Coming off a massive win against No. 17/18 Yale (2-1, 0-1 Ivy), a matchup against the struggling Georgetown Hoyas (0-3, 0-2 Patriot) represented a prime opportunity for the Red to build on its momentum.
The Red (2-1, 1-0 Ivy) ultimately continued its strong play, taking down the Hoyas in dominant fashion by a score of 35-14 to secure its second win of the season.
Defensive coordinator Michael Toerper’s defensive unit began the game by shutting down the Hoyas before they could put anything substantial together.
The Red’s offense kicked off its first drive in a patient manner, taking yards wherever it could find them. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, senior quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio threw a lateral pass to senior wide receiver Brendan Lee, who then threw a perfectly placed ball to sophomore running back Ty Doughty for a 33-yard touchdown.
The touchdown and a successful extra-point attempt from senior kicker Alan Zhao gave the Red a 7-0 lead just minutes into the first quarter.
This touchdown seemed to open the floodgates for the Red.
Sophomore safety Braylon James continued the defensive excellence the Red has demonstrated this season, jumping a Hoyas pass route to immediately give the football back to the Red.
With the football now back in its hands, the Red did not disappoint. The Red marched down the field, securing 79 yards of offense. It was senior tight end Ryder Kurtz who had the highlight play of the drive: a 35-yard reception.
After another successful reception from Lee, the Red opted to keep the football in the hands of Bass-Sulpizio, who rushed for 16 yards, putting the Red on the Hoyas’ 1-yard line. Unsurprisingly, Bass-Sulpizio pushed his way into the end zone — securing the Red’s second touchdown of the day and his third rushing touchdown of the season.
Zhao converted his second extra point of the day, giving the Red a 14-0 lead heading into the second quarter.
As the second quarter began, it became clear the Hoyas were not planning on giving up any time soon. The Hoyas marched down the field, eventually getting down to the Red’s 4-yard line. Instead of opting for a field goal after being stopped, the Hoyas decided to go for a touchdown on fourth down in hopes of cutting the Red’s lead in half.
Luckily for the Red, the football ultimately slipped through the hands of a Hoyas receiver, leaving Georgetown still searching for its first points of the game.
The following Red drive began with four plays resulting in 34 yards. It was then junior tight end Blaine Zoller who connected with Bass-Sulpizio for a 39-yard completion, a pass that once again put the Red within striking distance of Georgetown’s end zone.
Georgetown’s defense, alongside an offensive penalty on the Red, forced the Red to attempt a 39-yard field goal. Unfortunately, Zhao’s kick just missed the uprights, giving the ball back to the Hoyas with the score still standing at 14-0.
It was the Hoyas who struck next, seemingly building on the offensive momentum it built in its previous drive. On fourth-and-nine, just when it seemed the drive was over, the Hoyas connected for a 40-yard receiving touchdown. After a successful extra point, the Red’s lead was cut down to 7.
The teams ultimately traded possession twice before the final whistle of the half blew, the score still standing at 14-7 in favor of the Red.
Possession was held by the Red as the third quarter began, though the Red only needed the football for a few moments. The first three plays of the drive saw the Red gain 55 yards. The dominance was followed by a 9-yard reception from senior wide receiver Samuel Musungu, who ran the football into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. Zhao then made up for his missed field goal, securing the extra point to extend the Red’s lead to 21-7.
Toerper’s defense protected this lead on the following drive, shutting the Hoyas down before they could respond with points of their own.
Sophomore linebacker Dalten Phelan, playing through his helmet getting ripped off to secure half a sack, sums up the intensity the Red defense has played with throughout this season.
After five straight rushing attempts from junior running back Jordan Triplett, it was Musungu who turned what seemed to be a small gain reception into a 33-yard touchdown as he easily weaved through the Hoyas defense.
Following the extra point, the Red’s lead increased to 28-7 with just over six minutes left in the third quarter. Neither team was able to put additional points on the board before the quarter ended.
After a long Hoyas drive that began in the third quarter reached the Cornell eight-yard line, the Red needed a big stop on fourth-and-three. It was ultimately senior safety Johnny Williamson who was able to break up a potential touchdown to maintain the Red’s 21-point lead.
Bass-Sulpizio’s arm continued to impress on the following Red drive. He connected with Lee for a 48-yard missile to immediately put the Red within range of putting more points on the scoreboard.
After a few more successful offensive plays, Bass-Sulpizio was able to throw himself into the end zone to secure the Red’s fifth touchdown of the game.
Georgetown now received the football back with the score standing at 35-7 in favor of the Red with just under seven minutes remaining in the game.
The Hoyas’ final drive ended up being its most successful, as it seemingly found little difficulty navigating through the Red defense before it secured a touchdown to cut the Red lead down to 21 points.
After an unsuccessful onside kick attempt by the Hoyas, the Red was able to run out the remaining time to secure a dominant 35-14 win.
The Red will now shift its focus back to Ivy League play, returning to Ithaca to face off against the No. 25/RV Harvard Crimson (3-0, 1-0 Ivy). The game will begin at 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 at Schoellkopf Field. All the action will be available to watch live on ESPN+.
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is a sports editor of the 144th Editorial Board and was previously the assistant sports editor for the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
