ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Big Red football team snapped a four-game losing streak with a dominant 37-14 victory over Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell won all three facets of the contest in evening its record at 4-4 (2-3 Ivy), while Dartmouth remained winless at 0-8 (0-5 Ivy).
Senior quarterback
Nathan Ford threw for over 300 yards for the second straight game and the third time this season, including a 96-yard touchdown pass to
Bryan Walters, the second-longest in Cornell history. Senior
Luke Siwula, who earlier this week became a four-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selection, ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns, while
Randy Barbour also reached the end zone while rushing for a team-best 70 yards.
The Big Red special teams added a pair of field goal blocks, including one returned 69 yards for a touchdown by sophomore
Andy Wade. Defensively, the Big Red intercepted freshman quarterback Conner Kempe three times after entering the contest with just two INTs in the first seven contests. Wade ended the day with a career-best nine tackles and three pass breakups, while freshman
K.C. Aharanwa had eight tackles, including a tackle for loss.
Kempe was 25-of-52 passing for 256 yards, with 10 of those receptions and 122 yards going to Tim McManus. Kempe also ran for a short touchdown. Eric Paul also caught five passes for 53 yards, while Milan Williams added 38 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Defensively, Andrew Dete had a game-high 11 tackles and Tony Bates added nine for the Big Green.
Cornell outgained the Big Green 144-58 on the ground and 454-314 overall, holding a 32:08-27:52 edge in time of possession. The Big Red converted 6-of-12 third-down opportunities and limited Dartmouth to 5-of-15 on third-down, allowing the defense to get off the field.
Cornell opened the game with the ball and effectively and efficiently marched down the field on a 13-play, 76-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard touchdown run by Barbour to go up 7-0 at the 9:43 mark. Dartmouth answered with its unknown freshman quarterback, as Kempe completed his first five attempts to move the visitors to the Cornell 39-yard line. Following his first incompletion of the game, Kempe connected with Eric Paul to move into the red zone. From there, the Dartmouth drive stalled and Foley Schmidt came out to attempt the 31-yard field goal attempt. But that's where it all fell apart for Dartmouth.
For the third time this season,
Graham Rihn found a hole to attack in the line and blocked the kick 15 yards down the field, where Wade scooped up the ball and sprinted 69 yards to register his first career touchdown. Greenway's extra-point attempt was good and Cornell took the 14-0 lead with 4:42 remaining in the first quarter. Â
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Facing an uphill climb, Kempe was again extremely efficient to start the Dartmouth drive, connecting on his first three passes and finding Paul for a 17-yard gain on a fourth-and-2 from the Cornell 39 to keep the drive alive. The offense stalled in that area, and Schmidt came out to attempt a 28-yard field goal, but this time
Horatio Blackman managed to get a hand on it and the ball fell short of the mark to keep the score right as it was.
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After three consecutive empty possessions, Dartmouth opened a drive on its 28-yard line, and on its first play from scrimmage Kempe promptly threw an interception to
Rashad Campbell, who was in on his first play of the contest in just his second varsity game. The freshman's driving grab would ultimately put three points on the board for the home team as
Brad Greenway drilled home a 24-yard field goal when the Cornell offense stalled on first-and-goal from the Dartmouth 3.
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Cornell opened its final drive of the half with a 17-yard rush by Barbour, and Ford got the Big Red into scoring position with three straight completions to Canty to the Dartmouth 7. A great reception by
Tommy Bleymaier got down the to the 2, but Greenway was forced to attempt a 23-yard field goal from the left hash, and his attempt clanged the left upright and bounced out to send Cornell into halftime with that 17-0 lead.
