SUNY CORTLAND FOOTBALL NOTES
Cortland (4-0, 4-0 NJAC) vs. The College at Brockport (1-3, 1-2 NJAC)
Saturday, Oct. 9, 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
Possible video webcast (campus station CSTV)

THE MATCHUP: Cortland puts its 4-0 record on the line as it hosts intrastate rival Brockport in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) contest. The Red Dragons are ranked 19th nationally in Div. III by the American Football Coaches Association and 25th by D3football.com. Brockport is 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the league, with both of its conference losses coming on opponent scores in the final four minutes. 

THE SERIES: Cortland leads the overall series 45-14-2, including victories in four of the last five meetings. Last season in Brockport, the Red Dragons won 56-42 to set a school record for most combined points scored in a game. Alex Smith completed 22-of-33 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns. Eric Hajnos caught 12 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns and Dom Sair rushed for 155 yards and four touchdowns. Brockport quarterback Jake Graci connected on 21-of-42 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns.

For the second straight year, the teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense (Cortland 522, Brockport 492). In 2008 in Cortland, the Red Dragons won 42-30 to complete a perfect 9-0 NJAC season. In that contest, Brockport finished with 542 yards, including Zack Luke's 399 passing yards, to Cortland's 511 yards, which featured a 348-yard passing day by Ray Miles – the fifth-highest single-game total in school history.

The Golden Eagles won at home, 28-14, in 2007, while in 2006, the Red Dragons used a late goal-line stand to win 17-10 in Cortland. Among the games in the series was a 21-12 Cortland win in 2002 in the first football game every played at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. That was Cortland's lone win versus Brockport in a nine-year stretch from 1996-2004. The series started in 1948, and the teams have played every year except for 1950. Cortland enjoyed a 38-4-2 advantage in the first 44 games of the series.

CORTLAND CAPSULE: Cortland limited The College of New Jersey to 91 yards of total offense in a 37-0 road victory last Saturday. The Red Dragons, who won 45-0 the previous week at Western Connecticut State, have posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since the 1989 squad blanked four straight opponents during an NCAA Div. III record six-shutout season.

Dan Pitcher completed 13-of-21 passes for 224 yards and a career-best four touchdowns in the win at TCNJ. Anthony Giuliano tied a school single-game record with three touchdown receptions and finished with four catches for a career-best 139 yards. Justin Autera scored the Red Dragons' first two touchdowns on a 27-yard run and a 14-yard reception. Marc Corrado made a 26-yard field goal and 4-of-5 point-after kicks.

Lou Crispo recorded eight tackles and Connor Tompkins made seven tackles, six solo, and blocked a punt. Tom Lewis intercepted a pass and Will Schroeder recovered a fumble that set up a short Cortland touchdown drive.

Autera is averaging 92.2 yards per game and six yards per carry as the Red Dragons' top rusher. He has scored 10 touchdowns through four games – seven rushing, two receiving and one on a kickoff return. Pitcher has completed 51-of-83 passes (61.4 percent) for 688 yards and seven touchdowns and Giuliano leads the team with 16 receptions for 335 yards and four scores.

Cody Allen leads Cortland with 32 tackles, 16 solo. Bill Smith is second with 24 tackles and has scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery versus Buffalo State. Freshman Chris Corvino has registered a team-best 4.5 sacks.

Head coach Dan MacNeill is in his 14th season with the Red Dragons. His overall record of 91-50 (.645) 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...THE COLLEGE at BROCKPORT: Brockport lost 48-41 at Morrisville State last Saturday night despite a standout performance from Alex Hendrickson. The junior running back rushed for 310 yards – the most by a Div. III player nationally this season – and two touchdowns on 43 carries to easily earn NJAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Adam Erickson also ran for two scores in the loss and Joseph Scibilia threw a 37-yard TD pass to Jordan Hogan. Nate Bull led the Golden Eagles with nine tackles, while Chris Grace and Derek DeCandia each intercepted a pass.

The Golden Eagles led 41-34 in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs tied the game with 8:57 left and scored the winning touchdown with 3:54 on the clock. The previous week, Brockport lost at home to The College of New Jersey, 24-21, on a 45-yard field goal as time expired.

Hendrickson leads the team with 92.8 yards per game rushing. He had rushed for a combined 61 yards in Brockport's first three outings before his breakout game at Morrisville. Riedrick Alceus has also been strong on the ground with 87.5 yards per game. Both Hendrickson and Alceus average more than six yards per carry. Scibilia is 58-of-95 passing (61.1 percent) for 560 yards, but has been intercepted nine times. Jon Williams is 13-of-22 passing for 204 yards in three appearances.

Freshman Jake Spalik leads Brockport's receivers with 26 catches for 232 yards. Hogan has caught 17 passes for 275 yards and two scores. Bull paces the defensive unit with 52 tackles and two forced fumbles. Alex Hayes has 32 tackles and DeCandia has 29 stops with two sacks.

Brockport 16th-year head coach Rocco Salomone has an overall record of 93-64-1 (.592). Brockport's career victory leader, Salomone led the Golden Eagles to four straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2000-03. He also served as an assistant coach at Brockport for five seasons before taking over as head coach in 1995. Salomone was a two-year starter at Brockport (1986-87) after stints at Juniata College and East Stroudsburg.

NOTEBOOK:

* Cortland leads NCAA Div. III schools nationally in kickoff return yardage at 30.8 yards per return. The Red Dragon defense is ranked in the top five nationally in three categories – second in scoring defense (4.8 pts./game allowed), third in total defense (187.8 yards/game) and fifth in rushing defense (50.3 yards/game). The only school better than Cortland in scoring defense is Amherst, which has allowed 3.5 points per game over two games.

