ITHACA, N.Y. - Ithaca scored two third-quarter touchdowns to take the lead and held off a Cortland comeback attempt in the fourth quarter as the Bombers defeated the Red Dragons, 26-21, in the 66th Cortaca Jug rivalry game in front of an estimated 8,000 fans at Ithaca's Butterfield Stadium.
 
Cortland and Ithaca both finished the regular season with 8-2 records. Cortland, the Empire 8 champion, had already earned an automatic bid into the 40-team NCAA Division III tournament and is projected to play in one of eight first-round games next Saturday, Nov. 22. The opponent and site of that contest will be announced Sunday at 5 p.m. on NCAA.com. Ithaca needed a combination of a win over Ithaca and an RPI win over Union to win the Liberty League title, but Union defeated RPI, 28-21, to finish 7-0 and league champion. Ithaca is expected to not receive an NCAA at-large berth based on projected NCAA Power Index (NPI) ratings Saturday evening.
 
Cortland quarterback Mike Rescigno (Arlington) completed 16-of-24 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 12 times for 67 yards. Jacque LaPrarie (Smithtown/Smithtown West) caught four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, Joe Iadevaio (Massapequa/Plainedge) finished with five receptions for 42 yards and a TD, and Sam Cotton (Fulton/G. Ray Bodley) had five catches for 50 yards. Aidan Lochner (Ravena/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk) led Cortland with 14 tackles and a pass breakup. Anthony Luciano (Loudonville/Shaker) finished with 11 tackles and Aaron Henry (Cobleskill/Cobleskill-Richmondville) made seven tackles.
 
Ithaca signal-caller Michael Reed was 14-of-23 through the air for 177 yards and two touchdowns and ran 25 times for 98 yards and a score. Chris Scully finished with nine carries for 49 yards and a touchdown. Nicholas Lang caught six passes for 88 yards with two scores. Cam Paquette registered 10 tackles and a crucial late-game interception, while Ryan Burns and Sam Tourangeau made eight tackles each.
 
Cortland held a very slight 349-347 advantage in total offensive yardage. The Red Dragons entered the game averaging 231.1 rushing yards per game but were held to 107 yards on the ground. Cortland, however, passed for 242 yards, nearly 75 yards better than its season average.
 
Cortland trailed 26-14 entering the fourth quarter, but on the first play of the period Rescigno connected with LaPrarie on a 63-yard bomb to pull the Red Dragons within five at 26-21. Ithaca's ensuing drive ate up nearly nine minutes, but the Bombers were eventually forced to punt.
 
Cortland began its next drive from its own 7-yard line with 5:47 left. A 7-yard pass from Rescigno to Ethan Gallo (Minisink/Minisink Valley) on 4th-and-3 at the Ithaca 47-yard line kept the drive alive, and LaPrarie's 31-yard catch on the next play gave the Red Dragons 1st-and-goal at the 9-yard line. Following a Cortland penalty, Paquette picked off a pass in the front left of the end zone to preserve Ithaca's lead with 1:11 remaining.
 
Cortland's defense allowed only seven yards over three Ithaca runs, with the Red Dragons using their three timeouts after the plays. A punt by Reed went only 13 yards, and Cortland had the ball at the Ithaca 40-yard line with 51 seconds left. Cortland eventually moved the ball to the 27-yard line after a 12-yard Jayson Zeva (East Northport/St. John the Baptist) catch, and Cortland was able to spike the ball to stop the clock. On the game's final play, Rescigno threw a Hail Mary that sailed a little too deep and went out of the back of the end zone.
 
Ithaca scored on the game's opening drive as Scully capped a 60-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run. George Gjelaj (Bedford/Byram Hills), however, blocked the PAT kick and Ithaca led 6-0. Later in the first, Cortland opened a drive from its own 24-yard line and moved 76 yards in seven plays. The key play on the drive was a 30-yard advancement to the Ithaca 24-yard line on a pass interference call and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the same play. LaPrarie caught a 15-yard pass to the 9-yard line, and two plays later Rescigno hit Iadevaio for a 6-yard TD and a 7-6 Cortland lead.
 
Lang's 44-yard TD catch on the first play of the second quarter gave the lead back to Ithaca. The Bombers failed on a 2-point conversion and led 12-7. Cortland answered by driving 84 yards in 13 plays, featuring a 22-yard LaPrarie catch to the Bombers' 21-yard line. Five plays later Rescigno ran 10 yards to the Ithaca 1-yard line, and Gallo ran in on the next play to put the Red Dragons up 14-12.
 
Cortland had a chance to extend its lead later in the second quarter, but Chris Clax blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt with 1:45 remaining. Ithaca drove to the Cortland 12-yard line but turned the ball over on downs after a 6-yard tackle for loss by Gavin Guers (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) on 4th-and-2 after a botched field goal attempt.
 
Ithaca scored on both of its third-quarter possessions. Lang caught a 7-yard TD pass to cap a 15-play, 59-yard drive that lasted 9:23 to put Ithaca up 19-14 with 3:48 left. Quinten Lewis forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return to give the Bombers the ball at the Cortland 28-yard line, and five plays later Reed ran for a 10-yard touchdown to make the score 26-14.