THE MATCHUP:  Cortland, ranked 17th nationally by both D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association, puts its 6-0 overall record and 3-0 Empire 8 mark on the line at home against Utica College. The Red Dragons have three league games remaining – home games against Utica and Alfred and a road contest at St. John Fisher over the next three weeks. Utica is 1-1 in league play after its comeback bid at Brockport fell short last Saturday.
 
THE SERIES:  Cortland is 7-1 lifetime versus Utica. The Red Dragons won at home, 44-12, the last time the teams met in 2019. The previous four games in the series, however, were much tighter. Cortland won by seven points in Utica in 2018, by one point at home in 2017, and by seven points in overtime at home in 2015, while Utica won, 24-13, at home in 2016. The schools also faced each other during the first three years that Utica played a full varsity schedule from 2001-03.
 
In 2019, Cortland gained 576 yards in total offense, including three touchdown passes of 47 yards or longer, in its 44-12 win. Brett Segala finished 16-of-25 passing for 278 yards and four touchdowns, with Angelo Foster grabbing 55-yard and 51-yard TD passes and Cole  Burgess adding 47-yard and 13-yard TD receptions. Zach Tripodi carried the ball 24 times for 125 yards. Dylan Dubuque led the Red Dragon defense with eight tackles and an interception. Utica's points came on a pair of Maki Medici field goals and a late Jamarious Morgan 1-yard TD run. The Pioneers' PAT kick, however, was blocked by Foster and Stone Murray returned the ball 70 yards for a defensive two-point conversion.
 
CORTLAND CAPSULE:  Cortland returned two blocked punts for touchdowns and held Hartwick to 152 yards of total offense, including minus-13 rushing yards, and the Red Dragons defeated the host Hawks, 48-3, in an Empire 8 contest last Saturday. In a game played through a constant rain, Cortland completed only 6-of-10 passes for 118 yards, with two of the completions going for touchdowns, while rushing 47 times for 252 yards and three scores.
 
Brees Segala opened the scoring with a 20-yard TD run with 4:20 left in the first quarter. The blocked punt returns accounted for the next two scores. Stone Murray blocked a kick, after a fumbled snap led to a desperation attempt, and Mike Pellittiere returned the ball 10 yards for a score late in the first quarter. Dylan Dubuque's block with less than five minutes left in the half was returned 20 yards by Tommy Heuer for a touchdown that extended the lead to 21-0.
 
Cortland built its lead to 35-0 on TD throws from Segala to JJ Laap and Mike Eglintine. The Red Dragons' final two scores came in the fourth quarter on a Dom Gombetto 1-yard run and a Zac Boyes 43-yard run. Dubuque, the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week, finished with seven tackles, a forced fumble and five quarterback hurries in addition to his blocked punt. Three of his tackles were for losses, including two of Cortland's seven sacks. Devin Smith added six tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble, while Christian Legagneur and Devin McArthur each had five tackles. Legagneur also broke up two passes.
 
Segala is 93-of-142 (65.5 percent) through the air this season for 1,251 yards and 16 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Laap and Derek Cruz each have caught 27 passes, while Trevor Ash has 18 receptions. Laap and Ash lead the team with five TD receptions each. Justin Wheeler has a team-high 38 tackles, followed by Dubuque with 30, and Nick Lardaro leads the Red Dragons with five sacks and 11 total tackles for lost yardage.
 
Nick Guglielmo has converted on 30-of-33 PAT kicks and all three of his field goals for a team-high 39 points. Liam Casey averages 39.4 yards per punt, including four kicks of at least 50 yards and seven that have pinned teams inside the 20-yard line.

Curt Fitzpatrick was named Cortland's head coach in February 2020, but the 2021 season is his first on the field for the Red Dragons after the 2020 season was canceled. Fitzpatrick previously served as head coach at Empire 8 foe Morrisville State for seven seasons from 2013-19 and guided the Mustangs to four winning seasons (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), including one conference championship title and three postseason ECAC bowl appearances. In 2014, Morrisville finished with a 9-2 mark, claimed a share of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) crown with a 6-1 league mark, and earned a berth to the ECAC North Central Bowl, where they captured the college's first postseason championship title as an NCAA Division III member. Fitzpatrick was voted the NJAC Co-Coach of the Year by his peers and was named the D3football.com East Region Coach of the Year.
 
