NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Cornell seniors have never had to watch Columbia take the Empire State Bowl back to their locker room. Even on an emotional senior day for the Lions, the Big Red made sure they would never have to.

Cornell used explosive plays on offense and key plays when they were needed on defense and special teams to retain the bowl for the fourth straight year after an exciting 42-40 victory over Columbia on Saturday afternoon at Wien Stadium. The Big Red improved to 4-5 (2-4 Ivy), while the Lions fell to 2-7 (1-5 Ivy).

A year ago, Cornell and Columbia combined for three points and 495 total yards in a 3-0 Big Red victory. This time out, 82 points and 1,069 yards of offense lit up the scoreboard. In both games, the Big Red ended the game in front and celebrated with the Empire State Bowl in hand. 

The four wins on the season doubles the victory total the Big Red compiled in the previous two years combined (2-18). It was the first time Cornell finished with a winning road record since 1994 - a span of 22 years. It highlighted the program's march forward.



This week's lesson - closing out a game.

The Big Red stopped a game-tying two-point conversion attempt, scored an insurance touchdown on a long run, intercepted a pass to end a late drive, intelligently killed clock and recovered an on-sides kick attempt after Columbia scored to get back within 42-40 with two minutes to play.

Sophomores engineered much of the offense, as Chris Walker ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns and Dalton Banks completed 24-of-37 passes for 267 yards and two scores while running for a third. Maybe the biggest offensive play for the Big Red, however, came on a fake punt. Backup quarterback Jake Jatis rolled out and hit All-America punter Chris Fraser for a 33-yard pass on a fourth-and-5 from around midfield. One play later, Banks hit junior Hayes Nolte from 14 yards out to give the Big Red its first lead of the second half at 28-24 with 4:52 left in the third.

Senior Marshall Deutz caught seven passes for a season-high 97 yards, while Nolte and senior Ben Rogers each hauled in touchdown receptions. Fraser was his All-America self, averaging 44.0 yards on six punts with two of more than 50 yards and four fair caught. Defensively, senior Jackson Weber had 10 tackles, junior Kurt Frimel had nine stops and senior Justin Solomon had eight tackles with a sack. Junior Nick Gesualdi was the star of the night on that side of the ball, making six tackles with an interception, a forced fumble, two pass breakups and an uncredited tackle on a two-point conversion attempt that kept Cornell in the lead midway through the fourth quarter.

The visitors set the tone on the game's first play from scrimmage. Jelani King picked off an Anders Hill pass at the Columbia 35 nine seconds into the game to get a boisterous New York alumni crowd roaring. Four plays later, the Big Red led 7-0. Facing a 4th-and-2 from the 27, Walker burst through the line and went untouched to the end zone for his first career score. Nickolas Null added the PAT just 1:35 into the contest.

The Lions started to take control answering right back behind the arm of Anders Hill and the legs of Alan Watson. Hill's 33-yard toss to Josh Wainwright tied the game.

After a quick three-and-out by the Big Red offense, Columbia went right back to work, marching 78 yards on eight plays to take its first lead on a 2-yard run by Tanner Thomas. Midway through the first quarter, the teams had combined for 21 points. 

A second straight three-and-out by the Big Red gave the Lions even more momentum, and needing 64 yards for a two-touchdown lead, Columbia got 63. The last was harder to come by. The Lions made it to the Cornell 9 when Skyler Mornhinweg hit Alan Watson with a screen pass. He went eight yards and dove for the end zone, but junior safety Nick Gesualdi separated Watson from the ball, fumbling the pigskin into the end zone for a touchback. Instead of trailing 21-7, the Big Red tied the game at 14-14 just 46 seconds later.

After a 23-yard find from Banks to Nolte, the sophomore quarterback went over the top for 47 yards to Ben Rogers. For the fifth-year senior, it was his sixth receiving touchdown of the year, the most by a Big Red player since Grant Gellatly (eight) and Lucas Shapiro (six) met or surpassed that mark in 2013. After a first quarter with plenty of offensive fireworks, the teams were knotted at 14-14.

