Two dominant backs in Elijah Kimble and Dominic Cook Jr. are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Canisius Crusaders are taking a road trip to challenge the St. Francis Red Raiders at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
On Saturday, Canisius got the win against Varsity Opponent by a conclusive 42-21. The win continues a trend for the Crusaders in their matchups with Varsity Opponent: they've now won four in a row.
Matteo Brusco
| 10/25/25 vs Varsity Opponent | 149.3 |
| 10/18/25 vs Varsity Opponent | 145.8 |
| 09/27/25 vs St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute | 123.6 |
| 10/10/25 @ Steubenville | 93.8 |
| 10/04/25 vs Bishop Timon-St. Jude | 90.1 |
| + 2 more games |
Matteo Brusco had an outrageously good game as he threw for 174 yards and three TDs on only 12 passes, and also punched in one touchdown on the ground. His passing game has become a key predictor of Canisius' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 2-3 otherwise.
Canisius was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 243 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 233 rushing yards in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, St. Francis beat McDowell 35-28 on Friday. Given the Red Raiders' advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked sixth in New York, while the Trojans are ranked 126th in Pennsylvania) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
St. Francis' win came from a few key players Canisius will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Trent Buttles, who threw for 207 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also rushed for 47 yards. St. Francis also got a significant boost from Tyrone Clark Jr., who ran away from the competition to the tune of 85 yards.
Canisius' record is now 5-3. As for St. Francis, their record now sits at 7-1.
Saturday's game might be decided on the ground. Canisius has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 261.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like St. Francis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 256 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Canisius took their victory against St. Francis when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 55-34 score. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Red Raiders' Damone Allen, who picked up 147 receiving yards and one score. Now that he won't be playing on Saturday, will it be easier for the Crusaders to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
