ITHACA, N.Y. -- The formula established by the Cornell seniors - ball control offense, stingy against the run defensively and a steely reserve against adversity - played itself out in their final home contest of their collegiate career. The Big Red used all three phases of the game to pull out a 17-13 win over defending Ivy League champion Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field.

Cornell held the ball for nearly 38 minutes on offense and piled up 141 rushing yards, limited the Big Green to 47 yards on the ground itself, answered Dartmouth's go-ahead score with a special teams touchdown and guaranteed itself its first .500 or better season since 2011 in the process. 

The win was a just reward for a senior class of 18 in front of the home crowd and kept alive hope for the program's first winning season since 2005.

Connor Henderson had 10 tackles and a key pass breakup in the fourth quarter, Brody Kidwell recorded three tackles for loss and  senior captain Demetrius Harris forced and recovered a fumble to spur a defense that allowed just 281 total yards. The offense methodically used the clock to its advantage, keeping the Big Green defense on the field for 37:52 grinding out 17 first downs. Robert Tucker III scored the lone touchdown, the first of his career, on a 1-yard run in the second quarter to give the home team the lead and registered 36 total yards on the ground, one of four Big Red players to tote the ball for at least 29 yards. Jameson Wang controlled the game, completing 13-of-18 passes for 128 yards and running for 32 more with both Nicholas Laboy (three catches, 39 yards) and Thomas Glover (three catches, 31 yards) his favorite targets.

While both the offense and defense did their part, it was the special teams that provided the punch. Freshman Davon Kiser gifted Cornell the go-ahead score late in the third quarter with an electric 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first by a Big Red player since Rashad Campbell took a kick back 78 yards at Princeton on Oct. 29, 2011. It was the 20th kickoff return for a score in school history. Additionally, Jackson Kennedy booted all four of his kickoffs through the end zone for touchdowns and his 28-yard field goal in the fourth meant that Dartmouth couldn't settle for one of its own in the final seconds, and Cornell's defense broke up a pass in the end zone as time expired to earn the victory.

Nick Howard completed 19-of-33 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown and ran six times for an additional 26 yards to pace the Dartmouth offense. Jonny Barrett led three receivers with at least 45 yards through the air, hauling in five passes for 69 yards. Defensively, Charles Looes had 12 tackles with a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery, while Joe Heffernan (11 tackles, forced fumble) and Macklin Ayers (10 tackles) also had double-digit stops, while Seth Verilus and Leonard St. GOurdin posted nine apiece.The Big Green defense surrendered just 276 yards and 17 first downs itself. 

 

First Quarter

• The Big Red set the tone early, forcing a three-and-out on Dartmouth's first possession with a Brody Kidwell tackle for loss on second down forcing the Big Green into a third-and-long.
• Cornell's offense didn't get points out of its first possession, but a pair of first downs, including an 18-yard completion from Jameson Wang to Nicholas Laboy, got the Big Red to fourth-and-5 from the Big Green 32.
• Facing a fourth-and-5, the Big Red weren't able to convert despite taking 4:33 off the clock.
• Dartmouth gained a first down on the ensuing drive, but punted again.
• Cornell started to march after taking over with six minutes left, picking up four first downs to, including picking up a fourth-and-1 with a Wang keeper, to end the first quarter scoreless.
 

Second Quarter

• Just 2:34 into the quarter, Cornell completed the 15-play, 84-yard drive with a Tucker 1-yard plunge to make it 7-0 after a Jackson Kennedy PAT kick.
• Consecutive 12-yard runs by Wang and AJ Holmes brought the ball to the 1 and Tucker finished it off for his first career score.
• The Big Green answered back with its first sustained drive of the contest, using 11 plays to go 75 yards and ending with a 16-yard pass on the halfback option from Noah Roper to Jarmone Sutherland to get within 7-6.
• The ensuing PAT kick failed, leaving the Big Red clinging to a 7-6 lead. 
• The half ended that way, but not until each team got two additional possessions.
• The second of Dartmouth's possessions started at the Cornell 31 with 2:16 remaining, but the Big Red took over on downs without allowing the Big Green any points.
• Kidwell shot through for a 6-yard tackle for loss on first down, and senior Wallace Squibb Jr. knocked down a fourth-down pass to send the teams into the locker room separated by a single point.
 

Third Quarter

• The teams punted back and forth for the first 10 minutes of the second half, but Dartmouth used three big plays to take the lead.
• A Howard 24-yard pass to tight end Jace Henry got the visitors started, and a completed to Jonny Barrett for 18 yards brought the ball to the Cornell 22.
• On first down, Nick Howard again hit Henry, this time over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown to put Dartmouth back on top.
• Ryan Bloch made the PAT kick to put the Big Green up 13-7 with 2:52 left in the quarter.
• Twelve seconds later, Cornell was back on top.
• The short kickoff was fielded at the 9 by Davon Kiser, who was fielding just his third career kickoff.
• The freshman swung down the left sideline in front of his Cornell teammates, got a big block from classmate Gannon Carothers and made a house call from 91 yards out to give Cornell a 14-13 edge after Kennedy's PAT.
• After the Big Red defense forced a three-and-out, Cornell took over with 1:43 remaining and started to march back down the field.
 

Fourth Quarter

• Cornell converted on third down twice in picking up four first downs to get inside the red zone, but settled for a 28-yard field goal to push the Big Red's lead to 17-13 with 10:19 left in regulation.
• Cornell's defense again forced a three-and-out, but the Big Red fumbled it away on its first play to allow Dartmouth to take over at the Big Red's 47.
• After two plays for no gain, Trey Harris forced a fumble and Demetrius Harris hopped on it with 8:09 left to give Cornell the ball back.
• The Big Red tied to run out the clock and, for the most part, effectively did.
• Cornell snapped the ball 13 times over the span of 6:40, including converting on a third-and-8 and a fourth-and-5 to extend the drive.
• The Big Red tried to put points on the board and make it a seven-point game, but Kennedy's 45-yard field goal went just wide.
• Dartmouth took over with 1:29 left needing a touchdown to win, and got all the way to the Big Red 8.
• The Big Green went 64 yards, its longest non-scoring drive of the day, but Howard's final toss into the end zone as time expired was broken up when Lewis pushed the intended receiver out of bounds after his grab, not allowing his foot to come down for the score.
 

NEXT UP

• The Big Red will close the 2022 season when it visits Columbia in a battle for the Empire State Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. at Wien Stadium.
• Cornell leads the all-time series 66-39-3 after the Lions topped the Big Red 34-26 in 2021 at Schoellkopf Field.
• The Lions have won three of the past four meetings.
• Since the introduction of the Empire State Bowl in 2010, Cornell leads the series 6-5.