Purchase tickets I Game Notes (pdf) I Live Video (free) I Live Stats I Text Updates I Cornell Crescent Online I 2010 Cornell Statistics I Cornell Roster I Cornell Schedule & Results

GAME INFORMATION
Game #5: Colgate at Cornell
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 16, at 12:30 p.m. ET
Site: Schoellkopf Field (25,597), Ithaca, N.Y.
2010 Records: Colgate (3-2, 0-0 Patriot); Cornell (1-3, 0-2 Ivy)
Series Record: Cornell leads 48-41-3
Last Meeting: Colgate won 45-23, Oct. 3, 2009, in Hamilton, N.Y.
Radio: WHCU 870 AM, Barry Leonard (play-by-play), Buck Briggs (color)
Live Stats: Available at www.CornellBigRed.com
Live Video: Available at www.IBNSports.com
Tickets: Available by calling (607) 254-BEAR

HEAD COACH KENT AUSTIN
Kent  Austin, the Roger J. Weiss '61 Head Coach of Football, is in his first season at the helm of the Big Red (1-3 overall, .250; 0-2 Ivy, .000) ... Austin has won CFL Grey Cups as a player, assistant coach and head coach ... most recently the offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Ole Miss, Austin was hired as head coach on Jan. 27, 2010.

---

ITHACA, N.Y. — One of the oldest rivalries in college football will have a new look when Cornell faces perennial Patriot League contender Colgate on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 12:30 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell will be out to claim a winning non-conference record for the fifth time in the last six years, while the Raiders will be looking for program win No. 600. The game can be viewed live on the internet on IBNSports.com and can be heard locally on WHCU 870 AM with Barry Leonard and Buck Briggs on the call.

Cornell has already surpassed the 600-win milestone and will be attempting to keep Colgate out of it, at least for one more week. The Big Red leads the all-time series 48-41-3, though the Raiders have had the best of the series recently, winning 25 of the last 32 contests. The two programs, separated by just 53 miles as the crow flies, met for the first time in 1896 and have played 92 times, ranked 17th in college football history.

Despite a 31-17 loss at Ivy League preseason favorite Harvard, the Big Red took another step forward in a variety of ways. Despite starting six freshmen and sophomores on offense, Cornell was able to direct the offense as the game moved along. Freshman quarterback Jeff Mathews completed 16-of-33 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns despite constant pressure that saw him get sacked eight times. He also completed a two-point conversion pass to junior Shane Savage jusut a moment after hitting Savage for a touchdown. Mathews also completed a scoring strike to Ryan Houska. On the ground, juniors Troy Lewis (eight carries, 42 yards) and Nick Booker-Tandy (four carries, 53 yards) combined for 95 yards on just 12 carries. Taking out sack yardage, the Big Red offense rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries (5.0 yards per rush) against the stout Crimson attack.

Before tiring late, the Cornell had limited the Crimson to 10 points over the first three quarters, bending but not breaking and forcing three turnovers to douse potential Harvard scoring drives. Seniors Emani Fenton and Ben Heller each intercepted passes and Zack Imhoff forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow linebacker Dempsey Quinn. Both Quinn and Lainhart recorded double figure tackles, Fenton broke up three passes and Imhoff added nine tackles and a sack to his forced fumble.

Special teams has been the team's most consistent unit, led by senior punter Drew Alston. The senior was needed to punt 11 times against the Crimson with a 33.3 net yard average and three kicks placed inside the 20-yard line. He now has had 12 punts inside the 20 through just four games. The kickoff coverage team allowed just 17.0 yards per return and senior Brad Greenway kicked his first field goal of the season (first attempt) to move into fifth place on the school's career kicking points list.

Colgate is back on track at 3-2 after early season losses to Syracuse and Furman. Head coach Dick Biddle has an offense that features versatile senior quarterback Greg Sullivan and the nation's third-leading rusher in Nate Eachus (725 yards, nine touchdowns). The defense ranks among the top 25 nationally in pass defense (17th, 154.4 ypg.) and sacks (21st, 2.4 sacks per game). The Raiders bring a 599-445-50 mark all-time into the contest and are looking to join the Big Red in the prestigious 600-win club (Cornell is 617-467-34).

