ITHACA, N.Y. – Molloy's Jalen Gordon rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown, and the Lions ran off 14 unanswered points in the second half to beat Cornell sprint football, 21-7, on Friday night at Schoellkopf Field.
Gordon carried 29 times for 159 yards and broke a 44-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put Molloy ahead for good. Quarterback A. Caliendo completed 14 of 17 passes for 136 yards and a score. The Lions held the ball for 36:46 and outgained Cornell, 346-201.
Cornell's defense kept the game close for three quarters. Thomas Shegogue and Jason Milo each finished with 14 tackles, and Alex Triplett added 10. In the third quarter, Carson Ciaio blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt and Shegogue recovered it at the Cornell 12-yard line, keeping the game at 14-7.
The offense couldn't give the defense much help. Cornell's first four possessions, all three-and-outs, produced 19 yards and no first downs. The Big Red also turned the ball over three times, on a lost fumble and two fourth-quarter interceptions. Molloy had no turnovers.
Cornell broke through late in the first half. After Molloy's Caliendo found James Lipetri for a 6-yard touchdown with 6:07 left, the Big Red answered with a 75-yard drive. Beck Berry hit Coop Patterson for 32 yards to the Molloy 17, and Andrew Lay scored on a 5-yard pass from Berry with 1:09 left to tie it at 7-7. Lay ran 14 times for 52 yards and caught three passes for 27. Berry finished 13 of 23 for 113 yards, and Patterson caught four passes for 55 yards.
Molloy opened the second half with an eight-play, 69-yard drive capped by Gordon's 44-yard run with 10:26 left in the third. Cornell then had a chance to answer, but a fumble gave Molloy the ball at midfield. The Lions drove to the Cornell 12 before Ciaio's block ended the threat.
Molloy made it 21-7 on its next full drive, going 70 yards in eight plays. P. von Schoener scored from 3 yards out with 12:36 left in the game, after Caliendo's 36-yard pass to Gordon set up the touchdown.
Cornell had chances to get back in it. Berry's pass was intercepted by John Zarnowski with the Big Red at midfield, and JoJo Spano picked off another later in the fourth. After a fourth-down stop of its own, Cornell drove to the Molloy 41 but was stopped on downs with 2:25 left.
Molloy was flagged eight times for 55 yards and converted 6 of 15 third downs. Cornell was 3 of 12.
Cornell travels to Army on Friday, Nov. 6, for a 6 p.m. game at West Point, N.Y.
