PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester football team capitalized on four turnovers and pounded out 260 yards on the ground, leading to a 38-17 victory over The University of Olivet on Saturday afternoon at Edwin Fauver Stadium.
 
On just the fifth play of the game, Rochester (1-0) got on the board thanks to a botched handling of a punt by Olivet. The loose ball was scooped up by sophomore A.J. Bicksler who took the play to the house, scampering 27 yards for a score. Kyle Brainard's point after made the score 7-0 Yellowjackets.
 
Olivet (0-1) saw its next possession end in a turnover as well, with Daniel Avila's pass on third down getting intercepted by first-year defensive back Brock Miller near midfield. Miller returned it 14 yards to the Comet 33-yard line, setting up Rochester for another score.
 
URochester capitalized in just five plays, with sophomore Cole Raux plunging into the end zone from two yards to put the home team up 14-0. On the drive Raux carried four times for 22 yards, with Shawn Bellenger connecting with Aidan Papantonis for a key 11-yard gain down to the 2-yard line.
 
On its next offensive possession, Rochester put together its best drive of the day, travelling 64 yards in 13 plays, chewing 6:33 off the clock, spanning the first and second quarters. Quarterback Victor Moran connected for a pair of 10-yard chunk plays to Samuel Nuamah and Jackson Kane, with the drive ending on a 15-yard touchdown run up the middle by senior Jake Adelmann.
 
Trailing 21-0, Olivet put together a decent drive on its next attempt, but saw it stall out after a third-down sack of Avila from Bicksler and Claudio Pinto.
 
Later in the quarter, Olivet broke the shutout with a 29-yard field goal from Angel Potter making the score 21-3.
 
The Yellowjackets responded right away though, needing just over 90 seconds to find pay dirt once again. After getting the ball its own 40-yard line, Raux started the drive with a 14-yard run up the middle, with a Olivet penalty tacking on an additional 15 yards.
 
Raux added runs of seven and 11 yards to reach the Olivet 30-yard line before Moran scrambled for a big gain on third down, keeping the drive alive with a 23-yard run. The next play saw first-year Jett Genovese bowl over a pair of defenders into the end zone for a 7-yard score.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Braydon Felsinger forced an Olivet fumble, recovered by Drew Strollo, but the Yellowjackets ran out of time in the half, sending the game to intermission with the score reading 28-3 in favor of UR.
 
After halftime, Rochester had the ball first, but an interception by Olivet's Aaren McCray gave the Comets solid field possession. Two plays later, Avila connected with Mason Shroad for a 10-yard touchdown. Potter's extra point made the score 28-10.
 
Rochester's next drive fizzled out near midfield, giving the ball back to the Comets at their own 10-yard line. Olivet then embarked on a long 18-play, 90-yard drive to pull within two scores. Avila found Wade Brashears on an out route for a 5-yard score, trimming the Yellowjacket lead down to 11 points.
 
UR settled back in on the following possession, getting points on a Brainard 23-yard field goal, leaving Olivet to score two touchdowns with 10:20 remaining.
 
With the Comets charging near the red zone, the 'Jacket defense made another big play, with Nathan Lehigh picking off an Avila pass and returning it 37 yards into Olivet territory.
 
In just two plays, Adelmann rushed up the middle untouched for a career-long, 43-yard touchdown scamper, boosting the 'Jackets lead to 38-17.
 
With time running out in the contest, Olivet's final drive ended after on a 4th-and-1 play, with Gavin James-Dues stuffing Avila on the attempted QB sneak following a bobbled snap.
 
Overall in the game, Raux and Adelmann combined for 171 yards on 22 carries, adding three total touchdowns. Genovese scored once and had 34 rushing yards, the same total as senior Jay Zheng. UR tallied 260 yards on the ground, compared to just 36 for the Comets.
 
Olivet's main force offensively was Avila through the air, as the sophomore completed 32-of-44 passes for 320 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Rashawn Mersier led the receivers with eight catches for 147 yards, while Brashears caught six balls for 52 yards and a score.
 
Defensively, Felsinger and Luke Herter led the team with ten tackles apiece. Felsinger added two break-ups and a forced fumble. Lehigh finished with nine stops and an interception, while All-American Jordy Tawa chipped in seven tackles and two pass break-ups, extending his school-record in that category. Bicksler ended with five tackles, half a sack and his fumble recovery touchdown.
 
Up next for the Yellowjackets is a road contest at SUNY Morrisville next weekend, with the Saturday matchup starting at noon.