By Harlan Green-Taub • Correspondent
ITHACA — For the Ithaca College football team’s
seniors, Saturday’s game against Utica College
carried a little extra weight. It was the last time they
would suit up to play at Butterfield Stadium. “If there
is one game you want to win at the beginning of
every year it’s this one,” coach Mike Welch said.
The Bombers’ defense continued its dominance,
forcing Utica into seven turnovers in a 30-9 win.
Ithaca has never lost to Utica in 10 meetings and
has now outscored the Pioneers 397-65 in those
games.
“It’s emotional” senior defensive tackle Andrew Haim
said “To finish undefeated at home means a lot to
us.” Haim created havoc throughout the game,
breaking up three passes at the line of scrimmage.
The defense set the tone, holding Utica’s prolific
pass offense to just 200 yards on 43 attempts, well
below its season average of 301 yards per game.
Welch said the team was ready for Utica’s high-
flying offense after shutting down Springfield Colleg-
e’s triple option attack the previous week. “We’ve
played a lot of teams that run the spread offense,”
Welch said. “Their offense is similar to ours, and
our defense faces them in practice every day. That
definitely made the adjustment a little easier.”
Ithaca jumped to an early lead for the second
straight game, when after an IC punt was downed at
the 1-yard line, Haim and senior defensive end Sean
Gil stopped Utica running back Jake Scott in the end
zone for a safety. It was the first safety for the
Bombers’ defense since 2008 against Frostburg
State.
Ithaca extended its lead to 23-6 just before halftime
when senior Quarterback Rob Zappia found senior
wide receiver Dan Ruffrage wide open in the end
zone for a 23-yard touchdown.
“It’s a play we run a lot,” Welch said. “They left ‘Ruff’
all alone and all Rob had to do was make a good
throw.” Zappia picked apart the Utica defense in the
first half, gouging the pioneers for 205 yards and
two touchdowns.
Junior cornerback Mike Conti finished the scoring
for Ithaca by returning a fumble 12 yards for
touchdown to put the Bombers up 30-6 late in the
third quarter. “I just got lucky,” Conti said. “The ball
bounced right to me, there was no one in front of
me and you can’t let someone catch you when you’re
that close.”
For Utica head coach Blaise Faggiano, one of eight
former Bombers currently coaching in Division III, a
victory at Butterfield Stadium would have been a
signature win for the program. “I always love
coming back home to South Hill,” Faggiano said.
“Coach Welch recruited me to play, then hired me to
coach, so these games always carry a little extra
weight for me.”
For Welch, the win kept him undefeated when facing
former players or assistants. “Coach Faggiano and I
are good friends,” Welch said. “You always want to
win, but it means something extra when you’re
playing someone you know so well.”
With Alfred University falling to Rochester, an Ithaca
victory next week against Alfred means the Bombers
clinch a share of the Empire 8 conference
championship. “We know what’s at stake,” Welch
said. “Our goal this season was to win the
conference and we’re one win away from doing that.”
The Upstate Upstart 
Posted on November 12, 2010
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