ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell tailback Chad Levitt rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Big Red to a 21-17 victory over the defending Patriot League champion Lehigh on Saturday, Oct. 1, 1994 at Schoellkopf Field.
The Big Red scored on its first offensive play after a bad Lehigh snap put the home team at the 2 just 75 seconds in. Levitt went around the right end for the touchdown five seconds later to open the scoring.
Lehigh's Rabih Abdullah ran 92 yards to knot the score six minutes in to silence the Cornell crowd, and that's where both teams were into the final seconds of the half. The visitors closed out a 12-play, 79-yard drive with four seconds remaining when Bob Aylsworth connected with LaFeir from the 1. The PAT made it 14-7 Lehigh at the break.
Lehigh posted 239 yards in the first half and held Cornell to 32 yards, including an 0-for-6 passing effort over the first 30 minutes.
Two possessions into the second half, Cornell was back on top. In fact, 18 seconds into the half it was all tied.
Gallery: (10-12-2022) Football vs. Lehigh, 10.01.94
The Big Red got a 40-yard kickoff return by Victor Borges to midfield, then Levitt went the rest of the way on the first snap to knot the game at 14-14. Eight seconds after that, Chris Hanson forced a fumble on the kickoff that was recovered by Chris Allen. Though the Big Red eventually punted, it set up a Lehigh possession that ended with a Bryan Draga interception.
Levitt gave Cornell the lead for good after the pick, going 36 yards on four plays with Levitt finding the end zone from 5 yards out on third-and-goal to push Cornell back to the front, 21-14.
Lehigh booted a field goal late in the third and never really threatened in the fourth, with Hanson picking off a pass on the final drive before the Big Red went into victory formation to run out the final 32 seconds to claim the win.
Cornell led with the run game, piling up 235 yards on the ground, while completing just two passes in the win. Abdullah led the way for Lehigh with 149 yards on 21 carries, while Aylsworth complete 23-of-42 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown, but was also intercepted three times.
The Big Red defense forced five turnovers and took advantage of 10 penalties that gave the home team 83 yards.
