by Joe Hoffmann

CORTLAND, N.Y. – Cortland's defense allowed only 190 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers in a 30-7 victory over The College of New Jersey in rainy conditions on Senior Day. Cortland is now 6-2 overall and in the NJAC, while TCNJ drops to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in the NJAC.

Junior tailback Dom Sair (Huntington) led Cortland's offense with 19 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown. The Red Dragons finished with 207 rushing yards compared to 76 for the Lions. Despite the poor conditions, Cortland quarterback Alex Smith (Niagara Falls/Niagara-Wheatfield) threw two touchdown passes and completed 10 of 20 tosses for 86 yards and no interceptions.

Senior defensive lineman Evan Wyler (Warwick/Warwick Valley) was the Red Dragons' leading tackler with eight, four for losses. Classmate Bryan Wiley (Cape Vincent/Thousand Islands) forced a fumble and recovered two others, while also adding a sack.

Michael Yetka (Holmdel, NJ) was TCNJ's leading rusher with 41 yards on 11 carries, including the only score for the Lions midway through the fourth quarter. Senior Bill Picatagi (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) caught a game-high eight passes for 59 yards.

Sair put the Red Dragons on the board first, leaping over the offensive line into the end zone with 2:11 left in the first quarter. A conversion rush failed after a low point-after snap.

Early in the second quarter, freshman Justin Autera (Mahopac) returned a punt 51 yards to the TCNJ 7-yard line. Three plays later, Smith found senior wide receiver Eric Hajnos (Grand Island) in the middle of the field for a 3-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 13-0. Autera finished with four punt returns for 98 yards and added 67 rushing yards on five carries.

After a series of punts, Cortland kicker Marc Corrado (Newburgh/Newburgh Free Academy) split the uprights on a career-long 40-yard field goal to give the Red Dragons a 16-0 lead with 3:18 remaining in the half. 

On the following possession, TCNJ turned the ball over on downs, giving Cortland the ball back with 1:03 remaining. Smith, working out of the shotgun, marched the Red Dragons into the end zone on four of seven passing for 65 yards. Wide receiver Anthony Giuliano (Thornwood/Westlake) beat the cornerback one-on-one and Smith threw a perfect pass into the back of the end zone to put the Red Dragons up 23-0 with nine seconds left in the half. Hajnos (five catches) and Giuliano (three catches) were Cortland's leading receivers with 39 yards apiece.

Early in the third quarter, a Wiley fumble recovery gave Cortland the ball on the Lions' 18-yard line. Two plays later, Giuliano out of the “wildcat”, shoveled a pass to Bill Smith (Nanuet) for a 4-yard touchdown, giving the Red Dragons a 30-0 lead.

The Cortland defense stood stout all game before Yetka broke the shutout bid with a 10-yard touchdown run with 7:18 left in the game.

TCNJ linebacker Kevin Allgood (Chatham, NJ) had eight tackles and defensive back Shawn Brown (Long Branch, NJ) chipped in with seven.

Cortland travels to Brockport next week to take on the 3-5 Golden Eagles while TCNJ hosts NJAC opponent Western Connecticut State. 

Box Score/Play-by-Play