ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College football team (1-0) started its 2013 season with a 31-7 victory over Moravian (0-1) on Saturday afternoon at Butterfield Stadium. The Bombers built a 19-0 lead in the game, possessed the ball for approximately 40 minutes and improved their record in season-openers to 33-4 over the last 37 years.

Phil Neumann threw two touchdown passes, Garrett Nicholson and Max Rottenecker combined for three field goals and senior tailback Rakim Jones had a career day rushing the football including his first career touchdown run on career-best totals of 28 carries for 132 yards.

Ithaca opened the scoring in the first quarter with an eight-play, 48-yard drive on a drive that started after the Bomber defense forced a Moravian turnover at midfield which saw Brian Hardenberg recover a fumble. The Bombers converted two third downs on the scoring drive and senior quarterback Phil Neumann hit senior tight end Steve DelMoro for the 18-yard score with 2:41 remaining in the quarter.

The Bombers added to their lead on the next possession, going 77 yards in four plays, highlighted by completions of 20 and 31 yards, and a pair of long runs from Jones, who scored from 15 yards out. The extra-point attempt was blocked, and Ithaca led 13-0.

A 22-yard field goal by Nicholson and a 37-yarder from Rottenecker extended the Bombers' lead to 19-0 at halftime.

Moravian scored its only touchdown of the game with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter, going 20 yards in five plays.

Ithaca answered by recording a safety on Moravian's next possession. The Greyhounds started at their own 1-yard line after a punt was downed. On their first play from scrimmage, the Bombers penetrated the backfield and forced the quarterback out of the pocket. Mike Sheldon chased down the ball-carrier and made the tackle to give Ithaca a 21-7 lead.

Neumann threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to fullback Robbie Williamson early in the fourth quarter to put the Bombers ahead by 21 points, and Rottenecker connected on a 41-yard field goal to cap the scoring in the game. It was the first-career touchdown for Williamson.

Ithaca's defense held Moravian to 237 total yards and allowed just five third-down conversions in 17 attempts. Ithaca had four sacks in the game. Will Carter and Brian Hardenberg factored in on two of the sacks. Hardenberg and Jake Santora shared the team lead with 10 total tackles. Carter had eight, including 2.5 tackles for loss. The Bombers made 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the game.

The Bombers are idle next week, and return to action Sept. 21 at Union for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Stat Packet with Play-by-Play (.pdf)

BOMBER NOTES

* Hardenberg, Joe Armeli and Skylar Griffenberg each recorded a fumble recovery and Sam Carney made a diving interception on the four Moravian turnovers.

* Neumann was 19-for-28 for 201 yards and two TD passes. It was his sixth career 200-yard passing game.

* The Bombers were joined by guests from the Bath VA Medical Center, and their hosts from the Ithaca Elks Lodge.

* This was the start of the 20th season as head coach for Mike Welch, and with the victory he is just five wins away from 150 career wins.

* Punter Mike Lopez had four of his five punts pin Moravian inside the Greyhounds' own 20-yard line.

* Sam Carney had a 54-yard punt return in the fourth quarter to set the Bombers up at the 1-yard line. They scored two plays later on Neumann's pass to Williamson.

* Rottenecker's 41-yard field goal was Ithaca's longest successful field-goal since Andrew Rogowski connected from 43 yards at Utica on Oct. 22, 2011.