Columbia University
Cornell
Football Concludes Season at Cornell in the Empire State Bowl
11/19/2025 2:00:00 PM | Football
The Lions and Big Red will meet in the season finale on Saturday in Ithaca
NEW YORK — Columbia football (1-8, 0-6) will wrap up the 2025 campaign against Cornell (4-5, 3-3) in the Empire State Bowl this Saturday, November 22 in Ithaca. Kick-off is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
OPENING DRIVE
• Saturday marks the 15th annual Empire State Bowl between the Lions and Big Red.
• First-year Michael Walters set the Lions' rookie rushing record.
• Senior Justin Townsend is 1.5 sacks shy of breaking the Columbia career sack record of 22.5, held by Daniel DeLorenzi '20CC.
A COLUMBIA WIN WOULD...
• Snap a seven-game losing streak.
• Be Columbia's first Ivy League win of the season.
• Be Columbia's first road win of the season.
• Improve the Lions to 8-6 against the Big Red since the inception of the Empire State Bowl.
THE EMPIRE STATE BOWL
Columbia and Cornell compete against each other annually in the Empire State Bowl. The rivalry took on the name in 2010, emblematic for Ivy League football supremacy in New York State. The teams have each earned the trophy six times since its inception.
Each year's winner earns the right to take home the Empire Cup. The rivalry ranks as the 15th all-time most played series in the history of college football.
Since 2018, the game has been the final contest on both team's schedules.
SERIES HISTORY
Columbia and Cornell will meet for the 112th time in a series that dates back to 1889. The Big Red are 66-42-3 all-time against the Lions. However, Columbia has won four in a row and six of the last seven matchups.
Columbia is also 8-6 against Cornell since the inception of the Empire State Bowl in 2010.
A LOOK BACK...
The Lions used an all-around effort to pick up a 17-9 victory over Cornell. The win, coupled with Yale's win over Harvard on Saturday, gave Columbia a share of its first conference crown since 1961.
The wind, with gusts up to 30 miles per hour, dictated much of the script for both teams and hindered their passing attacks in the early portion of the game. Instead, both offenses leaned heavily on their rushing attacks, with Columbia racking up 184 rushing yards and Cornell matching that total on the ground. Senior running back Joey Giorgi spearheaded their effort with career-highs of 165 yards and 29 carries.
Columbia's passing game, led by Caleb Sanchez, came through in the second half and finished with 221 yards on 11-of-19 passing, with critical completions on third downs that sustained key drives. Columbia's defense held the Big Red to a season-low in points. CJ Brown and Hayden McDonald came up with crucial interceptions, both in plus territory. McDonald's interception in the fourth quarter came with the Big Red on the Lions' 15, preserving Columbia's lead and effectively ending the Big Red's comeback hopes.
CORNELL'S STATUS
• Cornell saw its four-game win streak snapped after dropping a 24-14 decision at Dartmouth last weekend. The Big Red will look to finish the season at .500 for the first time since 2022.
•Dan Swanstrom is in his second season leading the Big Red. Previously, Swanstrom served as the offensive coordinator at Penn from 2022 to 2023. In his first season, Cornell went 4-6 and finished 3-4 in Ivy League play.
• Junior quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio has a rushing touchdown in seven consecutive games.
• Junior tight end and 2024 All-American Ryder Kurtz currently ranks 10th in the conference with 55.8 yards per game, which is the most by a tight end in the Ivy League this season.
• Defensively, Braylon Howard leads the Ivy League and is tied for fourth in the nation in passes broken up.
POSTGAME NOTES - BROWN
• Columbia set a season-high with 29 points against the Bears.
• Walters was the first Lion running back to eclipse the 100-yard mark since Joey Giorgi '24CC in the season finale against Cornell in 2024.
• Caleb Solomon's blocked field goal in the second quarter was the first for the program since 2023.
• Mason Robinson became the first Lion to block a punt since 2017, when he got a piece of the ball in thef fourth quarter.
• The two blocked kicks were the most for the program since 2022 against Harvard.
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