Saturday November 19, 2005

Cortland was eliminated in the opening round of the NCAA Playoffs by the Hobart Statesmen in Geneva, NY, 23-22. The Red Dragon loss is very difficult to explain, as Cortland dominated scrimmage. The Red Dragons had 24 first downs to Hobart's 12, and out-rushed Hobart 192-12. Although Hobart held the statistical passing advantage at 302-230, even this statistic is highly misleading. Hobart's starting quarterback Shawn Mizro passed for only 167 yards and was intercepted 3 times. Hobart's greatest passing success came as a result of passes off end around plays and fake punts.

Every trick play Hobart threw at Cortland on Saturday turned to gold for them. And Cortland did a poor job hanging on to the football on Saturday - 5 fumbles, 2 lost. One fumble came on the opening kickoff of the second half, giving Hobart possession at the Cortland 15 yard line. One play later Mizro threw a touchdown pass to James Wright to give Hobart a 16-7 advantage. Hobart also scored a bizarre touchdown in the second quarter. A rush by Mizro resulted in a fumble at the Cortland 3 yard line. The ball bounced forward into the endzone, where Statesmen Phil Perkins recovered the ball for Hobart. The referees awarded Hobart with a touchdown.

Despite the strange ruling, Cortland had every chance to win this game. In fact Cortland led 7-3 in the first half, and 22-16 in the fourth quarter. But Hobart continued to burn Cortland with trick plays. With Cortland ahead 22-16 and less than 10 minutes to play in the game, receiver Nick Dyson took a lateral pass from Mizro then threw long down field to James Wright for a 46 yard completion. The Cortland secondary failed to stay at home despite numerous such plays earlier in the game. Wright was wide open until he was tackled at the Cortland 30 yard line. On the very next play Mizro threw a deep sideline pattern toward wide receiver Steve Sorhaindo. Cortland corner Greg Steward slipped on the sloppy field conditions and fell, leaving Sorhaindo wide open at the goal line for 29 yards. Hobart scored the eventual game winning touchdown on the next play.

Cortland would drive to the Hobart 30 yard line 2 times in the final minutes of the game, but never capitalized on the situation and came away empty each time. Matthew Mintz missed a 44 yard field goal on the first trip, after having missed a 38 yarder at the end of the first half. The final drive ended, almost fittingly, with a non-call of potential pass interference by Hobart near the endzone, a fumble, and 2 consecutive false start penalties on the Red Dragons.

Alex Smith had 330 yards of total offense against Hobart

It is difficult to believe after reviewing the final statistics, and having watched the game live, that Hobart was indeed the better team. However execution is the ultimate deciding factor, and Cortland was out-executed by the hungry Statesmen. For Cortland to be a championship team, they need to cut down on fumbles, keep the play in front of them defensively, and avoid penalties in key situations.

Nick Dyson catches a sideline pass, then launches his own pass down field for 46 yards

Hobart deserves congratulations. They gave a great effort, they never stopped fighting even when it appeared Cortland was taking control in the fourth quarter, and they played tough against the run.

Cortland had a good season. With a final record of 7-3, an NJAC CO-championship, a Cortaca victory, and an NCAA playoff berth, there is a lot to be proud of.

Alex Smith (230 yards passing, 100 yards rushing, 1 touchdown) stepped up in his final 2 games of his sophomore season. In the two biggest games of the year, Smith was a team-leader and an impact offensive player for the Red Dragons. Anthony Morat made huge catch after huge catch against Ithaca and Hobart, becoming the de facto possession receiver for Cortland. Drew Lascari in his first year at receiver showed his ability to be a deep threat. Cortland found two quality running backs in Matt Rickert and Dustin Bowser. And the offensive line was strong and steady, dominating Cortaca.

Defensively the Red Dragons were amazing in 2005. Running against Cortland was futile. Adam Haas challenged the team sack record, as did the entire defense. Josh Jablonski set a new school record for blocked kicks. Matt Montpetit became the team leader on defense, recovered fumbles, intercepted passes, and basically caused havoc along with his teammates. Stef Sair arrived in his junior year as one of the premiere safeties and overall athletes in all of Division III.

There are so many Red Dragons worth mentioning for their outstanding performance in 2005. With the vast majority of the team returning in 2006, there is reason for very high expectations. Here's hoping Cortland treats the Hobart game as a learning experience, and brings their A-game to the NCAA playoffs next season. And yes, we at CortlandFootball.com expect the Red Dragons will return to the field of 32 in 2006.