SUNY CORTLAND FOOTBALL NOTES
Cortland (6-1, 6-1 NJAC) vs. Montclair St. University (7-0, 6-0 NJAC)
Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010; 1 p.m.; SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex; Cortland, N.Y.
Game broadcast live on WXHC, Homer (101.5 FM and www.wxhc.com)
TICKETS: $6 adults, $5 students with ID (SUNY Cortland students free with ID), Children 12 and under Free

Follow the game online:

WXHC Radio Broadcast
Live Stats
Video (Cortland campus station CSTV)


THE MATCHUP: The top two teams in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) meet in a pivotal contest as Cortland hosts nationally 13th-ranked and defending league champion Montclair State. Cortland is 6-1, both overall and in NJAC play, while the Red Hawks enter the game 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the conference. The game features two of the top four scoring defenses nationally in Div. III – Cortland is ranked first, allowing 6.4 points per game, while Montclair is ranked fourth at 8.1 points per game allowed (defending national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater is second (7.4) and defending runner-up Mount Union is third (8.0)).

THE SERIES: Cortland leads the overall series between the schools 15-10-1. The Red Dragons won five straight games in the series from 2004-08 before losing at Montclair last season, 16-7. Cortland held the Red Hawks without an offensive touchdown, but the hosts took a 9-0 lead on three first-half Marco Capozzoli field goals and sealed the game on Dominique Dixon's 16-yard interception return for a touchdown with 51 seconds left in the contest. Cortland's score came on a Dom Sair 1-yard TD run with 2:40 remaining that capped a 21-play, 97-yard drive.

Cortland was limited to 202 yards of total offense, 35 on the ground, while Montclair was held to 229 total offensive yards, 97 rushing. Bryan Wiley paced Cortland with 12 tackles, five for lost yardage (including two sacks). Cody Allen made 11 tackles and Chad Stalter registered eight stops. Chris Merkle led Montclair with seven tackles, three for losses, and a forced fumble. Mario McLean recorded six tackles, including a sack, and a pass breakup.

In 2008, Cortland won at home, 23-17, when both teams entered the game with 4-0 records. Andrew Giuliano's 8-yard TD run with 1:38 left broke a 17-17 tie, with Montclair's final drive stalling at the Cortland 26-yard line.

The teams have played every season since 1992, as well as eight times between 1964 and 1975. In the first meeting between the schools in 1964, Montclair defeated Cortland, 7-0. Both teams were unbeaten (Cortland was 8-0, Montclair was 6-0) entering that final game of the regular season.

CORTLAND CAPSULE: Cortland rebounded from its first loss of the season, a 20-17 setback at Rowan on Oct. 16, to defeat host Morrisville State last Saturday, 42-6. Justin Autera ran 13 times for 141 yards, all in the first half, and scored three touchdowns. He scored on a 64-yard run on the game's opening play from scrimmage and also added 28-yard and 1-yard TD runs.

Dan Pitcher completed 17-of-24 passes for 152 yards, with touchdown throws to Kadeem Miller and Matt Kaufmann, normally a defensive lineman who lined up as an eligible receiver with the ball at the 3-yard line. Cortland's other touchdown was a 1-yard run by Dorian Myles for his first score as a Red Dragon.

Linebacker Cody Allen totaled a team-high 11 tackles, including a sack, and defensive tackle Lou Crispo finished with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Defensive end Evan Wyler made six tackles, and his 28-yard interception return to the 1-yard line set up a Cortland touchdown.

Autera averages 108 rushing yards per game and has scored 17 touchdowns in seven games – 14 rushing, two receiving and one by kickoff return. Pitcher is 92-of-157 passing (58.6 percent) for 1,115 yards and 11 touchdowns. Anthony Giuliano has five TD catches among his team-best 30 receptions. Allen leads the team with 65 tackles and 10 quarterback hurries. Cornerback Joe Lopez has five interceptions, including one in each of Cortland's last three games. The school record of four consecutive games with at least one interception was set by Steve Daly in 1975.

Head coach Dan MacNeill is in his 14th season with the Red Dragons. His overall record of 93-51 (.646) ranks him second at Cortland in career victories and first in winning percentage. He was the NJAC Coach of the Year and a finalist for Liberty Mutual National Div. III Coach of the Year honors in 2008 after leading the Red Dragons to the league title (9-0 league mark) and the NCAA quarterfinals.

MacNeill has guided Cortland to eight postseason berths – NCAA showings in 1997, 2005 and 2008 and ECAC appearances in 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2009. His 2008 squad was honored with the Lambert Meadowlands Trophy and the ECAC Div. III Team of the Year awards. MacNeill is a 1979 Cortland alumnus and played linebacker and defensive tackle from 1975-78. An assistant coach at Division I-AA Villanova University from 1984-1996, MacNeill is Cortland's 11th head coach since the school's modern era of football began in 1924. MacNeill served as linebackers coach at Villanova and was the team's defensive coordinator from 1988-96.

