Game Details
When: Saturday, September 21 at 1 p.m.
Who: Colgate (0-3, 0-0 Patriot) vs. Cornell (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League)
Where: Crown Field at Andy Kerr Stadium, Hamilton, N.Y.
TV: ESPN+Â
Choose which shade of red carefully this week. If not, the chances of wearing the wrong team's colors skyrocket.
Colgate football dons its maroon this week inside Andy Kerr Stadium — just the Raiders' second home game of season — to welcome a familiar foe. Of course, this particular in-state rival also likes to wear some form of red.Â
So much so, they call themselves the Big Red — but the university's known as Cornell.Â
The Raiders host their in-state rival for Homecoming on Saturday night in search of their first win of the 2024 season. Before these two New York foes face off, here are three things to know.Â
A HISTORIC RIVAL
To make Homecoming just a little more exciting, Colgate is facing off against an in-state rival. But it's not any ordinary in-state rival — Colgate and Cornell have gone head-to-head 104 times, dating all the way back to 1896.Â
The Big Red have the one-game advantage in the all-time series at 51-50-3. Colgate won last year's game on the road, 35-25, the Raiders scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback Zach Osborne recorded two passing touchdowns and his first career rushing touchdown in the come-from-behind win.Â
Colgate is still searching for its first win of the season, after falling to Akron on the road last week. This weekend's matchup is only the second home game on the Raiders' schedule.Â
KICKING OFF CORNELL'S SEASON
Cornell and the Ivy League begin its season on Saturday, nearly a month after Colgate's season started in August. The Big Red were picked seventh in the Ivy League preseason poll, after last season's 3-7 (2-5 Ivy League) finish.Â
The Big Red have a brand new head coach this season, Dan Swanstorm. Swanstom joined Cornell this past offseason after five years at Ithaca College. He brought in two new offensive coordinators, Sean Reeder and Mike Hatcher, to guide the Big Red's new attacking scheme.Â
There are only six returning starters for Cornell on both sides of the ball — one offensive starter (senior quarterback Jameson Wang) and five starting defensemen. Swanstrom brought in 26 new faces during the offseason, including 25 freshmen and one transfer.Â
Cornell is exactly 11-11 when facing Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y., with the Big Red having a 2-1 advantage at Colgate in the last three meetings in Andy Kerr Stadium. However, the Big Red are 2-6 against the Raiders in the last six meetings going back to 2017, and Colgate is 30-8 since 1980 .Â
SPECIAL TEAMS STEPPING UP
Despite Colgate's record, the team's special teams unit has been a key asset to the Raiders' game plan. Specifically, senior punter Shelby Pruett has continued making strides towards Colgate football history as the best punter in the program.Â
Pruett is on pace to break the program's record for career-average per punt, currently set at 40.9 yards per punt. He had a 66-yard punt against Villanova in Week 2, and averaged just below 50 yards per punt against Akron last week. Pruitt's efforts against the Zips last week earned him a Patriot League Player of the Week Honorable Mention.
Pruitt is facing Cornell for the fourth time in his career, and he said he's hoping to finish his Raiders career .500 against the Big Red.Â
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Treyvhon Saunders — WR — Jr. — Colgate
Colgate's leading receiver helped take down Cornell last season, so it's not too hard to assume he'll be a key asset again this year. Saunders scored his first touchdown of the season against Akron last week, and has accumulated 168 yards on 16 catches so far this season.Â
Cole Kozlowski — LB — Jr. — Colgate
The reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week leads the Raiders' defense in tackles, now tied for second-most tackles in the FCS with 38 this year. Kozlowksi nearly recorded a new career-best with 13 tackles at Akron last week, one away from his personal best of 14 set against Maine earlier this season.
Jameson Wang — QB — Sr. — Cornell
Expect Cornell to rely heavily on its senior starting quarterback, Jameson Wang, Saturday afternoon. Wang was named an Ivy League Preseason First Team player after he threw over 2,400 yards for nine touchdowns, earning a completion rate just shy of 65% and allowing eight interceptions.Wang will be under the direction of Swanstorm's offensive coordinators, Reeder and Hatcher.
