ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University football team (2-1, Empire 1-0) bounced back from a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter to earn revenge over the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland, 38-33, during Homecoming Weekend in Yunevich Stadium.
The Saxons opened the game on their heels, falling behind to the Red Dragons 14-0 with only 4:47 off the clock. The first Cortland touchdown came by way of a 1-yard touchdown run following a blocked punt. The Red Dragons forced a three-and-out and extended their lead, 14-0, with a 32-yard pass play by Brett Segala on their next drive.
AU tried to gain some momentum on their next drive when sophomore Nas Smith (Auburn, NY/Auburn) rushed for 26 yards, but the play was called back due to a personal foul. Once again, the Saxons went three-and-out within their own territory. Following a 30-yard punt return, the Red Dragons were threatening to score again on the AU 7-yard line.
Cortland was knocking on the door before sophomore Christopher Meano (Stottville, NY/Hudson) picked off a pass inside the AU end zone and returned the ball to the Cortland 45-yard line. Junior quarterback Ben Burk (Lakewood, NY/Southwestern) hit first-year Kevin Bragaglia (Holbrook, NY/Sachem North) for a 16-yard pass before rushing for another 18 yards, getting the Saxons inside the red zone. Two plays later, Nas Smith was rushing the ball into the end zone for a touchdown, bringing the Saxons within seven following the successful PAT by junior kicker, Ben Sennett (Rushville, NY/Marcus Whitman).
The AU defense forced a quick three-and-out on Cortland's next drive and rattled off 70 yards in two plays to knot the game up at 14-14. First-year Robert Smith Jr. (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) caught a 68-yard touchdown, marking his fourth receiving touchdown on the season and second from more than 60-yards out.
The Red Dragons jumped back out ahead early in the second quarter, 21-14 following a 10-play, 57-yard drive capped off by another passing touchdown by Sagala. However, the touchdown was quickly moot after Bragaglia returned the kickoff for 77 yards, giving AU favorable field position. Only two plays later, Burk dove into the end zone for a 6-yard rush, knotting the game up once again.
Neither team managed to score again until the final minutes of the half. The Red Dragons were deep in their own territory when senior Cole Reed (Gratz, PA/Upper Dauphin Area) ripped down his second interception in as many weeks and returned the ball to the Cortland eight-yard line with only 13 seconds left to go. AU had two attempts at the end zone before settling for a 25-yard field goal by Sennett. The Saxons took a 24-21 lead into the intermission.
Cortland tied the game up on their first drive of the first half when Nick Mongelli hit a 40-yard field goal with 12:05 to go in the third quarter. The Saxons answered back with a methodical drive, turning into another score following a 26-yard touchdown rush by Bragaglia. AU once again assumed the lead, 31-24.
The Red Dragons hit another field goal from 26 yards out midway through the third quarter following an interception that they returned to the AU 15-yard line, getting within striking distance, 31-27.
The Saxons went three-and-out on the next drive before Cortland drove 29 yards and punted the ball deep into AU territory. The play seemed to put the Saxons in poor field position with the ball bouncing around the 10-yard line on the punt, but Bragaglia appeared through the crowd, picked the ball up and returned the punt for a 92-yard touchdown, putting AU up 38-27 with 1:54 to go in the third quarter.
Cortland had one more thrust towards the end of the game, scoring with 3:30 left to go on a three-yard pass by Segala. The Red Dragons attempted the two-point conversion but were denied when sophomore Sean Cameron (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) picked the ball off at the one.
AU shut down Cortland throughout the remainder of the game, forcing two fumbles and recording a sack. The Saxons took home at 38-33 victory in Yunevich Stadium in front of a lively Homecoming crowd.
Reed and junior Nick Milgate (Hilton, NY/Hilton) led the Saxons in tackles with 16 (eight solo; eight assisted) and 13 (six solo; seven assisted), respectively. Five separate AU players pulled in an interception throughout the game. Junior Henry Chau (Tallman, NY/Suffern) led the Saxons with 2.0 sacks in the game and one forced fumble.
The AU offense was led by Nas Smith with 143 yards rushing and Burk with 147 yards passing. The Saxons held an advantage in rushing yards (248-128) and rushing TD's (3-1).
"Overall I am very proud of the way the guys battled today," Head Coach Bob Rankl said. "Being down 14-0 that early and very little going our way, our guys weathered the storm and bounced back. I knew once we tied the game, we had the momentum to take it. We made too many mistakes, but I am still very proud of our guys and look forward to moving on to Morrisville."
The Saxons will hit the road next Saturday when they travel to Morrisville, NY to take on the Mustangs of Morrisville State in Empire 8 play.
Saxons Win Homecoming Thriller Over Cortland, 38-33
/seasons/2018/boxscores/20180922_3ss4.xml
2018
Cortland
33
Alfred
38
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortland (2-1) | 14 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 33 |
| Alfred (2-1) | 14 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
Sep 22, 2018