NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale used a big second half to remain unbeaten, pulling away from Cornell for a 49-24 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Yale Bowl. The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 (1-0 Ivy), while the Big Red slipped to 0-2 (0-1 Ivy) in the conference opener for both teams.
Yale piled up 35 points and nearly 300 rushing yards after halftime, overcoming a first half that saw the Big Red seemingly dominate, but end on the short side of a 14-10 score at the break. Both Zane Dudek and DeShawn Salter ran for more than a 100 yards after halftime as the home time grounded out 297 yards on 28 carries in the final two quarters after posting just 55 yards on 11 carries in the first 30 minutes.
Cornell's offense turned the ball over twice in the first half and didn't score after drives of 10 and 11 plays, allowing Yale to be opportunistic in taking its halftime lead. The Bulldogs capitalized on one of the turnovers for a pick-six, and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a two-minute drive to end the half.
Trailing 35-10 in the fourth, the Big Red scored twice to get back within 35-24 midway through the quarter, but Yale answered with an 82-yard touchdown on its next play from scrimmage to seal away the win.
Junior quarterback
Dalton Banks completed 26-of-45 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, including his 20th and 21st varsity score through the air. He also was sacked six times. Freshman Eric Gallman was his favorite target, catching nine passes for a Cornell freshman single-game record 97 yards. Both
James Hubbard (57 yards) and
Chris Walker (19 yards) caught touchdown passes and sophomore
Harold Coles posted his first career 100-yard rushing game, including a 90-yard gallop for a score in the fourth quarter. That run was the second-longest run in school history.
Senior
Nick Gesualdi had his 12th career interception - third-most in school history - and classmate
Kurt Frimel hadf seven tackles, including one for a loss and a forced fumble.
Geno DeMarco had five tackles and a sack and sophomore
Dylan Otolski, making his first career start, registered six tackles, 1.5 for a loss and a pass breakup.
Justin Solomon recovered a fumble that set up Cornell's lone first half touchdown, a 14-yard connection from juniors Banks to Walker.
The Big Red had 27 first downs and piled up 431 yards of offense, but it was no match for the one-two attack of Dudek and Salter. The combo combined for 316 yards and four touchdowns for the Bulldogs, with Salter going for 143 and three scores and Dudek piling up a career-best 173 yards and another touchdown.Kurt Rawlings was 10-of-17 passing for 123 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown toss to Jaedan Graham. Yale had 12 total tackles for loss, six sacks, eight pass breakups and two caused turnovers in the win.
Notes to Know
• Eric Gallman's 97 receiving yards on nine catches broke the school single-game freshman record of 94 yards by Keith Ferguson against Fordham in 1999.
• Harold Coles' 90-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the second longest in Cornell history, surpassed only by a 95-yard jaunt by John McNiff at Columbia in 1990.
• It was Cole's first career 100-yard game, rushing four times for his 101 yards – the fewest rushes in a 100-yard game in school history.
• Dalton Banks became the ninth player in school history to reach 20 career touchdown passes, ending the contest with 21.
• With his 272 passing yards, Banks moved from 11th to seventh on Cornell's career passing yardage list and ended the game with 3,033.
• Senior Nick Gesualdi registered his 12th career interception, moving within three of the career record of 15 held by Hillary Chollet, who played his final season in 1949.
• Sophomore Dylan Otolski (LB) and freshman Eric Gallman (WR) made their first career start.
• Junior Oscar Boochever posted his first career catch.
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Next Up
• Cornell opens its home schedule with the first of four straight home games when Central New York rival Colgate visits Schoellkopf Field on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1:30 p.m.
• The two programs will be meeting for the 99th time dating back to the first contest in 1896 with the Big Red holding a narrow 49-46-3 lead.
• A year ago, Cornell rallied from a 23-point deficit to claim a 39-38 win over 25th-ranked Colgate, capping the Big Red's first road win over a ranked team since 1950.