A WIN OVER COLGATE WOULD:
• end Cornell's 2010 non-conference season with a 2-1 record.
• be the first home win for head coach Kent Austin at Cornell (0-1).
• snap a two-game Colgate win streak in the series.
• be the 618th in program history (10th most in the Football Championship Subdivision).

THE CORNELL-COLGATE SERIES: (Cornell leads 48-41-3) Cornell and Colgate will be meeting for the 93rd time dating back to the first contest in 1896. The Big Red owned the early series, going 13-0-1 in the first 14 games (1896-1911), while also posting nine and seven-game win streaks before 1951. Colgate has had the better of the series since 1975, capturing 25 of the last 32 meetings, including 10 straight (1993-2005) before the Big Red commenced on a two-game win streak. The Raiders won last year's meeting 45-23 in Hamilton, N.Y.

REVIEWING LAST YEAR'S GAME AT COLGATE (Oct. 3, 2009 in Hamilton, N.Y.): In a battle of Central New York rivals, No. 25 Colgate proved to be too much for Cornell, knocking the Big Red from the ranks of the unbeatens with a 45-23 win at Andy Kerr Stadium. Colgate's bruising running game softened the Cornell defense, which was out on the field for nearly 39 minutes in the contest, with Nate Eachus piling up 129 yards and three touchdowns and Jordan McCord posting 98 yards and two scores to go along with a 51-yard reception. Greg Sullivan ended the game with 84 rushing yards and a score while completing 14-of-18 passes for 217 yards. All total, the Raiders collected 561 yards of offense with 344 coming on the ground. Colgate moved the chains 32 times for first downs. Nick Mlady recorded his first career touchdown, while Randy Barbour registered his 13th with a 32-yard pass from Ben Ganter in the fourth quarter. Emani Fenton scooped up a fumble and returned it 32 yards for his first career touchdown as well. Bryan Walters piled up 234 all-purpose yards in the loss, while linebackers Brandon Lainhart (15) and Chris Costello (13) each reached double figures in tackles.

INTERESTING NOTES FROM THE 2009 MEETING VS. COLGATE:
• Bryan Walters' 234 all-purpose yards was his third-best single-game total and was his seventh career 200-yard game.
• Emani Fenton's 32-yard fumble return for a touchdown was the first by a Big Red player since Nate Tarsi took a fumble back 50 yards for a score against Dartmouth on Nov. 4, 2004.
• Offensive lineman Matt Green caught a six-yard deflected pass, becoming the first Cornell offensive lineman to record a catch since at least 1977.
• Nick Mlady became the first Cornell freshman to score a rushing touchdown with his second quarter 1-yard run since Stephen Liuzza's 8-yarder in the 2006 season finale, a 28-27 Big Red victory.
• The 22-point margin of defeat against the Raiders was its biggest spread since falling 42-13 during the 2002 campaign.
• The Big Red had an interception by Josh Gajdos, giving the team five in three games this season. Cornell had just five total interceptions during the 2008 campaign.
• Safeties Andrew Brown (seven tackles) and Travers Schmidt (five tackles) each made their first career varsity appearances.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
• Cornell and Colgate will renew one of the nation's oldest rivalries (first matchup in 1896).
• Colgate has won two straight in the series by a combined score of 83-45.
• The Big Red is looking to post a winning non-conference season for the fifth time in the last six seasons (11-6 in non-league play during that span).
• The Big Red defense will look to solve Colgate junior tailback Nate Eachus, a candidate for the Walter Payton Award. Eachus has posted  370 yards and six touchdowns (6.6 yards per carry) in two career games against Cornell.

