Freshman Joel Lacy rushed for 153 yards and accounted for three touchdowns as Cornell’s football team opened Midwest Conference play with a 35-14 victory over Beloit Saturday at Strong Stadium.
Cornell played turnover-free ball on the offensive side and did not attempt a single punt in notching its seventh consecutive series win over the Buccaneers.
The Rams were the aggressors from the start, converting three fourth-down calls on an impressive 16-play opening touchdown drive. Freshman quarterback John Smith, making his first collegiate start, spotted Lacy with a 4-yard scoring pass on fourth-and goal that put Cornell ahead 7-0.
Cornell built the lead to 14-0 with a 76-yard TD march late in the second quarter. Tony Gomez found the end zone on a 4-yard run. Beloit trimmed the margin to 14-7 with 55 seconds left in the opening half.
The Rams pulled away after intermission, scoring TDs on their first three possessions of the second half. Two of the scores were set up by interceptions from Nasir Albritton and Jaden Ploeger.
The 6-foot, 220-pound Lacy broke loose for a 68-yard TD run on Cornell’s initial drive of the third quarter. After Beloit responded with a score, Lacy recorded his third TD of the game on a 5-yard rush that gave Cornell a 28-14 lead with 1:02 remaining in the third quarter.
Cornell capped the game’s scoring on a 4-yard TD run by junior Isaiah Spencer with 8:43 left in regulation.
The Rams controlled the line of scrimmage and rolled up 342 rushing yards on 61 carries. The result was a 13-minute advantage in time of possession.
Lacy’s workman-like day included 17 carries for 153 yards, good for a hefty 9.0-yard average. Spencer ran for 85 yards on only 12 attempts, while Daniel Abesames-Hammer rushed eight times for 51 yards.
Smith had an efficient day passing, completing 7-of-9 attempts for 41 yards. Cole Reed caught all three of his targets for 23 yards.
Cornell’s defense limited the Buccaneers to 12-of-26 passing, highlighted by the two interceptions. Junior linebacker Hunter Holt tallied a team-high 10 tackles, including nine solo stops. Landon Lockington added five tackles. Mason Ciari recorded a quarterback sack.
The Rams outgained the home team in total yards, 383-335. Cornell finished 4-of-5 on fourth-down conversions. Adam Mitchell went 5-for-5 on PAT kicks for the Rams.
Coming up – Cornell faces Ripon for the home opener next Saturday, Sept. 17 at Van Metre Field at Ash Park. Kickoff is 1 p.m.