Springfield, Mass. – Springfield (4-2, 2-2 Empire 8) rushed for 435 yards and held off a late Ithaca drive in a 38-33 win over the Bombers (3-3, 1-3 Empire 8) at Stagg Field Saturday afternoon. Springfield has the nation's top-ranked rushing offense in NCAA Division III football. The back-and-forth game featured seven lead changes.

Ithaca took its first lead in the second quarter when senior Dan Ruffrage (Utica Notre Dame/Whitesboro) returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest punt return in school history.

Springfield answered with a touchdown less than a minute later, but Ithaca went ahead 21-18 on a 10-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jason Hendel (Deerfield/Riverwoods, Ill.) to junior wide receiver Joseph Ingrao (St. Anthony's/Nesconset) with 8:14 left in the second quarter.

Senior kicker Andrew Rogowski (Canisius/East Amherst) made a field goal at the end of the second quarter and another in the final minute of the third quarter that put Ithaca ahead 27-25.

The Pride scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to take an 11-point lead, but Ithaca junior quarterback Pat Griffin (Abington Heights/Clarks Summit, Pa.) rushed for a 5-yard touchdown, his first career score.

After Ithaca forced a turnover, the Bombers drove to Springfield's 13-yard-line in the final minute of the game, but turned the ball over on downs.

Griffin saw his most extensive game action in his career and finished 8-for-12 passing for 82 yards and he also carried the ball four times for 17 yards and a touchdown. Hendel was 6-for-10 passing for 98 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Sophomore running back Sal Sulla (North Rockland/Stony Point) had 12 carries for a career-high 68 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown run, the longest run of his career.

Senior linebacker Joe Gilfedder (Governor Livingston/Berkeley Heights, N.J.) led Ithaca with 10 tackles and senior defensive end Chris Collier (Mount Mansfield Union/Richmond, Vt.) had a career-high nine tackles.

Ithaca plays at Utica Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in a game that will be televised throughout central New York on Time Warner Cable Sports.

BOMBER NOTES

• Ruffrage returned four kickoffs for 137 yards, including a 61-yard return, and had the 91-yard punt return. He entered the game ranked third nationally in kickoff return average and 11th in punt return average. He's the first Bomber since Kelly Gordon (2006) to score on a punt and kickoff return in the same season.

• Rogowski had nine points in the game on two field goals and three extra-point attempts. He now has 216 career points, which ranks fifth all-time at Ithaca and second among place-kickers, trailing only Brett Kitenplon (281).

• Sophomore tight end Steve DelMoro (Hackley/Peekskill) had a career day with five catches and 31 yards, both of which were career-bests.

Box Score and Play-by-Play