Cortland ranks first in the NJAC in scoring defense and rushing defense, as well as scoring offense (35.3 points/game) and pass efficiency rating (148.9). The Red Dragons are second in the NJAC in total defense behind William Paterson, which leads the nation by allowing only 176.8 yards/game.

* Justin Autera is currently fourth in Div. III nationally in scoring at 15 points per game (10 touchdowns for 60 points in four games). He also ranks 22nd in all-purpose running at 173.3 yards per game. Chris Corvino is tied for 17th nationally with 1.1 sacks per game and Dan Pitcher is 34th in pass efficiency rating at 151.7. Autera leads the NJAC in scoring and all-purpose running, Pitcher is the NJAC leader in pass efficiency and Anthony Giuliano is the league leader with 83.8 receiving yards per game.

* Brockport ranks 18th nationally in rushing offense with 247.8 yards per game on the ground, and is 33rd in total offense at 438.8 yards per game. The Golden Eagles lead the NJAC in both of those categories, as well as passing offense (191 yards/game). Individually, Nathan Bull is tied for eighth in the country with 13 tackles per contest.

* Justin Autera's 10 touchdowns through Cortland's first four games matches the fastest scoring start in school history. Tailback Omar Darling scored 10 touchdowns through the first four games of the 1997 season and finished the regular season with 17 touchdowns (he also scored a touchdown in the NCAA playoffs vs. TCNJ). The school single-season touchdown record is 22 by tailback Andrew Giuliano (brother of current senior captain Anthony Giuliano) in 2008. Those 22 touchdowns include one score in NCAA action (all postseason games started counting toward season records in 2002, per an NCAA rule change).

* 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 of their other sports. Cortland was the first non-New Jersey school to join the NJAC for football, starting in the 2000 season, and has since been joined by Western Connecticut State, Buffalo State, Brockport and Morrisville. Cortland is 37-5 (.881) in NJAC play since 2005 and 54-17 (.761) overall.


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.)


SCHEDULES/RESULTS:


CORTLAND (4-0, 4-0 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                           1:00
Oct. 16     * at Rowan (NJ)                         12:00
Oct. 23     * at Morrisville St.                      1:00
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)

THE COLLEGE at BROCKPORT (1-3, 1-2 NJAC)

Sept. 4         at St. John Fisher                     L 12-55
Sept. 18    * WESTERN CONNECTICUT ST.    W 35-23
Sept. 25    * COLLEGE of NEW JERSEY           L 21-24
Oct. 2         * at Morrisville St.                      L 41-48
Oct. 9         * at Cortland                             1:00
Oct. 16       * WILLIAM PATERSON (NJ)          1:00
Oct. 23       * ROWAN (NJ)                            1:00
Oct. 30       * at Kean (NJ)                            1:00
Nov. 6        * at Montclair St. (NJ)                 1:00
Nov. 13      * BUFFALO ST.                           1:00

* NJAC game (HOME GAMES IN CAPS)

CORTLAND vs. BROCKPORT – SERIES RECORD
(Cortland leads 45-14-2)

Year                Winner                 Score             Site
1948                Cortland                19-6                Cortland
1949                Cortland                27-6                Brockport
1951                Cortland                35-13              Cortland
1952                Cortland                45-6                Brockport
1953                Cortland                62-0                Cortland
1954                Tie                        12-12              Brockport
1955                Cortland                32-0                Cortland
1956                Cortland                45-0                Brockport
1957                Tie                         0-0                 Cortland
1958                Cortland                20-6                Brockport
1959                Brockport              19-6                Cortland

1960                Cortland                22-0                Brockport
1961                Cortland                39-0                Cortland
1962                Cortland                13-6                Brockport
1963                Cortland                49-0                Cortland
1964                Cortland                54-8                Brockport
1965                Cortland                26-0                Cortland
1966                Cortland                59-6                Brockport
1967                Brockport              27-20               Cortland
1968                Cortland                7-6                  Brockport
1969                Cortland                73-6                Cortland

1970                Cortland                28-0                Brockport
1971                Cortland                20-7                Cortland
1972                Cortland                19-7                Brockport
1973                Cortland                23-6                Cortland
1974                Cortland                28-7                Brockport
1975                Cortland                56-0                Cortland
1976                Cortland                24-0                Brockport
1977                Cortland                28-0                Cortland
1978                Cortland                20-15              Brockport
1979                Brockport              25-13              Cortland

1980                Brockport              41-26              Brockport
1981                Cortland                24-3                Cortland
1982                Cortland                45-20              Brockport
1983                Cortland                17-13              Cortland
1984                Cortland                42-21              Brockport
1985                Cortland                41-6                Cortland
1986                Cortland                21-16              Brockport
1987                Cortland                14-10              Cortland
1988                Cortland                28-13              Brockport
1989                Cortland                49-0                Cortland

1990                Cortland                31-7                Brockport
1991                Cortland                52-14              Cortland
1992                Cortland                62-12              Brockport
1993                Brockport              26-14              Brockport
1994                Cortland                20-14              Cortland
1995                Cortland                21-13              Brockport
1996                Brockport              23-16              Cortland
1997                Brockport              30-28              Brockport
1998                Brockport              28-27              Cortland
1999                Brockport              28-24              Brockport

2000                Brockport              14-0                Cortland
2001                Brockport              17-14              Brockport
2002                Cortland                21-12              Cortland
2003                Brockport              28-14              Brockport
2004                Brockport              42-26              Cortland
2005                Cortland                20-10              Brockport
2006                Cortland                17-10              Cortland
2007                Brockport               28-14             Brockport
2008                Cortland                42-30              Cortland
2009                Cortland                56-42              Brockport