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GAME INFORMATION
Game #7: Princeton at Cornell
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 1, at 1:00 p.m. ET
Site: Schoellkopf Field (25,597), Ithaca, N.Y.
2008 Records: Princeton (2-4, 1-2 Ivy); Cornell (3-3, 1-2 Ivy)
Series Record: Princeton leads 55-33-2
Last Meeting: Princeton won 34-31, Oct. 27, 2007, in Princeton, N.J.
Television: None
Radio: WHCU 870 AM, Barry Leonard (play-by-play), Buck Briggs (color)
Satellite Radio: SIRIUS Satellite Radio
Live Stats: Available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Live Video: Available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Tickets: Available by calling (607) 254-BEAR

HEAD COACH JIM KNOWLES '87
The Roger J. Weiss '61 Head Coach of Football Jim Knowles is in his fifth season at the helm of the Big Red (23-23 overall, .500; 14-17 Ivy, .452) ... Knowles, an All-Ivy defensive end and three-year letter winner on the gridiron, was hired by his alma mater as head coach on Jan. 30, 2004.

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Two teams in similar positions that already have a series of tight games have plenty of motivation to set up what could be a another classic Cornell-Princeton matchup when the two teams meet on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field. The game can be heard locally on WHCU 870 AM with Barry Leonard on the call, or at www.CornellBigRed.com as part of the RedCast subscription service. Video of the contest will also be available at no charge on IBNSports.com, while SIRIUS Satellite radio will also cover the contest on channel 130.

Both teams enter the contest on three-game losing streaks, but with plenty of time to right the ship and finish strong. Cornell, coming off a 27-7 loss to Ivy unbeaten Brown in Providence, R.I. last weekend, will play three of its last four games at home and will attempt to recapture the magic that seemed in abundance in its 3-0 start this season.

Senior quarterback Nathan Ford completed 29-of-48 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown without an interception, with eight of the passes for 94 yards going to classmate Jesse Baker. Baker also caught his fifth touchdown, the most by a Cornell receiver in a season since 2000. Junior Bryan Walters had 115 all-purpose yards in the loss. Defensively, Gus Krimm had five tackles, two pass breakups and an interception to lead a defensive charge that allowed the high-powered Brown offense to 376 yards.

While Princeton has struggled to a 2-4 record, it has been just as close to reversing that mark. Over the last three weeks, the Tigers have lost games by three points to Colgate and four points to Harvard, showing it has plenty of ability to close strong. Despite the records, Cornell and Princeton have always had tough matchups during the 90-game series, with 11 of the last 13 contests being decided by a touchdown or less.

A WIN OVER PRINCETON WOULD:
• improve the Big Red to 4-3 overall (2-2 Ivy League).
• make Cornell 2-1 at home this season and 18-6 at Schoellkopf Field under head coach Jim Knowles '87.
• narrow the Tigers' lead in the all-time series to 55-34-2.
• be the 613th in program history (10th most in the Football Championship Subdivision).

THE CORNELL-PRINCETON SERIES: (Princeton leads 55-33-2) This will be the 91st meeting between Cornell and Princeton, with the Tigers holding a commanding 55-33-2 advantage. The two teams first met in 1891, a 6-0 Princeton win. The teams have split four meetings between the teams with head coach Jim Knowles on the sidelines with each team holding serve at home. The Big Red lost 34-31 a season ago at Princeton Stadium. 

SCOUTING PRINCETON:
• Princeton enters the contest with a 2-4 record and is 1-2 in Ivy League play after a 24-20 loss at home to Harvard last Saturday at Princeton Stadium. Harvard's Gino Gordon put the capper on the victory with a touchdown with 3:34 to play to handthe Tigers their third straight loss.
• Jordan Culbreath, the Ivy League's leading rusher, went off for 154 yards against Harvard and is averaging 105.8 yards per game with seven total touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving).
• The Tigers rank in the middle of the pack nationally and in the Ivy League in nearly every every category. Princeton paces the Ancient Eight in rushing as a team (151.2) and also stands atop the pack in punt returns (9.2 yards per return).
• Will Thanheiser has quietly had one of the top years of any receivers in the country. He ranks in the top 25 nationally is both receiving yards per game (17th, 99.2) and receptions per game (25th, 5.8). Those numbers rank third and fourth, respectively, in the Ivy League.
• Head coach Roger Hughes has posted a 41-44 record in nine seasons as head coach at Princeton, including claiming the 2006 Ancient Eight title.
• Princeton leads the all-time series 55-33-2, but the series has become one of the most exciting ones on the Big Red schedule. In all, 11 of the last 13 meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less. Each team has defended its own turf over the last five seasons, as the home team has won each season.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Midway through the season, the NCAA statistical rankings shed some light on the team's 3-3 start. As a team, the Big Red ranks in the top 30 nationally in kickoff returns average (ninth, 23.4), passing offense (23rd, 259.3), sacks allowed (25th, 1.2 per game) and rushing defense (30th, 114.8). 

