Cornell football opened Ivy League play with a statement victory Saturday, defeating nationally ranked Yale 38-25 in front of its home crowd at Schoellkopf Field. The Big Red improved to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in Ivy League play.
Cornell scored five rushing touchdowns, reaching that mark in a game for the first time since 2019. The Big Red also converted all five of its trips into the red zone into touchdowns or scores.
Tommy MacPherson sparked the defense early with an interception and 44-yard return to the Yale 6-yard line. Garrett Bass-Sulpizio finished the short drive with a two-yard touchdown run, then added his second rushing score late in the second quarter to give Cornell a 14-3 halftime advantage.
Cornell broke the game open after halftime. Ean Pope raced 31 yards for a touchdown before MacPherson intercepted Yale quarterback Charles Hewitt for the second time, setting up Brendan Lee’s seven-yard scoring run. Yale answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion, then added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 28-18.
Cornell responded with a 34-yard field goal from Alan Zhao before Jordan Triplett’s touchdown run pushed the lead back to 20 points. Yale scored once more with 1:34 remaining, but Cornell recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the victory.
Bass-Sulpizio completed 14 of 21 passes for 152 yards without an interception while also rushing for two touchdowns. Triplett added a rushing score, while Pope’s 31-yard touchdown was Cornell’s longest run of the afternoon.
MacPherson finished with two interceptions, 63 return yards, six tackles and a tackle for loss. Caden Lesiewicz averaged 48.8 yards on four punts, including a 75-yard kick that pinned Yale at its own 1-yard line.
The Big Red travels to Georgetown next Saturday, October 3, before returning home to face Harvard on Saturday, October 10.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.