Reid notches 8.5 tackles

ITHACA, N.Y. (September 20, 2014) – Thanks in large part to eight sacks, the Franklin Pierce University sprint football team managed to net just 35 yards on the ground and turned the ball over three times on Saturday afternoon, as the Ravens dropped their season opener at Cornell, 28-7. Freshman quarterback Jose Melo (Greenwich, Conn.) threw for 151 yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut, but also threw a pair of interceptions. Sophomore quarterback Rob Pannullo led the way for Cornell, as he rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 117 yards and two more scores.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce opens its third season in the Collegiate Sprint Football league at 0-1, while Cornell is 1-0. For the Big Red, the win avenges a 13-6 loss to the Ravens in last season's Allegiance Bowl.

With the two teams tied at 7-7 late in the first half, Franklin Pierce took possession after a punt with 1:27 to play in the second quarter. Melo hit junior wide receiver Michael Holdridge (Peru, N.Y.) for eight yards on first down, but then went incomplete on a pair of throws to freshman wideout Michael Melendez (Rochester, N.H.) as Cornell forced a three-and-out and took over at its own 40 with 58 seconds remaining before halftime.

Pannullo went to work from there, as he hit junior running back Benjamin Herrera for 15 yards and senior wideout Jonathan Roth for 13 yards to set up first-and-10 at the Franklin Pierce 32. After an incompletion, Pannullo picked up three yards on the ground, but a personal foul penalty erased what would have been third-and-seven and gifted the Big Red a first down at the Franklin Pierce 14. From there, Pannullo twice targeted sophomore running back Kevin Nathanson. The first fell incomplete, but the second was good for 14 yards and the touchdown. The point after gave Cornell a 14-7 lead heading into the halftime break.

After the third quarter went scoreless, Cornell stretched the lead with the opening drive of the fourth quarter. The Big Red took over in Franklin Pierce territory, at the 45-yard line, after forcing a punt to end the third quarter. Pannullo completed three passes for 16 yards and added 31 yards on the ground to take Cornell 45 yards to the end zone in eight plays and 3:04. The drive was highlighted by a 27-yard rush by Pannullo on third-and-four from the Franklin Pierce 29 and was capped by a six-yard strike from Pannullo to junior wide receiver Trevor Marrero.

The Big Red capped the scoring just over five minutes later, capitalizing on a turnover by the Ravens deep in their own end. Hemmed in his own end, Melo was brought down for no gain on third-and-13 from the Franklin Pierce 3-yard line. He fumbled on the play and junior defensive lineman Skylar Carfi covered it up for Cornell. On first-and-goal, Herrera was stuffed at the line, but Pannullo scampered to the end zone himself on the next play for his second rushing touchdown of the day.

Earlier, the two teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter. Cornell went three-and-out to start the season and Franklin Pierce started its first drive of 2014 from its own 23. The Ravens picked up 23 yards over seven plays, but on first-and-10 from the Franklin Pierce 46, Melo was picked off by Cornell junior linebacker Jessy Garcia.

Pannullo had his hand in every play of the ensuing 10-play, 59-yard scoring drive for the Big Red. He rushed five times for 32 yards, including a pair of 11-yard runs, the latter of which was for the score. Along the way, he mixed in 4-for-5 for 27 yards, including nine yards to Roth on a third-and-10 early in the drive which set up a fourth-and-one conversion on the ground for Pannullo.

Franklin Pierce answered immediately with its only touchdown of the day after a six-play, 45-yard scoring drive of its own. Melo picked up 13 yards over three rushes in the drive, but also lost nine yards when he was sacked on second-and-two from the Cornell 18. Undeterred, Melo would cap the scoring drive on the next play; facing third-and-11 at the 27, he hit sophomore Andrew Jean (Irvington, N.J.) for 27 yards and the score.

It was the longest of four catches on the day for Jean, who led the way for Franklin Pierce with 64 receiving yards. Freshman running back Demitri Moreno led the way for the Ravens on the ground, as he netted 65 yards over 16 carries.

For Cornell, Roth and Herrera each hauled in six passes on Saturday, with the former earning 41 yards and the latter 40. Behind Pannullo's 94 yards on the ground, Herrera added 64 over 10 carries.

Melo finished 13-for-27 for 151 yards and a touchdown for Franklin Pierce, but also threw a pair of interceptions and was sacked eight times. Pannullo went 19-for-30 for 117 yards and two touchdowns under center for Cornell.

Sophomore linebacker Jason Reid (Leominster, Mass.) led the way defensively for Franklin Pierce with 8.5 tackles (seven solo). Senior linebacker Ben Whitney (Peru, N.Y.) added seven tackles, while sophomore linebacker James Willette (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) and sophomore linebacker Christopher Nee (Walpole, Mass.) chipped in six each. Junior defensive back Connor Rogowsky (Nashua, N.H.) had Franklin Pierce's lone tackle for a loss.

For Cornell, junior defensive back Brent Weissman led the way with five tackles, all solo. Junior linebacker Jino Park notched three tackles for loss, including two sacks totaling 12 yards. Eight different Big Red players had a hand in at least one sack, as Cornell's eight sacks totaled 49 yards. Sophomore linebacker Christopher D'Ambrosio had the other Cornell interception, in addition to the aforementioned pick by Garcia.

The Ravens return to the field on Friday, Sept. 26, when they travel to Army. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Shea Stadium in West Point, N.Y.

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).