Holdridge hauls in 62-yard touchdown pass

RINDGE, N.H. (September 26, 2015) – Sophomore kicker Kyle Salucco (Exeter, N.H.) put through three first-half field goals on Saturday afternoon, as the Franklin Pierce University sprint football team built a 15-7 halftime lead at Sodexo Field, but it was Cornell junior quarterback Rob Pannullo who stole the show. The latter ran for 155 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for 54 yards and another score to lead the Big Red to a 36-15 win in Collegiate Sprint Football League play.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 0-2 (0-2 CSFL), while Cornell improves to 2-0 (2-0 CSFL). Cornell has now defeated Franklin Pierce two years in a row.

Everything seemed to come up Ravens in the first quarter on Saturday, though the team was unable to capitalize with a touchdown. Cornell won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff, but went three-and-out on the opening possession. Taking over at its own 35, Franklin Pierce used a 33-yard rush by senior quarterback Derek Reddy (Natick, Mass.) to key an eight-play, 52-yard scoring drive, which was capped by a 30-yard field goal from Salucco.

Cornell fumbled the ball away on its second possession, but then Franklin Pierce went three-and-out on a drive which netted -2 yards. On the second play after the ensuing punt however, Pannullo threw on the right side and was picked off by sophomore defensive back Karon Hair (Long Branch, N.J.) Taking over at the Cornell 25, Franklin Pierce collected just four yards on its four-play scoring drive, but used a 38-yard field goal from Salucco to take a 6-0 lead. Cornell's two remaining first-quarter drives would end with another fumble and a turnover on downs early in the second quarter.

After the two teams traded punts, Cornell would get on the board with a defensive touchdown. Senior running back D.J. McDonald (Mattapoisett, Mass.) rushed to the left side, but was stripped by junior linebacker Christopher D'Ambrosio. The ball never hit the ground on the play, as D'Ambrosio possessed the ball immediately off the strip, and then scampered 32 yards the other way for the touchdown. The ensuing point-after gave Cornell a 7-6 lead with 6:15 to play in the first half.

Franklin Pierce answered in short order, just two plays into the next drive. After McDonald gained one yard on first down, the Ravens called for a play fake, with sophomore quarterback Taylor DeForge (Bristol, Conn.) having taken over for an injured Reddy. DeForge and the backfield sold the fake well, which allowed senior tight end Michael Holdridge (Peru, N.Y.) to escape behind the defense. DeForge hit Holdridge across the middle for what turned into a 62-yard touchdown strike to put the Ravens back out front after a failed two-point conversion. A 20-yard field goal by Salucco as time expired later gave Franklin Pierce the 15-7 halftime lead.

The second half would not follow the same script. Franklin Pierce lost four yards while going three-and-out on the third quarter's opening drive. On the first play after the punt, Pannullo ran for 27 yards, which would ultimately set up his 38-yard touchdown pass to junior wideout Trevor Marrero, to cap a quick, four-play, 74-yard touchdown drive. The two-point conversion attempt to tie the game was unsuccessful.

The teams traded punts through much of the next 10 minutes, before Cornell took over from the Franklin Pierce 28 after a seven-yard punt by the Ravens from deep in their own end. Three plays later, on third-and-four, Pannullo called his own number for a 22-yard touchdown rush to give Cornell the lead for good, 21-15, after the two-point conversion.

Franklin Pierce pushed its way into Cornell territory while operating out of the wildcat formation in its final drive of the third quarter. However, on the seventh play of the drive, freshman running back Jack Mahoney (Hudson, N.H.) threw an interception to sophomore defensive back Karriem Royster.

After each team punted twice more, Cornell pretty much put the game out of reach with a quick, three-play, 63-yard scoring drive which left the Big Red with a 29-15 lead with 7:40 to play. Pannullo did the heavy lifting with a 45-yard rush, before junior running back Kevin Nathanson took it in from 14 yards out. The Big Red would later add a six-yard touchdown rush from freshman quarterback Connor Ostrander to create the 36-15 final.

For Franklin Pierce, DeForge finished the day 5-for-20 for 116 yards and a touchdown, while throwing one interception as well. McDonald was the team's leading rusher, as he netted 52 yards on 21 carries (2.5 yards/play). Before leaving with his injury, Reddy had run for 40 yards on just three plays (13.3 yards/play). Holdridge finished as the team's leading receiver, with 65 yards and a score on two catches.

Defensively, senior linebacker James Willette (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) was party to 11 tackles (four solo) on the day, while senior defensive lineman Josh Tilton (Seymour, Conn.) figured in on 10 (six solo), including one sack. As a team, the Ravens recorded seven tackles for loss, totaling 24 yards. Willette alone recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, totaling eight yards.

For Cornell, the offense ran through Pannullo all day. He rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries (9.1 yard/play) and threw for 54 more yards and another score on a 6-for-10 day which included an interception. Marrero finished with two catches for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively for the Big Red, D'Ambrosio was in on 14 tackles (six solo) on the afternoon, including two sacks, in addition to his strip-and-score in the second quarter. In all, Cornell tallied four sacks and seven tackles for loss, totaling 27 yards.

The Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 3, when they remain home to host Post in the annual Talon Cup matchup. Opening kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Sodexo Field.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce sprint football apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).