Box score
WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Cornell University sprint football team knew that it needed to win a tough game at Army to keep its dream of a share of a CSFL championship alive. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, the Big Red turned to senior quarterback Zak Dentes to lead them on an 11-play, 57-yard drive, capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass with 39 seconds remaining to give Cornell a 12-10 comeback victory against the Black Knights.
Dentes went 22-for-43 and threw for 226 yards with two touchdowns. A 15-yard completion to Josh Friedman in Cornell's first possession of the second half was good enough to send Dentes past Dave Zittel '88 for the most career passing yards by a Cornell quarterback. Friedman led the Big Red for the third straight game with 64 yards receiving.
John Parke again led the defense, this time leading the Big Red with 12 tackles and two and a half sacks. Ryan Saunders had an interception, and Nicholas Indovina added a half sack.
Trailing 10-6 late in the fourth quarter, the Big Red begain its final possession of the game with 3:14 remaining in the contest. After receiving the ball at the Cornell 43-yard line, Dentes went 7-for-10 and threw for all 57 yards on the drive. With 39 seconds left, Upal Sarker was open for a 10-yard touchdown pass and Cornell had a 12-10 lead after missing the extra point.
Army had a chance to win the game with a field goal., but Samuel Herbert' did not have enough leg to complete a 53-yard field goal atempt and the Big Red won the game, 12-10.
The game began as a defensive stalemate. Army was only able to cross into Cornell territory for one play in the first quarter before Parke sacked Black Knight quarterback Abe Payne to push the ball back onto Army's half of the field.
Cornell had one promising drive early on. Starting on the Big Red 29-yard line, Cornell was able to get four first downs and drive all the way to the Army 21. On a second-and-one though, Dentes threw the ball into the hands of the Army defense for the interception. Cornell would not make it deep into Army territory again until the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Army was able to drive deep into Cornell territory, but like in the victory against Penn last weekend, the Big Red defense was clutch. Army was 0-for-2 on fourth down conversions at the Cornell 34- and 35-yard line respectively.
The game was scoreless going into halftime.
Cornell struck first midway through the third quarter. The Big Red had great field position after a poor punt, and the team took advantage of it. Dentes finished the drive with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Chris LaBerge. The Big Red missed the extra point as it took the 6-0 lead.
Army chipped away at the lead to begin the fourth quarter. The Black Knights cut the lead in half with a field goal on the team's first possession of the quarter. On Army's second possession, Payne complete a 90-yard touchdown pass to Geoff Phillips, and all of a sudden, Cornell was down 10-6, leading to Dentes heroics.
Cornell ends the 2008 season and celebrates Senior Night in a non-conference game against Mansfield University of Pennsylvania on Friday, Oct. 31 at Schoellkopf Field at 7:00 p.m.
