GAME INFORMATION
Game #4: Cornell at Harvard
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 11, at 12:00 p.m. ET
Site: Harvard Stadium (30,323), Cambridge, Mass.
2008 Records: Cornell (3-0, 1-0 Ivy); Harvard (2-1, 0-1 Ivy)
Series Record: Harvard leads 38-32-2
Last Meeting: Harvard won 32-15, Oct. 6, 2007, in Ithaca, N.Y.
Television: Versus Network (DirecTV 608, Dish 151), Rich Ackerman (play-by-play), Dale Hellestrae (color)
Radio: WHCU 870 AM, Barry Leonard (play-by-play), Buck Briggs (color)
Live Stats: Available at www.gocrimson.com
Live Video: Available at www.gocrimson.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 (23-20 overall, .535; 14-15 Ivy, .483) ... 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.
ITHACA, N.Y. — When the new "Ivy League Game of the Week" package on VERSUS was announced in August, few may have realized that the Cornell-Harvard matchup would have big-time implications on the conference title race. But as the undefeated Big Red head to Cambridge, Mass. on Saturday, that's exactly what the network will get as Cornell will attempt to get a leg up on the competition at the top of the league standings by defeating each of the conference co-favorites when it meets Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 12:00 p.m. The game from Harvard Stadium can be seen on channel 72 in Ithaca, or on either DirecTV channel 609 or the Dish Network on channel 151. Check your local listing for availability. The contest can also 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.
The Big Red, picked sixth in the preseason Ivy League media poll, showed that prognosticators may have underestimated a senior class of 33 that has seen significant playing time over the last three seasons as proven by a 17-14 victory over preseason favorite Yale two weekends ago, as well as a pair of tight road wins at Patriot League foes Bucknell (21-20) and Lehigh (25-24). The three gut-wrenching wins, including last weekend's final-play victory over the Mountain Hawks, have Cornell ready to challenge the defending Ancient Eight champ.
Cornell has won games with the run (at Bucknell), with the pass (at Lehigh) and with a balanced attack (vs. Yale) offensively, but it has been the defense that has been at the forefront. The Big Red has allowed opponents just 37 yards rushing per game, a number that ranks second nationally. It will be challenged by a Crimson offense that is averaging better than 440 yards per game and is hungry to avoid a killer 0-2 start in league play after falling to Brown, 24-22, on Sept. 27. A team that finishes 5-2 hasn't won or shared the league title since 1982, a feat that has happened just twice since Ivy league play began in 1956 (1963 and 1982).
A WIN OVER HARVARD WOULD:
• make Cornell 4-0 to open a season for the first time since the 1999 team also opened 4-0.
• give the Big Red a 2-0 Ancient Eight mark for the first time since the 200 campaign when it also defeated Yale (24-23) and Harvard (29-28), each by a single point.
• extend Cornell's road win streak to three games, its longest since the 1994 team defeated Fordham (13-6), Harvard (18-13) and Bucknell (29-28) in succession.
• cut Harvard's lead in the all-time series to 38-33-2 dating back to the first meeting in 1890.
• push Cornell to 2-0 in Ivy league play for the first time since 2000.
• snap a three-game skid at Harvard Stadium.
• be the 613th in program history (10th most in the Football Championship Subdivision).
THE CORNELL-HARVARD SERIES: (Harvard leads 38-32-2) Cornell and Harvard will be meeting for the 73rd time dating back to the first meeting in 1890. The Crimson owned the early series, capturing the first 10 games (1890-1913), while Cornell 11 won straight from 1986-1996. Harvard has won six of the last seven contests and the last three games in Cambridge, Mass.
SCOUTING HARVARD
• Harvard brings a 2-1 record after bouncing back from its first loss with a strong 27-13 effort at Lafayette on Oct. 4. The Crimson opened the year by rallying for a 25-24 triumph over Holy Cross, then lost its Ivy League opener to Brown, 24-22.
• Harvard opened up a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back against a Lafayette team looking to go 4-0 for the first time in 16 years. Instead, Harvard righted the ship behind 108 rushing yards and a touchdown from Cheng Ho and 231 yards in the air from Chris Pizzotti.
• The Crimson was picked to finish first in the preseason Ivy League poll along with Yale after finishing 2007 with an 8-2 record and storming through Ancient Eight play undefeated (7-0).
• The defending Ivy League champion Crimson bring in the nation's third-ranked passing attack (308 ypg.) and the ninth-ranked rushing defense (76.3). Harvard paces the Ivy League in both passing and total offense.
• Harvard's defense hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 30 straight games entering the Cornell contest.
• The Crimson is 262-5-1 all-time when scoring at least 30 points.