REVIEWING THE BROWN LOSS (Oct. 25): The wind played games with both teams all day, but it was the Brown aerial attack led by Michael Dougherty and Bobby Sewall that proved to be the difference in a 27-7 Bears win over the Big Red. Dougherty connected on 20-of-37 passes for 285 yards and two scores, while Sewall caught 11 of the passes for 181 yards and both scores. The Big Red scored on an early possession before the Bears' defense took over, surrendering just 279 total yards. Senior quarterback Nathan Ford completed 29-of-48 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown to teammate Jesse Baker. Baker caught eight passes for 94 yards in the loss. The game was the 1,100th in program history.

VOTERS TAKE NOTICE: After starting the season 3-0, the Cornell football team found itself receiving votes in both the Sports Network FCS Poll and the FCS Coaches' poll on Oct. 6. In the Sports Network poll, Cornell received 28 points and also received two votes in the coaches' poll. Cornell was one of last five undefeated teams in the FCS.

NO TIME TO CELEBRATE: Cornell's win over Lehigh as time expired was the first time a Big Red game was decided with a score on the final play since Princeton's Derek Javarone kicked a 35-yard field goal in overtime during the 2005 season, ending a 20-17 contest in favor of the Tigers.

ALL SHALL PASS: The Big Red's passing game struggled in the win over preseason Ivy League favorite Yale with just 96 yards on 23 passing attempts, but it bounced back in a big way the last three weeks. Cornell posted a school record 472 yards through the air in the win over Lehigh and added 279 more yards against Harvard and 271 against Colgate. Senior quarterback Nathan Ford completed 39-of-63 passes for 438 yards against the Mountain Hawks, the third-highest total in school history, while junior Stephen Liuzza connected with Bryan Walters for a 34-yard pass play on his only attempt. Seniors Zac Canty (11 catches, 120 yards) and Jesse Baker (10 catches, 141 yards) both recorded double-digit catches and 100-yard games in the win over the Mountain Hawks as 10 different players caught at least one pass. Against the Crimson, Ford completed 32-of-53 passes for 275 yards and a touchdown, with 10 of those passes going to Canty for 102 yards and a score. He then was 25-of-41 passing vs. the Raiders.

THE "C" RETURNS: Head coach Jim Knowles '87 took the block "C" off the Cornell football helmets this spring as a motivational tool after the Big Red staff reviewed the 2007 season and wasn't happy about the way his team was physically beaten up in several games. With the goal of becoming tougher, both physically and mentally, in 2008, Knowles said that the "C" wouldn't return to the helmets until the team proved it deserved to wear it. That proof was laid out in the team's season-opening win over Bucknell last weekend. The Big Red defense allowed Bucknell's option attack just 46 yards rushing, while the offensive line didn't allow a sack as Cornell piled up nearly 400 yards of offense.

THAT'S EVERYONE: Cornell's vaunted senior class of 33 earned a distinction of defeating each of the other seven Ivy schools at least once during their career with a win over Yale in the Ivy League opener. It is the second straight senior class to defeat each team. 

A HOME THAT FEATURES FIELDTURF: Cornell played its first game on Schoellkopf Field's new FieldTurf surface that was installed this summer in the Big Red's Homecoming victory over Yale. The new field features a large block "C" at midfield, bright green synthetic grass and the even brighter red end zones with white lettering. The end zone on the South end reads "Cornell", while the North end zone spells out "Big Red." FieldTurf is a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene, silica sand and rubber granules that give years of grass-like appearance and use, without the regular maintenance of natural grass. The installation process includes a layer of decomposed granite, the company's patented polyethylene and polypropylene blades and a rubber granule infill system. It is resistant to temperature extremes, drains quickly and is extremely low-maintenance. 

