards on two receptions. Sophomore George Marinopoulos completed 14 of 27 passes for 255 yards and a score. He was intercepted once.

Rensselaer's defense had four interceptions, including an 89-yard pick-six by senior DJ Stefonsky for a 23-10 lead with 9:24 left in the third quarter. John Sadak, Rory McCarthy and Sean Egan had the others. 

Senior Jack Hoggard led the team in tackles with 12, including seven unassisted and two for lost yards (4). Egan added nine stops (5 solo), a forced fumble and a pass breakup and McCarthy made seven tackles (4 solo) with an eight-yard sack, a fumble recovery and the interception.

RPI, which got two field goals and three point-after-touchdowns from Sanjay Krishnan, plays its first home game on Saturday against WPI for the Transit Trophy (12pm).

Allegheny receiver Alex Victor opened his junior campaign by hauling in nine catches for 245 yards and two touchdowns that spanned 65 and 70 yards, respectively. Making his first career start under center, sophomore Nazareth Greer completed 24 of 49 passes for 370 yards and the two touchdown strikes to Victor. Greer also ran for a team-best 58 yards on eight tries, while Tyler Balla gained 38 yards on 18 carries.

Defensively, Chase Balla paced the Gators with 12 tackles, including a half sack.

The Gators look to bounce back on Saturday, Sept. 8, when they open the North Coast Athletic Conference schedule with a 1pm meeting at the College of Wooster.