Venue & Game Details
Matchup: Alfred University Saxons vs. St. John Fisher University Cardinals
Conference: Empire 8 (NCAA Division III)
Kickoff Time: 11:00 AM ET
Venue: Growney Stadium, Rochester, New York (Homecoming Weekend for Fisher)
Broadcast: Empire 8 Digital Network / ESPN Gamecast
Weather Forecast (Rochester, NY)
Temperature: ~70°F (21°C) at kickoff
Conditions: Mostly sunny, light winds (5–8 mph)
Precipitation:
Impact: Ideal football weather; no major disruptions expected
Injury Report (Projected)
(Note: D-III programs rarely release official injury reports; this is based on recent availability trends)
St. John Fisher:
Starting QB Ryan Whitney is out with injury; backup Mason Lister impressed last week with 222 passing yards and 117 rushing yards in his first start.
WR Ethan Curtis (missed 2024 season with injury) is back and caught 2 TDs vs Rochester.
Alfred:
QB Chris Kelly (Sr.) expected to start; no major reported injuries.
Defensive backfield healthy, led by Thomas Welch (Sr., DB).
Key Player Matchups
Mason Lister (Fisher QB) vs. Alfred Secondary
Lister’s dual-threat ability (222 pass, 117 rush last week) will test Alfred’s defensive backs.
Alfred QB Chris Kelly vs. Fisher Linebackers
Kelly’s experience and Alfred’s balanced offense will challenge Fisher’s front seven.
WR Jaylen Brantley (Fisher) vs. Alfred Coverage
Brantley had 132 yards vs Rochester and is a proven deep threat.
Recent Team Form
St. John Fisher (2025 Season so far)
Record: 2–1 overall
Results:
W @ FDU-Florham (21–0)
W vs St. Lawrence (28–23)
L @ Rochester (28–21)
Strength: Explosive WR corps, resilient QB play
Weakness: Inconsistent run defense
Alfred (2025 Season so far)
Record: 2–1 overall
Results:
W vs Hobart (28–23)
L vs Ithaca (45–14)
W @ St. Lawrence (35–13)
Strength: Balanced offense, strong LB corps
Weakness: Secondary has allowed big plays in losses
Conference vs. Conference
Both teams are Empire 8 rivals, making this a conference opener for each.
Fisher is under new head coach Ed Raby Jr. (1st season at Fisher, 6th overall).
Alfred is led by veteran coach Bob Rankl (12th season, 66–46 career record).
Series History
All-time series: Historically competitive, with Fisher holding a slight edge.
Recent meetings:
2024: Alfred 34, Fisher 31
2023: Fisher 30, Alfred 12
Trend: Last two meetings split; both were decided by multiple scores.
Betting Trends:
Fisher is 3-1 ATS in last 4 home games.
Alfred is 2-1 ATS this season.
The Over has hit in 4 of the last 6 head-to-head matchups.
Historical Betting Results (Head-to-Head, Modeled)
2024: Alfred +3.5 (covered, won 34–31)
2023: Fisher -6.5 (covered, won 30–12)
2022: Alfred +7 (covered, lost 28–24)
2021: Fisher -3 (covered, won 21–14)
Game Odds
Alfred Saxons 50.5
St. John Fisher Cardinals – 2.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 26, 2025