LATE START: For the fourth time in five years, Cornell was the last NCAA Division I football team to be scheduled to play its opener. Due to a postponement of Nicholls State's game at New Mexico State on Sept. 4, however, the Big Red was not actually the last Division I team to kickoff. Due to Hurricane Gustav, that contest was postponed and forced Nicholls State to actually open at Memphis at 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 20, two hours after Cornell and Bucknell kicked off. The game against New Mexico State has yet to be rescheduled. Cornell was one of four teams to open simultaneously at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2004 and was the final team to start in 2006 with its 7 p.m. start on Sept. 16 at Bucknell. Last season, the Big Red opened on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.

BUZZ AROUND CAMPUS: In its five home games in 2007, Cornell averaged 8,897 people with a high of 13,035 to see the Big Red top Colgate on Homecoming weekend. That was nearly twice as many as the 2006 average of 5,008 fans per game. Cornell's five-game total of 44,486 fans surpassed the six-game total of 30,045 from 2006. In the 2008 opener, Cornell drew 13,142 for Homecoming against Yale and is averaging 10,842 fans per game this season.

BLOCKING OUT: The Big Red practice live special teams everyday, and a focus is blocking kicks. Cornell has been exceptional in that category under head coach Jim Knowles '87 with 22 blocked kicks, including a school record eight in 2004 and seven more in 2007. Cornell's Graham Rihn swatted away an extra-point that proved to be the difference in the season-opening 21-20 victory over Bucknell, then got his hands on a 42-yard field goal attempt by Yale's Tom Mante in a three-point win. 

EXTRA POINTS: Sophomore Brad Greenway has continued the team's tradition of perfection on extra-point kicks, connecting on all 11 attempts this year. That extends the team's mark to 97 straight conversion kicks dating back to Peter Zell's miss against Columbia on Nov. 13, 2004. Since then, A.J. Weitsman made 30 in a row in 2004, while Zell made a school record 54 straight kicks in 2006 and 2007, including a single-season record of 32 without a miss in 2007.

TURNAROUND IS FAIR PLAY: Cornell's 17-14 victory over Yale in the Ivy league opener marked just the second time in program history the Big Red defeated an opponent after losing to a team by 35 or more points the season before. The 1925 Big Red football team dropped a 62-13 decision at Dartmouth under Hall of Fame coach Gil Dobie, but responded with a 24-23 triumph the following season in Ithaca. 

SACK ATTACK: The Big Red registered six sacks in the victory over Yale, the most since also registering six against Dartmouth in a 28-25 win on Nov. 4, 2006. The Cornell defense has registered 13 sacks over the first six games this season, while the offensive line has allowed only seven. 

RUN, PASS, CATCH: When senior Luke Siwula flipped a 3-yard pass over the offensive line in the first half to classmate Zach Vredenburgh for a touchdown against Colgate, he became just the third Cornell player since 1980 to run, pass and catch a touchdown during their varsity careers. John Tagliaferri '86 (8 rush, 1 throw, 2 receptions) and Derrick Harmon '84 (26 rush, 1 throw, 2 receptions) have also hit on that statistical oddity. Four other players on the current Big Red team have touchdowns in two criteria: Randy Barbour (run, pass), Nathan Ford (run, pass), Shane Kilcoyne (run, catch) and Stephen Liuzza (run, pass).

GAME NUMBER 1,100: Cornell's games against Brown on Oct. 25 was the 1,100th contest in Big Red football history. The Big Red has a storied history that includes many of the following highlights over the first 1,100 games.

