Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – In a showdown between the only two unbeaten teams left in the CSFL, the game lived up to expectations, coming down to the final play as the Big Red failed to convert a fourth-and-goal and Penn escaped Schoellkopf Field with the 17-12 victory. With the win, the Quakers improve to 5-0 (3-0 CSFL), while Cornell slips to 4-1.

Alex Perilstein accounted for all 12 of the Big Red's points, converting field goals from 24, 23, 35 and 30 yards out. Quarterback Elliot Corey had a career night, going 24-for-46 for 203 yards, but the senior signal caller was picked off twice. His favorite target was Spencer Grunenfelder, who racked up 13 catches for 121 yards. On the ground Doug Famularo gained 82 yards on 20 carries. As a team, Cornell outgained the Quakers in total yardage, 309-178, and the Big Red earned 24 first downs to Penn's eight.
After giving up two first quarter touchdowns to Penn, the Cornell defense clamped down, holding Mike Bagnoli, the league's leading rusher, to just 89 yards on the ground. Kevin Schmidt led the Big Red defense with eight tackles, including two sacks and a forced fumble. Clay Hemminger added seven tackles, while Chris Lamont returned an interception for 18 yards.

Other than Bagnoli's yardage, Penn gained just 16 yards on the ground and Todd Busler converted just 3-of-12 pass attempts for 73 yards with one interception. More than half of Busler's yards came on his one touchdown pass, a 39-yard reception from Whit Shaw.

Trailing 14-9 early in the fourth quarter, Perilstein connected on a 30-yard field goal to make it a two-point game with 14:12 to play in the contest. Penn answered on its next possession as Joe Squadroni returned Perilstein's kick-off to the Quakers' 41-yard line. Busler hit Freddy Ordonez for 24 yards and then rushed once for 20 yards. Bagnoli finished the drive, carrying the ball four times for 10 yards, setting up Raiam Santos' 27-yard field goal to put the Quakers up by five points, which proved to be crucial later in the game.

The team's traded possessions before Cornell took over on the Penn 46-yard line with just under four minutes to play in the contest.

After a 10-yard Penn penalty, Falumaro rushed for nine yards before Corey hit Eric Jordan for 13 yards, converting a third down and moving to the Penn 14. Another completion to Grunenfelder took the ball down to the five-yard line and Famularo carried the ball down to the Penn two and set up a first-and-goal with 46 seconds to play. Unfortunately, the Big Red was undone by a critical illegal shift penalty, which backed it up to the Penn seven-yard line. Three straight interceptions and a sack on fourth-and-seven gave the ball back to Penn with six seconds to play and handed the Quakers the victory.

Penn scored on its first two possessions of the game, with the first being set up by a blocked punt that gave the Quakers incredible field possession on Cornell's 29-yard line. Eight plays later, Bagnoli scampered six yards for the touchdown and Santos' extra-point put the visitors up, 7-0.

An interception ended Cornell's next drive and Penn took over on its 38-yard line. After four rushing plays, Busler and Shaw hooked up for their touchdown and Santos extended the Quakers' lead to 14-0.

Early in the second quarter, Perilstein put Cornell on the board with a 24-yard field goal before adding two more field goals in the final moments of the quarter to send Cornell into halftime trailing, 14-9. After converting from 23 yards out with 2:11 to play, Lamont intercepted Busler on Penn's next drive to put Cornell in great position and Perilstein drilled home a 35-yarder with just 12 ticks left on the click.

Neither team managed to score in the third quarter, setting up the dramatic fourth quarter.