Colgate halts 7-game losing skid, edges Cornell 21-20

Updated: Oct 19, 2019, 11:32 pm

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Alex Mathews scored the winning touchdown late in the third quarter and Colgate stopped Cornell on downs with less than a minute to play, securing a 21-20 victory Saturday to halt a seven game, season-opening slide.

Mathews led all rushers with 94 yards on nine carries. His touchdown run capped a 78-yard drive late in the third quarter, giving the Raiders (1-7) a 21-17 lead.

Garrett Patta cut the gap to 21-20 with his 29-yard field goal after the Big Red stalled at the 11-yard line early in the fourth quarter. After that, Cornell (1-4) punted twice and its final drive, which ground 47 yards in 11 plays, ended when Richie Kenney passed incomplete on fourth-and-3 with 31 seconds left to play.

Cornell had been 3 for 3 on fourth-down conversions to that point.

Kenney passed for 268 yards. Jelani Taylor took a fumble recovery 87 yards for a Big Red score to end the first half trailing 14-7.

Grant Breneman went 19-for-27 for 224 yards for Colgate, an FCS quarterfinalist last season and preseason favorite in the Patriot League.