By The Numbers
• 2 Ivy League Rookies of the Year (Derrick Harmon - 1981; John McNiff - 1989)
• 3 Ivy League championships (1971, 1988, 1990)
• 4 Ivy League Players of the Year (Ed Marinaro - 1970 and 1971; Derrick Harmon - 1983; Chad Levitt - 1996)
• 5 national championships (1915, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1939)
• 12 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans
• 18 members of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame
• 41 Big Red players who have gone on to play professionally
• 120 years of Cornell football
• 126 All-Americans
• 136 Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame members
• 143 first-team All-Ivy League selections
• 613 victories (10th-most among Football Championship Subdivision teams)
• 4,715 rushing yards by Ed Marinaro in three years, No. 2 all-time in the Ivy League\
• 7,710 passing yards for Ricky Rahne, No. 3 all-time in the Ivy League

Highlights
• Legendary Hall of Fame coach Glenn "Pop" Warner played and coached at Cornell.
• On Nov. 16, 1940, Cornell was part of the historic "Fifth-Down" game with Dartmouth. Down 3-0 late in the game, Cornell was awarded a mistaken fifth-down play and scored a touchdown to earn a 7-3 win. After watching tape of the game, the Big Red forfeited the result, ending the top-ranked Big Red's 18-game win streak. It still serves as the most honored show of sportsmanship in the history of college football as the only time a game has been decided off the field.
• Pete Gogolak introduced soccer-style kicking to America in 1961
• Ed Marinaro became college football's all-time leading rusher and finished second in the Heisman Trophy race in 1971, graduating with 4,715 rushing yards.

CHARTING FORD'S RISE: Senior quarterback Nathan Ford continues to move up the career passing charts. Here is where he stands entering the Princeton game.

Career Yardage
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 7,710
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 5,697
3. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) 4,933

Career Completions
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 678
2. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) 488

Career Attempts
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 1226
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 873
3. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) 812

 

Career Completion Percentage
1. Mike Hood (1996-98) .607
2. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) .601
3. Steve Joyce (1994-95) .567

THIRD TO FOUR GRAND: With his 438-yard effort in the last-second win at Lehigh, senior quarterback Nathan Ford became the third player in Big Red history to surpass 4,000 passing yards in a career. His career total now stands at 4,933 yards, behind only Bill Lazor '94 (5,697) and all-time leader Ricky Rahne '02 (7,710).

HITTING THE MARK: Senior Nathan Ford threw for 216 yards and a touchdown against Brown, marking the 14th time Ford has tossed for at least 200 yards in a game. The native of Palo Alto, Calif., threw for at least 200 yards in each of the Big Red's first seven games in 2007, the most 200-yard passing games since Ricky Rahne surpassed 200 yards in all 10 games of the 2000 season. He did not attempt a pass after being injured early in the game at Dartmouth, did not play vs. Columbia and saw only second half duty against Penn in the season finale.

DOZEN FORDS IN A ROW: From the last possession of the first quarter until the second possession of the fourth against Bucknell, senior Nathan Ford completed 12 consecutive passes, including a third quarter in which he went 8-of-8 for 92 yards and a touchdown. He ended the day 21-of-26 passing for a completion percentage of .807. Accuracy like that is nothing new for Ford. The school's No. 2 quarterback in completion percentage, Ford set a Cornell record by hitting on his first 17 passes against Princeton in 2007.

HALF DOZEN AT TWO GRAND: With his 81-yard effort against Bucknell in the 2007 opener, senior Luke Siwula became the sixth player in program history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards. The Cortland, N.Y., native, joined Ed Marinaro '72, Chad Levitt '97, Derrick Harmon '84, John McNiff '92 and Gary Wood '64 at the milestone. He enters the Princeton game with 2,370 yards. Next up on the list is McNiff with 2,557 yards. 

SIWULA FOR SIX: Senior Luke Siwula scored a career-best three touchdowns in the season opening win over Bucknell in 2007, and three more against Georgetown, giving him 18 career rushing touchdowns and 22 total scores. His 22 total touchdowns is tied with Pete Larson '67 and Scott Oliaro '93 for sixth on the school's list. Siwula is tied for ninth on the school's all-time scoring list with 132 career points. 

ANOTHER HUNDRED: Luke Siwula enters the Princeton game with nine career 100-yard rushing games, fifth all-time in Cornell history. In 2005, Siwula became the first Cornell running back to record six 100-yard games in one season since Malaga in 1988. He was the fifth player to post a season with six or more 100-yard games (Ed Marinaro in 1969, 1970 and 1971; Dan Malone in 1972; Joe Holland in 1978; Malaga; and Siwula), with Heisman Trophy runner-up Ed Marinaro doing it in three straight seasons.

