ITHACA, N.Y. – Points flew and records fell Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.
 
Sophomore quarterback Jeff Mathews set program records for completions, passing yards and touchdowns in a game, senior wide receiver Shane Savage had a school-record tying three touchdown catches and the Big Red set a modern-day record for points in a game in a 62-41 victory over Columbia in front of 6,128 fans.

Mathews completed 40-of-46 passes for a gaudy 521 yards and five touchdown passes. Freshman Rush Miller capped the scoring with a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown inside the final 30 seconds on a wild day at The Crescent. The win pulls Cornell's record to 4-5 (2-4 Ivy League), while Columbia fell to 0-9 (0-6).

Savage had 199 receiving yards on eight catches, while junior Luke Tasker reeled in 12 passes (just two off the program record) for 138 yards. There were 1,065 total yards of offense on the day – 930 yards through the air.

Yet the offense got off to a relatively slow start. Cornell marched into Columbia territory on its first possession, but the drive stalled after a pair of sacks forced a punt.

The Big Red appeared to have the Lions' first drive curtailed to a three-and-out. But the snap on Paul Delaney's punt was low, causing a delay before he got his boot to the ball. As his plant foot returned to the turf, he landed on a Cornell defender, resulting in a roughing the kicker penalty and an automatic first down.

The Lions took advantage with a 13-play, 79-yard drive that culminated with a 4-yard touchdown rush by Griffin Lowry up the middle. Luke Eddy's PAT gave Columbia a 7-0 lead with 6:26 remaining in the first quarter.

The Big Red responded immediately, needing just 2:34 to tie the game. Rashad Campbell's 37-yard kickoff return set up Cornell's offense at its own 41. After a series of short passes and an Ahmad Avery rush up the middle, the Big Red entered the red zone when Grant Gellatly was interfered with on a pass into the end zone. Cornell converted on the next play with a reverse to Luke Tasker for a 2-yard touchdown rush.

The score was tied, 7-7, after the first quarter, but with the Lions threatening on their next drive. With the ball on the Cornell 12 to start the frame, Sean Brackett kept the ball for a touchdown rush up the left hash, helping Columbia take a 14-7 lead just six seconds into the second quarter.



A holding call on first down doomed the Big Red's next drive, which led to Brad Greenway's booming punt to the Columbia 5. After a 5-yard return, the Lions' set up shop at the 10 and sent Lowry upfield on a rush. He advanced to the 15 before Campbell forced a fumble and Brandon Lainhart recovered to set up the Big Red in the Lions' red zone.

Mathews found Ondash for a first-down catch to the 6, then rolled left only to throw back to the right for a 6-yard touchdown pass to Gellatly. Greenway's kick tied the game at 14 with 11:52 left in the half. It was the second of his school-record eight PAT conversions in the win, while his 14 total kicking points tied a 19-year old record set by Mike Cochrane against Lafayette in 1992.

Cornell forced a three-and-out, then Delaney's punt ballooned in the wind for only 19 yards, setting up the Big Red at the Columbia 47-yard line. An illegal formation penalty forced Cornell back five yards, but then Ondash reeled in a 16-yard reception on the right side for a first down at the 36. It was Mathews' 13th straight completion to start the game, which was one shy of the school record set by Nathan Ford against Princeton in 2007.

After an incomplete pass toward Shane Savage, Mathews found Savage on a third-and-2 for a first down at the Columbia 21. An incomplete pass was countered with an 8-yard completion to Houska on the right sideline. Out of the wildcat formation, Houska rushed for the first down up the middle to the Lions' 3, then punched in a touchdown on a similar play on the next snap. Greenway's PAT gave the Big Red its first lead of the game, 21-14, with 7:16 left in the half.

But the Lions responded with Mike Murphy's 48-yard kickoff return to the Cornell 47. David Chao reeled in a 27-yard pass up the middle on the next play, then Williams' catch at the 10 set up first-and-goal. After a benign rush up the middle, the Lions capped the quick drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Williams on a crossing pattern, once again knotting the score – now 21-21 – with 5:46 before the break.

