MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – Host Morrisville State College raced out to a 28-0 lead at the half and added 14 more points between the third and fourth quarters to hand visiting Cortland State the 42-28 Empire 8 loss Saturday afternoon in Morrisville.

The win is the third straight for the Mustangs, who improve to 5-3 overall on the season, 4-3 within conference play. Cortland, who entered with just one blemish on their record atop the Empire 8 standings, falls to 7-2 overall, 5-2 in conference action.

Morrisville State held the advantage in the running game, outgaining the Red Dragons 177-137 while posting a collective 428 yards total offense on the day.

Cory Benedetto (Rochester, N.Y.) went 21-for-37 for the Mustangs in passing, posting a total 218 yards and two touchdown scores, seven to wide receiver Marcus Jackson-Conner (Sodus, N.Y.) who posted a team high 84 yards for a score. Anthony Mella (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added 61 in receiving yards, while adding 33 in passing for a score.

Cristina Pena (Ridgewood, N.Y.) led Morrisville State on the ground with 85 net yards on 25 carries for two scores.

Caleb Wright (Cortland, N.Y.) registered 10 total tackles in the Mustangs defensive game, while teammate Wallace Stephens (Kingston, N.Y.) added a nine tackle effort that included two sacks for a loss of 11 yards and a forced fumble.

Cortland compiled 464 yards total offense behind a 327 yard passing game, as quarterback Steven Ferreira completed 18-of-33 passes for two touchdowns, of which seven passes were to Jon Mannix for 126 yards and a score.

Dylan Peebles led all ball carriers with 140 yards gained on 24 attempts for two touchdowns as the Red Dragons posted 137 yards net rushing on the day.

Carson Lassiter led the Cortland defensive efforts with a total 12 tackles, adding an interception.

It was a tail of turnovers in the opening quarter as both teams exchanged possession with back to back turnovers in the opening seven minutes of the contest. After a Mustang fumble that gave possession to the Red Dragons with 11:25 to go in the quarter, Morrisville State's defense returned the favor, as Stephens sacked Ferriera and forced the fumble that was recovered by Travis Caldwell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and returned 83 yards for the defensive touchdown to give the Mustangs the 7-0 lead.

Cortland attempted to put a score on the board with just over four minutes remaining but the 42-yard field goal attempt sailed just outside the right upright.

Morrisville State made it 14-0 minutes before the end of the first quarter, as Benedetto connected with Jackson-Conner over center on the eight-yard pass play.

The Mustangs forced the Red Dragons to a three-and-out series on the ensuing drive, and early in the second quarter capitalized as they completed a 12-play, 94-yard drive with a reverse pass play from Mella to a wide open Mike Dodig (Saugerties, N.Y.) who secured the ball in the end zone for the 21-0 lead.

Cortland, who didn't have an answer for the Mustangs offensive game in the opening half, fell behind 28-0 at the break as Morrisville State added another score with just over a minute to go with a one yard run by Pena up center.

The visitors regained possession at midfield on the following offensive possession and threatening to score attempted to move within the red zone, but the ball landed in the arms of Mustang safety Anthony Deese (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who collected the interception and regained possession for Morrisville State.

Morrisville State maintained possession for two-thirds of the quarter, allowing Cortland to gain just 48 yards total offense across the second frame.

In the third, the Red Dragons wasted no time in putting numbers up on the board, as Ferreira completed an 18-yard scoring pass play to Josh Riley, cutting the Mustang lead to three possessions.

Morrisville State responded, however, with a four-yard run by Pena around the right corner, regaining the four possession lead.

Cortland then posted back to back scores, the first a five-yard run by Peebles, and later a 48yard scramble again, by Peebles.

Morrisville State entered the fourth quarter with a 35-21 lead, before adding another score midway through the quarter as Benedetto completed a five yard pass to Jon Andrews (Harpursville, N.Y.) who was wide open in the end zone.

The Red Dragons answered with a 38 yard scoring completion from Ferreira to Mannix to make it a 42-28 game, but that's as close as the visitors would get as Morrisville State posted the victory.

Morrisville State will take to the road for the final two regular season scheduled contests, traveling to Brockport next Saturday to wrap up conference play before meeting Alfred State in a non-conference match up for the 2015 season finale on Nov. 14.

Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.

The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2016 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2016 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.

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