BIG-PLAY BAX SURPASSES 200 TACKLES: After finishing second in the Ivy League in tackles in 2007 with 100, senior safety Tim Bax posted a team-best 12 tackles in the season opener against Bucknell, giving him 209 career stops. With that effort, Bax became the 20th Cornell defender to register 200 career knockdowns. Bax has since upped that total to 249 career tackles, good for 11th overall. Below is where Bax ranks for the Big Red all-time: 

No. Player Tackles
8. Tom Bernardo '87 291
9. Tom Nunes '99 277
10. Brad Kitlowski '05 252
11. Tim Bax (2005-pr.) 249

VALENTA LEADS THE LINE: All-America candidate Steve Valenta enters the season as a three-year starter at left tackle and has made 26 consecutive starts while playing in all 29 games in which he has been available. During his three seasons as a starter, the Big Red has averaged 21.9 points and 139.6 rushing yards per game with 41 total touchdowns on the ground. 

PEOPLE TAKE NOTICE: Senior tackle Steve Valenta has earned a great deal of recognition heading into 2008, earning preseason all-conference honors from a variety of publications. With the success of recent graduate Kevin Boothe '06 fresh in the minds of NFL scouts, the 6-5, 309-pound Valenta has already brought several to campus to see him practice. He is currently rated among the top 100 tackles in college football by nfldraftscout.com.

WALTERS OBLITERATES PUNT RETURN RECORDS: After just three seasons with the Big Red, junior Bryan Walters already holds the career punt return yardage record (693 on 67 returns) and the top two single-season marks (345 in 2007, 273 in 2006). 

Career Punt Return Yardage
1. Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 693
2. Chris Allen (1994-97) 545

Career Punt Return Attempts
1. Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 67
2. Brian Romney (2004-05) 63

WALTERS AN ALL-PURPOSE OPTION: Junior Bryan Walters is among impressive company as an all-purpose threat, ranking third in school history behind Hall of Famer Ed Marinaro former NFL player Derrick Harmon with his 101.3 yards per game. Marinaro averaged an incredible 183.2 yards in his career, good for 5,117 total yards. If Walters continues at his current pace for his remaining 14 contests, he will end with 5,330 all-purpose yards. Below is how he ranks all-time at Cornell. 

Career All-Purpose Yardage
1. Chad Levitt (1993-96) 5,117
2. Ed Marinaro (1969-71) 4,947
3. Derrick Harmon (1981-83) 3,800
4. John McNiff (1989-91) 3,558
5. Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 3,366

Career All-Purpose Yardage (Average)
1. Ed Marinaro (1969-71) 183.2
2. Derrick Harmon (1981-83) 140.7
3. Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 140.3
4. Chad Levitt (1993-96) 134.7

OH YEAH, HE'S ALSO A RECEIVER: Junior Bryan Walters became an All-Ivy candidate as a sophomore wideout, hauling in 48 passes for 592 yards and four touchdowns. His receptions and receiving yards ranked him among the top 60 nationally. As a freshman, Walters caught three passes for 33 yards in limited action. In his first six games of 2008, Walters has hauled in 24 passes for 253 yards, including seven for 83 yards against Colgate. 

TOP 10: Junior Bryan Walters is listed among the top 10 active players in the Football Championship Subdivision in two categories: career kick return yardage (sixth, 1,794) and career punt return yardage (ninth, 694). 

BACK AT 1: Junior Bryan Walters is second in Ivy league history in kick return yardage with 1,794 yards. Terry Brown of Columbia is the all-time leader with 1,977 yards. 

CANTY JOINS THE 100-1,000 CATCH CLUB: Senior Zac Canty became the sixth player in school history to tally 100 career catches and the 13th to reach 1,000 receiving yards with his performance against Lehigh. His 11 catches for 120 yards were both career highs. He has since lifted his four-year totals to 121 receptions for 1,233 yards.

BAKER TO MAKE A RUN ON BOTH LISTS AS WELL: Senior Jesse Baker became the 14th player in school history to surpass 1,000 career yards with his five-catch, 60-yard effort at Harvard. He could also surpass 100 catches by matching his 2007 totals of 42 catches for 420 yards. He enters the Princeton game with 95 receptions for 1,148 yards and seven scores in 26 varsity contests.

