Football | 10/4/2018 11:04:00 AM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College football team will continue play on the road as the Cardinals travel to Utica on Saturday to square off with the Pioneers in an Empire 8 bout at Charles Gaetano Stadium. Fisher, which earned its first win of the season in 2017 behind a 39-36 victory over Utica in the fifth overtime period, owns a .941 winning percentage all-time against the Pioneers.
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THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: In case you missed it, Fisher Athletics launched its new mobile app last week - SJFC Athletics - in the App Store and on Google Play. The app, which gives fans, alumni, parents and more yet another opportunity to stay-up-to-date with the latest news, highlights, schedules and more, is free and features push notifications so you never miss a beat.
SERIES HISTORY: The Cardinals and Pioneers are certainly familiar with each other as the two teams have played 17 times prior to Saturday's meeting. Since their first bout in 2001, Fisher has come out on top 16 times overall. The Cardinals won the first 15 matchups before falling in 2016. Over the last 17 years, Fisher has outscored Utica, 634-258, which if you break that down means the Cardinals average over 37 points per game compared to the Pioneers 15.2. This series has featured some of Fisher's top performances over the years as head coach
Paul Vosburgh's squads have eclipsed the 50-point plateau four times while holding UC scoreless three times. In 2003, Fisher set a record for its largest margin of victory with a 68-0 win against the Pioneers.
WORKING 5 TO 5: Sometimes regulation isn't enough to decide an outcome. Occasionally, neither is four overtimes...Last season, Fisher and Utica battled it out in an instant classic as the Cardinals earned their first win of the season with a 39-36 decision in the fifth overtime period. Not only was it the longest game in Fisher's storied history, but it was one of the longest games in Division III history. That record belongs to Whittier vs. Puget Sound (2010) and St. Olaf vs. St. Thomas (2008) as those games went six overtimes before an outcome could be decided.
STRETCHING THE FIELD: You don't become one of the Empire 8's top passing offenses without having a receiving corps that can stretch the field. Through three games this season, Fisher boasts three receivers in the top 10 in the conference in terms of receiving yards and remember - they've played one less game than everyone else to this point. Junior
Will Blake leads the group with 250 receiving yards on 18 catches while
Pat Galer has amassed 236 yards through the air with 18 catches.
Cam Cleveland had a breakout game against Brockport with a career-high 158 receiving yards on nine grabs as the sophomore owns 224 yards with 16 catches including a career-best 75-yard touchdown last weekend.
LET ME CHECK MY SCHEDULE: In case you missed it, Fisher has played one of the toughest schedules in all of Division III through the first five weeks of the season as the Cardinals have made their run through the Top 25 with games against No. 15 Washington and Jefferson, No. 25 Ithaca and No. 4 College at Brockport. Saturday's contest marks the first time this season that the team will face an opponent that is not currently ranked, however, that doesn't mean it gets any easier. Utica features one of the top running attacks and defenses in the Empire 8 and recently took No. 20 RPI to a third overtime period. From there, the team will face a Hartwick team that ranks third in the conference in scoring along with a Cortland team that leads the Empire 8 at 46.5 points per game. Then there's also Alfred lurking as the Saxons are currently 3-1 and receiving votes in the national poll.
WHAT'S THE PENALTY?: You never want to give your opponent free yards or extra plays, but through four games, Utica has certainly given away its fair share of both. To date, the Pioneers lead the conference with 44 penalties for 548 yards. That equates to over 133 yards per game. Fisher, on the other hand, has been penalized less than any other Empire 8 team with 17 flags thrown for 145 yards. Time will tell if added plays on Saturday will lead to added points for the Cardinals.
BURTON'S BOOT: Senior punter
Michael Burton has been called on often over the last two games as the Cardinals have faced two of the tougher defenses in Division III. Against Ithaca, the Syracuse native set a program record with 10 punts only to come back and tie that mark last Saturday against Brockport. An All-Conference selection last season, Burton has compiled a conference-leading 839 punt yards including a season-best 51 yard kick last week. Burton has pinned the opposition inside its own 20 five times and is averaging 33.6 yards per punt.
DID YOU KNOW?: If the name Blaise Faggiano sounds familiar it's because he served as an assistant coach under
Paul Vosburgh for nine seasons where he helped build Fisher into a powerhouse. With Faggiano on the sidelines, Fisher reached the NCAA Division III Football Championship twice including an appearance in the semifinals in 2006.
SCOUTING UTICA: The Pioneers enter Saturday's matchup sporting a 2-2 overall record with wins coming against St. Lawrence and Catholic. Lately, however, Utica has stumbled with two straight losses including a 45-38 decision against Cortland last weekend. Entering their matchup with Fisher, the Pioneers boast a talented team that is deep on both sides of the ball. UC ranks among the Empire 8 leaders in numerous defensive categories this season. They're third in points allowed (23.8), rushing yards (84.8) and rushing touchdowns (2). One area that could prove costly, however, is their pass defense, which ranks last in the conference at 271.5 yards per game - couple that with the Cardinals' high-powered down-field passing game and Saturday's meeting has the potential to see some serious numbers.
On the offensive side of the ball, Utica will look to Logan Wilcox to pilot the ship as the quarterback has thrown for 933 yards and nine touchdowns this season. He's also prone to picks with five INTs through four games. Malcolm Stowe will get the bulk of the carries on Saturday and will look to add to his 460 rushing yards and 5.5 yards per carry. At receiver, Peyton Miller has speed with a conference-leading 36 receptions to go along with 374 yards and three TDs.
Defensively, Utica is led by Antonio Scala's 32 tackles and four quarterback hurries while Kwasi Addo has been credited with 26 stops in all including a team-best 2.0 sacks. Matt Stone leads the way with two interceptions and five pass breakups through four games while Anthony Beaubrun has forced two fumbles in all.
HALL OF FAME NEWS: St. John Fisher College is set to induct seven new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame later this fall including Brennan Fortune '08 who played a significant role in helping to build the team in to what it is today. Fortune could be considered not only one of the greatest offensive lineman to have played at Fisher, but one of the best in Division III history. A three-time All-American (one preseason), Fortune was named to the All-Decade Team by D3football.com. During his four seasons, Fisher amassed 41 wins including three berths in the NCAA Division III Championship. In 2006, the Cardinals vied for a national championship and reached the semifinals for the first time in team history. With Fortune on the line, the running game exploded for the Cardinals' offense as he helped block for Mark Robinson who is currently in our hall of fame. He is a three-time All-Conference honoree. Joining Fortune in this year's class are Jenna Waldron '10 (women's volleyball), Dave Wood '09 (men's lacrosse), Dan Jurik '10 (baseball), Rev. Albert Gallmon '74 (men's basketball), Nicole Lanieu '02 (softball) and Patrick Tobin '62 (Honorary).
WHAT'S NEXT: Following Saturday's contest, Fisher will return home for another Empire 8 showdown with Hartwick College on Saturday, October 13th. The game will mark the beginning of a two-game home stand for the Cardinals as the team welcomes in Morrisville on October 20th before returning to the road for two games.
