Brockport, NY – The SUNY Brockport football team is set to host its home opener this Saturday, September 13^th at Bob Boozer Field. The Golden Eagles (1-0) will look for a 2-0 start as they take on the Hobart Statesmen (0-1) for a 12pm kickoff.
 
DATE – TIME: September 13^th, 2025 – 12pm
LOCATION: Bob Boozer Field – Brockport, NY
LINKS: Live Video | Live Stats
 
9^th Straight I-90 Bowl: The Brockport football team opened the 2025 season with a 41-0 shutout win at Buffalo State in the I-90 Rivalry Game on Thursday, September 4^th. The victory marked Brockport's ninth straight I-90 bowl win over Buffalo State. Brockport controlled the flow of the game from start to finish. After forcing a turnover early, the Green and Gold marched out to a 21-0 lead at the half. The second half saw more of the same with the defense allowing no room to maneuver and the offense leaning on the ground game to control possession. The formula worked all the way through the finish line for the dominant win in week one for Brockport.
 
Receiving Votes: Brockport entered the 2025 season opener in the receiving votes category from D3football.com's Top 25 poll. Following the win to start the campaign, the Golden Eagles have earned more votes. They are currently receiving the most Top 25 votes out of any team not currently ranked inside the Top 25 on D3football.com's latest poll.
 
Simmons Getting Loose: After the first game of the season, Isaiah Simmons is top 10 in the nation in rushing for the Brockport offense. He torched Buffalo State for 176 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. He averaged 7.0 yards per carry for the game, while scoring touchdowns from 1-yard, 3-yards, and 6-yards out. Simmons is poised to continue this production in 2025 after an incredible showing in 2024. The All-Conference running back totaled 1,495 yards (6.7 per carry) and 19 touchdowns last season.
 
Working on Defense: The Golden Eagles pitched a shutout to start the season, as one of just eight teams in all of D3 to not allow any points in week one. They gave up just 135 yards of offense to the Bengals, which has Brockport ranked T-6^th in the nation in total defense. Seven sacks in the matchup has the Brockport pass rush T-1^st in the nation early on. Luca Friedman led the group with six tackles and 0.5 sacks on the road. Darius Cervi had five tackles and a forced fumble. Jayden Ferrell got free for five tackles as well, including one sack.
 
Efficient Season Opener: Starting quarterback, Ben Gocella led the aerial attack on offense for Brockport with an efficient outing. He went 10-for-12, passing for 140 yards and one touchdown against Buffalo State. Those 140 yards were also enough for Gocella to pass the 3,000-yard milestone for his career at Brockport.
 
Shoutout to the O-Line: Against the Bengals, Brockport's strong offensive line unit paved the way for 379 total yards and five touchdowns offensively. The starting group on the line included William Feeney, Adam Montalvo, Liam Malgieri, Caleb Bane, and Julian McGaughy. On the ground the men pushed forward for 211 yards rushing, 5.3 yards per carry, and four scores. The Buffalo State defense only broke through for three tackles behind the line of scrimmage all game, and the pass rush was neutralized with zero sacks or QB hurries.
 
Getting in the Backfield: The defensive front seven consistently got through to the backfield for sacks and tackles for a loss. In week one, Brockport totaled 11 tackles for loss, including seven sacks. Jayden Ferrell, Carroll Dolshun, Najae English, and Marqwan Fluitt all registered solo sacks. They are joined by Luca Friedman, Felton Howard, Alan Ramirez-Jimenez, and Nazhier Wilson with 0.5 sacks each.
 
Early Takeaways: The Golden Eagles were able to force two turnovers in the season opener against the Bengals. Brockport's defense got right after it from the first snap from scrimmage. Linebacker Darius Cervi forced a fumble on Buffalo State first offensive play and Elijah Grooms came away with the recovery. After starting with a takeaway, Brockport then put the game away with another one in the fourth quarter. With less than five minutes to play, Colton Thorp knocked the ball loose from the opposing QB. Chamarr Ware was there for the scoop and score for the Golden Eagles defense.
 
Going Deep: Brockport's sophomore wideout, Nathan Williams, scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career in week one. Early in the third, Gocella found Williams down the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown pass. Williams finished with four catches for 75 yards in the win. Teammate Daniel Manneh got loose for a 36-yard reception to highlight his evening of three receptions for 52 yards.
 
Special Teams: Returning All-Conference kicker Sal Montaperto went a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points at Buffalo State in week one. Freshman punter, Connor Parker hit his lone punt for 59 yards on the night, and QB Anthony Vino hit a pooch punt that went 34 yards to pin the opponent back inside the 20.
 
The Statesmen in Week 1: Hobart enters week two of the 2025 season at 0-1, following a tough loss to Alfred University, 28-23, to start the year. The offense moved the ball well with 361 total yards, including 154 yards rushing with three scores on the ground. EJ Taylor served as the lead back, totaling 102 yards and three TDs on 21 carries. What hurt Hobart was three turnovers, including a 48-yard pick six by the Saxons in the third quarter. Defensively, the group allowed just 241 total yards of offense and forced two turnovers on the road. Noah Chachere made plays at the linebacker position for Hobart, racking up 11 total tackles with one sack and two tackles for loss. On the road again for week two, the Statesmen are looking to even out at .500.
 
Looking at the Matchup: Saturday will mark the first matchup between Brockport and Hobart since 2019, which saw Hobart take the win at home, 33-7. The last 10 meetings have Brockport ahead, 6-4, in the head to head battle. With the first matchup involving these programs coming back in 1949, Brockport holds the all-time head to head matchup as well at 7-5 against Hobart.
 
Back on the Road: The Golden Eagles will quickly head back on the road following their home opener this weekend for their week three matchup. On September 20^th, the squad will travel to Troy, NY to take on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) for a 12pm kickoff.