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On Dartmouth's second play from scrimmage in the third quarter Kempe unleashed a 45-yard bomb to McMannus to move the ball to the Cornell 24-yard line, but on its very next play, senior
Tim Bax intercepted the ball on the 3-yard line to end the Big Green threat. Bax's effort play from his safety position would pay huge dividends, as the Big Red capitalized immediately. Ford handed off to Siwula on first downj, but the senior running back hit the pile and bounced it back to Ford for a flea-flicker. Ford's perfect pass split two defenders and Walters made a quick move to adjust to the ball and was gone, going 96 yards untouched for the second-longest touchdown reception in Cornell history. Greenway added the extra point and the Big Red took the 24-0 lead at the 12:58 mark.
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After another Big Green punt, Cornell opened its drive with a 19-yard rush by Kilcoyne before Siwula took over, gaining 22 yards on four of the next six plays, including a 5-yard touchdown rush to get his first score of the year. After a false-start penalty, the point after attempt was pushed back five yards and Greenway pushed the ball wide right, and the score remained 30-0. It was Cornell's first extra-point miss in five seasons.
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Another solid defensive stand forced Dartmouth to a three-and-out, but a beautifully placed punt pinned Cornell back at its own nine-yard line. After moving the ball out to its 26-yard line, Ford threw his first interception of the day, as Shawn Abuhoff snagged the ball and returned it five yards to the Cornell-26-yard line.
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A rush by Williams and an offside penalty by Cornell quickly moved the ball into the red zone, before Williams took the ball to the 10-yard line with a seven yard rush. A three-yard reception by McMannus gave the Big Green a first down on the seven-yard line, but three straight incompletions sent out the Dartmouth field goal unit. Schmidt's kick split the uprights, but a roughing the kicker penalty by the Big Red gave Dartmouth new life with a first down on the three-yard line. The Big Green converted immediately as Williams barreled his way three yards to pay dirt. Schmidt added the extra point to make it a 30-7 game with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter.
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Despite an incredible diving reception by Walters, the Big Red went three-and-out on its next possession and Dartmouth opened its series on its 23-yard line after a 41-yard punt by
Nick Maxwell.
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After moving to its 42-yard line, thanks mostly to a 17-yard reception by McMannus, Kempe was picked off near midfield by
Dario Arezzo.
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Back-to-back rushes by Siwula moved the ball to the Dartmouth 36-yard line before Ford completed a pass to his 13th different receiver of the game,
Marcus Hendren, for a 15-yard gain. A personal foul penalty on Dartmouth following the play set up a first down for Cornell on the 11-yard line. Once again, the Big Red turned to Siwula, who carried the ball twice to the 2-yard line, before Ford picked up the first down with a one-yard rush. Siwula then bull-rushed his way into the endzone on the next play and Greenway added the extra-point to make it a 37-7 game with just over 11 minutes to play in the game.
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Williams opened Dartmouth's next drive with a 13-yard rush, but after a no-gain on its next play, the Big Red defense stopped a reverse for a loss of seven yards. Schwieger's rush of four yards wasn't enough to pick up the first down and the Big Green had to punt the ball away.
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Walters posted a 13-yard punt reception to give Cornell great field position at its 44-yard line, but back-to-back false start penalties set up first-and-20 back at the Big Red 34. The Big Red shuffled in
Tyler Lucas and
Ben Ganter under center before a four-yard rush by Barbour ended the drive, forcing Cornell to punt away.
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Kempe regained some of his earlier form on Dartmouth's final drive, hitting Paul for six yards before connecting with Galligan for a 20-yard reception. After an incompletion, Kempe rushed eight yards to the Cornell 37-yard line and then hit McMannus and Galligan for an eight- and 12-yard gain, respectively, to get into the red zone. After moving to the 10 with a seven-yard reception from Nate Servis, Rob Mitchelson picked up the first down with a rush to the four-yard line. Kempe loss a yard on the rush and then threw an incomplete before Galligan made a catch on the one-yard line, but was stopped and knocked out of bounds by Campbell. Facing fourth-down Dartmouth finally got into the endzone with a quarterback keeper and Schmidt added the extra point to make it a 37-14 game.
Cornell will play its final road game of the season when it visits Columbia on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12:30 p.m. at Wien Stadium.
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