SUNY CORTLAND FOOTBALL NOTES
Cortland Red Dragons (8-2) vs. Springfield College Pride (8-2)
NCAA Division III Tournament - First Round
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025; Noon; Stagg Field; Springfield, Mass.

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THE MATCHUP: Cortland travels to Springfield for the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Division III tournament. The game is a rematch of a third-round game between the teams in Cortland last year, which Springfield won to advance to the national quarterfinals. This year's game is one of eight first-round contests in the 40-team NCAA playoffs; the winner will travel to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for the second round on Nov. 29.
                                                   
THE SERIES: Cortland and Springfield are meeting for the 36th time overall and the third time in five years. The most recent meetings were a 26-21 Cortland home win over the Pride in the opening round of the 32-team NCAA playoffs in 2021 and last year's 40-28 Springfield victory, also at Cortland, in the NCAA third round.
 
The overall series between the teams is tied at 17-17-1. Prior to 2021, the teams hadn't played since the 2000 season. Cortland and Springfield faced off every year from 1946-53, 1969-79 and 1987-2000. In addition to the 2021 and 2024 NCAA games, the schools also met in the postseason when Springfield defeated the Red Dragons, 49-26, at Springfield in the 1995 ECAC Northeast Bowl.
 
CORTLAND CAPSULE: Cortland finished the regular season with an 8-2 overall record and a 7-0 mark in the Empire 8. After losing their season opener at home to NCAA qualifier Grove City, the Red Dragons bounced back to Liberty League champion Union the following week. Cortland then rattled off seven straight conference victories before falling, 26-21, at non-league foe Ithaca last weekend in the annual Cortaca Jug rivalry game.
 
Quarterback Mike Rescigno has been a dual threat for the Red Dragons' offense this fall, rushing for 990 yards (99 per game, 7.0 per carry) and 12 touchdowns and completing 115-of-190 passes (60.5 percent) for 1,582 yards and 22 touchdowns. Ethan Gallo has run for 590 yards (65.6 per game, 4.6 per carry) and 10 touchdowns and has caught two TD passes. Four Cortland receivers have caught between 24-28 passes. Sam Cotton has a team-high 28 receptions for 466 yards and four touchdowns. Jacque LaPrarie has 25 catches and leads the Red Dragons with 531 yards and seven TD receptions. Joe Iadevaio has 24 catches for 292 yards and six scores and Jayson Zeva has 24 receptions for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Cortland ranks 32nd nationally in Division III in scoring offense (38.9 points/game) and 13th in scoring defense (12.8 points/game). Aidan Lochner is the team leader with 67 tackles, 28 solo, and has two interceptions, five pass breakups and three fumble recoveries. Aden Wiser has posted a team-best seven sacks, followed by George Gjelaj with 3.5 sacks. Nazair Jean-Lubin has team highs of four interceptions and 11 pass breakups, Memphis Ferguson and Sonny Mayo each have forced two fumbles, and Gjelaj has blocked two kicks.
 
Cole Callard has made 51-of-51 PAT kicks and 6-of-11 field goals. Three of his five field goal misses have come from more than 40 yards out. Gavin Dandrea averages 37.1 yards per punt, with nine of his 29 attempts pinning teams inside the 20-yard line. Ravi Dass Jr. is the Division III national leader in punt return average at 23.7 yards per return on 10 attempts, including a touchdown. He also averages 18.9 yards on nine kickoff returns. Tomaso Ramos averages 30.8 yards on five kickoff returns and Tyson Taylor averages 27.2 yards on five kickoff returns.

Tom Blumenauer is in his first season as Cortland's head coach. He came to Cortland from Franklin & Marshall, where he led the program to a combined 21-11 record, including an 11-8 mark in the competitive Centennial Conference, from 2022-24. The Diplomats won postseason bowl games versus Delaware Valley in 2024 and King's (Pa.) in 2023. Prior to F&M, "Coach Blu" served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Williams College for six years from 2016-21, and his prior coaching stops include Bowdoin in 2015, Endicott in 2014 and St. Lawrence from 2010-13.
 
A 2007 Ithaca College graduate, Blumenauer played outside linebacker and free safety for the Bombers for two seasons from 2005-06. He was a two-time All-Empire 8 selection and was named to the 2006 Football Gazette All-East Region team. He's a native of Brentwood, N.Y., and was a football and wrestling standout at Brentwood High School.
 
A LOOK AT...SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE: Springfield earned its fifth straight NCAA playoff appearance after winning the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) title with a 7-0 record. The Pride are undefeated in conference play over the past five seasons with a combined 33-0 record (7-0 in 2025, 2024 and 2023 and 6-0 in 2022 and 2021). Springfield started the season 1-2, including a loss at nationally ranked Wisconsin-Platteville, before winning its last seven games, all in league play.
 
