Football Looks to Spark Win Streak When UAlbany Comes to Town

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

STREAKS, STORYLINES & SIDEBARS
• Cornell football hosts UAlbany in the second outing of a three-game homestand when the teams face off on Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, N.Y. Kick-off is set for Saturday, October 5 at 1:00 p.m.
• The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Nick DeLuca and Matthew Miller will be on the call.
• The Great Danes are seeking their first win since the season opener, when the team toppled LIU, 27-21. UAlbany will be hungry for a win after being ranked no. 16 in the national polls during the preseason, to not receiving a vote in this week's Stats Perform FCS Top 25. The team enters the weekend with a 1-3 record.
• UAlbany was picked to finish third in the 2024 Preseason CAA poll and received the second-most first-place votes.
• 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.

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 UALBANY WOULD...
• mark the second straight win for the Big Red.
• be the second win at the Division I level for Coach Swanstrom.
• move Cornell's lead in the all-time series to 2-0.
• give Cornell a 315-253-14 (.553) all-time record in the month of October.
• be the first back-to-back wins for Cornell since week one and two of the 2023 season.
• move Cornell above .500 for the first time in the Coach Swanstrom era.
• be the 658th in program history (15th-most in the Football Championship Subdivision).

ABOUT UALBANY
• UAlbany comes into this weekend at 1-3, most recently falling to Maine, 34-20, on the team's family weekend at Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
• UAlbany is riding a three-game losing streak after opening the season with a 27-21 victory over LIU. The Great Danes were picked to finish third in the 2024 CAA Football Preseason Poll.
• Sophomore Myles Burkett has completed 72-of-135 passes for 963 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has thrown three picks this season but had no turnovers against FBS opponent West Virginia. Burkett is a transfer from the University of Wisconsin. He appeared in two games in 2022 for the Badgers, completing four passes for 84 yards on five attempts, before redshirting in 2023.
• Sophomore Griffin Woodell is the primary rusher for the Great Danes. He has totaled 161 yards on 52 rushes including two scores. Freshman Jojo Uga missed action in the season opener but has seen time in the three most recent games. He has taken 16 rushes for 73 yards and a house call as the team's number two.
• Senior Seven McGee is the favorite target of the Great Danes' offense, catching 18 passes for 337 yards and a trio of touchdowns. Senior Levi Wentz follows with 11 targets for 211 yards and a score.
• UAlbany returns 2023 All-CAA honorees Ozzie Hutchinson and Will Marotta on the offensive line.
• Senior linebacker Dontae Lunan leads the Great Danes with 45 tackles. Lunan has five tackles for loss, totaling 29 yards, including two sacks. Senior Ron Holmes has accounted for 30 tackles on the season including 5.5 for loss and two forced fumbles.
• Senior Jack Iuliano and freshman Erv Wiggins Jr. have each recovered a fumble.
• Punter Owen Lawson has punted 19 times for 825 yards for an average of 42.4 yards per boot. He sent away a season-high 73-yarder in the season opener against LIU. Lawson is a junior transfer from Arkansas. He appeared in 20 games for the Razorbacks as a punter.
• Graduate student kicker John Opalko is 4-for-5 on field goals through four games this season. He's missed just one PAT, which came last week against Maine.


THE SERIES
• Cornell and UAlbany have only met once, with the Big Red claiming the win.
• Cornell topped the Great Danes, 23-21, on Schoellkopf Field on September 30, 2006.
• UAlbany entered that game ranked No. 23 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.
• The Big Red has only ever faced the Great Danes at home.

