MOUNT VERNON – Chicago established control early in Saturday's football game and powered its way to a 56-7 Midwest Conference South Division win over Cornell in a steady rain at Van Metre Field at Ash Park.

Chicago's quick-strike offense scored touchdowns on its first four possessions and ran off 42 unanswered points before Cornell got on the board late in the second quarter. The physical Maroons (4-2 overall, 2-0 South) added two more scoring runs in the third quarter.

The Rams (2-4, 0-2 South) totaled 340 yards of offense, although gave up 577 to Chicago. The Maroons' rushing attack accounted for 440 yards on 57 carries.

Cornell quarterback Isaak Hahn (JR/Marion, Iowa) had a career day passing, completing 21-of-34 attempts for 240 yards. The junior connected with Mason Davis (JR/Kansas City, Mo.) for a 13-yard touchdown with 34 seconds to go before intermission.

Davis recorded his second straight 100-yard receiving game with nine catches for 120 yards. Eric Granillo (JR/Chino Valley, Ariz.) added 63 yards on four receptions.

Peni Waqairatu (JR/East Melbourne, Australia) led Cornell's ground game with 52 yards on 17 carries against the MWC's No. 1-ranked rush defense. Hahn ran for 29 yards on 11 attempts.

Safety Tylor Fairbanks (JR/Marion, Iowa) was busy in Cornell's secondary, posting a game-high 14 tackles, 12 of them solo stops. Ben Brassard (SO/Thornton, Colo.) collected 10 tackles, 3.5 for losses. Sophomore Easton Jensen (SO/Mesquite, Nev.) came away with an interception in the end zone, denying Chicago of a second-quarter score.

Chicago's offense needed only three plays before it found the end zone on a 57-yard pass play. The Maroons tacked on three TD runs later in the first quarter, including a 95-yarder by Vittorio Tricase, who finished his big day with 143 yards and three TDs on just seven rushing attempts.

The Maroons built the lead to 42-0 with 1:01 remaining in the second quarter. Chicago passed 11 times in the game, completing nine for 137 yards.   

Cornell sophomore Marcellus Parks (SO/Floosmoor, Ill.) accounted for 71 yards on three kickoff returns. Blake Langhurst (JR/Lisbon, Iowa) returned four kicks for 62 yards.   

Coming up – The Rams play host to South Division favorite Monmouth (3-2, 1-0 South) in the 106th Homecoming game next Saturday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m.