Brockport Travels to Muhlenberg for NCAA Second Round Action

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BROCKPORT, NY -- The College at Brockport football team travels to host and nationally-ranked No. 4 Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA on Saturday to take on the Mules in the second round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship at 12 p.m.

MATCH UP:  Brockport (9-2, Empire 8 Conference Champion) @ No. 4 Muhlenberg (11-0, Centennial Conference Champion)
DATE – TIME: Nov. 30, 2019 – 12 p.m.
LOCATION: Scotty Wood Stadium | Allentown, PA
LINKS: Video  |  Stats  |  Audio (Radio 89.1 FM)

Game Notes (.pdf)

Follow The Action: Live video and stats will be provided by Muhlenberg's athletic communications office and can be found on Brockport's football schedule page at www.gobrockport.com. Live audio for all games will be provided by 89.1 The Point, Brockport's student radio station.

NCAA Appearance History: The Golden Eagles have now won three straight Empire 8 Conference Championships, earning the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Football Championship in each of the last three seasons. Brockport is making its seventh appearance in the NCAA Football Championship in program-history. The Golden Eagles have now advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship in three consecutive seasons. Saturday will be the 14th NCAA Football Championship game in the history of the program.  Brockport qualified for the first time in program-history back in 2000 following a perfect 8-0 regular season.  The Golden Eagles made four straight NCAA appearances from 2000-2003.  In 2002 they won their first two NCAA Tournament contests before falling in the quarterfinals, 16-10, against John Carroll.  In 2017 they set a new program standard, winning 13 straight games on their way to an appearance in the national semifinals where they took on Mary Hardin-Baylor.  Last season the Golden Eagles put together another perfect 10-0 regular season and advanced as far as the second round of the NCAA Championship before falling at home against RPI.  Brockport heads into Saturday's matchup with a 7-6 record all-time in NCAA postseason contests.  In the last three years, the Golden Eagles are 5-2 in postseason games. Brockport is now 5-1 all-time in NCAA first round games.  Saturday will mark the seventh time the Golden Eagles will play an NCAA postseason game on the road.

Watch Party: If you can't make it to Muhlenberg on Saturday, come support the team with other Golden Eagle fans at a watch party hosted at Bill Gray's Tap Room in Brockport starting at noon!
 
Three-Peat: Brockport's three straight Empire 8 titles have come courtesy of truly dominant league play over the course of the last three seasons.  In this three year stretch the Golden Eagles have went 19-1 in conference play and they are now 21-1 in their last 22 Empire 8 games.  The regular season finale against Morrisville marked their first conference loss dating back to Oct. of 2016.   The Empire 8 dominance featured a 21 game winning streak in conference play.

How We Got Here: Brockport (9-2) has won nine of its last ten games to advance to the second round of the NCAA Championship for the third straight season. Brockport has three shut outs this season and they have allowed seven points or less in five of 11 games. Brockport has outscored its opponents 322-128 over the course of the last ten games and the Golden Eagles are averaging 32.2 points in that stretch. Arguably the biggest win of the regular season came on the road on Nov. 2nd when the Golden Eagles rallied from a 23-0 first half deficit, outscoring host and nationally-ranked No. 18 Cortland 32-3 down the stretch, as Brockport came away with a thrilling 32-26 overtime victory. Brockport needed one win in its final two games of the regular season to clinch the Empire 8 title and did so in game nine when the Golden Eagles topped Alfred University 16-7 to hoist the Empire 8 trophy at the friendly confines of Bob Boozer Field.

NCAA First Round: Brockport scored 21 second half points to rally from a 14-12 halftime deficit on its way to a 33-28 victory over host Western New England in the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Championships on Saturday afternoon at Golden Bear Stadium. Brockport's Jala Coad punched in two second half touchdowns and the Golden Eagle defense held Western New England to just one rushing first down and 14 total yards rushing in the victory. Coad finished the day with 29 carries for 152 yards and rushing scores of six yards and 53 yards.  Freshman quarterback Freddy June completed 16 of 26 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns through the air.  He also rushed the ball 16 times for 64 yards and a 22 yard fourth quarter touchdown run to help secure the five point victory.

Dynasty?: Brockport joined elite territory this season, becoming just the second program in the 18 year history of the Empire 8 to win three consecutive conference crowns.  The Golden Eagles joined Ithaca College, which won four straight titles from 2002-2005.

National Polls: Brockport is currently in the receiving votes category of the final regular season D3football.com and American Football Coaches Association national polls. The Golden Eagles rose to as high as No. 3 in the national polls headed into the second round of the NCAA Division III Championships last season. Brockport has been a fixture in the top 25 each week dating back to week 1 of 2017. The top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.

Success on the Road: Brockport is 19-4 in away games dating back to the beginning of the 2016 season.

Defensive Juggernauts:  Brockport boasts the top scoring defense in the Empire 8 and the Golden Eagles rank 14th nationally, holding opponents to an average of 14.5 points per game through 11 contests this season.  Muhlenberg's stout defense led the Centennial Conference and ranks fourth nationally allowing an average of 10.6 points per contest this season.

