NEW BRITAIN, CT – Sophomore Trevor Monk booted a game-winning 22-yard field goal with 1:37 left in regulation as the Alfred University football team claimed an 11-10 victory over edged Fitchburg (MA) State University Sunday evening in the ECAC Robert M. "Scotty" Whitelaw Bowl Championship game.
After Monk's kick, which capped an 11-play, 56-yard drive, the Saxons' survived a potential game-winning field goal attempt by Fitchburg State's Christopher Ludwig with six second left. Ludwig had booted a 38-yard field goal with 1:42 left in the third to put the Falcons up, 10-8. But his 36-yarder on the game's last play was blocked, and AU walked away with its second ECAC title in three years.
With the win, AU finished the season with an 8-3 record, while Fitchburg falls to 8-3.
The game was a defensive struggle throughout for two evenly matched teams. Fitchburg came in averaging 420 yards of offense per game (278 passing) but was held to 289 (179 passing) by a Saxon defense that forced two turnovers, both interceptions by AU senior middle linebacker Corry Wallace.
AU came in averaging 347 yards offense, including 190 through the air. The Saxons had 278 yard of offense, but was held to just 36 passing. AU relied on a solid ground game that saw junior quarterback Tyler Johnson run for more than 100 yards (119 on 23 carries) and junior Casey Bright just missed eclipsing the century mark (97 yards on 16 carries).
After a scoreless first quarter, AU took an 8-0 lead when Johnson connected with junior wide receiver Brendan Buisch on a five-yard TD pass 45 seconds into the second to cap a seven-play, 61-yard drive. Buisch, the holder on PATs, completed a two-point conversion pass to senior tight end Mike Brien.
Fitchburg got on the board just before halftime, driving 70 yards on 10 plays and scoring on a 1-yard TD pass from Garrett Dellechiaie to Devin Summiel with 31 seconds left in the half.
Fitchburg took its first and only lead of the game with 1:42 left in the third on Ludwig's 38-yard field goal, which capped an eight-play, 28-yard drive. Prior to Ludwig's field goal, AU had the ball first-and-goal at the Falcon 7-yard line before a rush for no gain, an intentional grounding penalty and an incomplete pass pushed the ball back to the Fitchburg 29. AU punted, but a mishandled snap resulted in the Saxons turning the ball over on downs at the AU 49-yard line.
On Alfred's winning drive, Bright rushed for 32 yards and Johnson 24. The Saxons redeemed themselves from their previous drive, when facing second-and-one from the Fitchburg 25-yard line they failed to get a yard on three successive rushing attempts, turning the ball over on downs. The AU defense held, forcing a short Falcon punt that allowed the Saxons to start their winning drive from their own 39.
Wallace led the AU defense with 15 tackles (seven solo, one for loss). His two interceptions game at the AU 36-yard line and at midfield, both times thwarting Fitchburg drives. Sophomore outside linebacker A.J. Licata and sophomore cornerback Jared Watkins each had 10 tackles (one for loss); senior outside linebacker Holden Whitehead had nine stops; and sophomore end Toby Hale had a sack among his six tackles.
Luis Feliz had 15 tackles (nine solo, one for loss) and Mamour Samb had 13 (two for loss) to lead the Fitchburg defense.
For the Saxons, Sunday's win marked the team's second straight ECAC bowl win – the Saxons defeated Cortland at home, 21-14, in the 2013 Northwest Bowl Championship. It was the Saxons' seventh ECAC bowl win in nine games since 2004. Overall, AU has competed in 11 ECAC bowl games since 1986, winning nine.