Brockport, NY – The SUNY Brockport football team will take to Bob Boozer Field on Saturday, as the group returns home to host Morrisville State. This Empire 8 matchup is scheduled for a 2pm kickoff on Saturday, October 26^th.
 
DATE – TIME: October 26^th, 2024 – 2pm
LOCATION: Brockport, NY | Bob Boozer Field
LINKS: Video | Stats
 
Another Dominant Showing: In the first ever meeting between Brockport and Hilbert on the football field, the Golden Eagles delivered a 51-0 beatdown on the road. They have now won four games in a row, improving to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in E8 play.
 
One of the nation's top defenses went to work once again, keeping the opposing offense without a score for the fourth time this season. Brockport has now shutout the opponent three weeks in a row, allowing just one touchdown across the last 14 quarters of football. Hilbert was held to just 63 yards of total offense in the game, coming from 27 yards in the air and 36 rushing yards. Brockport held the run game to 1.0 yards per carry and only allowed two completions in the passing game. The Hawks had just six first downs, two more than Hartwick had against his defense last week. Brockport's defensive unit had 15 tackles for loss, with two sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
 
Kyle Haettich stepped up to make five solo tackles to lead the defense on the day. He also scooped up a loose ball for one of the team's two takeaways. Ben Robinson had four total tackles, including three solo stops and 1.0 sacks. Brockport's second sack was by Chamarr Ware, who had two solo tackles that were both for a loss. Coming up with the second takeaway for the Green and Gold was Brady Schnell, snagging another fumble for the defense.
 
Brockport also had a fantastic day on offense in this road matchup, totaling over 500 yards for the first time since 2019. The Golden Eagles had 566 yards of total offense with a balanced attack of 287 rushing and 279 passing yards. They found the endzone seven times in the game, four through the air and three on the ground. The offensive line created plenty of room to work with, setting up a 9.0 yards per carry average and allowing no sacks for Hilbert.
 
QB Ben Gocella had his best day as a Golden Eagle in this E8 clash. The sophomore from Orchard Park hit career-highs across the board with 250 yards, four touchdown passes, and a completion rate of 86.7% for the day (13-for-15 passing). He set up Nolan Slywka for a career-day as well. The wideout had four catches for 96 yards, with three of those being touchdown receptions. Daniel Manneh of course got in on the party with five catches for 102 yards and touchdown, for his second 100-yard receiving game of the year.
 
Even with the passing game firing on all cylinders, Brockport's run game remained as dominant as ever. The Empire 8's leading rusher Isaiah Simmons broke 100 yards rushing for the third time this season. Averaging an astounding 22.0 yards per carry on the day, he ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns on just five carries. Cameron Mesh also found the endzone for the run game, totaling a season-high 93 rushing yards to go with a touchdown.
 
Gocella's Earns E8 POW: Brockport sophomore quarterback Ben Gocella was named the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week in a release by the conference office on Monday afternoon. Gocella posted 250 yards passing and four touchdowns in Brockport's 51-0 shut out win at Hilbert on Saturday.  He has helped Brockport outscore its opponents 104-0 over the course of the last two Empire 8 victories. He completed 13 of 15 on the day passes for the Golden Eagles. 
 
Gocella ranks in the top 50 nationally and is tied for first in the Empire 8 with 14 passing touchdowns this season. His favorite target Nolan Slywka caught four balls for 96 yards and three touchdowns grabs in the convincing at Hilbert on Saturday. Gocella ranks second in the conference with 1,246 yards passing this season for an average of 210.7 per game. He also ranks in the top 100 nationally and third in the E8 with an average of 207.3 yards of total offense per game.
 
