With the season officially halfway over, Cornell and Brown are two similar football teams heading in different directions. When they arrive in Ithaca tomorrow, the Bears will be riding the momentum of a three-game win streak. The Red is on a three-game skid — it hasn’t won since thwarting a last-second two-point attempt at Yale on Sept. 26. Both teams are in a four-way tie for first place in the Ancient Eight with league records of 1-1, and this game could go a long way towards determining how the final standings will shake out.

“We’re all just excited to get back to Ivy League play and it’s a big game for both teams,” said senior wide receiver Bryan Walters. “We’re on a three-game skid and just to snap out of that will be a huge game for us.”

Walters was the Red’s (2-3, 1-1 Ivy) primary weapon in last week’s game against Fordham, a tough 39-27 loss that nonetheless showcased Cornell’s offensive potential. The Red piled up 552 yards on offense, led by Walters (10 receptions for 178 receiving yards and a touchdown) and senior wide receiver Stephen Liuzza, who led the team in rushing with 166 yards and two touchdowns out of the wildcat formation.

“They do so many things offensively and they’re very explosive,” said Brown (3-2, 1-1 Ivy) head coach Phil Estes. “[The wildcat formation] is not something that we haven’t seen before but it’s something we have to prepare for, and they do it well.”Handy man: Senior receiver Bryan Walters (18) amassed 338 all-purpose yards last week against Fordham.

Cornell senior quarterback Ben Ganter did not play last week, and will be a game-time decision tomorrow. Sophomore Adam Currie filled in for Ganter, going 15-of-28 with four interceptions, 207 yards and a touchdown. Liuzza completed two-of-six for 55 yards.

“We had to play some younger quarterbacks,” said head coach Jim Knowles ’87. “They threw the ball pretty well; unfortunately they threw the ball to the other team pretty well, too.”

Regardless of who starts under center, the Red can rest a little easier against Brown — the Bears’ pass defense is last in the Ivy League, giving up 247 yards per game.

“The offense is going to be clicking and we’ve got to make sure we finish our drives and punch it in,” Walters said.

What Brown might lack on defense, it makes up for with its high-powered offense, the best in the Ancient Eight. With a 65.6 completion rate and 400 more yards through the air than the No. 2 passing offense, the Bears can sling it with the best of them.

“Brown is prolific on offense, very talented at the skill positions and obviously a program that has been very successful over the past years in the Ivy League,” Knowles said. “What we need to take from the Fordham game is to keep the ball in front and inside of us. Make sure we secure tackles. Brown’s receivers are great, their quarterback is excellent, they’re going to catch passes — we just need to make sure they catch them in front of us.”