A LOOK AT...MONTCLAIR ST. UNIVERSITY: Montclair scored the first 24 points and defeated host Western Connecticut State, 31-3, last Saturday to remain unbeaten on the season. Tom Fischer connected on 11-of-22 passes, but made the most of his completions by passing for 257 yards and four touchdowns and was named the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week. Bobby Roesing caught 5-yard and 62-yard TD passes, Joe LaSala made a 50-yard TD catch and Dan Keegan grabbed a 37-yard TD pass as one of his team-high six receptions. Matt Jimenez rushed for 81 yards on 15 carries.

Freshman linebacker Dan Avento recorded 12 tackles, 11 solo. He made three tackles for losses and forced a fumble., and was named the NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Week. Linebacker Ed Kirschenbaum finished with four tackles, including a sack.

Fischer has thrown 18 touchdown passes and has been intercepted only five times in seven contests. He is 93-of-157 through the air (59.2 percent) for 1,443 yards. Byron Lewin leads the team with 35 catches for 431 yards and four touchdowns. Keegan has 20 catches for 349 yards and four scores. He is also the team's leading punt returner at 20.8 yards per return with one touchdown. LaSala and Roesing have also caught four scoring passes apiece from Fischer.

Chris D'Andrea averaged 113.2 yards per game rushing through four games, but has not played in the last three contests. Jimenez has rushed for 50.8 yards per game in six games, two as a starter. Kirschenbaum leads the Red Hawks with 58 tackles and 4.5 sacks, while Avento has 50 tackles. Cornerback Gary Knoeppel has intercepted three passes. Jake DelVento is 25-of-27 on PAT kicks and is 4-of-9 on field goal attempts (3-of-5 from inside 40 yards). Joe Liscio averages 36.8 yards per punt with 16 of his 35 kicks pinning teams inside the 20-yard line.

Rick Giancola is in his 28th season as Montclair's head coach. His current record is 198-87-2 (.693), including a 128-39-1 mark (.765) in NJAC play. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Giancola led the Red Hawks to the NJAC title last year (9-0 league record, 10-2 overall) and the second round of the NCAA Div. III playoffs before losing at Mount Union. In all, Giancola has led Montclair to eight NCAA Division III playoff appearances and has been named NJAC Coach of the Year six times, including last season. He graduated from Glassboro State (now Rowan) in 1968. He played football and baseball for the Profs, was an All-East selection at tight end and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1991.

NOTEBOOK:

* Dan Pitcher has thrown at least one TD pass in nine consecutive games – all seven games this season and the two games he played in last year (Morrisville and Rowan). He has tied the school record of nine consecutive games with a TD pass set by J.J. Tutwiler in 2001. Current assistant coach Alex Smith tossed TD passes in eight straight games in 2005.

* Justin Autera has scored 17 touchdowns through Cortland's first seven games. Only five players in school history have scored 17 or more touchdowns in a season, led by Andrew Giuliano's 22 touchdowns in 2008.

Most TDs scored in a season by a Cortland player:
22, Andrew Giuliano, 2008
18, Omar Darling, 1998
17, Justin Autera, 2010
# 17, Omar Darling, 1997
# 17, Scott Berent, 1991

# Darling (1997) and Berent (1991) totals do not include one TD scored each in postseason play. Postseason games were included in school records starting in 2002, per NCAA rule change. Giuliano's 22 TDs in 2008 include one postseason TD.

* Cortland has outscored its opponents by a combined 94-3 in the first quarter and 166-16 in the first half through seven games. Morrisville's first field goal last week were the first points scored against Cortland in the first quarter this season.

* Cortland is ranked in the top 25 nationally in the following team and individual categories, through games of Oct. 23:

TEAM:
1st, Scoring Defense, 6.4 points/game
5th, Total Defense, 210.9 yards/game
6th, Kickoff Returns, 26.3 yards/return
8th, Turnover Margin, +1.9/game
9th, Passing Efficiency Defense, 88.0 opponent rating
11th, Sacks, 3.6 sacks/game
15th, Pass Defense, 131.4 yards/game
17th, Rushing Defense, 79.4 yards/game

INDIVIDUAL:
Justin Autera, 2nd, Scoring, 14.6 pts./game (leader is James McCarthy, Framingham St., 16.0 pts./game)
Joe Lopez, tied 12th, Interceptions, 0.7/game
Justin Autera, 16th, Punt Returns, 14.7 yards/return
Justin Autera, 22nd, All-Purpose Running, 162.1 yards/game

* Montclair St. is ranked in the top 25 nationally in the following categories:

