Football | 11/1/2018 10:11:00 AM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College football team will conclude its play on the road at 1 p.m. on Saturday when the Cardinals step foot in Yunevich Stadium to take on the Alfred University Saxons in an Empire 8 matchup.

Fans unable to venture to Alfred can still keep up with every play by clicking the links below:

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Are you really looking for an inside look at Saturday's matchup?  Check out THIS WEEK'S GAME NOTES to learn more about both teams including stats, schedules and more.

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 Saxons have played each other 20 times overall with both sides earning 10 wins.  The two teams first met on the gridiron in 1992 as Alfred won, 24-6.  This series is unique in that neither team had a clear edge at any point.  Alfred won three straight meetings from 2008-10, but Fisher countered with three consecutive wins.  Over the last five seasons, Fisher has a 3-2 advantage, however, Alfred has won the last two pairings.  In its 20-game history with the Saxons, the Cardinals are averaging 26.2 points per game.
 
WHEN WE LAST MET:  Last season, Alfred narrowly escape Growney Stadium with a 21-14 win after putting together a 35-yard touchdown drive to close out the first half as the Saxons headed into the locker room with a 21-7 lead.  The Cardinals closed the gap to seven points in the third quarter with a seven-play, 59-yard drive capped by a touchdown run by James Chambers, but a late interception inside the red zone cost the Cardinals a chance to tie the game.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Last weekend, Fisher traveled to Cortland and played in some of the most dreary conditions an athlete can endure this time of year.  With temperatures hovering around 38 and a heavy rain throughout the contest, the Cardinals were unable to get much going through the air and fell to the Red Dragons, 22-3.  Fisher, which held Cortland well below its season average for yardage, posted 95 rushing yards as team - its most since racking up 102 yards in a win over Hartwick on October 13.

LET ME TACKLE THIS ONE: Entering Saturday's contest with Alfred, Fisher boasts some of the top tacklers in the conference - not bad considering the team has played one less game.  Justin Wheeler leads the team and ranks third in the Empire 8 with 70 stops this season.  Evan Majewski is fifth in the conference with 62 tackles while Cameron Bellino and Christopher Biryla rank sixth and seventh despite playing in six and five games, respectively.
 
SCOUTING ALFRED: The Saxons have been a bit of an anomaly this season.  Alfred began the 2018 campaign with four wins in its first five games and was receiving votes in the latest national polls.  Once the calendar changed to October, however, the Saxons have been .500 with a pair of losses including a 52-0 drubbing at the hands of Brockport.  Nevertheless, they're still a very talented club with a strong offense and a fast defense.  To date, Alfred allows just 23 points per game to its opposition, which ranks third in the conference while up front, its defensive line and linebackers are allowing less than 100 rushing yards per game - the second lowest total in the Empire 8.  Teams have struggled against their secondary as well with Alfred leading the conference and being among the national leaders in interceptions with 20.
 
Offensively, head coach Bob Rankl relies on quarterback Ben Burk who has amassed over 1,300 yards through the air to go along with 11 touchdown passes.  Robert Smith, Jr. has proven to be his favorite target with 18 receptions for 307 yards and four TDs.  Keandre Sanders has 15 grabs for 282 yards while Kevin Bragaglia has hauled in 19 receptions for 271 yards.
 
On the ground, Alfred features one of the top backs in the region in Nas Smith.  Through eight games, Smith has accrued 815 yards on 157 carries with 11 touchdowns. 
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Cole Reed leads the conference by a heavy margin with 95 tackles on his ledger.  Nick Milgate has chipped in with 76 stops in all while Raymond Johnson creates problems in the backfield with a team-leading four sacks and eight tackles for a loss.  In the secondary, Raeqwon Greer is tied for the conference lead with four picks while both Kyle Moore and Ryan Elliot have nabbed three interceptions on the year.                    
 
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 this weekend's matchup at Alfred, the Cardinals will close out their season in front of their home fans on Saturday, November 10th when they celebrate senior day and host Buffalo State at Growney Stadium in an Empire 8 contest.  Both teams have had their struggles in 2018 as the Bengals sit at 1-7 on the season prior to this weekend's matchup.  Traditionally, Fisher and Buffalo State are evenly matched with Bengals owning a 12-9 advantage in the series.  Since 2007, however, Fisher is 8-3.  Next weekend's season finale also marks the final time these two programs will meet as conference foes as the Bengals depart for the Liberty League in 2019.