The 2023 Cornell Big Red football team represented Cornell University as a member of the Ivy League during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team was led by tenth-year head coach David Archer and played its home games at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.
The Cornell Big Red failed to improve on a 5–5 overall, and 2–5 Ivy League, finish during the 2022 season, concluding the 2023 season 3–7 overall, and again 2–5 in Ivy League competition, to place seventh of eight in the conference. Though the Big Red began the season with wins on the road against Lehigh and preseason Ivy League favorite Yale, Cornell was 1–7 thereafter, its sole remaining win a 36–14 victory over Brown. After the conclusion of the season, Cornell athletic director Nicki Moore announced the removal of David Archer from the head coaching position and the appointment of defensive coordinator Jared Backus as his interim replacement.
Six Cornell players won a total of seven all-Ivy League selections, with Cornell leading the League in representation on the all-Ivy second team. Defensive back Paul Lewis won first-team defensive all-Ivy League honors. On offense, lineman and team co-captain Micah Sahakian, quarterback Jameson Wang, and receiver Nicholas Laboy won second-team honors. On defense, linebacker Holt Fletcher also won second-team honors. Jackson Kennedy won second-team honors on special teams, as both placekicker and punter.
Schedule The Cornell Big Red's 2023 football schedule consisted of five away and five home games. Cornell hosted Ivy League opponents Brown, Princeton, and Columbia, and traveled to Yale, Harvard, Penn, and Dartmouth. Cornell's non-conference opponents were Lehigh, rival Colgate, and Bucknell, all belonging to the Patriot League. Homecoming coincided with the Big Red's home opener against Colgate on September 30.
In 2022, Cornell finished 5–5 overall and 2–5 in conference play. In the 2023 Ivy League Football Preseason Media Poll, Cornell was predicted to finish seventh of eight in the Ivy League, ahead of Brown. In early September 2023, before the start of the season, senior linebacker Jake Stebbins and senior offensive lineman Micah Sahakian were elected the team captains for 2023.
Game summaries At Lehigh
Seeking to improve on a 5–5 record in 2022, the Big Red traveled to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for its season opener on Saturday, September 16. The Big Red defeated the Mountain Hawks 23–20, aided by two first quarter touchdown passes from quarterback Jameson Wang, first to Davon Kiser and then to Parker Woodring. Jackson Kennedy kicked a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter, giving Cornell a 17–0 lead until Lehigh scored its first points in the game, a Luke Yoder rushing touchdown also in the second quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, Cornell opened the fourth quarter with a 27-yard Kennedy field goal following an interception by linebacker Holt Fletcher, his second of the game. Lehigh scored a rushing touchdown, narrowing the deficit to 20–14. With approximately three minutes remaining in regulation, Cornell's Kennedy kicked a third field goal, good from 29 yards, to which Lehigh responded with another touchdown, though Cornell blocked the point-after attempt. Cornell recovered Lehigh's onside kick with less than two minutes to play in regulation, leading 23–20, and was able to expend the remainder of the clock to secure its first victory of the season. Though Cornell did not score a touchdown beyond the first quarter, the Big Red outgained the Mountain Hawks 401 yards to 239 yards.
Jameson Wang was successful in 19 of 31 passing attempts, for 293 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Wang also led the Big Red in rushing, accumulating 85 yards in 17 carries. Davon Kiser was the Big Red receiving leader, accumulating 141 yards and one touchdown in four catches.
At Yale
The Big Red traveled to defending Ivy League champion Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut to open its conference schedule for the season on Saturday, September 23, seeking to improve on a 2–5 conference record and a sixth-place finish in Ivy League play in 2022. Cornell defeated Yale, 23–21. The Yale Bulldogs scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, opening up a 14–0 lead, though did not score again until recording a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Big Red's Jackson Kennedy kicked a 22-yard field goal late in the second quarter, narrowing the deficit at halftime to 14–3.
Cornell scored two touchdowns in the third quarter, a Jameson Wang 1-yard quarterback rush and a 3-yard pass from Wang to wide receiver Nicholas Laboy, resulting in Cornell's first lead of the game, 17–14. With just under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Cornell's Kennedy was again successful in a 22-yard field goal attempt, giving the Big Red a 20–14 lead. The Bulldogs briefly retook a 21–20 lead with a touchdown, a 30-yard pass on fourth down and just over three minutes remaining. Cornell responded, however, with a successful 30-yard Kennedy field goal following a 22-yard third down pass from Wang to wide receiver Doryn Smith and a 17-yard run by running back Gannon Carothers, securing the 23–21 upset victory against the pre-season Ivy League favorite as time expired. With the win, Cornell improved to 2–0 in the season, and 1–0 in Ivy League competition.
Jameson Wang was successful in 26 of 36 passing attempts, for 197 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Gannon Carothers led the Big Red in rushing, accumulating 95 yards in 9 carries. Doryn Smith was the Big Red receiving leader, accumulating 51 yards in four catches. In spite of the victory, senior linebacker and team co-captain Jake Stebbins suffered a knee injury during the contest with Yale, ending his season.
