By Tiffany Williams –
The Transit Trophy is staying in Troy.
Behind a monster night from running back Kayden White, RPI rolled past WPI, 26-9, on Saturday night at Alumni Stadium, claiming its fifth straight win in the Engineers-vs.-Engineers grudge match. White, a Pottstown, Pa. product, piled up 161 yards and three touchdowns — two on the ground and one through the air — as RPI (1-0) overwhelmed its rivals and pushed its series dominance to nine wins in the last 11 meetings.
The defense did its part, too, smothering WPI’s offense and holding the Worcester side to just 54 first-half yards and 227 overall. Linebackers Matt Krauza and TJ Smith led the charge with six tackles each, while Luke Connolly iced things with a 29-yard interception return.
RPI wasted no time setting the tone. White plunged in from two yards out barely three minutes into the game, and after a field goal made it 10-0, quarterback Anthony DeMatteo hooked up with White on a backbreaking 69-yard touchdown strike in the second quarter. WPI’s only points of the first half came on a 39-yard field goal just before the break.
Any thoughts of a comeback disappeared in the third. White found pay dirt again on another two-yard score to make it 23-3, and RPI tacked on a late field goal to seal it. WPI salvaged a little pride at the buzzer, with QB Aedan McDermott hitting Ty Csencsits for a touchdown as time expired.
McDermott finished 22-for-45 for 180 yards with the lone score, while Csencsits hauled in seven passes for 75 yards. WPI linebacker Patrick Andrews led all defenders with 11 tackles and a sack, and punter Josh Castro was a bright spot, averaging 42.8 yards across six boots.
RPI now leads the all-time series 65-48-5, and since the Transit Trophy was introduced in 1980, they’re 31-13-1. According to cfbscorigami.com, the 26-9 final marked the first time in over a century of football that these two programs produced this exact score.
Both teams get back at it Saturday, Sept. 13: WPI travels to Maine to face the University of New England, while RPI hosts Utica under the lights.