Big Red Hits The Road For Test Against Bison

Dan Swanstrom
The Roger J. Weiss '61 Head Coach of Cornell Football

STREAKS, STORYLINES & SIDEBARS
• Cornell football hits the road to Lewisburg, Pa., when the team takes on its first road trip since the season opener, squaring off against Bucknell at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Kick-off is set for Saturday, October 19 at 1:00 p.m.
• The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Doug Birdsong and Charlie Fisher will be on the call.
• The Bison are chasing their first win over an Ivy opponent since last season when the team topped Cornell, 21-13. 
• Bucknell was selected to finish last in the preseason Patriot League poll but is already 1-0 in conference play.
• Picked to finish seventh in the Ivy League preseason media poll, Cornell seeks to surpass expectations again after turning a last-place preseason selection in 2022 into a sixth-place finish and .500 record, the best record for the Big Red since a 5-5 finish in the 2011 season. The Big Red is currently tied for first after a 1-0 start in Ivy play.
• Cornell will take a different approach to the captainship this season compared to years past. Each week, Cornell will name game captains, rather than having a pair host the duties the whole season. In week one, Jameson Wang, Damon Barnes, Hunter Sloan, and Jack Powers shared the honors at Colgate. Muhammad-Ali Kobo, Joey Cheshire, Brendan Chestnut, and Jameson Wang served as the homecoming captains. Jameson Wang, Eddy Tillman, Luke Banbury, and Mason Yacovelli were the captains against UAlbany. Jameson Wang continued as a captain against Harvard and was joined by Parker Woodring, Joey Cheshire, Maxwell Van Fleet.

A LOOK BACKWARDS
• The Big Red finished the 2023 season with a 3-7 overall record (2-5 Ivy) after a hot start. 
• In the second game of the season, Cornell grabbed a road win against a Yale team receiving votes in the national polls, 23-21, when then-senior Jackson Kennedy booted in a last-second 37-yard field goal to take just the second Big Red road victory over the Bulldogs this century.
• The Big Red also bested Ivy foe Brown at a time when the Bears' offense led the league in offense. The Big Red defense stifled the Bears, allowing no points until 5:48 remained in the third quarter. Cornell's defense allowed just two scores all game and forced three turnovers, including a 55-yard pick-six.
• Cornell put six student-athletes on All-Ivy teams, accounting for seven spots with Jackson Kennedy earning the nods for second-team punter and place kicker.
• The Big Red returns just six of the 22 starters from last season. Two-time All-Ivy quarterback Jameson Wang is the lone true starter back on the offense.
• Wang is the only returning 2023 All-Ivy honoree after the other five student-athletes graduated.

A WIN OVER BUCKNELL WOULD...
• mark the first nonconference win under Dan Swanstrom.
• be the second win at the Division I level for Coach Swanstrom.
• add to Bucknell's lead in the all-time series to 43-16.
• give Cornell a 315-255-14 (.552) all-time record in the month of October.
• move Cornell back to one game under .500 for the second time in the Coach Swanstrom era.
• be the 658th in program history (15th-most in the Football Championship Subdivision).

ABOUT BUCKNELL
• Bucknell enters the week 3-3 with losses to Navy, Merrimack, and Penn. The Bison have beaten VMI and Marist, and topped Lehigh in overtime so far this season.
• Freshman running back Tariq Thomas has been a force for the Bison. He is coming off the heels of his second Patriot League Rookie of the Week nod after carrying the ball 21 times for 57 yards and a pair of scores against Penn.
• On the season, Thomas leads Bucknell in carries (73) and rushing yards (263). Running back Paul Neel has scored two touchdowns and totaled 191 yards this season. Quarterback Ralph Rucker IV has also tallied two rushing touchdowns through six games.
• Rucker has passed for 1,266 yards, tallying 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He has completed over 68 percent of his passes, connecting on 117-of-171 of his tosses.
• Junior wide receiver Eric Weatherley has caught 34 passes for 382 yards (fifth in the Patriot League) and three touchdowns (tied for fifth in the Patriot League). Junior Josh Gary also has three scores this season. His have come on 24 catches for 256 yards. The Bison have six receivers averaging over 10 yards per catch.
• Sophomore linebacker Gavin Willis has a team-leading 52 tackles (third in the Patriot League). He has 2.0 tackles for a loss, totaling 21 yards. He has also gathered two fumbles.
• Junior cornerback Aaron Davis has two interceptions this year, including a pick-six against Lehigh.
• Matt Schearer is the primary punter and place-kicker for the Bison. He averaged over 44 yards per punt on 21 attempts. He is only 1-for-7 on field goals so far this year. 

