ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University football team's fourth quarter comeback efforts fell short as the home-opener ended in favor of visiting Mount St. Joseph College, 43-37 on Saturday afternoon from Yunevich Stadium.

The Saxons (0-2, 0-0 Empire 8) were first on the board after a one-yard punch from Max Freeman IV (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post), scoring on the opening play after Tim Dahl (Cobleskill, NY/Cobleskill-Richmondville) intercepted a pass and returned it 22 yards to the Mt. St. Joe one-yard line. The ensuing point-after-touchdown attempt was blocked and returned for a Lions' (2-0, 0-0 Heartland) two-point score. The Lions took the lead on the next drive to make it 9-6.

"Every week we go out with the expectation to win the football game," Head Coach Bob Rankl said. "The bottom line is we did not succeed in accomplishing that task today. Our offense definitely got things going in the right direction today but at the end of the day we got the ball back with three minutes left and an opportunity to win the football game and we did not do that. I believe in our guys and I like our football team and we will get things going in the right direction. Our biggest key going into next week will be to stick together, continue to play as a team and support each other. We will continue to trust in the process."

Darviae Gray (Buffalo, NY/Amherst Central) and Zuke Smith (Kane, PA/Kane Area) took the lead on the next drive. First play after the kickoff, Zuke rocketed a pass to Gray who took it the rest of the field for the 69-yard score. It was, however, Mount St. Joe that scored last in the opening quarter after a 39-yard pass, making it 16-13.

The scoring festival did not end as the second quarter saw another four scoring drives, adding to the five scores in the first. Both teams exchanged scores with the visitors striking first with a 15 yard pass from Josh Taylor to Cornell Beachem, extending the lead to 10 points, 23-13. AU brought it back to within one possession as Freeman scored his second touchdown, capping off a nine-play, 70-yard drive. He scored from three yards out, followed by the Ian Barbini (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock Area) PAT, making it a 23-20, Lions' advantage.

The Lions' Taylor found Cam York for a 46-yard touchdown on the next series, scoring in less than a minute and a half and keeping the 10-point distance from the Saxons. After AU spent 10 plays and just over four and a half minutes on the next drive, the Saxons made it a seven-point game with a 34-yard field goal from Barbini, heading to halftime with a 30-23 score.

The Lions scored the twice to open up the second half. Taylor found York for another passing touchdown, capping off a three-play, 54-yard drive with the 33-yard score. They then scored with a 34-yard field goal to make it a 40-23 advantage.

AU scored the final points in the third quarter when Andrew Morling (Canisteo, NY/Canisteo-Greenwood) snagged a 25-yard pass in the endzone from Smith. Barbini's PAT was blocked as AU had to settle with a 40-29 score. The Saxons scored next in the fourth quarter as Gray received a 23-yard pass from Smith, bringing the score within one possession, 40-37 after Freeman ran in a 2-point conversion. Mount St. Joseph put in a 37-yard field goal which kept the score within one possession as AU readied for what ultimately became it's final efforts on Saturday.

Both the defenses stood their ground, closing out two drives for AU and one for MSJC.

Smith led the game with passing yards, completing 18-of-39 attempts for 322 yards, throwing three TD's with a long of 69. Taylor was 20-for-31 for 305 yards and five touchdowns with a best of 46.

Freeman had 31 rushes for 111 yards and two touchdowns as the only rushing TD's of the game. Beachem had 11 rushes for 102 yards for Mt. St. Joe. Gray and Jacob Kelsey (Hilton, NY/Hilton) both had over 100 yards of receiving with Gray totaling 167 yard from six receptions and two TD's. Kelsey had seven catches with a long of 40 yards. York was the only Lion with 100+ yards of receiving, totaling 117 on four catches and two TD's.

Joe Copp (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa), Jayden Noel (Brooklyn, NY/Automotive), Neil Peters (The Bronx, NY/DeWitt Clinton), Wyatt Kiff (Sidney, NY/Sidney Central) and Keenan Ollison (Niagara Falls, NY/Canisius) all had four solo tackles for the Saxon defense. Copp added two assisted tackles while Noel, Peters and Kiff tacked on one each.

The Saxons will next head to Ithaca, NY to face the Ithaca College Bombers on Saturday, September 17 for a 1:00pm start in non-conference action.