Football | 9/28/2019 11:29:00 PM
ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University football team overcame a slow start to throttle visiting Rochester, 56-13, Saturday night at Yunevich Stadium. The Saxons trailed 10-7 early in the second quarter before outscoring Yellowjackets 49-3 the rest of the way and cruising to a win in the team's final tune-up before opening Empire 8 Conference play next weekend.
In the Saxons' first night game in 17 years, Alfred (3-1) used a relentless rushing attack, pounding the Yellowjackets for 406 yards on ground, including a career-high 229 from senior tailback
Aaron Griffin (Queens, NY/Holy Cross). "I'm definitely happy with how our guys performed in the second half. I think we came out and did some good things on both sides of the game," Head Coach
Bob Rankl said. "Today was an absolute amazing atmosphere for the unveiling of the black jerseys. First of all, we want to thank our amazing alumni for not only the idea to run the alternate jerseys but also raising the money for it to actually happen,"
Griffin scored three rushing touchdowns, including an 80-yarder that knotted the score at 7-7 with just under four minutes left in the opening quarter. Griffin's long run came on Alfred's first play from scrimmage after Rochester had taken a 7-0 lead on a scoring pass from
Ryan Eamer to
Noah Shinaman.
After Rochester (0-4) went back on top, 10-7, on a field goal at the 12:22 mark of the second quarter, Alfred answered on its ensuing drive to take the lead for good. The Saxons went 51 yards in five plays, the drive ending on a 19-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback
Casey Boston (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) to senior tight end
E.J. Staniszewski (South Wales, NY/Holland).
Alfred got back on the board again six minutes later, as Boston hooked up with sophomore wide receiver
Zach Leinenbach (Penfield, NY/Penfield) on an eight-yard TD pass to put the Saxons up 21-10 with 3:18 left in the half. Rochester scored its final points of the game on a short field goal just 17 seconds left before intermission, making the score 21-13.
It was all Alfred after intermission, as the Saxons scored touchdowns on five of their six second-half drives. Griffin ran for two one-yard TDs over a six-minute span to put his team in control, 35-13, with 5:12 left in the third quarter.
The Saxons got the ball right back on a turnover on Rochester's next drive, as sophomore linebacker
Christopher Cox (Rochester, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) forced a fumble and made the recovery, setting Alfred up at the Yellowjacket 27-yard line. Alfred cashed in four plays later on an 11-yard touchdown run from junior tailback
Kevin Bragaglia (Holbrook, NY/Sachem North) with three minutes remaining in the third. Bragaglia finished the day with 84 yards on 11 carries.
Alfred closed out the scoring with two fourth-quarter touchdowns: a one-yarder by junior quarterback
Will Coats (Keeseville, NY/Saranac Lake) with 8:02 left in the game, and a one-yard plunge by senior tailback
Caleb Rinko (Great Valley, NY/Ellicottville) with 5:28 remaining.
Griffin's 229 rushing yards – the sixth most in a game in AU history – came on just 18 carries, all coming in the first three quarters. He also had 38 yard on three catches. Coats ran for 53 yards on 12 carries, and first-year tailback
Ugene Harrison (Albion, NY/Albion) had 33 yards on seven attempts. Boston overcame an early interception to finish with 162 yards on 13-of-19 passing with a pair of touchdowns.
Alfred's defense was solid, allowing the Yellowjackets just 188 yards of offense, including a mere 28 on the ground. The Saxons came into the game allowing just under 71 yards on the ground per contest; after Saturday's win, that number dropped to 60 per game. The Saxons harassed Rochester's quarterbacks all night, registering six sacks.
Senior linebacker
Nick Milgate (Hilton, NY/Hilton) had a game-high 11 tackles (one sack, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble) and senior defensive end
Leo Pamphile (Spring Valley, NY/Spring Valley) had eight (2 ½ sacks) to lead the Saxon defense. Cox chipped in with nine tackles (two for loss, 1 ½ sacks) and had a forced fumble and recovery.
Eamer completed 13 of 23 passes for 127 yards.
Dan Diaz (37 yards) and
Justin Daul (22 yards) each had four receptions for the Yellowjackets.
Linebacker
Caden Cole had a team-high 10 tackles for Rochester, while
Robert Grant and
Deon Willis (interception) each had seven tackles, including one for loss.
Alfred returns to action next Saturday, Oct. 5, when the Saxons open Empire 8 play against visiting Morrisville State. Kickoff for the Homecoming game at Yunevich Stadium is at 1 p.m.