Cortland vs. Alfred; NCAA Div. III Second Round; Nov. 27; Noon
SUNY CORTLAND FOOTBALL NOTES
NCAA Div. III Tournament – Second Round
Cortland (10-1) vs. Alfred University (9-2)
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010; 12 p.m.; SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex; Cortland, N.Y.
Game broadcast live on WXHC, Homer (101.5 FM and
www.wxhc.com)
TICKETS: $8 adults, $4 all students with ID
Follow the Game Online:
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Interactive NCAA Bracket
THE MATCHUP: Cortland and Alfred meet in the second round of the NCAA Div. III tournament after posting first-round home victories last Saturday. The Red Dragons (10-1), seeded second in their eight-team bracket of the 32-team national tournament, defeated Endicott College, 49-35. Alfred (9-2), seeded sixth, won 60-0 over third-seeded SUNY Maritime, which was unable to host.
Cortland is making its seventh NCAA Div. III tournament appearance overall and third since 2005. The Red Dragons won twice in the 2008 tournament to advance to the national quarterfinals and have an overall NCAA record of 4-6. Alfred's win last Saturday was its first in NCAA play. The Saxons previously lost to Albright last season and versus Montclair State in 1981.
The Cortland-Alfred winner will face either top-seeded Mount Union (Ohio) or fourth-seeded Delaware Valley College (Pa.) in the quarterfinals next Saturday. If Mount Union wins, it will host the Cortland-Alfred winner. If Delaware Valley wins, it will either host Alfred or travel to Cortland. The tournament continues through Dec. 18 when the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl will be played in Salem, Va., for the national title.
THE SERIES: Cortland and Alfred were long-time rivals from the early 1950s to the mid 1980s, but haven't matched up on the gridiron since the 1986 season. Alfred leads the all-time series 27-10-1, including 10 straight wins from 1977-86. The schools first met on the varsity level in 1940 (a 21-0 Alfred win), then played again post-World War II in 1946 (Alfred 20-12 win) and 1947 (Cortland 37-0 win). The series resumed in 1952, and the schools played each season for 35 straight years. Cortland's last victory over the Saxons was a 20-16 decision at Alfred in 1976.
CORTLAND CAPSULE: Cortland opened NCAA play last Saturday with a 49-35 victory over visiting Endicott College, the New England Football Conference champion.
Dan Pitcher completed 20-of-26 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for a score.
Justin Autera carried 24 times for 92 yards and a touchdown, while
Dorian Myles ran 15 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Mike Humphrey led the team with five catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Eddie Spillett and
John Babin each caught scoring passes, with Babin's coming on his first collegiate reception. Cortland limited the Gulls to 59 yards net rushing and 234 yards of total offense. Endicott made the final score interesting with 21 points in the final nine minutes, including two defensive scores.
Chris Hanlon led Cortland with seven tackles and
Chris Bright made six stops.
Marc Corrado made all seven of his point-after kicks.
Autera, the NJAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, averages 120.4 rushing yards per game and has scored 21 total touchdowns, 18 rushing. Pitcher has been successful on 57 percent of his passes (137-of-239) for 1,583 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Anthony Giuliano's 41 receptions for 648 yards and six touchdowns are team highs.
Cody Allen is the Red Dragon leader with 98 tackles and
Joe Lopez has intercepted eight passes. Corrado is 8-of-12 on field goals and 44-of-46 on PAT kicks, and
Pete Furey averages 35.6 yards per punt.
Head coach
Dan MacNeill is in his 14th season with the Red Dragons. His overall record of 97-51 (.655) 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.
Including this season, MacNeill has guided Cortland to nine postseason berths – NCAA showings in 1997, 2005, 2008 and 2010, 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...ALFRED UNIVERSITY: Alfred led 29-0 after one quarter and 50-0 at halftime on its way to a 60-0 victory over visiting SUNY Maritime last Saturday in the NCAA first round. Ryan Thon caught four touchdown passes and finished with seven receptions for 112 yards. Tom Secky completed 12-of-22 passes for 176 yards, Nick Clark rushed for two scores and Austin Dwyer added one touchdown on the ground. Alfred also scored on an Eric Rockwood 33-yard field goal and a Steve Kijowski 64-yard interception return.
