PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College football team will have the opportunity to end its 2018 season on a two-game winning streak as the Cardinals are set to host Buffalo State at 1 p.m. on Saturday in what will mark their final clash as Empire 8 opponents. The game will have added significance as the Cardinals are set to honor their senior class prior to kickoff and will recognize the College's latest Athletics Hall of Fame inductees at halftime.
Fans unable to attend can still cheer Fisher on from anywhere in the world by clicking the links below:
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You can also get a more in-depth look at Saturday's matchup including statistical leaders, rankings and more by
READING THIS WEEK'S GAME NOTES HERE.
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: These two teams first squared off on the grid iron nearly 40 years ago as Buffalo State edged Fisher 16-7 in 1981. Since then, the two teams have met 20 other times with the Bengals holding a 12-9 overall lead in the series. Buffalo State would lose in 1982, but bounced back with eight straight wins between 1987 and 2000. The Cardinals, however, hold the edge in the new millennium as Fisher has come out on top eight times in 11 chances since 2007.
WHEN WE LAST MET: Last season, Fisher and Buffalo State met in the final game of the season on November 11th with the host Bengals topping the Cardinals, 35-14. Senior running back
James Chambers closed out his career in a Fisher uniform with his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season after totaling 127 yards on the ground and a touchdown. The Bengals, meanwhile, racked up nearly 500 yards of offense to close out their 2017 campaign at 6-4.
LAST TIME OUT: There so much to be said about Fisher's last game as the Cardinals beat up on Alfred, 28-14. Fisher's defense proved to be Alfred's top receiver as the Cardinals came up with four interceptions on the day, which matched the number of completions Alfred had to its own team. In all, Fisher limited the Saxons to just 77 yards through the air - 30 of which came on their final drive. The Cardinals yielded just 235 total yards of offense and held the ball for over 33 minutes. Up front, Fisher was dominate all game with 10 tackles for a loss and three sacks including two from sophomore linebacker
Justin Wheeler who finished the game with a career-high 5.5 tackles in the backfield. Head coach
Paul Vosburgh's team held its ground on late down situations as well with Alfred going 2-for-14 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth.
OOPS, DIDN'T SEE YA THERE: Four the fourth time this season, the Cardinals' defense came up with multiple interceptions after forcing four last Saturday at Alfred. Senior cornerback
Demarre Nelson had his second multi-interception game against the Saxons as the East Rochester native came down with two picks including one that he returned 25 yards for a touchdown.
Matt Rioux had his second INT in as many games last weekend while
Zack Loomis corralled his first-career pick in the win. For Nelson, the two-pick performance was significant as he now ranks third all-time in team history with 13 interceptions. He's one shy of moving into a tie for second place with
Troy Sant.
THE UTSET EFFECT: Senior quarterback
Alejandro Utset has proven to have a nice groove with the Cardinals' offensive unit as the San Juan, Puerto Rico native led Fisher to the all-important conference win last Saturday. Utset, who also got the start in Fisher's win over Hartwick on October 13th, didn't have that one big play, but he moved the sticks and kept Fisher rolling when needed. Overall, he went 14-for-30 for 126 yards and a pair of touchdown throws. With Utset calling the shots, Fisher picked up 14 first downs and went 3-for-3 on red zone chances.
LET ME TACKLE THIS ONE: Entering Saturday's contest with the Bengals, Fisher boasts some of the top tacklers in the conference - not bad considering the team has played one less game than everyone else.
Justin Wheeler leads the team and ranks fourth in the Empire 8 with 82 stops this season.
Evan Majewski is 10th in the conference with 63 tackles while
William Riechert (57) and
Tony Silvanic (57) are tied for 12th.
SCOUTING BUFFALO STATE: The Bengals enter play on Saturday near the bottom of the conference standings with a 1-5 mark and a 1-8 record on the season overall. Head coach Jerry Boyes' team ranks at or near the bottom of the Empire 8 across the board, however, it's still talented despite what records indicate.
On the offensive side of the ball, Buffalo State is quarterbacked by Kevin Torrillo who has thrown for over 1,800 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Jordan Evert is among the top receivers in the conference with 655 yards and six touchdowns while Jamar Rutledge owns 569 receiving yards and four scores this season.
On the ground, the Bengals turn to Martin Bailey who has speed and power to the tune of over four yards per carry. Through nine games, Bailey has 493 yards on 119 carries to go along with four touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, Buffalo State is led by Gino Bonagura's 89 tackles and two forced fumbles. Devin Delmont has ben credited with 50 tackles while Paul Brinkel has 40 stops overall.
Overall, Buffalo State has only come up with eight interceptions this season, which is dead last in the Empire 8. One reason why is it hasn't been able to break through opposing teams' offensive lines as the Bengals own just four sacks this season.
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).
THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT: Despite its record this season, the future does hold some promise for Fisher. Many impact players this season are only freshmen and sophomores while the Cardinals are set to return the majority of their receiving corps. Its entire starting defensive line will be back as will a majroity of its linebacking corps including Wheeler who leads the team in tackles, tackles for a loss and sacks. Couple that with several returners and talented underclassmen on the offensive line and Fisher is poised to return to its winning ways in 2019.
