CORTLAND, N.Y. – Morrisville State football struggled Saturday afternoon in Empire 8 action, as they fell 51-14 to host SUNY Cortland after allowing more than 500 yards total offense by the Red Dragons.
Brett Segala led the Red Dragons offensive assault with a near perfect performance at quarterback, connecting on 27-of-33 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns. Eight went to lead receiver Jake Smith who collected 147 yards and a touchdown, while seven additional teammates served as targets for Segala.
Segala also led all ball carriers, sneaking in an additional 56 yards and a score in the running game, while Johnnie Akins added another 54 off nine carries.
Cortland jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the opening quarter after two drives that marched the Red Dragons downfield in a total 15 plays.
Segala connected with Smith just under two minutes in for the 58-yard scoring play to complete the 80 yard drive, before hitting Alex Wasserman with 6:!5 to go in the opening quarter on a 10-yard pass play to complete the 10-play, 78-yard drive.
Cortland added to their scoring in the second quarter with a pick-six, a 58-yard interception return by Kyle Richard, before Segala hit a third wide receiver, Angelo Foster, for the 33-yard scoring play with 1:47 to go.
On the ensuing Morrisville drive, Cortland forced a Mustang fumble and recovered the ball on the 45 yard line, and three plays later, put the ball through the uprights for a 30-0 halftime lead.
The hosts extended the lead to 37-0 with 4:28 showing on the clock in the third, with a fourth strike from Segala, before the Mustangs were able to put one on the board after completing a 75-yard drive with a five yard scoring pass play from Johnny Vigliotti (Syracuse, N.Y.) to Toure Hall (Stratford, Conn.).
Morrisville State added a final score with 5:36 to go in the fourth quarter, but Cortland added two as well, collecting the 51-14 victory.
THE BASICS:
- Final Score: Cortland 51, Morrisville St 14 (halftime: Cortland 30-0)
- Location: Stadium Complex Red, Cortland, N.Y.
- Records: Cortland 4-1, 2-1 E8; Morrisville 2-3, 0-2 E8
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Cortland outgained the Mustangs in both the passing and running game, accumulating 524 yards total offense behind 177 on the ground and another 347 through the air.
- Morrisville State collected 320 yards, collecting 145 in the running game, and 175 in passing.
- Nick Edmond (Blythe, Calif.) collected 48 yards to lead seven different ball carriers for the Mustangs, but it was freshman Ky'ere Tillery (Albany, N.Y.) who collected the Mustangs lone rushing score, a three-yard run with 5:36 to go in the fourth quarter. Tillery recorded carries.
- Brandon Gwinner (Schenectady, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 for 23 yards, while back-up Johnny Vigliotti (Syracuse, N.Y.) saw a majority of the time under center, going 15-for-28 for 152 yards and a touchdown.
- Raffaele Bradshaw (Westbury, N.Y.) led the receiving unit with seven for a total 66 yards, while the Mustang quarterbacks hit seven different targets on the day, including Toure Hall (Stratford, Conn.) for a five-yard score with 29 seconds to go in the third quarter to put the Mustangs on the board.
- Mike Bodnar (Miller Place, N.Y.) led the Morrisville State defensive unit for a second straight week, posting nine tackles, seven solo, while teammate Jose Garcia (New York, N.Y.) added seven in the efforts, including one for a loss of two yards and a fumble recovery.
WHAT'S NEXT:
- Morrisville State returns to Drake Field Saturday, Oct. 13, hosting cross town rival Utica College. Kick-off is at noon.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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