Football Game Preview: Canisius Crusaders vs. Varsity Opponent

Canisius is a perfect 3-0 against Varsity Opponent since October of 2023 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Crusaders will be playing in front of their home fans against Varsity Opponent at 1:00 p.m. One thing working in Canisius' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last four contests.

Canisius took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They really took it to Varsity Opponent for the full four quarters, racking up a 49-20 win. The Crusaders have beaten Varsity Opponent the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest Varsity Opponent has come to flipping the script.

Matteo Brusco

Passer Rating

10/18/25 vs Varsity Opponent	145.8
10/10/25 @ Steubenville	93.8
10/04/25 vs Bishop Timon-St. Jude	90.1
09/27/25 vs St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute	123.6
09/19/25 @ Walsh Jesuit	0
+ 3 more games

Canisius can attribute much of their success to Matteo Brusco, who threw for 115 yards and three TDs while completing 72.7% of his passes. What's more, Brusco racked up 145.8 passer rating, the most he's had since back in November of 2024.

Canisius was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 260 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 233 rushing yards in four consecutive games.

Canisius didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Kayden Wayne, Noah Harrison, and Amir Hernandez picked up one apiece. Hernandez also punched in two rushing touchdowns, which is notable because Canisius is undefeated when he posts at least two rushing touchdowns, but 1-3 otherwise. Wayne got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Canisius now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Varsity Opponent, they have been struggling recently as they've lost 18 of their last 22 matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 21-89 record this season.