The St. John Fisher College football program fell to 0-2 on the year and 0-1 in the Empire 8 Conference, as SUNY Cortland came away with 34-17 win over the host Cardinals on Alumni Weekend at Fisher's Growney Stadium.
 
With the win, Cortland ranked 26^th nationally, improves to 3-0 overall and 0-1 in the Empire 8.  It is just the first time since 2001 the Cardinals have started the year 0-2.
 
 Fisher's Nathan Nigolian scored on a 30-yard pass from Matt Naton with 7:10 left in the first quarter on the Cardinals' first drive of the game.   The touchdown went 96 yards on 10 plays.
 
Cortland scored the next 16 points to take the lead for good.  The Red Dragons scored on the ensuing drive to pull within one, but Anthony Lee blocked the extra point. Cortland tacked on 10 more points in the second quarter to take a 16-7 lead at the break.
 
Fisher pulled within six points on the opening drive of the second half. Taylor Byrne drilled a 32-yard field goal to make it 16-10.
 
Cortland pushed its lead to 14 points late in the third quarter as quarterback Steven Ferreira scored on a nine-yard run.   Matt Green scored the two-point conversion with a fake extra point.
 
Fisher, however, answered right back with Bobby Campese scoring on a 40-yard pass from Naton just 14 seconds into the fourth quarter.   Just moments later, the game was delay over 30 minutes due to lightning.
 
The Cardinals didn't score following the delay.  Cortland pushed  its lead back to two scored with a touchdown midway through the final quarter and sealed the win with a 32-yard field goal with 3:03 remaining.
 
For Fisher, Tony Fusco rushed for 78 yard on 18 carries.
 
Naton completed 13-of-23 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns.  Receivers Mike Collichio snagged six passes for 95 yards, while Campese caught six balls for 79 yards.
 
Defensively, Fisher tallied five sacks on the day, including 1.5 from Brandon Miller and William Reichert.  Miller led the Cardinals with 12 tackles, while Jeffrey Carlin added 11 stops.
 
DJ Logory finished with eight tackles and made an interception in the end zone early in the fourth quarter.  Aaron Jones was also in on eight tackles.
 
Justin Rivera registered one sack, while Mark Guarino-Hyde and Jordan Andrews each finished with a half sack.
 
Fisher returns to action at 6 p.m. next Saturday and will host the College at Brockport in Courage Bowl XI.  Proceeds from the game will go to Camp Good Days and Special Times.