ITHACA, N.Y. (Interstat) — On a crisp Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field, the Cornell Big Red finally broke through, securing its first victory of the season by holding off a late surge from the Bucknell Bison, 30-20, on October 18, 2025.

Entering the contest with an 0-4 record, Cornell relied on a powerful rushing attack and a pair of key defensive stops to build a commanding lead before withstanding a frantic fourth-quarter rally from the Bison. The win improves Cornell’s record to 1-4, while Bucknell falls to 4-4 on the season.

The game unfolded in starkly different phases. Cornell controlled the first three quarters, methodically building its advantage, while Bucknell’s offense came alive too late, scoring all of its points in the second and fourth quarters.

Cornell’s offense was spearheaded by a dominant ground game. Running back Jordan Triplett, a sophomore from Saint Simons Island, Georgia, was the workhorse, carrying the ball 22 times for 107 yards. He was complemented by John McAuliffe of Orland Park, Illinois, who added 89 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. This relentless rushing attack kept the chains moving and the clock running, limiting Bucknell’s offensive opportunities for much of the game.

Quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio, a San Diego native, managed the game effectively for the Big Red. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for another score. His primary target in the passing game was Doryn Smith of Martinsburg, West Virginia, who caught five passes for 46 yards. The connection between Bass-Sulpizio and tight end Ryder Kurtz of Stamford, Connecticut, proved crucial, as Kurtz hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter that ultimately sealed the victory.

Bucknell’s offense, conversely, struggled to find consistency until the final period. Quarterback Christopher Dietrich, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Sparta, New Jersey, finished with solid numbers, completing 19 of 32 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns, but was often under pressure and victimized by the Cornell secondary. His favorite target was Sam Milligan of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, who caught seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.

The game’s momentum turned decisively on two key plays in the third quarter. With Cornell leading 16-7 and driving, Bucknell’s defense appeared to get a break when safety Deuce Geter of Ashburn, Virginia, recovered a Jordan Triplett fumble. However, on the ensuing possession, Bucknell’s own drive ended in disaster. A mishandled play resulted in a 16-yard loss and a fumble recovered by Cornell defensive back Johnny Williamson of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, snuffing out a potential scoring opportunity for the Bison.

Cornell’s defense, led by linebacker Keith Williams Jr. of Greenfield, Wisconsin, was a difference-maker. Williams intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter to halt another Bucknell drive, one of two takeaways forced by the Big Red unit.

The scoring opened with a methodical 15-play Cornell drive that stalled in the red zone, resulting in a 32-yard field goal from Jonathan Roost of Perth, Australia, giving the Big Red a 3-0 lead in the first quarter.

Bucknell answered in the second quarter. A 41-yard completion from Dietrich to TJ Cadden of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Logan Bush of Washington, New Jersey, putting the Bison ahead 7-3.

Cornell responded immediately, embarking on a 10-play, 60-yard drive capped by an 8-yard touchdown run from Bass-Sulpizio. The extra point was missed, but the Big Red reclaimed the lead at 9-7.

The third quarter belonged entirely to Cornell. The Big Red extended its lead with a 2-yard touchdown run from McAuliffe, making the score 16-7. Later in the quarter, Bass-Sulpizio engineered another scoring drive, finishing it himself with a 12-yard scramble for a touchdown to push the Cornell advantage to 23-7.

Facing a 16-point deficit, Bucknell’s offense finally found its rhythm in the fourth quarter. Dietrich led a 73-yard drive, culminating in a 15-yard touchdown strike to Milligan, cutting the lead to 23-13.

Any hope of a comeback was temporarily dashed as Cornell answered with its most explosive play of the day. Bass-Sulpizio found Kurtz for a 30-yard touchdown pass, restoring a three-score lead at 30-13 with just over nine minutes remaining.

Unyielding, Bucknell mounted another scoring drive, with Dietrich connecting with versatile back Michael Cadden on a 13-yard touchdown pass, pulling the Bison back within ten points at 30-20.

Bucknell’s defense then came up with a critical takeaway, as linebacker Nick Hoying of Kings Mills, Ohio, recovered a fumble to give the offense one last chance with over five minutes on the clock. The Bison drove deep into Cornell territory, but the comeback bid was extinguished when Williams secured his game-clinching interception with under two minutes to play, allowing Cornell to run out the clock.

The victory defied the pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 31-18 Cornell win and whose ELO system gave the Big Red a 64.10 percent probability of victory.

Bucknell will look to return to the win column next Saturday when it hosts Georgetown. Cornell, now with its first victory secured, will continue its Ivy League schedule at home against Brown.