Football | 11/24/2021 10:33:00 PM
SUNY CORTLAND FOOTBALL NOTES
Cortland Red Dragons (11-0) vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers (10-1)
NCAA Division III Tournament - Second Round
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021; Noon; SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex; Cortland, N.Y.
TICKETS: $10 adults, $5 students - SUNY Cortland students and faculty/staff admitted for FREE, courtesy of Cortland Athletics
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THE MATCHUP: Cortland hosts RPI in the second round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs. Cortland is ranked 13th nationally by D3football.com and 12th by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), while the Engineers are ranked 18th by D3football.com and 20th by the AFCA. The winner advances to the national quarterfinals next Saturday against either Wisconsin-La Crosse or 2019 national champion North Central at a site to be determined.
THE SERIES: Cortland and RPI have met once previously - the Engineers won at Cortland, 26-7, in the 2006 ECAC Division III Northeast Bowl.
CORTLAND CAPSULE: Cortland is making its 10th NCAA tournament appearance, and the Red Dragons have now advanced to the second round in each of their last five showings (2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2021). Cortland is looking to qualify for the national quarterfinals for the third time; the Red Dragons reached that round as part of a 16-team tournament in 1988 and as part of a 32-team field in 2008. Those two squads share the school single-season record with 11 victories along with this year's 11-0 team.
Last Saturday, Jaden Alfanostjohn ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns and Brees Segala completed 12-of-19 passes for 231 yards and a score in Cortland's 26-21 first-round win over Springfield. JJ Laap caught four passes for 127 yards, including a 51-yard TD catch and a 47-yard grab that set up a score. Nick Guglielmo made two field goals, one of which was a career-best 36-yarder.
Dylan Dubuque matched his career high with 13 tackles, Zack Thuesen registered a career-best 10 stops, and Christian Legagneur added nine tackles. Tziah Owens, Nick Lardaro and Paul Imperiale finished with eight tackles each and Joshua Cordero blocked a punt that led to Guglielmo's second field goal.
Cortland is ranked fourth nationally in Division III in passing yards allowed (125.5 yds./game), fifth in scoring defense (9.5 pts./game), seventh in total defense (205.5 yds./game) and 13th in scoring offense (43.4 pts./game).
Segala, named this week as one of 15 national semifinalists for the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy, has completed 176-of-259 passes (68 percent) for 2,375 yards and 30 touchdowns and has run for 376 yards and five scores. Alfanostjohn has 691 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Derek Cruz leads the Red Dragons with 61 receptions for 749 yards and nine scores, while Laap has caught 45 passes for 797 yards and 10 touchdowns. Three-year starting center Michael Bailey is one of three Red Dragon offensive linemen who were named to the All-Empire 8 first team, along with Travis Alvarez and Connor Hill. Justin Wheeler leads the team with 65 tackles, and Mark Noel has a team-best four interceptions.
Head Coach Curt Fitzpatrick and his assistants were named Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. He is in his second year at Cortland, but first season on the field, after seven seasons as head coach at Morrisville State. He guided the Mustangs to four winning seasons (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), including one conference championship title and three postseason ECAC bowl appearances. In 2014, Morrisville finished with a 9-2 mark, claimed a share of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) crown with a 6-1 league mark, and earned a berth to the ECAC North Central Bowl, where they captured the college's first postseason championship title as an NCAA Division III member. Fitzpatrick was voted the NJAC Co-Coach of the Year by his peers and was named the D3football.com East Region Coach of the Year.
Fitzpatrick served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utica College from 2008-12. He graduated from St. John Fisher College in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in management. A standout quarterback for the Cardinals, Fitzpatrick served as a team captain and was a four-year letterman. In his final season, he earned Empire 8 all-conference honors and set school passing records in touchdowns (30) and yards (2,366) while leading the program to a 10-2 overall record and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. He returned to his hometown of Fulton, N.Y., to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers at Fulton High School in 2005, and served as quarterbacks coach at St. John Fisher for two seasons from 2006-07. During those two years the Cardinals went a combined 23-4, won two Empire 8 crowns, and advanced to the NCAA semifinals (2006) and quarterfinals (2007).
