PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. The American International College football team outlasted Pace University Saturday afternoon in Northeast-10 action at the new Pace Stadium, 15-10.
With the win AIC improves to 4-6 overall and 4-5 in NE-10 play, while with the loss Pace drops to 1-9 and 0-9 in conference games.
The Yellow Jacket defense held Pace to an opening drive field goal after the Setters marched inside the AIC five-yard line. On the ensuing possession, the Jackets leaned on senior running back Maurice Easterling (Yonkers, N.Y.) to run the ball. On a play-action look, sophomore quarterback Kwame Jarvis (Schenectady, N.Y.) kept it and gave it to Easterling who broke free up the middle for a 58-yard scoring scamper and put AIC on the board. After Chris Boteler's (Mannasas, Va.) point after attempt was blocked, AIC led early, 6-3.
After forcing a Setter punt on the next possession helped along by a senior linebacker Demetrius Steed (Boston, Mass.) sack, the Yellow Jacket offense went back to work. Jarvis opened their second drive with a pass play to open the drive and found freshman wide receiver Kevin Warmack (Utica, N.Y.) for 29-yards deep into Pace territory. AIC capped a seven play, 50-yard drive with an 11-yard Reco Facey (Hackensack, N.J.) touchdown catch.
In the second quarter, junior linebacker Jerrod Shelby (Brockton, Mass.) picked off a pass in the end zone, but a roughing the passer call gave the ball back to Pace deep in Yellow Jacket territory. The Setters capitalized on the second chance with a Delaney Wallace third down leap into the end zone. Wallace is a dual-threat quarterback and used his running abilities to get in on his third rushing attempt from the red zone.
The teams traded punts the rest of the half as AIC went into the break with a slim, 12-10 advantage.
Out of the break, each squad traded two punts until AIC utilized a short field, getting Boteler in field goal range for a 29-yard kick late in the third.
The Setters responded with an 18-play drive of their own to set up a 39-yard Nick Fountis field goal attempt, but the kick sailed wide right.
AIC went three-and-out on all three possessions to end the game, but the stout Yellow Jacket defense kept the Setters from scoring to hang on for the 15-10 victory.
Easterling rushed 20 times for 115 yards and the score. The Yellow Jacket defense held Pace to zero yards through the air as the Setters did not try to pass on the vaunted AIC secondary.
American International senior linebacker Tyrone Mans (Newark, N.J.) was the top Yellow Jacket tackler, recording 10, five solo efforts. Steed notched two sacks, while Rob Hansen (Roosevelt, N.Y.) and Witche Exilhomme (Malden, Mass.) each had a sack apiece. Devonte Dillion (Windsor, Conn.) picked off a pass, while senior corner back Mike Ford (Sammamish, Wash.) forced a fumble.
AIC hosts Southern Connecticut Saturday, Nov. 14 at Abdow Field. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.
