Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
By Greg Thomas
D3football.com
Cortland drove 82 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first possession, returned Randolph-Macon’s first possession punt 83 yards for a touchdown and never looked back en route to 49-14 win at Randolph-Macon. With the win, Cortland (13-1) advances to the Stagg Bowl for the first time in program history.
Cortland is the first school from New York to reach the Division III championship game since Ithaca won the national title in 1991. The Red Dragons will face North Central (14-0) in the 50th Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, after the Cardinals defeated Wartburg 34-27 in the day's other national semifinal.
Zac Boyes started hot on the first possession of the game completing his first four passes on a seven-play, 82-yard scoring drive that ended with Jaden AlfanoStJohn’s 1-yard touchdown run. The Red Dragon defense forced a punt on Randolph-Macon’s opening drive which Ravi Dass, Jr. took up the right sideline 83 yards for another Cortland touchdown and a 14-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game.
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| The Cortland offense rolled up big numbers on Randolph-Macon. Photo by Dan Hunter, d3photography.com | More photos from this game |
Cortland found the end zone for a third time with 7:00 to play in the first half when Boyes connected with Cole Burgess over the middle for a 24-yard touchdown. Burgess found the end zone for his second touchdown of the half on an 8 yard reception with 2:30 to play in the first half. Cortland got the ball back after just three plays and 30 seconds, leaving enough time for Boyes to manufacture a fifth touchdown drive of the half, this time finding Burgess yet again for a 6 yard touchdown.
Cortland ended the first half with a 35-0 advantage on the scoreboard as well as significant advantages in yards (306-44) and first downs (17-3). Cortland’s defense, led by Max Llewellyn and Jack Winey dominated Randolph-Macon’s powerful rush offense, limiting the Yellow Jackets to just 5 yards on 14 rush attempts in the first half.
"I knew that after last week, our defensive guys weren't happy with how they played, and the chatter about our defense," Curt Fitzpatrick said on the ESPN+ broadcast after the game. "And I thought they came out here and we played extremely physical up front, our defensive front, today. We knew that was going to be a key, if not the key to the game."
Boyes finished the game 23-30 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Burgess had game highs in receptions with 12 and yards with 145 to accompany his three touchdowns.
Cortland has avenged both of its losses from a 9-2 season in 2022. The Red Dragons won at Ithaca, 38-28, on Nov. 11 and defeated Randolph-Macon, which knocked Cortland out of the NCAA playoffs, 35-28, in the first round last year in Virginia.