FULL GAME NOTES

ITHACA, N.Y. – On Saturday afternoon at Butterfield Stadium, the nationally ranked No. 23 Ithaca College football team will square off with No. 20 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at 1 p.m. as part of Hall of Fame Weekend and CFCU Day on South Hill.

As part of CFCU Day on Saturday, all CFCU members will be admitted to the game for free with proof of membership. Also, the first 500 fans will receive a Rally Towel courtesy of CFCU. IC students in attendance will also have the chance to with a CFCU gift basket and a $200 gift card at halftime.

During halftime of the contest, Ithaca College will recognize the 2018 Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted on Friday evening. More information about the class is listed below in the game notes.

DownBeat Percussion, the official drumline of the Buffalo Bills, returns to campus this Saturday to perform before and during the game, and at halftime.

Colleges Against Cancer will have a table set up outside of the main entrance to Butterfield Stadium to promote their Relay for Life event, which is scheduled for April 6, 2019.

GAME COVERAGE

VIDEO (ICTV) | LIVE STATS | RADIO (WICB)

STATISTICS

ITHACA | RPI | LIBERTY LEAGUE

ALL-TIME SERIES: Saturday will mark the fifth matchup between the Bombers and the Engineers, dating back to 1946. The current series is even at 2-2. Saturday's contest is also the Liberty League opener for both teams, and Ithaca and RPI are coming off bye weeks.

RPI has won each of the last two meetings, including a 27-14 victory last season. The Engineers also prevailed during an NCAA contest, 21-16, in 2003. IC's two victories came in 2001 (27-10 in the NCAA Tournament) and 1946 (16-7).

LAST TIME OUT: The Bombers defeated St. John Fisher, 21-14, in a close battle on the road on September 22. The Cardinals nearly erased a 14-point halftime deficit in the second half, as Fisher had an opportunity to tie or win the game with less than a minute to play in regulation, but senior cornerback Jovonte Long secured the win for Ithaca with his second interception of the season in the end zone.

Sophomore quarterback Wahid Nabi completed 28 passes for 246 yards in the win, while junior running back Isaiah D'Haiti had two rushing scores for the Bombers.

The Bomber defense held Fisher to minus-5 yards rushing in the contest, which was the first time an IC defensive unit held its opposition below zero yards since 2015 against Hartwick. In that contest, Ithaca forced Hartwick into minus-19 yards on the ground.

HALL OF FAME WEEKEND: On Friday evening in Emerson Suites, Ithaca College will induct its newest Hall of Fame class in the 49th ceremony. This year, IC will honor the 1998 gymnastics team, Steve Barnes '05 (swimming), Ian Golden '99 (cross country/track & field), Kelly Stevison Harding '07 (gymnastics), Joe Hope '98 (lacrosse), Erica Cutspec Kurnath '08 (softball), Mike Murtha '94 (football/wrestling), Julie Stone Radnoff '93 (field hockey/lacrosse) and Chris Rauth '85 (baseball).

THIRTY YEARS SINCE 1988 CHAMPIONSHIP: Also in attendance on Saturday will be the 1988 national championship football team, who will be celebrating their 30th anniversary of the national title run. The '88 squad went 13-1 (school record for wins) on the season and defeated Central, 39-24, in the Stagg Bowl. Ithaca won three games by shutout in '88 and held its opponents to seven points or fewer in four more contests.

WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE: The Bombers have forced 12 turnovers in only four games this season, eight of which have been fumbles. Seniors Pat Minogue and Tyler Kishbaugh both have two fumble recoveries, while Long leads the team in interceptions with two. The 12 forced turnovers ranks 22nd in Division III.

TOP 25 MATCHUP: Both the Bombers and the Engineers are ranked entering the game on Saturday. In the latest D3football.com Top 25 Poll, Ithaca is ranked at 23rd, while RPI sits at 20th. Saturday's contest will mark the first time since 2013 that Ithaca has played in a game in which both teams were ranked – Wesley in the NCAA Tournament.

NATIONAL STATISTIC TEAM RANKINGS:

(5th) Fumbles Recovered – 8
(10th) Defensive Touchdowns – 2
(18th) Punt Return Defense – 0.86 yards per return
(22nd) Red Zone Defense – 0.538%
(22nd) Turnovers Gained – 12
(23rd) Rush Defense – 70.5 yards per game
(31st) Total Defense – 273.8 yards per game
(31st) Scoring Defense – 13.5 points per game

NATIONAL STATISTIC INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

(6th) Fumbles Recovered, Pat Minogue – 2
(26th) Receptions Per Game, Andrew Vito – 7.5
(48th) Rushing Touchdowns, Isaiah D'Haiti – 5
(48th) Completions Per Game, Wahid Nabi – 20

SCOUTING THE ENGINEERS: RPI is 4-0 coming into Ithaca on Saturday, with a dangerous offense led by quarterback George Marinopoulos. The sophomore signal caller has thrown for 821 yards and six touchdowns through four games this season. As a team, the Engineers are averaging 33 points per game, as well as 374.8 yards of offense.

The RPI defense is equally impressive as the unit has allowed 16.8 points per game and has recorded 15 turnovers, including 12 interceptions. The defensive unit ranks second nationally in interceptions and seventh in defensive touchdowns with three.

UP NEXT: The Bombers take on Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. next Saturday in a Liberty League matchup beginning at 1 p.m. The game will mark the 15th meeting between the two teams, a series in which Ithaca leads, 11-3.