HAMILTON, N.Y. – Colgate scored on all four of its first-half possessions and did just enough after halftime to hold off Cornell, 20-7, on Saturday afternoon at Andy Kerr Stadium in the Big Red's 2026 season opener.
Cornell (0-1) shut out Colgate (3-1) over the final 30 minutes, forcing two turnovers, four punts and a missed field goal. The Big Red offense, though, gained just 238 yards, threw three interceptions and did not score until the fourth quarter.
The Raiders wasted little time. After Cornell went three and out on its opening possession, Colgate needed two plays to go 90 yards, with Jake Stearney hitting Matt Fogler for an 85-yard touchdown 2:03 into the game, the second-longest pass play surrendered by the Big Red in a week one game in program history.
Cornell answered with a nine-play, 49-yard drive, which looked to result in a 29-yard touchdown connection from
Garrett Bass-Sulpizio to
Samuel Musungu however, Musungu was called for offensive pass interference, taking the score off the board. The drive then stalled when Bass-Sulpizio was stopped on fourth-and-2 at the Colgate 21. On the ensuing drive, the Raiders then marched 78 yards in 14 plays, capped by Danny Shaban's 8-yard touchdown run with 55 seconds left in the first quarter, to make it 14-0.
Luke Vogeler added 31-yard field goals at 8:19 and 0:51 of the second quarter, the second coming at the end of a 15-play, 62-yard drive, to push the lead to 20-0. Cornell's final possession of the half reached the Colgate 37 before Bass-Sulpizio was intercepted as time expired.
The Big Red defense took over after the break.
Tommy MacPherson intercepted Stearney on Colgate's first possession of the second half, but Cornell turned the ball over on downs at the Colgate 17. Late in the third quarter, MacPherson sacked Joey Tomasso and forced a fumble that
Ian Wall recovered at the Cornell 28, though Bass-Sulpizio was intercepted on the next snap, giving the ball right back to Colgate.
Cornell finally broke through in the fourth quarter with a 10-play, 87-yard drive that took 3:42. Bass-Sulpizio converted a fourth-and-2 with a 22-yard run from his own 31, added another 22-yard scramble, and connected with
Brendan Lee for a 22-yard gain.
Jordan Triplett scored from 6 yards out with 10:22 remaining, and
Alan Zhao's extra point made it 20-7. Cornell forced a missed 34-yard field goal with 2:52 left, but two late drives ended on downs, at the Cornell 26 and 40, and Colgate ran out the clock.
Bass-Sulpizio completed 18 of 37 passes for 132 yards and led Cornell with 52 rushing yards on five carries.
Ryder Kurtz had four catches for 32 yards, Musungu four for 27, and JaVon Broussard two for 28. Triplett added 21 rushing yards and the touchdown.
Caden Lesiewicz punted four times for a 45.8-yard average, with a long of 51.
MacPherson led the defense with 11 tackles, including a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception.
Cooper Cameron and Wall each had nine tackles, with Cameron adding a sack. Cornell finished with four sacks and eight tackles for loss.
Fogler finished with eight catches for 137 yards, Shaban rushed 29 times for 134 yards, and Stearney was 11-of-18 for 170 yards. Colgate outgained Cornell, 374-238, and held a 40:11 to 19:49 edge in time of possession. Cornell was 2-of-12 on third down and 1-of-5 on fourth.
Cornell returns home next Saturday, Sept. 26, to open Ivy League play against Yale at 1 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.
