Coach MacNeill believes the Red Dragons must “close ranks” in order to fill the void lost from Dan Pitcher this week verse Kean.
Q: The Cortland Red Dragons defeated the Rowan Profs 24-14, in a game that proved to be a tale of two different stories between the first and second half. What does a game like this show in the character of this team particularly the defense that shut out the Profs in the second half?
A: The victory this week showed great character for our team. The defense got very stingy in the last thirty-five minutes and did exactly what we needed it to do. I would tell you it was the most complete game all around. The special teams played outstanding winning the battle of position against Rowan. The offense also put enough points on the board to keep the game out of reach.
Q: Bryan Wiley had a game-high 15 tackles in this game including three for losses. How impressive has this defensive captain been so far this season?
A: After looking at the film the next day Bryan may have had more tackles then fifteen. Our three-man front defensively gives the defensive ends the ability to make a lot of plays on the edge. Bryan Wiley had a great game and is a real impact player for our defense. The coaching staff named Bryan defensive player of the week for his efforts on Saturday.
Q: The victory over Rowan also seemed to be bittersweet. Late in the fourth quarter with Cortland holding onto a ten-point lead on second and eighteen, quarterback Dan Pitcher went down with an apparent ankle injury. What is the status of Dan Pitcher? Will Hudson Woodward be the starter this week vs. Kean?
A: The prognosis on Dan Pitcher is not very good. Dan Pitcher suffered an achilles tendon tear. This injury will most likely end his season. Dan will be at upstate medical to schedule surgery this week to have the injury properly attended to. I feel real bad for Dan because he’s played two super weeks for us and he’s been waiting for this opportunity. Last season Pitcher had a labrum issue in his shoulder that had to be fixed and this was after he transferred in from Colgate to play here while he backed up Ray Miles.
Q: In the 2006 season, the Red Dragons lost three quarterbacks on their depth chart due to injury. Ray Miles relieved Alex Smith in both 2006 and 2007 after season ending knee injuries. Do you feel more prepared mentally from a coaching standpoint in handling season ending injuries at the starting quarterback position based on the past few years?
A: It certainly has been our history to have injuries at the quarterback position. We’ve had attrition at the position, but it’s never a good thing to see your starting quarterback go down as many times as we’ve had in the past. As I told the players as disappointing as it to lose Dan Pitcher we need to “close the ranks” as they say in the army. We also need to move on. Wisdom is always a good thing and the experience from the past does help. Our coaching staff has been working diligently with Hudson Woodward to make the offensive most suitable to him.
Q: How do you prepare the Red Dragon offense this week with a quarterback who hasn’t taken many snaps under center as a starter?
A: Hudson was the starter for the Rochester scrimmage a few weeks ago and he did get some starting reps through most of the preseason. He’s obviously is not Dan Pitcher, but we can’t expect him to be. We must make sure as a coaching staff that we mold the offense to suit his abilities. Hudson is a very capable quarterback that has all the skills necessary to lead our offense and we believe in him.
Q: The Kean Cougars come into town with a 1-1 record overall with a victory last week over Western Connecticut, 31-24 in their first game of NJAC play on the road. What are the keys to victory in the final game of this three game homestead?
A: Kean is a very talented team. From a defensive standpoint we are looking to stop an offensive attack that has many weapons. Kean’s quarterback is a very quick and accurate passer. He can make plays happen when they are not there. Our hands are going to be full defensively. Offensively, again we must close the ranks and have a game plan that best suits our abilities.
Q: Cortland defeated Kean on the road last season in week three 32-28. Kean quarterback Tom D’Ambrisi completed a school record 34 passes in 48 attempts for 352 yards and 3 touchdowns. Last week D’Ambrisi completed 15 passes in 26 attempts for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns. Are all eyes defensively on stopping D’Ambrisi and the Cougar aerial attack?
A: There is no question that D’Ambrisi is a very talented quarterback. He gave us all sort of problems last season. He also was an all conference player as a freshman. All eyes can’t be necessarily on him defensively because Kean also has an effective running game. We must be prepared to defend any kind of offensive attack.
Q: Lastly, kicker Marc Corrado made all three of his extra points last week vs. Rowan. He also made a 21-yard field goal with time expiring at the end of the first half. There have been rumblings that the Red Dragons have added a walk-on kicker last week. Will this walk-on have any kind impact on the kicking game this week or this season?
A: We did embrace a young man who is a capable kicker with a soccer background. He is nowhere near ready to kick. I do believe this young man does have a future potentially with this team next season. Marc is our guy and he had a great performance last week. We can only hope that his performance stays on a consistent pace for the rest of the year.
The Cortland Gridiron Report can be heard in its entirety each week on “Into The Fire,” Mondays 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on WSUC 90.5 FM. (www.cortland.edu/wsuc)
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