Brockport, NY – On Saturday, September 21^st the SUNY Brockport football team will host Wilkes University for Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 1pm on Bob Boozer Field in Brockport.
 
DATE – TIME: September 21^st, 2024 – 1pm
LOCATION: Bob Boozer Field – Brockport, NY
LINK: Video | Stats | Tickets
 
Homecoming Weekend: Starting on Thursday, September 19^th, Homecoming on the campus of SUNY Brockport will have officially begun. There will be multiple special events held throughout the weekend to celebrate. Check out the following link to see more details on the full schedule of Brockport Homecoming Weekend 2024: https://www.brockport.edu/life/homecoming/
 
Tough Loss in Week 2:  The Golden Eagles fell to 1-1 on the season following a tight, 27-21, loss to nationally-ranked Susquehanna on the road. After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Brockport battled to comeback from behind in the second half. Touchdowns from Daniel Manneh (81-yard punt) and Isaiah Simmons (2-yard rush) got the team back in the game. After a late third quarter score from the River Hawks, Brockport was down 27-14 going into the fourth. Ben Gocella led a drive down the field for a clutch score (5-yard pass to Simmons) to make it 27-21 on the scoreboard. The Golden Eagles had one final drive in the final minutes of regulation following a big defensive stop. However, an interception with 52 seconds left sealed the deal for Susquehanna. Brockport has now lost to Susquehanna in back-to-back seasons, by a combined total of seven points.
 
Special Teams Player of the Week: Daniel Manneh was announced on Monday as the Empire 8 Football Special Teams Player of the Week. In week two he finished with 195 all-purpose yards. Manneh's biggest highlight of the day was an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown early on in the second quarter for the first Golden Eagle score of the game. Manneh also had eight receptions for 114 yards in the game, including four plays for 15 yards or more. He was key in Brockport's late touchdown drive in the fourth, making three catches for 49 yards on the drive.
 
Around the E8: Here is a quick glance at the current standings in the Empire 8 following week two of the season:

1. Cortland (2-0)
2. Morrisville (1-0)
3. Alfred (1-1)
4. Brockport (1-1)
5. Hartwick (1-1)
6. Utica (1-1)
7. St. John Fisher (0-1)
8. Hilbert (0-2)

 
Defensive Playmakers: Brockport is fortunate to have playmakers at all three levels of its defensive unit in 2024. Already in 2024 the Golden Eagles have five takeaways, coming from two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
 
In the middle of the field for the Green and Gold are linebackers Ben Robinson and Mike Talbert Jr. Robinson has racked up a team-high 22 tackles (11 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.0 sacks. Talbert has done it all with 14 tackles (10 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two pass deflections, three QB hurries, and one fumble recovery.
 
Malik Kelly has proven to be a solid piece in the Brockport secondary, getting credit for both of the defense's interceptions. Kelly also has six solo tackles and two pass breakups as. Safety Kyle Haettich is another big playmaker in the secondary. He is second on the team with 14 tackles (10 solo) and has one pass breakup.
 
Up front we have seen Marqwan Fluitt, Andre Marianetti, and Jayson Thomas all make plays in the trenches. Fluitt forced two fumbles in the week two game at Susquehanna, including a strip sack in the contest. Fluitt also has a pass deflection and a QB hurry to his name. Marianetti has gotten after the QB already this year with a pair of QB hurries and one sack for a loss of 12 yards in week one. Thomas has made a pair of crucial heads-up plays, recovering a fumble in both games this year.
 
Offensive Balance: Through two weeks, the offensive play calling has been almost perfectly balanced. Brockport has run a total of 58 rushing plays compared to 57 pass attempts. This has led to more balance as the unit has scored three touchdowns each in the run and pass game. Combined the Golden Eagles are posting an average of 343.5 yards per game offensively.
 
Simmons in the Backfield: Isaiah Simmons has been the featured back for the Green and Gold early this season. The sophomore had a career-day in week one with 19 carries, 185 yards, and two touchdowns. Simmons found the endzone once again in week two, totaling 47 rushing yards on 12 carries. With four catches out of the backfield, he also had 20 yards receiving and a touchdown reception.
 
Gocella Back to Pass: Now in his second season, Ben Gocella has started at QB in both week one and two in 2024. He faces Wilkes in week three, the team he made his first collegiate start against back in 2023. During his debut last year he went 8-for-17 passing with 98 yards and a touchdown. Through two games this season he has thrown for 398 yards, three touchdowns, and has two interceptions.
 
Threats out Wide: Gocella has found two top targets in the pass game early on in the season in Daniel Manneh and Nolan Slywka. Manneh has 12 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown in his first two games as a Golden Eagle. Manneh has also made an impact on special teams with his 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in week two. Slywka is second on the squad with nine catches for 111 yards and one touchdown. Manneh is currently leading the duo, averaging 101.5 receiving yards per game.
 
Big Red: Punter Dan Giangrasso continues to put his big boot on display for Brockport. With seven punts in two weeks, he is averaging 49.71 yards per kick and has four punts of 50 or more yards. Giangrasso has pinned the opponent down inside its own 20 twice so far this season.

Looking at Wilkes: After going 5-6 in 2023, the Wilkes Colonels are off to a 1-1 start to the 2024 season. They defeated King's College, 43-28, in week one before falling to RPI in week two, 32-25. Xavier Powell had an incredibly efficient day in the pass game in the week one victory. He went 11-for-18 with 283 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. Powell also ran for 65 yards and a score. It was a different story in week two, as he threw a pair of picks and one touchdown. Donell Mackey-Woodson got his second interception in two games for the defense, trying to help keep the team in the game. A fumble made for three turnovers on the day for the Wilkes offense, even though the Colonels outgained RPI 390-378 for the game. Averaging 407.5 yards of offense per game so far this season, Wilkes will face a strong Brockport defense in week three that allows just 295.0 yards on average.
 
Against Wilkes: Last year Brockport defeated Wilkes University on the road, 31-7. Outgaining the opponent 323-145 in the contest, Brockport saw big-play scores from Gino Fontanarosa. The running back scored on a 70-yard touchdown rush and on a 61-yard touchdown reception. Other highlights of the game for the Green and Gold include a block kick from Mike Talbert Jr. and a recovered fumble on special teams. The defense also made impact plays by forcing one fumble and making one interception. This time playing in front of the big Homecoming crowd, Brockport looks to take care of business again this year.
 
Bye Week Ahead of Courage Bowl: The Golden Eagles will have week four of the season off with a bye week before stepping into Empire 8 play in week five. They will host St. John Fisher University on Saturday, October 5^th at 1pm for the annual Courage Bowl matchup.