Cornell let a 10-point lead slip away Saturday as Penn scored the deciding touchdown late in the third quarter and held on for a 14-13 football victory in the rain at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca.
The Big Red fell to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the Ivy League after losing starting quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio to a first-quarter injury. Penn improved to 4-4 and 2-3 in league play, according to [Cornell Athletics’ game recap](https://cornellbigred.com/news/2026/11/7/football-late-third-quarter-touchdown-lifts-penn-past-cornell-14-13.aspx).
## Penn takes the lead, Cornell’s late chances stall
Sean Williams Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left in the third quarter finished a nine-play, 77-yard Penn drive. Mason Walters’ extra point gave the Quakers their first lead, 14-13, and neither team scored again.
Cornell’s four possessions after that touchdown produced two punts and two turnovers on downs. An incomplete pass on fourth-and-15 at the Penn 44 ended one opportunity with 2:42 remaining. The Big Red’s final chance ended on another incompletion, this time on fourth-and-10 at its own 42 with 1:36 left, before Penn ran out the clock.
Freshman Michael McColgan played the remainder of the game after Bass-Sulpizio’s injury. He completed 5 of 22 passes for 47 yards and led Cornell’s rushing attack with 83 yards on 16 carries. Bass-Sulpizio had completed all four of his passes for 34 yards before leaving.
## Big Red builds an early advantage
Cornell opened with a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that consumed 9:12. Jordan Triplett finished it with a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead.
McColgan later guided an 11-play, 57-yard possession that ended with Caden Lesiewicz’s 27-yard field goal, stretching the lead to 10-0 with 3:46 left in the second quarter.
Penn responded with a seven-play, 68-yard drive. Karson Siqueiros-Lasky found Ronan Johannson for a 6-yard touchdown with 1:18 remaining before halftime. Walters missed a 47-yard field goal attempt before the break, leaving Cornell ahead 10-7.
A mishandled Penn punt snap gave Cornell a short field in the third quarter. The Big Red stopped the punter for an 11-yard loss on fourth-and-4 at the Penn 26, taking over at the 15. Lesiewicz made a 34-yard field goal with 3:39 left in the quarter for a 13-7 lead, but Penn answered with the winning touchdown drive.
## Cornell limits Penn’s rushing attack
Cornell held Penn to 38 rushing yards on 28 attempts. Cooper Cameron led the Big Red with nine tackles, Anthony Atkins II had seven, and Dalten Phelan made six tackles, including a sack.
Siqueiros-Lasky completed 24 of 38 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown. Isaac Lee caught nine passes for 106 yards, while Williams ran for 55 yards on 18 carries.
Triplett finished with 49 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries for Cornell. Brendan Lee caught four passes for 36 yards. Penn held a 258-239 advantage in total offense; Cornell gained 158 yards rushing and 81 passing. Both teams converted 5 of 15 third downs, and neither committed a turnover.
Cornell hosts Dartmouth for Senior Day at Schoellkopf Field on Saturday, Nov. 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN+.
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