Miscues and big pass play upend Cornell

MOUNT VERNON - This hurt a little more than most.

In addition to a painful to swallow loss, Cornell Coach Vince Brautigam hurt his calf, forcing him to hobble the sideline late in the game. Ripon added insult to injury.

Cornell surrendered a 62-yard touchdown pass with 1:53 remaining in the game, dropping its Midwest Conference opener to Ripon, 26-21, Saturday at Ash Park.

'This team has got to learn how to finish drives,” Brautigam said, 'They have to finish plays in all three phases of the game.”

The first half included a collection of miscues by the Rams, including a fumble at the goal line with a chance to take a second-quarter lead, a blocked punt, two turnovers that led to scores and 61 penalty yards. Despite all that, Cornell battled back to take a 21-20 lead. It evaporated when Ripon was forced to stray from its triple-option attack and throw deep with 2:05 left.

'Defensively, at the end, we got beat over the top,” Brautigam said. 'We knew where they were going to go with the football and the kids have to make plays and step up to do their jobs.”

On the first play of the series, quarterback Stephen Covalt's fifth completion of the game hit Zach Rinehart for the first time. He made a leaping grab and ran away from two Rams.

'It was a crucial part of the game,” Covalt said. 'We needed it.

'I thought I'd throw it up to a good spot the receiver has a chance to make a good play. He did and came down with it.”

The Rams still had an opportunity, needing to go 60 yards in 1:47. Daniel Brown led them to the Red Hawks' 20 but that was as far as Cornell could get, turning the ball over on downs with 18 seconds remaining.

'It was tough,” Brown said. 'It definitely wasn't what we thought was going to happen.”

The Rams seemed to right the ship. The defense held Ripon to only four first downs and 104 offensive yards (62 on the game-winning pass) after the break. They grabbed their first lead since a 7-0 advantage in the first.

Facing 4th-and-14, Brown hit Riley Bell for a 33-yard TD pass to pull within 20-14. Two possessions later, Brown hit Ben Knake for a 26-yard score to open the fourth quarter, giving the Rams a one-point lead.

'In the second half, we played extremely well,” Brautigam said. 'All three phases of the game we played much better and that's how we expect to play, but you have to put four quarters together to do that,”

Brown tossed three TDs, passing for 202 yards and rushing for 146 to lead Cornell. He also had three interceptions.

'I thought he did some exceptional things,” Brautigam said. 'We can't turn the ball over.”

The outcome might serve as an eye opener. It's a rough lesson for Cornell, which has lost two in a row to fall to 1-2.

'We have to just take it as a learning experience,” Brown said. 'Maybe it needed to happen, teaching us that we need more focus at practice, film and working out.”

Brautigam said the Rams are looking for leadership and to gel as a team. He will try to develop those areas to correct mistakes and avoid a similar performance.

'We're going to work hard,” Brautigam said. 'He will do a better job next time and when we get this chance hopefully we'll make plays and end up with a (win).”

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