GAME INFORMATION
Game #3: Cornell at Lehigh
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 4, at 12:30 p.m. ET
Site: Goodman Stadium (16,000), Bethlehem, Pa.
2008 Records: Cornell (2-0, 1-0 Ivy); Lehigh (1-2, 0-0 Patriot)
Series Record: Cornell leads 14-8-2
Last Meeting: Lehigh won 38-35, Oct. 6, 2001, in Ithaca, N.Y.
Radio: WHCU 870 AM, Barry Leonard (play-by-play), Buck Briggs (color)
Live Stats: Not available for this game
Live Video: Available at www.Lehighsports.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 (22-20 overall, .524; 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. — With the confidence that opening the season with two straight wins brings, the Cornell football team will look to make it three in a row when it visits Patriot League foe Lehigh in a non-conference tilt at Goodman Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 12:30 p.m. 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.
Cornell, 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 last weekend. In front of a Homecoming crowd of more than 13,000, the Big Red defense smothered the high-powered Bulldog offense all day, allowing just 209 yards of offense and one offensive touchdown. The Yale running game, featuring All-America running back, was held to zero yards on 28 carries in the loss, with the defense piling up 11 tackles for loss and six sacks.
Offensively, Cornell used a pair of first half rushing touchdowns, one by senior quarterback Nathan Ford and the other by junior running back Randy Barbour, and the first career field goal by Brad Greenway to hold off Yale. Despite an off-day by Ford and his senior receiving corps, Cornell's offensive line didn't allow a sack for the second straight contest in picking up its second close victory.
A WIN OVER LEHIGH WOULD:
• make Cornell 3-0 to open a season for the first time since the 1999 team opened 4-0.
• push Cornell's non-conference win streak to seven games, the longest since also winning seven straight from 1970-73.
• extend the Big Red's lead in the all-time series to 15-8-2 and snap a three-game skid against the Mountain Hawks.
• give the Big Red its first road win streak since topping Dartmouth and Penn in the final two road games of the 2005 campaign.
• be the 612th in program history (10th most in the Football Championship Subdivision).
THE CORNELL-LEHIGH SERIES: (Cornell leads 14-8-2) Cornell and Lehigh have met 24 times on the gridiron, dating back to the first encounter in the 1887 season, the Big Red's second game in program history. The two teams have met in Bethlehem, Pa., just six times in the 24 meetings, with Lehigh going 4-2 in those contests. Cornell's last win at Lehigh came during the 1965 season, a 49-13 Big Red rout. The Mountain Hawks have won the last three meetings, but the last time the two squads lined up was 2001, a 38-35 Lehigh shootout victory at Schoellkopf Field.
SCOUTING LEHIGH:
• Lehigh is off to a 1-2 start after falling in a defensive battle at Princeton by a score of 10-7 last weekend. The Mountain Hawks opened the season with a 19-0 win over Drake before losing a 33-14 decision at Villanova in week two.
• Lehigh was stopped short on a fourth-and-one play with 55 seconds remaining, giving the ball to Princeton on its own 33. The Tigers then completed a 46-yard pass up the right side, which led to Connor Louden's 32-yard field goal as time expired.
• The Mountain Hawks were picked to finish fifth in the preseason Patriot League poll after finishing 2007 with a 5-6 record (2-4 Patriot).
• Lehigh has done most of its damage through the air offensively, as quarterback J.B. Clark has completed 43-of-82 passes for 515 yards and four touchdowns in three games, with his favorite targets being Mike Fitzgerald (13 catches for 151 yards, TD) and Sekou Yansane (nine catches, 168 yards, 2 TDs). Matt McGowan has been the primary option in the running game, posting 94.7 yards per game. The rest of the team is at -8.4 yards, as Lehigh is averaging 86.3 yards as a team.
• Defensively, the Mountain Hawks have allowed just 10 points in two games against unranked teams. Overall, the team is allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground (98.3) and less than 300 yards of total offense (296.0). Lehigh is fifth nationally in scoring defense at 14.3 points per game.
• Directing the Mountain Hawks in his third season is Andy Coen, who is 12-13 during his time on the Lehigh sidelines. He led his team to a share of the Patriot League title in 2006, his first year as head coach.
CORNELL VS. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE: Cornell has a 124-69-7 record against the seven current members of the Patriot League football conference, including a 14-8-2 edge over Lehigh. Cornell has advantages over Bucknell (37-11-0), Colgate (48-39-3), Fordham (4-2-0), Georgetown (2-1-0), Holy Cross (5-0-0) and Lafayette (14-8-2).
