ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. -- Molloy jumped out to a 16-0 lead and the Cornell sprint football team could never claw back despite plenty of second half chances in a 16-6 defeat on Friday evening at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex. Molloy improved to 1-1, while the Big Red fell to 0-2.
The Big Red fell behind early and unable to recover despite a strong defensive showing in the second half. Molloy did all its scoring in the first half, jumping out to a 16-0 lead behind a 16-yard field goal and two touchdowns from quarterback Paulie Drummond - one on a 1-yard rush and another on a 23-yard pass to Peter von Schoe. Cornell answered just before halftime with its lone score, a 13-yard rushing touchdown by Enmanuel Garcia, but a failed two-point conversion kept the Big Red at a 10-point deficit going into the break.
The Big Red defense stiffened in the second half, shutting out the Lions over the final two quarters and registering eight tackles for loss and a sack. Kruz Meier and Jason Milo each tallied 10 total tackles, while Alexei DiDonato added nine stops, including a sack and a team-high three quarterback hurries.
Offensively, Cornell outgained Molloy in the air (170-108) but struggled to convert in the red zone, coming up empty on two second-half field goal attempts. Quarterback Stefano Luis completed 17-of-34 passes for 170 yards without a turnover, and Garcia finished with a game-high 71 all-purpose yards. Penalties also hampered the Big Red, who were flagged 16 times for 137 yards.
NEXT UP
• The Big Red returns home to face Chestnut Hill College on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.
• The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• Cornell holds a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series after Chestnut Hill snapped the Big Red's three-game win streak with a 27-9 triumph in Philadelphia.
