ITHACA, NY – The Alfred University football team fell in non-conference action on Saturday on the road at Ithaca College, 27-9.
 
The Saxons (2-1, 0-0 Empire 8) managed to score first but the Bombers (2-0, 0-0 Liberty League) responded with 27, unanswered points to take the win.
 
The Saxons first got on the board after AU received the opening kickoff and put together a 10-play, 62-yard drive that was highlighted by an 18-yard catch by Zach Leinenbach (Penfield, NY/Penfield) from Ben Burk (Lakewood, NY/Southwestern Central). Dustin McCaslin (Ashville, NY/Chautauqua Lake) hit the 30-yard field goal to go up, 3-0 over Ithaca.
 
The Bombers retaliated with a 10-play drive of their own that spanned 67 yards as they tied it with a 33-yard field goal, 3-3. They recorded the game's first touchdown in the second quarter to go up, 10-3 after the successful PAT and ended the half with that score. In the third, they tacked on another 10 before opening the fourth quarter with another seven.
 
The Saxons, down 27-3 and after the Bombers' kickoff, drove the ball 75 yards in 13 plays as Aaron Giffin (Queens, NY/Holy Cross) punched in the lone Alfred touchdown from two yards out to make it 27-9. The Saxons' two-point conversion was unsuccessful.
 
On the ground, AU was the better team with 185 net yards on 41 attempts while Ithaca only gained 121 yards on 29 attempts. Ithaca gained the majority of their offense's yards in the air with 249 yards on 40 attempts with 27 completions.
 
John McDonald-Horner (Monroeville, PA/Gateway) and Sean Cameron (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) both totaled 10 tackles each to lead the Saxons. McDonald-Horner had five solo tackles and five assisted while Cameron had four solo and six assisted. Cameron also joined in on a sack for a loss of two yards and had one more tackle-for-loss for another yard. Ryan Elliot (Northport, NY/Northport) picked off the Ithaca QB for the Saxon defense's lone interception.
 
Griffin led the Saxon offense with 97 yards gained from the ground as he rushed 20 times with a long of 16. Casey Boston (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) led the quarterbacks with 9-of-24 for 81 yards. Leinenbach had 60 yards to lead the receivers.
 
The Saxons will next host University of Rochester on Saturday, September 28 for the program's first night football game in almost 20 years (last being in 2002). The game will begin at 6 p.m. at Yunevich Stadium.