PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Behind a dominant third-quarter performance, Cornell rolled to a 39-17 victory over Penn on Saturday afternoon at Franklin Field, extending its winning streak to four games for the first time since the 1999 season.

Cornell (4-4, 3-2 Ivy) exploded for 19 points in the third quarter to pull away from Penn. Junior quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio finished 24-for-31 passing for 265 yards and a touchdown while adding 29 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Sophomore receiver TJ Hamilton led Cornell with five catches for 123 yards, while Brendan Lee added six receptions for 41 yards and a score. Senior Doryn Smith added 38 yards on six receptions. 

The Big Red's rushing attack was balanced and effective, with sophomore Jordan Triplett leading the way with 85 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Senior Gannon Carothers added 36 yards and two scores on five attempts, while first-year back John McAuliffe contributed 21 yards on four carries.

The Big Red struck first when sophomore kicker Caden Lesiewicz connected on a 32-yard field goal, capping a seven-play, 45-yard drive to give Cornell a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter.

Penn (5-3, 3-2 Ivy) responded in the second quarter when quarterback Liam O'Brien scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown to cap a 16-play, 75-yard drive, giving the Quakers a 7-3 advantage. After Lesiewicz added a 23-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-6, Penn extended its lead to 10-6 on a 47-yard field goal by Mason Walters.

Cornell seized the momentum late in the second quarter when Bass-Sulpizio found Lee for a 2-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining. The 10-play, 75-yard drive gave the Big Red a 13-10 halftime lead, despite Penn holding a 20:46 to 9:14 advantage in time of possession. 

The third quarter belonged entirely to Cornell. The Big Red scored on its first possession when Triplett punched in a 3-yard touchdown run just 49 seconds into the half after Penn quarterback Liam O'Brien was sacked and fumbled on the opening drive, with the Big Red recovering at the Penn 24-yard line. 

Cornell extended its advantage to 25-10 when Carothers broke free for a 22-yard touchdown run with fourth and one with 9:36 remaining in the third quarter. 

Carothers struck again on Cornell's next possession, scoring on a 1-yard run to cap an eight-play, 64-yard drive and push the lead to 32-10 with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

Penn briefly halted the onslaught when running back Donte West broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run just 13 seconds later, cutting the deficit to 32-17, but Cornell's defense dominated the rest of the way.

The Big Red put the game away early in the fourth quarter when Bass-Sulpizio scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown, capping a methodical 16-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 8:21 of clock and gave Cornell a commanding 39-17 lead with 10:08 remaining.

Defensively, senior Damon Barnes paced the Big Red with seven tackles, while senior Joey Cheshire added six stops and recovered a fumble. Senior linebacker Ben Sahakian recorded five tackles, including a sack and a tackle for loss, and forced a fumble. Junior Johnny Williamson contributed six tackles and two tackles for loss.

For Penn, O'Brien completed 15-of-22 passes for 112 yards but was sacked once and lost a fumble. West rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while O'Brien added 63 yards and a score on the ground. Receiver Jared Richardson led Penn with five catches for 42 yards.

The victory marked Cornell's first road win in 371 days and first triumph over Penn at Franklin Field since the 2021 season.

Next Up
Cornell remains on the road when it travels to Hanover, N.H. on Saturday, Nov. 15 for a 1 p.m. contest against Dartmouth. The Big Green leads 63-43-1 in the all-time series that dates back to 1900.