Colgate
The Big Red returned to Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York for homecoming and for its season home opener against rival Colgate University on Saturday, September 30. The Colgate Raiders defeated the Cornell Big Red, 35–25. Cornell scored first, a 10-yard first quarter touchdown run by Jameson Wang, to which Colgate responded later in the first quarter with a 20-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Cornell retook the lead in the second quarter with a 5-yard Wang run and Colgate again responded with a touchdown of its own. Cornell's Jackson Kennedy successfully kicked a 34-yard field goal shortly before the expiration of the second quarter, giving Cornell a 17–14 lead at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter which included an interception by Cornell cornerback Anthony Chideme-Alfaro, Colgate scored two touchdowns in the fourth to open up a 28–17 lead, the second of which followed a Jameson Wang fumble recovered by Colgate on the Big Red's 23-yard line. With less than three minutes remaining in regulation, Wang threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cornell wide receiver Nicholas Laboy and followed with a two-yard rush for a successful two-point conversion, bringing the Big Red to within a field goal of tying the game, 28–25. On Colgate's ensuing possession, Cornell's defense forced the Raiders to punt, positioning Cornell on its own three-yard line with approximately two minutes remaining. The Raiders defense, however, sacked Wang on the second play from scrimmage and forced a fumble, which Colgate recovered in Cornell's endzone for a touchdown and a 35–25 lead. Receiving the ball again with less than two minutes remaining, Cornell was able to drive to Colgate's 49-yard line but was unable to convert on fourth down. Taking over on downs, Colgate expended the remainder of the clock on offense. With the defeat, the Big Red fell to 2–1 (1–0 Ivy League).
Jameson Wang was successful in 23 of 36 passing attempts, for 226 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. Second-string quarterback Luke Duby also made an appearance in Cornell's final possession, completing four of seven passing attempts for 35 yards. Wang led the Big Red in rushing, accumulating 63 yards and two touchdowns in 12 carries. Nicholas Laboy was the Big Red receiving leader, accumulating 104 yards and one touchdown in seven catches.
At No. 21 Harvard
The Big Red traveled to Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts to resume its conference schedule on Friday, October 6. Cornell was defeated by the No. 21 Harvard Crimson under the lights of Harvard Stadium, 41–23, falling to 2–2 on the season (1–1 Ivy League). Harvard opened scoring with the only points of the first quarter, a one-yard touchdown run capping a 60-yard drive, and followed in the second quarter with a 42-yard touchdown run. The point-after attempt following the second touchdown was blocked, however, and the Crimson took a 13–0 lead. Later in the second, the Big Red responded with a touchdown of its own, its first points of the game on a Jameson Wang 1-yard touchdown run concluding a 75-yard, 15-play drive. Narrowing the deficit to 13–7, this is the closest Cornell came to tying or leading the game after scoring began. Harvard again scored in the second with a 36-yard touchdown pass followed by a successful two-point conversion to render the score 21–7. Near the end of the second quarter, Cornell's Jackson Kennedy kicked a 43-yard field goal to close first half scoring at 21–10.
Harvard again opened scoring in the second half, with a 17-yard third quarter touchdown pass to take a 28–10 lead. Later in the third, Cornell responded with another Wang touchdown run, this time for four yards. Shortly thereafter in the third, however, Harvard's quarterback broke away on a 58-yard touchdown run to open up a 34–17 lead for the Crimson. Harvard added to the lead in the fourth quarter, a 19-yard touchdown pass at the conclusion of a 4-play, 40-yard drive. Late in the fourth quarter, Cornell scored the final points of the game on a 12-yard pass from second-string quarterback Luke Duby, coming into the game in relief, to receiver Samuel Musungu, followed by an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt.
Jameson Wang was successful in 21 of 34 passing attempts, for 165 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. In Cornell's final scoring drive, Luke Duby completed nine of eleven passing attempts in relief for 78 yards and one touchdown. Wang led the Big Red in rushing, accumulating 25 yards and two touchdowns in 14 carries. Nicholas Laboy was the Big Red receiving leader, accumulating 66 yards and one touchdown in five catches.
Bucknell
Following the defeat on the road against Harvard, the Cornell Big Red returned to Ithaca to conclude its season nonconference schedule against Bucknell University on Saturday, October 14. The Bucknell Bison defeated the Big Red, 21–13. Cornell scored first, a 46-yard field goal kicked by Jackson Kennedy shortly past the halfway point of the first quarter. The Bucknell Bison responded with an early second quarter 1-yard touchdown run to take a 7–3 lead. The Big Red narrowed the deficit to 7–6 with another field goal kicked by Kennedy, this time for 35 yards, as time expired in the first half. The Big Red opened scoring in the second half, a 5-yard Jameson Wang touchdown run just over two minutes into the third quarter to take a 13–7 lead. This touchdown represented the last points recorded by Cornell, as Bucknell scored on a 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to retake a 14–13 lead. Bucknell added to the lead with the only points scored in the fourth quarter, a 6-yard touchdown pass with 9:15 remaining in the game to secure the 21–13 victory over Cornell.
Jameson Wang was successful in 15 of 26 passing attempts, for 200 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Wang led the Big Red in rushing, accumulating 40 yards and one touchdown in 13 carries. Nicholas Laboy was the Big Red receiving leader, accumulating 89 yards in five catches.
Brown