The Cornell football team will try to post a perfect 3-0 non-conference record for the fifth time in school history and first time since 2007 when it meets a Lehigh team eyeing its first non-league win of 2022. Cornell's oldest collegiate rival on the gridiron, Lehigh will visit Schoellkopf Field for the first time since 2014 when the teams meet on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. The two squads first met on Nov. 24, 1887, the Big Red's second-ever contest. All these years later, Cornell will play in Ithaca for the 700th time, including the 519th time at the Crescent.
• Lehigh brings a 1-5 record and a four-game skid into this weekend's contest after a 40-28 loss to nationally-ranked Fordham to fall to 1-1 in Patriot League play.
• The Mountain Hawks picked up a win at Georgetown (21-19) along with losses to Villanova (45-17), Richmond (30-6), Princeton (29-17) and Monmouth (35-7), along with Fordham.
• The Lehigh defense ranks among the top 30 nationally and atop the Patriot League rankings in both sacks (2.8) and tackles for loss (6.8) per game.
• Mike DeNucci has posted 50 tackles with 10.6 for a loss and eight sacks, a mark that ranks third nationally, in six contests.
• Jalen Burbage ranks second nationally in kick return yardage, averaging 22.7 yards per attempt, while his 22 receptions and 231 yards through the air is second on the team.
• Geoffrey Jamiel (24 receptions, 280 yards), Burbage and Eric Johnson (22 receptions, 205 yards, three touchdowns) have combined for 68 of the team's 109 catches.
• Dante Perri directs the offense with 902 passing yards and seven scores, with Gaige Garcia (257 yards, two touchdowns) and Zaythan Hill (236 yards, one touchdown) leading the rushing attack.
• Head coach Tom Gilmore is in his fourth season at Lehigh and sports an 8-23 record, including 4-5 over its past nine contests.
• He previously spent 14 seasons at Holy Cross, twice winning Patriot League Coach of the Year honors.
The Series
• Cornell and Lehigh have met 26 times on the gridiron (Cornell leads 15-9-2).
• The two programs first played in 1887, the Big Red's second game in program history.
• The Mountain Hawks won the last meeting between the programs, a 31-14 victory at Schoellkopf Field in 2014.
Cornell vs. the Patriot League
• Cornell has a 134-86-7 record against the seven current members of the Patriot League football conference, including a 15-9-2 edge against Lehigh.
• The Big Red has advantages over five of the other seven conference schools: Bucknell (43-15), Colgate (51-49-3), Fordham (4-3-0), Holy Cross (5-0-0) and Lafayette (14-8-2).
• The series with Georgetown (2-2) is even.
• This is the second of two scheduled matchups with Patriot opponents in 2022, with the Big Red defeating Colgate 34-31 on Oct. 1 in Hamilton, N.Y.
2022 Lehigh Football Head Coach
Head Coach: Tom Gilmore (Penn '86)
Record at Lehigh: 8-23, 4th season
Overall Record: 80-104, 18th season
2022 Lehigh Football Information
2022 Captains: Dean Colton, George Padezanin, Dante Perri, Mikhari Sibblis
2021 Record: 3-8
Home/Away/Neutral: 2-4/1-4/0-0
2021 Patriot League Record/Finish: 3-3 (4th)
Starters Returning/Lost: 13/9
Offensive Starters Returning/Lost: 4/7
Defensive Starters Returning/Lost: 9/2
Lehigh Football Historical Information
First Year of Football: 1884
Overall All-Time Record: 704-627-45 (.528)
Overall Patriot League Record: 131-65-1 (.668)
