Schoellkopf’s gates have closed on its last football game of 2025. This season has been one that will not be forgotten anytime soon, providing moments of both disappointment and exhilaration. The Red honored its core of senior players on Saturday before its last game of the season against Columbia, as the careers of some of the Red’s finest were concluding.
"I really enjoyed coming out every day and coaching [the seniors,]” said head coach Dan Swanstrom. “I'll miss this team, I'm gonna miss this group of seniors and sad I don't get to coach them again.”
The first play of the game began exactly how the Red would have dreamed: a fumbled snap. While the snap was recovered by Columbia, the momentum gained by the already energized Cornell defense quickly became noticeable. Only a few short plays later, junior safety Tommy MacPherson soared through the air, intercepting the ball for the Red.
Junior quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio quickly led the Red down the field in the subsequent drive, throwing 78 passing yards. It seemed Cornell was about to dominate the Lions, until one crucial play swung momentum out of the Red’s favor.
The Red was only one yard from securing a crucial first touchdown, when the Lions would steal away this opportunity. One of Colmbia’s defensive backs, Jayden Marshall, intercepted a ball intended for junior tight end Ryder Kurtz, preventing a Red lead.
It did not take long for this interception to make an impact. A lapse in the Cornell defense saw Lions’ Griffin Johnson rush all the way to the one-yard line before being tackled by fifth year safety Damon Barnes. The Lions would not be held back again, with running back Michael Walters rushing into the endzone, securing a Columbia advantage.
With the score sitting at 7-0 in favor of the Lions, it was clear that the Red needed to respond. Similarly to the first drive, Bass-Sulpizio once again marched his team down the field. However, once in scoring range, Cornell saw similar results to the first drive. The Red settled for a field goal from sophomore kicker Caden Lesiewicz.
Heading into the second quarter, the Lions held onto their momentum. A 52-yard pass from Lions quarterback Chase Goodwin quickly put Columbia in striking distance once again. Goodwin found no difficulty in the following play, executing a perfect 13-yard pass for the Lions’ second touchdown of the game.
In the final minutes of the first half, the Red put together a duly needed offensive drive. Sophomore running back Jordan Triplett wrestled his way into the endzone, securing the Red’s first touchdown of the game. The following extra point kick was unsuccessful, keeping the score at a 14-9 Lions lead.
Only moments before the end of the half, Columbia battled their way into the red-zone, helped by numerous penalties called on the Red. This gave Goodwin the opportunity to run the ball into the endzone, increasing the Columbia lead. Instead of going for the extra point kick, the Lions successfully completed a two-point conversion. The first half ended with Columbia holding a secure 22-9 lead over the Red.
While the score was not in favor of the Red, its play could still be commended. Bass-Sulpizio demonstrated high-level passing ability, logging 177 passing yards on a 66.7 percent completion percentage in the first half.
“I'm gonna miss them a lot,” Bass-Sulpizio said about the graduating seniors. “They really set the standard and culture for the program this year. A lot of the guys on the offensive side of the ball — Doryn Smith, Kevin Ma — when I came in were like, ‘no matter what we got you, we're gonna ride behind you.’ And I think that was a big reason why I was able to get comfortable.”
The third quarter started slow, with both teams struggling to put anything together on the offensive end. Both teams had difficulty making significant plays until an interception from fifth year cornerback Michael O’Keefe gave the Red an opportunity to flip the script.
Passing plays from Bass-Sulpizio made up most of the following drive, a change of pace from the usually run-heavy Red offense. This offensive scheme helped the Red reach field goal range before the Lions could figure out how to stop it. Lesiewicz successfully made the field goal to cut the Lion lead down to 22-12.
While the Red was able to cut into the Lions lead, it was not able to stop the opposing offensive barrage. The Lions quickly responded to the Red’s field goal, scoring their fourth touchdown of the game. This increased the Lions lead to 29-12 over the Red with just under six minutes left in the final quarter, officially putting the game out of reach.
The Red fought to the end, as it always does, but Cornell would ultimately fall to Columbia 29-12, concluding its 2025 season. Family and friends swarmed the field to celebrate an emotional end to many upperclassmen's football careers.
“This program means everything to me,” Barnes said. “It's been a lot of ups and downs during these five years, but I'm so glad I got to play with every single group of guys, from my freshman year to now with Coach Swanstrom. I appreciate him coming here and trying to build the best culture, truly the best culture in college football. I know that this program is going to do big things because of the guys that were all on this field today.”
Now begins the long offseason, where the Red will continue to build and prepare for the 2026 season. While the careers of many Red players ended on Saturday, the door has officially opened for new names hoping to become legends at Schoellkopf.
“I think offseason is so important for developing the leadership within your program,” Swanstrom said. “Giving them the opportunity to show the level of work and commitment and see if they can have influence over a group of guys in a positive way. So we'll be out there and we'll see if we can get that done."
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
