ITHACA, N.Y. – For the first time in eight years, the Ithaca College football team hung 50 points on the scoreboard, en route to a 50-27 Empire 8 Conference victory over Hartwick College on Saturday as part of Homecoming and Alumni Weekend at Butterfield Stadium. The Bombers are now 3-2 on the season after their second straight win, while Hartwick falls to 1-4 on the year.
In 2008, Ithaca defeated Frostburg State, 51-27.
Hartwick received the opening kickoff and was forced to punt after a three-and-out. On the ensuing punt, the ball hit off a Bombers' helmet and the Hawks recovered the muffed punt at Ithaca's 45-yard line. The Hawks would march all the way down to the Bombers' 5-yard line, but senior Anthony Skretny would intercept a pass at the 2-yard line to end Hartwick's drive, which lasted nearly nine minutes.
Ithaca turned the sudden change into six points on a seven-play, 84-yard drive that was capped off by a nine-yard run by junior Tristan Brown with 4:03 left in the quarter. Brown carried the ball three times for 41 yards on the drive.
The first quarter would end at 6-0 in favor of the Bombers, which was just the second time this season that Hartwick had been held scoreless in a quarter.
Hartwick would take its first lead of the game just 3:19 into the second quarter, 7-6, on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Billy Pine to Brad Garcia. The Hawks went 82 yards on seven plays, with their big play coming on a 52-yard completion down to the 1-yard line.
On Ithaca's next possession, senior Wolfgang Shafer fumbled on a sack in Hartwick territory. The Hawks, however, turned the ball right back over four plays later as sophomore Pat Minogue forced a fumble.
The Bombers would capitalize once again on a turnover, as they drove 55 yards on five plays in just 2:21 to make the score 13-7. Junior Evan Skea carried the ball three times on the drive for 29 yards, and the Brown maneuvered his way through the Hartwick defense from 11 yards out for his second touchdown of the game. Junior Jack Yule also hauled in a 15-yard reception on the drive.
Hartwick would tie the game up at 13-13 just before halftime on an eight-play, 69-yard drive. The Hawks got down to Ithaca's 19-yard line, but a holding and back-to-back sacks from seniors Tyler Beauchesne and Peter Trathen, and junior Dan Loizos, pushed Hartwick back to the 32. Facing a 4th-and-23, Hartwick drew a pass interference call in the end zone to prolong the drive, and three plays later, scored on a 19-yard pass from Pine to Koree Reed.
The ensuing extra point was missed to account for the 13-13 deadlock at the break.
The second half of Saturday's conference tilt was dominated by the Bombers, as they rolled off 30 unanswered points from the kickoff to 9:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.
On Ithaca's initial drive of the third quarter, the Bombers completed two passes to Yule and freshman Will Gladney for a combined 30 yards. Brown and Skea took care of the rest, as Skea tallied his first score of the game from 10 yards out.
Ithaca's next possession resulted in a Minogue 45-yard punt that pinned Hartwick back to its own 4-yard line with 5:27 left in the third quarter. Two plays later, Minogue rushed in on a bobbled shotgun snap and sacked Pine in the end zone for a safety, which made the score, 22-13.
The free kick set the Bombers up at the plus-40-yard line, and just five plays later, Skea barreled in from two yards out. Skea also picked up 23 yards during the drive on a reception.
As the third quarter was coming to a close, Trathen handed Hartwick a 19-yard sack to push the Hawks back to the 9-yard line. A 25-yard punt set up Ithaca with a short field heading into the final period of play.
At the conclusion of the third quarter, Ithaca led the Hawks, 29-13, and forced its high-powered offense into -17 yards.
Less than two minutes into the fourth, junior JR Zazzara made a highlight reel catch in the back corner of the end zone on an 11-yard connection from Shafer to push Ithaca's lead to 36-13.
After the kickoff, Pine was intercepted again on the first snap by junior Kenny Bradley and returned 32 yards down to Hartwick's 5-yard line. A pair of penalties would move Ithaca back to the 18, but Shafer would once again find Zazzara for a leaping grab, which gave the Bombers a 30-point lead, 43-13, with 11:18 on the clock.
Hartwick ended Ithaca's onslaught just 1:40 later on five plays that covered 83 yards. Reed found the end zone for the second time in the game on a 29-yard pass from Pine.
The Bombers pushed their lead back out to 30 points, 50-20, as Shafer found Gladney down the middle of the field for a 25-yard catch-and-run.
Hartwick ended the high-scoring affair with 4:40 left in regulation on a 36-yard pass from Pine to Reed.
Shafer finished the game with 222 yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-24 passing, which is the third-highest completion percentage of his career (70.8). Brown carried the ball 16 times for a season-best 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Skea notched 53 yards on nine rushes.
Yule led the receiving core with four grabs and 48 yards, while Gladney had two catches for 38 yards. Both of Zazzara's receptions were in the end zone for 29 yards. Freshman Darryl Robinson hauled in two passes for 26 yards. Seniors Myles LaFrance and Ross Brayman, and juniors Brad Helmkamp and Jared Bauer combined for six receptions and 58 yards. Skea accounted for the other 23 receiving yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Loizos once again led the team with 10 tackles to go along with one-and-a-half tackles for loss and a half sack. Bradley, Minogue and junior Mike Miller all notched eight stops.
Minogue recorded three-and-a-half tackles for loss to go along with the sack and safety, as well as the forced fumble.
Senior Anthony Skretny made five tackles with an interception, while sophomore Ryan Bronson had three tackles and a pick. Junior Jordan Schemm had three pass breakups in the game.
Ithaca's defense tallied 13 tackles for loss and four sacks in the victory.
Freshman DJ Ellis averaged 52 yards on his kickoffs, with one touchback, and made six extra points.
The Bombers travel to Brockport next Saturday, October 15, for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Ithaca lost to the Golden Eagles last season, 27-17.