Football looks ahead to the primetime matchup against Harvard

On the fourth weekend of the season, football (1-2, 1-0 Ivy) will face Harvard (2-1, 0-1 Ivy), the defending Ivy League champions.

The Crimson narrowly defeated New Hampshire 28-23 last week and visit Ithaca on Friday night under the lights at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell will debut a brand new all-black alternate jersey for the primetime rivalry game.

The Red are coming off a 31-10 loss to the University at Albany, where senior quarterback Jameson Wang recorded 187 yards and a touchdown while sophomore wide receiver Samuel Musungu led the Red with six receptions for 87 yards. While the Red led the game 7-6 at halftime, the Great Danes controlled the third and fourth quarters, scoring a total of 25 points.

Cornell continually works to stay strong for 60 minutes.

“If you continue to make mistakes in this program and don't fix them, whether it's not being strong enough or mentally stuck, then we're going to bench you,” head coach Dan Swanstrom said. “We need execution at the highest level to have a chance – and we demand more from our players.”

Despite the short week of preparation and the nationally televised element of this week's game, the team practiced as usual and reflected on the game against Albany before moving on to Harvard.

“I’m not measuring (this year) by the results. I measure it by growth and how we compete. I think the way we came out of practice this week and worked through a lot of things shows a lot about where we're going as a program,” Swanstrom said. “This week’s game will look similar to last week. Given Harvard’s size, speed and strength, it will be difficult.”

In last year's matchup between the two teams, Harvard quarterback Charles DePrima had a career day, throwing for 209 yards and three touchdowns and totaling 152 yards and three more touchdowns. While DePrima now serves as a wide receiver for the Crimson, Swanstrom and the Red view him as a threat to be dealt with.

“DePrima might be the fastest kid in our league,” Swanstrom said. “He's electric on film and brings a lot of problems – he's dynamic with his speed and with (quarterback Jaden Craig) it's going to be a challenge.”

Cornell will conclude its three-game homestand with one of the most storied rivalries of all time, dating back 134 years. Harvard holds a significant lead in the overall series, and a win over the Crimson on Friday would give the Red their first win over Harvard since 2018. This 28-24 victory came right on Cornell's home field.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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