THE SERIES
• Cornell is 43-16 in the series, which began in 1888. 
• Cornell has lost five of its last six against Bucknell after winning seven straight from 2007-13. 
• Bucknell has won the last three games in the series. This marks the longest Big Red losing streak ever in the series.
• Cornell is 9-8 against Bucknell in Lewisburg.

THE LAST MEETING WITH BUCKNELL
• The Big Red dropped one in the rain, falling to 2-3 on the season with a 21-13 loss to Bucknell.
• The teams did plenty of feeling each other out in the first half with the Bison taking a 7-6 lead into the locker room despite a pair of Kennedy field goals, the second a 35-yarder to close out the half.
• Cornell took the ball to begin the second half and went 61 yards on five plays to take its first lead since 3-0.
• A pair of 24-yard gainers through the air from Wang to Laboy and then Robbert highlighted the drive, with Wang going the final 11 yards himself for the touchdown.
• Bucknell answered two drives later with a 73-yard drive that ate up 5:03 off the block and ended with Baker’s 1-yard score.
• Cornell would punt on the ensuing drive, with the Bison again marching downfield, this time for 75 yards and a touchdown that pushed the lead to 21-13.
• The Bison picked up a pair of third-and-longs, the second a pinpoint connection from Semptimphelter to Eric Weatherly for 36 yards on a third-and-12.
• Needing a touchdown and a two-point conversion to knot the score, the Big Red was forced to punt after a three-and-out.
• After the defense got a big stop, Bucknell turned the home team over on downs and ran out the clock to claim the victory.

LAST TIME OUT
RECAP I BOX SCORE I HIGHLIGHTS I GALLERY I POSTGAME NOTES
• Harvard took a 17-14 lead halfway through the second quarter and never looked back on Friday night when the Crimson downed Cornell football, 38-20, on Schoellkopf Field.
• With the loss, Cornell drops to 1-3 (1-1 Ivy) while Harvard improves to 3-1 (1-1 Ivy).
• Senior quarterback Jameson Wang completed 21-of-30 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He rushed for a team-best 67 yards and a house call.
• Ean Pope posted 45 yards on nine attempts. Robert Tucker III had one rush for 39 yards.
• Samuel Musungu led the receiving core with six receptions for 84 yards and a score.
• Ryder Kurtz had six catches for 32 yards and a touchdown.
• Luke Banbury led the defense with eight tackles including two for loss. Joey Cheshire and Michael O'Keefe followed with seven tackles apiece. Jeremiah Lewis posted six stops.
• Cornell attempted no field goals for the first time this season.
• Both Harvard quarterbacks posted QBRs over 200. Jaden Craig completed 20-of-27 passes for four touchdowns, while Charles DePrima went four-for-four and a touchdown pass.
• Xaviah Bascon led the rushing core with 23 attempts for 99 yards. DePrima had four runs for 24 yards.
• Cooper Barkate posted seven receptions for 130 yards for two scores. Scott Woods II caught 10 passes for 76 yards. Seamus Gilmartin caught just two passes, both for touchdowns.

