Friday night lights brought Harvard (1-2, 0-1 Ivy) to Schoellkopf Field for a showdown against the Red (1-2, 1-0 Ivy). Cornell, coming off a disappointing loss to UAlbany, faced a Harvard team that had just upset No. 16 New Hampshire.
The Red had a choice: to be the team that scored 47 points against Yale or the one that struggled to put up ten against UAlbany. Unfortunately, the night didn’t go as planned for the Red, ending in a 38-20 defeat.
This game wasn’t just a battle of players but also a matchup between two young, rising Ivy League coaches. On Cornell’s sideline, head coach Dan Swanstrom is in his first year on East Hill, tasked with turning around a team struggling on both sides of the ball. On the other side, Harvard’s Andrew Aurich, taking over after the retirement of his predecessor, looks to keep the Crimson’s championship pedigree intact.
It was also the debut of Cornell’s new black uniforms, adding further excitement to the night.
The game started off strong for the Red. Senior quarterback Jameson Wang led a swift opening drive, covering 83 yards in just ten plays. He connected with sophomore tight end Ryder Kurtz for the first touchdown, with sophomore kicker Alan Zhao tacking on the extra point to make it 7-0.
Harvard had a quick response. Quarterback Jaden Craig launched a deep pass to Cooper Barkate before being replaced by Charles DePrima, the same quarterback who dominated Cornell last year. Both quarterbacks continued to switch off throughout the night.
However, Cornell’s defense held firm, forcing Harvard to settle for a field goal on its opening drive. Cornell led 7-3 midway through the first quarter. A late-quarter touchdown pass from Craig to Barkate, followed by a successful extra point, gave Harvard a 10-7 lead to close it off.
Early in the second quarter, a critical fourth-down stop by Cornell’s defense swung momentum back to the Red. A Harvard pass interference call soon after set up Wang for another rushing touchdown, with the extra point putting Cornell ahead 14-10.
But Harvard quickly regained the lead with a long pass from Craig to Seamus Gilmartin, making it 17-14. Another Craig to Gilmartin connection extended Harvard’s lead to 24-14 with 1:45 left in the quarter.
Harvard’s offensive pressure continued as an offensive pass interference call against Cornell left the Crimson in control. They capitalized with a last-second touchdown, giving Harvard a commanding 31-14 lead at the half.
Despite the Red offense’s promising start, defensive lapses, especially on deep plays, left Cornell struggling to keep pace.
Cornell’s defense finally found a breakthrough in the third quarter on a disguised fourth-down field goal attempt, where it managed to stop Harvard and regain offensive control. However, its short-lived possession lasted less than a minute before they were forced to punt it back to the Crimson, who returned it 45 yards before being stopped again.
In a bold move, Cornell executed a fake punt, with junior running back Robert Tucker III sprinting down the field to give the Red some much-needed offensive momentum. Wang connected with sophomore wide receiver Samuel Musungu for a touchdown, but the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, leaving Cornell trailing 38-20.
Despite the occasional flashes of offensive promise, Cornell's defense struggled, plagued by missed tackles and costly penalties. The third quarter ended with Harvard still in command, 38-20.
The fourth quarter started with a huge sack from senior linebacker Luke Banbury for a loss of eight yards, which showed promise, but the rest of the quarter stayed scoreless. The game ended 38-20, with Harvard taking its win back to Cambridge.
This game ended the Red’s three-game homestand, and it looks to take on non-conference opponent Bucknell (3-2, 1-0 Patriot) next week in Union County, Pennsylvania. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