Rushing Defense's Nationally Recognized: Brockport's rushing defense leads all levels of college football, allowing an average of just 28.3 yards rushing per game. The Golden Eagle defense has held its opponents to negative rushing yards in three of its last seven games.  Over the course of the last seven games, Brockport has allowed a total of 86 yards rushing. Muhlenberg ranks 10th nationally allowing an average of just 69.8 rushing yards per game.
 
Defense Wins Championships:  The Golden Eagles rank fifth in the country in total defense, allowing just 224.2 total yards per game.

Series History: Saturday will mark the first meeting all-time between these two programs.  Brockport's football program began back in 1947, while the Muhlenberg program began back in the year 1900.

It's Awards Season: Brockport landed 13 student-athletes on Empire 8 All-Conference teams in a release of the league's major award winners and all-conference teams last week.  Head Coach Jason Mangone and his staff earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors for a record third straight season, while freshman defensive back Raylens Boutin was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Brockport led the way with four selections to the all-conference first team on the defensive side of the ball. Eight Brockport defensive players were named either first team, second team or honorable mention. Four Golden Eagles were honored on the offensive side. Senior Alex West, classmate Allassane Coulibaly, junior Josh Greenwood and freshman Raylens Boutin were named to the all-conference first team defense.  Junior offensive captain Luke Lodini earned first team all-conference on the offensive line. Sophomore running back Jala Coad and wide receiver Imhotep Cromer were each named to the all-conference second team on offense, while junior Lawrence Jenkins and sophomore Jordan Harris earned second team defense.  Andrew CovaisKenny Hernandez and Demetri Swann rounded out the all-conference selections for Brockport as they were listed in the honorable mention category.  Senior linebacker Jason Karteron was Brockport's selection to the Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year Team.

Win the Time of Possession Battle: Brockport currently ranks sixth nationally and first in the Empire 8 in time of possession. The Golden Eagles are averaging a 34:58 TOP per contest. Muhlenberg heads into Saturday's matchup with an average time of possession of 30:32.

Approaching a 1,000 Yard Season: Sophomore all-conference running back Jala Coad is having a banner year in the backfield for the Golden Eagles.  Coad leads the Empire 8 with 118 total points this season. He now needs just 23 yards rushing to eclipse 1,000 yards for the season on the ground. He currently ranks ninth in the nation with 18 total rushing touchdown's this season. He now has 23 career touchdowns and 1,483 rushing yards to his credit in 22 games played.

Oh Captain My Captain: Senior captain and three-time all-conference first team selection Alex West has a league best 9.0 sacks this season. He has totaled seven solo sacks to go along with four assisted sacks. His average of 1.5 tackles for a loss per game ranks third in the E8 and 45th nationally.  He leads the team with 57 total tackles.  West is now just a half sack away from tying the college's career sack record of 26 set back in 2002 by Mike Condello. West now has 189 career tackles to go along with 33.5 career tackles for a loss.

It's a Pick Party: The Golden Eagles have 10 interceptions in their last five games and now rank fourth nationally with 20 interceptions this year. Raylens Boutin and Kenny Hernandez  are tied for second in the E8 with four interceptions each. Alaan Montgomery and Andrew Covais are tied for fifth in the conference with three interceptions.

Tough on Third Down: The Brockport defense ranks second nationally in third down conversion percentage defense.  The opponent's offense has converted on third down just 31 times on 151 chances this season (20.53%). Muhlenberg ranks sixth nationally in third down conversion defense (24.80%). Conversely, Muhlenberg's offense ranks third in the nation in third down conversion percentage (55.40%).

First Downs Are Tough to Come By: The Golden Eagles have held opponents to just 136 first downs this season, a stat that ranks eighth in the nation. 

In the Backfield: Brockport's pressure defense has disrupted plays in the backfield all season long.  The Golden Eagles currently rank 30th nationally with an average of 8.0 tackles for a loss per game.

Ground & Pound: Brockport's dominant rushing offense is among the best in the nation.  The Golden Eagles rank 30th nationally and first in the conference with an average of 223.4 yards rushing per game. Brockport had four ball carriers finish in the top 12 in the conference in rushing yards per game including Jala Coad (88.5), Freddy June (50.00), Justin Morrison (40.18), and Rashad Law (22.0).

Record Setting Coaching Staff: Brockport seventh year Head Coach Jason Mangone and his staff were recently named the Empire 8 Conference Coaching Staff of the Year for a record third straight season. No other coaching staff in the 18 year history of the Empire 8 has earned three straight staff of the year honors. He has guided the Golden Eagles to a 33-4 overall record in the last three years.  Mangone has been named the AFCA Region I Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons and he recently picked up his 58th career victory as the Golden Eagles defeated Western New England last weekend. Mangone has an impressive 58-21 overall record over the course of nearly seven full seasons at the helm. In 2017 he was named the AFCA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Golden Eagles to the semifinals of the NCAA Div. III Championships.

