WORCESTER, Mass. - Quarterback George Marinopolous threw three touchdown passes and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) defense allowed only 162 yards of total offense as the Engineers defeated Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) 24-10 in the Annual Transit Trophy Game. Rensselaer, which now leads the trophy series 27-13-1, moves to 3-0 on the season. WPI falls to 1-2.

A graduate student, Marinopolous connected on 21 of 28 pass attempts for 262 yards and the three scores. He began the game with 10 straight completions that included a pair of scoring strikes. Junior Sterling Walker-Sutton was his favorite target, catching a career-high eight passes for 101 yards, including a TD from nine yards out. Dylan Burnett led the ground game with 79 yards on 21 carries.

Joe Deptula, a senior linebacker, led the defense with seven tackles, all unassisted, which included three tackles for lost yards (12) and an 8-yard sack. He also had a pass breakup. Austin Charles, another linebacker, had seven tackles (6 solo) for the defense, which held WPI to 43 rushing yards on 24 attempts.

The Engineers of Troy amassed 366 yards of offense, including 104 yards rushing.
 
RPI took advantage of a WPI fumble on the opening kickoff, getting the ball on the home team's 35 yard line. Six plays later, Marinopoulos found fifth-year tight end Kenny Schrader in the back of the end zone for a four-yard touchdown. Marinopolous helped make it a 14-0 score on the next series when he found D.J. Palmer down the right side for a 41-yard touchdown. 
 
With eight seconds left in the first half, WPI senior Ethan Farrah made a sliding catch on a 16-yard pass from classmate Brendan Olexa to give WPI its first points. Farrah finished with 25 yards receiving on three catches. Olexa, meanwhile, threw for 109 yards on 13 of 24 passing.
 
Rensselaer answered when Marinopoulos connected with junior Sterling Walker-Sutton on a nine-yard strike in the third quarter, before senior placekicker Conor MacDougall hit a 25-yard field goal to mark the final scoring. The homestanding Engineers got a 21-yard field goal from Bryce Wade between RPI's two scores.
 
WPI senior linebacker Derrick Doncaster made seven tackles, including 1.5 for lost yards (3) to lead the Crimson & Gray defense. Senior Maximilian Storch had seven tackles and three pass breakups.
 
WPI travels to New Jersey to face Montclair State next Saturday (2pm), while RPI hosts St. John Fisher at noon on Saturday.