ITHACA, N.Y. – The nationally ranked No. 12/13 Ithaca College football team scored 35 unanswered points in the second half in a Liberty League matchup against the University of Rochester at Butterfield Stadium on October 8 to guide IC to a 56-10 final. The Bombers, who scored the game's opening 21 points before UR got on the board, improves to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Liberty League.
Ithaca eclipsed 500 yards of offense for the second time this season as the Bombers rushed for 330 yards on 38 attempts and passed for 193 yards on 21-of-28 for 523 yards on the day. The 330 yards on the ground marks the first time and IC team has surpassed 300 yards since 2012. IC also picked up 26 first downs and registered 145 yards on punt and kick returns.
The IC defense held Rochester to just 55 yards passing, but the Yellowjackets countered with the nation's leading rusher in Daniel Papantonis, who finished the day with 172 yards on 27 carries. Despite the 172 yards, Papantonis was kept out of the end zone.
A.J. Wingfield tossed four touchdown passes on the day as he went 21-for-28 for 193 yards. Four different Bombers were on the receiving end of those scores as Jake Ross scored from 36-yards out, Jalen Leonard-Osbourne hauled in an 11-yard score, Dan Mason caught a touchdown of 15 yards and Jon Crowley scored on a 1-yard pass.
The touchdown receptions by Mason and Crowley marked the first time that a pair of IC tight ends scored since 2014.
IC also scored three times on the ground – two by Max Perry and one from Jake Williams. The Bombers' other touchdown occurred on a punt return by Michael Anderson.
Ithaca won the coin toss and elected to receiving the opening kickoff. The Bombers quickly applied pressure on UR as Anthony D'Addetta took the kick back 47 yards to spot IC at the UR 41-yard line. That initial drive was consumed by Williams, who rushed for 24 yards, including a 4-yard score. The Bombers went for a two-point conversion and were successful on a run by Michael Roumes.
Rochester converted a fourth down on its opening drive, but things suddenly came to a halt as Matt DeSimpliciis and Jason Green registered back-to-back sacks.
An 11-yard punt ensued and IC capitalized on the short field with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Wingfield to Mason.
The Bombers' lead grew to 21-0 in the second quarter on a 1-yard pass from Wingfield to Crowley to cap off a 9-play, 85-yard drive. IC connected on 19 and 14-yard completions to Anderson and Daniel Hutchinson to move up to midfield. Williams broke off runs of 11 and 31 yards to bring IC to within the red zone. After a penalty brought the ball back to the 24, Wingfield found Sam Kline for 20 yards to bring IC down to the 4-yard line. A few plays later, Wingfield and Crowley connected on a 1-yard score.
UR got on the board and scored the next 10 points on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Rose to Trey Johnson and then a 24-yard field goal by Jordan Laudani.
Out of intermission, the Bombers blew the game open with 21 points in the third quarter and 14 more in the fourth period.
IC's first touchdown of the third came with 10:15 remaining as Wingfield found Leonard-Osbourne on an 11-yard screen pass.
After a partially blocked punt by Stephen Soravilla gave IC the ball back at the UR 49-yard line, Wingfield scrambled to his left and tossed a 34-yard score to a wide open Ross with 6:28 left to make it a 35-10 difference.
Rochester once again had to punt and sent a 5-yarder to the IC 32, followed by a 6-yard loss on the return, but UR was flagged on the play and IC elected for another punt. This time, the Yellowjackets sent a 47-yard punt to Anderson, who maneuvered his way across and down the field for a 56-yard punt return touchdown – his second of the season – with 30 seconds left.
IC would intercept a pass in the opening minute of the fourth quarter as Tommy Moran stayed in bounds on a pass attempt towards the sideline. The Bombers came up empty as the drive ended at the 1-yard line, but after that, it was the Perry show with 41- and 27-yard touchdown runs to give IC the 56-10 win.
Perry rushed for 75 yard on three carries, while Williams had 113 yards on 10 attempts.Anthony Forbidussi ran for 56 on eight carries as well.
Defesively, DeSimpliciis logged 11 total tackles, while Roumes notched 10 tackles. Derek Slywka each finished the game with seven tackles each.
the Bombers will remain at home next Saturday, October 15 against St. Lawrence University at 1 p.m.
Dominant Second Half Leads No. 12/13 Ithaca over Rochester, 56-10
/seasons/2022/boxscores/20221008_q65x.xml
2022
Rochester
10
Ithaca
56
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester (1-4) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 10 Ithaca (5-0) | 14 | 7 | 21 | 14 | 56 |
Oct 08, 2022