MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's football team has an opportunity to make a move up the Midwest Conference standings over the final three weeks of the season.
 
The Rams (2-5 overall, 2-4 MWC) are in a four-way tie for fifth place in the league race with Illinois College, Knox and Grinnell. Cornell will play all three aforementioned teams to close the campaign.
 
The stretch run begins Saturday with a 1 p.m. Senior Day game against Illinois College (2-5 overall, 2-4 MWC) in the home finale at Van Metre Field at Ash Park.
 
The Rams are coming off a challenging 1-4 stretch, which included the league's top four teams sporting a collective 21-3 MWC record. Cornell fell 47-14 at MWC co-leader Monmouth last Saturday.
 
Illinois College is in a similar position with dates against the Rams, Grinnell and 10th-place Beloit to finish the year. The Blueboys have won two straight games, edging Lawrence 38-37 on Oct. 16 and holding off Knox, 27-20, at home last weekend.
 
The series – The Rams and Blueboys square off for the 24th time on the grid iron. Cornell leads the all-time series, 17-6.
 
Cornell won the first 15 games in the series from 1983-97. The Blueboys have held the upper hand of late, winning the past four matchups.
 
Last meeting – Illinois College netted 538 total yards and pulled away in the second half for a 56-17 win over the Rams on Oct. 12, 2019 in Jacksonville, Ill. The Blueboys led 28-17 at halftime.
 
Illinois College's Trevor Small, a junior on this year's squad, rushed for 240 yards and five touchdowns. Cornell's Isaak Hahn accounted for 230 yards of total offense, including a 45-yard TD run that opened the game's scoring.
 
About the Blueboys – Illinois College raced to a 21-0 lead against Knox and then hung on late to preserve the win last Saturday. Quarterback Destin Chance passed for 257 yards, connecting with KJ Corley seven times for 182 yards and two TDs.
 
The Blueboys limited Knox to 164 total yards, and MWC Defensive Performer of the Week Jaylin Swan was a big reason why. The defensive end recorded 10 tackles (5.5 for losses), 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Swan is among the NCAA Division III leaders with 15.0 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks this season.
 
Chance has thrown for 1,218 yards and 10 TDs. Corley is the top target with 516 yards, averaging 17.7 per reception. Illinois College's defense ranks 18th nationally with 7.9 tackles for loss per game.  
 
Saluting the seniors – Cornell's 13 seniors will be recognized on the field prior to Saturday's kickoff.
 
All 13 seniors are listed in the 2-deep lineup, 10 of them starters. The class features Hahn (QB), Peni Waqairatu (RB), Mason Davis (TE), Marcellus Parks (WR), Brock Flack (OL), Ben Brassard (DE), Kale Kuhiiki (NG), Thomas Horne (LB), Colden Clark (LB), Eddie Del Castillo (LB), Demarius Pittman (CB), Jordan Burke (S) and Chandler Bowling (K/P).  
 
Hahn has totaled 2,153 career passing yards, Davis 1,122 career receiving yards and Waqairatu 872 career rushing yards. Pittman (108), Clark (105), Kuhiiki (92) and Del Castillo (88) have all topped 80 career tackles. Brassard leads the team with 19.5 career tackles for loss.
 
All-purpose player – Freshman Trey Birdsong has been a playmaker for Cornell's offense and special teams, netting 845 all-purpose yards this season. He stands fourth in the MWC at 120.7 yards per game.
 
With still three games to go, Birdsong is tied for seventh on Cornell's single-season list with 25 kickoff returns. He has 499 kick return yards, 11 shy of cracking Cornell's Top 10 and tying teammate Parks (2019).
 
Birdsong is second among Rams with 258 receiving yards and 16 catches. He's rushed the ball nine times for a team-high 6.3-yard average.