Colgate football left fans in high spirits for homecoming weekend with a 27-12 victory over rival Cornell at Andy Kerr Stadium on Saturday afternoon. An especially large home crowd turned out for this year’s game, and the team did not disappoint. This was the Raiders’ sixth consecutive win over Cornell and the first-ever victory for Dan Hunt under his new title as Head Coach.   

The Raiders were first on the scoreboard with a one-yard touchdown run from junior tailback John Wilkins, who secured a 7-0 lead with four minutes left in the first quarter. Colgate scored another three in the second when sophomore kicker Jonah Bowman nailed a field goal, his sixth of the season. The Raiders forced Cornell to attempt a field goal as well, giving them their first three points of the game. At the end of the quarter Bowman had to kick another, despite an exciting breakaway from sophomore quarterback Jake Melville to Cornell’s five-yard line, and the team capped off the first half with the magic number 13. 

Cornell scored their first touchdown in the third quarter, earning the Big Red six more points after a failed extra point attempt. Melville secured a 20-9 lead with a 53-yard run into the end zone. The fourth quarter began with another field goal from Cornell and a final touchdown from junior tailback James Travellin all within the first five minutes. The Raiders maintained their 27-12 lead all the way to the end. 

“The atmosphere was great on Saturday,” mentioned first-year wide receiver Alex Greenawalt, who had his starting debut in the Cornell game. “We were pretty hyped because of the new helmets and wanted to give the alumni a good showing on homecoming. It’s been a really exciting experience to come in and play as a first-year and be surrounded by all the talent that is on this team.” 

Nearing the end of the second quarter, Greenawalt received what would have been a spectacular touchdown pass if not for the out-of-bounds call that resulted in an uproar in the fan section. Overall, the Raiders passed for 124 yards and rushed for 270, both season-highs. 

“It was good to see the defense assert themselves and play a dominant game,” Coach Hunt said regarding Saturday’s performance. “The offense has been effective, and will only get better. I think our special teams have been a big improvement so far this season, our kicker Jonah Bowman is as good as we have ever had here.” 

Bowman is now 7-for-7 on field goals this season, and the Patriot League awarded him Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. 

Colgate football is looking forward to a game this Saturday against Georgetown, a fellow member of the Patriot League who definitely presents a potential opportunity for another Raider victory. 

“We need to keep improving every day if we want to get this program where it needs to be,” Coach Hunt added, “but I am confident this group will put the work in to get there.”