Box Score * Box Score
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Colgate joined the exclusive 600-win club, becoming the 15th school in the Football Championship Subdivision to reach that milestone by knocking off another school already in the club, topping Cornell 44-3 on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field. The Raiders got a school-record 291 rushing yards from Nate Eachus in improving to 4-2, while the Big Red slipped to 1-4 overall.
Colgate exploded for 28 second quarter points with a punishing ground game and used quick-strike ability to collect all six touchdowns from at least 11 yards out. Included were three scores of at least 50 yards.
Eachus found the end zone three times on runs of 66, 25 and 63 yards in surpassing the previous single-game mark of 280 yards by Jamaal Branch against Holy Cross in 2003. Quarterback Greg Sullivan added 102 rushing yards on eight carries and also scored three times as Colgate posted 440 yards on the ground and 503 yards of total offense total.
A youthful Cornell team kept it interesting in the first quarter, trailing only 3-0 before the Raiders were able to break it open. In defeat, freshman Grant Gellatly made noise with 46 yards on 11 carries. Sophomore Luke Tasker caught three passes for 57 yards, while place-kicked Brad Greenway booted a 36-yard field goal for the Big Red's only points. Zack Imhoff posted 10 tackles to lead Cornell, while Andrew Brown had nine. Cornell blocked a pair of kicks, with freshman Kevin Marchand getting his hand on a punt and Mike Spooner spoiling an extra-point. Senior Drew Alston, despite a vicious wind, had a great day punting the ball with an average of 38.8 yards on 10 kicks.
On the first play from scrimmage, Colgate showed what was to come as Eachus ripped off a 25-yard run over the left tackle to get Colgate into Cornell territory. The Big Red defense stiffened, however, forcing three straight incomplete passes to force the visitors to punt. Evan Goldszak kick pinned the home team on its own 7-yard line.
After a three-and-out on offense, Colgate used a methodical nine-play, 37-yard drive to get all the way to the 13-yard line, but a stout defensive stand, including a huge tackle by Hugh Stewart on third-and-9, ended the drive and forced the visitors to attempt and 30-yard field goal. Evan Colborne connected and Colgate took the 3-0 lead with 7:18 to play in the first half.
Colborne's ensuing kickoff got caught up in the wind, allowing the Big Red to start its next drive on the 40-yard line, but a pair of sacks, sandwiched around a short-yardage rush, sent the punting unit back on the field. With the wind at his back, Alston sent the ball 43 yards to Colgate's 24, where Gary Marshall was met by a resounding hit from Rashad Campbell, allowing for no gain. Once again, the Big Red defense was solid allowing just one first down before forcing another Raider punt.
The Big Red offense started to show some life with a 10-yard run by Gellatly and a 17-yard pass from Jeff Mathews to Luke Tasker getting Cornell near midfield. A 15-yard personal foul at the start of the second quarter put Cornell in Colgate territory for the first time, but a dropped pass in the end zone was one of three incompletes and the Big Red eventually turned the ball over on downs.
The defense had another great start and looked to stall another Colgate drive, but an outstanding catch by Doug Rosnick went for 17 yards and gave the Raiders new life. On the very next play, Sullivan faked a handoff before rolling out and scampering 26 yards for the touchdown. Colborne added the extra-point and Colgate went up, 10-0, with 10:20 to play in the second half.
Another Cornell drive ended with an Alston punt and it took the Raiders just 57 seconds to add to its lead. After a pair of rushes went just 14 yards, Eachus went straight up the middle for 66 yards and a touchdown. Colborne's PAT was true and Colgate took the 17-0 lead.
A three-and-out by the Big Red was once again answered by a Raider touchdown, as Sullivan again used some misdirection on the first play from scrimmage, faking a handoff and then rushing 53 yards for the score. Colborne's extra-point put the visitors up, 24-0 with just under five minutes to play in the opening half.
A fumble ended Cornell's next drive, giving the Raiders great field position at the Big Red 27-yard line and a 25-yard run by Eachus gave the visitors its fourth touchdown of the quarter. Following the PAT from Colborne, Colgate took the 31-0 lead.
The ensuing kickoff was returned 46 yards by Campbell to put the Big Red near midfield, but three plays went for -5 yards thanks to a sack by Adam Lock, and Alston boomed a punt 38 yards into the wind. The Big Red defense returned to form on the Raiders last possession of the half, forcing a three-and-out, before running out the clock.
After a rush that went for no gain to open its second drive of the second half, Matthews escaped intense pressure and connected for a 29-yard reception by Tasker, who made an acrobatic catch despite drawing a pass interference flag. A Gellatly rush was helped by a face-mask penalty to get Cornell to the 14-yard line, but from there the drive stalled. The Big Red finally got on the board when Brad Greenway connected on a 36-yard field goal to make it a 31-3 game with 5:58 to play in the third.
Marchard blocked a Colgate punt to give the Big Red great field position, but the possession was undone when Matthews was hit while delivering a pass and the errant pass dropped into the waiting arms of Brad Keele. Two plays later, Eachus found another seam and sprinted up the middle for a 63-yard touchdown run. Following the PAT from Colborne, Colgate took the 38-3 lead.
After another stalled Big Red drive, the Raiders needed just five plays, thanks in large part to a 54-yard rush from Eachus, to score off an 11-yard carry from Sullivan. The extra-point was blocked by Mike Spooner and Colgate held a 44-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. That score would hold up the rest of the way.
The Big Red returns to action next weekend when it visits Brown on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 12:30 p.m.
