MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's football team was full of big plays in a steady rain Saturday night, kicking off the new campaign with a 33-6 thumping of Iowa Wesleyan at Van Metre Field at Ash Park.
Junior quarterback Isaak Hahn (JR/Marion, Iowa) was efficient as can be in his second collegiate start and the defense dominated throughout, sending the Rams to their fifth consecutive season-opening victory. Cornell improved to 8-2 in openers under head coach Vince Brautigam.
The Rams (1-0) scored points on six of their first eight possessions and wound up outgaining the Tigers (0-1) in total yards, 430-166. All four of Cornell's touchdowns covered at least 39 yards.
Junior running back Peni Waqairatu (JR/East Melbourne, Australia) set the tone on Cornell's opening series, rambling 40 yards through the IWU defense for a touchdown. On the next possession, Hahn hit Blake Langhurst (JR/Lisbon, Iowa) perfectly in stride with a deep pass that went 41 yards for a TD and put the Rams ahead 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
Aaron Nicoll (SR/Longmont, Colo.) added a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter and the Rams took a 17-0 lead into intermission. By halftime, the Tigers had minus-2 rushing yards on 15 carries.
The Rams had more explosive plays coming in the second half, including a 59-yard touchdown reception by Mason Davis (JR/Kansas City, Mo.) just three minutes in. A Nicoll 28-yard field goal made it 26-0, and then Cornell's defense joined in on the scoring action.
Cornell linebacker Devin Roettger (SR/Colorado Springs, Colo.), the team's honorary captain for Week 1, scooped up a Tiger fumble and raced 39 yards to the end zone, giving the Rams a comfortable 33-0 lead with 6:03 remaining in the third quarter.
Hahn finished an impressive night 15-of-19 passing for 209 yards and two TDs. He also carried the ball 10 times for 44 yards.
Trevhon Porterfield (JR/Minneola, Fla.) netted a game-high 67 rushing yards, followed by Waqairatu with 57. Langhurst led the receiving corps with four catches for 77 yards. Davis had three receptions for 77 yards.
Cornell limited the Tigers to 45 rushing yards on 29 attempts. IWU went 2-of-13 on third-down conversions.
Tyler Fairbanks posted a team-high nine tackles for the Rams. Defensive tackle Ben Brassard (SO/Thornton, Colo.) had three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. Freshman lineman Theodore Tyler (FR/New Orleans, La.) accounted for one sack and freshman defensive back Elijah Jones (FR/Ocoee, Fla.) capped the night with an interception in the closing seconds.
The Rams travel to play Coe in the annual Bremner Cup rivalry at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, in Cedar Rapids.
