PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Bundle up – it's going to be cold on Saturday as the St. John Fisher College football team will host Alfred University at 1 p.m. in an Empire 8 bout inside Growney Stadium.  The game will have added significance as the team will celebrate its senior class prior to kickoff.  Fisher will be looking to close out the season at .500 while the Saxons enter the game holding a 5-4 overall mark.

Those unwilling to brave the freezing temperatures (it's November in New York – aren't you used to this by now?) can still take in all of the action by clicking the links below.  You can also learn more about Saturday's matchup including stats, news, records and more by reading this week's GAME NOTES HERE.

LIVE STATS   |   LIVE VIDEO   |   LISTEN LIVE ON ESPN ROCHESTER   |   TWITTER UPDATES

THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT: In case you missed it, Fisher Athletics launched its new mobile app last fall - 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.  Speaking of apps, don't forget to download the Radio.com mobile app to listen to each and every football game - just search ESPN ROCHESTER.
 
SERIES HISTORY: 21 games...that's how many times the Cardinals and Saxons have locked horns on the gridiron.  The two programs first met in 1992 with Alfred having come out on top 11 times overall since.  Over the last eight years, however, the Cardinals have claimed five wins including last season's 28-14 decision on the road.  This series has featured some memorable games including 2013 when Alfred made its only appearance in the Courage Bowl.  That game saw Fisher score a program record 41 points in the second quarter en route to a 48-13 win in the regular season finale.  The Cardinals parlayed that win into one of five at-large berths into the NCAA Division III Football Championship where they advanced all the way to the quarterfinals. 
 
WHEN LAST WE MET: The Cardinals' defense was firing on all cylinders last year at Alfred after forcing four interceptions including a pick-six in a 28-14 win at Yunevich Stadium.  In all, Alfred was held to just four completed passes and 77 yards through the air as head coach Bob Rankl's team amassed only 235 total yards in the loss.  Fisher senior Alejandro Utset led Fisher to the all-important conference win after throwing for two touchdowns.  The win started what turned out to be a five-game winning streak that bridged the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
 
GOLDEN DAYS: The traditional gift for 50 years of marriage is gold and next year marks the golden anniversary of the St. John Fisher College football program.  Founded in 1971 as a club team, Fisher has won nearly 280 games and boasts a winning percentage of nearly .600 in that time.  The College has enjoyed eight seasons with at least 10 wins, six Empire 8 conference title, five NCAA berths, three club national championships and hundreds of All-Conference honorees. 
THANK YOU SENIORS: This weekend will mark the closing chapter for nearly two dozens members of the football program.  Over the last four seasons, this group has seen its share of ups and downs.  Since coming to campus in 2016, this group has been a part of an ECAC bowl game, posted eight wins in 2016, played in a program record five-overtime thriller against Utica in 2017 and was a part of the largest comeback in team history after overcoming a 21-point second-half deficit to close out the 2018 season.  It's not over yet, though as the team may still have one trick up its sleeve heading into Saturday's pairing with Alfred.
 
GROUND AND POUND: The Cardinals' run defense will certainly be put to the test this weekend as the Saxons lead the Empire 8 and rank 23rd in Division III at 230.8 rushing yards per game.  With three games of over 300 rushing yards his season including a 406 yard effort against the University of Rochester, Alfred can move the chains and pick up big chunks of yardage without ever having to throw the ball.  In fact, the Saxons rank 213th out of 245 Division III teams in passing offense at just 144.2 yards per game so don't expect to see the ball in the air very often. 
 
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: Through nine games of football so far this season, no one has totaled more interceptions than Fisher's Jason Rodriguez as the Corning native is tied for the Division III lead with seven picks so far this year.  Rodriguez has accounted for an INT in five games overall including back-to-back games and has had two picks in two different games already.  The sophomore safety currently sits tied on the single-season list with Larry Long and Troy Sant who totaled seven INTs in a season twice.  Mike Guinta sits atop the single-season interceptions list after corralling eight back in 2013 - remember - you can't spell Guinta without "int."  With one final game to go this season, Rodriguez hopes to give him some company at the top.
 
SCOUTING ALFRED: We touched on it earlier, but Alfred is going to run the ball...a lot.  Coming into Saturday's game, the Saxons have three players to have accumulated over 200 yards on the ground led by Aaron Griffin's 1098 yards, which ranks 13th in all of Division III.  Griffin has four games of at least 100 yards under his belt to go along with a team-leading 10 touchdowns, however, the senior back hasn't produced more than 85 yards in each of his last two outings.  In the passing game, Alfred's Casey Boston has attempted just 162 passes on the season with 1,040 yards on his arm.  Through nine games this season, A.O Othman leads the receiving corps with 388 yards and four touchdowns while Zach Leinenbach has 195 yards through the air and one score.
 
Aside from running the ball, Alfred's bread and butter is in its defense, which ranks second in the Empire 8 in nearly every statistical category.  The Saxons allow just 16.4 points on average and have proven to be stingy in both the running game (86.8) and passing game (157.8).  Nick Milgate is a major reason for that as the linebacker leads the conference with 100 tackles to date.  Raeqwon Greer is second on the roster with 82 stops while Sean Cameron has been credited with 34 tackles in all.  Milgate also leads the team in tackles for a loss with 17.0 while Leo Pamphile has a team-high 6.5 sacks.  Alfred's one Achilles heal may lie in its ability to force turnovers in the secondary as the Saxons rank last in the Empire 8 with five interceptions.  Couple that with Fisher's downfield passing game and there could be some plays that lead to big chunks of yardage.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: With the 2019 schedule winding down, the Cardinals have put together another tough lineup heading into the 2020 campaign.  Fisher will have an even split of home and road games again that includes Ithaca, Hobart, Bridgewater State and Buffalo State as non-conference matchups.