AU’s Manzer named Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week
11/02/09

ALFRED, NY — Jared Manzer (Johnson City, NY/Johnson City), a senior wide receiver/free safety on the Alfred University football team, has been named Defensive Player of the Week by the Empire 8 Conference.

The Empire 8 honored Manzer for his play in Alfred’s 51-14 win over visiting Rochester Saturday, Oct. 31. The 6-0, 190-pound Manzer returned a first-quarter interception 98 yards for a touchdown. The return was the longest in AU history, breaking an 87-year-old school record (97 yards) sent in 1922 by Lawrence Lobaugh against Allegheny College. Manzer also had two tackles (one solo) and a pass breakup to go with his interception. For the season, he has two interceptions and leads the team and Empire 8 Conference with six pass breakups.

Manzer caught a game-high six passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns against Rochester. His second receiving TD gave him 11 for the season, breaking the school single-season record of 10 he set in 2006 and equaled last season. He finished Saturday’s contest with 230 all-purpose yards and for the season has 1,331 all-purpose yards. He leads the Empire 8 in all-purpose yards per game (190.1), receptions per game (6.71) and kickoff return average (21.5 yards).

Alfred (7-0, 3-0 Empire 8) plays at Empire 8 rival Ithaca at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. A victory over the Bombers would clinch a share of the Empire 8 title for AU and give the Saxons the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III championship tournament.