ITHACA, N.Y. (10/18/08) – Freshman Nate Eachus (Drums, PA) carried 37 times for 241 yards and three touchdowns to lead Colgate to a 38-22 win over Cornell Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.

 

Eachus, who started the game on defense, became Colgate’s primary running back with 13:29 left in the first half when the nation’s leading rusher, Jordan Scott (Hyattsville, MD), went down with an injury.

 

Before moving to the backfield, Eachus made three tackles including a quarterback sack.  His 241 yards was eighth best performance in school history.

 

Other offensive stars for the Raiders, who rolled to 600 yards of total offense, were junior wide receiver Pat Simonds (Sidney, NY), who had five receptions for a career-high 196 yards and Greg Sullivan (Monroe, NY), who threw for 255 yards and scored one TD.  Simonds’ receiving total was the fourth highest in school history.

 

The last time Colgate had 600 or more yards of total offense was against Buffalo in 2003.  The 600-yard performance was the ninth highest in school history.

 

Colgate (5-2) wins its fourth straight game, and the victory was the 100^th in head coach Dick Biddle’s career.

 

Scott, who managed 41 yards and nine carries before leaving the game, jumped two spots to sixth place on the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) all-time rushing list with 5,444 yards.

 

The Raiders took the opening kickoff 81 yards in seven plays for a 7-0.  Sullivan ran the final 19 yards around right end for the touchdown.  On its next possession, Colgate upped its lead to 10-0 on a career-long 35-yard field goal by Jacob Stein (St. Petersburg, FL).

 

In the second quarter, Sullivan and Simonds hooked up for the ninth longest TD pass in school history.  The 78-yard pass play put the Raiders ahead 17-0. 

 

Cornell took advantage of a 73-yard kickoff return by Shane Kilcoyne to the Colgate 22-yard line for its first points of the game.  Two plays later, Zach Vredenburgh caught a two-yard flip pass from running back Luke Siwula for the touchdown.

 

Later in the second quarter, Colgate marched 56 yards in 10 plays for a 24-7 halftime lead.  Eachus scored his first collegiate touchdown on a hard four-yard run up the middle.

 

Colgate’s defense came up with two big plays before intermission to keep the Big Red off the scoreboard.  First, Chris Ekpo (Jonesboro, GA), who finished with a career-high 12 tackles, forced a fumble inside Colgate territory that was recovered by Brendan Buglione (Vestal, NY), and David Morgan (Davie, FL) closed out the first 30 minutes with an interception at the Colgate 35.

 

On the first possession of the second half, Cornell scored on a nine-yard run by Randy Barbour to cut Colgate’s lead to 24-14.  The Raiders, however, responded with an 80-yard drive in six plays with Eachus scoring on a 51-yard run.

 

After Cornell had a touchdown called back on a holding penalty, the Raiders stopped the Big Red at the four-yard line on a fake field goal attempt.  Colgate immediately went 96 yards in 12 plays capped by Eachus’ one-yard run.  The touchdown came after Simonds caught a 25-yard pass.

 

Cornell closed out the scoring on a 26-yard pass from Ford to Kilcoyne with 7:21 left in the contest.

 

GAME NOTES:  Colgate finished 3-0 against the Ivies this season … Ekpo had his first interception of the season and second of his career in the fourth quarter.