Mike Raplee paced the Saxons' defense with 11 tackles, 2.5 for lost yardage. Alfred recorded four interceptions and limited the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference champion Privateers to 76 yards of total offense and 1.2 yards per play. The Saxons turned all six SUNY Maritime turnovers into scores (five touchdowns, one field goal).
Secky has been successful on 197-of-319 passes (61.8 percent) this season for 2,429 yards and 25 touchdowns. He has 78 career TD passes, two shy of tying the school record. Thon has caught 66 passes for 871 yards, and his 15 TD catches has tied a school single-season record. Dwyer, the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, has rushed for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.
Clark is a starting linebacker and is also the team's short-yardage running back with 31 rushes for 79 yards and nine touchdowns. The Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, he leads Alfred with 86 tackles and has intercepted two passes. Raplee's 80 tackles include a team-best 16.5 for losses, and Marcellus Jones has 11 tackles for losses with a team-high eight sacks. Roland O'Brien leads the squad with seven interceptions and 12 pass breakups.
Rockwood handles both the kicking and punting duties for the Saxons. He is 5-of-6 on field goal attempts and his 51 point-after kicks (on 53 attempts) are a new school single-season record. He averages 38 yards per punt, and nine of his 14 punts have pinned teams inside the 20-yard line.
Dave Murray is in his 13th season as Alfred's head coach. His overall record with the Saxons is 85-49 (.634). Murray has led Alfred to Empire 8 titles and NCAA appearances in 2009 and 2010 in addition to a 4-1 record in ECAC postseason bowl games. As Cortland's head coach from 1990-96, Murray posted a 44-30-1 record. He led the Red Dragons to the 1990 NCAA playoffs and a 3-1 ECAC bowl record. He was Cortland's defensive coordinator from 1987-89, during which time Cortland played in the NCAA tournament twice.
The 2010 Empire 8 Coach of the Year, Murray is a 1981 graduate of Springfield College and played linebacker for the then-Chiefs. He served as a graduate assistant coach at Ithaca College and was the linebackers coach at Dartmouth College from 1984-87 before coming to Cortland.
NOTEBOOK:
* Dave Murray is not Alfred's only connection to the SUNY Cortland football program. Assistant coach Dick Puccio was a standout quarterback for the Red Dragons from 1988-91. He is still Cortland's career leader in pass completions (451) and ranks fourth in passing yardage (5,366) and touchdown passes (40). Puccio also set a school record by completing 20 consecutive pass attempts over a two-game stretch during his senior season in 1991.
* Cortland ranks in the top 30 nationally in the following categories:
TEAM:
5th, Scoring Defense, 10.3 points/game
5th, Total Defense, 226.3 yards/game
12th, Pass Efficiency Defense, 92.0 opponent rating
16th, Rushing Defense, 78.8 yards/game
19th, Kickoff Returns, 23.0 yards/return
25th, Pass Defense, 147.5 yards/game
29th, Turnover Margin, +0.9/game
INDIVIDUAL:
Justin Autera, 4th, Scoring, 11.5 points/game
Joe Lopez, tied 11th, Interceptions, 0.7/game
Justin Autera, 12th, All-Purpose Running, 172.9 yards/game
Justin Autera, 17th, Punt Returns, 13.5 yards/return
Justin Autera, 18th, Rushing, 120.4 yards/game
* Alfred ranks in the top 30 nationally in the following categories:
TEAM:
21st, Pass Efficiency Defense, 94.6 opponent rating
26th, Total Defense, 265.6 yards/game
INDIVIDUAL:
Roland O'Brien, tied 16th, Interceptions, 0.6/game
Austin Dwyer, 19th, All-Purpose Running, 162.5 yards/game
Austin Dwyer, 29th, Rushing, 109.5 yards/game
* Cornerback
Joe Lopez's eight interceptions this season are tied for the single-season record. Lopez also set a school record this season by intercepting a pass in six straight games – a streak that ended last week versus Endicott. Steve Daly intercepted eight passes, including at least one in a then-school record four straight games, in 1975.
* Cortland has 21 interceptions as a team this fall. The school record of 24 interceptions was set in 1981, while the 2005 squad recorded 23 interceptions.
