Cortaca Jug, 2011

[DanPadavona]

A one-sided game in favor of Cortland. It struck me how slow the Ithaca offense was. Ruffrage is outstanding, but he is the only kid Cortland had to worry about out there. Running game was non-existent, which is shocking for an Ithaca football team. The offensive line couldn't pass block at all. 8 sacks vs 16 completions - that's pretty ugly. Ithaca needs a more athletic offensive line.

Pitcher was great for Cortland. I can't think of a game in the last several years where a Cortland QB was this efficient both passing and running. Every decision to run was the right one, and his passes were accurate as always. John Babin is a monster, and Kordel McInnis is really starting to come into his own as a freshman receiver. The loss of Pitcher will be big. But with these receivers coming back, the new QB will have some awesome targets.

It's pretty clear Cortland needs to recruit a little harder for a kicker. A missed extra point, a missed FG from extra point distance, another missed FG, and some ugly kickoffs. I'd mention the 15-yard punt, but Pete Furey has been a really solid punter (and DB) throughout his career.

[RedDragonFan]

Agree with Dan totally. Always nice to win but IMHO it's much more enjoyable when the game is competitive and today was not. Cortlands D line pretty much had their way with the Bombers O line. Think there were like 7 or 8 sacks and a bunch of tackles for losses.

Pitcher was outstanding.  As Dan stated, made great decisions all day and his passing was very accurate. Great game and great season for him.

Congrats to Cortland.

[cstate19]

Agree with Dan totally. Always nice to win but IMHO it's much more enjoyable when the game is competitive and today was not. Cortlands D line pretty much had their way with the Bombers O line. Think there were like 7 or 8 sacks and a bunch of tackles for losses.

Pitcher was outstanding.  As Dan stated, made great decisions all day and his passing was very accurate. Great game and great season for him.

Congrats to Cortland.

Forget that, I enjoyed the blowout.

Just settling in after my trip to CNY. Here are some rambling thoughts.

- Corrado was awful. He has been the entire season/his entire career.

-Pitcher was incredible.  Up 14-3 he picked up two separate first downs on third and long and fourth and long to keep a TD drive alive.  Picked up a third and long on the next TD scoring drive.

-Ithaca's O-Line got dominated.

-Ithaca driving on their first drive and they throw a INT.  Not saying they woulda won, but a TD to go up 7-0 changes the whole game.

-Lots of empty seats on the Cortland side.  The schools need to do something to get tickets into the hands of people who care about the game. 

-From what I saw, the environment was very tame.  Very little cursing, no "IC ****" or "State School" (thank god), and no fights. Nice to see less of the nonsense but I was surprised.

-Great weather. 

-Is this just one down year after an incredible streak for IC or a sign of things to come?

-The term "Ithaca Sucks" was about as true of a statement as I have ever heard this weekend.  A pathatic showing.

The Jug resides in Cortland for another 365 days and I am $20 richer after a bet from a foolish IC alum.

[RedDragonFan]

Agree with Dan totally. Always nice to win but IMHO it's much more enjoyable when the game is competitive and today was not. Cortlands D line pretty much had their way with the Bombers O line. Think there were like 7 or 8 sacks and a bunch of tackles for losses.

Pitcher was outstanding.  As Dan stated, made great decisions all day and his passing was very accurate. Great game and great season for him.

Congrats to Cortland.

Forget that, I enjoyed the blowout.

Just settling in after my trip to CNY. Here are some rambling thoughts.

- Corrado was awful. He has been the entire season/his entire career.

-Pitcher was incredible.  Up 14-3 he picked up two separate first downs on third and long and fourth and long to keep a TD drive alive.  Picked up a third and long on the next TD scoring drive.

-Ithaca's O-Line got dominated.

-Ithaca driving on their first drive and they throw a INT.  Not saying they woulda won, but a TD to go up 7-0 changes the whole game.

-Lots of empty seats on the Cortland side.  The schools need to do something to get tickets into the hands of people who care about the game. 