Behind a potent triple-option attack, Springfield ranks first nationally Division III in rushing offense with 347.3 yards per game and first in time of possession, with an average of 35:59 per contest. Four Springfield players have rushed for more than 500 yards this fall. Quarterback TJ Welch has run for 914 yards (91.4 per game, 5.0 per carry) with 11 touchdowns. He's completed 14-of-34 passes for 309 yards and four scores. Stanford Davis has run for 770 yards (85.6 per game, 5.2 per carry) and four touchdowns, and he has no negative-yard rushing plays in 147 attempts. James Green has 552 rushing yards (55.2 per game, 8.9 per carry) with six scores and Bode Dunn has 519 rushing yards (51.9 per game, 6.5 per carry) with three touchdowns.
 
Springfield's defense ranks second nationally in Division III in total defense (196.5 yards/game) and seventh in both scoring defense (11.8 points/game) and rushing defense (54.8 yards/game). Hunter Hayes leads the Pride with 57 tackles, followed by Nick Peterson with 48 and Tyler Sordillo with 45. Sordillo ranks eighth nationally with 1.2 sacks per game (11.5 in 10 games). Nick Gonzalez, Tyler Pohlman and Tyler Paladino each have two interceptions, and Gonzalez has blocked two kicks.
 
Ian Wernik has connected on 7-of-11 field goals, with a long of 39 yards, and he's 32-of-36 on PAT kicks. James Campbell averages 33.1 yards on 23 punts. Paladino has returned two kicks for touchdowns this season - one kickoff and one punt. He averages 31.0 yards per punt return on three attempts (not enough attempts to qualify for national ranking) and 38.8 yards on six kickoff returns.
 
Mike Cerasuolo took over as Springfield's head coach in January 2016 and has an overall record of 74-25 (.747). He's led the Pride to the NCAA playoffs six times, including each of the last five seasons, along with a New England Bowl victory in 2018. Last season, Springfield posted its best finish in program history with a 12-1 record, including a NCAA wins over Mass-Dartmouth and Cortland before losing at eventual national champion North Central in the quarterfinals. Springfield finished 10-1 in 2017, 9-3 in 2022 and 9-2 in 2023. The Pride won in the NCAA first round in 2022. A 1993 Springfield alumnus, Cerasuolo was the Pride's offensive coordinator for 15 years prior to becoming head coach. His previous assistant coaching stops included one season as offensive coordinator at Cortland in 1996.

NOTEBOOK:
 
* Cortland is making its fifth straight NCAA appearance and 14th overall. The Red Dragons are 13-12 in NCAA play, bolstered by a 5-0 record during their run to the 2023 national title. Cortland's NCAA record includes a 9-4 record at home, 3-8 on the road, and 1-0 at neutral sites. The three road wins all came in 2023 (at Endicott, Alma and Randolph-Macon).
 
* Cortland had 20 players earn a total of 21 spots on the All-Empire 8 team. The 21 awards are the most in the conference, followed by Brockport with 18 and Utica with 15. Aden Wiser was named the Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, while Tom Blumenauer and his assistants were chosen as the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. Only six of the 20 Cortland players recognized had earned all-league honors in previous seasons, including only four last year (Ethan Gallo, Aidan Glynn, Nazair Jean-Lubin and Anthony Luciano).
 
* Cortland extended its Empire 8 winning streak to 33 games, dating back to late in the 2019 season, with its 7-0 mark in the league this fall. The Red Dragons have been a member of the Empire 8 since 2015. The Red Dragons won the outright league title and NCAA automatic bid in 2021 (6-0), 2022 (6-0), 2023 (6-0), 2024 (7-0) and 2025 (7-0) and were co-champions in both 2015 and 2019, earning an NCAA bid in 2015. Cortland also 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, finishing in at least a tie for first place six times. Three current Empire 8 members - Cortland, Morrisville and Brockport - at one point played in the NJAC. Cortland, Morrisville and new addition Alfred State are affiliate members of the E8 in football only. Brockport moved from affiliate to full-time status in the league in 2024. Alfred, Hartwick, St. John Fisher and Utica also are full conference members. Hilbert was an Empire 8 member in 2024 but moved to the Liberty League in 2025.
 
* Cortland is 6-5 all-time in overtime games, with the last a 32-26 home loss to Brockport in 2019. All 11 games were decided in the first extra session. Cortland's first-ever overtime game came at Springfield in 1996 - the Red Dragons won 33-30 on a Brian Anthony 33-yard field goal after Springfield missed a 45-yard field goal attempt. Cortland has never played an overtime game in postseason play.
 
* Mike Rescigno has rushed for 990 yards through 10 games - the highest total by a Cortland quarterback in a single season. The previous record of 774 yards was set by Zac Boyes in 15 games in 2023.
 