NOTING THE HARVARD GAME:
• Freshman offensive lineman Tucker Maggio-Hecek opened his first career game at right tackle.
• Freshman quarterback Jeff Mathews had his first multiple touchdown game and also passed for a two-point conversion.
• Senior Emani Fenton intercepted a pass, his third in three games and fouth in his career.
• Senior safety Ben Heller had his fifth career interception and posted one in his second straight game.

TEAM NOTES THROUGH WEEK 4:
• The Big Red offense is averaging 19.0 points in its last two games after scoring just 14 points total in its first two games.
• The Big Red has scored on 80 percent of its chances in the red zone (8-of-10) and has scored seven touchdowns in the 10 trips (70 percent).
• Cornell is a perfect 4-for-4 scoring in the red zone in Ivy play (three touchdowns, one field goal).
• Through four games, Cornell has called 51 percent rushing plays (124) and 49 percent passing plays (118).
• When Shane Savage caught a pass from Jeff Mathews for a two-point conversion, it was the first two-point play by the offense since Bryan Walters caught a two-point pass from Nathan Ford against Colgate on Oct. 18, 2008.
• The Big Red has been outscored 47-10 in the third quarter of games this season.

PLAYER NOTES THROUGH WEEK 4:
• Senior Emani Fenton has three interceptions in two Ivy League contests.
• Senior linebacker Brandon Lainhart has also been outstanding in Ivy League play with 25 tackles and a pair of sacks.
• Lainhart has recorded double figures in tackles in three of the team's first four games.
• Cornell's leading receiver (Shane Savage - 225 yards) has more yards from scrimmage than the team's leading rusher (Nick Booker-Tandy - 169 yards). This would be the fourth straight year that occurrence has happened.
• In Ivy play, junior Shane Savage has 14 receptions for 135 yards, twice as many catches as the second-leading receiver in Ivy play (Nick Booker-Tandy with seven receptions).

IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS: A pair of Big Red players earned weekly honors on Oct. 4.
• Senior punter Drew Alston continued his All-Ivy season by consistently flipping field position for the Big Red, averaging 40.5 yards on six punts, with one being downed inside the 5 en route to Special Teams Player of the Week. His punt inside of a minute left pinned the Bison at their own 5, allowing Cornell to allow Bucknell to run out the clock and earn the win. It is the second weekly award for Alston in his career.
• Ivy League Rookie of the Week Jeff Mathews made his second consecutive start another good one, completing 15-of-28 passes for 180 yards and running for a score, while directing the Big Red to its first victory of 2010 and snapping a 10-game losing skid. Despite missing the team's top two tailbacks, Mathews led a pair of 10-play scoring drives and posted the second-highest passing yardage total by a freshman in Cornell history.

GEE AMONG TOP FRESHMEN TACKLERS: Freshman Brian Gee ranks 58th nationally in the FCS and second among all freshmen in tackles with 8.75 per game. Jerryan Harris of Arkansas-Pine Bluff leads the way with 11.4 tackles per contest.

MATHEWS REWRITING FRESHMAN RECORDS: Since freshmen became eligible for varsity competition in 1993, no rookie had ever opened a game at quarterback until Jeff Mathews lined up for the start against Yale on Sept. 28. He responded by setting school freshman records for completions (23), attempts (35) and yardage (248). Mathews has thrown for 650 yards and three touchdowns so far in four games. He is the only freshman in Cornell history to throw a touchdown pass.

MATHEWS A RARE FRESHMAN STARTER AT QB: Cornell 's Jeff Mathews is the second-ranked true freshman passer in the FCS at 162.5 yards per game. Among all freshman quarterbacks in the FCS, Mathews sits fourth behind only redshirt freshman Randy Wright at UC Davis (199.2 ypg.), true freshman Tyler Arndt of Texas State (172.0 ypg.) and redshirt freshman Kurt Hess of Youngstown State (163.7 ypg.).