• Head coach Tim Murphy is in his 15th season at Harvard and has led the Crimson to four Ivy League titles (1997, 2001, 2004, 2007). He sports a 90-52 record at Harvard and a 122-97-1 mark counting five seasons at Cincinnati and two years at Maine.
THE NUMBERS GAME — THROUGH WEEK 3: Here is some fun with numbers through three games for the Big Red.
• Cornell has won its three games by a total of five points, the first time in 121 years of Big Red football history it has won three straight contests by a field goal or less.
• The Big Red has posted eight sacks while not allowing one this season.
• Cornell opponents have fumbled 13 times (six lost) in three games, while the Big Red has not put the ball on the ground once.
• Opponents have made just 4-of-8 total kicks (PATs and field goals) with two Big Red blocks.
• Cornell has held the ball for more than 33 minutes in each of its first three games.
• The Big Red has held the ball an average of 10:18 in the fourth quarter in the three contests.
• Cornell is a perfect 5-of-5 on fourth-down conversions this season, including 3-of-3 on the final drive last weekend against Lehigh.
• The defense has limited opponents to under 75 yards rushing in consecutive games for the first time since limiting its final three opponents of the 2005 season (Dartmouth -1, Columbia 1, Penn 33) to a total of 33 yards rushing.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: While still early in the season, the NCAA statistical rankings shed some light on the early 3-0 start for the Big Red. As a team, the Big Red ranks second nationally against the run (37.0 ypg.), behind only Northern Arizona, which has allowed its five opponents a total of 57 rushing yards (11.4 ypg.). The Big Red also leads the nation with its zero sacks allowed, joining San Diego and Sacred Heart as the only schools in the FCS yet to allow a sack. Cornell also ranks among the top 10 nationally in total defense (seventh, 267.7) and tackles for loss (seventh, 8.7).
REVIEWING THE LEHIGH WIN: With the calm and confidence of a champion, the Cornell football team put together a drive that will long be remembered by Big Red fans to knock off Lehigh 25-24. Senior Jesse Baker caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from classmate Nathan Ford as time expired, capping off a record-setting day in the air for the Big Red. Baker ended the evening with 10 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown, while Ford completed 39-of-63 passes for 438 yards. The team's total passing mark of 472 yards set a school record, as did the 64 passing attempts. Senior Zac Canty surpassed the 100-catch and 1,000-yard receiving marks for his career with an 11-catch, 120-yard effort as well. The Big Red defense limited Lehigh to 65 rushing yards on 22 carries and stopped a pair of fourth quarter two-point conversions in the victory, Cornell's first at Lehigh since 1965.
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.
CORNELL ONE OF FIVE UNBEATENS: The Big Red football team is one of just five unbeaten teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA). At 3-0 on the year, Cornell joins Liberty (5-0), New Hampshire (4-0), Sacred Heart (5-0) and San Diego (5-0) among the ranks of the unbeaten.
RUCH AND READY: Senior Jonathan Ruch may have had the play of the game if it hadn't been for the last-second drive, as the four-0year reserve got his first start in front of family and friends at Lehigh and the defensive end delivered. Ruch caught quarterback J.B. Clark in the backfield for a six-yard loss on Lehigh's first possession of the contest.
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 with a school record 472 yards through the air in the win over Lehigh. Senior quarterback Nathan Ford completed 39 of 63 passes for 438 yards, 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.
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.
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.
WALK, DON'T RUN: The Cornell defense built a reputation for being stingy against the run until last season, when it struggled against teams that wanted to keep the ball on the ground. The Big Red showed where its focus would be in its first three contests this season. Against Bucknell, the Big Red limited the Bison to 46 yards on 31 carries, the fewest yards by a Bison team since the 2000 season, which predates the start of the program running the spread option. Cornell then held Yale and All-America running back Mike McLeod to a total of 0 yards on 28 carries as a team. Lehigh and senior running back Matt McGowan were able to muster on 65 yards on 22 carries.
EXTRA POINTS: Sophomore Brad Greenway has continued the team's tradition of perfection on extra-point kicks, connecting on all six attempts this year. That extends the team's mark to 92 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.
SABO NAMED IVY DEFENSIVE POW (Sept. 29): Senior Anthony Sabo was part of a bigger team defensive effort that helped Cornell upset preseason Ivy League favorite Yale, but his individual effort earned him Ivy League defensive player of the week honors on Sept. 28. Sabo and the Big Red defense allowed Yale to muster just 209 yards of total offense and one offensive touchdown in a 17-14 victory over the Bulldogs. He was all over the field for the Big Red, collecting a team-high nine tackles with 3.5 stops for a loss, two sacks and a forced fumble in the win.
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 eight sacks over the first three games this season, while the offensive line hasn't allowed one.
