ITHACA, N.Y. - Take a look back into Cornell football's 13-10 loss to UAlbany at Casey Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 20
TEAM NOTES
• The Big Red's record in season openers is now 94-38-4.
• After a two-game win streak in season openers on the road, the Big Red has now lost consecutive contests away from home to open a season.
• The Great Danes lead the all-time series 2-1.
• The contest was the first played by a Big Red team in Albany since Nov. 10, 1894 when it tied Williams College 0-0.
• Cornell is now 1-1-2 in four games in the state capital with all three previous meetings coming in the 1890s against Williams.
• The Big Red now sports a 4-4 record all-time against current members of the Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference, formerly the Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference. Besides its 1-2 mark against UAlbany, Cornell has also played Monmouth (1-1), New Hampshire (1-0) and Towson (1-1). The Big Red has never faced Bryant, Campbell, Elon, Hampton, Maine, North Carolina A&T, Rhode Island, Stony Brook, Villanova or William & Mary on the gridiron.
• Cornell's all-time record in September is 111-74-5 (.597).
• Cornell did not lose a fumble for a seventh consecutive game, its longest stretch without one since 2018 (eight games).
• The 268 yards allowed marked the second time in three years that the Big Red allowed 275 yards or fewer in the season opener (Lehigh with 239 yards in 2023).
• Cornell was 2-for-2 scoring in red zone chances, making the Big Red 43-of-51 (.843) in two seasons under head coach Dan Swanstrom - including 31 touchdowns (.608).
• The Big Red allowed UAlbany to complete just 13-of-30 passing attempts, its fewest number of completions in more than 30 attempts since Brown was 11-of-31 against the Big Red on Oct. 21, 2017 in Ithaca.
• Cornell is now 6-16 in night games played at 7 p.m. or later all-time (first night game at Navy in 1943).
• Cornell was the last college football team in the country to kick off the 2025 season when kickoff came at 7:02 p.m.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Junior All-American tight end Ryder Kurtz now has a reception in all 11 career varsity contests after catching six passes for 68 yards at UAlbany.
• His five career touchdowns match the school record for tight ends held by Matt Robbert '24.
• Senior safety Damon Barnes became the 140th player in school history to surpass 100 career tackles with his five stops against UAlbany (now up to 101).
• Freshman Ja'Von Broussard had a pair of catches for 19 yards in his collegiate debut, becoming the first Big Red freshman with multiple catches in a season opener since Eric Gallman III hauled in three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown at Delaware on Sept. 16, 2017.
• Senior linebacker Joey Cheshire tied a career-best 10 tackles and added two quarterback hurries.
• Fifth-year senior Michael O'Keefe posted eight tackles and his second career interception.
• Sophomore Keith Williams Jr. posted career highs of seven tackles and posted his first two tackles for loss.
• Sophomore Cooper Cameron had his first four career tackles, including a pair for a loss.
• Junior Devin Page's 57 rushing yards were the most by a Big Red quarterback making his starting debut since Mike Catanese ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-7 win at Marist in 2019.
• Junior place-kicker Alan Zhao has made 14 career field goals and his 14-of-15 career percentage is easily the best in school history.
• Zhao's 14 career field goals is tied for 11th all-time at Cornell and is two shy from reaching the top 10 (Nickolas Null '20 with 16).
• Senior wide receiver Doryn Smith has opened 21 consecutive games in the starting lineup - the longest stretch on the team (Dylan Page second with 12).
• The Big Red offensive line that featured Jackson Bradley, Tyler Dunn, Kevin Ma, Dylan Page and Ty Short in the starting lineup did not allow a sack. It was the 12th time in the past 16 games it has surrendered one or fewer and the seventh time over that span it allowed zero.