* Cortland is tied for third nationally in Division III with 29 turnovers gained. Adrian and Randolph-Macon share the national lead, each with 30 takeaways, and Cortland is tied with Grove City for third place. The Red Dragons have intercepted 16 passes and have recovered 13 fumbles.
 
* Mike Rescigno became just the fourth Cortland player since 2011 to be responsible for six touchdowns in a game with his four TD passes and two rushing touchdowns on Oct. 18 versus Alfred. The other Red Dragons since 2011 to be responsible for at least six touchdowns in a game were:
 
Dan Pitcher at Brockport (64-43 Win on 11/5/11) - 5 TD passes, 2 TD rushes
Steven Ferreira vs. Hartwick (48-45 OT Win on 10/3/15) - 4 TD passes, 2 TD rushes
Zac Boyes at Morrisville (52-15 Win on 9/30/23) - 4 TD passes, 2 TD rushes
 
Rescigno has been responsible for five touchdowns in a game on two other occasions this fall - he threw five TD passes in a win at Alfred State and had three TD passes and two TD rushes in a home win over Brockport. The five TD passes at Alfred State tied a school single-game record, and Cortland's six total TD passes in that contest (including one by Craig Galea) tied a school single-game mark.

* Cortland's 22 sacks this season include 12 different players with at least a half sack. Aden Wiser's team-high 7.0 sacks this season include 2.5 in the opening week versus Grove City and three at Morrisville. The last Cortland player with at least 2.5 sacks in a game twice in the same season was Ben Nagle in 2007 (3.0 at Kean; 4.0 at home vs. Union in the ECAC Northeast Bowl).
 
* Ravi Dass Jr. returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdowns in a home win over Brockport during the season. The return was the second-longest in school history; the longest was Dass' 83-yard TD return at Randolph-Macon in the 2023 NCAA semifinals. In all, Dass has returned four punts for scores in three seasons as a Red Dragon - at home versus Alfred University and at Randolph-Macon in 2023, at Hilbert in 2024, and versus Brockport this season.
 
* Cortland and Springfield rank in the top 40 nationally in Division III in the following team and individual categories:
 
CORTLAND:
 
2nd, Fumbles Recovered, 13
3rd, Turnovers Gained, 29
3rd, Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 91.2 opponent rating
5th, Sacks Allowed, 0.5/game
6th, Red Zone Defense, 60.0 pct. (15-of-25)
12th, Interceptions, 16
12th, Punt Returns, 15.5 yds./return
13th, Scoring Defense, 12.8 pts./game
14th, Turnover Margin, plus-1.1/game
16th, Fourth Down Conversion Percentage, 69.2 pct.
16th, Red Zone Offense, 90.4 pct. (47-of-52)
17th, Passing Yards Allowed, 148.7 yds./game
19th, Kickoff Returns, 24.2 yds./return
23rd, Rushing Offense, 218.7 yds./return
32nd, Scoring Offense, 38.9 pts./game
37th, Team Passing Efficiency, 156.9 rating
39th, Tackles for Loss Allowed, 4.2/game
40th, Total Defense, 274.1 yds./game
 
Ravi Dass Jr., 1st, Punt Returns, 23.7 yds./return
Aidan Lochner, 5th, Fumbles Recovered, 3
Mike Rescigno, 8th, Rush Yards per Carry, 7.0 yds./rush
Ravi Dass Jr., 8th, Punt Return Touchdowns, 1
Nazair Jean-Lubin, 12th, Passes Defended (Interceptions plus Breakups), 1.5/game
Jacque LaPrarie, 13th, Yards per Reception, 21.2 yds./catch
Mike Rescigno, 16th, Points Responsible For, 20.4 pts./game
George Gjelaj, 25th, Blocked Kicks, 2
Anthony Luciano, 28th, Fumbles Recovered, 2
Mike Rescigno, 33rd, Rushing Touchdowns, 12
Nazair Jean-Lubin, 34th, Interceptions, 0.4/game
Mike Rescigno, 37th, Passing Efficiency, 157.1 rating
Mike Rescigno, 40th, Rushing, 99.0 yds./game

SPRINGFIELD:
 
1st, Rushing Offense, 347.3 yds./game
1st, Time of Possession, 35:59/game
1st, Passing Yards per Completion, 22.1 yds./completion
1st, Passes Had Intercepted, 2
1st, Sacks Allowed, 0.2/game
2nd, Total Defense, 196.5 yds./game
2nd, Punt Return Defense, 0.0 yds./return
6th, First Downs Defense, 123
6th, Punt Returns, 16.7 yds./return
7th, Scoring Defense, 11.8 pts./game
7th, Rushing Defense, 54.8 yds./game
7th, Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense, 25.2 pct.
8th, Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 96.8 opponent rating
10th, Tackles for Loss Allowed, 3.1/game
12th, Passing Yards Allowed, 141.7 yds./game
14th, Third Down Conversion Percentage, 52.8 pct.
18th, Fourth Down Conversion Percentage, 68.4 pct.
 
