Cortland, N.Y. -- The #17 football team (9-1) beat #7 Cortland (9-1) 35-13 to regain the Cortaca Jug traveling trophy Saturday, an hour before Alfred knocked off St. John Fisher in overtime to give the Bombers sole possession of the Empire 8 title. Junior quarterback Brian Grastorf (Niskayuna/Rexford) threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two more in his first career start and senior cornerback Jason Chier (Chenango Forks/Binghamton) tied a school record with three interceptions.

Ithaca's win came in front of 10,300 fans the 50th annual Cortaca Jug game; in conjunction with the game, the Red Dragons had honored its 1988 team which had been the program's only team to post an undefeated regular season (the Bombers beat Cortland in the NCAA East Region final on their way to the national championship).

Grastorf, the first Bomber quarterback to make his first career start in the Cortaca Jug game, completed 19-of-28 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two one-yard scores; all four figures were career bests. Senior Kyle Crandall (Herkimer/Herkimer) caught four catches for a game-high 114 yards and two scores and sophomore Dan Ruggiero (Pen Argyl/Pen Argyl, Pa.) came off the bench to rush for 96 yards -- the highest total surrendered all year by the Red Dragons -- and catch a touchdown pass.

Cortland was limited to a pair of field goals and a blocked punt touchdown.

Chier finished with seven tackles and two pass breakups along with his three interceptions. Two of his pickoffs came in the end zone and the other was at his own two; one of his pass break-ups came in the end zone as well. He is the sixth Bomber with three picks in one game -- the first since Charlie Stephens at Brockport in 2006 -- and became the 10th Ithaca player with 10 career interceptions.

Sophomore David Ahonen (Victor/Farmington) made nine tackles intercepted a pass in the end zone on Cortland's final play from scrimmage. Sophomore linebacker Morgan Abdelnour (Somers/Somers) added a career-high nine tackles for the Bombers.

Senior linebacker Matt Scalice (North Tonawanda/North Tonawanda) added eight tackles and raised his career total to 261, good for 11th on the program's all-time list. He'll enter the NCAA playoffs needing nine to move into the top 10.

Crandall caught a 14-yard pass from Grastorf with 9:44 left in the first quarter to give Ithaca a 7-0 lead. Crandall turned a short crossing pass from Grastorf into an 80-yard touchdown with 1:26 left in the half and Ithaca led 14-10 at halftime.

The Red Dragons made a 22-yard field goal on the opening possession of the third quarter to pull Cortland within 14-13. Ithaca, drove 71 yards on 10 plays on its next possession, capped by a 32-yard screen pass to Ruggiero for a touchdown and a 21-13 Bomber advantage.

Cortland advanced to the Ithaca 12-yard line on the next series but Chier intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop the threat. An interception gave Cortland the ball back at the Bombers' 49-yard line but Chier picked a second pass in the end zone again, however, to end that drive.

Ithaca capitalized with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that Grastorf finished with a one-yard sneak and the Bombers led 28-13 with 12:22 remaining. Sophomore defensive end Matt Dibble (Columbia/East Schodack) sacked Cortland's qureterback and forced a fumble on the next drive to give the Bombers the ball on the Cortland 35-yard line. Ithaca put the game away with an eight-play drive, capped by another Grastorf one-yard sneak with 6:07 left. Chier's final interception came at the Ithaca 2-yard line on the Red Dragons' next drive.

NCAA playoff pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon.

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