Cornell football opened with a 10-point advantage Saturday afternoon but could not keep pace with nationally ranked Harvard, falling 41-29 at Schoellkopf Field.
The Big Red dropped to 2-2 on the season, while Harvard remained unbeaten at 4-0 after scoring 41 consecutive points to take control of the matchup.
Cornell struck first with an Alan Zhao field goal from 43 yards before Garrett Bass-Sulpizio capped an 11-play, 76-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run late in the opening quarter.
Harvard responded early in the second quarter when Kise Flannery scored from one yard out. Quarterback Charlie Smith then connected with Tafari Moe for a 36-yard touchdown and Henry Shoemaker for a 16-yard score, sending the Crimson into halftime with a 21-10 lead.
Harvard continued to pull away after the break. Xaviah Bascon added a four-yard touchdown run, Kieran Corr converted a 51-yard field goal, and Smith threw a 28-yard scoring pass to Teigan Pelletier. Corr’s 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter extended the margin to 41-10.
Cornell showed late life with three touchdowns in the final 10 minutes. Ean Pope broke free for a 61-yard scoring run, the longest of his career. Bass-Sulpizio followed with touchdown passes of three yards to Samuel Musungu and 21 yards to JaVon Broussard. However, failed two-point conversion attempts after the final two touchdowns prevented Cornell from getting closer.
Bass-Sulpizio completed 20 of 38 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions, while adding 46 rushing yards and a score. Pope finished with 91 yards on seven carries. Tommy MacPherson led Cornell’s defense with 11 tackles.
BILLS GAME WEEK: Buffalo heads to Los Angeles for Monday Night Football matchup with Rams (preview) The Big Red return to Schoellkopf Field Saturday, October 17, to host nationally ranked Lehigh for Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