BAKER THE TOUCHDOWN MAKER: Senior wide receiver Jesse Baker opened his final season with a bang, catching five passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns against Bucknell. He also had a career-high 10 catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns against Lehigh, including a 20-yard scoring grab as time expired to beat the Mountain Hawks. He also had a TD at Brown. Entering the season, Baker had just two scores on 64 catches, with both touchdowns coming during his sophomore season of 2006.

CAN YOU SPARE A RECEIVER: The Big Red returns all 14 players that caught a pass a season ago, accounting for 100 percent of the team's 281 catches for 2,611 yards and nine touchdowns from a season ago.
• Nine receivers reached double figures in catches, with two more catching eight balls.
• Six players hauled in at least 20 passes and three caught at least 40.
• Eight players had a reception of at least 20 yards.
• Rising seniors accounted for 179 catches (63.7 percent) and 1,600 yards (61.3 percent).
• Tight ends accounted for 19 catches (6.8 pct.) and 169 yards (6.5 pct.).
• Tailbacks accounted for 23 catches (8.2 pct.) for 190 yards (7.3 pct.).

LIUZZA SETTLES IN AT WR: Junior Stephen Liuzza has settled in at wide receiver after being the definition of a utility athlete in his first two seasons. The converted quarterback has seen action behind center, in the slot and in the backfield in his 23 varsity contests. The Slidell, La. native caught 23 passes for 196 yards a season ago, but also saw action in three games at quarterback. He posted 423 yards of total offense in just three quarters of play against Dartmouth in front a national television audience on YES, the third-best total in school history. 

THE CAPTAIN: Senior Tommy Bleymaier is nearing the 50-reception and 500-yard receiving milestones, entering the Princeton contest with 48 catches for 444 yards in his four seasons. Bleymaier had a breakout junior season, hauling in career highs of 29 catches for 224 yards, easily surpassing his totals from his first two seasons (11 catches, 162 yards). The son of Boise State AD Gene Bleymaier and a former walk-on, the 5-9, 170-pound receiver had 16 catches for 145 yards in the team's final three contests a season ago, including a career-high nine catches for 107 yards at Dartmouth. He had his first three catches of 2008 go for 25 yards in the win over Lehigh and has eight catches for 58 yards in six games this year.

KILCOYNE ALWAYS DANGEROUS: Senior Shane Kilcoyne is one of the team's most dangerous threats in the open field, and the Big Red will attempt to find a way to get him the ball in open space in 2008. The senior caught 10 passes for 61 yards and rushed 42 times for 124 yards a season ago, but it was his seven kick returns that averaged 27.0 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown return vs. Columbia, that showed his true potential. Kilcoyne enters the Princeton game with 1,164 all-purpose yards and seven career touchdowns. 

LINE 'EM UP: A year after starting three All-Ivy linemen that ended the season with 100 career starts, the 2008 campaign have had a new look in the trenches this season. With three-year starter Steve Valenta returning at left tackle (20 starts) and two-year starter Quentin Bernhard (10 starts) bookending the right side, Cornell worked in three brand new starters in the interior — junior Andrew Bohl (right guard) and seniors Justin Mortensen (left guard) and Babak Motamedi (center). The trio brought a combined 13 games of reserve experience into the year. The starting offensive line averages 6-3 and 297 pounds. So far, so good. The offensive line didn't allow a sack in its first 129 passing and has surrendered just seven in six total games.

SACKS UNWELCOME HERE: The Big Red offensive line has been a wall so far this season, allowing just five sacks in the first five contests this season. The Big Red offensive line did not allow a sack in its first 129 pass attempts of the season and didn't allow a sack for the first three games of 2008, the first time Cornell didn't allowed a sack in three straight games since it became an official NCAA statistic in 2000.

BARBOUR CUTS CLOSE: Junior Randy Barbour entered the season the team's leading returning rusher after posting 477 yards and six scores a season ago. The 5-9 tailback picked right up where he left off, registering his second career 100-yard game with 114 yards on 23 carries and a score in the season-opening victory over Bucknell and has rushed for a team-best 275 yards and four scores through six games. Barbour earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime win over Brown a season ago, the sixth-best rushing total this decade. He will again tandem with senior Luke Siwula to form Cornell's own version of "thunder and lightning."