*
Justin Autera has rushed for 1,324 yards this season – the third-best single-season total in school history. Andrew Giuliano ran for a school-best 1,480 yards in 2008. Gareth Grayson is second on the list with 1,378 yards in 1988, although his total doesn't include two NCAA playoff games in which he rushed for more than 200 yards each. Postseason games were included in school records starting in 2002, per NCAA rules.
*
Justin Autera's 21 touchdowns this season (18 rushing, two receiving, one by kickoff return) are the second-highest total in school history. Andrew Giuliano holds the record with 22 touchdowns scored in 2008.
*
Dan Pitcher has thrown at least one TD pass in 12 of the 13 games he has started at Cortland (two games in 2009, all 11 games this fall). He set a school record with TD passes in 11 straight games, but that streak ended versus Ithaca on Nov. 20. Pitcher bounced back with three TD passes last week versus Endicott.
* Cortland has tied a school record with nine blocked kicks this season. The record was initially established in 2005. Individually,
Lou Crispo leads the team with four blocks. Josh Jablonski blocked a school-record six kicks in 2005.
* Cortland has recorded 29 sacks through 11 games. The Red Dragons have recorded at least 30 sacks each of the last nine seasons (2001-09), including 33 last year and 50 or more in both 2005 and 2006. Cortland's 50 sacks in 2006 were the best nationally in Division III. The Red Dragons set a school record with 52 sacks in 2005 (sacks have been officially tracked at Cortland since 1982).
* 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 41-6 (.872) in NJAC play since 2005 and 58-18 (.763) overall. The Red Dragons won the league title with a 9-0 record in 2008, and tied for first in the league standings in 2005, 2006 and 2007 (losing the league tiebreaker for an NCAA berth in each of those three years). Cortland finished as tri-champion in 2010 with an 8-1 record and won a league tiebreaker to earn an NCAA automatic berth.
* Since 2007, NJAC teams are a combined 6-3 in NCAA tournament play, and all three losses have occurred at perennial Div. III power Mount Union. The College of New Jersey won at RPI in 2007 before falling at Mount Union. Cortland defeated both Plymouth State and Curry at home in 2008 before losing in Alliance, and last year Montclair State defeated visiting Maine Maritime before losing to the Raiders. Last week, Cortland (vs. Endicott) and Montclair (at Hampden-Sydney) each won first-round games.
* Cortland shut out three straight opponents earlier this season (Western Conn. St., The College of New Jersey and Brockport), one game shy of the school record. The streak was snapped late in the first half of a 20-17 loss at Rowan, ending the Red Dragons' scoreless run at 232 minutes, 18 seconds.
* When
John Babin caught his first collegiate pass last week, he became the school-record 17th different Red Dragon to register a reception this season. The previous record of 16 different receivers with at least one catch happened three times (1996, 2005 and 2007). This year's list includes a couple of interesting names - offensive lineman
Randy Bloom (who gathered in a deflected pass at Rowan) and defensive lineman
Matt Kaufmann (who made a TD catch at Morrisville in a rare offensive appearance).
* Senior wide receiver
Anthony Giuliano has thrown four passes in his collegiate career, and three have resulted in touchdowns. Giuliano threw a 72-yard TD pass versus William Paterson Nov. 6 on his only attempt of the season to date. Last year, he went 2-of-3 with two TD passes. The Giuliano family is now a combined 4-of-5 passing at Cortland with four TDs. Anthony's brother, Andrew, threw one pass in his four-year career as a Red Dragon running back from 2005-08 – a 6-yard TD toss versus Montclair State in 2007.
* Junior
Bill Smith is one of the only players in recent Cortland history to start on both offense and defense. Smith is a starting inside linebacker who ranks second on the team with 72 tackles. He is also Cortland's starting fullback with eight carries for 81 yards. Smith has scored a touchdown on both sides of the ball this season. He returned a fumble one yard for a TD in a win over Buffalo State and ran for a 16-yard TD in a victory versus Brockport, both at home.
* SUNY Cortland has served as the summer training camp location for the New York Jets in 2009 and 2010, and the Jets are contracted to train at Cortland for at least two more years. Three current Cortland players –
Dan Pitcher,
Lou Crispo and
James Lenhart – worked as interns this past summer with the Jets' strength and conditioning staff.
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.)
NJAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18 vs. Buffalo St.)