Campbell brought the ensuing kick back to the Cornell 47. On third-and-a-long-2 from the Columbia 45, Mathews found Savage on a post pattern for a diving catch down to the Lions' 11. A 3-yard rush by Gellatly was followed by a pair of incompletions, setting up Greenway for an attempted 25-yard field goal. But the snap was low, and the hold was a touch slow before Greenway's sidewinding kick jutted wide left with less than four minutes remaining in the half.
   
The miss proved costly, as the Lions stormed 80 yards for another touchdown in just 81 seconds. Williams was a one-man show on the drive, reeling in a 37-yard touchdown pass from Brackett on a stop-and-go route with 1:45 left before the half. But Eddy yanked the PAT attempt wide left, limiting the Lions' lead to 27-21.

Cornell needed only 34 seconds to answer, capped off by Ondash flagging down a 24-yard fade route up the left side. Greenway's kick gave Cornell the lead back, 28-27, with 1:04 left before the break.

That proved to be too much time, though. Greenway's squib kick hit a Columbia player in Cornell territory, and the Lions recovered on the Big Red 46. A diving catch by Williams got Columbia into the red zone, but Cornell's defense started to make a stand. An Imhoff sack forced the Lions back to the 25, then an incomplete pass led to a fourth-and-19 from the 25. Columbia eschewed a field-goal attempt and completed a 22-yard pass to Williams over the middle for a first down at the 3 inside the final minute. After a delay of game penalty for snapping the ball before the officials were set, the Lions found the end zone with an 8-yard completion to Hamilton Garner. With the PAT, Columbia held a 34-28 lead at the half. The first 30 minutes featured a combined 492 passing yards between Mathews and Brackett.

The second half started off more promising for the Big Red defense, with Imhoff's sack forcing a three-and-out. A 20-yard punt then left the Big Red with the ball at the Lions' 36. But Cornell gained just eight yards on five plays before Greenway emerged for a 45-yard field goal to cut the Big Red's deficit to 34-31 inside of five minutes into the second half.

Another three-and-out from the Lions led to Delaney's best punt of the day, a 55-yarder that pushed the Big Red back to its own 17. The Big Red offense didn't flinch, driving the field to retake the lead. Gellatly rattled off 17 yards on a shovel pass up the middle for a first down, then Mathews found Savage for a picture-perfect 47-yard touchdown pass on a post to Savage with 6:49 left in the third quarter, helping Cornell take a 38-34 lead. The completion gave Mathews more than 300 yards passing for the fifth time in nine games so far this season – the most in one season by a player in program history.

After another Columbia punt, the Big Red struck again. Cornell needed just four plays to march 76 yards for another touchdown, capped off by Mathews finding Savage for a 46-yard catch-and-run after a pump fake and scramble from the Big Red's sophomore signal-caller. It was Mathews' fourth TD pass of the game, which is a career high and ties a program record.

Columbia was forced into punting formation in its own territory on the next drive, but Nico Papas picked up a first down on a fake with a rush up the middle to keep the Lions' drive alive. But it was the last first down Columbia saw in the quarter, with the team punting away to the Big Red with seconds remaining before the start of the fourth quarter. Cornell led, 45-34.

Mathews broke the program record for passing yards in a game on the next drive. He hit Savage on a third-and-6 to break Ricky Rahne's mark of 446 yards against Brown in 2000. Cornell ended the drive with 32-yard Greenway field goal to push the lead to 48-34.

More records fell on the next drive. Mathews hit Savage for a 28-yard touchdown pass that put him over the 500-yard plateau and giving him a program-record 40 completions. The catch also gave Savage a program record-tying third TD grab on the day, pushing the score to 55-34.

Columbia answered with a quick touchdown drive, to cut its deficit back to 14 points, then stopped Cornell on its next possession. As the Lions drove one last time, Miller stepped in front of a Brackett for an interception and one last Big Red jaunt into the end zone. While the score had no direct impact on the outcome of the game, it did allow Cornell to break the program record for points in a game since the Ivy League was formed in 1956. The previous mark was 57 points set in a win over Georgetown in 2005. The last time the Big Red scored at least 60 points in a game came in a 74-0 victory over Alfred in 1936.

Mathews' 521 passing yards ranks second in Ivy League history, finishing just five yards behind the record set by Brown's Michael Daugherty in 2008 against Holy Cross.

Cornell closes out the 2011 season when it visits Penn on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. at Franklin Field.