ITHACA, N.Y. -- Here are three things to watch for during Cornell's contest at No. 22/23 Dartmouth tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Field.
 

Revenge Factor

Cornell's 2021 schedule has done it no favors. Come Saturday, four of its nine games this season will have been played against nationally ranked opponents. 

The last time Cornell defeated a ranked foe was in 2019. At Dartmouth. On the Big Green's Senior Day. Against a first-place Ivy League opponent.

The 20-17 Big Red triumph on Nov. 16, 2019 was the program's first in seven decades on the road against a ranked Ivy team. It was also the highest ranked team Cornell upset since 1939 when it defeated No. 4 Ohio State en route to a national title. The Big Red rallied from a 14-3 deficit to hand the Big Green, the eventual Ivy champ, its lone loss of the season a month before COVID-19 was known to exist.

If lightning is to strike twice for the Big Red at Memorial Field, Cornell must replicate the success from the last meeting — efficient in the run game, explosive in the passing game and opportunistic on defense and special teams.

Cornell is 2-2 in its last four games after beginning the season 0-4 and the offensive improvement is a big reason why. The Big Red has averaged 156.0 yards per game rushing over that s=four-game span (just 71.5 ypg. in its first four games), while its 13.1 yards per completion passing for the year is second in the Ivy League and 26th nationally. 

The Big Red defense has been solid against the run, allowing just 3.6 yards per attempt, and has 21 players who have recorded double-digit tackles on the season — led by Jake Stebbins, who ranks second in the Ivy League in total tackles (9.6 per game), behind only Dartmouth's Jalen Mackie (9.8). Another unit that has been spectacular is the offensive line, which has surrendered just seven sacks in eight games to rank sixth nationally. 

Dartmouth has plenty to play for, including wanting payback for the 2019 decision. A win keeps the Big Green atop the Ancient Eight standings with one game to play.
 

Who Steps Up?

On the offensive end, explosive running back Harold Coles played a huge role in the 2019 victory over Dartmouth, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown, including a 74-yard score in the game. Owen Peters caught the game-winner. Both are graduated. On special teams, Nicholas Null hit a pair of field goals and dropped three of his seven punts inside the 20. Graduated. Defensively, Jelani Taylor notched 11 tackles and forced a fumble in the red zone, while David Jones posted the game-clinching interception in the final two minutes. Graduated, graduated.

With so many pivotal pieces, a Big Red win will come from a largely new cast of characters. Who steps up, and when?

Dartmouth certainly has made the most of a next man up mentality. With just four returning starters from the 2019 championship season, including one from a defense that is fifth in the country in total defense (265.5 ypg.) and seventh in scoring defense (13.6 ppg.) this year, the Big Green hasn't missed a beat in its 7-1 start.
 

More History

While last year was the first calendar year that the two programs didn't meet on the gridiron since 1918, it will still be the 102nd consecutive season that the teams will meet. No need to play semantics ... there was no Ivy League season in 2020. The count continues.

Though not recognized by the NCAA as an uninterrupted series, it still sits in the record book (along with Cornell vs. Penn) behind only the Lafayette-Lehigh series that will reach 125 years this season.

One of the oldest and most storied rivalries in the great game, it will be the 104th meeting between the schools (Big Green leads 61-41-1). The two squads first met just after the turn of the century in 1900, a 23-6 Cornell win.

Now, this is your yearly reminder about the most famous of the 102 previous meetings - The Fifth Down Game.

Nearly 81 years ago, on Nov. 16, 1940 in Hanover, N.H., the Big Red, ranked No. 1 in the nation and riding an 18-game win streak, seemingly escaped with a 7-3 victory against the underdog Big Green, scoring on a 6-yard touchdown pass by Walter Scholl on the game's final play. After reviewing game film on Monday, Coach Carl Snavely and acting athletic director Robert J. Kane wired Dartmouth officials to tell them Cornell scored on an inadvertent fifth down, as referee Red Friesell had lost track of the downs. After Snavely called a team meeting later that day, he let the players make the decision on how to handle the situation. Led by captain Walt Matuszak, Cornell voted to forfeit the contest. 

Though there were no rules compelling the outcome to be changed, in an unprecedented act of sportsmanship, the Big Red relinquished claims to the win. The Big Green accepted the forfeit and the 3-0 victory. It remains the only time a collegiate sporting contest has been decided off the field after the completion of a game.
 

One Extra ...

As we wrote in 2019, adjusted for this season:

There's something about being on the road, away from the stress and rigors of academics and social pressures, to help build relationships. A six-hour bus ride, much like Cornell will do on Friday afternoon and later on Saturday evening, provides memories for student-athletes they'll long commiserate about.

For 51 seniors, this will be their final road trip together. 

Being on the road starts as an honor whether it is during freshman or senior year, or anywhere in between. There are limited opportunities. In a four-year career, you'd max out with 20 total road trips. For a senior, 95 percent of those trips are complete. 

But the one that remains is a doozy. And a win at No. 22 Dartmouth would make for a memorable 294 miles on the return trip.