Sprint football (2-3) played its third away game of the season against St. Thomas Aquinas (1-4) on Friday evening in Sparkill, New York. What ensued was a thrilling 24-23 victory for Cornell, putting the Red’s resilience on full display.
The game began with a surprise, as senior wide receiver and defensive back Evan Nicholas was playing quarterback. The unexpected quarterback change threw the Spartans for a loop, and Cornell was able to drive down the field for a field goal to begin the game.
A pair of sacks by senior defensive linemen Zach Glenn and Elijah Biddlecom held the Spartan attack to a field goal, knotting the score at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter produced more back-and-forth action between the two opponents. An athletic interception by junior defensive back Ismaa’il Eaddy set Cornell up for another offensive drive, at which point head coach Michael Huyghue ‘83 replaced Nicholas with junior quarterback Max Spero.
Spero played five snaps at quarterback, which ultimately ended with a costly interception inside the Cornell 20-yard line. St. Thomas Aquinas took advantage of the field position with a passing touchdown to take the lead.
Nicholas, back at quarterback, ended the second quarter with a costly interception of his own. St. Thomas Aquinas opened the third quarter with a 33-yard passing touchdown, extending its lead to 17-3. On the subsequent Cornell drive, Nicholas threw another interception.
With 7:37 left in the third quarter, St. Thomas Aquinas held a two-score lead and possession of the ball. Major contributors on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball led the charge to bring Cornell all the way back.
A timely stop on fourth down by junior linebacker Michael Mosier gave the ball back to the Red on the 50-yard line. Nicholas began the following drive with a 29-yard completion to senior wide receiver Colin Boyle. On the next play, Nicholas found Boyle again for an impressive 21-yard touchdown pass. Nicholas ran the ball in himself for a two-point conversion, pushing the score to 17-11.
The surge did not end there. Sophomore linebacker Thomas Shegogue forced a fumble to set Cornell up on the Spartans 14-yard line. With a chance to take the lead, Nicholas found the endzone on a rushing touchdown. In less than seven minutes, Cornell had flipped the game on its head and carried an 18-17 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, it was the Cornell defense that stepped up to secure the victory. St. Thomas Aquinas drove down the field for a touchdown on its first possession of the quarter. The energy for the Red did not falter though, as Glenn ran past defenders to block the extra point attempt, holding the score at 23-18. Cornell was forced to punt the ball back to the Spartans, and junior defensive back Ian Applegate responded by grabbing a clutch interception to give Cornell another opportunity.
Late in the fourth quarter, Nicholas led a long, methodical drive all the way down to the St. Thomas Aquinas three-yard line. Nicholas once again ran the ball in for the go-ahead touchdown, taking the lead 24-23. With under two minutes left in the game, the Spartans had a chance to drive down the field for a game-winning field goal, but the Cornell defense would not budge. With the ball coming his way and a chance to end the game, Applegate rose up for his second interception of the game, securing the win for Cornell.
After suffering three straight losses, Cornell’s thrilling victory on Friday evening showcased the resilience and perseverance of the Red. Most notably, Cornell held the Spartans to only 76 yards on the ground after struggling with run defense all season. The Red has a chance to back up the performance on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. against Army at West Point.