Coming off a three-game homestand, football (2-3, 1-1 Ivy) aimed to snap its losing streak in a non-conference matchup against Bucknell (3-4, 1-0 Patriot). After a hard-fought battle from the offense against Harvard under Friday night lights last week, it was time for the defense to rise to the challenge. Both sides of the ball came together on Saturday, securing the 34-21 victory over the Bison.
After winning the coin toss, Cornell’s offense hit the ground running with senior quarterback Jameson Wang leading a six-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by a 20-yard touchdown catch and run by sophomore wide receiver Samuel Musungu.
Bucknell attempted to counter, cutting through a Cornell defense that had given up more than 30 points in back-to-back games. Quarterback Michael Hardyway, making his first career start for the Bison, took just six plays to get his team into the red zone.
On third-and-seven, Hardyway scrambled out of the pocket and sprinted towards the goal line. However, just before the Bison QB could even the score two Cornell defenders upended him, forcing a fumble which senior linebacker Luke Banbury jumped on at the one-yard line.
Sensing the early momentum, sophomore running back Ean Pope took off on a 54-yard run on the first play of the drive. A few plays later, Wang connected with junior wide receiver Parker Woodring for 32 yards. Poised to take the 14-0 lead, Wang underthrew a fade, resulting in his first interception of the season.
Quickly, Banbury returned the favor. Three plays after Wang was picked off, he jumped a Bison route and ran the ball back for a 24-yard pick-six, giving the Red the 14-0 lead.
After a Bucknell three-and-out, Cornell’s offense took the field and kept up the pressure. The resulting 63-yard drive ended with the second Wang-to-Musungu touchdown pass and a 21-0 Red lead with over a minute still left in the first quarter.
After trading punts to start off the second quarter, the Bison started play with a fumbled handoff recovered by senior defensive lineman Maxwell Van Fleet — the third Bucknell turnover of the afternoon. With solid field position, Cornell took four plays to get the ball to the one-yard line. However, a holding penalty wiped out a Cornell touchdown, and the Red eventually settled for a field goal.
Down 24-0, the Bucknell offense finally came to life, confusing Cornell with passes over the middle and eventually drawing a pass interference penalty to get the ball in scoring position. Two Logan Bush rushes later and the Bison were in the end zone for the first time that afternoon.
After another field goal from sophomore kicker Alan Zhao with just about a minute to go, Cornell was ready to enter halftime up 20. But a penalty on the kickoff gave Bucknell excellent field position, and Hardyway capitalized, finding a receiver in the endzone to make it 27-14 as each team left for their respective locker rooms.
Despite racking up over 100 yards in penalties, Cornell entered halftime with a two-score lead, fueled by 348 yards of total offense and a commanding possession advantage. Wang amassed 222 yards through the air with two touchdown passes — both to Musungu — boasting an impressive 144.5 QB rating. Pope led the Red on the ground, averaging over nine yards per carry on eight attempts.
Returning from the halftime break, the Cornell defense held the Bison to another three-and-out. Soon after, Bucknell’s defense forced a punt, but Banbury — arguably the player of the game — got right back to work, forcing another fumble. Wang found Woodring, bringing Cornell’s lead back up to 20.
Down 34-14 in the fourth quarter, the Bison mounted multiple long drives, one resulting in a turnover on downs and another in a touchdown.
Despite a second Wang interception late in the fourth, the score would finish 34-21, and the Red would head home with its first win against Bucknell since 2016.
Wang delivered another standout performance, passing for 274 yards and three touchdowns while adding 69 rushing yards. Woodring (95 yards, 1 TD) and Musungu (94 yards, 2 TD) led the receiving corps, while Pope powered the ground game with 111 yards. Zhao was flawless, converting both field goal attempts and going 4-for-4 on extra points.
This game exemplified the potential synergy between offense and defense, with key defensive plays setting up successful offensive conversions.
The Red will aim to build on its momentum and replicate its success next weekend in an Ivy League showdown against Brown in Providence, RI. Coverage kicks off at noon on ESPN+.
