Head coach Dan Swanstrom is now in his second year leading the football team. With the 2025 season underway, The Sun sat down with him to discuss some burning questions — including Cornell’s quarterback situation, defensive play and approach to the remaining eight games.
Who will be the starting quarterback?
With the graduation of former quarterback Jameson Wang ’25, the biggest question mark the Red needed to address was who would take the helm of the offense. While the Red’s quarterback room is slated with five options under center — including newly recruited freshmen Ryan Downes and Ty Blair — the two frontrunners for the job are junior quarterbacks Garrett Bass-Sulpizio and Devin Page.
Swanstrom described the decision process of selecting a starter as "difficult" and emphasized the need to see both contenders play “under the lights.”
“We don’t get an opportunity to scrimmage in the Ivy League, so we don’t get to see our guys play in a game-like situation,” Swanstrom said. “You practice, you practice, you practice but as Mike Tyson said, ‘Everyone’s got a plan until you get punched in the mouth.’”
In the Red’s loss to UAlbany, Devin Page got the start at quarterback, with Cornell opening the game in a no-huddle offense and lining up Page in shotgun formation. He picked up two first downs for a short-lived and scoreless drive of 33 yards. Bass-Sulpizio got to start on the next possession for the Red but struggled to convert a first down. For the rest of the game, both quarterbacks saw action.
The Yale game this past weekend also provided a mixed bag for the Red — Page got the start and helped the Red gain the first score of the game. He recorded two touchdowns and 24 completions. However, four interceptions, which cost Cornell possessions and points, were the headline of the game.
“For first-time starting quarterbacks, the progress isn’t linear and there are ups and downs,” Swanstrom said. “The biggest thing we are looking for right now is how they are going to respond to mistakes.”
A new and improved defense?
The Red’s defense has historically struggled — in the last four years, Cornell has given up at least 248 points per season, which equates to nearly 25 points per game.
Most notably, the Red have struggled to keep opponents’ scores in the single digits — the last time Cornell held a team to less than 10 points was Sept. 21, 2019 against Marist College. The last time the Red shut out a team was Nov. 14, 2015 when it barely bested Columbia by a score of 3-0.
Swanstrom, however, is optimistic that the defensive unit is “in a better position now” and told The Sun that during the offseason, he worked closely with his crew of defensive coaches to find a better game plan for the Red.
“[We have] a much more systematic approach to the structure of defense, and I think it really allowed our kids to play fast, read their keys [and] get aligned,” Swanstrom said. “I definitely noticed a huge uptick in their speed of play. And their ability to play fast and hit … I really like what I saw on that side of the ball.”
The defensive unit did show promise against UAlbany, holding the team to just 13 points. However, this weekend against Yale, the Red struggled to protect its endzone and conceded 41 points to the Bulldogs.
“There are definitely some things that we need to work on and clean up,” Swanstrom said. “One element is definitely tackling because we don’t have a preseason schedule, and during the practices leading up to the season, I really prioritize protecting my players.”
What’s next for the rest of the season?
Swanstrom told The Sun that he gives each opponent “every ounce of respect and preparation that they deserve” and starts his preparation by watching film on the team — first, defensive play in the morning, and then offensive structure in the afternoon.
“I just fill my notebook with notes, and then I try to formulate a plan in my mind to attack the opponent,” Swanstrom said. “And then from there, we go implement these game plans, and that structure remains the same week in and week out.”
Swanstrom also highlighted that his mentality for the season was to approach it “one game at a time” and help his offensive and defensive coaches “construct successful game plans.”
“If you look too far ahead, this game will smack you down in a hurry,” Swanstrom said.
For Swanstrom, the definition of a successful season this year isn’t a record or amount of touchdowns scored — it’s to see how the team develops and responds to difficult situations.
“I want to see how we handle adversity and how we can bounce back,” Swanstrom said. “I’ve coached in this league a long time and I just can't recall this program ever playing this fast and this hard, and I want that to become the standard of what we are.”
Swanstrom also told The Sun that he was excited for the season ahead and can’t wait to see what new leaders step up to help define the program this year.
“This [team] is the new Cornell, this is the new way we play with a little bit of attitude, a little bit of effort with that level of energy,” Swanstrom said.”Now the big question is whether or not this is all sustainable or just a one time thing.”
Zeinab Faraj is a member of the class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is the features editor on the 143rd Editorial Board and was the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. You can reach her at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
