The St. John Fisher College football team (4-3, 2-1)
fell to Alfred University (6-0, 3-0) 31-28 on Saturday in a battle that had the Empire 8 top spot on the line. With just seven seconds remaining on the clock, Alfred made a 31-yard field goal to take the lead.
Fisher completed a 23-yard pass to Paul Deckard at the Alfred 44-yard line with one second remaining. The Hail Mary attempt fell just out of a reach of a Cardinal wide receiver's hands in the end zone.
Deckard had a career-high 147 receiving yards, 75-yards more than his previous career high. The senior also caught three touchdown passes, which tied him with four other players for the Fisher single game touchdown receptions record.
Alfred took the lead first off a 1-yard run after a 12 play, 71 yard drive that lasted 6:12. The Cardinals answered back with a 27-yard pass from
Tim Bailey to Deckard. The teams would again trade touchdowns in the second quarter, first a 5-yard run by Alfred followed by another connection between Bailey and Deckard to make it 14-14.
The Saxons would take the 21-14 advantage before the half, scoring on a 36-yard touchdown pass from TJ Kilcarr to Ryan Thon.
Fisher struck first in the second half to tie the game at 21. The touchdown came on a 3-yard from
Brad Carlton off a drive that went 9 plays for 49 yards over 2:22.
Late in the fourth quarter both teams went three and out, with Fisher receiving the ball off an Alfred punt with just over five minutes remaining. The punt hit the Fisher 10-yard line and rolled towards the end zone. At the 2-yard line Anthony Short tried to save the ball from being downed but had the ball stolen by Roland O'Brien. O'Brien ran 2-yards for the easy score to put the Saxons up 28-21.
Deckard's final touchdown of the day came on a 7-yard pass from Bailey to notch the score at 28.
Christian Zemaitis led the Cardinals on the ground with 21 carries for 66 yards. Running back Carlton scored Fishers only rushing touchdown.
Bailey was 25-of-43 for 315 yards with 3 touchdowns, an interception with a long of 28 yards.
Defensively the Cardinals were led by
John Sheridan and
Nick Krajacic who each tallied eight tackles.