ITHACA, N.Y. -- Post used some late game heroics to rally from a pair of deficits after halftime and escape Schoellkopf Field with a 17-14 victory over Cornell in Friday evening Collegiate Sprint Football League action. The Eagles improved to 3-2 on the year, while Cornell fell to 2-4.

Quarterback Rob Pannullo completed 14-of-26 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns while also running 19 times for 79 yards. In all, the Big Red offense piled up 373 total yards and 23 first downs. Benjamin Herrera carried 20 times for 71 yards to join Pannullo atop the rushing list, while Jonathan Roth caught five passes for 101 yards, Both Trevor Marrero and Logan Stevenson hauled in touchdown passes. Ryan Jackson was the team's top tackler with eight stops on the night.

Two interceptions, three missed field goals and a 2-of-6 effort in the red zone, including three scoreless drives inside the Post 11-yard line, doomed Cornell to its second consecutive loss.

Post struggled running the ball against the stout Cornell defense with 32 carries for 90 yards, but came up big on the team's final drive to take the lead on a 2-yard plunge by Joseph Lynch with 36 seconds left. He ended the day with 78 yards on 23 carries. Quarterback Greg Volpe was 18-of-28 passing for 266 yards and a touchdown, a 91-yard pass play in the books that Jay'Len Mahan made happen. Mahan caught a quick hitch, then turned the corner and outraced the defense the rest of the way to get Post its first lead of the day at 10-7 in the third quarter. The speedy receiver caught four passes for 121 yards. Billy Singh (10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) and Jashua Guadalupe (seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) were disruptive all evening for the Eagles on the defensive side of the ball.

The Big Red set a tone early, as the defense forced a Post three-and-out on the game's first possession before the offense drove 53 yards on eight plays with Pannullo hitting Stevenson for a nine-yard touchdown. Mike Hobson hit the PAT and it was 7-0 Big Red just 5:16 into the game.

Post went to work on offense, driving all the way to the Cornell 3 before settling for a 22-yard field goal attempt that went wide right, keeping the Eagles off the board. Cornel's offense answered with a 57-yard drive to the Post 14 before a holding penalty pushed the big Red back and forced a 40-yard field goal by Hobson that went wide right to end the first quarter.

The visitors got on the scoreboard after a six-play, 73-yard drive led to a 21-yard chip shot field goal by Michael Russo to cut the deficit to 7-3 less than three minutes into the second quarter. That is where the score would stay despite the home team charging inside the 5 and missing a 22-yard field goal.

The see-saw second half opened with the Big Red marching downfield all the way to the Post 1. Facing third and fourth down and goal-to-go, Post stuffed a pair of running attempts to keep Cornell off the scoreboard. The defense came back with a three-and-out, setting the Big Red up with a short field after an Eagle punt. This time, Cornell moved to the 11 before settling for a 31-yard field goal attempt that hit the left upright and bounced out.

Post used that momentum, and after a penalty and a rush attempt that lost a yard, Volpe dropped back for a short pass to Mahan, and the youngster did the rest. His 91-yard touchdown put the visitors into the lead at 10-7. 

Cornell regained the lead with 10:34 left when Pannullo hit Marrero for a 5-yard touchdown on a fade route, as the bigger receiver outjumped his defender on third-and-goal. The Hobson PAT made it 14-10.

The Big Red held defensively on Post's ensuing drive, stopping a fourth-and-9 from its 31 to take over with 3:53 left. The visitors took a pair of timeouts to stop the clock after an initial first down run, but facing third-and-6, Pannullo's pass was picked off by Shaq Williams at the Cornell 42, the first turnover for either team in the game.

Eight plays later, Post had the lead again. The key play of the game came on fourth-and-4 from the 19, as Volpe hit Rocco Guerrera for seven yards and a new set of downs. After another 10-yard completion by Volpe down to the 2, Lynch took it the rest of the way for the go-ahead score.

Cornell got the ball back with 36 seconds remaining, but could only advance the ball to the 42 before a desperation pass was picked off, ending the game.

The Big Red will close out its 2014 campaign against Mansfield on Friday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.