TEAM:
2nd, Pass Defense, 101.0 yards/game
2nd, Passing Efficiency Defense, 74.4 opponent rating
3rd, Total Defense, 205.6 yards/game
4th, Scoring Defense, 8.1 points/game
7th, Punt Returns, 18.4 yards/return
11th, Pass Efficiency, 165.6 rating
23rd, Net Punting, 34.8 net yards/punt

INDIVIDUAL:
Dan Keegan, 2nd, Punt Returns, 20.8 yards/return
Tom Fischer, 11th, Passing Efficiency, 167.9 rating

* Cortland is in its 11th season as a football-only member of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The Red Dragons compete in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) in most other sports. Cortland was the first non-New Jersey school to join the NJAC, starting in 2000, and has been joined by Western Connecticut St., Buffalo St., Brockport and Morrisville. Cortland is 39-6 (.867) in NJAC play since 2005 and 56-18 (.757) overall.

* The six newest members of the SUNY Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's game and will be officially inducted at a ceremony Saturday evening. The 2010 honorees are: Alfred Pisano '61, Fred Acee '63, Richard Bianchino '63, John Anselmo '71, Sue Lauder '75 and honoree inductee Joan Sitterly. Anselmo is currently the secondary coach for Syracuse University's football team. Sitterly's Cortland women's volleyball teams won 816 matches and played in 18 NCAA tournaments from 1983-2004. She also served as the Red Dragons' athletic director from 2003 until her retirement last January.

Cortland's Weekly Award Winners (game date/opponent in parentheses)

Justin Autera, So., Running Back/Kick Returner
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Sept. 11 at Kean) (KR)
NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 11 at Kean)
ECAC South Honorable Mention (Sept. 11 at Kean)
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Sept. 18 vs. Buffalo St.) (RB)
NJAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18 vs. Buffalo St.)

Anthony Giuliano, Sr., Wide Receiver
NJAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 25 at Western Conn. St.)

Joe Lopez, Sr., Cornerback
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Sept. 11 at Kean)
NJAC Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 11 at Kean)
ECAC South Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 11 at Kean)

Connor Tompkins, Jr., Defensive End
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Sept. 18 vs. Buffalo St.)

Evan Wyler, Sr., Defensive End
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Oct. 16 at Rowan)

SCHEDULES/RESULTS:

CORTLAND (6-1, 6-1 NJAC)

Sept. 11   * at Kean (NJ)                           W 24-12
Sept. 18   * BUFFALO ST.                           W 35-7
Sept. 25   * at Western Connecticut St.       W 45-0
Oct. 2       * at The College of New Jersey   W 37-0
Oct. 9       * BROCKPORT                           W 35-0
Oct. 16     * at Rowan (NJ)                         L 17-20
Oct. 23     * at Morrisville St.                      W 42-6
Oct. 30     * MONTCLAIR ST. (NJ)                1:00
Nov. 6      * WILLIAM PATERSON (NJ)          1:00
Nov. 13        ITHACA                                 12:00

* NJAC game (HOME GAMES IN CAPS)

MONTCLAIR ST. (7-0, 6-0 NJAC)

Sept. 11      WESTFIELD ST. (MA)                 W 34-0
Sept. 18    * ROWAN (NJ)                            W 26-7
Sept. 25    * at Morrisville St.                       W 42-6
Oct. 1        * at Kean (NJ)                            W 21-7
Oct. 9        * THE COLLEGE of NEW JERSEY   W 30-14
Oct. 16      * BUFFALO ST.                           W 35-20
Oct. 23      * at Western Connecticut St.       W 31-3
Oct. 30      * at Cortland                              1:00
Nov. 6       * BROCKPORT                            1:00
Nov. 13     * at William Paterson                  1:00

* NJAC game (HOME GAMES IN CAPS)

CORTLAND vs. MONTCLAIR ST. – SERIES RECORD
(Cortland leads 15-10-1)

Year    Winner    Score    Site
1964    Montclair    7-0      Montclair
1965    Cortland    20-0     Cortland
1967    Cortland    23-14   Cortland
1968    Cortland    21-14    Montclair
1972    Cortland    13-10    Cortland
1973    Montclair    27-14   Montclair
1974    Montclair    26-7     Cortland
1975    Tie             15-15    Montclair
1992    Cortland    23-17    Montclair
1993    Montclair    17-7     Cortland
1994    Cortland    24-17    Montclair
1995    Cortland    24-17    Cortland
1996    Cortland    13-10    Montclair
1997    Cortland    28-14    Cortland
1998    Montclair    20-3     Montclair
1999    Montclair    41-16    Cortland
2000    Montclair    15-3     Montclair
2001    Montclair    28-24   Cortland
2002    Cortland    20-16    Montclair
2003    Montclair    28-17   Cortland
2004    Cortland    16-12    Montclair
2005    Cortland    39-14    Cortland
2006    Cortland    41-3      Montclair
2007    Cortland    43-13    Cortland
2008    Cortland    23-17    Cortland
2009    Montclair   16-7      Montclair