The 62nd Cortaca Jug Game at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex lived up to the hype between two nationally ranked teams as No. 13/14 Cortland eked out a 28-27 victory over No. 18 Ithaca on November 13. Cortland completes a perfect 10-0 regular season, and regains the Jugs after a four-year wait, while Ithaca finishes the year with an 8-2 mark.
Ithaca won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick. Cortland proceeded to boot the kick into the end zone and the Bombers started the drive at the 25-yard line.
IC went three-and-out, but A.J. Wingfield flipped the field with a 49-yard punt down to the Cortland 19. The Red Dragons took over with 13:40 on the clock.
Another punt from the Bombers gave Cortland possession at its own 26. The Red Dragons moved into IC territory two plays later on a 26-yard run from Jaden Alfanostjohn and used that momentum to take a 7-0 lead on a 12-yard run by Trevor Ash, off a lateral from Brees Segala, with 6:59 remaining in the first quarter.
The Bombers answered with their initial first down of the contest on third down and then Michael Anderson hauled in a 32-yard reception from Wingfield to move IC down to the Cortland 32-yard line. IC stalled at the Cortland 28-yard line, but the Bombers put three points on the board as Nicholas Bahamonde drilled a 45-yard field goal with 4:21 left in the quarter.
Cortland returned the ensuing kick 33 yards and used a bunch of chunk plays to move into the IC red zone by the end of the quarter. The Red Dragons outgained Ithaca, 144-60, in the quarter with 101 yards coming on the ground.
It took Cortland less than a minute to punch in another touchdown in the second quarter as Segala found JJ Lapp for a 7-yard completion to take a 14-3 lead.
IC got three points back on the next drive as Bahamonde connected from 25-yard out with 9:31 left in the half. The Bombers used a 34-yard kick return from Anthony D’Addetta to begin the drive at the 41-yard line. IC moved into the red zone a few plays later as Wingfield found Jacob Cooney for 13 yards and a roughing the passer penalty spotted the Bombers at the Cortland 11-yard line. IC could only gain three more yards during the drive to set up the field goal.
Cortland threatened to extend its lead late in the half as the Red Dragons moved down to the IC 26-yard line, but the drive came to an end on 4th-and-11 as Drew Brenner broke up a potential first down catch with 2:05 to go.
The Bombers reached the Cortland 39-yard line on the next drive but were sacked on third down with less than a minute to go and punted back to Cortland to end the half.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].