The Misericordia University football team dropped its season opener to Alfred State, 24-14, Saturday afternoon at Mangelsdorf Field.
 
Dominic Caruso led the Cougars with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown and Jacob Hunter added a rushing touchdown.
 
In an evenly played game, the Cougars were victimized by three turnovers, including two that ended potential scoring drives.
 
Alfred State forced an MU punt on the opening drive and capped an 80-yard drive on a 42-yard scoring strike to take a 7-0 lead on their first possession.
 
The Cougars answered with an 11-play, 67-yard drive to tie the game.  Starting at their own 33 yard line, Caruso went 13 yards around right end and Connor Beans hit Kyle Tash for five yards to cross midfield.
 
Facing third-and-one, Caruso went up the middle for six yards and another first down.  On fourth-and-six, Beans scrambled before finding Ryan Krisiak in the right flat for 10 yards and a first down.
 
Tash went over the middle for a 14-yard completion and Caruso went off right tackle for 10 yards for the tying score with 4:36 left in the first half.
 
The Warriors used another big pass play to set up a score and go back in front, 14-7, in just four plays.
 
L.T. Messick took the ensuing kick-off 21 yards to give MU good field position at their own 40.  On third-and-3, Caruso went around right end and raced down the right sideline for 38 yards.  But, the drive was thwarted by a fumble on the next play.
 
After the teams traded punts, Alfred State moved 58 yards in 11 plays and converted a 35-yard field goal to stretch their lead to 17-7 with 6:49 left in the first half.
 
The score stood until late in the third quarter. Starting at their own 15, Caruso went up the middle for five yards and Beans connected Krisiak on three straight throws for a combined 42 yards to move into Alfred State territory.
 
Beans hit Owen McGuffey for and over the shoulder catch down the right sideline on third-and-one from the Alfred State 29 to set up a first-and-goal.  On third down, Hunter started to his right on a keeper and cut back to his left for a touchdown to get MU within 17-14 with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
 
On the next Alfred State series, Lamontae Wilson broke up a pass deep in MU territory and Eric Glass came up with a stop on fourth down to give MU the ball.
 
The teams traded punts and the Cougars took over at their own 45 with 8:23 to go.
 
Beans hit Krisiak down the right sideline and T.J. Lattimore converted a fourth-and-one for a first down.  Beans connected with Caruso for 10 yards, but the Cougars turned the ball over on downs with 4:24 to play.
 
The Warriors put the game away on a 45-yard scoring strike with 2:06 to play.
 
Krisiak had seven catches for 83 yards.
 
Andrew Lee led the Cougars with nine tackles and Glass and Ian Rogers had eight stops each.