With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter of Friday’s NCAA Division III football national championship, SUNY Cortland quarterback Zac Boyes began pointing at his ring finger.
It was a clear indication that the junior captain knew he was just seconds away from a championship ring.
After Boyes executed a couple of kneel downs, it became a guarantee as the Red Dragons defeated North Central, 38-37, in the 50th Stagg Bowl at Salem Stadium in Virginia. It was the program’s first-ever national title.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” Boyes said.
The Red Dragons (14-1) beat a Cardinals squad (14-1) that previously won two of the last three national championships. North Central won national titles in 2022 and 2019. This was its fourth straight appearance in the title game.
With the victory, Cortland snapped North Central’s 29-game win streak, which dates back to the beginning of the 2022 season.
“It means everything,” SUNY Cortland head coach Curt Fitzpatrick said via the ESPNU broadcast. “I was over there talking to the officials on the sideline, asking if we can kneel it out. We just wanted the clock to hit zero. It’s just amazing.”
Boyes was the difference maker for Cortland on Friday evening. Fitzpatrick said in his postgame interview that Boyes should have won the coveted Gagliardi Trophy, an award for the best Division III football player each season, but it went to North Central QB Luke Lehnen.
The junior captain was 26-of-34 on completions with 349 yards and five touchdowns, and he rushed for 134 yards on 16 carries. Boyes became the second quarterback in Cortland football history to have over 300 passing yards and over 100 rushing yards in a game.
“I believe (Boyes is) the best quarterback in the country, and he proved it tonight,” Fitzpatrick said.
Friday’s championship contest started as a defensive battle. Cortland and North Central had their fair share of fourth-down turnovers in the red zone, a fumble and a couple of punts.
At the half, the Cardinals maintained a 7-3 lead.
“Our defense did a great job in the first half while our offense was feeling the game out,” Fitzpatrick said.
The slugfest began between the third and fourth quarters. The second half had six lead changes and three ties, proving that neither team was willing to lay down and surrender.
The game was tied at 24 apiece with a little over eight minutes left. Cortland’s offense mowed into North Central territory. A few seconds later, sophomore receiver Joe Iadevaio caught Boyes’ pass and lunged into the end zone for the touchdown and a 31-24 advantage.
The Cardinals didn’t take long to answer on their next possession. Lehnen rushed 12 yards to the 41-yard line. Later on, Lehnen took it to the house for 64 yards, tying the score at 31-31.
Cortland knew they needed to get the lead back, and it required shaving five minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. The Red Dragons executed 10 plays on the drive, which ended with Boyes lofting a pass to senior receiver Cole Burgess in the top-left corner of the end zone for a 38-31 advantage.
“If you want to be the guy, you have to beat the guy,” Boyes said on the ESPNU broadcast. “I truly believe in that. You can’t pick and choose when you want to be good. When the lights are the brightest, you have to come out and play your best.”
With under two minutes to play, the Cardinals made a last-ditch effort to move the game into overtime. Lehnen threw a pass up the middle to senior DeAngelo Hardy, who darted downfield for the score.
Instead of kicking the extra point, North Central wanted to go for the win on a 2-point conversion attempt. Lehnen took the ball and ran to his left, but Cortland defenders were there to stop the junior QB in his tracks.
“Aggressive is how we play. That’s how we like to play,” Fitzpatrick said. “When you’re in the national championship, why not play how you play.”
Burgess had 11 receptions for 134 yards and two scores. Iadevaio had eight catches for 95 yards and two scores, while JJ Kaap had two receptions for 75 yards and a TD. On defense, Jaden Martinez and Luke Winslow combined for 19 tackles for the Red Dragons.
Lehnen ran the ball 11 times for 141 yards and two TDs for the Cardinals. Tailback Joe Sacco rushed for 157 yards and a score. Hardy finished with six receptions for 146 yards and a TD.
Fitzpatrick showed appreciation for his players, coaches and the fan base, who drove seven hours from Cortland to Salem.
“(The victory) hasn’t sunken in yet,” Fitzpatrick said. “But it’s going to be a fun bus ride back home (to Cortland).”
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