Brown does it all for Cornell in homecoming rout

MOUNT VERNON – After beginning the season with losses in three of four games, Cornell football coach Vince Brautigam decided it was time to simplify the offense.

Brautigam hoped by reducing the game plan, sophomore quarterback Daniel Brown could make quicker, easier decisions.

In front of a homecoming crowd Saturday at Ash Park, Brown thrived, throwing for 341 yards and a school-record six touchdowns as the Rams routed Grinnell, 60-6, in their Midwest Conference South Division opener.

'The o-line just gave me all the time I needed in the world to make my reads,” Brown said. 'My receivers ran crisp routes. We practiced all week in practice and just put it all out on the field.”

If a quick read was not there, Brown was not afraid to tuck the ball away and hurt the Pioneers (1-4) with his legs. The 5-foot-11, 150-pound speedster ran seven times for 116 yards, including touchdown runs of 33 and 55 yards.

'I like to be able to use that to my advantage,” Brown said of being a running threat. 'When they (offensive linemen) want to run downfield and make blocks for me, I don't mind running behind them.”

Brown directed scoring drives on the Rams' first two possessions, the second on a 61-yard strike to receiver Gabe Noyce, who collected all seven of his catches and 116 yards by halftime. Pushing the tempo produced two more Brown touchdown passes in the final two minutes of the half for a 33-0 lead.

'I like to move fast,” Brown said. 'We know that if we keep moving throughout the first half, by the time we get to the second half they'll be moving slower and we'll keep moving at our pace and plays will be easier to make.”

Eight combined touchdowns passing and rushing is also a school record, as was the 740 yards of total offense the Rams amassed. Saturday was the first time Cornell reached the 60-point scoring mark in a game since 2003 and is its largest margin of victory since a 64-8 win over Dubuque in 2000.

Receiver Ben Knake finished with 10 receptions for 107 yards and two second-quarter scores. The former Lisbon prep is now the all-time leader in career all-purpose yards at Cornell with 4,261 yards.

Cornell (2-3, 1-0 MWC South) travels to Knox College next Saturday.

'1-0 is fantastic, but the goal is to go to 2-0,” Brautigam said. 'Kudos to my kids. They played hard and were able to be consistent in all three (phases). Nice to get a win after three weeks of not getting one.”

Cornell 60, Grinnell 6

AT ASH PARK

GRIN CORN

First downs 11 30

Rushes-yards 28-33 43-399

Passing 16-174 28-341

Comp-Att-Int 16-35-1 28-33-0

Return Yards 0 84

Punts-Avg. 9-40.8 4-30.8

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0

Penalties-Yards 2-12 10-86

Time of Possession 29:56 30:04

Grinnell 0 0 0 6-6

Cornell 14 19 20 7-60

CORN - Daniel Brown 33 run (Kaleb Whiting kick)

CORN - Gabriel Noyce 61 pass from Brown (Whiting kick)

CORN - Ben Knake 19 pass from Brown (Whiting kick)

CORN - Alec Dansereau 3 pass from Brown (kick failed)

CORN - Knake 43 pass from Brown (run failed)

CORN - Daniel Brown 55 run (Whiting kick)

CORN - Christian Keith 12 pass from Brown (Whiting kick)

CORN - Tommie Dorsey 39 pass from Brown (kick failed)

GRIN - Greg Ruzich 20 pass from TR Jones (run)

CORN - Adam Bond 15 run (Aaron Gruwell kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - Grinnell: Sam Poulos 11-23, Carson Dunn 10-7, Blake Rish 2-4, TR Jones 2-3, Jacob Bernholtz 3-(-4); Cornell:

Daniel Brown 7-116, Wolfgang Strovers 13-88, Drake Riedy 2-86, Patrick Brown 9-41, Devan Clark 5-31, Ethan Thompson 3-22, Adam Bond 1-15, Ben Knake 1-4, TEAM 2-minus 4.

Passing - Grinnell: Sam Poulos 13-24-1-86, TR Jones 3-10-0-88, Emmi Sandoval 0-1-0-0; Cornell:

Daniel Brown 28-33-0-341.

Receiving - Grinnell: Emmi Sandoval 6-90, Greg Ruzich 4-32, Henry Cummings 2-21, Carson Dunn 2-18, Jacob Bernholtz 2-13; Cornell:

Ben Knake 10-107, Gabriel Noyce 7-116, Tommie Dorsey 4-64, Justin Futrell 2-18, Christian Keith 2-17, Devan Clark 1-8, Wolfgang Strovers 1-8, Alec Dansereau 1-3.

A -

1,110.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com