Game #9: Alfred University (5-3, 2-2 Empire 8) vs Brockport Golden Eagles (7-1, 4-0 Empire 8)
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019; 12 p.m.
(Bob Boozer Field, Brockport, NY)
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The Matchup: The Alfred University Football team looks to bounce back this weekend, as the team makes its biennial trip north, facing the defending Empire 8 Champions in Brockport Saturday at noon. Alfred is 5-3 overall and in third place in the Empire 8 standings at 2-2, while Brockport has won its last seven contests to improve to 7-1 and 4-0 in league action. The Saxons come off a 19-10 home loss to Utica last week, while Brockport came from behind in dramatic fashion, beating previously undefeated Cortland 32-26 on the road. It's a battle of the league's top two defenses, as Alfred and Brockport are 1-2 in points per game allowed, rushing yards allowed, and passing yards allowed. It's also the battle of the league's leading rusher in AU's Aaron Griffin, versus the nation's leading rush defense.
 
Series History
This is the 45^th meeting all-time between Alfred and Brockport, with the Saxons holding a 31-10-3 advantage.
 
The series began in 1949 with the Saxons enjoying a 26-0 shutout victory. The teams faced each other every season until 1982, with the Saxons winning the first eight games. The series picked back up in 1989, a 57-15 home victory, and the teams played each other until 1994. Brockport joined the league as a football member in 2013, which picked the series up again. The teams share a 3-3 record since Brockport joined the league, with the Golden Eagles winning the last two games.
 
Last Time We Met
Brockport, ranked fourth in the country at the time, earned a 52-0 victory at Merrill Field in last season's game on Oct. 13. The Golden Eagles scored seven in the first quarter, then opened things up with a 28-point second quarter to take a 35-0 lead. Brockport would close the game with a pair of touchdown passes and a field goal for the 52-0 final score.
 
Time under center for the Saxons was split between Ben Burk and Casey Boston. Burk threw for 42 yards on 7-of-17 (41.1%) passing while Boston threw for 30 yards on 4-of-8 (50.0%) passing. Smith led AU with 28 yards rushing while Kerr accumulated nine yards. Sanders caught two passes for 25 yards in the game.
 
Senior middle linebacker, Cole Reed led the AU defense with 12 tackles including half a sack. Eric Graham had a season-high seven tackles while junior Russell Kohler snatched up six total tackles.
 
A Look at the Saxons
Alfred sits third in the Empire 8 standings with a 2-2 record. Statistically, AU averages 26.9 points per contest, holding teams to 16.5 points per game, good for second in the conference. Defensively, the team leads the Empire 8 in sacks (23) and passing yards allowed (168.9 per game) and are second in rushing yards allowed (72.5 yards allowed per game) and total yardage allowed (241.4 yards allowed per game). Offensively, the Saxons lead the league in rushing (257.5 yards per game). They are second in third down conversion percentage (48.4 percent) and time of possession (32:30 minutes per game).

Casey Boston leads the offense with 826 yards, completing 53.7 percent (72-of-134) of his passes. He has six touchdowns through the air, adding 211 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Aaron Griffin leads the league and is ninth nationally in rushing with 1,068 yards on 167 touches (6.3 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. Kevin Bragaglia adds 266 yards on 55 carries and three touchdowns, and Will Coats contributes 197 yards on 27 carries (7.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. In the air, A.O. Othman has a team-leading 261 yards, on 18 receptions and three touchdowns. Steven Moretti-Ransom leads the team with 22 receptions, contributing 126 yards. Zach Leinenbach (12 receptions, 195 yards) and Griffin (13 receptions, 102 yards) are the other receivers with double-digit receptions. Defensively, Nick Milgate is 17th nationally with 90 tackles, adding three forced fumbles, four sacks, and an interception. Milgate is also 13^th nationally with 1.9 tackles for loss per game. Leo Pamphile leads the team with 6.5 sacks. In addition to Milgate, Sean Cameron, Ryan Elliott, and James Jones III have all recorded interceptions for the Saxons.
 
Last Time Out for the Saxons
AU dropped its first home game of the season last Saturday, falling to Utica in a defensive battle 19-10. The Saxons knocked in a field goal on their first drive and surged ahead to a 10-7 lead after a Nick Milgate interception led to a short Aaron Griffin touchdown run. Utica's defense stymied the Saxons in the second half, keeping them off the board for the first time all season. Offensively, the Pioneers relied on four Maki Medici field goals, including a 48-yarder late in the fourth quarter, to pull ahead for the win.
 
Griffin saw his streak of consecutive games with 100 or more rushing yards end, but the Empire 8's leading rusher reached the 1,000-yard plateau after rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown. Casey Boston completed 8-of-16 passes for 98 yards, adding 43 yards on the ground. Defensively, Raeqwon Greer led the team with 13 tackles (six solo), one for loss. Milgate added 11 tackles and an interception. Chris Meano tallied AU's lone sack, adding six tackles.
 
A Look at the Golden Eagles
Brockport comes into the weekend with a 7-1 overall record. The defending Empire 8 champions are undefeated in conference play with a 4-0 record. The Golden Eagles are ranked 25^th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) rankings and are receiving votes in the latest D3football.com poll. The Golden Eagles have won seven consecutive games since dropping the season opener.
 
Brockport leads the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 23.1 rushing yards per game, as well as third down conversion defense, with opponents converting on just 17 percent of their attempts. The Golden Eagles are third in the conference averaging 32.4 points per game and give up the fewest points (12.6 per game).
 
Freddy June leads the team in passing, completing 56.1 percent of his passes (60-of-107) for 948 yards and six touchdowns. June's favorite targets are Imhotep Cromer (24 receptions, 456 yards, three touchdowns), DaQuan Hubbard (18 receptions, 431 yards, one touchdown), and Joseph Ortiz (23 receptions, 272 yards). On the ground, Jala Coad is third in the Empire 8 with 640 yards on 139 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and leads the league with 12 touchdowns. The defense is led by Alex West with 41 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. Raylens Boutin and Kenny Hernandez are tied for second in the Empire 8 with four interceptions each.
 
Last Time Out for the Golden Eagles
Brockport took Cortland's best punch, trailing by as many as 23 points in the second quarter. Freddy June ended the half with a 12-yard touchdown run for Brockport, and the comeback was on. The Golden Eagles outscored the Red Dragons 19-3 in the second half to tie the game at 26 heading into overtime. In the extra session, Andrew Covais intercepted a Brett Segala pass in Cortland's first possession. Brockport took control, needing three plays to get into the end zone on a Jason Hellwig 11-yard run for a 32-26 victory.
 
June completed 14-of-25 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. Hellwig came on in relief, completing 1-of-6 passes for 36 yards in the air, adding 32 yards on the ground. Jala Coad added a career-high 210 rushing yards on 39 carries, scoring a pair of touchdowns. DaQuan Hubbard added four receptions for 74 yards, while Alex Benson scored a touchdown through the air. Defensively, Alaan Montgomery tallied eight tackles to lead the squad, while Covais and Raylens Boutin picked off Cortland passes.