ITHACA, N.Y. — After winning both of its first two games of the season handily, the Big Red will face its first real challenge when Army West Point comes to Schoellkopf Field for sprint football's home opener at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Black Knights and the Big Red are two of four CSFL that have started the season 2-0, and Army West Point has blanked its opponents in both outings.  Cornell will look to end that streak, as well as the Black Knights' four-game win streak over the Big Red.
 
GAME INFORMATION
GAME #3: Cornell Big Red vs. Army West Point Black Knights
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Schoellkopf Field — Ithaca, N.Y.
2015 RECORDS: Cornell 2-0, Army West Point 2-0
LIVE STATS: CornellBigRed.com
LIVE VIDEO: Ivy League Digital Network 
 
ABOUT THE BIG RED
Cornell is 2-0 to begin the season, its best start since 2012 and its first back-to-back wins in the same span. The team has also scored more than 30 points in each of its first two contests for the first time since 1995. The Big Red has outscored its opponents 69-22, picking up wins over Mansfield (33-7) and Franklin Pierce (36-15). In the season opener, Cornell maintained its perfect 12-0 record over the Mounties, with senior wide receiver Trevor Marrero picking up a pair of touchdowns and senior linebacker  Jino Park returning an interception 69 yards for a score. This past weekend, the Big Red was down early, with the Ravens leading 15-7 at the half, but Cornell mounted a comeback and held Franklin Pierce scoreless in the second half. Marrero notched another touchdown, while freshman quarterback Connor Ostrander stepped in late in the fourth quarter and picked up his first collegiate points when he ran six yards into the end zone to close the scoring for the Big Red.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior linebacker Christopher D'Ambrosio was named CSFL Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday afternoon. D'Amrbosio was instrumental in the Big Red's comeback win Saturday against the Ravens. He scored Cornell's first touchdown of the game, recovering a fumble 32 yards, and allowed the Big Red to take control of the game, helping the defense hold Franklin Pierce scoreless in the second half. He posted eight assisted tackles and six solo hits in the win, including two sacks for a loss of 10 yards.

PRODUCTIVE PANNULLO
Junior quarterback Rob Pannullo has picked up right where he left off last season through the first two games of 2015. His 65.5 percent pass completion rate ranks second in the CSFL through two weeks and he leads the league in rushing yards with 227, averaging 113.5 a game. In 2014, his first season as the Big Red's starting quarterback, Pannullo made an impression, notching 408 rushing yards and 982 passing yards, averaging just under 200 all-purpose yards per game. He also threw 12 touchdown passes and ran for four touchdowns on the ground.
 
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Through two weeks of CSFL play, the Big Red is tied for first in opponent first downs. Cornell has allowed just 19, averaging 9.5 per game. Chestnut Hill is also tied for first with 19 but has only played one game.
 
NONE SHALL PASS
Cornell has ranked first in the CSFL in pass defense and pass defense efficiency in each of the season's two weeks so far. Through two games, the Big Red has given up just 186 pass yards, holding opponents to an average 3.7 yards per pass attempt and a 30 percent completion rate. Cornell's opponents have posted a league-low combined pass efficiency rating of 55.8.

BIG RED ZONE
Cornell is tied for first in the CSFL in red zone offense through two weeks, converting all five of their chances. Chestnut Hill has also scored on five trips to the red zone, while Navy is 14-14.
 
FRESH FACES
Cornell boasts one of the largest incoming classes the team has had in recent years. Co-head coach Bart Guccia has noted that this young group is one of the best he's seen in terms of athletic ability. Two members of the incoming class, quarterback Connor Ostrander and defensive back Conrad McCarthy come to Cornell from Longmeadow High School, where they played for the Massachusetts state championship. Ostrander scored his first collegiate touchdown when he replaced Rob Pannullo late in the fourth quarter in the Big Red's 36-15 win over Franklin Pierce. In addition, the group includes two athletes who are natural centers and played the position in high school, something Guccia notes is difficult to find in an incoming sprint football class.
 
CAPTAIN QUARTET
Cornell will be led by four captains this season, two offensive and two defensive. Seniors Benjamin Herrera and Trevor Marrero have been tabbed to lead the offense, as both return playing experience and leadership skills to the Big Red's roster. On the other side of the ball, seniors Evan Zittel and Jared Meichner will head the defense.
 
ABOUT HEAD COACH TERRY CULLEN
Cullen, The Terry Cullen Head Coach of Sprint Football, has been the patriarch of the program at Cornell for over half a century after joining his father, former head coach Bob Cullen, in 1964. In his 51-year tenure, Terry Cullen has posted a 173-145-7 record, including two undefeated seasons and six league championships. His title was endowed in 2001 and, in 2008, he requested to relinquish some everyday coaching duties to co-head coach Bart Guccia.
 
ABOUT CO-HEAD COACH BART GUCCIA
Entering his eleventh season on the Cornell sprint football coaching staff and his eighth as co-head coach, Guccia's teams have amassed a 39-29 record since he joined the program in 2005. Typically offensive-minded, Guccia has developed the Big Red's balanced offensive attack.
 
ABOUT ARMY WEST POINT
Perennially a CSFL powerhouse, the Black Knights have yet to concede a touchdown this season, outscoring their opponents 120-0 through two games, including an 86-0 record-breaking crushing of Princeton.  Army West Point rocked the Tigers for 499 total yards, while holding Princeton to just two net yards. Freshman Brady Miller threw three touchdown passes in the win, adding to his scoring pass in the team's 34-0 season-opening win over Post. Miller leads the league in pass completion percentage (69.23) and pass efficiency rating (239.91). … The Black Knights have distributed their scoring, with 14 players finding the end zone so far this season. … Defensively, Shaq Tolbert leads the team with nine solo tackles, a sack and a pass breakup. … Through Week 2, Army West Point leads the CSFL in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, rushing defense, kickoff returns, punt return average, interceptions, punting, kickoff coverage, first downs, third-down conversions, time of possession, turnover margin and red zone defense.
 
THE SERIES WITH ARMY WEST POINT
The Black Knights have a history of being one of the top teams in sprint football, and they own a 57-18 advantage over the Big Red all-time. The last time Cornell beat Army West Point was Oct. 8, 2010, a 14-7 win. Four of the Big Red's wins over the Black Knights came between 2006 and 2010. Last season, Army West Point won their fourth straight against Cornell, 49-7.
 
UP NEXT
The Big Red plays its second of three home games against Penn under the lights at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9.