Alfred, N.Y. -- The #18 Ithaca College football team (8-1, 5-1 E8) clinched a share of the Empire 8 title with a 43-35 road win over the Alfred Saxons (6-3, 3-2 E8) on Saturday. The Bombers held off a late fourth-quarter rally by the Saxons to secure the victory.
The Bombers overcame injuries to both the quarterback and running back position in the contest. Sophomore running back
Dan Ruggiero (Pen Argyl/Pen Argyl, Pa.) led the Bombers rushing attack with 192 yards on 25 carries.
Ruggerio reached the end zone four times in the game.
Senior quarterback
Dan Juvan (Dobbs Ferry/Yonkers) scored the first Bomber touchdown on a one-yard quarterback dive on the first play of the second quarter. Junior
Brian Grastorf (Niskayuna/Rexford) completed nine-of -16 passes for 161 yards against the nation's sixth-ranked pass defense after entering the game with 5:30 left in the first half.
Grastorf's longest completion of the day found senior wide receiver
Kyle Crandall (Herkimer/Herkimer) for a 76-yard touchdown.
Crandall caught three passes for 115 yards and recorded his sixth touchdown on the season to lead all Bomber receivers.
The Bomber defense stopped the Saxons four straight times from inside the Ithaca 10-yard line in the final minute to secure the win. Senior cornerback
Jason Chier (Chenango Forks/Binghamton) made 10 tackles, including one for a loss, and recovered a fumble on a Saxon kickoff. Senior linebacker
Matt Scalice (North Tonawanda/North Tonawanda) recorded a game-high 15 tackles.
The Bombers blocked a pair of field-goal attempts in the contest.
Chier blocked a 30-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter. Junior defensive end
Joe Goetz (New Hyde Park/New Hyde Park) blocked the second Saxon field-goal attempt.
Sophomore linebacker
Matt Dibble (Columbia/East Schodack) intercepted a
Saxon pass from the Ithaca 46-yard line and returned it 43 yards to the Alfred 11-yard line. Dibble's interception set up a career-long 26-yard field goal by freshman Andrew Rogowski (Canisius/East Amherst) as time expired in the second quarter that gave Ithaca the lead for good.
The Bombers will travel to #5 Cortland (9-0) Saturday to compete in the 50th annual Cortaca Jug (the game is sold out). Kickoff is set for noon.
Box Score
