CORTLAND, N.Y. - Junior quarterback Dan Pitcher (Cortland), making his first collegiate start, led nationally 12th ranked SUNY Cortland to a 26-17 victory over the Morrisville State Mustangs in the Red Dragons' season opener. Pitcher threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns on 19 of 27 passing. He also was the team's leading rusher with 98 yards and one touchdown on eight carries. Cortland is 1-0 both overall and in the NJAC. Morrisville drops to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the league.

Junior wide receiver Anthony Giuliano (Thornwood/Westlake) scored twice in the third quarter, once on a run early in the third quarter off a direct snap and the other on a 13-yard pass from Pitcher, to extend a 14-10 halftime lead to 26-10.

The Cortland defense limited the Mustang offense to 249 total yards. Senior defensive lineman Evan Wyler (Warwick/Warwick Valley) led the charge with 12 tackles (2.5 for loss), including 1.5 sacks for 16 yards, while also forcing a fumble. The Red Dragon defense totaled five sacks for 42 yards and held the Mustangs to 52 rushing yards on 31 carries. Cortland stopped Morrisville numerous times on third down as the Mustangs converted only 4 of 14 attempts, 1 of 6 in the second half.

Morrisville sophomore quarterback Jamieson Crast (Mannsville/South Jefferson) completed 21-of-30 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Maurice Mitchelson (Bronx/John F. Kennedy) carried 16 times for 64 yards and sophomore linebacker Anthony Brown (Rochester/Gates-Chili) made a team-best nine tackles.

Pitcher kicked off the scoring early with a 68-yard quarterback keeper on Cortland's third offensive play with 11:36 left in the first quarter. He rushed through a hole up the middle, broke to the left and outraced the Morrisville defense down the left sideline.

After a Crast 4-yard touchdown pass to Sean Barrett (Hopewell Junction/John Jay) evened up the score at seven apiece, Pitcher threw his first touchdown pass, a 31-yard strike to senior wide receiver Eric Hajnos (Grand Island) to put Cortland back on top 14-7 with 5:33 left in the first quarter. Hajnos finished the day with 88 yards on a team-leading six receptions.

The second quarter was quiet until the Mustangs scored on freshman Cliff Hanratty's (Northport/Kings Park) 37-yard field goal to cut the Red Dragon lead to four with 40 seconds left. Pitcher led his team down to the Mustang 21-yard line, but a Tommy Moyon (Woodside/Proctor Academy) interception put an end to the drive.

Cortland sophomore wide receiver Bryan Davey (Amsterdam) started things off for the Red Dragons in the second half by returning the opening kickoff 71 yards down to the Morrisville 7-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Giuliano lined up at quarterback and scored on a draw play to put Cortland up 20-10.

Field position became very important in the third quarter and, after trading punts, Cortland senior punter Kyle Peterson (Montrose/Hendrick Hudson) hit a 57-yarder to pin the Mustangs on their own 15-yard line. Junior linebacker James Lenhart (Ticonderoga) and Wyler recorded back-to-back sacks on second and third downs to back Morrisville up to its 2-yard line before a short punt gave Cortland excellent field position at the Mustangs' 24-yard line.

It took Cortland only five plays before Pitcher found Giuliano for a 13-yard catch to give Cortland a 26-10 lead at the end of three quarters. Giuliano finished the day with five receptions for 51 yards. The drive was kept alive by a Pitcher three yard sneak on 4th-and-2 before the touchdown pass on the very next play.

After Lamar Finch (Freeport) forced a fumble to give the Mustangs the ball on the Cortland 42, Crast led his team on an 8-play scoring drive, including a 17-yard pass to Nate McConnell (Buffalo/Sweet Home) on 4th and 3 at the Cortland 35 to keep the drive alive. The drive was capped off by a Peter Enriquez (Staten Island/Totenville) 5-yard touchdown run with 5:43 left that cut the lead to 26-17.

The Mustangs never got another scoring chance however, as the Red Dragons held the ball for the remaining 5:36 of the game. A 25-yard pass from Pitcher to Giuliano on 3rd and 23 and an 8-yard Hajnos reception on 3rd and 4 put the game on ice for Cortland.

Lenhart was the second leading tackler in the game with 10 stops, including two sacks for 16 yards, while Chris Hanlon (Patchogue/Patchogue-Medford) chipped in with nine tackles and a forced fumble for the Red Dragon defense.

Kyle Gordon (Riverhead) led Morrisville with five receptions for 41 yards. Sean McDaniel (Rome/Rome Free Academy) finished with eight tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

The Red Dragons are home next weekend for a battle with NJAC opponent Rowan. Morrisville will play at NJAC foe Montclair State next Saturday.

Box Score/Play-by-Play