St. Lawrence University sophomore Connor O'Brien and first-year student Alec Dietsch were honored by the Liberty League this week for their efforts in the Saints' football team's 30-20 victory over Union last Saturday in Schenectady, NY. O'Brien was named the conference's Special Teams Player of the Week, while Dietsch was the Rookie of the Week.

With the Saints trailing 20-13 in the third quarter, Union had a chance to take a double-digit lead on a short field goal try. However, the kick was blocked and O'Brien would spark the Saints' rally, as the Westmount, QC native scooped up the ball and took it 84 yards for the tying score. The visitors would reel off 17 unanswered points to secure the victory.

Meanwhile, Dietsch continued his strong play at linebacker against the Dutchmen, piling up eight tackles including a sack. The Clarence, NY native made a key interception in the fourth quarter, leading to a St. Lawrence field goal that gave the Saints a comfortable lead at 30-20.

"Both Connor and Alec had excellent games last week and are deserving of their recognition," said St. Lawrence head coach Mark Raymond. "They'll both need to be sharp for our defense again this week against Rochester, which has one of the best offenses in the league."

St. Lawrence and Rochester are first and second in the Liberty League, respectively, in passing offense, while the Yellowjackets own a slight edge over the Saints in passing defense. The Saints lead the conference with an impressive +11 turnover margin, but are last in the league in penalties (93.8 yards/game). Rochester's Dean Kennedy runs a solid offense with excellent players at the skill positions. The Yellowjackets, who are coming off a dramatic last-second victory over Springfield last week, are first in the league in third down conversions (44%), but are last in time of possession. Their pass rush has also started the season slow with only two sacks in three games, and will face a St. Lawrence offensive line that is yet to give up a sack this season.

St. Lawrence will look to defeat Rochester for the first time since 1998 on Saturday when the game kicks off at 1:00pm at Leckonby Stadium in Canton, NY. A free HD broadcast will be available along with live stats.