The #18 Bombers (1-0) rallied to beat visiting Lycoming (0-1) 17-16 Saturday, opening the season with a win for the 28th time in 32 years. Senior cornerback #
Jason Chier# (Chenango Forks/Binghamton) intercepted two passes and blocked an extra point.
The Bombers used a touchdown and extra point with 4:14 left to seal the win. Senior running back
Justin Kulp (Southern Lehigh/Quakertown, Pa.) capped a 10-play, 72-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown and freshman #
Andrew Rogowski# (Canisius/East Amherst) followed with the game-winning extra point.
Lycoming had two possessions left, but gained just three total first downs. The Warriors' final drive ended when
Chier made a diving interception inside the Bomber 30 with 11 seconds remaining.
Ithaca held a 10-3 lead before the Warriors scored touchdowns on consecutive fourth-quarter possessions. Following their go-ahead touchdown,
Chier blocked the extra-point attempt.
Ithaca's game-winning drive featured three catches for 38 yards by senior tight end #
Brian Weverbergh# (Staples/Westport, Conn.).
Weverbergh finished with four receptions and raised his career total to 74, breaking the school record for tight ends (73) set by all-American
Jeff Erne from 1995 to 1999.
The Bombers took leads of 3-0 – on a 29-yard field goal by sophomore #
Dillon Dwyer# (Garden City/Garden City) – and 10-3. Their first touchdown was a one-yard run by sophomore #
Matt Crandall #(Cattaraugus-Little Valley/Cattaraugus).
Crandall's touchdown (the first of his career) came two plays after the Warriors were called for roughing the kicker on a successful 25-yard field goal attempt by
Dwyer.
Dwyer was injured on the play, leading to
Rogowski taking over on extra point attempts.
Junior cornerback #
Chris Grady# (Milton [Vt.]/Medford, Mass.), one of seven Bombers making their first career start, recorded a personal-best 12 tackles. Junior strong safety #
Roniel Bencosme# (Sleepy Hollow/Sleepy Hollow) added a career-high seven. Junior defensive tackle #
Joe Goetz# (New Hyde Park/New Hyde Park) recorded a pair of sacks among his six tackles.
The Bombers continue non-conference play next week, traveling to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., for a 1 p.m. game against King's.
Box score