CHARTING FORD'S RISE: Senior quarterback Nathan Ford continues to move up the career passing charts. Here is where he stands entering the Harvard game.
Passing Yards
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 7,710
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 5,697
3. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) 4,170
Completions
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 678
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 470
3. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) 402
Pass Attempts
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 1226
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 873
3. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) 670
Career Completion Percentage
1. Mike Hood (1996-98) .607
2. Nathan Ford (2005-pr.) .600
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. That boosted his total for 4,170 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 438 yards and two touchdowns in the 25-24 win over Lehigh, marking the 11th 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 all-time leader in completion percentage, Ford set a Cornell record by completing 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 Harvard with 2,298 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 Harvard 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 219 career tackles. Below is where Bax ranks for the Big Red all-time:
No. Player Tackles
11. David Pitman '00 234
12. Jeff DeLamielleuere '88 229
13. Mark Broderick '92 228
14. Nate Spitler '03 221
15. Tim Bax (2005-pr.) 219
VALENTA LEADS THE LINE: All-America candidate Steve Valenta enters the season as a three-year starter at left tackle and has made 23 consecutive starts while playing in all 27 games in which he has been available. During his three seasons as a starter, the Big Red has averaged 22.7 points and 145.3 rushing yards per game with 39 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 (637 on 63 returns) and the top two single-season marks (345 in 2007, 273 in 2006). He enters the Harvard game tied for first in career punt return attempts (63) with Brian Romney '06.
Career Punt Return Yardage
1. Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 637
2. Chris Allen (1994-97) 545
Career Punt Return Attempts
1. Brian Romney (2004-05) 63
Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 63
3. Chris Allen (1994-97) 57
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 Famers Ed Marinaro and Derrick Harmon with his 139.7 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 17 contests, he will end with 5,308 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. Gary Wood (1961-63) 3,352
-- Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 2,933
-- Luke Siwula (2005-pr.) 2,660
Career All-Purpose Yardage (Average)
1. Ed Marinaro (1969-71) 183.2
2. Derrick Harmon (1981-83) 140.7
3. Bryan Walters (2006-pr.) 139.7
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 three games of 2008, Walters has hauled in 11 passes for 140 yards, including seven for 63 yards against Bucknell in the opener.
HONORS NOT NEW TO WALTERS: Junior Bryan Walters is a three-time weekly Ivy League honoree, capturing Special Teams Player of the Week twice during his career and Rookie of the Week honors once as a freshman.
CANTY OUT TO JOIN 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 and lifted his four-year totals to 106 receptions for 1,101 yards.
CANTY WITH THE GRAB: Senior Zac Canty has at least two catches in 22 of the Big Red's last 23 games. Canty did not play against Columbia last season, snapping a streak of 18 straight games with a catch.
BAKER TO MAKE A RUN ON BOTH LISTS AS WELL: Senior Jesse Baker could also surpass 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards by matching his 2007 totals of 42 catches for 420 yards. He enters the Harvard game with 79 receptions for 958 yards and six scores in 23 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. 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 20 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 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). A third-down specialist out of the slot, 17 of his 43 career receptions have extended drives for the Big Red. 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.
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 Harvard game with 925 all-purpose yards and six 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 hasn't allowed a sack in 116 passing plays spanning the first three games of the year.
NO SACKS ALLOWED HERE: The Big Red offensive line has been a wall so far this season, not allowing a sack in either contest this season spanning 116 pass attempts. It is the first time Cornell hasn't allowed a sack in three straight games since sacks 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 187 yards and two scores through three 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.
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. He then had three tackles, including two sacks and a fumble recovery, in the victory over Yale. Krimm enters the Harvard game with 23 consecutive starts and 132 tackles to go along with 10 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 77 tackles, including 5.5 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 three games. The duo rank first and fifth on the team in tackles, respectively, combining for 39 stops, 5.5 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.
CORNERING THE MARKET: A pair of sophomore cornerbacks have emerged to give the Big Red pass defense a much-needed boost. Emani Fenton and Andy Wade were outstanding in the win over Yale, combining for 14 tackles and four pass breakups to help keep the powerful Bulldog offense at bay. Fenton ranks third on the team with 18 tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage, and has four pass breakups. Wade, in his two starts, has 12 tackles and three 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 37.0 yards rushing per game. While combining for just 15 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 38.5 yards on 111 career punts, putting 33 of his kicks inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He has had only five 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 even better in 2008, averaging 40.5 yards on 18 punts with eight 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 90 games played. The Big Red's oldest active rivalry is with this week's opponent, 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 returns to Schoellkopf Field on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. when it meets Colgate. The Big Red will attempt to extend its win streak over its Central New York rival to three games after suffering a string of 10 consecutive losses to the Raiders from 1993-2005..