Disruptive Defense: The Golden Eagle defense now has four shutouts on the season, currently with three in a row for the first time in program history. Flying around making plays each week has landed the Brockport defense highly ranked in the nation across multiple categories.
Scoring Defense – 1^st (7.33 per game)
First Downs Defense – 4^th (65 allowed)
Red Zone Defense – 4^th (.455 pct)
Total Defense – 7^th (204.7 per game)
Team Passing Efficiency Defense – 9^th (95.58 pass eff.)
Rushing Defense – 10^th (50.2 per game)
3^rd Down Conversion Pct. Defense – 18^th (.272 pct)
Tackles for Loss – T-20^th (8.2 per game)
Turnovers Gained – T-23^rd (14)
 
Strong Run Game: Behind the grueling work of the Brockport offensive line, the offense has been able to run the ball effectively all season. The unit averages 197.8 rushing yards per game, ranking second in the E8. Isaiah Simmons has thrived in his second season carrying the ball for the Green and Gold. Simmons ranks 23^rd in the nation with 642 rushing yards, tied for ninth with 10 rushing touchdowns, sixth with a 7.83 yards per carry average, and 22^nd with 107.8 yards per game.
 
Featured in the Passing Game: The Golden Eagle offense has three receivers that have all found the endzone on multiple occasions in 2024. Nolan Slywka leads the group with 31 receptions, 441 yards, and six touchdowns. Daniel Manneh is second on the team with 25 receptions, 428 yards, and three touchdowns. Brian Caldwell Jr. completes the trio with his 11 catches for 180 yards and three scores.
 
Leading Tacklers: Ben Robinson leads this nationally recognized defense with 46 total tackles, coming from a team-high 22 solo and 24 assisted stops. The captain also has 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Mike Talbert Jr. has been a menace with 33 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and five QB pressures. Kyle Haettich (27), Luca Friedman (26), and Dawin Fanor (20) all have made plays for the defense consistently as well.
 
Secondary Playmakers: Malik Kelly has been terrific in the corner spot for Brockport this season. He ranks T-22^nd in the nation with 1.5 passes defended per game and T-23^rd with 0.5 interceptions per game. With three interceptions, Kelly is still tied for first in the E8 this year. Mike Talbert Jr. (2), Kyle Haettich (2), and Elijah Grooms (1) all have picked off passes as well for Brockport. Talbert (3) is joined by Marquis Wright (2) with multiple pass breakups.
 
Big Boots: Dan Giangrasso is averaging 44.4 yards per punt this season, which would be good for third best in the nation. He has six kicks of 50+ yards and six kicks downed inside the 20 this season. Sal Montaperto is 3-for-5 on field goal attempts this season (Made from 28, 24, and 21) and 27-for-30 on extra points.
 
Return Game: Cameron Mesh has been the main returner back for punts with 15 attempts for 100 yards. However, Daniel Manneh provided the explosive play with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown to give him 120 yards on four tries. On the kickoff return, its Joshua Limage leading the returners with 164 yards on eight returns.
 
Scouting the Mustangs: The Morrisville Mustangs enter this weekend's game 3-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play, after winning their last two games. They defeated Alfred University, 24-14, and Utica University, 28-26, in E8 play. Morrisville held on for the win over the Pioneers after getting a stop on what would have been the tying 2-point conversion at the end of regulation. The Mustangs are accustomed to playing in close games, with four contests being one-possession games. They average 15.3 points per game and allow 20.5 points a game to opposing offenses. Leaning on the run game, Morrisville's back Isaac Sylvain ranks fourth in the conference with 467 rushing yards this season. Defensively, Evan Salvaggio (57 tackles) and Camerin Camacho (52 tackles) lead the effort.
 
E8 Standings: Heading into week eight, here is a look at the current Empire 8 standings:

1. Cortland (6-0, 4-0 E8)
2. Brockport (5-1, 3-0 E8)
3. Morrisville (3-3, 2-1 E8)
4. St. John Fisher (3-3, 2-1 E8)
5. Alfred (3-3, 1-2 E8)
6. Utica (3-3, 1-2 E8)
7. Hartwick (1-5, 0-3 E8)
8. Hilbert (0-7, 0-4 E8)

 
Back on the Road: The Golden Eagles are on the road for next week's game, as they head to face Utica University for more conference play. This E8 matchup is scheduled for a 12pm kickoff in Utica, NY.