(Game Statistics)
ITHACA, N.Y. – Senior wide receiver Luke Graham caught nine passes for 159 yards to lead 20th ranked Colgate to a hard-fought 10-6 win over Cornell Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.
Colgate (4-2) wins its ninth straight game over the Big Red (1-4), and takes its first road win of the season. The Raiders have won 21 of the last 23 games played against an Ivy League opponent.
With his performance, Graham moves into second place on the school’s all-time receiving list with 186 catches. It is the ninth time in his career that he has gone over 100 receiving yards in a game.
Colgate’s Jamaal Branch, who carried 28 times for 91 yards, scored the game-winning touchdown on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter giving him 40 touchdowns on his career – the third highest TD total in school history.
The first half featured five turnovers – three by Cornell and two by Colgate – as both offenses struggled. The Big Red took advantage of Colgate’s second turnover, when they recovered a Chris Brown fumbled at the Colgate 25-yard line late in the second quarter.
Two plays later, Andre Hardaway raced 20 yards for a touchdown giving Cornell a 6-0 lead with 6:09 left in the first half. Colgate’s Chris Williams blocked the extra point attempt.
Colgate had a couple of good scoring chances in the first followed a pair of interceptions by strong safety Geoff Bean, but couldn’t put any points on the scoreboard.
In the second half, Colgate’s defensive dominated the action holding Cornell to 58 yards of total offense – 23 rushing and 35 passing.
Colgate scored its first points of the game with 4:29 left in the third quarter on a 25-yard field goal by Lane Schwarzberg – capping a nine-play, 46-yard drive.
Midway through the final quarter, Colgate took over at midfield following a Cornell punt. After a three-yard run by Branch, Brown found Graham down the middle for a 42-yard pass play to the Big Red five-yard line. Eric Guglielmotti carried two yards to the Cornell three, before Branch finished off the drive with a burst up the middle. Schwarzberg added the extra point.
GAME NOTES – Brown completed 13-of-24 passes for 170 yards … Bean finished with six tackles including 1.5 TFL and a pair of interceptions … Jared Nepa was Colgate’s leading tackler with 10 including a pair of TFL … Jeff Galletly had a pair of quarterback sacks, while Josh Wurst had one … Conn Davis had a fumble recovery for the Raiders on punt coverage … Colgate played the game without starting linebacker Ryan Miller, who was sidelined with an injury … Zach Dollar started in his place making six tackles including one TFL … This was the 44th time in the last nine seasons that Colgate has held an opponent under 100 yards rushing. They are 42-2 when doing so.
