Football | 10/3/2026 4:10:00 PM
ONEONTA, NY – A dominant ground game and strong defensive performance led to a 27-7 win for the Alfred University football team over Hartwick College on Saturday afternoon.
"I am proud of the way our young men came out and performed today," Head Coach
Bob Rankl said. "I thought we played physical on both sides of the ball and that was a major point of emphasis going into this game. I am also proud of the way our offensive and defensive coaching staffs prepared our players going into this game. It was a good bounce-back win for us."
The Saxons (2-3, 1-1 Empire 8) opened the game with a 16-play drive, eventually turning to
Tommy Nyquist (Warren, PA/Warren Area), who found the end zone on a two-yard rushing touchdown to give Alfred University its first lead early in the second quarter. Following consecutive three-and-outs by the Hartwick (1-4, 0-3 Empire 8) offense, Nyquist struck again, breaking free for a 25-yard rushing touchdown to extend the Saxons' lead.
With the Hawks facing fourth down at midfield later in the quarter,
Isaiah Gittens (West Hempstead, NY/Kellenberg) and
Martin Flanders Jr. (Schuylerville, NY/Schuylerville) combined for a sack to force a turnover on downs. Alfred University carried a 13-0 advantage into halftime.
Hartwick opened the second half with another promising drive, but
Domanik Clark (Randolph, NY/Randolph) intercepted a pass to halt the Hawks' momentum. The interception marked Clark's second consecutive game with a pick. The Saxons responded by running the ball on six straight plays before Nyquist capped the drive with his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon. Hartwick again attempted to convert on fourth down in AU territory, but Gittens stepped up to stop the run and force another turnover on downs.
Clark came up with another key defensive play to begin the fourth quarter, stuffing a fourth-down attempt by Hartwick to preserve the Saxons' shutout. Alfred University then turned to the passing game, as
Caleb Eastman (Colonie, NY/Colonie Central) connected with
Dan Mucica (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) for a seven-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 27-0.
Hartwick would get on the scoreboard later in the quarter with a 14-yard rushing touchdown, but the Saxons controlled the clock and ran out the remainder of the game to secure the 27-7 victory.
Alfred University will enjoy its bye week before returning to action on Saturday, October 17, when the Saxons travel to face SUNY Cortland at 12:00 PM.