ITHACA, N.Y. – On a day where Cornell celebrated its 1971, 1988 and 1990 Ivy League Championship teams, the Big Red erased a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat Princeton 20-17 on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field, improving to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in Ivy League play.
Cornell trailed 17-7 at halftime before scoring 13 unanswered points in the second half to secure the victory over Princeton (3-4, 2-2 Ivy). Junior quarterback
Garrett Bass-Sulpizio led the charge in the second half, throwing for two touchdowns to finish the day with three total scores.
Princeton controlled the first half, jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter. The Tigers struck first when quarterback Kai Colón connected with Josh Robinson on a 27-yard touchdown pass, capping a nine-play, 75-yard drive. Princeton extended the advantage to 14-0 on Ethan Clark's 4-yard touchdown run later in the quarter.
Cornell finally answered early in the second quarter when Bass-Sulpizio capped a 10-play, 57-yard drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 14-7. Princeton responded with a 21-yard field goal by Esteban Nunez Perez to take a 17-7 lead into halftime.
The Big Red seized momentum in the third quarter when Bass-Sulpizio found
Doryn Smith for a 5-yard touchdown pass, cutting Princeton's lead to 17-13. The extra point attempt was blocked, but Cornell's defense held firm the rest of the way.
Cornell completed the comeback early in the fourth quarter when Bass-Sulpizio connected with tight end
Ryder Kurtz on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 11:15 remaining. The seven-play, 33-yard drive gave the Big Red their first lead of the game at 20-17.
The Cornell defense dominated the second half, holding Princeton to just 51 total yards and forcing two turnovers. The Tigers managed only one first down over their final four possessions as Cornell controlled the clock and field position down the stretch.
Bass-Sulpizio finished 15-of-25 passing for 117 yards and two touchdowns while adding 41 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Smith led Cornell receivers with five catches for 39 yards and a score, while Kurtz added four receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, Cornell dominated with 213 rushing yards on 46 carries. Running back
Jordan Triplett paced the attack with 72 yards on 16 carries, while
John McAuliffe contributed 56 yards on nine attempts.
Defensively, senior
Ben Sahakian led the Big Red with five tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss, and forced two fumbles. Senior
Joey Cheshire added six stops, while
Johnny Williamson recorded a sack and a tackle for loss. The Cornell defense recorded three sacks for 25 yards and six tackles for loss.
For Princeton, Colón completed 16-of-33 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown but was sacked three times. Clark rushed for 89 yards and a score on 19 carries. Roman Laurio was Colón's top target with four catches for 97 yards.
Cornell held a decisive advantage in total offense (330-342 yards) and time of possession (30:28-29:32), while converting 7-of-14 third-down attempts compared to Princeton's 1-of-12 mark.
Next Up
Cornell will head to Philadelphia to take on Penn on Saturday, Nov. 8. Kickoff between the Big Red and Quakers is set for 1 p.m.
The game will be the 132nd all-time between the two Ivy League foes. Penn leads the series, 78-47-5.
