Cortland, N.Y. — Jon Mannix grabbed Luke Hinton around the shoulder pads in the parking lot outside Cortland Stadium Complex and rocked him back and forth.

"I knew that was going to happen," Mannix said. "I knew it the whole time."

If Mannix did know what would happen at the end of the 2014 Cortaca Jug game, it's safe to say he was the only one.

As the final 30 seconds began to tick off the clock at Cortland Stadium Complex, Cortland's field-goal unit sprinted out onto the field. The Red Dragons trailed Ithaca 20-17 and faced a 4th-and-3 from the Bombers' 4-yard line after running the ball three straight times.

They practiced this drill "maybe once per week," Hinton said, and were working with a second-string snapper in Matthew Goodman, a sophomore running back who was forced into action due to injury, and a holder in Hinton who took over duties only last week.

They got to the line at 15 seconds as Goodman stepped over the ball. But when Goodman turned around, there was no holder behind him. Kicker Shane Cronin looked toward the sideline, hands held out wide above his shoulders in equal parts confusion and desperation.

Hinton was still on the sideline practicing. When coaches told him to get out there, he was initially blocked by a red wall of teammates.

Hinton finally got onto the field at eight seconds and signaled his protection to roll out right — the direction he would roll out in case of a bad snap. But when he looked back at Cronin, the snap came early.

Hinton picked the ball up, but the right side was blocked off; so he ran out to his left. Mannix, a sophomore receiver, alertly ran toward the left side of the end zone despite the play call to the right, and the pair connected for a 4-yard touchdown.

Hinton sprinted back up the field, arms held high. Mannix curled into the back of the end zone, where he was mauled by teammates. The 8,923 in attendance roared.

Absolute mayhem ensued.

"I honestly didn't know what to do," Hinton said. "I just saw him catch it and sprinted the other way. I was out of breath. I couldn't speak. It's the best feeling I've ever had."

"No shot I can put into words what just happened," Mannix said. "It's just amazing."

Cortland (5-5) defeated Ithaca (7-3) 23-20 in the 2014 Cortaca Jug on one of the most improbable game-winning plays imaginable. The Red Dragons used their three timeouts while forcing a three-and-out on the Bombers' final offensive possession before moving into scoring position on a 35-yard connection from John Grassi to Jack Delahunty down the left sideline.

Three rushing plays later, Hinton connected with Mannix for an especially fitting game winner. The pair lived across the hall from each other freshman year and are housemates now, Hinton said. Hinton cooks for Mannix, who jokingly calls him, "Dad."

"I trust him more than I trust myself," Hinton said, "so I threw him the ball and the rest is history."

Ithaca ran out to a 14-0 lead before Cortland running back Dylan Peebles scored on an 8-yard touchdown run with 4:09 left before halftime. Cronin tacked on a 29-yard field goal 2:45 later.

After Garrett Nicholson pushed the Bombers' lead to 17-10 49 seconds into the fourth quarter, Peebles tied the game on a 91-yard punt return for touchdown. The junior bolted diagonally across the field, right-to-left, and ran through an arm tackle around the 8-yard line before scoring.

However, a seven-play, 32-yard drive put Nicholson in position for a 32-yard kick that gave Ithaca the lead again at 20-17 with 3:17 to play.

A holding call on left guard Vincent Juliano and dropped third-down pass by tight end Josh Riley stalled out Cortland's first chance to come back one more time. But after forcing Ithaca quarterback Tom Dempsey to the ground on third down of the ensuing drive, the Red Dragons had life again.

And Hinton found Mannix to erase what would have been a disastrous mistake.

Said Mannix, game-winning ball tucked under his left arm and smile spread wide across his face: "I'm not letting go of it."

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