Colgate University football welcomed a familiar foe to the Andy Kerr Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 22. Donned in maroon, the Raiders (1-3) cruised to a 41-24 Homecoming victory against Cornell University (0-1).
In a mirror image of last year’s victory over Cornell, the Raiders snapped their three-game losing streak, stealing the win in an impressive second-half push.
Heading into Homecoming Weekend off a rocky start, the players were eager to right the ship. Fifth-year captains tight end William Parker and linebacker Christian Sweeney emphasized the importance of accountability and perfecting the game’s minutiae.
“We’ve been trying to focus on what we did right, but, more importantly, how we shot ourselves in the foot. We’re trying to focus on the little things, doing our stretches perfectly, running on and off the field — not jogging or walking — being locked in even on the sidelines, stuff like that,” Parker said.
Sweeney agrees that the team can move on from past mistakes and continue to build on this win.
“A lot of the mistakes stem from stuff hidden in the mundane, fine details, so it’s kind of just self-reflection, holding ourselves accountable and continuing to build confidence through that preparation and reflection,” Sweeney said. “All the talent we need is right there in that locker room.”
Judging by last weekend’s results, Sweeney’s unwavering confidence is well-earned by his teammates.
Cornell was first on the board, capitalizing on an out-of-bounds Colgate kick-off and driving down the field for a field goal. The Raiders responded with a 13-yard play, 43-yard drive that ended with a 40-yard field goal off the boot of sophomore placekicker Luke Vogeler to tie things up at three points each. Offense was the name of the game in the first half.
New Cornell Head Coach Dan Swanstrom debuted with an offense that showed early promise, punting on just two of their five first-half drives. On the other side of the ball, Cornell proved no match for Colgate’s new dual quarterback system. Sophomore Jake Stearney and senior Michael Brescia torched Cornell’s defense in the first half, earning 326 yards without a single Big Red stop.
At the end of the explosive first half, the Raiders had earned 27 points. Cornell trailed with 17 on the board.
The third quarter was fairly quiet scoring-wise, but Colgate continued to capitalize on their opponent’s defensive woes. Early in the third, a rushing touchdown from sophomore wide receiver Winston Moore gave Colgate a 34-17 lead.
Colgate kicked off the final frame with a three-possession lead. Colgate forced a crucial three and out just three minutes into the fourth, regaining possession at prime field position. Injuries to Brescia and Stearney promoted junior Zach Osborne to QB for this drive.
A Cornell interception gave the Big Red a scoring opportunity early in the fourth, but the Raiders defensive line stood stout, dicing up their opponent’s offensive rhythm. Stops from junior linebacker Cole Kozlowski and sophomore defensive lineman Brock Winsett, as well as a tackle for loss from senior linebacker Brody Hock, got the ball back in maroon gloves in no time.
The Big Red found the endzone with just 2 minutes and 36 seconds left, hoping to shorten the margin of defeat. Junior running back Marco Maldonado threw a wrench in their plans with a retaliatory touchdown just over a minute later that put the deficit at 17 points.
After falling to the University of Maine, Villanova University and Akron University, this victory earned Colgate their first win of the season. It also makes history as the largest margin of victory over the Big Red since 2018 and evens the longstanding Upstate N.Y. rivalry at 51-51-3. Raiders vs. Big Red is the most-played rivalry in Colgate football history, with 104 total face-offs since 1896.
According to Head Coach and alumnus Stan Dakosty ’05, cleaning up penalties, consistency in the fourth quarter and more overall discipline were critical points of improvement at practices leading up to the game.
Barring Maldonado’s impressive score in the final minute, their fourth-quarter down conversions remain slightly shaky. Colgate played a clean game until those two penalties in the fourth quarter, a massive improvement from the 11 that they incurred against Akron the week before.
Offensive leaders included Stearney, who completed 17-of-27 for 184 yards and a touchdown, and Brady Hutchison, who caught six passes for 83 yards and one touchdown. The team also earned a season-high of 270 rushing yards. Brescia, junior wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders and sophomore running back Chris Gee led the charge with 70+ yards each.
The Raiders now sit comfortably in the middle of the pack. Long-term, Dakosty has set his sights on the elusive Patriot League championship title.
“The last couple of years have been spent trying to build the program back to championship caliber, and that’s our standard here. We always have challenging schedules early on, but that helps us prepare for the long term,” Dakosty said. “Our goal here is always to win the Patriot League. That’s a standard that teams in the past have set, and I know our guys are hungry to write their own legacy and make their mark.”
Rejuvenated by this win, the Raiders gear up to face the University of Pennsylvania. They will travel to Philadelphia for the Quakers’ home opener on Saturday, Sept. 28.
