Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – There was a moment during Saturday's Homecoming Weekend football clash between Ithaca College and Alfred University when momentum seemed to be shifting away from Ithaca and towards Alfred.
No. 20 Ithaca twice held 11-point leads, only to see Alfred claw within 21-18 after Tyler Johnson's eight-yard passing touchdown to Joseph Ryan and the ensuring two-point conversion pass with 10:03 remaining in the fourth.
With the raucous crowd of 2,319 on their feet, Ithaca took possession at its own 24. After a quick first down, sophomore
Tristan Brown, who entered the game with 56 rushing yards in the Bombers' first two games, gave Ithaca the lift it needed to remain perfect on the young season. Brown broke off a 64-yard touchdown run, shaking off several tacklers before reversing field and scampering in the final 30 yards to give Ithaca a 28-18 lead.
The Bombers (3-0, 1-0 Empire 8) closed the game by scoring the final 17 points, including a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by sophomore
Kenny Bradley, as No. 20 Ithaca handed Alfred its first loss of the year, 38-18 at Butterfield Stadium.
Brown finished with a career-high 176 rushing yards on just 17 carries, scoring two touchdowns while averaging 10.4 yards per carry. Brown logged his fourth career 100-yard game and shattered his previous career high of 129 as the Bombers rushed for a season-high 253 yards on 33 carries.
"We all knew we were capable of a game like this and we just needed to come together and get the offense clicking," said Brown, who staked Ithaca to a 14-3 lead on a two-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter.
"The offensive line played hard today, the running backs ran hard, and the offense in general played great. It feels great to finally put it together offensively and have a day like this. (On my long touchdown run) I just didn't want to get caught. I was trying to get into the end zone by using my speed to outrun everybody. I had some key blocks downfield and I followed my blockers to daylight."
The win lifts Ithaca to a 3-0 start for the fourth straight year, while Alfred falls to 3-1 (1-1 E8). The Bombers improved to 38-16-2 all-time against the Saxons, including 15-5 in head coach
Mike Welch's tenure leading the program.
Junior
Wolfgang Shafer completed 14 of 25 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing five times for 37 yards, including a 24-yard run.
Ithaca's stout 3-4 defense held Alfred to just 75 rushing yards on 29 carries, an average of 2.6 yards per rush.
Following Brown's second touchdown, Alfred was on the move before Bradley intercepted a Johnson pass and ran 45 yards for the back-breaking pick six as the Bombers took a 35-18 lead with 7:04 remaining.
Sophomore
Dan Loizos, the reigning Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week, made a career-high 13 tackles (six solo stops) and added a sack, while senior
Malik Morris was in on 12 tackles and broke up three passes.
Bradley and sophomore
Jordan Schemm each finished with eight tackles for the Bombers, who limited Alfred to 5 of 18 on third-downs.
"In my mind, I knew there was still time on the clock and I was thinking I have to make another play for this team so we can extend this lead and make sure to get the win," Bradley said of his pick-six.
"We take great pride in our defense and it says a lot when you have two defensive captains like we do with
Malik Morris and
Logan Murphy. Our captains always set the tone. When we're up, they're making sure we continue to do the right thing. When we're down, they are bringing us up and encouraging us to get our energy going. Our defense is definitely a strong point, but the offense got going today, too, with a lot of explosive plays. We were really clicking today."
After a scoreless first quarter, Alfred struck for a 22-yard Trevor Monk field goal 2:24 into the second for a 3-0 lead.
Schemm then took the ensuing kickoff 83 yards to the Alfred 11, setting up the Bombers first touchdown as Shafer found senior
Kyle Hastings open for a six-yard touchdown with 11:10 remaining before halftime.
Brown's two-yard plunge with 3:50 remaining capped an eight-play, 73-yard drive to put Ithaca ahead 14-3. Alfred responded with a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with 33 seconds remaining in the opening half as Ithaca took a 14-10 lead into intermission.
The lead grew to 21-10 on Shafer's nine-yard touchdown toss to senior
Josh Oliver, and a stingy defense buckled down and held the Saxons scoreless for the final 10:03 to seal the win.
Ithaca travels to Empire 8 foe Utica College at 1 p.m. Saturday, while Alfred hosts Morrisville State at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Notes- At halftime, Ithaca honored two teams and eight individuals that earned induction into the College's Athletics Hall of Fame during a ceremony Friday night. The newest members of the Hall of Fame are: Welch, the national championship-winning 1982 field hockey team, the undefeated 1965 football team, Kerri Brown ('03, women's basketball), Stephanie Cleary ('05, women's basketball), Megan Hughes ('04, women's swimming and diving), Dave Pitzer ('77, men's basketball and football), Michelle Schlegel ('04, women's lacrosse), Rick Suddaby (current Ithaca College gymnastics coach), and Andrea Golden (women's lacrosse coach/athletic administration).
- Before the game, Aaron Jorgenson, 14, who is living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, was announced as Ithaca's honorary captain, and he participated in the pre-game coin toss. Ithaca participated in the annual Coach to Cure Muscular Dystrophy program. The initiative, in its eighth year, aims to raise money and awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common and fatal genetic disorder associated with muscular dystrophy.
- In-between the first and second quarters, Bruce Lamb '40 was recognized for his contributions to Ithaca College as a member of the football, basketball and track and field teams. Lamb was back on South Hill for his 75th reunion as part of Alumni and Homecoming Weekend.
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