Brockport, NY – In a defensive battle with No. 22 Susquehanna University, the SUNY Brockport football team suffered its first loss of the season. A late field goal with two seconds remaining gave the River Hawks the 6-5 win to spoil the Golden Eagles' home opener. Susquehanna improves to 2-0, while Brockport drops to 1-1 on the season.
Neither team was able to get in the endzone for a touchdown in this one, as all of the scoring came from the two special teams units. Susquehanna's Christian Colas made two field goals to provide all six of the River Hawks' points. Nate Wigent nailed a 30-yard kick for Brockport, to go with a safety caused by Ryan Jafarjian's punt block.
The Golden Eagle defense kept the opposing offense from scoring a touchdown for a second straight week. However, the visiting team from Pennsylvania outgained Brockport on the ground and in the air. With 314 yards of total offense, Susquehanna's defense did its part by holding Brockport to just 135 yards of offense.
Ben Robinson, Mike Talbert Jr., Kyle Haettich, and Raylens Boutin made plays all over the field. Robinson recorded a career-high 16 total tackles (6 solo, 10 assisted) to lead the defense. He also was credited with 1.5 tackles for a loss and 0.5 sacks. Talbert made 11 tackles (5 solo, 6 assisted), 2.5 for a loss, 1.0 sacks for 16 yards, had two pass breakups, and one QB hurry. Haettich finished the game with 10 tackles and an interception. Boutin registered eight tackles to go with one pass deflection.
Offensively, Brockport struggled to get anything going on the ground or through the air. Totaling 109 rushing yards as a team, Jala Coad led the backfield with 66 yards on 22 rushes. Todd Simonds contributed another 39 rushing yards on nine carries. Simonds completed 6-of-12 pass attempts for 22 yards. The Green and Gold earned just seven first downs in the game, being forced to punt 10 times.
Despite outgaining Brockport, the River Hawks had a hard time putting drives together and had to punt eight times in the contest. QB Josh Ehrlich went 14-for-25 through the air for 155 yards and he rushed for 57 yards on 22 carries. Matt Surtz led the rushing attack with 61 yards, as the team finished the game with 159 yards on the ground. Kyle Howes and Jacob Erb combined for eight receptions and 119 yards receiving.
The punters were busy on Saturday, combining for 18 total punts in the game. Dan Giangrasso finished with 10 punts for 420 yards, including a long of 52 and three punts downed inside the 20. Susquehanna's Aaron Kahn had eight punts for 259 yards with three kicks downed inside the 20 as well.
Both defenses consistently made stops in the first quarter, which saw a combined total of just four first downs. With no score through the first 15 minutes of play, the game entered the second quarter still at 0-0 on the board.
The Golden Eagles would begin the first scoring drive of the game with 8:09 on the clock in the second quarter. Todd Simonds and Jala Coad both rushed for first downs after beginning the possession on the opposing team's 48-yard line. A pair of incompletions from freshman QB Jake Ritts would stall the drive, as Brockport settled for a field goal. Nate Wigent drilled the 30-yarder to remain perfect on all of his kicks so far this year (6/6 PAT, 1/1 FG). The home team took a 3-0 lead with 5:43 left before halftime.
Both teams would end up punting following the game's first points, ultimately setting Susquehanna up with the ball with 1:39 on the clock. Looking to convert on a 4th and 2 near midfield, Brockport's Ben Robinson made the stop to force a turnover on downs. The Green and Gold offense would take over at the 50 with just 24 seconds left until halftime.
Looking to get into field goal range, Jake Ritts took off for a nine yard run to advance to the opposing team's 41-yard line. On the next play, Ritts would fumble on a scramble and Susquehanna would scoop up the loose ball. The fumble was caused by Jake Schultes and picked up by Keith Green III. Green returned the ball 35 yards and caught from behind by Jala Coad, who made the touchdown saving tackle.
With four ticks left before halftime, the River Hawks would lineup for a 32-yard field goal. Christian Colas nailed the kick to tie the score up, 3-3, at the break. Susquehanna would start the second half with the ball looking to capitalize on the momentum from the end of the second quarter.
After a pair of first downs from the ground game, Susquehann's drive would come to a screeching stop. Ehrlich's pass on 2nd and 4 was picked off by Brockport's Kyle Haettich and ran back 11 yards to the Brockport 46-yard line. Haettich is now responsible for both of the defensive takeaways for the team through two weeks after falling on a fumble in week one.
Back on offense, the Golden Eagles would face a 4th and 1 on the Susquehanna 45. Simonds would convert with a 3-yard rush, looking to get into scoring range once again. However, the drive would go no further and Dan Giangrasso would come in to punt. The third quarter would match the first, as neither team added to the scoreboard. Brockport and Susquehanna were tied 3-3 going into the final frame.
The River Hawks found themselves stuck on their own 10-yard line on 4th and 8, forced to punt out of their own endzone. Aaron Kahn's kick was blocked by Brockport's Ryan Jafarjian and the ball bounced through the back of the endzone for a safety. The big special teams play gave Brockport the lead again at 5-3 with just under nine minutes to play.
Brockport's defense would be called on to hold off Susquehanna's offense in a key drive late in the fourth. With their backs against their own goal line, the Golden Eagles stopped three straight rushes to force a field goal attempt. Looking to take the lead with the kick, the River Hawks' field goal attempt was blocked by Brockport's Vincent Daviero. The score would remain at 5-3 with only 2:53 left in regulation.
Trying to put the game away, the Green and Gold tried to stick with the ground and pound. The opposing defense was up for the challenge and got the stop. Using their timeouts wisely, the River Hawks took back possession with 1:44 and one timeout remaining.
On 4th and 8, Josh Ehrlich scrambled and found Jacob Erb for a 19-yard completion for the conversion. A few plays later, Ehrlich created some magic with a 49-yard completion to Kyle Howes. Howes was ruled down at Brockport's 1-yard line and Susquehanna called its final timeout with five seconds left in regulation. Christian Colas then stepped up and nailed the game-winning field goal to put the River Hawks up for good, 6-5.
The Golden Eagles aim to bounce back next week with a road game down in Pennsylvania. They head to Wilkes for a 12pm kickoff in non-conference action.
Brockport Drops Close Game to #22 Susquehanna After Late Field Goal
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20230909_8kdw.xml
2023
Susquehanna
6
Brockport
5
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 9 Susquehanna (2-0) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Brockport (1-1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
Sep 09, 2023