Brockport, NY – This weekend the SUNY Brockport football program will celebrate Homecoming Weekend on campus with its Empire 8 opener at Bob Boozer Field. The Golden Eagles will host the Hartwick Hawks for a 1pm kickoff.
DATE – TIME: September 27
th, 2025 – 1pm
LOCATION: Bob Boozer Field – Brockport, NY
LINKS: Live Video |
Live Stats |
Tickets
Brockport Homecoming & Family Weekend: Just like every year, SUNY Brockport is going all out for its Homecoming & Family Weekend to welcome past and present Golden Eagles for a fun weekend. Starting on Thursday (9/25) different special events will be held around campus to celebrate. The highlights of Homecoming & Family Weekend include the village parade, the football and soccer games, a festival, a comedy show, and fireworks! Check the following link to see all that Homecoming Weekend has to offer:
https://www.brockport.edu/life/homecoming/.
Week 3 Recap: Brockport lost on the road to RPI in week three, 30-24, in overtime. The Golden Eagles move to 2-1 overall following the loss, while the Engineers improved to 2-1 on the season.
Ben Gocella's career day passing the ball highlighted the offense, as Brockport totaled 447 yards of offense (322 passing, 125 rushing). Defensively, the Golden Eagles were successful shutting down the run despite allowing a season high 30 points. They held RPI to just 32 rushing yards on 17 carries, for an average of 1.9 yards per carry. However, the Engineers threw for 236 yards and two scores to match a pair of rushing touchdowns. Trailing 24-17 in the fourth, Brockport tied the game up with 5:06 remaining before heading to overtime. After RPI got a stop to start OT, the Engineers scored to seal the win, 30-24.
Gocella-Manneh Connection: Against RPI,
Ben Gocella and
Daniel Manneh both posted career-best numbers in the passing game. Gocella set career highs across the board with 32 completions on 52 attempts, 322 yards, and three touchdowns. Manneh was his go-to target all game, finishing with career-highs of 15 receptions and 196 yards to go with one touchdown. On the season, Gocella has totaled 573 yards and four touchdowns through the air, connecting with Manneh 21 times for 268 yards and a score.
Brockport's Rushing Attack: Isaiah Simmons leads the Golden Eagle run game, ranking ninth in the country with 442 rushing yards through three games. He has averaged 147.3 yards a game, 5.3 yards per carry, and has five rushing touchdowns this season. As a unit, the Brockport offense has posted 166.3 rushing yards a game so far this year.
Defensive Highlights: The Golden Eagles defense remains among the best in the nation in several statistical categories after their 2-1 start to the season. Here is a look at where Brockport's strong defensive unit stacks up:
6
th in 3
rd Down Conversion Defense – 20%
7
th in Team Sacks – 4.0 sacks per game
9
th in Defensive Touchdowns – 1 TD
13
th in Team Tackles for Loss – 9.0 TFL per game
14
th in Total Defense – 205.7 yards per game
15
th in Rushing Defense – 44.7 yards per game
23
rd in First Downs Defense – 30 allowed
Getting to the QB: The Golden Eagles defense has registered 12 sacks through the first three games. In 2024, they had just five quarterback sacks after week three. Brockport has nine players that have registered at least 1.0 sacks. Linebacker
Kanye Davis leads the pass rushing effort with 2.0 sacks, while
Luca Friedman,
Alan Ramirez-Jimenez, and
Felton Howard each have 1.5.
Jayden Ferrell,
Carroll Dolshun,
Najae English,
Marqwan Fluitt, and
Jayson Thomas all have 1.0 sacks so far for the defense.
Special Teams Unit: Sal Montaperto has yet to miss a kick this season for the Golden Eagles. The sophomore is 7-for-7 on extra point attempts and 1-for-1 on field goal tries. Punter
Connor Parker has already boomed a pair of kicks over 50 yards, averaging 41.3 yards per punt.
Daniel Manneh as found some space to maneuver on kickoff returns, averaging 22.5 yards per attempt across four returns.
Nazhier Wilson is credited with 0.5 sacks and a team-high three QB hurries.
Still Receiving Votes: After dropping out of the D3football.com Top 25 Poll this week (Previously No. 25), Brockport is still getting a Top 25 vote in the latest poll. Check here for the most recent Top 25 Poll by D3football.com:
https://d3football.com/top25/2025/week3.
Empire 8 Play: This weekend will mark the start of conference play for Brockport in the Empire 8. In 2024, the crew finished with a 5-2 record against E8 opponents. With nothing but conference opponents left on the regular season schedule, the Golden Eagles look to get E8 play started with a win on Saturday on Bob Boozer Field.
Brockport vs Hartwick: The battle of the beaks between the Golden Eagles and the Hawks goes back to 1947, Brockport's inaugural season of collegiate football. Since then, the Golden Eagles have dominated the head-to-head series across 15 all-time matchups against Hartwick. Brockport holds a 12-2-1 record against the Hawks, with 12 straight wins in the matchup. Last year's battle saw Brockport take the win, 53-0, on the road. With back-to-back shutout against Hartwick, the Golden Eagles have outscored the Hawks, 116-0, across the last eight quarters.
Scouting the Hawks: Hartwick is heading into week four with a 2-1 record overall, starting out 0-1 in E8 play. In week three, Hartwick was blown out at home, 59-9, by No. 24 Cortland. On the season, the Hawks are averaging 31.3 points per game with an average of 354.3 yards of offense. QB Dennis Riordan has thrown for 511 yards and five touchdowns as the starter. Running back Akil Williams leads the rushing attack with 97.0 yards per game and 6.1 yards per carry. Defensively, the Hawks are giving up 31.0 points a game to their opponents. They picked up wins against Maine Maritime Academy, 56-7, and against Buffalo State, 29-27.
Looking Ahead: Another special event is on deck for Brockport football following Homecoming Weekend. Next weekend the Golden Eagles will head to St. John Fisher for the annual Courage Bowl to benefit the campers of Camp Good Days. The game is set for a 12pm kickoff out in Rochester, NY on Saturday, October 4
th.
