SELINSGROVE, PA – At long last, the matchup one year in the making between 11th-ranked Susquehanna and second-ranked SUNY Cortland took place Saturday from Stagg Field at Doug Arthur Stadium. Despite building an early 24-7 lead, the River Hawks were ultimately unable to slay a Red Dragons team averaging 73 points per game coming into the contest. While they were successful holding Cortland to modest numbers, the defending national champions proved too much to overcome as they handed Susquehanna a 40-38 defeat. The game ended the maroon and orange's record-setting 23-game regular season win streak dating back to 2021, while serving as a fitting follow up to last year's thriller where Susquehanna rallied late to defeat the Red Dragons, 38-35.

In total offense Susquehanna outgained Cortland, 450-439, with the River Hawks covering 314 yards through the air after a 19-of-33 showing from quarterback Josh Ehrlich, who threw for four touchdowns. Cortland quarterback Zac Boyes threw for 13-of-21 for 182 yards. The Red Dragons netted 257 yards rushing to SU's 136, led by running back Ethan Gallo's 165 yards on 28 carries for three touchdowns, while Boyes took off for 110 yards on 18 rushes for two scores. River Hawks rookie running back Rahshan La Mons finished with 122 yards rushing on 16 carries and the team's lone rushing touchdown, while Kyle Howes caught six passes for 135 yards and one touchdown reception. Fellow wideout Chris Bookter caught two touchdown passes upon 81 yards receiving on four catches, while receiver and return man Hunter Morgenroth had one touchdown reception off four catches for 45 yards and four kick returns for 100 yards. La Mons added 33 yards through the air on three catches, along with one kick return for 24 yards. Howes also had one kickoff return for 16 yards.

The River Hawks leveraged winning the opening coin toss with a ten-play, 81-yard scoring drive that lasted just over five minutes, capitalized by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ehrlich to Howes. The defense stymied Cortland on its first drive of the game to get the ball back, opening the door for rookie phenom Rahshan La Mons to make his acquaintance with an electric 61-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-0. The Red Dragons got the spark they needed when on the ensuing kickoff Jaden AlfanoStJohn fielded the kick in the endzone and ran it back to cut the score in half to 14-7. The high-scoring first quarter continued on as Susquehanna kept its poise with another scoring drive, making it 3-for-3 when Ehrlich connected with receiver Chris Bookter for a nine-yard touchdown pass, bumping the lead back up to 14 at 21-7 to end the quarter. By this point, La Mons had over 100 yards rushing with 101 on seven carries, while Howes was also already above the century mark receiving with 100 yards on four catches, including a 45-yard reception. In all Susquehanna had 228 yards of total offense on 23 plays against Cortland's 36 total yards on eight plays.

SU added to its lead early in the second quarter when kicker Christian Colasurdo sent one through the uprights from 36 yards out to extend the lead to a game-high 17 points at 24-7. For the first time all game, the Red Dragons offense got into a groove, finding themselves deep in Susquehanna territory at the 28. Faced with a fourth and five, Cortland opted to go for it as quarterback Zac Boyes found Jayson Zeva for a 15-yard completion to Susqu's 13. Two plays later Cortland got its first offensive touchdown when Boyes ran a keeper for six yards and cut the lead down to 24-14. Regaining possession with 1:45 remaining, the Red Dragons made a statement with another scoring drive to cut the deficit even closer as Boyes again ran one in from seven yards out with 20 seconds left before the half. The extra point was missed, though, giving Susquehanna a slight break ahead 24-20 at intermission.

The Red Dragons received to start the second half, but nothing doing on their opening drive. Same, however, for Susquehanna, who went three and out. With Cortland backed up on its own 16 on its next drive, the visitors scorched 84 yards over five plays to take their first lead of the game. After a pair of big plays through the air combined for 57 yards, they turned to the ground game as running back Ethan Gallo earned the rest of the 27 yards, capped by a three-yard run to lead 27-24 with 6:35 left in the third. Susquehanna replied instantly as Ehrlich found his prime downfield threats to set up the next score. He first found Howes down the left side on a third and five for 29 yards to the Cortland 44, then on the next play launched it to Bookter down the right side, who took advantage of the one-on-one coverage to regain the lead for the River Hawks at 31-27 to close out the third.

Cortland entered the fourth quarter attempting to stake a claim on the momentum. On its first drive of the quarter the team moved quickly towards a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, when Gallo's number was again called on to provide some points, running it in from nine yards out to take a 33-31 lead after another extra point attempt was missed. It looked as though they were moving in on control of the game when they orchestrated a sustaining drive, shaving six-and-a-half minutes off the clock and first an ten at Susquehanna's 14. Gallo carried the ball up the middle, but Susquehanna linebacker Drew Robinson jarred the ball loose and recovered by Le'trey Bond in the endzone for a touchback, turning the tide for the River Hawks to prepare a game-winning drive with 3:26 left on the clock. The tide was short-lived, however, as on Susquehanna's first play Ehrlich was strip sacked by Nick Lardaro from the blind side and recovered by Max Llewellyn at SU's 19. The Red Dragons did not waste this opportunity as three plays later Gallo scored his third rushing touchdown of the day to make the score 40-31 with 2:20 left. The River Hawks refused to go quietly, quickly moving down the field where Ehrlich hooked up with his third scoring connection of the day in Hunter Morgenroth on a 14-yard touchdown pass to cut it to 40-38 with 31 seconds to go. SU attempted a desperation onside kick, but it took a fierce bounce and out of bounds to turn it over to Cortland, leading to the kneel down they had long been waiting for after Susquehanna dealt them its lone loss of its 2023 national championship season.

Howes became the third player in program history to eclipse 2,000 career yards receiving, now with 2,006 yards on 146 catches, while ranking fourth all-time with 22 career touchdown receptions. La Mons added to his rookie campaign with five total touchdowns on the season, including a team-best three rushing touchdowns. 

Susquehanna takes a lot of important lessons from Saturday's game with them on their first road trip of the season when they head to Western New England for their final non-conference matchup Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. They then open Landmark Conference play the following weekend at Catholic Saturday, Oct. 5 before returning home for two straight league games against Keystone Oct. 12 and Juniata Oct. 19 as part of Homecoming Weekend.