Empire 8 Rookie of the Year: Freshman defensive back Raylens Boutin was named the Empire 8 Conference Rookie of the Year following an impressive first year in the green and gold. He ranks seventh in all of Division III football and first in the E8 with an average of 1.8 passes defended per game.  He has 16 total pass breakups and four interceptions, two of which were returned for a touchdown. He also ranks fourth on the team with 41 tackles this season.

Talented Freshman QB: Freshman quarterback Freddy June eclipsed 1,000 yards passing for the season in Saturday's win at Western New England.  He has completed 76-of-133 attempts for 1,182 yards and eight touchdowns. He has a 147.75 passer rating. He also ranks third on the team with 77 carries for 400 yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Try Testing Us Inside: Three members of Brockport's defensive line earned all-conference accolades. Allassane Coulibaly and Josh Greenwood each earned first team status, while Jordan Harris was named to the second team.  Greenwood made his second straight appearance on an all-conference team after earning second team honors as a sophomore in 2018. Greenwood ranks sixth on the team with 36 tackles and third on the team with 10.0 tackles for a loss of 33 yards. Coulibaly is having his best season to date as he has 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and one sack to go along with two tipped passes, one forced fumble and one blocked kick in his senior campaign.  Jordan Harris made his first appearance on an all-conference team after a breakout sophomore campaign. He has registered career-highs in all categories as he totaled 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks for the Golden Eagle defensive front.

We're Coming For You: The linebacking duo of Alex West and Lawrence Jenkins have wreaked havoc on the opposing team's QB's all season long.  The tandem has combined for 11.0 sacks, 28.0 tackles for a loss of 136 yards, 10 QB hurries and seven pass breakups. Jenkins recently earned all-conference second team status for the second straight season. Jenkins now has 11.0 tackles for a loss. Jenkins has been all over the field this season as he ranks second on the team with 46 tackles and he also added two interceptions, five pass breakups, four QB hurries and 2.0 sacks. Linebacker Andrew Covais was recently named an honorable mention on the all-conference list. Covais has stepped up in big situations all season long, including a huge overtime interception to help Brockport secure the Empire 8 Conference crown with a thrilling come from behind victory at Cortland.  He has added depth to an already dominant linebacking crew and currently ranks third on the team with 45 tackles to go along with three interceptions, three pass breakups, 4.0 tackles for a loss, 1.0 sack and two QB hurries.  He also returned an interception for a score against Morrisville.

Go Up and Get It: All-Conference second team selection Imhotep Cromer leads the team with 672 yards receiving this season. He has 36 catches and four touchdowns. He is averaging 18.67 yards per catch. He caught a crucial fourth down touchdown reception of 24 yards with 20 seconds to go before the half to begin the Golden Eagle comeback on Saturday at Western New England.

Experienced Receiving Corps: Senior receivers Joseph Ortiz and DaQuan Hubbard both joined the 2,000 yard receiving club this season. Ortiz now has 2,371 career receiving yards, while Hubbard now has 2,233.
 
All-Time Receptions Leader: Joseph Ortiz caught four more balls against Western New England on Saturday and extended his lead in the College's all-time receptions record book with 236. He has 31 catches this season for 396 total yards.

Downfield Threat: Senior wide receiver DaQuan Hubbard leads the league and ranks 11th nationally with an average of 22.00 yards per reception.  He has 22 catches this season and averages 48.40 yards receiving per game. He also has two touchdowns.

In the Trenches: Junior captain Luke Lodini, an all-conference first team pick, leads the way for the Brockport offensive line.  Lodini was joined on the all-conference list with honorable mention left tackle Demetri Swann. The o-line has paved the way for the top rushing offense in the league as the green and gold average 223.5 yards rushing per game.  They have helped protect an offense that averages nearly 30 points per game and they were major contributor's on an offensive unit that has collected 4,522 yards of total offense and 45 touchdowns.

Meet the Mules:  Muhlenberg, ranked No. 4 in the latest D3football.com National Poll, rolled through the regular season with an unblemished 10-0 record to earn the Centennial Conference title for the second straight season. Last year they bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the national quarterfinals via a 38-10 loss on the road at national power Mount Union. The Mules tied a school-record with their 11th win last weekend as they recorded their first postseason shutout in program-history after a 38-0 first round win at home against MIT. Muhlenberg recorded three sacks and allowed only six first downs and 33 passing yards on five completions. Muhlenberg placed a program-record 18 players on the All-Centennial Conference Team following an undefeated season. The Mules also took home three of the conference's four major awards. Senior defensive end Frankie Feaster was named defensive player of the year for the second straight season, junior quarterback Michael Hnatkowsky was named offensive player of the year, and second year Head Coach Nate Milne repeated as coach of the year. Joining Feaster and Hnatkowsky on the first team were senior Ryan Curtiss (tight end), senior Ryan Malarkey (offensive line), junior Brian Biskaduros (offensive line), sophomore John Washington (defensive back) and senior Todd Spirt (kicker).

Up Next: A win on Saturday would send the Golden Eagles to the national quarterfinals for the second time in three years.  Brockport would take on the winner of the nationally-ranked No. 6 Salisbury and No. 13 Union matchup. Time and location are to be determined.