A LOOK AT...RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE: RPI is making its seventh NCAA tournament appearance. The Engineers advanced to the national semifinals in 2003, quarterfinals in 2018 and second round in 2001. RPI (10-1) is one win away from tying the school record of 11 victories from the 2003 campaign.
RPI won its NCAA opener, 20-14, at Endicott last Saturday. George Marinopoulos threw three TD passes, two to Vinnie McDonald, and Dylan Burnett ran for a career-high 124 yards. Marinopoulos finished 18-of-27 passing for 175 yards. RPI's defense held the Gulls to 17 yards rushing and 190 yards of total offense. Cole McGrath, Joe Deptula and Nate Sicard each finished with five tackles.
RPI ranks ninth nationally in Division III in passing defense (137.5 yards/game), 22nd in total defense (256.9 yards/game) and 23rd in scoring defense (14.3 points/game). The Engineers have not allowed more than 22 points in a game this year. Eight of RPI's 11 games this year have been decided by eight points or less.
Marinopoulos has connected on 189-of-299 passes (63.2 percent) for 2,134 yards and 26 touchdowns with six interceptions. Peter Lombardi is the team's top receiver with 57 catches for 549 yards and six scores, while McDonald has 38 receptions for 567 yards and nine touchdowns. Delano Munoz Whatts averages 54.4 yards per game on the ground. Deptula and Austin Charles lead RPI with 62 and 61 tackles, respectively. Francis Perry leads the club with four interceptions, while Sicard, Deptula and Josh Cohen each have two sacks.
Trevor Bisson joined the team for the final game of the regular season after an All-America soccer career and kicked the game-winning 36-yard field goal as time expired to beat Union and clinch the Liberty League title.
Ralph Isernia and his assistants were named Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year. He's posted a 60-28 (.682) record in nine years (including the 2020 canceled season) and has led the Engineers to seven postseason berths (three NCAA, four ECAC bowls).
NOTEBOOK:
* Cortland and RPI have three common opponents this year. Cortland defeated Buffalo State at home, 58-9, St. John Fisher on the road, 55-3, and Ithaca at home, 28-27, while RPI won 24-16 at home versus Buffalo State, 41-7 at home against St. John Fisher, and 14-11 at home against Ithaca. Both Cortland's and RPI's wins over Ithaca came down to late missed field goals – Ithaca missed a potential game-tying 35-yard field goal in the final minute at RPI, and Cortland blocked a potential go-ahead 35-yard field goal by the Bombers with less than two minutes remaining.
* Cortland finished the regular season with a 10-0 record, marking only the second time that's happened in school history. The 1988 Red Dragon squad was 10-0 and won its opening NCAA game versus Hofstra as part of a 16-team tournament field before losing at Ithaca in the national quarterfinals and ending 11-1.
* Cortland enters the game ranked fifth nationally in Division III in scoring defense, allowing 9.5 points per game. The Red Dragons are also seventh in total defense (205.5 yards/game) and fourth in passing yards allowed (125.5 yards/game). Over the past 50 years, Cortland's best scoring defense season came in 1989, when the Red Dragons posted a then-Division III record six shutouts and held teams to 6.1 points per game in the regular season (9.4 including the postseason). Prior to 1970, Cortland teams held opponents to under 10 points per game on numerous occasions, with the best mark of 2.3 points per contest in 1933.
* Cortland went 21 straight quarters without allowing a touchdown until Ithaca found the end zone in the third quarter during last week's Cortaca Jug game. Cortland opponents have scored 11 touchdowns this season (10 on offense and one on defense). Conversely, Cortland has scored 67 touchdowns this year, including six on special teams (five blocked punt returns, one blocked field goal return) and five on defense (four interception returns, one fumble recovery).
* Cortland won its third Empire 8 title since joining the conference in 2015. The Red Dragons were outright league champs this fall with a 6-0 record, and were the league co-champion in both 2015 and 2019, earning an NCAA automatic berth 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 and finished in at least a tie for first place six times. Three current Empire 8 members - Cortland, Brockport and Morrisville State - at one point played in the NJAC and are affiliate members of the E8 in football only. The other league teams - Alfred, Hartwick, St. John Fisher and Utica - are full conference members.
