It seemed all the odds were stacked against the Red as it entered its 2026 Homecoming game. They were facing No. 4 Lehigh, one of the most dominant teams in the country. The Red had not defeated a top-ten-ranked opponent since 1939, when it beat Ohio State.
After 60 minutes of hard-hitting, action-packed football, head coach Dan Swanstrom’s team secured a season-defining victory for the Red.
“My favorite part is we can come back tomorrow, and we can do it better,” Swanstrom said. “[We’ve] been dealing with a lot of distractions and all these things hanging over us. I love this school, and I love the people I work with. I think this is a nice little bow for Cornell.”
The Red beat Lehigh 48 to 38.
Exactly two minutes — that is how long it took for the Red to reach the end zone against Lehigh (6-1, 4-0 Patriot).
Following two perfectly placed throws from senior quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio for 61 yards, junior running back Jordan Triplett broke through the Mountain Hawks’ defensive line for a 17-yard rushing touchdown.
Following the successful extra point from senior kicker Alan Zhao, the Red (3-2, 1-1 Ivy) took a 7-0 lead before the Mountain Hawks knew what hit them.
When Lehigh’s offensive unit took the field, defensive coordinator Michael Toerper’s unit shut them down. A three-and-out saw the ball put right back in the hands of Bass-Sulpizio, and once again, he did not disappoint.
The Red's defense made its presence felt throughout the game, coming up with multiple big stops.
After a gritty few plays from the Red, Swanstrom had a tough decision to make. Punt the football or go for it on fourth down. He decided his team was going for it.
Eight yards away from a first down, Bass-Sulpizio dropped into the pocket and hurdled the football in the direction of sophomore wide receiver Ja’von Broussard, who was not just heading for a first down, but for the end zone.
Swanstrom’s gamble paid off when Broussard brought the football into his arms, securing a 37-yard receiving touchdown — the Red’s second of the game.
Another successful extra point attempt from Zhao gave the Red a dominant 14-0 lead over Lehigh just eight minutes into the game.
A second Lehigh offensive drive led to a second three-and-out as the Red’s defense once again gave the Schoellkopf faithful something to scream about.
The Bass-Sulpizio spectacle continued as he marched the Red down towards the end zone again. Just when it seemed like the Red was going to take a three-score lead, the team was brought back to reality, it seemed.
A Triplett receiving touchdown was called incomplete, and on the following play, Bass-Sulpizio was swarmed by the Mountain Hawks’ defensive line, who were able to punch the football out of his arms. The ensuing fumble was recovered by Lehigh, who ran it from one end zone to the other, taking away seven points from the Red to put seven points on the scoreboard for itself.
Despite Lehigh striking back, the Red quickly demonstrated it was not fazed by the fumble. The last two plays of the first quarter saw Bass-Sulpizio accumulate another 59 passing yards.
As the first quarter ended, Bass-Sulpizio had thrown for 203 yards while the Lehigh quarterback had thrown for zero.
Bass-Sulpizio’s heroics continued throughout the game, as his final stat line saw him throw for 366 yards, secure two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
“One of the best games he’s ever played, if not the best,” Swanstrom said about the quarterback. “I mean, he was just the man today.”
It did not take long for the Red to carry its momentum into the second quarter. Following a 16-yard rush from sophomore running back Josiah Allen, the Red found itself on Lehigh’s one-yard line. A swing pass to senior wide receiver Brendan Lee allowed him to easily run into the end zone, once again giving the Red a 14-point lead.
Following this touchdown, the Red’s 21 points were the most the Lehigh defense had given up all season — and it only took the Red 16 minutes.
Lehigh had given up 20 points in their matchups against William and Mary and Dartmouth, except it took those teams an entire game.
The next Lehigh offensive drive was characterized by the Red’s continued defensive dominance. The Mountain Hawks were held to a third straight three-and-out, still looking for their first pass completion.
Another efficient drive from the Red gave Zhao an opportunity to further increase its lead with a field goal. The 36-yard attempt was sent straight through the uprights, placing the score at 24 to 7 in favor of the Red.
Lehigh responded by demonstrating why they held an undefeated record. Mountain Hawks running back Luke Yoder finally broke through the Red defense for a 66-yard rush before he was brought down. The Red were able to recover, stopping the Lehigh drive before it could result in a touchdown. However, a successful field goal gave Lehigh another 3 points.
