ITHACA, N.Y. – A Homecoming crowd of 11,143 packed into a rain-soaked Schoellkopf Field and watched a brilliant defensive display by the Cornell football team as it defeated preseason Ivy League favorite Yale, 17-14. It was the Big Red's first win over the Bulldogs since a 19-7 victory at home during the 2004 season, giving head coach Jim Knowles '87 his first college coaching win. The Big Red improved to 2-0 on the season with the win, while Yale slipped to 1-1. 

The Cornell defense held Yale All-American running back Mike McLeod to just 57 yards on the ground, sacked the Bulldog quarterbacks six times for a combined loss of 49 yards, forced four fumbles (recovering three) and came up with an interception. The Cornell defense allowed only 209 yards of total offense, including just 129 in the first 57:46 of the game, and held Yale to just one offensive touchdown. The duo of Yale quarterbacks Ryan Fodor and Book Hart combined to go 18-of-37 passing for 209 yards after entering the contest ranking 1-2 nationally in passing efficiency.

Senior Anthony Sabo led the defense with nine tackles and two sacks, while classmate Graham Rihn recovered a fumble and blocked a Yale field goal attempt. Senior Brian Ostrowsky was also all over the field with eight tackles, including one for a loss, the same as junior Chris Costello. Sophomore Andy Wade, making his first career start at cornerback, had eight tackles and a pass breakup, while classmate Emani Fenton had six stops and two breakups.

On offense, the Big Red was led by Randy Barbour, who rushed the ball 23 times for 67 yards and a touchdown, while Luke Siwula carried the ball 13 times for 34 yards. Quarterback Nate Ford went 7-for-22 for 74 yards and was victimized by early drops, but still scored one rushing touchdown, the 10th of his career.
 
Cornell had all the motivation it would need against the Bulldogs, starting with avenging a 51-12 loss in New Haven a season ago. With the block "C" back on the helmets, new red pants, a Homecoming crowd with a nearly full crescent and the introduction of FieldTurf to historic Schoellkopf Field, the Big Red improved to 2-0 for the first time this century, with its last perfect start after two games coming in 1999.

After a 26-yard kick off return by Bryan Walters to open the game, the Big Red picked up one first down before the offense stalled, forcing Cornell to punt the ball away. Nick Maxwell booted the ball 43 yards, pinning the Bulldogs' 16-yard line. Back-to-back rushes by All-American Mike McLeod moved the ball to the Yale 38-yard line, but an interception by Tim Bax returned the ball to the home team.

Cornell wasted little time getting into Bulldog territory when Ford connected with Stephen Liuzza for a 22-yard gain to move the ball to the Yale 37-yard line. Barbour took the ball the next 29 yards, including an 18-yard reception, to get the Big Red a first down on the 5-yard line. On the next play, Luke Siwula lined up in the shotgun, took the direct snap, and fought his way to the 1. Ford returned to the game and used a quarterback sneak to put the Big Red on the board, 7-0, at the 9:15 mark after Brad Greenway punched home the PAT.

A short kick-off put Yale in decent field position to start its second possession on its 39-yard line. The Bulldogs cross midfield before a quarterback sack and a tackle for a loss pushed the ball back to force a Yale punt. A booming 42-yard punt by Tom Mante pinned the Big Red on its own goal line, but a personal foul by the Bulldogs, after a three-yard Siwula run, brought Cornell out of the shadow of its end zone to the 22-yard line. A pair of dropped passes by the Big Red brought out the punt unit for the second time.

On his first pass of the day, Brook Hart hit a wide-open Jordan Forney for a 30-yard pick up, moving the ball to the Cornell 27-yard line. Back-to-back rushes by McLeod didn't get anywhere, and with a third-and-eight and outstanding defensive pressure on the quarterback by Anthony Sabo, Hart was forced to throw the ball out of bounds. Yale lined up to attempt a 42-yard field goal attempt, but Graham Rihn rushed through a hole up front and blocked the attempt. Rihn had already blocked a fourth quarter extra point that turned out to be the difference in last week's victory over Bucknell.

