ITHACA, N.Y. – Coming off a record setting performance against the Princeton Tigers a week ago, Cornell sprint football returns home for the first time since its home opener against Franklin Pierce. The Big Red will welcome undefeated Navy to Schoellkopf Field and will look to score a victory over the Midshipmen in the homecoming matinee. Opening kick is scheduled for 10 a.m.
 
Cornell Big Red (2-2) vs. Navy Midshipmen (4-0)
Saturday, October 18, 2014 | 10:00 AM | Ithaca, N.Y. – Schoellkopf Field
All-Time Series: Cornell Trails, 13-54-2
Last Meeting (2013): Cornell Loss, 7-28
Live Stats | Live Video (ILDN)
 
SCOUTING CORNELL
 
Big Red Headlines
Cornell bounced back in a big way last Friday against Princeton. The Big Red defense threw up a goose-egg, while the offense put up 55 points on the struggling Tigers. Cornell racked up 333 total yards and jumped out to a huge early lead, scoring a touchdown on the team's first five offensive possessions. The lopsided victory marked the 22^nd straight win over the Tigers in the series.
 
About Head Coach Terry Cullen
Cullen is a Cornell legend and has been a patriarch of the sprint football program at the University for over five decades. He enters his 51^st season with the program in 2014, after joining his father; former sprint football head coach Bob Cullen, in 1964. He has amassed a 172-141-7 career record with the program, leading the team to two undefeated seasons and six league titles. Cullen shared coaching responsibilities with his father through the 1995 season, before serving as the sole head coach from 1996-2007. His position became officially known as The Terry Cullen Head Coach of Sprint Football in 2001.
 
About Co-Head Coach Bart Guccia
Guccia enters his tenth season as a member of the sprint football coaching staff and his seventh as co-head coach in 2014. A bright offensive mind, Guccia has brought a balanced offensive attack to the Big Red since his installment as co-head coach. The offense looked in mid-season form in the team's home opener, as the Big Red moved the ball at will through the air and on the ground in route to the three touchdown victory. He is responsible for the majority of on-field coaching and gameday decisions. The Big Red is 38-27 since he joined the program in 2005.
 
Last Meeting vs. Navy
Cornell dropped last year's meeting with the Midshipmen 28-7. Despite the lopsided score, the game was tight for the majority. Quarterback Rob Pannullo hooked up with receiver Michael Crawford for a five-yard scoring pass with 3:24 remaining in the opening half to knot the game at seven apiece. Navy executed its two-minute drill to perfection to take the lead right before half. The Big Red could not recover from the deflating drive before the half, as the Midshipmen scored 14 points over the final 16-minutes to ice the game.
 
Record Setting Performance
The Big Red offense was in dominant form on Friday against the Tigers. Cornell jumped out to a huge early lead with five straight touchdown drives to begin the game. Overall, the Big Red scored touchdowns on seven of its eight first half drives. The 48 first half points were the highest total in program history.
 
Captain Quartet
The Big Red has four captains who will bring a wealth of leadership to the team in key areas this fall. The four senior captains are First Team All-CSFL defensive back Chris Sitko, Second Team All-CSFL defensive lineman Eric Stazi, and Second Team All-CSFL offensive linemen Greg Zalevsky and Bennett Winters.
 
Strength in the Trenches
Traditionally, the team that wins the battle at the line of scrimmage has the best chance of winning the game. The team returns two all-league players on the offensive line in Zalevsky and Winters. The defensive front seven looks fearsome as Stazi and Carfi return to anchor the defensive line, while all-league linebackers D'Ambrosio and Park provide support behind them. The offensive line has paved the way for the Cornell runners this season, as the Big Red ranks second in the league averaging 177.2-yards per game on the ground.
 
Best in the Backfield
Junior running back Benjamin Herrera is establishing himself as one of the best backs in the CSFL this season. He leads the Big Red with 295 rushing yards and has added 74-yards on ten receptions. He has accounted for three touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. He currently ranks fifth in the league in rushing, while he is tied for third in rushing touchdowns.
 
Linebacker U
Noah Shepard, Chris D'Ambrosio and Jino Park have been a strong trio in the center of the Big Red defense this season. The defense identified another strong performer in its contest against Princeton. Junior linebacker Nick Lussier played a splendid game against the Tigers making splash plays all over the field. He finished with four tackles – two solo and two assists – while he also collected a sack, forced fumble, and interception.
 
Streak Breakers
The Big Red will look to snap out of a long funk when it welcomes the Midshipmen to Schoellkopf Field. Cornell has not beat Navy since its undefeated CSFL Championship season in 2006.
 
SCOUTING NAVY
 
Midshipmen Headlines
As has been the standard, Navy is off to another flying start this season. The Midshipmen enter this weekend with a perfect 4-0 record. The team pounded Post 41-6 in its most recent contest, rolling up 325-yards on the ground. Eric Wellmon led the way with a career-high 226-yard and four scores on the ground.
 
About Head Coach Maj. Kavan Lake
Maj. Lake is in his third season at the helm of the Midshipmen sprint football program. He has led to Navy to back-to-back 6-1 seasons and second place finishes in the CSFL. He has a strong football background, playing two seasons as a walk-on player at Florida State under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden.
 
Juggernaut on Both Sides
The Midshipmen are incredibly strong on both sides of the ball. The team is the second ranked scoring offense and is averaging 37.8 points per game. The offense is buoyed by the league's best ground game. The Midshipmen lead the league in rushing by a healthy margin – 69 yards per game over the next closest team (Cornell 177.2) – averaging 246.2 yards per game. Eric Wellmon is the league's leading rusher with 728-yards thus far this season.
 
Defensively, Navy is even more stout. They lead the league in scoring defense, allowing just 9.8 points per game. The Midshipmen are tops in the league in rushing defense, in fact holding their opponents to -37 cumulative yards on the ground.
 
Ship is Strong
Navy has been incredibly strong in recent seasons. Over the last five season, the Midshipmen have only lost four games total, including undefeated seasons in 2009 and 2011.
 
UP NEXT
The Big Red will welcome Post to Schoellkopf Field for the team's penultimate game of the 2014 season. Opening kick is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.