ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher football team overcame a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit but couldn't come up with a few more key plays late in a 28-21 loss to the University of Rochester across town on Saturday at a packed Edwin Fauver Stadium. 

The meeting marked the first between Fisher and the U of R since the 2012 season. The Cardinals had won the last 11 meetings. 

In his first collegiate start, Cardinals backup quarterback Mason Lister threw for 222 yards with two scores and added another 117 yards rushing on 18 attempts. The Cardinals gained a season-high 414 yards of total offense and picked up 25 first downs. 

Rochester quarterbacks Victor Moran and Shawn Bellenger combined for 180 yards passing and three scores. The Yellowjackets also rushed for 171 yards.

How It Happened: First Half

Rochester appeared primed to open the scoring on its second drive of the game, gaining 69 yards on 11 plays to reach the St. John Fisher 11-yard line. The Cardinals' defense, though, stood up and made the game's first big play, as sophomore cornerback Trent Hill intercepted a Moran pass to keep the game tied. 

The Cardinals' offense turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing possession, and the Yellowjackets took advantage with a seven-play, 43-yard drive capped by running back Cole Raux's 14-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. 

Rochester went ahead by two scores on its next possession when Bellenger connected with wide receiver Jeremy Tantalo for a 15-yard touchdown. St. John Fisher junior safety Timothy Vanderbrink blocked Rochester's extra-point kick to keep the score at 13-0. 

Fisher's offense shook off a shaky start – it gained a meager 64 yards on its first three possessions – just before halftime. Lister directed a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ended with his 11-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Ethan Curtis on a 4th-and-3 in the final 30 seconds of the quarter.

How It Happened: Second Half

The U of R forced Fisher to punt for a third time early in the second half and went on another long scoring drive – this one 13 plays, 86 yards. A 17-yard pass from Moran to senior wide receiver Victor Papantonis put the Yellowjackets back in front by two touchdowns, 20-7. 

Fisher answered with a long drive of its own (11 plays, 78 yards), pulling within six again on another 11-yard touchdown from Lister to Curtis and Dominik Greco's extra point. 

While the Cardinals' defense finally delivered a stop after allowing touchdowns on three consecutive possessions, Rochester specialist Kyle Brainard pinned Fisher's offense back to its own 1-yard line with a 48-yard punt. 

Fisher's answer? No problem.

A 79-yard connection between Lister and fifth-year wide receiver Jaylen Brantley and a U of R personal foul at the end of a four-yard run by senior running back Deante Hall helped the Cardinals reach the U of R 5-yard line. Two plays after the penalty, the Cardinals tied the game on a 1-yard touchdown run by Hall and took a 21-20 lead on Greco's extra point. 

Of course, the rollercoaster fourth quarter continued as the U of R overcame a 2nd-and-20 with Moran's 17-yard pass to Papantonis and a Fisher pass interference penalty on the subsequent third-down play. Moran and Papantonis connected again three plays later for a two-yard touchdown that put the Yellowjackets back in front, 26-21. Rochester tacked on a two-point conversion to go ahead by seven. 

The Cardinals' offense showcased its resolve again on the ensuing drive after a muffed kickoff forced the unit to start at its own 8-yard line with 2:33 left. Lister moved Fisher into U of R territory quickly with a 12-yard rush, a 13-yard pass to junior receiver Jackson Cusack, a 10-yard pass to senior receiver Chase Vincenzi and another scramble for a first down, that one 11 yards. 

Four plays later, on 4th-and-10 from the Rochester 33, Brantley kept the drive alive, catching a short pass from Lister and turning it into a 17-yard gain to get the Cardinals to the 16-yard line. 

The Cardinals' offense ran out of gas there, though, as Rochester's defense hardly gave in an inch more. A one-yard Lister run and three incompletions allowed the Yellowjackets to hold on for their first win over Fisher since 2001. 

Game Notes

• With six catches for 132 yards, Brantley produced the best performance by a Fisher receiver since he had six catches for 249 yards and two scores last season against Keystone. 

• Curtis, who missed last season with an injury, caught his fifth and sixth career touchdown passes. 

• Hall recorded his third consecutive game with a rushing touchdown. 

• Hill snagged his first collegiate interception and broke up a pass. He also made a career-high 10 tackles, including six solo stops. 

• Vanderbrink and freshman defensive back Colin Clark led the Cardinals with 12 tackles apiece. 

• Sophomore linebacker Jack Tanoory made 10 tackles, including one for a loss of yards. 

Up Next

The Cardinals begin Empire 8 Conference play against Alfred University at 2 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 27, at Growney Stadium.