PATRIOT GAMES: Dating back to the 2005 season, the Big Red has had a clear advantage against Patriot League opponents, going 7-2 with a five-game win streak heading into the contest at Lehigh.
THE NUMBERS GAME — THROUGH WEEK 2: Here is some fun with numbers through two games for the Big Red.
• Cornell has won its two games by a total of four points,, the first time it has won that narrowly in conseuctive games since wining at Bucknell (29-28) and at home against Dartmouth (17-14) on back-to-back weekends during the 1994 season.
• The Big Red has posted eight sacks while not allowing one this season.
• Cornell opponents have fumbled 11 times (five lost) in two games, while the Big Red has not put the ball on the ground once.
• Opponents have made just 2-of-5 total kicks (PATs and field goals) with two Big Red blocks.
• Cornell has held the ball for exactly 33:58 in each of its first two games this season, while opponents have had 26:02 in possession.
• The Big Red has held the ball an average of 11 minutes in the fourth quarter in the two contests.
• Of the team's 32 first downs this season, 16 have come by rushing, 14 by passing and two by penalty.
• Opponents have not converted a third down against the Big Red in the first quarter, going 0-of-4.
• The defense has limited opponents to under 50 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.
• It has also limited its two foes to under 275 yards of offense in cosecutive games for the first time since Columbia (155) and Penn (149) ended that same 2005 season with under 350 yards total.
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 two games this season, while the offensive line hasn't allowed one.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: While still early in the season, the NCAA statistical rankings shed some light on the early 2-0 start for the Big Red. As a team, the Big Red ranks second nationally against the run (23.0 ypg.), behind only Northern Arizona, which has allowed its four opponents a total of 36 rushing yards (9.0 ypg.). The Big Red also leads the nation with its zero sacks allowed, joining San Diego as the only schools in the FCS yet to allow a sack. Cornell also ranks among the top 10 nationally in sacks (second, 4.0), total defense (sixth, 237.0) and tackles for loss (seventh, 9.0).
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 NichollsState's game at New MexicoState 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 NichollsState 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 MexicoState 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 last weekend.
EXTRA POINTS: Sophomore Brad Greenway has continued the team's tradition of perfection on extra-point kicks, connecting on all five attempts this year. That extends the team's mark to 91 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.
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 two 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.
REVIEWING THE YALE WIN (SEPT. 27): A nearly-full crescent, a strong Yale team featuring one of the nation's leading rushers and a dominating defensive effort by Cornell. No, it wasn't 2004, though it could have been. In a near replay of a contest from four years ago that gave Big Red head coach Jim Knowles '87 his first coaching victory, an underdog Cornell team dominated the point of attack in an impressive 17-14 win over preseason Ivy League favorite Yale. The Cornell defense allowed zero rushing yards to a team featuring All-American Mike McLeod, while limiting the Bulldogs to 209 total yards and one offensive touchdown a week after Yale put 47 points on the board in a season-opening win over Georgetown. The Big Red also recorded 11 tackles for loss and six sacks. Playing with full red uniforms for the first time in memory (red jerseys and pants), as well as the return of the “C” to the team's helmets provided outside motivation, but likely less than the thought of avenging a 51-12 loss to the Bulldogs a season ago in New Haven, Conn. Senior quarterback Nathan Ford and junior running back Randy Barbour each scored a rushing touchdown on offense, while Brad Greenway connected on his first career field goal, a 21-yarder in the third quarter that proved to be the game winner. For the second consecutive game, senior Graham Rihn blocked a kick, this time a 42-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter that kept momentum on Cornell's side.
REVIEWING THE BUCKNELL WIN (SEPT. 20): It wasn't senior day for the Big Red in the 2008 opener, but the highlights sure made it look that way in a 21-20 triumph over Bucknell. Senior Graham Rihn blocked an extra-point with under 11 minutes left to secure Cornell's victory, a lead that was built on a pair of touchdown passes from the senior connection of quarterback Nathan Ford and wide receiver Jesse Baker. Three-year starter Tim Bax, the Ivy League's returning leading tackler, had 12 stops to pace a defense that allowed Bucknell's dangerous spread option just 46 rushing yards on 31 attempts. To continue the theme, senior Luke Siwula, the school's fifth-leading all-time rusher, made his return after missing a majority of the 2007 season and rushed 15 times for 61 yards. He complemented junior Randy Barbour, who posted his second career 100-yard game with 114 yards on 23 carrries and a touchdown. The Big Red continued its pattern of success in season openers in improving its all-time record of 88-29-4 (.744) in its 121 season openers.
CHARTING FORD'S RISE: Senior quarterback Nathan Ford continues to move up the career passing charts. Here is where he stands entering the Lehigh game.