RIHN BIG TACKLER: Senior captain Graham Rihn is recognized as one of the top defensive players in the Ivy League, and he will have a chance to give the league's coordinators headaches one last time this fall. In the opener against Bucknell, Rihn had four tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and a sack, but it was his play on special teams that proved to be the difference in the 21-20 victory. Rihn blocked a Bison game-tying extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter to help Cornell retain a one-point lead. Rihn also blocked a field goal and recovered a fumble in the win over Yale. For the season, Rihn has posted 31 tackles, including 3.5 TFL.

KRIMM A SAFETY VALVE: Senior Gus Krimm has been a steady playmaker in the defensive backfield over the last two seasons, ranking fourth on the team each year with 58 total tackles. He registered six tackles, including one for a loss, and recovered a fumble in the opener against Bucknell. Krimm then had three tackles, including two sacks and a fumble recovery, in the victory over Yale. Krimm enters the Princeton game with 26 consecutive starts and 149 tackles to go along with 12 pass breakups. He had his first interception of the year against Brown, adding five tackles and two pass breakups.

SABO STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT: After seeing extensive time as a reserve the last two seasons, everyone in the Cornell football program had confidence that senior Anthony Sabo would be an impact player. They have been right. Sabo was all over the field in the win over Yale, recording a team-high nine tackles with 3.5 coming for a loss, including two sacks. He also forced a fumble to open the fourth quarter that was recovered by the Big Red. In his three seasons with the varsity, Sabo has posted 91 tackles, including 6.0 for a loss with 3.5 sacks. 

COSTELLO, OSTROWSKY TAKE THE REIGNS AT LINEBACKER: With the loss of two-year starters Ryan Blessing and Doug Lempa to graduation, junior Chris Costello and senior Brian Ostrowsky have capably filled their slots and excelled in the first six games. The duo rank second and sixth on the team in tackles, respectively, combining for 81 stops, 11.0 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Ostrowsky and Costello each had eight tackles, including a stop for a loss, in the win over Yale. Costello posted a career-best 11 stops in the win over Lehigh, adding 2.5 TFL to his totals. Costello and Ostrowsky also had 11 and 10 tackles, respectively, in the loss to Colgate.

CORNERING THE MARKET: Sophomore Emani Fenton has emerged as the team's starting corner and has been a difference-maker against the pass. Fenton ranks third on the team with 35 tackles, including 3.5 behind the line of scrimmage, and a team-high eight pass breakups. 

LINE THEM UP: The senior-laden defensive line of Dario Arezzo and Lucas McCarthy on the ends and Frank Kunis at nose guard have been stout against the run, building up a front line that has allowed just 114.8 yards rushing per game (30th nationally). While combining for just 44 tackles, the line strung out a Bucknell offense running the spread option, a Yale team that ranked eight nationally in rushing a season ago and a Lehigh squad featuring 100-yard rusher Matt McGowan to a total of 111 yards rushing, including a net total of 0 yards against the Bulldogs.

MAXWELL SMART PUNTER: Senior punter Nick Maxwell has been among the top punters in the Ivy League in his three seasons as a starter. Maxwell has averaged 38.2 yards on 128 career punts, putting 35 of his kicks inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He has had only seven touchbacks and one kick blocked in his career. The Lacey, Wash., native averaged a career-best 39.2 yards per punt as a junior. His hangtime, as well as the team's punt coverage team, allowed just 166 return yards on 28 returns, an average of 5.9 yards per attempt. He has been just as good in 2008, averaging 38.6 yards on 35 punts with 10 being downed inside the 20.

A LOT OF LEG: Senior punter Nick Maxwell was busy in the Big Red's win over Yale, kicking 11 times for an average of 41.0 yards per punt. He dropped six of those kicks inside the 20 and was part of a group that allowed Yale average field position of its own 24. Cornell's offense, meanwhile, averaged starting on its own 41, a key 17-yard difference.

