For the second straight year and for the thirty-third time in the rivalry’s 50-year history, the football team has returned the Cortaca Jug to South Hill. Through a driving rain that left players, coaches and fans waterlogged, the Bombers rallied past an early Red Dragons lead en route to a 35–13 victory.

Junior backup quarterback Brian Grastorf, in relief of regular starter senior Dan Juvan, was sensational in leading the offense as the first Ithaca College quarterback to make his first career start in a Cortaca Jug game. Despite miserable conditions that typically sink passing attacks, the backup connected on 19 of 28 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns, adding another on a goal-line quarterback sneak.

Some of Grastorf’s phenomenal performance can be credited to the reliable hands of senior receiver Kyle Crandall. His four catches for a game-high 114 yards and two touchdowns included a spectacular short reception that he stretched into an 80-yard score. Senior tight end Brian Weverbergh led the Bombers with five receptions.

Another backup who was instrumental in Ithaca’s rout was sophomore running back Dan Ruggiero. His hard-fought 98 yards on 26 carries were more than the Red Dragons had allowed in a game all season. Deftly following his blocks on a screen play in the third quarter, he added a receiving touchdown to his prolific day. Ruggiero said since he and Grastorf played as well as they did, it proves the Bombers are strong throughout the depth chart.

“I think this says a lot about our program,” Ruggiero said. “[Head Coach Mike Welch] tells us often that we have to prepare for each game like a starter whether you’re first or fourth string. So, it makes it easier to step up when your number is called. Also, other than Brian and I, we have great backups on both sides of the ball and that’s just a tribute to the tradition of our program and our recruiting.”

Defensively, senior cornerback Jason Chier was an electrifying force for the Bombers. He tied a college record with three interceptions in the game – adding seven tackles and two pass breakups. As Cortland began to build momentum in the third quarter, advancing inside the red zone on consecutive possessions, Chier ended each drive with interceptions in the end zone. His efforts made him the tenth player in Ithaca history with 10 career interceptions.

“On both of those plays, I was just trying to bait him into throwing the deeper ball and I just tried to go up and make a play on the ball,” Chier said. “Any time that the defense can get the ball back to the offense it’s a big swing in momentum, especially in a game as big as this one with so much on the line.”

As a team, Ithaca did just enough to keep the SUNY-Cortland offense in check when it mattered. Despite comparable yardage marks allowed by each team, interceptions and fumbles foiled the Red Dragons in key situations. Cortland’s lone touchdown came on special teams on a 12-yard blocked punt return in the second quarter.

“Breaking down the film, we moved the ball relatively well,” Cortland Head Coach Dan MacNeil said. “When you have five turnovers and allow four big scoring plays like we did, you can sum up the game right there in our mistakes.”

Sophomore safety David Ahonen and linebacker Morgan Abdelnour led the team with nine tackles each. Senior linebacker Matt Scalice added eight, inching his career total above 260, placing him eleventh all-time in Ithaca history.

The Bombers’ win over Cortland propelled them to a 9–1 finish in the regular season, landing them the No. 2 seed in their bracket. The Blue and Gold will face the No. 7 ranked team in the bracket Curry College at noon Saturday at Butterfield Stadium.