* Cortland continues to be on pace to break the school record for scoring average. The Red Dragons are averaging 45.7 points per game through 10 games, with at least 26 points scored in each contest and 45 or more points seven times. The school record for scoring average in a season is 39.3 points per game in 2018.
* Cortland is tied for third nationally with five defensive touchdowns, along with four other schools. Rose-Hulman and Westminster (Pa.) lead Division III with six defensive touchdowns each. Dylan Dubuque has scored two defensive touchdowns (one fumble recovery, one interception return), while Christian Legagneur, Stone Murray and Mark Noel have one defensive TD apiece. The school record for most defensive touchdowns by one player in a season is three by Chuck Eich (pronounced IKE) in 2003.
* Cortland ranks second in Division III nationally with seven blocked punts, including one last week (Wheaton (IL) is first with eight). The Red Dragons have set a school single-game record with five blocked punts returned for touchdowns. One of Cortland's other two blocked punts nearly resulted in a score – a blocked a punt at TCNJ was recovered at the Lions' 3-yard line. The previous school record of three blocked punt touchdowns occurred in 2019. Adding in Cortland's blocked field goal for touchdown at St. John Fisher, the Red Dragons have returned six blocks for TDs this season, doubling the previous school mark of three from 2019.
* Cortland ranks second nationally in red zone offense (at or inside the opponents' 20-yard line) with a 94.0 percent success rate. Belhaven is the national leader at 94.6 percent. The Red Dragons have scored on 47 of their 50 red zone trips with 40 touchdowns and seven field goals. The three Red Dragon red-zone failures this year were taking a knee at the end of a home win over Buffalo State, a fumble at Morrisville State that resulted in the Mustangs' fumble return for a touchdown, and a blocked field goal versus Alfred. Cortland has allowed its opponents inside the red zone only 23 times, resulting in 15 scores (eight touchdowns, seven field goals), a blocked field goal, an interception, a fumble, and five turnovers on downs.
* Cortland is one of the best teams nationally in Division III, on both sides of the ball, when it comes to third down conversions. The Red Dragon offense ranks second nationally in third down conversion percentage, converting 54.9 percent of the time (73-of-133). Only three times this year has Cortland been held to less than 50 percent success – last week versus Springfield (4-for-9), two weeks prior to that at St. John Fisher (4-for-11), and during the opening week of the season at Wittenberg (7-for-16). Cortland ranks third nationally in third down conversion percentage defense, allowing teams to convert on third downs only 22.1 percent of the time (32-of-143). No team this year has converted on at least 50 percent of its third down situations – the closest was Brockport at 8-for-14 (47 percent). Twice this year Cortland has held its opponent to no third down conversions (Utica was 0-for-11 and St. John Fisher was 0-for-13.
* Senior Brees Segala and his brother, current running backs coach Brett Segala, are believed to be the first brothers to each start at quarterback at Cortland. Brett played in 26 games, 24 as a starter, from 2016-19 and is Cortland's career leader in passing yardage (6,518), completions (467) and touchdown passes (59). Their father, James, was a standout quarterback and baseball catcher at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was inducted into the Gallaudet Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. Brees and Brett are both named after quarterbacks who went on to legendary NFL careers – Drew Brees and Brett Favre.
* Cortland head coach Curt Fitzpatrick has won his first 11 games as the Red Dragons' head coach - the best winning streak to start a Cortland football coaching career. The best unbeaten debut by a Cortland coach belongs to Carl "Chugger" Davis, who began his career with an 11-0-6 mark (4-0-3 in 1932, 5-0-2 in 1933, and 2-0-1 before losing in 1934). Davis had a combined record of 24-2-7 in his first five seasons from 1932-36.
* A total of 23 different players have scored for Cortland through nine games this season, the most by a Red Dragon team since at least 1978. The 2012 and 2019 teams each had 19 players reach the scoring column, while the 2007 and 2011 teams each had 18 players score.
* 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.