-From what I saw, the environment was very tame.  Very little cursing, no "IC ****" or "State School" (thank god), and no fights. Nice to see less of the nonsense but I was surprised.

-Great weather. 

-Is this just one down year after an incredible streak for IC or a sign of things to come?

-The term "Ithaca Sucks" was about as true of a statement as I have ever heard this weekend.  A pathatic showing.

The Jug resides in Cortland for another 365 days and I am $20 richer after a bet from a foolish IC alum.

Not meant as a dig but honestly, can't Ithaca invest in a PA system that can be heard beyond 12 feet in front of  the speaker?  I've heard better systems at Dunkin Donuts drive ups than what's in use at Butterfield.  Listened to the radio broadcast but found the lack of volume and poor quality of the system in the stadium very annoying.

Agree with your comments and particularly the IC O line.  The qb got drilled by one of the Cortland D linemen on that INT.  Whomever it was deserves credit for the pick cause the qb saw it coming and rushed the throw.

Some of the knuckleheads were out for sure but you're right, far less than in the past which is a good thing. 

[maxpower]

A pathatic showing.

Let's end the Cortaca board with that.

[Jonny Utah]

Go Bombers.

[RedDragonFan]

Go Recruit Offensive Linemen Bombers.

[clandfan]

Syracuse paper quoted Welch as saying that it wasn't anything that Cortland did, it was what the Bombers didn't do...like what, coach?  show up?  I am sure that Cortland had nothing to do with the hurt they layed on you. 

[Jonny Utah]

Syracuse paper quoted Welch as saying that it wasn't anything that Cortland did, it was what the Bombers didn't do...like what, coach?  show up?  I am sure that Cortland had nothing to do with the hurt they layed on you.

He probably meant that Cortland didn't do anything that Ithaca didn't know about.   And there was nothing Ithaca could do about it.

[clandfan]

Syracuse paper quoted Welch as saying that it wasn't anything that Cortland did, it was what the Bombers didn't do...like what, coach?  show up?  I am sure that Cortland had nothing to do with the hurt they layed on you.

He probably meant that Cortland didn't do anything that Ithaca didn't know about.   And there was nothing Ithaca could do about it.

In fairness to Coach Welch, he was much more gracious in his comments to the Cortland Standard and I assume his comments to the Post were not taken in full context.  His comments in the Cortland Standard reflect exactly what Jonny Utes described.

[Bombers798891]

Syracuse paper quoted Welch as saying that it wasn't anything that Cortland did, it was what the Bombers didn't do...like what, coach?  show up?  I am sure that Cortland had nothing to do with the hurt they layed on you.

He probably meant that Cortland didn't do anything that Ithaca didn't know about.   And there was nothing Ithaca could do about it.

In fairness to Coach Welch, he was much more gracious in his comments to the Cortland Standard and I assume his comments to the Post were not taken in full context.  His comments in the Cortland Standard reflect exactly what Jonny Utes described.

Everything you saw in the Cortaca game was exactly what you'd have seen every week on the South Hill this season. Cortland whipped Ithaca up and down the field, but seriously, was anything that happened in that game a surprise?

1. Hendel was ineffective.

Bomber QB's finished the year 9 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Exactly what was unusual about him throwing two picks and no TD's in this game?

2. The Bombers' running game was non-existent

Aside from one 86 yard run, IC running backs had 205 carries and 721 yards on the season. Again, what was unusual about the Bombers getting nothing going in this game?

3. Ithaca's offensive line was terrible

They had allowed 24 sacks in nine games this season. Granted, eight is a ton, but anyone who's watched an Ithaca game this season (or last season) knew that they were horrid on the line.

4. Ithaca's defense wore down in the second half

Heading into Cortaca, the Bombers had allowed 60 first half points, and 105 in the second half.