The Big Red went three-and-out on its next possession, but a booming kick by Maxwell pushed the Bulldogs back to its 15-yard line. McLeod found daylight on the first play from scrimmage, carrying 10 yards to pick up the first down. After an incomplete pass and a one-yard rush by McLeod, the Bulldogs' drive was ended thanks to a six-yard sack by Gus Krimm.

Walters took the punt at the Cornell 36-yard line and fought for 10 yards to move the ball into Yale territory. A 12-yard strike to Horatio Blackman over the middle put Cornell on the Yale 30-yard line. Once again, Siwula took a direct snap four yards and a brilliant 19-yard run by Liuzza brought the ball down to the Bulldog 7-yard line. Two more rushes made it a third-and-six, and Barbour used a tenacious effort to bulldoze his way over the goal line to put Cornell up 14-0 with 10:10 to play in the half.

Both defenses and punters took over the game over the next four possessions before special teams got the Bulldogs back in the game.

A solid 46-yard punt by Maxwell was collected by Gio Christodoulou, who found a lane and raced 71 yards to get the Bulldogs on the board, making it a 14-7 game with just less than two minutes to play in the half.

Neither team could muster anything in their final possession of the half and the home team went into the break up a touchdown.

Yale received the ball to start the second half and on the first play, as Hart dropped back to pass, Kunis swarmed the quarterback and forced a fumble. Rihn fell on the ball at the Yale 6-yard line. Siwula carried the ball three times and took it to the 2-yard line to set up a 21-yard field goal by Greenway, the first of his career, to make it a 17-7 game at the 13 minute mark.

Another outstanding 36-yard return by Christodoulou set the Bulldogs up on their 44, but a holding call on the first play pushed the ball back to the 34. Rihn and Sabo teamed up to stop McLeod for a one-yard loss and an incomplete pass set up a third-and-21. Fodor completed a six-yard pass to AJ Haase, but a hard hit by Chris Costello jarred the ball loose and Luke McCarthy recovered it to give the Big Red possession on the Yale 39-yard line. 

With the exception of Cornell's field goal early in the third, the rest of the period was owned by the defenses.Yale posted two first downs in the 15 minute session, which was two better than the zero times the Big Red would move the chains. The Bulldogs were held to -17 yards rushing in the third, while Cornell posted just 17 total yards.

The very first play of the fourth quarter continued the Big Red's defensive momentum. Sabo and Krimm dropped Fodor for an eight-yard sack and the Yale signal caller fumbled the ball. Krimm fell on the pigskin at the Bulldogs' 27-yard line. The Big Red stormed down the field, thanks mostly to the legs of Barbour and Liuzza. On the drive, Barbour carried the ball five times for 18 yards all the way to the 2. From there, the drive stalled and Greenway's 20-yard field goal attempt went wide right, turning the ball over on downs to the Bulldogs.

With momentum back in its pocket, the Bulldogs again sunk. The Big Red defense was up to the task, forcing Yale into three incomplete passes. Consecutive punts gave Cornell the ball midway through the fourth quarter.

With just over seven minutes to play in the contest, Cornell took over on its 25-yad line. After picking up a first down, it seemed as though the offense had stalled, but facing third-and-seven, Ford hit Barbour at the line of scrimmage and the running back turned and scampered 17 yards to take the ball into Bulldog territory. Three straight runs moved the ball eight yards and with 2:22 showing on the clock the Big Red punted the ball into the Yale end zone.

The Bulldogs used a hurry-up offense and had its first success of the day against Cornell, though it came against the prevent defense. Fodor completed seven passes to move the ball 80 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jarrett Drake. Mante converted the PAT to make it a 17-14 game with 58 seconds to play.

Yale attempted an on-side kick, but senior Jesse Baker fell on the ball at the Bulldogs' 43-yard line and the Big Red ran out the clock for the victory.

Cornell returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 12:30 p.m. when it visits Lehigh.