Under the glow of the Friday night lights, sprint football had its chances. But unfortunately, a slow start, missed opportunities and a relentless Molloy University defense proved too much to overcome. The Red fell, 16-6, on Friday at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Rockville Centre, New York.
The Red (0-2, 0-2 CSFL) struggled to recover from an early deficit, while the Lions (1-1, 1-1) seized control of the game in the first half and never relinquished. It was the second meeting between the programs; Cornell won last year’s matchup in Ithaca, 53-7. But this time, the Lions flipped the script.
Molloy wasted no time taking control, chewing up more than seven minutes on a 14-play opening drive that ended with a 16-yard field goal. The Lions doubled down on their lead, as Paulie Drummond then found the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run before showing off his versatility by connecting with Peter von Schoenermarck on a 23-yard scoring strike.
“We had really high expectations going into the game,” said freshman defensive back Dylan Leaird. “We had a really good week of practice and a good game plan going in. I just think we fell short on execution. … This one just came down to not putting it all together on the field, and that’s something that we’re trying to regroup for next week.”
The Red finally found life late in the second quarter. Junior quarterback Stefano Luis orchestrated Cornell’s best drive of the game, completing eight plays for 71 yards, capped by a 13-yard touchdown run from freshman wide receiver Enmanuel Garcia with just 37 seconds remaining before halftime. It was Garcia’s first career touchdown and the only score of the night for Cornell. By the time the first half neared its close, Cornell trailed 16-6.
The Red carried that momentum into the second half and created multiple opportunities to close the gap, but the offense could not capitalize. Luis connected with Garcia to set up a 34-yard field goal attempt by senior kicker Sumner Roberts towards the end of the third quarter, but it was no good.
Later, Cornell finished just 1-for-3 in the red zone and averaged slightly over four yards per play, a mark that reflected its inability to sustain drives when it mattered most.
“I think we did a really good job swarming to the ball and getting to the ball as a team,” Leaird said. “There was a defensive stand on the goal-line where we stopped them on the one-yard line, and we forced them to kick a field goal, which was huge for us.”
Despite the offensive struggles, Cornell’s defense held firm after halftime, keeping the Lions off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. Freshman linebacker Jason Milo, senior linebacker Alexei DiDonato and junior defensive back Kruz Meier anchored the unit, totalling almost 30 tackles between them. DiDonato also added a sack, while Meier contributed several key stops as the defense adjusted and refused to let the deficit grow.
Luis completed 17-of-34 passes for 170 yards, frequently targeting Garcia, who added five receptions for 58 yards, and senior running back Anthony Rambino, who had 13 attempts for 25 yards. Outside of Garcia’s touchdown burst, the Red’s ground game was largely contained, totaling just 56 rushing yards on 21 attempts.
The defeat dropped Cornell to 0-2 on the season, after a 40-7 loss to Navy in the season opener on Saturday, Sept. 20. Friday’s result also continued a trend of slow starts and stalled drives, something the Red will need to address as it moves deeper into the CSFL schedule.
“We’re a really young team. I think six or seven freshmen are starting, so every game is a huge experience for us,” Leaird said. “It’s faster and more physical than high school, but each week we’re getting better and more sound as a unit. The spirits are still really high in the locker room, and the guys are excited to get our wheels rolling going forward.”
Cornell will look to rebound when it returns home to face Chestnut Hill College at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Schoellkopf Field. The matchup, the Red’s third game of the season, will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Sureya Lopez is a Sun Contributor and can be reached at syl62@cornell.edu.
Hannah Renner is a Sun Contributor and can be reached at hmr58@cornell.edu.
Sureya Lopez is a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the sports department and can be reached at slopez@cornellsun.com.
