CUA falls to Randolph-Macon in shootout 51-34
WASHINGTON – In a game that featured 85 points and nearly 1,000 yards of total offense, CUA came up on the short end of a 51-34 score vs. Randolph-Macon on Friday evening inside Cardinal Stadium. The Cardinals pulled to within 37-34 late in the third quarter, but a 14-0 fourth by the Yellow Jackets allowed them to pull away.
Trailing 37-27 midway through the third, CUA saw Randolph-Macon miss a field goal and the Cardinals then proceeded to go 79 yards in only four plays to pull to within three. The scoring play came on a Greg Cordivari to Alonzo Cooke pass that covered 58-yards and made the score 37-34 with 2:37 to play in the quarter.
Randolph-Macon upped its lead to 10 early in the fourth when Christian Cook hauled in a six-yard pass from Zac Naccarato with 11:59 to play.
With 8:16 remaining the Yellow Jackets put this one away on a one-yard score by Vance Hendren, which set the final margin at 51-34.
Randolph-Macon scored the game's first points on a 32-yard field goal by Josh Storm, but later in the quarter CUA went on top 7-3 when Mike Pitsenberger rumbled 33-yards to pay dirt.
Just minutes into the second quarter the Yellow Jackets went back on top when Hendren caught a six-yard pass. On CUA's ensuing possession, the Cardinals botched a punt and after RMC recovered, Drake Sanders sprinted 29 yards for a TD on the very next play to up the lead to 17-7.
A Cordivari to Tanner Keefe touchdown pass with 8:05 to go before halftime pulled the Cardinals to within 17-14, but Christian Cook's 29-yard reception on Randolph-Macon's next possession again made it a ten-point game.
The back-and-forth scoring continued on CUA's next possession when Nick Cortese bulldozed his way into the end zone from 12 yards out and the Cardinals were back within three.
Cook hauled in another score, this one covering 66 yards and that sent the teams into halftime with CUA trailing 30-21.
Pitsenberger finished the night with 103 yards on 12 carries, good for an average of 8.6, while Cortese picked up 63 yards on only three carries.
Cordivari completed 27 of 45 passes for 287 yards and three scores, and Cooke had a monster game with 10 receptions for 165 yards and a score.
Defensively CUA was led by Anthony Albanese with 14 tackles, while Miniard Culpepper joined him in double figure tackles with 10.
The Cardinals finished with 405 yards of total offense, but RMC held the ball for nearly 20 minutes longer (38:19 - 21:41).
Sanders (76) and Scruggs (73) led the visitors on the ground and Naccarato completed 25 of 31 passes for 372 yards and four scores.
The Yellow Jackets finished with 554 yards of total offense and were 5 of 6 on their red zone chances.
CUA hits the road next week when it closes out its non-league schedule on October 15 in Newport News, Va. vs. Apprentice School. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m.
