The Ithaca College football team takes on SUNY Cortland in the 62nd Cortaca Jug game in Cortland, New York. The Bombers are 8–1, taking on the undefeated 9–0 Red Dragons.
The Bombers have won the previous three matches against the Red Dragons, and 42–33–3 in the rivalry.
On the fourth drive of the game, the Red Dragons got on the board first with 6:59 remaining in the first quarter to go up 7–0. The Red Dragons were able to drive down the field after two runs got them into Bombers territory, and Brees Segala tossed it to Trevor Ash for a 10-yard touchdown.
The Bombers responded with getting into Red Dragons territory for the first time in the game, with a big passing play of 32-yards from junior quarterback AJ Wingfield to senior wide receiver Michael Anderson. Junior kicker Nick Bahamonde was good from 45-yards, getting the Bombers on the board. SUNY Cortland leads 7–3 with 4:21 remaining in the first quarter.
The first quarter ended without any more scoring changes, as the Red Dragons have possession on the Bombers 18-yard line.
SUNY Cortland converted on its second trip to the redzone with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Segala to JJ Laap. The Red Dragons lead 14-3 with 14:06 left in the first half.
Down two possessions early, the Bombers converted on fourth down from midfield to keep their drive alive. However, the drive stalled at the Red Dragons eight yard line. Bahamonde’s 25-yard field goal attempt was good, closing the gap and making the score 14–6 with 9:31 left in the second quarter.
The Red Dragons were able to convert a third and 15, but were not able to find the end zone on a deep pass on third and 11 from the Bombers 26-yard line. The Red Dragons went for it on fourth down, but junior defensive back Drew Brenner broke up the pass. The Bombers took over possession with 2:05 left in the first half from their own 26-yard line.
The Bombers started their drive with a 14-yard completion to graduate student wide receiver Andrew Vito and Wingfield found senior wide receiver Billy Tedeschi to get into Red Dragons territory. However, Wingfield was sacked for 11-yards and the Bombers were forced to punt with just under one minute left in the first half. The Red Dragons gain possession with 45 seconds left from their own 25-yard line.
The Red Dragons ran the clock out to bring the first half to a close, leading the Bombers 14–6. The Red Dragons will receive the ball to open up the second half.
The Bombers struck first in the second half, trimming their deficit to 14–13. Sophomore running back Jalen Hines found his way to the endzone on a two-yard touchdown rush with 9:12 remaining in the third quarter. The score comes at the end of a drive, in which the squad moved 79 yards down the field in nine plays.
The South Hill squad took its first lead of the afternoon on a 19-yard touchdown rush by Wingfield. The quarterback managed to sneak into the right corner of the endzone with 7:12 left in the quarter. Bahamonde tacked on another point by converting the PAT, giving the Bombers a 20–14 lead.
Shortly after the Red Dragons got the ball back, senior defensive lineman Nathaniel Potts intercepted Segala’s pass at Cortland’s 36-yard line. Wingfield then completed a nine-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Dan Mason to put the Bombers on top 27–14 with 5:45 left in the third quarter.
The Red Dragons responded quickly, cutting their deficit to 27–21 with 3:45 remaining in the quarter. Segala completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Derek Cruz in the left corner of the endzone, narrowing the score.
The third quarter ended on a 12-yard rush by Segala, which gave the Red Dragons a first down at their own 28-yard line as the squads entered the final frame.
The Red Dragons reclaimed the lead in the fourth quarter, as Segala connected with Cruz again for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Kicker Nicholas Guglielmo then converted the PAT to give SUNY Cortland a 28–27 advantage with 8:19 left in the contest.
The Red Dragons emphatically preserved their lead with 1:51 left in the game, blocking Bahamonde’s field goal attempt at the 35-yard line. SUNY Cortland would hold onto its lead and win 28–27 in the 62nd annual Cortaca Jug game.
Wingfield finished with 167 passing yards and one passing touchdown, and sophomore running back Jake Williams rushed nine times for 76 yards. The Bombers finished the regular season 8–2 and will wait to see if they receive an at-large bid for a playoff game.
