Segala Throws for 326 Yards, Four Touchdowns in 49-6 Rout at TCNJ

EWING, N.J. – Brees Segala (Webster/Webster Schroeder) completed 21-of-30 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns as Cortland defeated host The College of New Jersey, 49-6, in non-league action. The Red Dragons improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Lions fell to 0-2.

Trevor Ash (Auburn) caught two touchdown passes and finished with six catches for 78 yards. JJ Laap (Stony Brook/Ward Melville) recorded eight receptions for 137 yards and a score and Derek Cruz (Oceanside) had three catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. Ashton Capone (Saratoga Springs) rushed 17 times for 66 yards, while Jahon Moore (Hillside, NJ) and backup quarterback Zac Boyes (Buffalo/Kenmore West) each ran for a touchdown.

Cortland outgained the hosts in total offense, 428-165, and converted 8-of-11 third-down situations, compared to just 3-for-14 for TCNJ. Justin Wheeler (Binghamton/Susquehanna Valley) led the Red Dragon defense with 12 tackles, including three for losses, and two forced fumbles. Christian Legagneur (Brentwood/St. John the Baptist) had five tackles and an interception, John Manganella (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) totaled two sacks among his five tackles. Dylan Dubuque (East Greenbush/Columbia) scored a defensive touchdown for the second straight game, returning an interception 11 yards for Cortland's final points midway through the fourth quarter.

Despite the lopsided score, Cortland actually rallied for the win after falling behind 6-0 early in the second quarter. The teams played a scoreless first period, with Cortland's first three drives ending on downs, a fumble, and an interception. The Lions, however, were only able to convert the two turnovers into a pair of Bobby Wortman field goals – a 46-yarder with 14:12 left in the second and a 35-yarder just more than three minutes later.

Cortland's next six drives resulted in touchdowns. Segala hit Ash on a 10-yard TD pass with 8:09 left in the second to finish a 62-yard drive, and Segala and Laap connected on a 25-yard TD pass with 4:46 remaining in the second to finish a 60-yard drive. The Red Dragons marched 75 yards late in the quarter, capped by Ash's 4-yard TD catch with 27 seconds remaining, and Cortland led 21-6 at halftime.

Cortland began the third quarter with a 66-yard drive over 11 plays, culminating in Moore's 1-yard scoring run on 4th-and-goal. The next Red Dragon series began at their own 7-yard line and covered 93 yards in just eight plays. Capone's 34-yard reception was the big play during the drive, and Segala hit Cruz for a 7-yard TD reception that pushed Cortland's lead to 35-6 with 1:02 left in the third.

On TCNJ's next possession, the Lions were forced to punt after a three-and-out. Stone Murray (Latham/Shaker) blocked the punt and Joshua Cordero (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) recovered the ball at the TCNJ 3-yard line. Boyes, on his first collegiate snap, ran up the middle for a 3-yard score on the next play and the lead was 42-6 with three seconds remaining in the quarter.

Following Dubuque's interception return for a score, TCNJ mounted its best drive of the game. The Lions marched 61 yards to the Cortland 4-yard line, but Legagneur intercepted a pass on 3rd-and-goal. It appeared briefly that he was going to return the ball almost 100 yards for a touchdown, but his return reduced officially to just 25 yards due to a penalty.

Cortland will play its first home game of the season next Saturday at 2 p.m. when it hosts Buffalo State in another non-league game