BROCKPORT, N.Y. - The Susquehanna football team makes an unprecedented visit Saturday to Brockport to take on the Golden Eagles in another Battle of the Birds. Kickoff is set for 12 P.M. The River Hawks were successful in last week's Battle of the Birds, cruising to a 51-19 win at Bridgewater.
Saturday's win at Bridgewater marked the seventh straight season-opening win for Susquehanna, and also served as a testament to the team's multi-dimensional ability to produce positive results. While there was plenty of offense to suffice with two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns - including two rushing scores from
Matt Surtz - the special teams broke through with a pair of touchdowns, both scored by
Josh Lesesne, who earned D3football.com Team of the Week and Landmark Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts. Linebacker
Garrett Carter received Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Week after totaling five tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.
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GAME NOTES: SUSQUEHANNA | BROCKPORT
SUSQUEHANNA SEALS SEVENTH STRAIGHT SEASON-OPENING WIN TO START AT BRIDGEWATER...
Susquehanna Football showcased a well-balanced attack to start the season off strong with a 51-19 bruising of Bridgewater. While the offense blended the passing and rushing game for five touchdowns, it was the work of the special teams that put the River Hawks comfortably ahead. Susquehanna held a 23-16 lead late in the first half thanks to a passing touchdown by
Josh Ehrlich to
Kyle Howes and rushing scores from
Tommy Grabowski and
Matt Surtz. With Bridgewater set to punt, a low snap was fielded by punter Alex Solorzano that was punched out by
Andrew Wells and scooped up by
Josh Lesesne for a 12-yard runback and a two-touchdown lead at halftime. The touchdowns kept coming when Ehrlich found Rowen Hersey for a score and another rushing touchdown by Surtz. Their last score came courtesy of the special teams, as Wells came through the line clean to block a punt, which went straight up in the air and snagged by Lesesne for a 44-yard touchdown return. Lesesne earned D3football.com Team of the Week and Landmark Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance that coincided with his birthday, while linebacker
Garrett Carter earned Landmark Defensive Player of the Week after totaling five tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. In his first career start, quarterback Erhlich went 19-of-24 for 186 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while running for a game-high 76 yards on 12 carries.
Kyle Howes led the team with 92 receiving yards on six receptions, bringing his career total to 968 yards and striking distance from 1,000 career receiving yards.
RIVER HAWKS SPREAD THEIR WINGS WITH UNPRECEDENTED NON-CONFERENCE SLATE, TRAVEL...
Saturday's contest marks the second of a three-game road trip for Susquehanna to start its season. It is also the second of four consecutive non-conference games, an unprecedented number for Susquehanna Football in any season in recent memory. With the football program's move to the Landmark Conference, consisting of six other members, it has allowed Head Coach
Tom Perkovich and his staff to assemble a competitive slate to open its campaign. It has also expanded the River Hawks' reach to play schools outside of their region, with today's matchup and next week's meeting at SUNY Cortland to attest for this. Their next four opponents will mark Susquehanna's first-ever matchups with those teams. Following SUNY Cortland the River Hawks will play host to non-conference Western New England in their home opener, then hosting Catholic as part of the Landmark Conference's kickoff weekend. Catholic, a charter member of the Landmark like Susquehanna, brings their football program over to their native conference after residing in the NEWMAC. Coach Perk's team also embraces this year overnight travel, an accommodation they did not experience during their Centennial Conference era, which required same-day travel due to the close localities of the member schools.