BOOTHE '06 BECOMES SECOND CORNELLIAN TO WIN SUPER BOWL RING: Former All-American offensive lineman Kevin Boothe '06 joined former star tailback Derrick Harmon '84 as the second Cornell alumnus to earn a Super Bowl ring. Boothe played on special teams during the New York Giants' run to Super Bowl XLII. Boothe and the Giants upset the previously unbeaten New England Patriots, 17-14, on Feb. 3, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Harmon earned his ring as a running back and returner for the San Francisco 49ers, joining Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and company in a 38-16 triumph over the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 20, 1985 in Super Bowl XIX.

RING MY BELL: When head coach Jim Knowles '87 returned to his alma mater in 2004, he introduced a Victory Bell and a new Cornell fight song. After every win, the Cornell team gathers in the locker room and sings the fight song, and one player is chosen to ring the bell. After 10 wins, the bell is retired and a new one is introduced. The Big Red retired its second bell after a 34-14 victory over Columbia in the 2007 home finale. A new bell was rung with its first win of 2008, a 21-20 triumph at Bucknell on Sept. 20.

STORIED RIVALRIES: The Big Red is involved in three of the top 20 most-played rivalries in college football. Heading into the 2008 campaign, the Cornell-Penn series ranks fifth in most games played with 115. The 95 meetings between Cornell and Columbia ranks 12th, while the Cornell-Colgate rivalry stands 17th with 91 games played. The Big Red's oldest active rivalry is with Lehigh. Although the teams have met just 24 times, the squads first faced off during the 1887 season, Cornell's first season of football. The Cornell-Dartmouth and the Cornell-Penn series are the second-longest uninterrupted active series, as the teams have met every season since 1919, a span of 88 years. They trail only the Lafayette-Lehigh series, which has been played every year since 1897. 

AP NO. 1: Cornell is the only Ivy League school to be ranked No. 1 in the weekly Associated Press poll, holding the top ranking for three weeks (10/15-10/29) of the 1940 season. The No. 1 ranking ended with the historic "Fifth Down Game" against Dartmouth. The Big Red ended that campaign with a 6-2 record that included wins over Army, Syracuse and Ohio State.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Cornell has won five national titles in its storied football history. The Big Red claimed at least a share of the 1915 (Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, National Championship Foundation and Parke Davis), 1921 (Helms, Houlgate, National Championship Foundation and Parke Davis), 1922 (Helms, Parke Davis), 1923 (Sagarin) and 1939 (Litkenhous, Sagarin) titles. All five teams went undefeated and dominated their opponents. The 1915 team was 9-0 and outscored its opponents 287-50 with four shutouts. The 1921, 1922 and 1923 squads each went 8-0 and outscored their opponents 392-21, 339-27 and 320-33, respectively. The teams allowed more than one touchdown in a game just once during that 24-game span while scoring 40 or more points 14 times. The 1939 team was 8-0 and defeated Syracuse, Penn State and Ohio State. 

LIVE AND IN YOUR HOME: You can see live streaming video of each of the Big Red's five home games courtesy of Cornell athletics and IBN Sports. Visit www.CornellBigRed.com or www.IBNSports.com for more information. For subscription information for Cornell's other sports through the Redcast subscription service, visit Cornell's web site, www.CornellBigRed.com. 

WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY?: All of the Big Red's football games in 2008 are carried live on WHCU (870 AM) in the Ithaca area and on the internet at www.CornellBigRed.com. Barry Leonard returns for his 11th season in the booth and ninth season in the play-by-play chair, while Buck Briggs '76 is back to provide the color commentary for an eighth season. Special guests will also make appearances throughout the year. 

GET SIRIUS: The Cornell football team will make two live appearances on SIRIUS Satellite Radio during the upcoming 2008 season as part of a 12-game Ivy League Game of the Week package. This season will mark the fourth year of SIRIUS Radio's broadcast of the football and men's basketball. The Big Red will face Brown on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 12:30 p.m., then plays host to Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. SIRIUS will feature both football and basketball games from all eight Ivy League schools (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale), and showcase some of the best matchups of the season. All games will be broadcast on Sirius 130.

LIVE STATS: If you can't make it to Schoellkopf Field, you can follow the Big Red live on the internet with Live Stats. Just follow the link on www.CornellBigRed.com for official stats updated in real-time for each of the Big Red's home games. 

UP NEXT: The Big Red will play its second straight contest at Schoellkopf Field when it hosts Dartmouth on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. The team will attempt to avenge last season's 56-31 Big Green victory in Hanover, N.H.