ITHACA, N.Y. -- Here are three things to watch for during Cornell's contest against Colgate tonight at 7:00 p.m.
 

Finally Home

It feels like forever since Cornell played on Schoellkopf Field. It's been an unprecedented last couple of weeks for the modern-day Big Red.

Cornell is coming off a three-game road swing, the first time it has played three consecutive games away from Schoellkopf in the same season since 1996 – before any member of the current team was born.

A win against the Raiders would also make some history. It would break a 49-49-3 tie in the all-time series between the programs and it would give Cornell its first win on a Friday since defeating Manhattan Athletic Club on Nov. 18, 1892 on the road — nearly 129 years ago. Its last win at home on a day other than Saturday — Monday, Oct. 9, 1916 vs. Gettysburg. The 26-0 Big Red win was the seventh game ever played on Schoellkopf Field.
 

Raider Run

Colgate's history of offense is no secret. The Raiders have averaged 256.9 yards and three touchdowns per game on the ground against the Big Red over the last 11 meetings between the teams. Three of those matchups saw the Raiders run for better than 340 yards, and four times Colgate scored at least four times.

Let's go out twice as long. Dating back to 1996 (22 meetings), Colgate has averaged 252.7 yards and three touchdowns rushing the ball.

Incredibly consistent and entirely predictable. That's what the Raiders want to do.

It's no surprise that Cornell will attempt to make the visitors one-dimensional. That starts with trying to stop Grant Breneman. The fifth-year senior has started nearly 40 games in his collegiate career and and has rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. Though he also has had great success as a passer during his career, stopping the run and keeping his dynamic playmaking ability in the pocket would give the Big Red plenty of juice.

Cornell has done a great job against the run in 2021, ranking 19th nationally with its 104.5 yards allowed per game. It ranks highly in defending on third down, sitting fourth in the nation while surrendering conversions on just 26 percent of attempts. It has stiffened in the red zone, ranking ninth in the country by allowing scoring on just 67 percent of its opponents' chances.

Stopping the run will be critical to the Big Red's chances to pickup a non-league victory.

And that leads into ...
 

The Weather

Playing under the bright lights on Schoellkopf may not be disruptive to both teams on Friday. The weather may play a role in play calling and ball security.

With a high chance of thunderstorms in the forecast, the run game - and stopping the run - may play an even more outsized role in the result. Who that favors may be debatable, but unexpected turnovers can sometimes be the result of inclement weather. Ball security, ever important, would be even more critical than usual.