ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 16 Ithaca College football team jumped out to an early first quarter lead and then rode its defense to a 24-0 shutout over Brockport on September 10 at Butterfield Stadium. Ithaca is now 2-0 on the season after its first home-opening shutout since 2004 (45-0 vs. Buffalo State).
Ithaca built a 17-0 lead after a quarter of play and never looked back. IC received the opening kick and marched 69 yards on 12 plays to set up a 23-yard field goal for
Nicholas Bahamonde with 10:02 left.
A.J. Wingfield hit
Michael Anderson for a pair of 18-yard completions during the drive.
The Bombers then recovered a fumble on Brockport's initial drive as
Nathaniel Potts busted through the line to force the fumble and
Matt DeSimpliciis recovered at the Brockport 34-yard line. On the next snap by IC, Wingfield connected with
Jalen Leonard-Osbourne for the 34-yard touchdown to extend Ithaca's lead to 10-0 with 8:38 to go.
The lead grew to 17-0 four minutes later as Wingfield hit
Julien Deumaga on a 2-yard fade to cap off a 43-yard drive. IC's short field was set up by a 22-yard punt return by Anderson.
IC's defense took over from there as the Bombers forced a turnover on downs at the IC 27-yard line with 5:!8 left in the second quarter and then
Michael Blanchard intercepted a pass with 1:42 remaining and rattled off a 19-yard return to end the half.
In the third quarter, IC's defense forced two more turnover on downs, including a 13-yard sack by
Michael Roumes and
Ben Stola.
Ithaca extended its lead to 24-0 with 5:17 left in the third as Wingfield tossed his third touchdown of the game, this time 20 yards to Anderson for the final score of the contest.
The fourth quarter was an exchange of punts, one of which traveled 52 yards off the foot of Roumes. IC's defense once again forced another turnover on downs in the final stanza.
Wingfield threw for 166 yards on three scores on 15-of-27 passing, while Anderson hauled in seven catches for 109 yards. Leonard-Osbourne had 43 yards on three receptions.
Defensively, DeSimpliciis was a menace with 12 total tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
Jason Haber added 10 tackles on the day, while Roumes chipped in nine with a half sack.
Brockport outgained Ithaca, 266-243, in the contest, but the Golden Eagles were just 5-for-18 on third down and 1-for-6 on fourth down.
The Bombers remain at home next Saturday, September 17 against Alfred University for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