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Nov. 13 vs. Ithaca)
Marc Corrado, Jr., Kicker
NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 30 vs. Montclair St.)
NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 16 vs. Ithaca)
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Nov. 13 vs. Ithaca)
NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 20 vs. Endicott)
Anthony Giuliano, Sr., Wide Receiver
NJAC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 25 at Western Conn. St.)
NJAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 6 vs. William Paterson)
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Nov. 6 vs. William Paterson)
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)
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Nov. 13 vs. Ithaca)
Dan Pitcher, Gr., Quarterback
NJAC Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 20 vs. Endicott)
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 (10-1)
SSept. 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) W 10-9
Nov. 6 * WILLIAM PATERSON (NJ) W 38-7
Nov. 13 ITHACA W 20-17
Nov. 20 # ENDICOTT (MA) W 49-35
Nov. 27 # ALFRED 12:00
* NJAC game (8-1) # NCAA playoffs (HOME GAMES IN CAPS)
ALFRED (9-2)
Sept. 4 WIDENER (PA) W 37-0
Sept. 18 at St. Lawrence W 24-16
Sept. 25 * at Springfield (MA) W 35-28
Oct. 2 FROSTBURG ST. (MD) W 49-24
Oct. 9 * at Hartwick W 35-14
Oct. 16 at RPI L 24-27
Oct. 23 * ST. JOHN FISHER W 42-31
Oct. 30 ROCHESTER L 14-24
Nov. 6 * ITHACA W 31-17
Nov. 13 * at Utica W 37-20
Nov. 20 # SUNY MARITIME W 60-0
Nov. 27 # at Cortland 12:00
* Empire 8 game (5-0) # NCAA playoffs (HOME GAMES IN CAPS)
CORTLAND vs. ALFRED – SERIES RECORD
(Alfred leads 27-10-1)
Year Winner Score Site
1940 Alfred 21-0 ??
1946 Alfred 20-12 Alfred
1947 Cortland 37-0 Cortland
1952 Alfred 33-28 Cortland
1953 Alfred 19-0 Alfred
1954 Alfred 32-12 Cortland
1955 Alfred 12-0 Alfred
1956 Alfred 24-6 Cortland
1957 Tie 12-12 Alfred
1958 Cortland 36-0 Cortland
1959 Cortland 12-2 Alfred
1960 Alfred 20-7 Cortland
1961 Cortland 13-6 Alfred
1962 Cortland 19-12 Cortland
1963 Alfred 12-0 Alfred
1964 Cortland 15-0 Cortland
1965 Cortland 26-6 Alfred
1966 Cortland 17-6 Cortland
1967 Alfred 14-6 Alfred
1968 Cortland 45-28 Alfred
1969 Alfred 20-17 Cortland
1970 Alfred 27-7 Alfred
1971 Alfred 17-10 Cortland
1972 Alfred 29-27 Alfred
1973 Alfred 20-7 Cortland
1974 Alfred 19-0 Alfred
1975 Alfred 9-0 Cortland
1976 Cortland 20-16 Alfred
1977 Alfred 15-9 Cortland
1978 Alfred 48-14 Alfred
1979 Alfred 34-7 Cortland
1980 Alfred 23-0 Alfred
1981 Alfred 21-14 Cortland
1982 Alfred 35-21 Cortland
1983 Alfred 39-13 Alfred
1984 Alfred 43-6 Cortland
1985 Alfred 31-0 Alfred
1986 Alfred 34-9 Cortland
CORTLAND NCAA PLAYOFF HISTORY
1988:
First Round – Cortland 32, Hofstra 27 (at Cortland)
Quarterfinals – Ithaca 24, Cortland 17 (at Ithaca)
1989:
First Round – Union 42, Cortland 14 (at Union)
1990:
First Round – Hofstra 35, Cortland 9 (at Hofstra)
1997:
First Round – The College of New Jersey 34, Cortland 30 (at Cortland)
2005:
First Round – Hobart 23, Cortland 22 (at Hobart)
2008:
First Round – Cortland 31, Plymouth St. 14 (at Cortland)
Second Round – Cortland 42, Curry 0 (at Cortland)
Quarterfinals – Mount Union 41, Cortland 14 (at Mount Union)
2010:
First Round – Cortland 49, Endicott 35 (at Cortland)
