By Draven Dabrowski
Sports Writer
In what was a defensive battle, the Owls came out on top 10-3 of the American International Yellow Jackets on Saturday, Sept. 20, marking both their first home game of the season and the first victory of the Joe Loth era.
With 2,816 fans packed into Jess Dow Field, the Owls fed off the home energy and delivered when it mattered.
Quarterbacks Brandon Jorgensen, a senior, and John Giller, a freshman, shared snaps throughout the game, with Giller being used mostly for designed quarterback runs.
“John gives us experience, and Brandon gives us really an elite arm talent,” Head Coach Joe Loth said.
The Owls also showed off their powerful run game, using both their running backs throughout the game.
Running back John Amaning, a graduate student, led the team with 106 yards on 18 carries. Following Amaning was running back Kieran Falzon, a junior, with 38 yards on 12 carries. He had the university’s only touchdown.
The university will travel to Salisbury, North Carolina, on Saturday, Sept. 27 to face Catawba College before returning home to host Bentley University on Oct. 2 for Homecoming Weekend.
“After the first quarter, we could tell we can run on these guys. As the game goes, coach is trying to spread the ball to everyone’s hands. Hopefully, I get the ball as well,” Amaning said.
While the ground game kept AIC’s defense on its heels, the university also made key adjustments at halftime.
After committing several costly penalties in the first half, the Owls cleaned things up and played a disciplined second half without a single flag.
“You don’t win games with halftime speeches; you win games with adjustments. We just had to make the right adjustments with offense and defense,” Loth said.
Jorgensen provided balance through the air, throwing for 151 yards, including a 35-yard strike to wide receiver Seth Westover, a senior.
That play helped the Owls flip field position and set up scoring opportunities, leading to a clutch fourth-quarter drive, capped by kicker Daniel Benzi’s, a sophomore, 24-yard field goal, which pushed the lead to 10-3.
The mix of rushing and passing allowed the Owls to control the tempo of the game and sustain drives against the Yellow Jackets defense.
On the other side of the ball, the university’s defense set the tone from the opening kickoff, forcing AIC into long third downs and keeping their offense out of rhythm.
Linebacker Shane Kanterman, a senior, picked up 10 tackles and a pass breakup, while linebacker Dominick Barbuto, a graduate student, made his presence felt with eight stops and 2.5 tackles for loss.
“I was picking up on the cadence all game. Coach called my number. I just shot at the right time and made the play,” Barbuto said.
For the players, the victory carried extra meaning as the first win for Joe Loth. Westover said the win felt amazing.
“It was great to see coach smile. Sometimes, he is stone cold, but to see him smiling is awesome,” Westover said.
The victory gave the university its first taste of momentum heading into their next game.
