Highlights

RINDGE, N.H. (October 14, 2017) – After using a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to jump to a 14-3 halftime lead, the Franklin Pierce University sprint football team came up empty in the second half on Saturday afternoon at Sodexo Field. Following a third-quarter touchdown, Cornell got a field goal in the first minute of the fourth quarter and then struck for the game-winning touchdown with just 28 seconds to play, to pull out a 19-14 win on the road in Collegiate Sprint Football League North Division play. Junior quarterback Connor Ostrander rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, and threw for 90 yards and another score to lead the way for the Big Red.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 2-3 (1-2 North Division), while Cornell improves to 3-1 (1-0 North Division). 

Trailing by a point, 14-13, Cornell took a gamble with just over five minutes to play in the fourth quarter and punted the ball away, as a drive stalled out just shy of midfield. After a fair catch, Franklin Pierce took over from its own 25-yard line with 5:10 to play, looking to, at worst, chew up some clock, and at best, find some points to put the game away.

Instead, the Ravens could do neither. Franklin Pierce rattled off nine yards on the first two plays of the series, courtesy of back-to-back quarterback keepers by freshman Jared Lubas (Salem, Mass.). However, the Big Red defense stood tall on the next two plays. Sophomore back Kobie Smith (Leominster, Mass.) was stuffed at the line by junior defensive lineman Amanze Udebiuwa and junior linebacker Alfonso Nazzaro on third down, which prompted a Cornell timeout to preserve the clock before the fourth-and-inches play. Franklin Pierce opted to go for a first down which would have all but put the game on ice, but Lubas' sneak was swallowed up by the defensive line and went for no gain, resulting in a turnover on downs.

Cornell took over at the Franklin Pierce 34-yard line with 3:20 to play and set about the game-winning drive. Sophomore running back Will Griffen rushed for seven yards on the first play of the series, then lost two on the next play, before Ostrander went for back-to-back keepers of seven and six yards, respectively, to move the ball inside the 20.

The drive boiled down to a third-and-5 play from the Franklin Pierce 17-yard line, which put Cornell right on the edge of field-goal range for a kicker who had looked shaky throughout the day. The Big Red converted though, as Ostrander hit senior wideout Ryman Seeley for 12 yards and the first down, moving the ball down to the 5-yard line. On the very next play, Ostrander kept the ball for himself and took it home for the go-ahead score. The Big Red were left with a 19-14 lead with 28 seconds to play, after a failed two-point conversion.

Left with no choice but to air it out in an attempt to cover ground in the waning seconds, Lubas tossed a game-sealing interception to senior defensive back Dominic LaBell on the first play of the ensuing drive. Ostrander came out to take a knee and finish off the five-point Cornell win.

Earlier in the day, Cornell had opened the scoring with the only points of the first quarter. The game's first score was also set up by a turnover on downs, as Smith was stuffed by sophomore defensive back Collin Stockton on fourth-and-1 at the Franklin pierce 29-yard line. Cornell needed just 19 yards on the next six plays to set up sophomore kicker Ben Finkelstein for a 26-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

Franklin Pierce made hay in the second quarter, including the game's signature drive. After a well-placed punt by sophomore Brandon Risley gave Franklin Pierce the ball at its own 5-yard line, the Ravens marched 95 yards over 15 plays and 8:49 to take the lead. The Ravens converted four third-down plays on the series, and got some help from a Cornell pass interference penalty to keep the drive moving on another one. On a third-and-8 just three plays into the drive, with the Ravens still inside their own 10, Lubas hit DeForge for 16 yards and the first down on the left sideline, to push the ball out to the 23. It was the first first down of the game recorded by Franklin Pierce.

Later in the drive, just on the other side of midfield, Lubas and DeForge hooked up again, this time for seven yards to narrowly convert on a third-and-7. Ultimately, the drive wound its way to a third-and-1 at the Cornell 30. Smith took a handoff running left, found the edge and got free down the sideline, taking the ball 30 yards to the end zone to give the Ravens the lead.

On its next drive, Franklin Pierce covered 63 yards in just five plays and 85 seconds for its second touchdown of the quarter. Lubas capped the drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass to freshman running back Tionne Brown (Turners Falls, Mass.), as the Ravens opened up a 14-3 lead with 46 seconds to play in the opening half.

Cornell cut the gap to 14-10 early in the third quarter, as Ostrander flipped a pass over the middle to senior wide receiver Karriem Royster for a 17-yard score. The Big Red then got a 22-yard field goal from Finkelstein 51 seconds into the fourth quarter to cut the gap to 14-13 and set up the late-game drama.

Smith led the Franklin Pierce rushing attack with 20 carries for 84 yards (4.2 yards/rush) and a score. Lubas finished 14-for-23 for 110 yards and a touchdown, while being intercepted once at the end of the game. Brown, who operated in the flats for much of the afternoon, hauled in a game-best 10 receptions for 83 yards and a score.

Defensively, senior linebacker Demitri Moreno (Alhambra, Calif.) led all players with 11 tackles (seven solo), including three tackles for loss, totaling three yards. Sophomore linebacker Jon Nogueira (Amherst, N.H.) added nine tackles (six solo), including one tackle for loss. Senior defensive back Ryan Becerra (Tempe, Ariz.) had an interception.

For Cornell, Ostrander was the star of the show. He rushed 26 times for 120 yards (4.6 yards/rush) and a score, and also went 12-for-22 for 90 yards and a touchdown through the air, while being intercepted once and sacked once. Griffen had a team-high four catches, but gained no yards to show for it. Seeley finished with 34 receiving yards on a pair of catches.

Defensively for the Big Red, senior linebacker Ian Rawn tallied up eight tackles (two solo), while Nazzaro added six tackles of his own (two solo), including one tackle for loss. LaBell recorded the game-sealing interception.

After a bye week, the Ravens return to the field on Saturday, Oct. 28, when they travel to Caldwell for a cross-division game. Opening kickoff is set for noon at Bonnel Field in West Caldwell, N.J.

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 football apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).