Tyler Sordillo, 8th, Sacks, 1.2/game
Tyler Paladino, 8th, Kickoff Return Touchdowns, 1
Tyler Paladino, 8th, Punt Return Touchdowns, 1
Nick Gonzalez, 25th, Blocked Kicks, 2
 
2025 Cortland Weekly Award Winners (game date/opponent in parentheses)
 
Cole Callard, Fr., Kicker
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 20 at Hartwick)
 
Ethan Gallo, Jr., Running Back
Empire 8 Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 25 at St. John Fisher)
 
Aidan Lochner, Jr., Linebacker
D3football.com National Team of the Week (Nov. 8 vs. Brockport)
 
Matt Lotter, Sr., Linebacker
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 4 vs. Utica)
 
Anthony Luciano, Jr., Safety
Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 13 vs. Union)
 
Mike Rescigno, So., Quarterback
Empire 8 Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 27 at Morrisville)
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18 vs. Alfred Univ.)
Empire 8 Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 1 at Alfred State)
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 8 vs. Brockport)


SCHEDULES/RESULTS:

CORTLAND (8-2)

Sept. 6           GROVE CITY (PA)................................. L 14-31
Sept. 13          UNION.................................................. W 30-6
Sept. 20         * at Hartwick........................................... W 59-9
Sept. 27         * at Morrisville........................................ W 48-3
Oct. 4             * UTICA.................................................. W 28-13
Oct. 18           * ALFRED UNIV. .................................... W 65-12
Oct. 25           * at St. John Fisher................................. W 31-7
Nov. 1             * at Alfred State...................................... W 49-7
Nov. 8            * BROCKPORT....................................... W 44-14
Nov. 15           at Ithaca................................................. L 21-26
Nov. 22           at Springfield (MA) (NCAA First Round)..12:00

* Empire 8 game (7-0)    HOME GAMES IN CAPS

SPRINGFIELD (8-2)
 
Sept. 6           at Western New England (MA)................. L 22-23
Sept. 13          HUSSON (ME)......................................... W 38-6
Sept. 20         at Wisconsin-Platteville.............................. L 12-28
Sept. 27         * at MIT...................................................... W 31-7
Oct. 4             * SALVE REGINA (RI).............................. W 28-14
Oct. 17            * at WPI (MA)............................................ W 24-10
Oct. 25           * MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY........... W 35-7
Nov. 1             * at Norwich (VT)...................................... W 48-6
Nov. 8            * COAST GUARD (CT)............................. W 30-10
Nov. 15           * SUNY MARITIME................................... W 23-7
Nov. 22          CORTLAND (NCAA First Round).............. 12:00
 
* NEWMAC game (7-0)      HOME GAMES IN CAPS
 

CORTLAND vs. SPRINGFIELD – SERIES RECORD
(Series tied 17-17-1)

Year    Winner.................... Score             Site
1946     Cortland................. 14-12              Springfield
1947     Springfield............. 22-7                Cortland
1948     Springfield............. 28-6                Springfield
1949     Springfield............. 30-7                Cortland
 
1950     Springfield............. 21-7                Springfield
1951      Springfield............. 28-12             Cortland
1952     Tie........................ 14-14               Springfield
1953     Springfield............. 34-6                Cortland
 
1969     Cortland................. 40-21              Springfield
 
1970     Springfield............. 21-12               Cortland
1971      Cortland............... 14-12               Springfield
1972     Cortland................. 17-10              Cortland
1973     Springfield............. 34-20               Springfield
1974     Cortland................. 31-0                Cortland
1975     Cortland................. 20-0                Springfield
1976     Cortland................. 17-15              Cortland
1977     Springfield............. 62-0                 Springfield
1978     Cortland................. 14-6                Cortland
1979     Springfield............. 27-14               Springfield
 
1987     Springfield............. 48-28                Springfield
1988    Cortland................... 7-3                   Cortland
1989     Cortland................. 10-0                  Springfield
 
1990     Cortland................. 41-14                Cortland
1991      Springfield............. 20-13               Springfield
1992     Cortland................. 26-6                  Cortland
1993     Springfield............. 55-33                 Springfield
1994     Cortland................. 35-0                   Cortland
1995     Springfield............. 49-26                  Springfield (ECAC Northeast Bowl)
1996     Cortland................. 33-30 (OT)         Springfield
1997     Cortland................. 24-8                   Cortland
1998     Springfield............. 62-34                  Springfield
1999     Cortland................. 21-18                  Cortland
 
2000   Springfield................ 48-28                  Springfield
 
2021     Cortland................. 26-21                  Cortland (NCAA First Round)
2024     Springfield...............40-28                  Cortland (NCAA Third Round)