Brockport State enters 2014 at number 15 in our rankings. Check out our Top 25 Season Preview for more on the top college teams to watch this fall. Can’t find your team in the Top 25? View our full rankings to see where every team stands.
Last Season: 8-3 (6-1) New Jersey Athletic Conference/Empire 8
The Brockport State Golden Eagles finished the 2013 season on a seven-game winning streak, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the three games they lost within the season’s first four. Two of those three losses were to Buffalo State (42-40) and Alfred (34-28 OT) – two members of the conference the Eagles will call home this season, the Empire 8. It was not a pleasent introduction. They followed the pair of losses with a third, this time to New Jersey Athletic Conference opponent Rowan at home, 20-16. Ultimately, the loss to Rowan cost the Golden Eagles the NJAC title and a playoff berth.
Brockport featured the #29 total offense in D3 last season, gaining an average of 452.1 ypg. Freshman running back Dan Andrews was a big part of that. He carried the ball 188 times for 1,236 yards and 11 TDs – an impressive 6.6 yards per carry, even more impressive considering it was his first season out of high school.
Dearly Departed
– Ben Woolston OL – First team All-Conference
– Craig Wolfley OL
– Zach Sterling OL
– Bruce Doyle OL – First team All-Conference
– Zach Roberts OL
– Jake Spalik WR – Second team All-Conference, 47 receptions, 585 yards, 6 TDs
– Joe Riley LB – 51 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT
– Ross Ragonesi DB – 47 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 2 INTs, 7 pass defenses, 1 FF, 1 FR
What to Watch For
New Conference – The Eagles are the newest members of the Empire 8, one of the elite conferences in D3 football. While a HeroSports of 15 is nothing to scoff at, it’s far from the best in the E8 – in fact, we have five Empire 8 teams ranked in our top ten. To be the best, you have to play the best – a mantra heard often around the HeroSports offices – and that’s exactly what Brockport State now has a chance to do, and be. Their very first conference game as a member of the Empire 8 will be at home against BR1 St. John Fisher on September 20.
Expectations
It’s going to be a rough year for Brockport. They lost five offensive linemen of various skill levels, including two first team All-Conference performers in Ben Woolston and Bruce Doyle. On top of that, the quarterback situation is just that – a situation. Sophomore Ty Stoldt started the first five games of last season and completed 92 of 161 passes (57.14%) for 1,169 yards, 10 TDs, and 7 INTs before an injury forced Wayne Bonsell into the starting lineup week 5. Bonsell was even less inspiring. He went 95/179 (53%) for 1,262 yards, 6 TDs, and 11 INTs in his eight games of work. Stoldt will be back, but will he be able to do much better than the 1-3 he managed in his four starts last season? Maybe, maybe not. Expect growing pains for the Golden Eagles as they get acquainted with the Empire 8.
