D3 Football: Rescigno Fueling Cortland’s Historic Run

Embracing Cortland’s D3 Football Vision

When the Red Dragons’ coaching staff departed after the 2024 campaign, Rescigno faced a decision familiar to student-athletes navigating whether to enter the transfer portal.

But the program’s rich history and culture, which drew him from Arlington High School in LaGrangeville, N.Y., remained constant. He believed he and his returning teammates could carry that identity forward, even with a new regime in place.

Tom Blumenauer arrived a few months later with a similar mindset, touting consecutive bowl victories at Franklin & Marshall following six seasons on Williams’ staff, culminating in an undefeated NESCAC championship season. He also began his coaching career at St. Lawrence, which won a Liberty League title in his first campaign.

A 2007 Ithaca graduate, Blumenauer understood the value of the D3 football experience firsthand.

[Head] Coach Blu’s a leader of men. The biggest thing that he said to us that stuck with all of us … was that this isn’t a rebuild. This isn’t a fresh start. This is Cortland continuing what Cortland’s done, and we’re just getting started.

After spending his freshman season observing from the sidelines, Rescigno emerged as Cortland’s offensive centerpiece. In 2025, he set the program’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback with 1,068 yards and 12 scores on the ground, plus 1,728 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air.

Cortland’s Dual-Threat D3 Football Weapon

Across eight games this season, the 6-foot-2 junior has thrown for 1,401 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’s also added 706 rushing yards and eight scores, leading the Red Dragons in both.

While considering the Cortland head-coaching vacancy, Blumenauer studied Rescigno’s high school film and recognized his arm talent and feel for the run game. He trusted the QB’s innate ability to set protections and identify unfavorable looks before the snap, giving his team an effective run-pass option (RPO) scheme that demands as much preparation as athleticism.

At the quarterback position, you want the ultimate competitor. Someone who embraces being a student of the game and has contagious leadership qualities. Mike checks all those boxes.

On Oct. 24, St. John Fisher offered him a dose of adversity. After the Cardinals cut the Red Dragons’ lead to one possession in the third quarter, Rescigno put the game away with an eight-play drive late in the fourth, capped by his two-yard touchdown run. It all began with a key first-down play after he and a receiver spotted an inviting look from one of St. John Fisher’s safeties.

“We didn’t try to reach for big plays,” Rescigno said. “We just executed the play called, our game plan and our assignment.”

Moreover, the D3 football standout has excelled in the classroom. A physical education major with a 3.82 GPA, he was named the 2025 SUNY Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year and took home College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors.

Next Assignments: Brockport, Then the Cortaca Jug

The Red Dragons visit Brockport on Saturday in a matchup of Empire 8 contenders. The Golden Eagles enter 7-1 and undefeated in conference play, ranking first nationally in yards per game allowed. Cortland, which touts the seventh-most in points per drive, would secure a sixth consecutive Empire 8 crown with a win.

Blumenauer’s message is simple, even as the Division III football postseason approaches and the program looks to build on its first D3 national championship, won in 2023.

We challenge these guys regularly to just live in the moment. You can’t dwell on what went wrong on third down that got them [the opponent] into the red zone.

You need to focus on what route combination might be coming.

Cortland closes the regular season Nov. 14 against Ithaca in the 67th Cortaca Jug at Yankee Stadium. The rivalry attracted more than 40,000 fans to the Bronx in 2022, and YES Network will broadcast this year’s festivities.

“When I first heard the news [about the venue], I remember being [blitzed] in my family group chat and then the team group chat,” Rescigno said. “It’s about the people that get to be a part of this experience and do it with us.”

But before that, Rescigno’s Saturday morning regimen will stay untouched: one bagel, one game at a time.

Cortland visits Brockport on Saturday, Nov. 7, at noon ET. The game will stream live on the Empire 8 Network.