White, McCormack lead RPI to easy victory over Hobart in league opener

RPI quarterback Justin McCormak hands off to running back Kayden White during a game against Hobart on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at RPI in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union) (Jim Franco/Times Union) TROY - RPI running back Kayden White and quarterback Justin McCormack were freshman-year roommates in 2023 before their football careers took very different paths.

>While White became a consistent force for the Engineers over his career, McCormack left the school for academic reasons and didn't play football the past two seasons.

>Together again in the Engineers backfield, they helped deliver an important victory in RPI's Liberty League opener on Saturday.

>White rushed 35 times for 192 yards, both career highs, and two touchdowns, while McCormack ran and passed for a touchdown each in a 33-7 romp over Hobart at East Campus Stadium.

>RPI (2-2 overall, 1-0 Liberty League) rebounded from back-to-back lopsided losses to Utica (38-14) and SUNY Brockport (45-10).

>"It was good," White said. "I think those previous weeks, we were too worried on the play that happened instead of worrying about the next play. I think this week we were focused on dropping the brick and just worry about the play at hand, stop trying to carry on the past. Just stay focused the entire game, and I think we executed that today."

>RPI coach Ralph Isernia elaborated that "dropping the brick" means not carrying around the weight of the previous week.

>"That's what we said is, get rid of that and to play our brand of football," he said. "And that's what we tried to do today, is control the line of scrimmage, tackle them up, run the football, keep the quarterback upright and win the kicking game."

>With quarterback Micah Balzarini missing his second straight game because of injury, Isernia turned to McCormack because he had the best week of practice, according to the coach. McCormack played in mop-up duty in the fourth quarter against SUNY Brockport.

>McCormack hadn't started a college game since the 2023 season finale, a victory over Widener in the ECAC Scotty Whitelaw Bowl.

>He wasn't enrolled at RPI in the 2024-25 academic year. McCormack, a New Fairfield, Conn. native, returned home and attended a community college. He attended RPI as a student only last year before rejoining the football team this season.

>"I had some bad grades, so I wasn't able to play football because of that," said McCormack, who majors in aeronautical engineering. "I had to work on that and then get back into the school. … I just wasn't doing the right thing off the field with my school work, but I've got it all in check now."

>On Saturday, McCormack threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to wide-open tight end Josh Young down the middle to put RPI up 7-0 with 10:35 left in the first quarter.

>McCormack added a 6-yard touchdown run for a 19-0 lead in the third quarter. RPI linebacker P.J. Poknis set up the score with a 77-yard interception return to the Hobart 10.

>"(McCormack) won practice this week and, obviously, he gives us another dimension running the football, and if something breaks down, he's got a chance to make a play," Isernia said.

>White said it was "amazing" to see McCormack lead RPI to victory in something of a full-circle moment. He saw his first substantial action at quarterback against Hobart three years ago when McCormack came off the bench against the Statesmen.

>"It was like everything was written for us," White said. "We were roommates, you know, we were always close, so I'm glad he got to come back and got to perform and do what he does."

>White, a first-team all-league performer last season, rushed for touchdowns of 3 and 47 yards in the fourth quarter.

>"The previous two games, we weren't really controlling the line of scrimmage, so that was an emphasis for us this weekend," White said. "Get back to playing our brand of football."

>The RPI defense held Hobart (2-2, 0-1) to 219 total yards and forced three turnovers.

SubscribeThere’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at White, McCormack lead RPI to easy victory over Hobart in league opener.