Fitzpatrick served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utica College from 2008-12. He graduated from St. John Fisher College in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in management. A standout quarterback for the Cardinals, Fitzpatrick served as a team captain and was a four-year letterman. In his final season, he earned Empire 8 all-conference honors and set school passing records in touchdowns (30) and yards (2,366) while leading the program to a 10-2 overall record and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. He returned to his hometown of Fulton, N.Y., to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers at Fulton High School in 2005, and served as quarterbacks coach at St. John Fisher for two seasons from 2006-07. During those two years the Cardinals went a combined 23-4, won two Empire 8 crowns, and advanced to the NCAA semifinals (2006) and quarterfinals (2007).
 
A LOOK AT...UTICA COLLEGE:  Utica cut a 17-0 halftime deficit to 17-14 early in the fourth quarter before falling at Brockport, 26-14, last Saturday night. Sonny Badyna threw an 11-yard TD pass to Nate Palmer midway through the third quarter and ran for a 2-yard score with 13:50 remaining. However, a fumbled snap on a punt a few minutes later set up Brockport at the Utica 2-yard line, and the Golden Eagles ran for a TD on the next play to go up 24-14. Brockport blocked a punt for a safety just over a minute later to finish the scoring.
 
Badyna was 11-of-30 passing for 136 yards and a touchdown but was picked off three times. He ran for 30 yards on eight carries. Elijah Parker caught four passes for 78 yards. Palmer and Matt Brantley each finished with three catches. Kwasi Addo led the Pioneers' defense with 15 tackles, 11 solo, Jimmie Warren made eight solo stops among his nine tackles, and Devin Bryant added seven tackles and two pass breakups.
 
Through six games, Badyna is 108-of-206 (52.4 percent) passing for 1,401 yards and 10 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He passed for 368 yards and four touchdowns in a win over 2019 NCAA qualifier Western New England in mid-September. Palmer and Parker lead the receiving corps with 26 and 24 catches, respectively.
 
Addo paces the Utica defense with 51 tackles, followed by Bryant with 37 and Warren with 31. Warren and Doug Simmons each have three sacks, and Bryant leads the team with three interceptions. Maki Medici has made 14-of-17 PAT kicks and 7-of-10 field goals, and he also averages 37.6 yards per punt.
 
Blaise Faggiano is in his 14th season as Utica's head coach. His overall record with the Pioneers is 64-67 (.489), including 7-4 marks and ECAC bowl game appearances in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Prior to his arrival at Utica, Faggiano spent nine seasons as defensive coordinator at St. John Fisher. He's a 1993 Ithaca alumnus, and as a player he helped the Bombers win the 1991 NCAA Division III title.
 
NOTEBOOK:
 
* Cortland's two blocked-punt touchdowns last week at Hartwick marks the first time the Red Dragons have accomplished that feat in a game (complete defensive stats were first tracked at Cortland in 1979). Cortland also has tied a school mark with three touchdowns off of blocked punts this season, the first coming Sept. 18 versus Buffalo State when Joshua Cordero blocked a punt that Carl Greene returned to the end zone. Cortland also returned three blocked punts for touchdowns during the 2019 season, while the 1992 and 1995 squads each recorded two touchdowns off of blocked punts.
 
* Cortland is averaging 47.0 points per game through six games, with at least 31 points scored in each contest. The school record for scoring average in a season is 39.3 points per game in 2018.

* Cortland ranks first nationally in Division III with five defensive touchdowns. Four schools – Lakeland, Montclair State, Muskingum and Westminster (Pa.) – each have four defensive TDs, followed by 11 schools with three apiece. Dylan Dubuque has scored two of Cortland's defensive touchdowns – a fumble recovery in the end zone at Wittenberg and an 11-yard interception return at TCNJ. Christian Legagneur, Stone Murray and Mark Noel have each returned an interception for a touchdown. The school record for most defensive touchdowns by one player in a season is three by Chuck Eich in 2003.
 
