Canton, NY – The University of Rochester produced three big defensive plays in the fourth quarter as the Yellowjackets defeated St. Lawrence University, 20-7, in college football at Leckonby Stadium.

Brendan Pidgeon had a sack at midfield on fourth down to kill one Saint drive. Dan Reynolds intercepted a pass at the UR 4 with less than six minutes left, and Chris Pesota picked off another SLU pass – this one at midfield – in the final three minutes.

In all, Rochester recovered two fumbles, intercepted two passes, and held St. Lawrence to 279 yards in total offense, 40 of it on the ground. Pidgeon finished with a career best 15 tackles, 11 solo. He had one sack, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Pesota broke up two passes and swiped one. Reynolds had six tackles and the one INT.

The win boosts Rochester to 4-2 in the Liberty League, 4-5 overall. St. Lawrence is 1-5 in the Liberty League, 2-7 overall.

The Yellowjackets managed 273 yards in offense – 116 on the ground and 157 through the air. Clarence Onyiriuka rushed 34 times for 127 yards and one touchdown. It was his seventh 100+-yard rushing performance this season. Onyiriuka raised his rushing total to 1,153 yards this year, the fourth best season in Rochester's 120-year football history.

Quarterback Braezen Subick completed six of 11 passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns – a 60-yard scoring strike to Mike Coolbaugh on the first play from scrimmage – and a five-yard toss to Corey Brizzee six minutes into the opening quarter. Subick left with an injury following a second-quarter sack. Kapps Killingstad completed four of seven passes for 58 yards with one INT.

For St. Lawrence, Michael Baraldi completed 29 of 49 passes for 239 yards, one TD, and two interceptions. He was sacked twice. Baraldi threw a 25-yard TD to Ethan Sutton with 3:13 gone in the third quarter. That cut Rochester's lead to 20-7. Mike Wayne had eight catches for 75 yards and Tim Robinson caught seven balls for 62 yards.

After the Subick TD pass to Coolbaugh, the Saints went three-and-out. Rick Stepien punted 40 yards to the Rochester 20 and R.J. Napadano returned the punt 42 yards to the SLU 38. Onyiriuka kept the drive alive with a five-yard run on fourth-and-one from the Saint 29. Three plays later, Subick threw 14 yards to Coolbaugh to get the ball down to the six. On third-and-goal from the five, he found Brizzee in the end zone. Zach White-Stellato, who missed his first PAT, made this one for a 13-0 lead with 9:01 left in the first quarter.

SLU lost two fumbles in the second quarter – the last one caused by Ed Dauphin and recovered by Peter Vercillo at the SLU 45. That set up a 12-play, 45-yard drive which ended with Onyiriuka's one-yard TD run.

Late in the third quarter, the Saints started at their own 10. They drove to the Rochester 43 before Pidgeon sacked Baraldi for a six-yard loss on fourth-and-one. On their next drive, the Saints converted one third down and one fourth down – Baraldi's 10 yard pass to Wayne – to get to the Rochester four. On first and goal, Conor Hackett's TD run was called back for a holding infraction. On the next play from the 14, Reynolds picked off Baraldi at the 4 and ran it back to the Rochester 29. The Saints fumbled again after a UR three-and-out, but McLean Beyor recovered for SLU at his own 49. Pesota intercepted Baraldi on the next play and ran it back to the 49. Rochester was able to run out the final 2:24 to secure the win.