PLEASANTVILLE, New York - A senior running back. A rookie quarterback. A fourth-quarter drive in a tie game with barely five minutes to play. 

Leading an American International College football team desperate for a spark, Sidiki Kone and Connor Dietz were able to catch fire, with the duo combining for a nine-play, 77 yard drive capped with a touchdown with just 32 seconds left in regulation to propel Yellow Jackets to a 14-7 Northeast-10 Conference victory at Pace University on Saturday, October 26.

AIC is now 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the NE10.

With the defense forcing a punt and Amiyn Hanks providing a strong return to the 23, the Yellow Jackets went to work. Dietz took the ball himself on the first two plays, going four yards up the middle and then bouncing to the right for nine more. Kone then grabbed a handoff, breaking through the middle for 16 and finally being brought down inside Pace territory. Dietz took another QB keeper, slicing five yards forward, before Kone again eluded defenders across several levels of defense, gaining 23 yards and putting AIC in the red zone. His subsequent six-yard burst closed further and brought with it the two-minute timeout.

The stoppage did nothing to blunt Kone's momentum at that point. He broke through again, barely being brought down shy of the goal line. With first and goal from the one, the longtime star was not going to be denied, busting through two plays later to break the plane and give AIC the lead. Santana Fonseca kicked the point after successfully as well.

The Setters were able to advance into AIC territory, but the defense made the stops it needed, with a key pass breakup by Mikail Muhammad on the AIC 12 and the last ball falling harmlessly to the ground in the end zone to give AIC the victory.

AIC's previous touchdown was also courtesy of Kone, who caught a one-yard pass from Dietz two plays after the rookie quarterback broke out a 30-yard scamper. That was the first play of a possession that started in Pace territory thanks to a Kemari Ward strip sack that Jahsin Jacobs recovered at Pace's 33.

Kone ended the day with 112 rushing yards, while Dietz generated 110. Shawn Belle, Tyson Thornton, and Edward Craig Jr. all co-led the defense with five tackles.

AIC returns home for a Friday night showdown on November 1 at 6:00 p.m. with Assumption University.