FISHER GAME NOTES
ITHACA, N.Y. —The Ithaca College football team looks to snap a two-game losing streak when it hosts a familiar Empire 8 foe, St. John Fisher College, in a 1 p.m. Parents' and Senior Day clash Saturday at Butterfield Stadium.

Despite senior Josh Oliver's single-game school record 16 catches, the Bombers (4-3, 3-2 Empire 8) dropped a 24-12 decision on the road against Morrisville State Oct. 24.

Up next for Ithaca is a big challenge from a Fisher (4-3, 3-2) squad that brings a three-game winning streak to Butterfield. After starting the year 1-3, the Cardinals have averaged 40.7 points per game in wins over Morrisville (34-29), Utica (32-27), and Alfred State (56-0).

This is the 18^th meeting of the two Empire 8 rivals, with Ithaca holding onto a slim 9-8 lead all-time. Ithaca won the last two matchups, including a 19-8 road triumph Nov. 8, 2014 that secured the Empire 8 title for the Bombers.

Noah Poskanzer picked off a pair of passes, Max Rottenecker kicked a pair of first-half field goals, Tom Dempsey ran for a touchdown, and Vito Boffoli tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Tabbert to lift Ithaca.

Fisher was held without a touchdown for the first time since the 2008 season opener vs. Mount Union.

Against Morrisville, Ithaca trailed 6-0 at halftime and 24-0 heading into the fourth quarter before senior quarterback John D'Onofrio tossed a pair of touchdowns to Oliver, who finished with 134 receiving yards with two touchdowns, the second time in four games he has caught two receiving touchdowns.

Oliver recorded the second most catches in a single game by a Division III student-athlete this year. Ithaca's previous record for catches in a game at Ithaca was 13, set by Joe Palumbo against Mercyhurst on Oct. 30, 1993.

Senior Malik Morris was in on a career-high 15 tackles and also forced a fumble, and classmate Logan Murphy made 10 tackles and had a sack in the loss.

Sophomore Dan Loizos added 10 tackles, while senior Schnayder Termidor and sophomore Jordan Schemm each had eight tackles against Morrisville, which prevailed in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

D'Onofrio, making his first appearance for the Bombers, completed 18 of 38 passes for 172 yards and the two touchdowns to Oliver to avoid the program's first shutout since a 21-0 loss at Brockport Oct. 19, 2002.

Ithaca, which entered the game with the nation's best red zone offense, scored touchdowns on both of its trips to the red zone and has scored at least a field goal in 24 of 25 opportunities (96 percent).

On special teams, Ithaca blocked two extra points, the first time Ithaca blocked multiple extra points in one game going back to at least the 2002 season.

Ithaca is outscoring its foes 29 ppg. to 21 ppg., while Fisher is being outscored 29.9 to 26.9 on the season.

The Bombers are averaging 230 passing yards per game, fifth-most in the Empire 8, while averaging 83.1 yards per game on the ground.

Fisher's balanced attack is averaging 344.6 yards per game — 189.6 through the air and 155 on the ground. The Cardinals rushing game broke out in the win over Alfred State, with Fisher churning out 355 yards and scoring seven touchdowns on the ground.

Steven Strumolo and James Chambers each scored three rushing touchdowns and eclipsed 100 yards on the ground as Fisher scored all of its points in the opening half.

Saturday's clash with Fisher is part of Down Syndrome Awareness as the Bomber student-athletes do their part to raise money and awareness for a condition that affects one in every 691 babies in the United States.