THE LAST MEETING WITH UALBANY
• For the second consecutive year, the Cornell football team picked off a ranked team at home, this time dropping No. 23 Albany 23-21 in front of 6,571 fans at Schoellkopf Field on Saturday evening.
• The Big Red picked up its first win of the year in improving to 1-2, while Albany slipped to 3-2.
• Junior Luke Siwula ran for 162 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries as part of a Big Red rushing attack that posted 237 yards on the ground.
• Sophomore quarterback Nathan Ford was 12-of-28 passing for 112 yards and his first career score in the air, with senior Anthony Jackson coming down with a 4-yard catch in the end zone in the second quarter.
• Ford's favorite target was sophomore Zac Canty, who caught five passes for 49 yards.
• The Big Red has 19 first downs and owned a decisive 35:30-24:30 time of possession advantage in the win.
• Cornell also turned around its fortunes in the red zone, scoring on 4-of-5 opportunities.
• Junior Peter Zell booted three field goals, including a career-long 45-yard effort in the second quarter. 
• Defensively, Cornell limited a run-first Albany attack to 111 yards on 33 carries and 247 yards of total offense in the game.
• Junior Colin Nash had seven tackles and his first career interception in the victory, returning it 24-yards to set up a Zell field goal.
• For Albany, Daniel Bocanegra came off the bench to toss for 136 yards and a touchdown, a 22-yard pass to Mike Wall. Mark Sheehan also returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown in the loss.
• Marcus Allen led the Great Danes with his 39 yards on 10 carries, while Colin Simmons had 37 yards on nine carries.

LAST TIME OUT
RECAP I BOX SCORE I HIGHLIGHTS I GALLERY I POSTGAME NOTES
• On a rainy Saturday afternoon, Cornell football put on a show for a packed Schoellkopf Field, posting a 47-23 victory over the back-to-back Ivy League Champions.
• The Big Red tallied nearly 200 more yards of offense compared to the Bulldogs to improve to 1-1 (1-0 Ivy). Yale fell to 1-1 (0-1 Ivy).
• Senior quarterback Jameson Wang completed 18-of-29 passes for 278 and four touchdowns through the air. For the second straight week, Wang took no sacks and only rushed for positive. The El Segundo, Calif., native rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.
• Sophomore running back Ean Pope rushed for a career-high 72 yards including a game-long scramble of 37 yards that he took to the house.
• Eddy Tillman, Robert Tucker III, and Johntu Reed also took rushes, pushing the Big Red to 197 rushing yards, the most on the ground since tallying 229 yards against Colgate in 2021.
• Brendan Lee again led the Big Red receiving core, posting 99 yards on five receptions for two touchdowns.
• Samuel Musungu followed with 78 yards and a score, with Ryder Kurtz narrowly behind with 74 yards and a score on just two catches.
• Trey Harris and Luke Banbury led defensively with seven tackles each. Banbury also notched a tackle for loss.
• Muhammad-Ali Kobo tallied six stops for the second straight game.
• Rick Coleman Jr. caught his first career pick, while Ben Sahakian recovered a fumble.
• Parker Woodring scooped his first career fumble after a muffed punt by Yale early in the first quarter. 
• Alan Zhao drilled both of his field goal attempts.
• Brogan McCaughey completed 14-of-21 passing for 172 yards and a score after connecting with Ry Yates on his only reception of the day.
• Josh Pitsendberger was the only other Bulldog to find the endzone, tallying two house calls on 18 carries for 68 yards.
• David Pantelis led the Yale receiving core with 86 yards on five grabs. Mason Shipp was next with three catches for 35 yards.
• Abu Kamara was the highlight of the Yale defense, accounting for 11 tackles, all unassisted. Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye followed with seven tackles including a TFL. Dylan Yang had the lone quarterback hurry for the Bulldogs.

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.
• The El Segundo, Calif. native has etched his name in the Cornell record books in nearly every major passing category, including passing attempts (743, 6th), pass completions (466, 6th), passing yards (5017, 6th), passing touchdowns (34, T-3rd), pass completion percentage (62.7%, 1st), pass efficiency (129.0, 4th), passing yards per game (173.0, 7th).
• He also ranks top-20 in rushing attempts (336, 19th), rushing yards (1412, 17th), and rushing touchdowns (21, T-6th).

• 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 closes out the three-game home stand next weekend to host Harvard for Friday Night Lights on Schoellkopf Field.
• The game kicks off at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 5. It will be broadcast live on ESPN2.