* On Sept. 21, it was announced that the 2022 Cortaca Jug rivalry game between Cortland and Ithaca will be played at Yankee Stadium. Tickets sales for that game began on Nov. 16. The teams set the Division III single-game attendance record in 2019 with 45,161 fans at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
CORTLAND RECORD BOOK WATCH:
Cortland is approaching the following school individual and team records:
Highest Rushing Average per Attempt, season (minimum 100 attempts)
6.2, Dorian Myles, 2012 (123 carries, 765 yards)
Jaden Alfanostjohn, 2021 - currently 5.9 yards/carry (118 carries, 691 yards)
Touchdown Passes Thrown, season:
31, Dan Pitcher, 2011
30, Brees Segala, 2021 (current)
29, Steven Ferreira, 2015
Best Passing Efficiency Rating, season:
169.1, Steven Ferreira, 2015
163.1, Dan Pitcher, 2011
Brees Segala, 2021 - currently at 180.1 rating
Most Defensive Touchdowns, season:
3, Chuck Eich, 2003
2, Dylan Dubuque, 2021 (current)
Team Scoring Average, season:
39.3 points/game, 2018 (10 games)
2021 team currently averaging 43.9 points/game
Team Lowest Sack Rate Allowed, season:
1.97 percent, 2019 (7 sacks on 355 pass plays - 348 passes plus 7 sacks)
2.96 percent, 2021 (9 sacks on 304 pass plays - 295 passes plus 9 sacks) (current)
3.58 percent, 2002 (12 sacks on 335 pass plays - 323 passes plus 12 sacks)
SCHOOL RECORDS ALREADY TIED OR BROKEN:
Team, Most Victories, season
11 in 2021 (10-0 regular season, 1-0 NCAA playoffs) (current)
11 in 1988 (10-0 regular season, 1-1 NCAA playoffs)
11 in 2008 (9-1 regular season, 2-1 NCAA playoffs)
Most PATs kicked, season:
49, Nick Guglielmo (49-for-56), 2021 (current)
49, Jeffrey Lang (49-for-52), 2008
47, Nick Mongelli (47-for-50), 2018
Team, Most Interception Returns for Touchdowns, season:
4 in 2021 (10 games) (current)
4 in 2012 (11 games)
Team, Blocked Kicks Returned for Touchdown, season:
6 in 2021 (previous record 3 in 2019) (current)
Blocked Kicks, career:
11, Travis Alvarez (2016-17, 2019, 2021) (extended his own school record this season) (current)
* Cortland and RPI rank in the top 40 nationally in Division III in the following team and individual categories:
CORTLAND:
2nd, Red Zone Offense, 94.0 pct.
2nd, Third Down Conversion Percentage, 54.9 pct.
2nd, Blocked Punts, 7
3rd, Third Down Conversion Percentage Defense, 22.1 pct.
3rd, Blocked Kicks (includes punts), 9
3rd, Defensive Touchdowns, 5
4th, Passing Yards Allowed, 125.5 yds./game
5th, Scoring Defense, 9.5 pts./game
5th, Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 84.1 opponent rating
7th, Total Defense, 205.5 yds./game
7th, Punt Return Defense, 1.4 yds./return
13th, Scoring Offense, 43.4 pts./game
13th, Sacks Allowed, 0.8/game
13th, Team Passing Efficiency, 170.4 rating
14th, Fumbles Recovered, 12
16th, Net Punting, 36.7 net yds./punt
19th, Rushing Defense, 79.9 yds./game
19th, Tackles for Loss Allowed, 3.7/game
20th, Fourth Down Conversion Percentage, 60.0 pct.
21st, First Downs Defense, 147
23rd, Turnover Margin, plus 1.1/game
24th, Completion Percentage, 65.1 pct.
24th, First Downs Offense, 244
24th, Passes Had Intercepted, 5
24th, Turnovers Gained, 24
30th, Punt Returns, 13.0 yds./return
33rd, Turnovers Lost, 12
36th, Red Zone Defense, 65.2 pct.
(Cortland is one of 10 unbeaten teams in Division III)
Tommy Heuer, 3rd, Punt Return Touchdowns (includes blocked punt returns), 2
Brees Segala, 7th, Passing Efficiency, 180.1 rating
Justin Wheeler, 7th, Fumbles Recovered, 3
Carl Greene, Mike Pellittiere and DJ Trent, 10th, Punt Return Touchdowns (includes blocked punt returns), 1
Brees Segala, 12th, Completion Percentage, 68.0 pct.