The Big Red closed the first and began the second with its own sustained drive, marching 78 yards on six plays before returning the turnover to the Lions after losing the ball on a Josh Sweet dive for the end zone. There wouldn't be any damage, and neither team ran more than six plays on any drive for the next six possessions until a second Cornell turnover in the quarter, a tipped pass by Banks that was intercepted, turned a short field into a Columbia lead. Freshman quarterback Hunter Petlansky completed the drive with an 18-yard touchdown run.

Not to be denied, Walker took a third-and-3 rush and put together a nearly identical scoring run as his first attempt, but this time from 28 yards out to cap a five-play, 80-yard drive that took just 56 seconds to play itself out for a 21-21 tie. Oren Milstein booted a career-long 44-yard field goal with four seconds left though, sending the home team into the locker room leading 24-21.

An uneventful first two possessions of the second half set up the defining play of the game, as Cornell looked to punt on fourth-and-5 from the Columbia 47. After lining up in an I-formation, the Big Red split out wide. Jatis was able to roll out to his right and find Fraser, who outjumped one Lion along the sideline for a big 33-yard gainer. One play later and Cornell had the lead for good when Banks threw his 16th touchdown of the season and second in as many weeks to Nolte.

Milstein answered for the Lions with a 37-yard field goal to get back within 28-27, and that's where the third quarter ended. A little more than five minutes into the fourth quarter, Cornell would complete the 15-play, 85-yard drive it started late in the third, punctuating it with a 1-yard sneak by Banks, his fifth touchdown rush and 21st touchdown accounted for on the season.

The Lions scored less than three minutes later when Hill found Lynnard Rose for a 13-yard touchdown on a third-and-10 to get within 35-33 with 6:26 left. Columbia went for two and the tie, but Gesualdi snuffed out a shuffle pass two yards shy of the goal to protect the lead.

It wasn't Gesualdi's last big moment in the final seven minutes, but it only came after Walker gave Cornell some breathing room. For the third time, the sophomore found himself alone just past the line of scrimmage and turned on the afterburners, going 71 yards for the touchdown. Null's kick made it 42-33 with just under five minutes remaining.

Needing a score to stay in the game, Columbia completed a pair of 11-yard passes before trying to go deep. Gesualdi cut the pass off nearly 50 yards downfield, coming up with an acrobatic, leaping interception - his sixth of the season and 11th of his career. Though the Big Red would punt the ball back and the Lions would score late to get back within 42-40, senior Collin Shaw got his hands on the ensuing on-sides kick to allow his classmates the opportunity to celebrate with the bowl for the fourth straight season.

Notes
• Senior Collin Shaw became the school's 23rd 1,000-yard receiver with four catches for 44 yards, giving him 1,008 for his career.
• Junior Nick Gesualdi had his sixth interception of the season, good for seventh in a season at Cornell.
• Gesualdi also bumped his career total to 11, tied for third-most in a career. 
• Sophomore Chris Walker posted his third 100-yard game of the season with a career-best 178 yards.
• He scored his first three career touchdowns as well, finding the end zone after runs of 27, 28 and 71 yards.
• Senior Ben Rogers had three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown, moving into the school's top 20 list for career receiving yards (1,147 - 19th overall).
• Sophomore Dalton Banks moved into the top 10 for single-season passing yards (2,192 - ninth) and up to 16th on the career list.
• With a team-best 10 tackles, senior Jackson Weber moved into the top 10 at Cornell with 215 (19th).

Next Up
• The Big Red will close out the season with a home matchup against defending Ivy League champion Penn on Saturday. Nov. 19 at 12 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.
• The game, which will be televised by Fox College Sports, will serve as the final home game for the Big Red's 26 seniors.
• The winner will also take home the Trustees' Cup.