HOBART, NY - A competitive season-opener for the Alfred University football team resulted in a 10-7 loss to Hobart on Friday night from Boswell Field. 

The Saxons (0-1, 0-0 Empire 8) were led by Dion Anderson (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute), who recorded a career-high 134 receiving yards across eight receptions. Chris Kelly (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY/Sachem North) finished the game with 167 total yards to go with his first touchdown pass of the fall season. The defense relied on Landon Spencer (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee), who totaled a game-high 13 tackles, eight of which were solo. 

"It was definitely a frustrating loss for us tonight," Head Coach Bob Rankl said. "I feel like we outplayed them in so many aspects of the game but came up short. Our team played their hearts out and I am proud of the way they competed tonight. We need to learn from this and get ready for our home-opener next week."

Both rosters were led by defense in the opening quarter, with Joe Copp (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) recording his first sack of the new season for the Saxons. Max Freeman IV (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post) rushed the ball five times for AU, but neither side got on the scoreboard before going into the second quarter. 

The first full possession for Hobart in the second quarter lasted 12 plays, but a missed field goal attempt allowed neutralized the damage for Alfred University. The Saxons found themselves on the verge of punting on third-and-25, but a 44-yard completion to Anderson set up AU on Hobart's side of the field. Two plays later, Kelly found Anderson in the end zone for the initial lead. Hobart once again drove the ball into Alfred's side of the field, but a failed fourth-down conversion allowed the Saxons to take a 7-0 advantage into halftime. 

Hobart found themselves in the red zone early in the second half, but a fumble on third-and-four was recovered by Spencer. Following a lightning delay, a 10-play drive that carried into the fourth quarter resulted in a missed field goal attempt for AU, as the game remained a one-possession contest. Moments later, Hobart cut their deficit following a 26-yard field goal. A sack by Danny Quiñones (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) forced a punt, but miscommunication on special teams resulted in a fumble recovered by Hobart. The Statesmen needed just four plays before scoring the go-ahead touchdown. The Saxons did a great job driving down the field in the closing minutes, but a late turnover ultimately ended the game. 

Alfred University will next host their first contest of the fall season against Juniata College next Saturday at 1:00 PM.