Dylan Dubuque, 13th, Blocked Kick, 3
Brees Segala, 13th, Passing Touchdowns, 30
Brees Segala, 14th, Yards per Pass Attempt, 9.2 yds./attempt
Stone Murray, 22nd, Blocked Kicks, 2
Joshua Cordero, 22nd, Blocked Kicks, 2
Brees Segala, 25th, Points Responsible For, 19.1/game
JJ Laap, 29th, Receiving Touchdowns, 10
Christian Legagneur, 30th, Fumbles Recovered, 2
Nick Lardaro, 37th, Tackles for Loss, 1.5/game
Jaden Alfanostjohn, 39th, Rush Yards per Carry, 5.9 yds./attempt
RPI:
1st, Blocked Punts Allowed, 0
6th, Fourth Down Conversion Percentage Defense, 19.0 pct.
8th, Kickoff Return Defense, 12.4 yds./return
9th, Passing Yards Allowed, 137.5 yds./game
19th, Blocked Kicks Allowed, 1
20th, Team Passing Efficiency Defense, 98.9 opponent rating
22nd, Total Defense, 256.9 yds./game
23rd, Scoring Defense, 14.3 pts./game
30th, Net Punting, 35.5 net yds./punt
35th, Punt Return Defense, 4.2 yds./return
37th, Passes Had Intercepted, 6
37th, Fourth Down Conversion Percentage, 56.0 pct.
2021 Cortland Weekly Award Winners (game date/opponent in parentheses)
Travis Alvarez, Offensive Line
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 13 vs. Ithaca)
Joshua Cordero, Defensive Back
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week (Sept. 18 vs. Buffalo State)
Derek Cruz, Wide Receiver
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 23 vs. Utica)
Dylan Dubuque, Linebacker
Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 16 at Hartwick)
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 30 vs. Alfred)
Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 6 at St. John Fisher)
Paul Imperiale, Linebacker
Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 23 vs. Utica)
Brees Segala, Quarterback
Empire 8 Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 4 at Wittenberg)
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 11 at TCNJ)
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 9 vs. Brockport)
Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 6 at St. John Fisher)
Justin Wheeler, Linebacker
Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 11 at TCNJ)
Empire 8 Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 9 vs. Brockport)
SCHEDULES/RESULTS:
CORTLAND (11-0)
Sept. 4 at Wittenberg (OH)............................ W 38-16
Sept. 11 at The College of New Jersey.......... W 49-6
Sept. 18 BUFFALO STATE............................. W 58-9
Oct. 2 * at Morrisville State............................ W 58-7
Oct. 9 * BROCKPORT................................... W 31-10
Oct. 16 * at Hartwick....................................... W 48-3
Oct. 23 * UTICA............................................... W 45-0
Oct. 30 * ALFRED............................................ W 47-3
Nov. 6 * at St. John Fisher............................... W 55-3
Nov. 13 ITHACA............................................... W 28-27
Nov. 20 # SPRINGFIELD (MA).......................... W 26-21
* Empire 8 game (6-0) # NCAA First Round HOME GAMES IN CAPS
RPI (10-1)
Sept. 4 MONTCLAIR ST. (NJ)......................... W 21-20
Sept. 11 STEVENSON (MD)........................... W 14-10
Sept. 18 at Worcester Poly. Inst. (MA).............. W 24-10
Sept. 25 ST. JOHN FISHER............................... W 41-7
Oct. 2 * ROCHESTER..................................... W 38-22
Oct. 9 * BUFFALO STATE................................ W 24-16
Oct. 16 * at Hobart............................................. L 9-10
Oct. 30 * ITHACA............................................... W 14-11
Nov. 6 * at St. Lawrence.................................... W 22-20 (2 OT)
Nov. 13 * at Union............................................... W 19-17
Nov. 20 # at Endicott (MA)................................... W 20-14
* Liberty League game (5-1) # NCAA First Round HOME GAMES IN CAPS
CORTLAND vs. RPI – SERIES RECORD
(RPI leads 1-0)
Year Winner.................. Score Site
2006 RPI........................ 26-7 Cortland (ECAC Division III Northeast Bowl)