Brockport, NY – The stage is set for an exciting Homecoming Weekend matchup, as the Brockport (3-1, 1-0 E8) football team hosts #13 SUNY Cortland (4-0, 1-0 E8) for an Empire 8 rivalry game. Kickoff on Saturday, October 8
th is scheduled for 1pm on Bob Boozer Field.
DATE – TIME: October 8, 2022 – 1pm
LOCATION: Bob Boozer Field – Brockport, NY
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Game Notes.pdf
Homecoming Weekend: It is Homecoming this weekend on the campus of SUNY Brockport, as there will be multiple special events held to celebrate. The Brockport vs Cortland football game headlines Saturday's events. Included during the weekend will be this year's Hall of Fame Ceremony, which will feature the 2000 and 2002 Brockport football teams' induction into the Brockport Athletic Hall of Fame. Check the following link to see the detailed schedule for SUNY Brockport's 2022 Homecoming Weekend:
https://bit.ly/3Vb49BS.
Empire 8 Rivalry Game: Saturday's game features the last two Empire 8 Champions facing off head-to-head. Cortland enters as the reigning conference champions after claiming the E8 Title in 2021. Prior to that the Golden Eagles won three straight conference championships from 2017-2019. Both teams are currently 1-0 in league play in 2022, with the upcoming game likely to have heavy implications on the Empire 8 standings moving forward.
Brockport vs Cortland: With 2022 marking the 75
th anniversary season of the Brockport football program, the team will be facing off against Cortland for the 73
rd time in program history. Although Cortland holds the advantage all-time in the matchup between the two programs, the Golden Eagles have been in control of the series in recent years. They have defeated the Red Dragons in six of the last eight meetings, including four wins in a row from 2016-2019. Cortland won the battle in 2021, 31-10, after Brockport snuck out a 32-26 win in overtime back in 2019.
Last Week's Recap: The SUNY Brockport football team shutout St. John Fisher, 25-0, for its fifth consecutive win in the annual Courage Bowl. Brockport opens Empire 8 play with a strong showing, as the team's record jumps to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Saturday night's game on Bob Boozer Field saw Brockport Football record its 300
th win in program history. The Golden Eagle defensive unit allowed a total of just 27 yards to the St. John Fisher offense in the win. They have now shutout Fisher in two of the last three meetings and have not allowed more than seven points to Fisher since 2016.
Dominant Defense: The Golden Eagle defense has solidified its spot as one of the toughest in the nation once again this year. After shutting out Fisher last week, 25-0, and allowing just 27 total yards, Brockport's defense ranks among the nation's leaders in multiple statistical categories. The unit ranks fourth in total defense, allowing just 176.5 yards per game, and 10
th in scoring defense, giving up just 8.5 points per game. Brockport has given up just 44 first downs to opposing offenses through four games, which ranks ninth in the nation in first down defense. It is also tied for 24
th in the country in rushing defense, holding teams to just 62.2 rushing yards a game.
Defensive Player of the Week: Ben Damiani was selected on Monday as the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week. Damiani led a dominant effort from the Brockport defense in a 25-0 win over St. John Fisher in the Courage Bowl XVII. The senior linebacker had six solo tackles and four assisted stops to lead the team with 10 total tackles. Damiani was in the backfield on multiple occasions, recording 1.0 sacks for nine yards, a quarterback hurry, and 3.0 tackles for a loss of 12 yards.
Follow the Law: Running back
Rashad Law is beginning to find a groove behind his big offensive line, rushing for over 100 yards in back-to-back games. Law is third in the Empire 8 with 87 carries this season and ranks third with an average of 93.5 rushing yards per game. The junior back has totaled 374 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for the Green and Gold. Law also leads the team with 11 receptions, resulting in 35 receiving yards.
Leading the Charge: Ben Damiani leads the stout defensive unit with 27 total tackles on the season, including 13 solo stops.
Ben Marshall and
Ben Robinson have both consistently stepped up to make plays, as both have 23 tackles through four games. Linebacker
John DeRidder leads the team with two interceptions to go with his 19 tackles. With 2.5 sacks and 2.0 sacks,
Aidan Thomas and
Hakeem Yaya have gotten after opposing quarterbacks. Yaya leads the team with 4.0 total tackles for a loss from his defensive end position.
Behind the Center: Todd Simonds continues to command the troops on the offensive side of the ball for the Golden Eagles this season. Simonds is averaging 151.75 passing yards per game, throwing for 607 yards and three scores so far. Unafraid to tuck the ball and run, he has rushed for 140 yards and one touchdown keeping the ball himself.
Receiver's Room: Jared Maurino leads the receivers with 140 yards and three touchdowns from 10 receptions this season. He has recorded a receiving touchdown in three of the four games so far in 2022.
Louis Usera has caught eight passes for 101 yards, while
Anthony Testa has 66 receiving yards on nine receptions.
Fontanarosa's Impact: The team's second-leading rusher,
Gino Fontanarosa made his presence felt in the last win over St. John Fisher. He stepped up to block two punts as a member of the special teams unit in the contest. The two punt blocks rank him tied for third in the nation in total kicks blocked. He also rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries against the Cardinals.
Give Him a Chance: Derrick Chance remains a threat back deep as the Brockport punt returner this season. So far on seven returns he has averaged 17.1 yards per return, which ranks him 15
th in the nation. He also has totaled 88 yards on eight receptions and 33 rushing yards on seven carries.
Next Level Defenders: Preseason All-American
Raylens Boutin leads a strong Brockport secondary on the defensive side of the ball. Boutin has tallied 13 total tackles, two pass breakups, and one interception.
Giovanni Frisenda has three pass breakups this season. Brockport is allowing an average of just 114.0 passing yards per game, which ranks 10
th in the nation.
Battling on 3rd Downs: Third down situations will be a key element to monitor on Saturday for both teams. Brockport has the 25
th ranked 3
rd-Down defense in the nation, allowing opponents to convert only 26.9% of the time. On the flip side, Cortland's offense gets a first down on 58.7% of third down plays which ranks fifth in the country. Last week against St. John Fisher, Brockport held the Cardinals to 0-for-12 on third down conversions.
Maintaining Possession: A key piece of keeping opponents from scoring is controlling the time of possession battle. Brockport's offense favors the ground game and has taken care of the ball well so far this season. The Green and Gold rank 28
th in the nation in time of possession, averaging 33:15 per game. This ranks first in the Empire 8 heading into the weekend.
Meet the Red Dragons: The #13 Cortland Red Dragons enter this highly anticipated matchup on Saturday 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Averaging 555.5 yards per game and 51.2 points per game, they rank sixth in total offense and eight in scoring offense nationally. Quarterback Zac Boyes leads the high-powered offensive unit. Boyes ranks first in the country with a 232.60 passing efficiency rating. His top weapons are Cole Burgess, JJ Laap, and Jaden Alfanostjohn. Burgess ranks seventh in the country with six receiving touchdowns, Laap ranks 14
th averaging 107.5 yards per game, and Alfanostjohn is ninth nationally with seven rushing scores. Cortland also has the 21
st ranked redzone defense in all of DIII football. Defensive back Joshua Cordero leads the secondary and is first in the country with an average of 1.2 interceptions a game.
Up Next: The Golden Eagles are on the road for next week's matchup as they continue Empire 8 action. Brockport will take on Utica University Saturday, October 15
th at 5pm at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium in Utica, NY.
