Football | 11/23/2024 3:53:00 PM
DANBURY, CT - The Alfred University football team wrapped up their fall season with a 45-14 loss to Western Connecticut State University as part of the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl on Saturday.
Chris Kelly (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY/Lake Ronkonkoma) finished the game with 163 passing yards to go with a pair of touchdowns.
Max Freeman IV (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post) led the backfield with 80 rushing yards.
Joe Copp (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) and
Jack Bestpitch (Buffalo, NY/St. Mary's of Lancaster) each recorded seven tackles for AU.
"I want to congratulate our seniors, our coaching staff, and the entire team on a good season," Head Coach
Bob Rankl said. "Today did not end the way that we were expecting it to. We did not play our best football, but I am proud of the way that our team, and particularly our seniors, battled all year long."
The Wolves built a 14-0 lead in the first half, but the Saxons responded with a 19-yard passing touchdown from Kelly to Freeman in the second quarter. WestConn tallied 10 additional points before taking a 24-7 lead into halftime.
Jayden Noel (Brooklyn, NY/Automotive) made an impressive play on the defensive end for Alfred University in the second half, recording an interception in opposing territory. The last scoring opportunity for AU came in the final stages of the fourth quarter, as Kelly found
Carmine Hoag (Salamanca, NY/Salamanca) for a 12-yard touchdown.
Alfred University football has enjoyed a historic season in which five different players made their way onto the all-time record book. The ECAC appearance for the Saxons marks the fifth overall under Coach Rankl, with the team not having the opportunity to compete in a bowl game dating back to the 2018 season.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
EMPIRE 8 SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube –
Facebook –
Twitter –
Instagram