MORRISVILLE, NY – Senior wide receiver Jermaine Cooper (New York, N.Y.) snagged a career high 223-yards receiving Saturday night, but it wasn't enough as host Morrisville State football dropped a 42-28 decision to #22 ranked Cortland on Drake Field in Morrisville. 

• Final Score: Cortland 42, Morrisville 28 (halftime: Cortland 24-14)
• Location: Drake Field, Morrisville, N.Y.
• Records: Cortland 5-0, 2-0 Empire 8; Morrisville 2-4, 0-2 Empire 8

• Visiting Cortland capitalized on two critical Morrisville State turnovers Saturday night, turning them into touchdown scores as they collected a 42-28 Empire 8 victory over the host Mustangs on Drake Field in Morrisville, to remain unbeaten at 5-0 overall.
• Cortland jumped out to a 24-14 lead after trailing 14-10 in the opening quarter to the hosts, then outgained the Mustangs 11-7 in the final quarter to claim the win.
• Morrisville State gave the unbeaten Red Dragons a good test, as Cortland allowed a season high 447-yards total offense by an opponent, including a season high 383 through the air.
• Cortland collected a total 462 yards total offense on the night, 230 coming in the game on the ground, 165-yards from leading back Zach Tripodi on 34 attempts.
• Quarterback Brett Segala added 232 yards in the passing game, completing 21-of-33 passes including eight to Jason Carlock for 101-yards and a score.
• Defensively, Cortland had a big night from Gregory Alfieri, who collected 11 total stops, including a sack for a loss of 14 yards.
• Morrisville State's Bill Flatow (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) 27-of-43 passes for 383 total yards, and two touchdown scores, eight to senior wide out Jermaine Cooper (New York, N.Y.) who collected a career high 223-yards and two scores.
• Kinsey Williams (Rome, N.Y.) added 79 yards in the running game on 20 carries.
• Ernesto Mitchell (Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) and Mike Bodnar (Miller Place, N.Y.) collected double digit tackles in the defensive efforts for the Mustangs, recording 15 and 13, respectively.
• Nick Mongelli opened the scoring for the visitors early in the first quarter, giving Cortland the 3-0 lead after placing the ball through the uprights on a 32-yard field goal attempt.
• Morrisville State, though, responded on the ensuing drive as Flatow connected with Cooper to complete the 62-yard drive with a 34-yard strike on the slant across the middle.
• Much like the theme for the opening quarter, Cortland marked 64 yards downfield on their following possession, using the power of Tripodi on the 2-yard run to regain the lead at the 5:47 mark.
• That was short lived however, as Kinsey scrambled through a hole to capitalize on his 10-yard run for his first of two scores on the day, giving Morrisville the 14-10 lead after one.
• Cortland posted back-to-back scores early in the second, the first a one-yard run by Tai-sean Dodd on the 10-play, 64-yard drive at the 13:20 mark, and a second minutes later after Morrisville State fumbled through the back of the end zone. Tripodi scrambled around the corner into the end zone on the eight-yard rushing score.
• After trailing 24-14 at the break, Morrisville State opened the second with a 75-yard drive, capped off by a three-yard Williams scamper through a hole in the center of the field, making it a three-point ball game.
• Cortland responded on their ensuing possession, as Segala hit Carlock on the 14-yard slant for the 31-21 advantage.
• Morrisville State drove deep into Cortland territory on their following possession, but was stopped short on a fourth down by Alfieri who brought down Flatow one yard shy of the first down.
• Mongelli opened the fourth for the Red Dragons with a second field goal, this time from 25-yards out, extending the visitor lead to 34-21, before Flatow hit his lead receiver Cooper on the post-run for the nine-yard receiving score.
• Trailing by one possession, the Mustang defense was able to limit the Red Dragons to just 23-yards on their following drive, in part a big fourth down stop made by Mitchell that forced the turnover on downs.
• Morrisville assumed possession at their own 42-yard line and on the third play, Devin Smith striped sacked Flatow and sent the ball into the arms of the Cortland defense that set up an 18-yard rushing score by Tripodi for a 42-28 advantage.
• Morrisville put together two final drive attempts, but weren't able to capitalize as Cortland claimed the win.

• Morrisville State returns to action next Saturday, traveling to nearby Utica College for a 1 p.m. Empire 8 kick-off.