Football | 9/30/2021 10:12:00 AM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – It's the date that you've had circled on your calendar for what feels like two years as the St. John Fisher College football team will square off with SUNY Brockport at home at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Courage Bowl XVI. 

The game, which has become one of the largest fundraising opportunities for Camp Good Days and Special Times, can be viewed from anywhere in the world by clicking the links below.

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Tickets are still available and will be sold at the Growney Stadium ticket window beginning one hour prior to kickoff.  Please note, only cash will be accepted at the door.  Those who are unable to attend, but are still interested in donating to Camp Good Days can do so by visiting campgooddays.org.

Until then, we've got all the information you need leading up to kickoff in this week's game notes.

GOLDEN DAYS: On Saturday, at halftime, Fisher will further honor its football program as it celebrates its 50th season.  The team first played on October 2nd, 1971 and has gone on to win nearly 280 games and boast a winning percentage of nearly .600 since.  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.
 
WHEN LAST WE MET: The Cardinals and Soaring Eagles last met nearly two years ago to the day on October 5th in Courage Bowl XV with Brockport earning a 17-0 win.  Fisher had one of its worst offensive outings of the 2019 season and accounted for negative yards on the ground overall while the Golden Eagles rushed 43 times for 150 yards and threw for 98 more in the win.  
 
SERIES HISTORY: In 25 historical meetings with Brockport, the Cardinals have posted an 8-17 overall record dating back to 1989.  Brockport won 14 of the first outings, but the Cardinals rebounded with eight straight wins between 2004 and 2015. The most memorable game came in 2015 with Fisher having outlasted Brockport, 42-41, in double overtime thanks to a missed extra point opportunity by the Golden Eagles to give Fisher its 11th straight Courage Bowl win.  Since that game, Brockport has held the upper hand with three wins in four chances.

LAST TIME OUT: The Cardinals fell behind early at RPI last Saturday and were never able to mount much of a comeback effort. The defense yielded five passing touchdowns, which marked the most Fisher has allowed in a game since 2017, and surrendered 472 total yards of offense - the second time in four games it has allowed 450 yards or more to the opposing team.  On the offensive side of the ball, Fisher didn't fare much better as it was held to under 200 passing yards for the second game in a row.
 
FISHER IN THE COURAGE BOWL: As we noted earlier, Fisher has been a staple in the annual Courage Bowl since its founding in 2004 by Gary Mervis who served as an assistant coach with the Cardinals for three decades.  The Courage Bowl has featured some of the more memorable performances in the team's history including a 42-41 double-overtime win over Brockport in 2015.  In 2013, Fisher scored a program record 41 points in the second quarter en route to a 48-13 thumping of Alfred University and mounted a two-touchdown comeback in the fourth quarter the year before against the University of Rochester to eek out a 20-6 win. In 2011, Fisher scored 45 unanswered points in a 52-3 drubbing of the Yellowjackets and posted a Courage Bowl record 58 points in 2005's win.  
 
SCOUTING BROCKPORT: The Golden Eagles will enter this weekend's matchup with fresh legs after head coach Jason Mangone's squad had its bye week last weekend.  Brockport is a big, talented team that features an offensive line that averages over 300 pounds up front.  As a result, the Golden Eagles have one of the more formidable ground and pound games in the Empire 8 at nearly 130 rushing yards per game.  Jala Coad leads the conference with 317 rushing yards in only three games on 69 attempts while Gino Fontanarosa is averaging over four yards a carry this season. 
 
Jack Cheshire will take the snaps for Brockport on Saturday after having accumulated 570 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.  Over three starts, the freshman has found a groove with speedster Ihmotep Cromer who leads the roster with 27 catches and 300 yards through the air. Alex Benson has 10 grabs for 97 yards and a touchdown while Derrick Chance has hauled in five passes for 65 total yards.
 
While a formidable team on the offensive end of the field, Brockport's bread and butter lies with its defense.  Through three games, the Golden Eagles are allowing just 10 points per game to their opposition and have held teams to 29 rushing yards per game on average.  In all, their defense is limiting its counterpart to under 200 total yards of offense per game this season.  Josh Greenwood leads the team in total tackles with 18 including five for a loss and two sacks while Ben Damiani has 17 stops to his credit. Lawrence Jenkins will be a focal point for Fisher's offensive line as he leads the team and the Empire 8 with 6.5 tackles for a loss.    
        
LOOKING AHEAD: With half the season nearly half in the books following Saturday's tilt, the Cardinals will play three of their final five games on the road beginning with a trip to Morrisville next weekend to duke it out with the Mustangs.  Morrisville has had Fisher's number over the last three seasons with the Cardinals holding a 2-3 all-time mark against the Mustangs. 
 
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 Audacy mobile app to listen to each and every football game - just search ESPN ROCHESTER.