BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – The nationally ranked No. 17 Ithaca College football team posted a convincing, 51-14, season-opening win at Bridgewater State University on September 3 as the Bombers never trailed in the contest. With the win, Ithaca is now 21-1 in season openers dating back to 2000 and is now 2-0 all-time against Bridgewater State after a 52-20 victory against the Bears last season. The Bombers also secure the first victory for Michael Toerper as head coach of the program.
Ithaca racked up 462 yards of offense on the day and 25 first downs. IC passed for 242 yards and ran for 220 more, while the kick return unit accounted for 161 yards on four attempts. IC converted all three fourth down tries and went 8-for-13 on third down. IC's defense allowed just 249 yards with three sacks and an interception.
The Bombers got the 2022 season off to a perfect start as Anthony D'Addetta returned the opening kickoff 96 yards – an unofficial school record – for a touchdown to give IC a 7-0 lead 15 seconds into the contest. The kickoff return for a score was the first for the Bombers since Jordan Schemm took a kick back 91 yards against Hartwick in 2015.
Bridgewater's opening drive lasted seven plays and covered 20 yards before the Bears had to punt, which traveled 49 yards and pinned IC back at its own 6-yard line.
Ithaca would extend its lead to 14-0 as Jake Williams capped off a 17-play, 94-yard drive that took 6:33 off the clock in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run. Williams began the drive with three straight carries for 16 yards to give the Bombers some breathing room. A.J. Wingfield then completed six straight passes to move IC from its 22 up to the Bridgewater 30-yard line. Wingfield completed three passes to Michael Anderson, two to Julien Deumaga and one to Billy Tedeschi. The Bombers used the ground game the rest of the drive as Williams, Jalen Hines and Ryan Brozovic combined for the final 30 yards.
The Bears got on the board early in the second quarter to make the score 14-7 as Adam Couch scored from 1-yard out to finish off a 68-yard drive with 11:54 remaining in the half.
IC extended its lead to 21-7 just over four minutes later as Sam Kline hauled in an 10-yard pass from Wingfield. On this drive, IC covered 67 yards on 12 plays as Wingfield continued to find his targets, connecting on back-to-back passes to Daniel Hutchinson for 15 and five yards and then Deumaga for a 9-yard gain. Williams remained the feature back with 20 yards on six carries.
After the kickoff, Bridgewater State went backwards on a 5-yard tackle for loss by Nathaniel Potts, a 5-yard sack by Isaiah Couser, and a 14-yard errant snap that went into the end zone for a safety to give IC a 23-7 advantage.
The Bombers continued to roll after the free kick as IC rushed eight times for 58 yards, capped off by a 7-yard score by Jalen Hines with 1:06 to go, making the score 30-7. Jalen Leonard-Osbourne ran for 23 yards during the possession, while Conner Hayes had a 13-yard rush.
IC had another change to put points on the board heading into halftime as Darren Brunner intercepted a pass at the Bridgewater 38-yard line and took it back six yards with 14 seconds remaining. An incompletion brought the field goal unit out with five seconds to go but Nicholas Bahamonde, who made all seven extra points attempts on the day, missed a 49-yard field goal try.
The lead grew to 37-7 just six minutes into the third quarter as Brozovic punched in a 1-yard score. A Bridgewater punt gave the Bombers possession at midfield after a 16-yard return by Anderson, and on the second snap of the ensuing drive, Wingfield hit Anderson on a 43-yard completion to march IC down to the 1-yard line. Another 1-yard Brozovic run put IC ahead, 44-7, with 4:25 left in the third quarter.
Bridgewater found the end zone with less than a minute remaining in the third to make the score 44-14 and put an end to Ithaca's run of 30 straight points.
IC finished off its season opener, 51-14, with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Max Perry to Deumaga with 11:04 left in regulation.
Wingfield and Perry combined to go 22-for-28 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Wingfield was 14-fo-17 for 152 yards and a score, while Perry was 8-of-11 for 90 yards and a TD.
Williams notched 94 yards on 21 carries, while Brozovic had 40 yards on 12 attempts. Anderson finished the day with 87 yards on six receptions, while Deumaga hauled in six passes for 84 yards.
Matt DeSimpliciis led the defense with six tackles and a sack, while Michael Roumes added five stops. Michael Blanchard earned a sack in the win, while Brunner, Jake Connolly, Sam Tourangeau and Jason Green each notched four tackles.
Ithaca will play Brockport back at Butterfield Stadium next Saturday, September 10 at 1 p.m.
No. 17 Ithaca Leaves No Doubt at Bridgewater State, 51-14
/seasons/2022/boxscores/20220903_uljr.xml
2022
Ithaca
51
Bridgewater State
14
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 10 Ithaca (1-0) | 14 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 51 |
| Bridgewater State (0-1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Sep 03, 2022