Box Score Box score

CORTLAND, NY—Entering their conference match-up to SUNY Cortland, The College of New Jersey football team hoped to snap its first two-game losing streak of the 2009 season. The host had different ideas.

The Red Dragons (6-2, 6-3 NJAC) used a stifling defense to upend the Lions 30-7. The nation's 23rd most active pass rush entering the game, Cortland allowed only 190 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers to defeat the visiting Lions in rainy conditions

Junior tailback Dom Sair (Huntington, NY/Huntington) put the Red Dragons on the board first, leaping over the offensive line into the end zone with 2:11 left in the first quarter. A conversion rush failed after a low point-after snap.

Early in the second quarter, freshman Justin Autera (Mahopac, NY/Mahopac) returned a punt 51 yards to the TCNJ 7-yard line. Three plays later, Smith found senior wide receiver Eric Hajnos (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) in the middle of the field for a 3-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 13-0. Autera finished with four punt returns for 98 yards and added 67 rushing yards on five carries.

The Lions offense just couldn't get things going and never recovered from the early deficit. Quiet until late, junior running back Michael Yetka (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) accounted for nearly all his team's rushing yards on the Lions only scoring drive, reaching pay dirt on from 10 yards out with 7:18 remaining in the contest. He gained the entirety of his afternoon's 41 yards during that drive, leading TCNJ ball-carriers in ground yardage.

Freshman running back Kevin Brown (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City) finished as the team's close second, rushing nine times in the contest for 39 yards. The only other contributor to that possession, he added 16-yard carry toward the team's lone score, three plays before Yetka's fourth-quarter touchdown.

Back-up quarterback James Donoghue (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) got some snaps under center and completed an encouraging nine of 13 passes for 59 yards.Senior hybrid wide receiver/tight end Bill Picatagi (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) led the team with 59 yards on his eight receptions. He added 22 yards on his only three rush attempts.

The Lions defense did limit the Red Dragons to 310 yards on its 66 plays, allowing only 2-of-12 successful 3rd down conversion attempts. The unit held SUNY-Cortland graduate student Alex Smith (Niagra Falls, NY/Niagra-Wheatfield) to completions on only 10 of his 20 throws for 86 yards. In his third game since returning to the Red Dragons' roster, starting the season listed as its wide receivers' coach, the senior did contribute a pair of touchdowns.

An active participant during their win, Guiliano contributed 19 yards on five carries, and a four-yard touchdown pass to sophomore fullback Bill Smith (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet)—all from his team's adaptation of the exotic Wildcat offense.

TCNJ sophomore defensive end Kevin Allgood (Chatham, NJ/Chatham) led the team with eight total stops (4 solo). Freshman linebacker Gregory Burns (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) forced a fumble on the Red Dragons' second offensive possession that was recovered by strong safety Shawn Brown (Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch) on the Lions 2-yard line. Brown had a productive game recording seven tackles of his own (all solo), including one behind the line-of-scrimmage.

TCNJ returns to the friendly confines of Lions' Stadium next weekend to host Western Connecticut State University on Saturday, November 7. Penciled in as the team's final home game, kickoff is scheduled for noon.