Box Score Box Score
Postgame Comments from Coach Austin

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- First-year head coach Kent Austin will likely get wins in his career that will be prettier than this one, but few may be as memorable. The Big Red mentor made his first victory as a collegiate head coach one that will be remembered as the building block, overcoming adversity throughout to capture a 21-12 victory at Bucknell on Saturday evening at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The Big Red improved to 1-2, while the Bison slipped to 0-4.



Cornell overcame four turnovers and numerous injuries to snap a 10-game losing skid dating back to last season. It did so with moxie and guts, jumping out to a 21-6 advantage and then using an opportunistic offense and a bend-but-not-break defense to capture the victory.

Eight different players rushed the ball for the Big Red, with Luke Tasker, Nick Booker-Tandy and Jeff Mathews finding the end zone, but it may have been junior Troy Lewis who had the most important carries. He toted the ball four times on the team's final, time-killing drive and posted 37 yards, picking up a pair of first downs and recording a 24-yard carry. He entered the game with no varsity carries. Booker-Tandy had a game-high 61 yards on the ground.

Mathews, making his second varsity start at quarterback, completed 15-of-28 passes for 180 yards after a rough 1-of-8 start. He hit six different receivers, including Tasker five times. The sophomore receiver had 35 receiving yards and a big 65-yard kickoff return to open the contest. Ryan Houska chipped in 17 rushing yards on four carries and 49 yards on four catches, while steady receiver Shane Savage hauled in three passes for 62 yards.

Senior punter Drew Alston had another outstanding day, averaging 40.5 yards on six kicks to flip field position, including one inside the 20. The defensive effort was spearheaded by committee, with Dempsey Quinn (nine tackles) and Brandon Lainhart (eight tackles) leading the charge. Ben Heller had four tackles, a game-sealing interception and a pass breakup, while fellow senior Emani Fenton blocked a punt that would lead to a touchdown.

The Big Red committed a pair of first half turnovers and was whistled for seven penalties in the second quarter alone, but a pair of big plays by Tasker (one on special teams, one on offense) and another by Emani Fenton (blocked punt) led to two Cornell scores. Fenton's blocked punt led to a 3-yard touchdown score by Nick Booker-Tandy, while Tasker went 14 yards on a faked end-around that culminated with a reverse for a score. The sophomore's 65-yard kickoff return to open the game electrified the small Cornell section and set the positive tone for the day.

The Cornell defense didn't force any turnovers, but did get off the field at every opportunity in the first half. The Big Red forced Bucknell's offense into an 0-for-7 half on third-down conversions in the first 30 minutes of play (4-of-16 for the day) and also stopped the only fourth-down opportunity.

The short kickoff return to open the game was scooped up on the run by Tasker, who burst through the line and went 65 yards down to the Bucknell 13. The momentum didn't last long, as Mathews was intercepted on the first play from scrimmage. That turnover wasn't costly with the exception of field position, as the ensuing Bison drive ended with Gee and Lainhart, two of the nation's top seven tacklers entering the game, stuffed the run by Tyler Smith to get the ball back on downs.

After an empty three-and-out possession on offense, the defense stiffened enough to force a 38-yard field goal attempt by Drew Orth with seven minutes left in the first. His attempt went wide right to keep the game scoreless.

Cornell went into the bag of tricks on the next possession, as junior tight end Ryan Houska went behind center for the first two possessions, running the ball for 13 yards. The drive would stall, however, and Alston's 49-yard punt was well-covered by Rashad Campbell, who dropped the returned for a loss of a yard on the return. A three-and-out by the defense ended in a punt, and this time Fenton left his spot occupying the Bucknell gunner and rushed the kicker. He was able to get horizontal and easily blocked the punt which was recovered on the Bucknell 19. Five plsy later, Booker-Tandy ran from two yards out to make it 7-0 with 58 seconds left in the first after Greenway's extra-point kick.

The Big Red defense needed four second quarter Bucknell plays to get back off the field, but a seven-play drive that included a 28-yard hookup from Mathews to Houska ended with another punt. Bucknell's ensuing offensive possession was immediately thrown off-kilter by Emile Chang's 5-yard sack on first down, and the Bison punted three plays later, setting up the Big Red's best-sustained drive of the season.

In 10 plays, Cornell went 60 yards to go up by two scores. The Big Red turned over three third-down conversions before getting into the end zone. Cornell faked and end-around with freshman E.J. Williams, then Houska handed off to Tasker, who went untouched the final 14 yards for the touchdown to make it 14-0 with 3:53 left in the first half. 

Cornell coughed up the football with 1:35 left, giving the home team a chance to get on the scoreboard and give it some momentum heading into the break. The Bison got the Cornell 4 before settling for a chip-shot 21-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining. The Big Red took a knee and went into the half leading 14-3.

After the Bison got a career-long 39-yarder from Orth just five minutes into the second half, the Big Red answered back with seven points of its own to go up 21-6. The 11-play, 70-yard drive was capped by a second-and-25 conversion. Mathews, while being hit by two defenders, found Savage sitting in the middle of the field. The junior avoided a pair of tackles and made it all the way to the Bucknell 1 before stepping out of bounds. Two plays later, Mathews kept the ball himself on the quarterback keeper and found the end zone for the first time in his collegiate career to make it 21-6 with 4:35 left in the third. 

The Bison turned on the heat on the ensuing drive, going 59 yards in just seven plays with Wesley running for 26 yards on the drive, including the final 14 for the score. Bucknell went for the two-point conversion, but senior linebacker Brandon Lainhart intercepted the pass attempt to keep the Bison at bay, trailing 21-12 with 33 seconds left in the third.

The Big Red would hold Bucknell at bay over the final 15 minutes, with the Bison getting one more scoring opportunity. Orth's 35-yard field goal with 11 minutes remaining went wide left and Bucknell never really had another chance to cut into the lead. Ben Heller intercepted a last-gasp drive with 4:45 remaining after a fourth Big Red turnover gave the Bison a shot just outside the red zone. 

Icing the game was a surprise face, as Troy Lewis took over. Lewis rewarded the coaching staff with runs of 7, 24 and 7 yards on his first three varsity carries. By the time the drive bogged down with 1:08 left, Alston's picture perfect punt pinned the home team at its own 5. The Bison moved the ball out to the 30 against Cornell's defense, but ran out of time. Cornell enjoyed its first win in more than a year with a raucous celebration in the locker room, with the team giving the game ball to Austin.

The Big Red returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 9 when it faces preseason Ivy League favorite Harvard at noon at Harvard Stadium.