BROCKPORT, NY – Two weekends after turnovers doomed the Alfred University football team in a 20-16 loss at Cortland, the Saxons turned the tables on host Brockport Saturday, taking the ball away five times en route to a key 35-13 Empire 8 Conference win.
 
With the victory, AU improves to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the Empire 8, which ties the Saxons with Cortland, a 42-28 loser to Morrisville, and St. John Fisher, a 34-0 winner over Ithaca, for the fewest league losses. Cortland (5-2 E8) has played one more conference game than Alfred and Fisher,
 
AU forced three Brockport turnovers in the first half, and converted each into touchdowns. After the host Golden Eagles took a 7-0 lead on a 21-yard Dan Andrews TD run with 5:57 left in the first quarter, Alfred turned the ball over on its ensuing possession, fumbling near midfield. The Saxons got the ball right back, however, as junior cornerback  Shyheim Wingate (Jamaica, NY/Holy Cross) forced a fumble at the AU 39, recovered and returned ball 43 yards to the Brockport 18-yard line. On the next play, junior quarterback Tyler Johnson (East Syracuse, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) ran in for the touchdown and the game was tied 7-7.
 
Brockport's Tyler Perna booted a 24-yard field goal to put his team back in front, 10-7, 43 seconds into the second quarter, but AU scored four unanswered touchdowns – two coming off Golden Eagles turnovers – to take a commanding 35-10 lead.
 
The Saxons took the lead for good on a 12-yard TD pass from Johnson to senior tight end Mike Brien (Victor, NY/Victor) with 11:41 left in the second that made the score. The score, which capped a four-play, 66-yard drive, made it 14-10 Alfred. AU got the ball right back when Brockport fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Saxons recovered at the Golden Eagle 32. Six plays later, AU junior tailback Casey Bright (Pulaski, NY/Pulaski) rumbled in from 11 yards out and Alfred led 21-10 midway through the second.
 
Special teams played an immediate role in the Saxons' next touchdown. Brockport was forced to punt and Saxon freshman wide receiver Jayden Gavidia (Homer, NY/Homer) returned the kick 54 yards for a touchdown, putting Alfred up 28-10 with 7:17 left in the half. Brockport appeared poised to chip into Alfred's lead, driving to the Saxon 3-yard line before senior middle linebacker Corry Wallace (Mastic Beach, NY/Longwood) intercepted Brockport's Wayne Bonsell in the endzone. AU proceeded to drive 80 yards in 10 plays over 4:19, with Johnson connecting with junior wideout Brendan Buisch (Hornell, NY/Hornell) on an 18-yard scoring pass to put Alfred up 35-10 with 42 seconds left in the half.
 
Perna's 36-yard field goal, as the first-half clock expired, ended a five-play, 48-yard drive to make it 35-13 Alfred at intermission.
 
After a scoreless third period, Alfred consumed about half of the fourth quarter with an 11-play, 63-yard drive that ended with an interception in the Brockport endzone with just under eight minutes left in regulation. Brockport gave the ball right back with its fourth turnover of the game, as Wingate forced a fumble and sophomore linebacker Michael Joiner (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) made the recovery at the Alfred 40-yard line with 5:47 left in the game.
 
Alfred punted but got the ball back as sophomore linebacker A.J. Licata (Lake View, NY/Frontier) intercepted Bonsell at the Brockport 40-yard line with 3:47 showing on the clock. AU ran the clock out to secure its sixth win of the year.
 
Alfred ran for 202 yards against a Brockport defense that came in allowing only 116 per contest. Bright had 18 carries for 64 yards and a score; junior wide receiver Maleke Fuentes (Olean, NY/Olean) ran six times for 64 yards); and Johnson ran 15 times for 48 yards and a TD.
 
Johnson completed 14 of 18 passes for 175 yards with two TDs and a pair of interceptions. Fuentes had five catches for 48 yards; Buisch had two for 30 and Brien two for 26; and Bright caught three passes for 26 yards.
 
Bonsell threw for 280 yards but was held without a TD pass while being intercepted twice. Wideout Jerry Thompson had 10 catches for 117 yards and wide receiver Ian Gilhousen had six for 56.
 
The Alfred defense did an outstanding job containing Andrews, one of the top runners in the nation. Andrews came in averaging 158 yards per game (5.8 per carry) but was held to 56 on 15 carries (3.7 per attempt).
 
Licata finished with 16 tackles (eight solo, two for loss, one sack) and an interception to pace the Saxon defensive effort. Junior strong safety Liam Hobbins (Saco, ME/Cheverus) had nine tackles; Wallace had seven (one for loss) to go with his interception; and Wingate had five and a forced fumble and recovery.
 
Alex Egglinger had 13 tackles (one for loss) and Julius Mirzo had 10 for Brockport.
 
With the win, Alfred keeps pace with Cortland and Fisher in the race for the Empire 8 title and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Cortland holds the tiebreaker advantage by virtue of earlier wins over AU and Fisher. Alfred returns to action next Saturday, Nov. 7, at home against Utica; Fisher plays at Hartwick while Cortland is idle. Alfred travels to Fisher on Nov. 14 or the regular season finale, while Cortland plays at rival Ithaca.