If there is one thing that has been made clear by head coach Dan Swanstrom this season, it is that he is not afraid to make rapid changes to his gameplan. Last week he proved this once again after pulling junior quarterback Devin Page after only two plays in favor of junior quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio, who would play the rest of the game.
While No. 22/25 Harvard University (4-0, 2-0 Ivy) have proven themselves to be a fierce competitor within the Ivy League, the Red (0-4, 0-2 Ivy) hoped to catch them off guard behind the leadership of Bass-Sulpizio, who logged his first ever career start.
However, it would not take long for the Crimson’s infamous defense to strike. Just over two minutes into the game, a poorly executed lateral pass by the Red led to a fumble. The ball would be picked up by Austin-Jake Guillory, giving the Crimson an immediate head start over the Red.
This offensive error would not be an accurate representation of the Red’s team play in the first quarter. On the other side of the field, the Red defense locked down Jaden Craig and the Crimson offense. The Red defense was able to keep the score 7-0 heading into the second quarter, with none of the points coming at fault of the defense.
Heading into the second quarter, the Crimson offense began to find ways to exploit and put pressure on the Red defense. Craig quickly led his team downfield, seemingly finding no difficulty in doing so. A quick pass to Ben Alaverz resulted in the second Crimson touchdown of the game, putting the score at 14-0.
The Red was forced to punt almost immediately into the ensuing drive, giving possession back to the Crimson. Not much seemed to be going right for the Red, but it was clear it was not ready to go down without a fight.
Junior safety Johnny Williamson secured a stunning interception, putting the ball back in the hands of Bass-Sulpizio. This was the first interception given up by Craig during the 2025 season.
While Bass-Sulpizio and the Red offense would not be able to capitalize on this play, the team had been given a crucial morale boost. The last play before halftime, the Crimson had the opportunity to increase its lead with a field goal. The Red defense, still holding onto previous momentum, made sure Kieran Corr felt the pressure around him, forcing a bad kick that would not go through the uprights.
Cornell’s athletes could be heard excitedly shouting running into the locker room, celebrating holding the Crimson to 14 points in the first half. Before this game, the Crimson had dominated its opponents in the first half, outscoring them 121-10. While the score was not in favor of the Red, it was clear that the momentum heading into the second half was.
The second half began with the Crimson holding possession of the football. After making a 76-yard drive that ended with a field goal, Harvard punted. Senior wide receiver Doryn Smith returned for a 31-yard gain, giving the Red a jumpstart on its drive.
As it had during its promising third quarter against Colgate, the Cornell offense tightened up. The highlight of the drive, a 27-yard pass on a fourth down from Bass-Sulpizio to senior running back Johntu Reed, got the Red within 15 yards of the endzone; from there, it made a slow but steady progression to earn its first points of the game.
As the defensive line took the field, the hope of comeback that the touchdown inspired remained. Harvard’s offense made just one successful play before being stifled twice, forced to punt on its own 13-yard line.
From there, the Red again made steady progress — aided by a Harvard penalty that catapulted it to the 13-yard line — but an illegal touch-pass by junior tight end Ryder Kurtz required the team to gain 14 yards from the second down. One successful pass later, the Red was at fourth-and-four yards as the whistle blew to end the third quarter.
After the quarter break, Cornell returned, declining to attempt the fourth-down conversion in favor of the easy field goal.
However, the Crimson didn’t let the Red’s spark faze them. Craig threw a 48-yard pass to begin the drive, which connected with Braylon Howard for the longest play of the game. When attempting a third down, junior safety Tommy MacPherson forced a Harvard receiver to lose possession — a play called an incomplete pass, despite controversy sparked by Cornell arguing for a fumble. The Crimson received another field goal out of the drive, putting Harvard up 20-10.
Only minutes after the field goal that put the Red down 10, Craig led his team towards the Red’s endzone once again. Craig would quickly run past the Red defense to secure a 4-yard rushing touchdown, putting the score at 27-10.
With the Red back in the hands of Bass-Sulpizio, there was hope he and the offense would be able to retaliate against the Crimson. However, on the first play of the drive a pass from Bass-Sulpizio would go through the hands of the receiver and straight into the hands of the Crimson’s Jack Donahoe, who would return it for a pick six.
The game concluded at a score of 34-10, leaving the Red with its fourth consecutive loss this season. While the Red was hoping for its first win of the season, it can leave this match being proud of its performance, with the score not representing the whole story when it comes to this team.
The Red defense, who were a big question coming into this season put on a showing against one of the best offensive teams in the country. This was Harvard’s lowest scoring game of the season as of yet. Before this game, Harvard’s Jaden Craig was undeniably dominating the competition, leading the Crimson to two 56-point and one 41-point performances. The Red defense stood strong in the face of assault and forced his first interception.
The Red offense, who have consistently shown sparks of excellence throughout the season, is another example of how close this team is to reaching the next level. Only time will tell what plans Swanstrom has for his offense going forward this season.
The Red return to Schoellkopf next weekend, with a matchup scheduled on Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. against Bucknell University. All the action will be available on ESPN+.
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
