CORTLAND, N.Y. – Junior Dom Sair (Huntington) rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns and freshman Justin Autera (Mahopac) returned both a kickoff and a punt for scores as Cortland defeated Western Connecticut State, 35-6. The Red Dragons are now 4-2 both overall and in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The Colonials drop to 0-6 and 0-5.

Graduate student Alex Smith (Niagara Falls/Niagara-Wheatfield), making his first start at quarterback since 2007, completed 3-of-7 passes for 51 yards. He threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to junior Anthony Giuliano (Thornwood/Westlake) late in the second quarter. Smith's first completion was a 12-yard connection to senior Eric Hajnos (Grand Island) - a catch that made Hajnos the 14th player in school history to reach 100 career receptions.

Cortland's defense held the Colonials to 157 total yards of offense, including nine net rushing yards on 31 attempts. Cortland's offense finished with 220 rushing yards and 276 total. The Red Dragons recorded six sacks and nine total tackles for losses. Senior Bryan Wiley (Cape Vincent/Thousand Islands) finished with nine tackles, including two sacks, and a forced fumble. Sophomore Cody Allen (Medina) finished with eight tackles and senior Evan Wyler's (Warwick/Warwick Valley) five tackles included three sacks and a forced fumble.

Sair carried the ball 20 times, including a 6-yard touchdown run with 4:46 left in the first quarter to put Cortland ahead 7-6, and a 5-yard scoring run with 6:05 remaining in the game to complete the scoring.

Autera returned the opening kickoff of the second half 79 yards for his first collegiate touchdown and ran back a punt 59 yards for a score with 13:56 left in the game. He is the first Cortland player in 76 years to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game. In 1933, Bill Bergstrom accomplished the feat versus Trenton State (now The College of New Jersey) with a game-opening kickoff return and a 95-yard punt return.

Western Connecticut grabbed a 6-0 lead on the game's opening drive. The Colonials drove 68 yards on eight plays, capped by a 10-yard pass from James Williams (Wolcott, CT) to Steve Griffin (Old Tappan, NJ/Northern Valley). A low snap on the extra-point, however, led to a failed Williams rush.

Williams completed 9-of-20 passes for 94 yards and Chris Sloat (Stratford, CT/Bunnell) connected on 6-of-16 passes for 54 yards. Griffin caught five passes for 45 yards and Greg Galasso (Brewster) made a game-high 13 tackles for the Colonials.

Sair ran 48 yards to the Western Connecticut 3-yard line on Cortland's first play from scrimmage, but the Colonials' defense held and the Red Dragons missed a 31-yard field goal. Later in the quarter, a wild snap by Western Connecticut in a punt formation gave the Red Dragons the ball on the Colonials' 11-yard line. Sair carried on the next two plays, the latter a 6-yard scoring run.

The game stayed at a one-point margin until late in the first half. With less than two minutes left, Smith completed a 26-yard pass to Eddie Spillett (Holtsville/Sachem East) on 2nd-and-9 from the Western Connecticut 39-yard line, followed by the 13-yard scoring pass to Giuliano in the left corner of the end zone, and Cortland led 14-6 at halftime.

Autera's kickoff return to start the second half extended the lead to 21-6. He broke the return around the left side and ran basically untouched to the end zone. Early in the fourth quarter, Autera fielded a punt at his own 41-yard line, found an opening left and followed blockers in the last 15 yards for the touchdown and a 28-6 lead. Sair's 5-yard touchdown run with 6:05 left capped an 8-play, 55-yard scoring drive.

Box Score/Play-by-Play


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