Career Yardage
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 7,710
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 5,697
Career Completions
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 678
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 470
Career Attempts
1. Ricky Rahne (1998-01) 1226
2. Bill Lazor (1991-93) 873
Career Completion Percentage
1. Mike Hood (1996-98) .607
3. Steve Joyce (1994-95) .567
UP TO THIRD: With his 207 yard effort in the season-opening win at Bucknell, senior quarterback Nathan Ford moved past Mike Hood into third on the school's career passing list with 3,658 yards. Hood finished his career with 3,406 yards in his three seasons on the varsity. Ford has since upped that total to 3,732 yards. He has a ways to go to catch up to Bill Lazor in second place (5,697).
HITTING THE MARK: Senior Nathan Ford threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns in his first contest of the 2008 campaign, a 21-20 win over Bucknell. It marked the 10th 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, 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.
BIG HITTER ON THE DIAMOND: A highly-recruited baseball player out of high school, Nathan Ford chose Cornell in part because of the opportunity to play on the gridiron as well as on the diamond. In 2008, while Ford was going through spring football practice, the catcher/third baseman was named to the All-Ivy first team. Ford earned his second all-league honor after being named to the second team in 2007 as a third baseman. This past season, Ford pitched in at two key spots on the diamond, playing 11 games at third base and nine games behind the plate in Ivy League action in place of injured starter Adam Jacobs. He led the Big Red in batting (.410) and RBI (28). He also had a school-record 17 doubles, more than twice as many as anyone else on the roster. He added two triples to go along with three home runs. Ford also drew 16 walks to just 15 strikeouts on the year. He enters his senior season hitting .358 for his career, a mark that ranks second all-time behind Erik Rico '02 (.362).
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 Lehigh with 2,290 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 Lehigh 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 212 career tackles.
VALENTA LEADS THE LINE: All-America candidate Steve Valenta enters the season as a three-year starter at left tackle and has made 22 consecutive starts while playing in all 26 games in which he has been available. During his three seasons as a starter, the Big Red has averaged 22.6 points and 151.0 rushing yards per game with 38 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 (636 on 62 returns) and the top two single-season marks (345 in 2007, 273 in 2006). He enters the Lehigh game second in career punt return attempts (62) and needs two to surpass Brian Romney '06 atop that list.
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 137.8 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 18 contests, he will end with 5,236 all-purpose yards.
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 two games of 2008, Walters has hauled in eight passes for 85 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 enters the Lehigh game with 95 career catches for 981 yards and is likely to become the sixth player in school history to tally 100 career catches and the 13th to reach 1,000 receiving yards this season.
CANTY WITH THE GRAB: Senior Zac Canty has at least two catches in 21 of the Big Red's last 22 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 Lehigh game with 69 receptions for 817 yards and four scores in 22 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. Entering the contest, 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 percent) and 169 yards (6.5 percent).
• Tailbacks accounted for 23 catches (8.2 percent) for 190 yards (7.3 percent).
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 19 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, 16 of his 40 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.
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 Lehigh game with 921 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.
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 52 pass attempts. The last time Cornell didn't allow a sack in consecutive games was against Princeton and Fordham to open the 1999 season.
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 191 yards and two scores through two 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 Lehigh game with 22 consecutive starts and 125 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 76 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, senior Brian Ostrowsky and junior Chris Costello have capably filled their slots and excelled in the first two games. The duo rank second and third on the team in tackles, combining for 27 stops, three 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.
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.
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 23.0 yards rushing per game. While combining for just 12 tackles, the line has strung out a Bucknell offense running the spread option, and a Yale team that ranked eight nationally in rushing a season ago to a total of 46 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 38.4 yards on 107 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 was even better in 2008, averaging 41.1 yards on 14 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 OhioState.
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.
CORNELL VS. HARVARD ON VERSUS: The Cornell football team will meet preseason Ivy League favorite Harvard as part of the Ivy League Game of the Week package on VERSUS. The matchup will be the first of five games presented by TIAA-CREF. This agreement marks the first time since the early 1990s that Ivy League football games have been packaged together nationally. 'The Ivy League Game of the Week, Presented by TIAA-CREF,' will reach more homes than any other games in Ivy League football history, as VERSUS is currently in more than 73 million U.S. homes.
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: Cornell remains on the road to face defending Ivy League champion and preseason favorite Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 12:30 p.m. in Cambridge, Mass. The game will be the first contest televised by the VERSUS network as part of the Ivy League Game of the Week package. The Crimson won last year's meeting, 32-15, en route to a perfect 7-0 Ivy League finish and lead the all-time series 38-32-2.
