| Box Score (PDF)

ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell sprint football concluded the 2014 season on a strong positive note, handling Mansfield 38-21 at Schoellkopf Field on Friday night. The Big Red upped its record to 11-0 all-time versus the Mountaineers and finished the season with a 3-4 record in the CSFL.
 
Sophomore quarterback Rob Pannullo was on-fire from the opening snap, gashing Mansfield for big plays with his legs and arm. He finished with 266 all-purpose yards – 129 rushing and 137 passing – while accounting for three of the Big Red's five touchdowns on the evening.
 
The three-headed backfield tandem of junior Benjamin Herrera (12-81-1 TD), sophomore Kevin Nathanson (11-53-1 TD) and sophomore John Zelek (6-40) rolled up 174 combined yards, repeatedly finding sizeable running lanes as the Big Red offensive line paved the way for 298 yards on the ground. The total was Cornell's highest output of the season.
 
Sophomore Rob Hendricks led the way in the receiving corps, catching three passes for 45 yards and the lone score through the air. Senior wideout Alec Morris led the Big Red with four total receptions for an additional 35 yards.
 
Junior linebacker Jino Park led the Big Red defensively, with five solo tackles and one assist for 5.5 total stops. Sophomore Chris D'Ambrosio was disruptive throughout the contest, totaling three tackles, one sack, and one interception.
 
The outcome did not look so rosy for the Big Red in the early going. Mansfield (1-6) won the toss and took the ball to start the game. The Mountaineers burned Cornell with the big play that has plagued the squad in 2014. After gaining one first down, quarterback Mike Maniscalco hit wide out Eddie Larcom on a 65-yard catch and run for the game's opening score.
 
Cornell (3-4) answered on its opening offensive drive of the game. Pannullo led the Big Red on a nine-play 51 yard drive with the key play a 28 yard scramble to get Cornell into field goal range. Kicker Michael Zazzara drilled the 38-yard field goal to get the Big Red on the board.
 
After exchanging a couple defensive stops, Cornell forced the game changing play. With the Mountaineers starting a drive on their own 20, Maniscalco looked to hit Larcom on a short out pattern. His pass was high and the ball deflected off Larcom's catch attempt and into the waiting arms of defensive back Josh Begleiter, setting the Big Red up with excellent field position at the end of the opening quarter. Cornell made the turnover pay off, as Pannullo rushed for 26 yards on three attempts including the drive capping six yard touchdown plunge on the keeper. The Big Red would not trail again.
 
The two teams exchanged turnovers in the next two possessions. Maniscalco threw another errant ball that senior defensive back Chris Sitko picked off, ending a promising Mountaineer drive at the Cornell 31 yard line. The Big Red would give it back three plays later as Pannullo struggled to handle a snap with Jared Green recovering for Mansfield.
 
The Big Red put together possibly its best drive of the season to close out the half. Starting the drive at its own 12, Cornell drove the ball 88 yards in 14 plays – with Herrera, Zelek, and Nathanson all making significant contributions on the ground – Nathanson capped the drive with a five yard touchdown with just 17-seconds left in the opening half.
 
Cornell extended its lead midway through the third quarter. Zelek got the four play drive started with 17 yards on the ground. Pannullo then connected with Trevor Marrero on a 27-yard strike, before Herrera capped the drive with the five yard scoring jaunt.
 
The Big Red opened the lead to 31-7 with the first play of the fourth quarter when Pannullo connected on his lone scoring strike, a six yard connection to Hendricks.
 
Mansfield would put together scoring drives on its next two possessions, but the lead was too much for the Mountaineers to overcome, as Cornell closed out 2014 with the comfortable victory.