ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell opened the scoring with a first quarter field goal, but the Crimson answered back less than 30 seconds later after going behind on the scoreboard for the first time this season and never looked back. In the end, No. 24 Harvard remained unbeaten and headed back to Cambridge with a 40-3 triumph over the Big Red on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell dropped to 0-4 (0-2 Ivy), while the Crimson won its 18th straight overall and moved to 4-0 (2-0 Ivy).
Harvard quarterback Scott Hosch accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and 322 total yards, Paul Stanton had 101 rushing yards and a score and Kenny Smart kicked two field goals as the Crimson controlled the final three quarters of play to capture its 10th consecutive win in a series that dates back to 1890. Harvard allowed just 192 total yards and piled up 499 of their own in a near-perfect run-pass balance (249 yards rushing, 250 yards passing).
Ben Rogers had 194 all-purpose yards for the Big Red, while freshman
Chris Walker had 47 yards on just nine carries. Junior
Robert Somborn completed 9-of-16 passes for 107 yards, but was intercepted three times as the Big Red offense turned the ball over four times. Senior
Luke Hagy had his streak of 100-yard rushing games snapped at six with 33 yards on 15 carries. On special teams, senior
Chris Fraser excelled, putning seven tiems and averaging a robust 52.4 yards per kick with a long of 67 yards, on of three punts of more than 60 yards.
Joe Pierik booted a 33-yard field goal in the first quarter for Cornell's lone scoring.
Notes to Know• Junior
Chris Fraser averaged a school-record 52.4 yards per punt on seven kicks, including three of greater than 60 yards and two pinning the Crimson inside their own 20-yard line.
• Fraser had punts of 58, 64, 61, 67, and had kicks downed at the 3 and the 9 yard lines,
• Freshman
Chris Walker gained 47 yards on just nine carries in his first extended varsity playing time.
• Junior
Joe Pierik's 33-yard field goal in the first quarter was the Big Red's first field goal of the season.
• Pierik's field goal gave the Crimson their first deficit of the season (3-0).
• Seniors
Rush Imhotep and
Jarrod Watson-Lewis each were credited with a pair of pass breakups, while sophomores
Daniel Crochet and
Seth Hope each had a pair of tackles for loss.
• Senior
Luke Hagy moved to within two rushing yards of becoming the seventh player in Cornell history to reach the 2,000-yard mark.
• Hagy made a reception in his 33rd straight varsity contest and moved to 11th on the school's receiving yards list (1,448 yards). He is within 17 yards of reaching the top 10.
• Junior
Robert Somborn moved to 16th in school history in career passing yards (1,911).
• Senior
JJ Fives (103) and
Miles Norris (101) each surpassed 100 career tackles in the loss.
Turning Point• After two solid drives on offense and a defensive stop to open the game, the Big Red took a 3-0 lead after a
Joe Pierik 33-yard field goal with 4:54 left in the first quarter.
• Harvard, which had allowed just 10 first half points in its first three games, had jumped out to leads of 14-0, 46-0 and 45-0 and had never trailed.
• The Crimson responded, getting on the board 17 seconds later and turning the tide.
• After a 48-yard kickoff return by Justice Shelton-Mosley to the Cornell 47, Harvard quarterback Scott Hosch went over the top to H-back Ben Braunecker for 47 yards and a Crimson touchdown.
• Cornell went three-and-out on its next offensive drive and forced a punt on the Crimson's ensuing drive, but a turnover gave Harvard a short field and two plays later Anthony Firkser hauled in a 19-yard pass from Hosch to make it 14-3.
QuotableHappy Birthday Schoellkopf• Cornell's legendary Schoellkopf Field, the fourth-oldest stadium in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) celebrated its 100th birthday on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015.
• ESPN College Gameday gave the old stadium and the historic Crescent a shoutout on their Saturday morning broadcast.
• The field was dedicated on Oct. 9, 1915 on the day the Big Red defeated Williams College 46-6, though Cornell had already played two contests on the field en route to a perfect 9-0, national championship season.
• Touchdown I, Cornell's live bear mascot, is also celebrating the 100th anniversary, while the 1990 Ivy League champions, the last BIg Red football team to capture an Ivy crown, will celebrate a 25th anniversary.
Picture ThisNext Up• Cornell will close out its non-conference schedule when it visits Sacred Heart on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. in Fairfield, Conn.
• The Big Red and the Pioneers will be meeting for the first time on the gridiron.
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