BROCKPORT, NY – The SUNY Brockport football team travels to unbeaten and nationally-ranked No. 19 SUNY Cortland for a crucial Empire 8 Conference contest on Saturday at the Cortland Stadium Complex.  The contest is scheduled to kickoff at 12 p.m.
 
DATE – TIME: Oct. 9, 2021 – 12 p.m.
LOCATION: SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex – Cortland, NY
LINKS: Video | Stats | Audio | Game Notes .pdf
ALL SPECTATORS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS
 
Tickets: Tickets will be available at the gate. Tickets are $6.00 – Adults, $5.00 - Senior Citizens (55+), non-Cortland college students (with valid ID), Youths Ages 13-18, FREE - Children 12 and under.

Parking Information for Fans: Spectators arriving from off campus are asked to park in the Park Center Northwest Lot and/or the Park Center Commuter East Lot.
Stadium Parking Information Page
 
The Rematch: In 2019, both Brockport and Cortland finished the regular season with a 5-1 record in conference play.  Brockport earned its third straight Empire 8 Conference title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championships in large part due to its overtime victory over Cortland in '19.  Brockport rallied from a 23-0 first half deficit, outscoring host Cortland 32-3 down the stretch, as the Golden Eagles came away with a thrilling 32-26 overtime victory in week nine back in 2019. Quarterback Jason Hellwig kept the ball for himself and scored from 11 yards out on Brockport's first possession in overtime to help lift the Golden Eagles to their seventh straight victory.  The Brockport offense was put in position to win following a key overtime interception by Andrew Covais on Cortland's lone possession of OT.

Courage Bowl XVI Recap: Brockport won its fourth straight Courage Bowl as the Golden Eagles rolled past host St. John Fisher 34-7 in front of a crowd of 6,012 fans at Growney Stadium last Saturday night. It was also the Empire 8 Conference opener for both teams.  Junior running back Jala Coad carried the ball 45 times for a career-high 240 yards en route to eclipsing 2,000 yards rushing for his career. He also added three touchdowns on the ground.  Brockport's rushing defense was stellar once again, holding the Cardinals to -2 yards rushing yards on 18 carries. Fisher could only muster 171 yards of total offense on the stingy Golden Eagle defense. Ben Damiani led the Brockport defense with eight tackles, while Andrew Covais added seven tackles and a half sack. Elijah Aikens and Tory Rogers each posted one sack, while Alaan Montgomery added two interceptions.
 
Winners of Three of Four: Brockport is currently 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Empire 8 play this season. The Golden Eagles topped Framingham 31-0 on the road in the season opener.  Brockport then fell to visiting and nationally-ranked No. 17 Ithaca College 23-8 before defeating visiting Rochester 16-7 at home in week three. Following a bye week, the Golden Eagles topped Fisher on the road 34-7 in Courage Bowl XVI.
 
E8 Dominance: Brockport's three straight Empire 8 titles have come courtesy of truly dominant league play over the course of the last three seasons.  In the last four seasons the Golden Eagles are 20-1 in conference play. 
 
Making History: Jala Coad's 240 rushing yards against Fisher were a career-high and ranks seventh on the program's single game rushing list.  He eclipsed 2,000 yards for his career and he now has 2,106 rushing yards, and he needs just 14 yards rushing to surpass Dave Cotter '82 for sixth all-time.  He also has 22 career rushing touchdowns. He leads the Empire 8 with seven total touchdowns this season and he leads the league and ranks ninth nationally with an average of 139.3 yards rushing per contest. He has set personal records in each of the past two games, helping Brockport win two straight with performances of 214 yards and 240 yards on the ground.

To the Victor Go the Spoils: Jala Coad made his second career appearance on the D3football.com National Team of the Week following his 240-yard performance at Fisher on Saturday. The first time he was named to the National Team of the Week was back in 2019 when he carried the ball 39 times for 210 yards as Brockport topped Cortland in overtime. Coad was also named the Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.  Senior linebacker Lawrence Jenkins earned Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week honors after returning an interception 72 yards for a score in the first quarter of Saturday's win over St. John Fisher.
 
1,000 Yard Club: Senior receiver Imhotep Cromer caught seven balls for 88 yards last Saturday and eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in the green and gold. He currently ranks seventh in the nation and first in the conference with an average of 8.5 receptions per game. He leads the team with 34 catches for 388 yards and he also has one touchdown. 
 
Tough to Score On: Brockport's defense has not allowed an offensive touchdown in two of four games this season.  The Golden Eagles have allowed just two offensive touchdowns all season. Brockport is holding opponents to an average of 9.25 points per contest.
 
Knocking On the Top 25 Door: Brockport is currently receiving votes in both the D3football.com and AFCA National Polls. The Golden Eagles received three votes in the latest D3football.com Poll and nine votes in the latest AFCA National Poll.
 
All-Time Against Cortland: Cortland and Brockport are meeting for the 72^nd time. The teams have played every season since 1948, except for the 1950 season. Cortland leads the overall series 49-20-2, but Brockport has won six of the last seven meetings after Cortland won five straight from 2008-12. Brockport has won four straight against the Red Dragons, outscoring them 126-99 in the stretch.
 