Cortland did a good job keeping the ball out of Ruffrage's hands, but nothing else that occurred struck me as terribly unusual for an Ithaca game. It seemed like everything was par for the course, with the exception that Cortland, as a better team, was able to exacerbate the issues.  No one is saying Cortland didn't kick Ithaca's ***. But let's not pretend like this was a great, or even good, Bomber team. This was probably the worst team in (modern) school history. How much credit are you expecting?

[Jonny Utah]

Bombers why did Sulla only get one carry?

[Bombers798891]

Bombers why did Sulla only get one carry?

I would assume injury. He didn't play against Alfred, so there's probably something there. But the Bombers' pretty much abandoned the run early anyway, so what good would he have done? There's no getting around it: Without a significant upgrade on the offensive line, who the Bombers start at RB is irrelevant. I don't see there being a Giorgio/Maddi or Donovan/Baez dichotomy in the backfield where one guy is a bigger, more powerful back and the other is more shifty and faster. Nadien and Sulla strike me as essentially the same back.

It would help if those guys could catch. Jamie Free and Dan Ross were fullbacks, but they were also great at catching passes, and Free was really good in the open field. They were legitimate options in the passing game. Free caught close to 100 passes. Ross was banged up a lot, but he finished with like eight touchdowns receiving. Sure, Bergerstock, Donovan and Baez weren't threats to do it, but they didn't have to be because they could run. (Well, I think Bergerstock was more about his line than anything else, but still.)

But these guys are pretty one-dimensional, and the line issues make it impossible for them to have an impact

[Jonny Utah]

Bombers why did Sulla only get one carry?

I would assume injury. He didn't play against Alfred, so there's probably something there. But the Bombers' pretty much abandoned the run early anyway, so what good would he have done? There's no getting around it: Without a significant upgrade on the offensive line, who the Bombers start at RB is irrelevant. I don't see there being a Giorgio/Maddi or Donovan/Baez dichotomy in the backfield where one guy is a bigger, more powerful back and the other is more shifty and faster. Nadien and Sulla strike me as essentially the same back.

It would help if those guys could catch. Jamie Free and Dan Ross were fullbacks, but they were also great at catching passes, and Free was really good in the open field. They were legitimate options in the passing game. Free caught close to 100 passes. Ross was banged up a lot, but he finished with like eight touchdowns receiving. Sure, Bergerstock, Donovan and Baez weren't threats to do it, but they didn't have to be because they could run. (Well, I think Bergerstock was more about his line than anything else, but still.)

But these guys are pretty one-dimensional, and the line issues make it impossible for them to have an impact

I haven't watched that close the past few years, but has Ithaca decided to run a basic RB screen yet?

[Bombers798891]

Bombers why did Sulla only get one carry?

I would assume injury. He didn't play against Alfred, so there's probably something there. But the Bombers' pretty much abandoned the run early anyway, so what good would he have done? There's no getting around it: Without a significant upgrade on the offensive line, who the Bombers start at RB is irrelevant. I don't see there being a Giorgio/Maddi or Donovan/Baez dichotomy in the backfield where one guy is a bigger, more powerful back and the other is more shifty and faster. Nadien and Sulla strike me as essentially the same back.

It would help if those guys could catch. Jamie Free and Dan Ross were fullbacks, but they were also great at catching passes, and Free was really good in the open field. They were legitimate options in the passing game. Free caught close to 100 passes. Ross was banged up a lot, but he finished with like eight touchdowns receiving. Sure, Bergerstock, Donovan and Baez weren't threats to do it, but they didn't have to be because they could run. (Well, I think Bergerstock was more about his line than anything else, but still.)

But these guys are pretty one-dimensional, and the line issues make it impossible for them to have an impact

I haven't watched that close the past few years, but has Ithaca decided to run a basic RB screen yet?

Here's what's astounding about that. Welch called one in the 2008 Jug and it worked perfectly, and would up being something like a 30-yard touchdown. But by and large, we never call screen passes. Blows my mind. You would think with a terrible offensive line, defenders wouldn't know the difference between out guys letting them through and actually attempting to stop them, but it's never been a staple of the playbook.