GAME #3: Cornell vs. Navy
GAMETIME: Saturday, Oct. 4 at 12:00 p.m.
SITE: Saratoga Springs High School, Saratoga Springs, NY
2008 RECORDS: Cornell (1-1, 0-0 CSFL); Navy (3-0, 0-0 CSFL)
SERIES RECORD: Navy leads, 48-13-2
LAST MEETING: Navy defeated Cornell, 35-14, at Keane Alumni Stadium in Union, NJ, Oct.7, 2007
THE HEAD COACH: Coach Terry Cullen's record moved to 145-121-7 (.545) after a victory over Mansfield last weekend. Cullen has been a member of the coaching staff since 1964 and officially became the Terry Cullen Head Coach of Sprint Football in 2001.
THE CO-HEAD COACH: in August, 2008, it was announced that Bart Guccia would assume a majority of the on-field coaching and gameday decisions for the Big Red. Guccia is in his fourth year with the sprint football team and has posted a 1-1 record (.500) in his new roll.
THE MATCH UP: Cornell and Navy are the only teams to win the CSFL title since 2004, and both teams have played some epic games, including a thrilling 16-10 overtime win for Cornell in 2006. Navy, the defending CSFL champion, has won 24 titles in total, the most of any sprint football program. Both teams are coming off victories last weekend, but Navy defeated Cornell at last season's Pride Bow, 35-14. Navy holds the all-time series with a record of 48-13-2.
SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMEN: Navy is the defending CSFL champion, and after three wins this season, it has proven to be a favorite to win again this year. Quarterback D.J. Green returns for his senior season to lead Navy. Green, last year's CSFL MVP, already has thrown for 548 yards on the season and four touchdowns, including a 155-yard, two-touchdown performance last weekend against Army. He will be joined in the backfield by running back Enrique Harris. Harris was a first-team All-CSFL selection in 2007, and despite missing the team's first two games, Harris was electric against Army. He ran for 41 yards, nearly six yards a carry, and Green connected with Harris on a 60-yard pass, Navy's longest play from scrimmage this season. Meanwhile, defensive back James Campbell has emerged as a defensive and special teams star for the Midshipmen. Campbell has two interceptions on the season and a defensive touchdown while leading Navy in all-purpose yards with 234. He was named CSFL Defensive Player of the Week after a dominating performance against Randolph-Macon JV.
LAST TIME VS. NAVY: Cornell and Navy both traveled to Union, N.J. to play in Pride Bowl XXIX. The Pride Bowl is a charity game held by the Newark-based Project Pride, which raises money for scholarships and after-school programs in the Newark area. The last time Cornell played in the Pride Bowl in 2001, it lost to the Midshipmen, 42-10. Navy prevented Cornell from winning last year's Pride Bowl by defeating the Big Red, 35-14, ending Cornell's eight-game winning streak. Despite the high score, the defenses ruled the game. Navy managed to get two long touchdown plays in the first half that accounted for most of its yards in the half: a 65- and a 55-yard touchdown run. Navy built a 35-0 lead, but the large deficit did not stop Cornell. Elliot Corey replaced Zak Dentes and he flashed some of the potential we are seeing this season. Corey went 7-for-11 for 71 yards. He led two touchdown drives that both ended up with Brandon Stoller in the endzone. Stoller had a two-yard touchdown run and a touchdown pass via Elliot. The comeback was not enough as Cornell fell, 35-14. John Parke led the defense with 13 tackles, including three for a loss and one sack. Jeff Soffan also had eight tackles for the Big Red.
THE MIDSHIPMEN'S LAST GAME: Navy travelled to West Point to take on its biggest rival, Army, and the Midshipmen came away with the victory, winning 14-7. After a scoreless first quarter, Enrique Harris had a key 20-yard run on third down to keep a drive alive. Later on, D.J. Green connected with Tommy Tellson on a 15-yard pass for the early lead. After recovering a loose fumble early in the second half, Green was again able to find an open receiver in the end zone to give Navy the 14-0 lead. Army cut the lead in half mid-way through the fourth quarter, but the Midshipmen defense was too much for Army to handle. On two of the final three drives for Army, Navy caused a turnover. The defensive stats tell the story, as Navy had seven sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, and only allowed 219 yards of total offense. Army ended with -22 yards on the ground.
CORNELL'S LAST GAME: Mansfield University, playing in its first ever CSFL game, could not have prepared for a hungry Cornell team. After losing its opener to Penn, Cornell came back last weekend with a dominating 35-0 win. In front of a crowd of 3,100, the quarterback tandem of Zak Dentes and Elliot Corey combined 179 yards in the air, a passing touchdown, and two rushing touchdowns. On its first three drives, the Big Red scored three touchdowns to welcome Mansfield to the CSFL with an early 21-0 deficit. The defense of Cornell would not allow any idea of a comeback as Mansfield had possession of the ball for only 21:06, while racking up a mere 14 yards of total offense and -58 rushing yards. Mansfield only had one first down on the day as the Cornell defense posted 10 tackles for a loss and three sacks. Michael Brennan led the Big Red with 61 reception yards and five catches, while DJ Schiavetta and Timothy Bruhn both had 50 yards on the ground.
D-FENSE: The win over Mansfield last weekend is arguably the greatest defensive performance ever by a Cornell sprint football team. It was the first time since a win over Princeton in 2006 that the Big Red allowed les than 100 yards, less than 10 rushing yards, and forced at least eight punts. Also, it was the first time Cornell allowed only one third down conversion since that 2006 game. The 21:06 minutes of possession was the least amount given up by a Cornell defense since time of possession was recorded as a stat.
ALLEGIANCE BOWL: Cornell and Navy both travel this weekend to play at the fourth annual Adirondack Trust Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, NY. The charity event starts on Friday Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m., as fans can meet the players and coaches. Cornell's own acapella group, Class Note, will be performing later in the evening. On game-day, fans will be able to watch fireworks and enjoy a show by local high school and college bands. At last year's game, a skydiver flew into the stadium with the game ball.
MORE ON ALLEGIANCE BOWL: Cornell last played in the Allegiance bowl during the 2006 season. That year, then-sophomore quarterback Zak Dentes threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns, including one late in the fourth quarter to defeat Penn 20-12. Dentes was named Ken Kunken Allegiance Bowl MVP. Also starring for the Big Red was linebacker John Parke, who led the team with five tackles in that game.
RECORD WATCH: Zak Dentes' 74 yards last weekend were enough to give him 1,822 in his career and move him past Even Williams for fourth place on the all-time Cornell passing list. He is just 86 yards behind Paul Freeman '85 for third. Meanwhile, Michael Brennan's team leading 61 reception yards moves him past Henry Kim '04 for fifth place on Cornell's career list. He now looks up to Bill Bellamy '87 by only seven yards for fourth place.
UP NEXT: Cornell travels to Princeton to take on the Tigers on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m.