Among the Best in the Nation: Brockport leads the nation in rushing defense, allowing an average of just 21.2 yards rushing per contest. Brockport's defense is ranked second nationally and first in the Empire 8 with 11 interceptions this season. Brockport has allowed just 32 first downs all season, which ranks second nationally and first in the league.  The green and gold lead the conference and rank fourth nationally with an average of 9.8 tackles for loss per game and they also rank seventh nationally in turnovers gained with 14.
 
Tough on Third Down: Brockport ranks second nationally and first in the league in 3rd down conversion percentage defense (0.183).
 
Behind Enemy Lines: Senior linebacker Lawrence Jenkins ranks second in the Empire 8 and 24th nationally with an average of 1.9 tackles for a loss per game.  Ben Damiani and Josh Greenwood are tied for third in the league with an average of 1.5 TFL's per contest.

Value Possession: Brockport ranks fourth in the nation in time of possession with an average TOP of 35:35 per contest this season. An excellent ground game and one of the top defenses in the country leads to this accolade.  Brockport also ranks third nationally in total defense, allowing just 162.5 yards per contest.
 
Off The Edge: Senior All-American hopeful Josh Greenwood is one of the top defensive ends in the country and ranks second on the team with 18 tackles this season.  For his career he has 114 tackles, 17.0 sacks and 24.5 tackles for a loss.  He needs nine more sacks to tie the program record.
 
Ball Hawks: The Brockport secondary has posted 11 interceptions, including two INT's returned for a touchdown by senior captain Lawrence Jenkins. Alaan Montgomery leads the team with three INTs following a big game against Fisher. Raylens Boutin and Kenny Hernandez each have two interceptions. Ben Damiani and Ben Marshall each have one.
 
Reigning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year: Sophomore defensive back Raylens Boutin, the 2019 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, has a team-high five pass breakups this season.  He now has 21 career pass breakups and six interceptions in just 16 career games. Boutin was a D3football.com Preseason All-American this Fall.
 
Under Center: Freshman quarterback Jack Cheshire leads the Empire 8 with an average of 19.25 completions per game.  He ranks third in the league with 697 total yards passing.  He has taken every snap this season for the Golden Eagles and he has completed 77 passes to go along with three touchdowns. 
 
Captains of the Ship: Brockport's three captains for this season include Luke Lodini, and senior linebacker's Lawrence Jenkins and Andrew Covais. Jenkins is now a two-time Empire 8 All-Conference selection, while Covais earned all-conference honorable mention in 2019. Lodini was a 2021 D3football.com Preseason All-American First Team pick for the Golden Eagles.
 
All-Conference Returners: 10 of Brockport's 12 Empire 8 All-Conference selections from 2019 return to the gridiron for the 2021 campaign.  On the defensive side of the ball, Greenwood and Boutin return after being named All-Conference first team.  All-Conference second team defense selections include returners Jordan Harris, Kenny Hernandez and Lawrence Jenkins, while Andrew Covais was named honorable mention. On the offensive side of the ball, junior running back Jala Coad was a 2019 all-conference second team pick alongside senior receiver Imhotep Cromer. Lodini was a first team pick and offensive tackle Demetri Swann was an honorable mention selection.

Meet the Sideline General: Head Coach Jason Mangone posted his 61st career victory following Brockport's win over Fisher. He now has a 61-23 overall record. Following the 2019 season, Mangone and his coaching staff became the first group to earn three consecutive Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors in the 19-year history of the conference. Mangone has been named the AFCA Region I Coach of the Year in two of the last three seasons. Mangone and his staff have compiled a 36-6 overall record in the last four seasons.  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.
 
Back-to-Back-Back Champs: Brockport won its third straight Empire 8 Conference title and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Div. III Championship while registering a 9-3 overall record in 2019. The Golden Eagles won nine of their last 11 games of the season as they earned the conference's automatic NCAA bid for the third straight year. Brockport joined elite territory in 2019, becoming just the second program in the 18-year history of the Empire 8 to win three consecutive conference crowns.
 
Meet The Red Dragons: Cortland opened its Empire 8 schedule with a 58-7 win at Morrisville State last Saturday. The Red Dragons, now 4-0 on the season, scored on each of their first eight possessions and finished with a 518-83 advantage in total offensive yardage. Quarterback Brees Segala completed 17-of-25 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns before being replaced early in the third quarter. Cortland rushed for 309 yards, led by Jaden Alfanostjohn with 77 yards and two scores on just eight carries and Dom Gombetto with 76 yards and a TD on 17 attempts. Derek Cruz, JJ Laap, Trevor Ash and Ky'Sawn Veale each caught TD passes, with Veale's coming from backup quarterback Zac Boyes. Curt Fitzpatrick was named Cortland's head coach in February 2020, but the 2021 season is his first on the field for the Red Dragons after the 2020 season was canceled. Fitzpatrick previously served as head coach at Empire 8 foe Morrisville State for seven seasons from 2013-19 and guided the Mustangs to four winning seasons (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), including one conference championship title and three postseason ECAC bowl appearances.