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| It's been a quick rise from second string to starting against Cortland in the Cortaca Jug game for Ithaca freshman quarterback Colin Schumm. Ithaca athletics photo |
By Joe Sager
D3sports.com
Ithaca is where it thought it’d be right now.
The Bombers just didn’t anticipate preparing for their annual Cortaca Jug Game this way.
The squad captured a Liberty League championship and secured an NCAA playoff berth with a new face at quarterback – Colin Schumm. The true freshman was pressed into duty when senior A.J. Wingfield suffered a broken left leg in the Bombers’ sixth game.
Wingfield, a Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist last year and a preseason All-American this fall, was enjoying another strong campaign for No. 14 Ithaca (8-1) when he was injured.
“I kind of knew I was done right then and there,” he said. “I stayed at the stadium until the end of the game to see how it’d go. Afterward, the whole team gathered around me and they were able to say some final words to me before getting in the ambulance. To see the positive impact I had on people means more to me than playing a few more games.”
With the realization his season was over, Wingfield was determined to help the Bombers any way he could while getting around on one leg.
“I’ve been at practice, riding around on a scooter. I’ll stand behind the offense and help out,” he said. “Knowing I was done; I was able to shift my mindset into more of a leadership and helping out role. I have been doing the best I can with it.
“It’s really exciting we’re where we are. To take the Liberty League championship meant everything to us. We have a big game this week with Cortland. We’re in the playoffs, which is what we wanted,” he continued. “Me being down doesn’t affect anything, in terms of the team’s goal. Everyone is behind Colin and supporting him. We’re only being positive from here and want to keep moving forward.”
Cortland is 8-1 as well and ranked No. 15, one spot behind the Bombers.
Ithaca coach Michael Toerper is not surprised to see Wingfield continue to do whatever he can to help the team win.
“A.J. has been the same person since I have known him. After the injury, the only difference is that he’s scooting around at practice and not running around,” he said. “It’s no surprise to anybody. He is a consistent guy. He’s a consistent leader and teammate. We’ve very lucky he chose Ithaca back in 2019.”
With Wingfield as his quarterback coach, Schumm has taken the reins for Ithaca’s offense.
“It’s a big test,” Schumm said. “I had been getting a lot of reps with the backups in camp and I familiarized myself with as much of the offense as I could and learned from A.J. every day. Now that I am running the offense, it’s good to still be able to learn from him every day and have him by my side.”
Schumm, who has started three games, settles into his responsibilities more and more each week.
“It’s been good,” he said. “I am at the point now here where I am ready to really excel at this position with all the support around me. It makes my job so much easier having all the guys around me making plays. All I have to do is get them the ball.”
Senior running back Jalen Leonard-Osbourne helps alleviate some pressure from Schumm. He’s run for 804 yards in an offense that averages 214.8 rushing yards per outing. He’s the team’s second-leading receiver, too, with 31 catches for 303 yards. Sam Kline leads the squad with 40 catches for 583 yards.
“We have a lot of special guys on the offensive side of the ball,” Schumm said. “That’s what makes us so special and helps us win every week.”
In addition, Schumm has benefited from a defense that yields 12 points per game.
“Every day in practice, having those guys push me is great. We push each other,” Schumm said. “We always say iron sharpens iron. I think it really does show when it comes to game time.”
Going from a fifth-year to a first-year quarterback caused the Bombers to simplify offensive coordinator Mike Hatcher’s playbook. Slowly, they’ve been opening it back up as Schumm gains experience.
“From my first start to now, we’ve added a lot of plays. It’s just coming with my comfortability factor,” Schumm said. “Coach Hatch has done a great job playing to my strengths. We’re not going to change anything from here. We’re just going to keep rolling.”
Likewise, adjusting from a high school offense to a college approach takes time.
“It’s a lot different. There are a lot more moving pieces and more information you have to learn on the fly,” Schumm said. “Coming here really opened my eyes to what it means to be a true quarterback. I’ve seen A.J. put so much into this position. I hope I get to do the same thing in my career.”
Wingfield is pleased to see Schumm improve steadily each week.
“He’s come a really long way. He kind of got thrown in during camp early on with the backups,” he said. “It took me years to be really comfortable in this offense. For him, he’s at a point where he’s starting to get comfortable. Each week, he’s learning from things he did the week before. I’ve really seen exponential growth from the time I got hurt until now.”
Toerper is happy to see the young passer rise to the challenge.
“We had a sense that Colin was mature above his years when we recruited him,” he said.
“The combination of that and the great pieces around him and the instruction Coach Hatcher and A.J. Wingfield have given him has given me more confidence in the situation. I am proud of Colin and his ability to play with confidence and understand the growing pains that come along the way but not letting that affect his preparation on a week-to-week basis.
“We have a lot of guys that can play and make plays for us, guys that are back from last year and new guys. It’s really a program-wide buy-in to do whatever it takes to answer the call.”
Last year with Wingfield leading the way, Ithaca reached the NCAA quarterfinals, where it fell to North Central, 48-7. The Bombers hope for another long playoff run this year, but are focused on Saturday’s matchup against archrival Cortland in the 64th Cortaca Jug Game.
“I have been looking forward to this game since I was recruited here,” Schumm said. “Being able to play in it as a freshman is going to be an unreal experience. I’ve just tried to absorb everything I can and learn as much as I can so I can go out and perform well for the team, so we can come out on top.”
Both squads are 8-1 and headed to the playoffs regardless of Saturday’s result, but there’s plenty on the line in addition to the Jug.
“It’s really a unique situation that we saw last year, too. Both us and Cortland have locked up bids to the playoffs, but we play each other to find who has a home playoff game,” Toerper said. “Our guys are excited, but loose and focused. I am sure Cortland is the same way. This is what college football is all about at this time of year – two teams who have performed well playing head-to-head to see who gets to host a playoff game.”