HALL OF FAME FIGURES
• This year, Cornell honored a class of 11 inductees during halftime of the Homecoming game against Yale.
• Included in this group is two-time All-American quarterback Jeff Mathews '14, who ended his storied Cornell career as the most prolific quarterback in Ivy League history and one of the top in all of college football. He ranks among the top 20 all-time in career passing yards in the FCS and set the Ivy League's all-time passing record by more than 2,000 yards. Mathews owns 47 Big Red school records and 18 Ivy League marks for passing and total offense. The three-year team captain was named one of 16 finalists for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy which recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation. The three-time All-Ivy selection was a Capital One Academic All-District first-team selection and a two-time finalist for the Bushnell Cup for the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, winning in 2011. Mathews also was a two-time member of the Walter Payton Award Watch List as FCS national player of the year. After the season, Mathews became the fifth Cornellian to accept an invitation to the East-West Shrine game, serving as a team captain for the East team, and also accepted an invitation to the NFL Draft Combine before signing a contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Mathews also spent time on the practice squad with the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals before playing four seasons in the CFL, including winning a Grey Cup in 2017 with the Toronto Argonauts.
• Joining Mathews is special category honoree Bernie DePalma.
• A legendary figure in Big Red athletics, DePalma served generations of student-athletes and shaped one of the nation's most respected sports medicine departments over 42 years. After arriving at Cornell in 1980 as Head of Physical Therapy and Supervisor of Athletic Training and Rehabilitation and taking over as head athletic trainer three years later, DePalma's expertise provided a significant impact on national athletics legislation. He served on numerous NCAA committees, including the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport Safety, which he chaired; the NCAA Special Committee on Student-athlete Welfare, access and equity; and the National Athletic Trainer's task force which developed medical coverage guidelines for all intercollegiate athletic programs. He played an important role in the initial development of the Ivy League's collaboration with the Big Ten on concussion research while developing a return to academics and play protocols in the league and nationwide. DePalma was honored in 2001 by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) with the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. That same year he was honored with the Thomas Sheehan Award for character, commitment, and achievement in athletic training by the New York State Athletic Trainers' Association. He presented at numerous national conventions, published dozens of papers and written chapters in textbooks that are used in Athletic Training curriculums, and served on professional committees at the university, state, regional, and national levels as a recognized expert in various topics around health and safety. He has been instrumental in developing and implementing various programs, including strength and conditioning initiatives when he arrived at Cornell, graduate assistant internship programs, and undergraduate athletic training student clinical experiences. One of DePalma's outstanding achievements was his innovative approach to injury prevention and rehabilitation as seen in his many publications and invited national presentations. His enduring commitment to athletic training, dedication to the athlete's health, safety, and welfare, leadership in the profession, and pioneering contributions to sports medicine contributed to his impact on the profession of athletic training.
 

ALL EYES ON JAMESON WANG
• Wang was named the Phil Steele Ivy League Preseason first team coming off the heels of a season where he ranked atop the Ivy (and 21st nationally) in completion percentage, connecting on 64.8 percent of his throws.
• In his junior season, Wang threw for over 2400 yards, good for third-most in the conference.
• This year, Wang has become the Ivy's top touchdown passer, accumulating 10 touchdowns in four games. His passing efficiency of 158.4 ranks second in the conference, and his completion percentage of 70.9 ranks first. He is one of two starting Ivy QBs who have not thrown a pick.
• The El Segundo, Calif. native has etched his name in the Cornell record books in nearly every major passing category, including passing attempts (804, 6th), pass completions (509, 5th), passing yards (5357, 6th), passing touchdowns (37, 3rd), pass completion percentage (63.0%, 1st), pass efficiency (129.3, 3rd), passing yards per game (172.8, 7th).
• He also ranks top-20 in rushing attempts (356, 15th), rushing yards (1498, 17th), and rushing touchdowns (22, T-5th).

• Schoellkopf Field has been an indelible mark of Cornell football since it opened in 1915 and this year will be the 108th season at the home field. 
• A gift from Willard Straight ‘01 and the family of Henry (Heinie) Schoellkopf ‘02 made the construction possible for the current stadium. 
• The Big Red’s first year on the field was one of its best, going 9-0 and winning the national championship. 
• In 1915, General Electric Company completed work on a flood searchlight system for the field, and in 1924 a construction project was completed to bring capacity from 9,000 to 21,500 by adding the famed Crescent. 
• In 1947 that capacity was increased to 25,597 and a press box was added. 
• In 1971 a gift was made to put artificial turf on the field, and it was resurfaced three times, the last time in 1999. 
• A new press box was built in 1986.
• The 2008 season saw the installation of FieldTurf synthetic grass to replace the artificial turf. 
• In 2016, the West Stands were demolished and the field was moved 15 feet toward the Crescent while replacing the FieldTurf to be ready for more construction at the site, lowering the capacity to 21,500 in the process.

Few collegiate football programs have the storied history of Cornell University. With more than 130 seasons of football in the books, the Big Red has collected five national titles, won over 650 games and has had legendary players and coaches perform on historic Schoellkopf Field. Names such as Glenn "Pop" Warner and Heisman Trophy finalist and NCAA record-breaker Ed Marinaro have suited up for Cornell, while seven College Football Hall of Famers (including Warner, Gil Dobie and Carl Snavely) and multiple-time Super Bowl winner George Seifert have set the strategy as head coaches. A new era begins in 2024 when Dan Swanstrom takes the helm.

NEXT UP
• The Big Red remains on the road when it heads to Providence, R.I. to take on Brown on Saturday, October 26.
• The game kicks off at 12 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.