* Cortland's four interception returns for touchdowns this fall is tied for the school record along with the 2012 Red Dragon squad. Prior to 2012, Cortland teams registered three interception returns for TDs in 2003, 2004 and 2007. Full defensive records were first tracked at Cortland in 1979.
 
* In addition to ranking first nationally in Division III in defensive touchdowns, Cortland also ranks in the top five nationally in four other categories. The Red Dragons are second in third down conversion percentage at 59.7 percent (46-of-77), trailing only the University of Chicago at 63.6 percent, second with four blocked punts (Westminster has five), fourth in scoring defense at 8.5 points allowed per game (Trinity of Texas leads at 5.4/game, followed by Mount Union (5.6) and North Central (7.8)), and fifth in total defense at 198.5 yards allowed per game (Delaware Valley leads at 133.3, followed by Trinity (Texas) (158.2), Mary Hardin-Baylor (183.8) and Brockport (188.7).
 
* Cortland has scored on 23 of its 25 trips (92 percent) into the red zone (at or inside the opponents' 20-yard line) this season with 19 touchdowns and four field goals. The two Red Dragon red-zone failures were taking a knee at the end of a home win over Buffalo State and a fumble at Morrisville State that resulted in the Mustangs' fumble return for a touchdown. Cortland has allowed its opponents inside the red zone 11 times through six games, resulting in six scores (two touchdowns, four field goals), an interception and four turnovers on downs.
 
* Since 2000, Cortland has opened the season with a 6-0 record three times (2006, 2008, 2019). In each of those seasons, the Red Dragons won the next game to improve to 7-0. In all, Cortland has opened the season 7-0 on seven occasions (1964, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2006, 2008, 2019).
 
* Cortland has been a member of the Empire 8 conference since 2015. The Red Dragons have been the league co-champion in both 2015 and 2019, earning an NCAA automatic berth in 2015, and they finished second or tied for second in the league in 2017 and 2018. Cortland previously competed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) for 15 seasons from 2000-14 and finished in at least a tie for first place six times. Three current Empire 8 members - Cortland, Brockport and Morrisville State - at one point played in the NJAC and are affiliate members of the E8 in football only. The other league teams - Alfred, Hartwick, St. John Fisher and Utica - are full conference members.
 
* On Sept. 21, it was announced that the 2022 Cortaca Jug rivalry game between Cortland and Ithaca will be played at Yankee Stadium. The teams set the Division III single-game attendance record in 2019 with 45,161 fans at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2021 Cortaca Jug game is scheduled to be held in Cortland Nov. 13.
 
* Cortland and Utica rank in the top 40 nationally in Division III in the following team and individual categories:
 
CORTLAND:

1st, Defensive Touchdowns, 5
2nd, Third Down Conversion Percentage, 59.7 pct.
2nd, Blocked Punts, 4
4th, Scoring Defense, 8.5 pts./game
5th, Total Defense, 198.5 yds./game
6th, Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 85.7 opponent rating
7th, Tackles for Loss Allowed, 3.0/game
8th, Net Punting, 39.2 net yds./punt
8th, Rushing Defense, 56.2 yds./game
9th, Red Zone Offense, 92.0 pct.
10th, Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense, 24.4 pct.
11th, Blocked Kicks (includes punts, PAT, FG), 4
11th, First Downs Defense, 76
11th, Punt Return Defense, 0.8 yds./return
12th, Scoring Offense, 47.0 pts./game
13th, Team Passing Efficiency, 175.8 rating
15th, Fumbles Recovered, 7
15th, Red Zone Defense, 54.5 pct.
16th, Passes Had Intercepted, 2
16th, Sacks, 3.2/game
16th, Tackles for Loss, 8.2/game
18th, Passing Yards Allowed, 142.3 yds./game
24th, Completion Percentage, 65.6 pct.
24th, Turnover Margin, plus 1.2/game
25th, Turnovers Gained, 15
28th, Fourth Down Conversion Percentage Defense, 25.0 pct.
28th, Sacks Allowed, 0.8/game
40th, Punt Returns, 13.9 yds./return
(Cortland is one of 22 unbeaten teams in Division III)
 