Bass-Sulpizio and Triplett put the following drive on their back, combining for 72 yards of offense, once again putting the Red on the Lehigh 1-yard line. Unsurprisingly, it was Bass-Sulpizio who bulldozed his way into the end zone for a touchdown.
The scoreboard now read as a 31-10 Red advantage.
Lehigh received the football in two-minute drill territory. Lehigh finally began to find their footing with their passing game, quickly moving in on the Red’s end zone.
With just under a minute left in the half, Lehigh was able to connect for a 21-yard receiving touchdown.
As the half came to a close, the Red held a 14-point lead over the fourth-best team in the nation.
Third-quarter play began with Lehigh utilizing their run play to quickly reach the Red’s end zone, cutting the Red’s lead down to seven points.
In need of points, Swanstrom continued to make use of his 6’ 5” quarterback, having Bass-Sulpizio repeatedly hit the Mountain Hawks defensive line. After a gritty drive, the Red found itself 3 yards away from its fifth touchdown of the game.
It ended up being Lee who provided the Red with more points, connecting with Bass-Sulpizio to put the Red back up to a 14-point lead.
Following Zhao’s fifth successful extra point of the day, the scoreboard sat at 38-24 in favor of the Red.
Yoder once again put Lehigh on his back, driving the football down the field for the Mountain Hawks. As the third quarter came to a close, Lehigh sat only 3 yards away from the Red’s end zone.
This allowed Yoder to immediately begin the fourth quarter with a Lehigh touchdown, cutting the Red lead down to seven.
Lehigh followed this touchdown by seemingly holding the Red to a three-and-out. However, Swanstrom put his faith in his offense, going for it on fourth down. This paid off, as Bass-Sulpizio broke through the Lehigh defense for a first down.
Swanstrom’s decision not only turned into a first down, but a momentum changer. Bass-Sulpizio followed this first down with a 36-yard throw to Lee. A great throw, a better catch. Lee lunged forward, somehow securing the ball as a Mountain Hawks defender swarmed him.
“I felt great, but I got to give it to my teammates,” Lee said when asked about his performance. “They step up and show up every day, keep working with me. I get 100 catches after every practice with Sam [Musungu]. I don’t make those plays if my teammates aren’t there before me.”
The completion put the Red on Lehigh’s 3-yard line. Only yards away from the end zone, the football was placed into the hands of Triplett, who barreled his way into the Red’s sixth touchdown of the game.
Jordan Triplett '28 breaking through a Lehigh tackle.
Ryder Kurtz '27 celebrates a first down.
With under ten minutes to go, the Red was now up by 14 points.
Lehigh’s offense was struggling to put anything together, and after a blown snap, it seemed like the game was officially over. On fourth-and-nineteen, it seemed like the Red had the win solidified, until Lehigh threw a 41-yard touchdown.
The Mountain Hawks attempted to catch the Red off guard with an onside kick. However, the Red fended them off, securing the football.
Now holding the football at Lehigh’s 49-yard line, the Red progressively ran down the clock while slowly moving the football toward the Lehigh end zone.
In the most important moment of the game —the most important moment of the Red’s season thus far — Zhao stepped up for a 32-yard field goal to seal the win. The football flew through the air and through the uprights, increasing the Red’s lead to ten points and ensuring Lehigh had no feasible route to a comeback.
The cherry on top came as junior cornerback Tyler Gibson intercepted a last-ditch Lehigh throw in the end zone, ending any hopes of a comeback.
Schoellkopf erupted in cheering as the Red finished arguably its greatest performance of the 21st century on its terms.
The Red wasted away the final seconds in victory formation, securing a 48-38 win over Lehigh.
“I’m just excited. It was a complete team win,” Lee said. “Defense stepped up when it needed to. Our offense was balling all day. It was just a very complete win. Took [a win against] a team that hadn’t lost in 24 regular season games. It’s just awesome.”
The Red celebrating the win with the marching band and fans.
Despite the historic win, Swanstrom has already begun to shift his focus to next week’s matchup.
“I can’t wait to get to the film, watch it, and figure out how to elevate this group and figure out what the next piece is,” Swanstrom said about his next steps following the win.
The Red will hope to build on this momentum against Brown (2-3, 0-2 Ivy), at 12 p.m. on Oct. 24 in Providence, Rhode Island. The game will be streamed 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.
