ITHACA, N.Y. – Coming off of two difficult road defeats, Cornell sprint football will look to salvage a victory on the three-game road swing. Cornell was handled by Army from start to finish in the 49-7 defeat as the Black Knights shut down Cornell's vaunted ground game, holding the Big Red to 59 net-rushing yards after the team had averaged over 200 per game entering the contest. The Big Red will look to rebound against a team they have owned in recent seasons when it takes on Princeton. Opening kick is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10.
 
Cornell Big Red (1-2) at Princeton Tigers (0-2)
Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 | 7:00 PM | Princeton, N.J. – Princeton Stadium
All-Time Series: Cornell Leads, 61-27-4
Last Meeting (2013): Cornell Win, 50-19
Live Stats | Live Video (ILDN)
 
SCOUTING CORNELL
 
Big Red Headlines
Cornell continued its tough start on the road, falling to Army 49-7 in its most recent contest last Friday. The Big Red could not get its ground game going against a tough Army squad who has not lost a game since the season finale of the 2011 season. The Black Knights forced five turnovers and rolled up 35 points in the second quarter to blow the game open. Karriem Royster led the way for the Big Red after relieving a struggling Rob Pannullo. He gained 31-yards on the ground and added 78-yards through the air. Sophomore running back John Zelek posted the Big Red's lone touchdown, a one-yard scoring plunge with 5:01 remaining.
 
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 171-141-7 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 37-27 since he joined the program in 2005.
 
Last Meeting vs. Princeton
Cornell dispatched the Princeton 50-19 at Schoellkopf Field last season. The Big Red jumped on the Tigers from the outset, putting up 21 first quarter points. The team never looked back, rolling up its highest scoring output of the 2013 season. Cornell rolled up 404 of total offense, including 256 on the ground in the victory. Running back Benjamin Herrera led the way with 162-yards on 18-attempts with two touchdowns. Quarterback Brendan Miller added 148-yards and three touchdowns through the air.
 
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. If tradition is any indication, the Big Red should have a great chance to do well in 2014. 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 rank fourth in the league averaging 166-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 212 rushing yards and has added 56-yards on nine receptions. He has accounted for one touchdown each on the ground and through the air.
 
Linebacker U
The Big Red defense has been led by a quality set of linebackers this season. Sophomore Christopher D'Ambrosio leads the team with 20 total stops, adding three tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, and one interception. Senior Noah Shephard is second on the team with 17 tackles and one sack. Dominic LaBell had a huge game against the Black Knights, totaling eight stops and an interception. Jino Park leads the team with four tackles-for-loss and three sacks.
 
Winning Streak
Cornell has won 21 straight contests against the Princeton dating back to the 1999 season. The Big Red has shutout the Tigers five times, while it has held the Tigers to under ten points 11 times over that stretch. Cornell has averaged just over 32 points per game (32.05), while it has held Princeton to under ten points per game (9.48) over the win streak. The Big Red holds a 673-199 scoring advantage in the series since its last loss to Princeton.
 
SCOUTING PRINCETON
 
Tiger Headlines
Princeton has struggled out of the gates again this season. Through two contests the Tigers have been outscored 108-7 in losses to Navy and Franklin Pierce. The Tigers dropped its most recent contest 45-7 to the Ravens last Friday. Franklin Pierce gashed the Tigers with 367-yards on the ground. Princeton's lone score came on a 55-yard pass from Chad Cowden to Chris McCord.
 
About Head Coach Sean Morey
Morey brings a bevy of experience to the Princeton coaching staff. He is in his first season at the helm of the sprint football program. Morey had a long NFL career playing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Arizona Cardinals. He was a special teams ace, making an appearance in Super Bowl XLIII with the Arizona Cardinals and earning Pro Bowl honors as a special teams player. Morey is a 1999 graduate of Brown University, where he is a member of the Brown Athletics Hall of Fame. He was the first Bears football player to earn Ivy League Rookie of the Year (1995) and Ivy League Player of the Year (1997).
 
Tiger Struggles
Princeton ranks at the bottom of the league in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Tigers have averaged only 3.5 points per game, while the team has allowed 54 points per game this season. They have only been able to muster 154 total yards of offense in two games. Its biggest issue defensively is its rush defense. The Tigers have allowed 572-yards on the ground through two games.
 
Losing Streak
Princeton has not won a game since 2005 when it dispatched VMI's club team 19-7. The Tigers have lost 54 straight following that victory. The last CSFL league victory came in 1999 when the Tigers dispatched the Big Red 12-7 in the season opener.
 
UP NEXT
Cornell will return home for home coming to take on Navy on Saturday, Oct. 18. Opening kick is scheduled for 10 a.m.