Carl Greene, Tommy Heuer, Mike Pellittiere, each 3rd, Punt Return Touchdowns, 1
Stone Murray, 9th, Blocked Kicks, 2
Justin Wheeler, 9th, Fumbles Recovered, 2
Nick Lardaro, 14th, Tackles for Loss, 1.8/game
Brees Segala, 17th, Passing Efficiency, 173.9 rating
Brees Segala, 24th, Passing Touchdowns, 16
Brees Segala, 24th, Completion Percentage, 65.5 pct.
Brees Segala, 24th, Points Responsible For, 19.0 pts./game
Brees Segala, 34th, Yards per Pass Attempt, 8.8 yds./attempt
Justin Wheeler, 38th, Forced Fumbles, 0.3/game
 
UTICA:

16th, Sacks, 3.2/game
27th, Punt Returns, 15.2 yds./return
28th, Sacks Allowed, 0.8/game
35th, Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense, 30.8 pct.
 
Maki Medici, 7th, Field Goals, 1.3/game
Josh Powell, 18th, Forced Fumbles, 0.4/game
Jamel Smith, 32nd, Kickoff Returns, 25.7 yds./return
Devin Bryant, 36th, Interceptions, 0.5/game
Joey Nare, 38th, Punt Returns, 9.9 yds./return

 
2021 Cortland Weekly Award Winners (game date/opponent in parentheses)
 
Joshua Cordero, Defensive Back
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 18 vs. Buffalo State)
 
Dylan Dubuque, Linebacker
Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 16 at Hartwick)
 
Brees Segala, Quarterback
Empire 8 Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 4 at Wittenberg)
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 11 at TCNJ)
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 9 vs. Brockport)
 
Justin Wheeler, Linebacker
Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 11 at TCNJ)
Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 9 vs. Brockport)
 
 
SCHEDULES/RESULTS:

CORTLAND (6-0, 3-0 Empire 8)
 
Sept. 4           at Wittenberg (OH)............................ W 38-16
Sept. 11           at The College of New Jersey..........W 49-6
Sept. 18          BUFFALO STATE............................... W 58-9
Oct. 2            * at Morrisville State........................... W 58-7
Oct. 9            * BROCKPORT..................................... W 31-10
Oct. 16           * at Hartwick...................................... W 48-3
Oct. 23          * UTICA............................................... 1:00
Oct. 30          * ALFRED............................................ 1:00
Nov. 6            * at St. John Fisher............................ 1:00
Nov. 13           ITHACA............................................ 12:00
 
* Empire 8 game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS
 
UTICA (4-2, 1-1 Empire 8)
 
Sept. 4           at Alfred State....................................... W 39-21
Sept. 11           at Kean (NJ)........................................ W 27-7
Sept. 18          WESTERN NEW ENGLAND (MA)........ W 37-28
Sept. 25         UNION.................................................... L 9-30
Oct. 2            * at Hartwick........................................... W 16-10
Oct. 16           * at Brockport........................................ L 14-26
Oct. 23          * at Cortland........................................... 1:00
Oct. 30          * MORRISVILLE ST. .............................. 12:00
Nov. 6            * at Alfred............................................... 1:00
Nov. 13           * ST. JOHN FISHER.............................. 1:00
 
* Empire 8 game      HOME GAMES IN CAPS

 
CORTLAND vs. UTICA – SERIES RECORD
(Cortland leads 7-1)
 
Year              Winner·················· Score              Site
2001              Cortland·················· 45-8                  Utica
2002              Cortland·················· 58-12               Cortland
2003              Cortland·················· 43-7                 Utica
2015              Cortland·················· 47-40 (OT)      Cortland
2016              Utica······················· 24-13                Utica
2017              Cortland·················· 24-23               Cortland
2018              Cortland·················· 45-38               Utica
2019              Cortland·················· 44-12               Cortland