SAVAGE WARRIOR: Junior Shane Savage leads the team in receptions  (19) and receiving yards (225) through four contests after hauling in seven passes for 55 yards and a touchdown last weekend against Harvard. He also hauled in a two-point conversion. Savage has at least two catches in all 14 of his varsity appearances. With the possibility of reclaiming a fifth year, Savage could potentially catch a pass in 40 varsity appearances barring injury or being blanked in a contest. If he catches passes in 40 consecutive games, he would breka the school record of 39 set by Keith Ferguson '03, Cornell's all-time leading receiver (202 receptions, 2,569 yards).

FENTON ON THE CORNER: Senior Emani Fenton entered the 2010 season as a three-year starter at corner, and the 5-9, 171-pounder has made plenty of big plays in his career. Despite more than 100 career tackles and 20 pass breakups, to go along with a defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery, Fenton entered the year with just one interception. Fenton had a career day against Yale on Sept. 25, picking off two passes in the first half alone and then intercepted a pass against Harvard. He now has 113 career tackles in four seasons.

HELLER MAKES PLAYS IN THE BACKFIELD: Senior Ben Heller has been one of the quietest playmakers in the Ivy League each of the last three years and is having a breakout senior year. After missing the season opener against Wagner, Heller has totaled 18 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and two interceptions in three games. For his career, Heller has 84 tackles, five interceptions, 3.5 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups and a sack.

ALSTON HAVING A SPECIAL SEASON: Senior punter Drew Alston was an All-Ivy punter a season ago and is having an even better year so far in 2010. Through four games, Alston is averaging 37.4 yards per punt and has pinned his opponents inside their own 20-yard line 12 times in 30 kicks. Just as impressive, opponents have returned his 30 punts for a total of 27 yards this year. Thanks in large part to Alston's punting, Cornell ranks 33rd nationally in net punting (35.2 yards/punt). A year ago, the Big Red ranked first nationally in fewest punt return yards allowed per return (1.88, 45 yards on 24 returns).

GREENWAY CLIMBING THE KICKING CHART: Senior Brad Greenway has 96 career kicking points and has up to 16 games left (fifth-year eligible) to add to that total, which currently ranks fifth in program history.

STORIED RIVALRIES: The Big Red is involved in three of the top 20 most-played rivalries in college football. Heading into the 2010 campaign, the Cornell-Penn series ranks fifth in most games played with 117. The 97 meetings between Cornell and Columbia ranks 12th, while the Cornell-Colgate rivalry stands 17th with 92 games played. 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 90 years. They trail only the Lafayette-Lehigh series, which has been played every year since 1897.

YOUTH IS SERVED: The Big Red has received outstanding contributions from freshmen in the first four games of 2010.
• Strong safety Brian Gee is the team's second-leading tackler with 35 total stops (double figures in first two games).
• Quarterback Jeff Mathews became the first Cornellian to start a game behind center against Yale and has set all Big Red game and freshman season passing rcords. Mathews has started each of the last three contests and has posted 650 passing yards and three touchdowns.
• Linebacker Brett Buehler came off the bench to post six tackles and a team-high 1.5 tackles for loss against Wagner and has eight stops in three games. He earned his first career start vs. Yale
• Defensive end Kevin Marchand has four tackles, including one for a loss.
• Offensive lineman Josh Grider earned the start at left tackle against Bucknell and Harvard, while he was joined by classmate Tucker Maggio-Hucek at right tackle vs. the Crimson.
• Tailback Grant Gellatly was the squad's leading rusher with 87 yards on just seven carries (12.4 yards per carry) against Wagner in the opener before suffering an injury. He had a 63-yard rush, the longest run by a Cornellian since Stephen Liuzza went 65 yards against Bucknell in the 2009 season opener. Gellatly also returned a kickoff 29 yards. After missing two games due to injury, he returned against Harvard.
• Also seeing action this season have been wide receivers Jesse Heon and EJ Williams, offensive lineman Matt Simmonds, safety Kevin Laird and cornerback A.J. Okereke.

UP NEXT: The Big Red is back on the road for the fourth time in the season's first six weeks when it visits Brown on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 12:30 p.m. in Providence, R.I.