D3-CFB Game Preview: St. John Fisher Cardinals (0-0) vs. FDU‑Florham Devils (0-0)

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Venue & Game Details

Location: Robert T. Shields Field – Madison, New Jersey

Kickoff: 11:00 a.m. ET (moved up one hour due to forecasted afternoon storms)

Broadcast: FDU‑Florham Devils Sports Network (video), St. John Fisher Cardinals Radio (audio), live stats via both schools’ athletics sites

Capacity: ~3,000

Weather Forecast (Madison, NJ – Kickoff)

Conditions: Mostly cloudy, humid

Temperature: ~78°F (26°C) at kickoff, rising to low 80s by halftime

Wind: SSW at 8–12 mph

Precipitation: 40% chance of scattered showers or thunderstorms developing in the afternoon

Impact: Early start should avoid worst of storms; humidity could test conditioning in second half

Injury Report

St. John Fisher

No major preseason injuries reported under new head coach Ed Raby Jr.

QB Ryan Whitney (team captain) healthy and expected to start

WR Ethan Curtis (captain) and LB Colin Faust (captain) both available

FDU‑Florham

No significant absences; returning starting QB and top WR duo from 2024 intact

Defensive front seven at full strength after minor camp knocks

Team Records & 2024 Recap

St. John Fisher: 3‑7 overall, 2‑5 Empire 8; averaged 23.3 PPG, allowed 29.6 PPG

FDU‑Florham: 7‑4 overall, 5‑4 MAC; averaged 28.4 PPG, allowed 25.1 PPG

Recent Form (Last 5 Games – 2024 Season)

St. John Fisher

L vs. Utica 20‑35

L vs. Morrisville State 11‑14

L @ Alfred 31‑34

L @ Cortland 0‑49

W vs. Hartwick 56‑0

FDU‑Florham

W vs. Dickinson 49‑14

L @ Widener 35‑52

W vs. Alvernia 48‑28

L @ Delaware Valley 14‑35

W vs. Lebanon Valley 35‑21

Key Player Matchups

QB Ryan Whitney (SJF) vs. FDU Secondary

Whitney’s poise and leadership vs. a Devils defense that forced 15 INTs in 2024.

WR Ethan Curtis (SJF) vs. CB1 FDU

Curtis’ route precision and hands against physical man coverage.

FDU QB vs. SJF Pass Rush

Devils’ signal‑caller thrives on quick reads; Fisher’s front must generate pressure without blitzing every down.

RB1 FDU vs. LB Colin Faust (SJF)

Power running vs. a tackling machine in the middle.

Special Teams

Field position could be pivotal; both teams have reliable kickers.

Series History

All-Time: First meeting between the programs

Betting Trends

St. John Fisher: 1‑4 in last 5 games; 0‑7 vs. teams above .500 in 2024

FDU‑Florham: 4‑2 in last 6 games; 6‑0 all‑time vs. Alvernia, 2‑0 vs. Lebanon Valley in last two seasons

Both teams: OVER has hit in 3 of last 5 combined games

Game Odds

St. John Fisher Cardinals               51.5

FDU‑Florham Devils                        – 4.5

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 5, 2025