Cornell football 2018

Princeton appears to have an objectively good football team, as in not good by Ivy standards, but good good.

50- 7 at Butler
51- 9 Monmouth
45-10 at Columbia
66- 7 Lehigh
42-10 Brown (still in progress)

ugarte

Al DeFlorio

ugarte
I don't think we watch the same games, Al. A better team ended the first drive by making plays. The calls weren't dumb, they just didn't work.

No, we watch the same games. We just have a different idea of smart play-calling.

We're disagreeing over whether it was the call or the execution.

On your opening drive, With third and one on the 23 yard line of a team that hasn't given up a touchdown in its last four games, you have two shots to gain a yard, continue that drive, and maybe send an early message with a touchdown. And you have a 240 pound quarterback who can go under center and plunge forward. At least run a play that goes north-south, where it's very unlikely you'll lose ground. The last thing to do is run east-west and risk losing yardage on third down. So what did Cornell do?

billhoward
It's on to Providence. Brown has only a win over Georgetown so far, was blanked by Rhode Island 48-0 in the Newport Mansions Cup (I'm sure it has a name), and is being pounded by Princeton 35-3 today.

If Cornell loses to Brown, Archer should be fired at the end of the season.

Al DeFlorio

ugarte

Al DeFlorio

ugarte
I don't think we watch the same games, Al. A better team ended the first drive by making plays. The calls weren't dumb, they just didn't work.

No, we watch the same games. We just have a different idea of smart play-calling.

We're disagreeing over whether it was the call or the execution.

On your opening drive, With third and one on the 23 yard line of a team that hasn't given up a touchdown in its last four games, you have two shots to gain a yard, continue that drive, and maybe send an early message with a touchdown. And you have a 240 pound quarterback who can go under center and plunge forward. At least run a play that goes north-south, where it's very unlikely you'll lose ground. The last thing to do is run east-west and risk losing yardage on third down. So what did Cornell do?

Third down was dumb. Fourth down was no longer one yard and the squad blocked like crap on the screen. So it was both.

ugarte

Al DeFlorio

ugarte

Al DeFlorio

ugarte
I don't think we watch the same games, Al. A better team ended the first drive by making plays. The calls weren't dumb, they just didn't work.

No, we watch the same games. We just have a different idea of smart play-calling.

We're disagreeing over whether it was the call or the execution.

On your opening drive, With third and one on the 23 yard line of a team that hasn't given up a touchdown in its last four games, you have two shots to gain a yard, continue that drive, and maybe send an early message with a touchdown. And you have a 240 pound quarterback who can go under center and plunge forward. At least run a play that goes north-south, where it's very unlikely you'll lose ground. The last thing to do is run east-west and risk losing yardage on third down. So what did Cornell do?

Third down was dumb. Fourth down was no longer one yard and the squad blocked like crap on the screen. So it was both.

Yes, the blocking was crap. No question. Against the #1 defense that is fast, athletic, and pursues like crazy, in a must-make or else lose-the-ball situation, call a play where the receiver is at least the requisite number of yards downfield to get the first. How about a slant over the middle or a button-hook to the outside, at least five yards downfield?

Al DeFlorio

ugarte

Al DeFlorio

ugarte

Al DeFlorio

ugarte
I don't think we watch the same games, Al. A better team ended the first drive by making plays. The calls weren't dumb, they just didn't work.

No, we watch the same games. We just have a different idea of smart play-calling.

We're disagreeing over whether it was the call or the execution.

On your opening drive, With third and one on the 23 yard line of a team that hasn't given up a touchdown in its last four games, you have two shots to gain a yard, continue that drive, and maybe send an early message with a touchdown. And you have a 240 pound quarterback who can go under center and plunge forward. At least run a play that goes north-south, where it's very unlikely you'll lose ground. The last thing to do is run east-west and risk losing yardage on third down. So what did Cornell do?

Third down was dumb. Fourth down was no longer one yard and the squad blocked like crap on the screen. So it was both.

Yes, the blocking was crap. No question. Against the #1 defense that is fast, athletic, and pursues like crazy, in a must-make or else lose-the-ball situation, call a play where the receiver is at least the requisite number of yards downfield to get the first. How about a slant over the middle or a button-hook to the outside, at least five yards downfield?

The one thing i've learned from watching both NFL football and Ivy League football is you have to get what NFL offenses are capable of out of your head because the arms and heads in the Ivies just aren't up to it. Quick slants and buttonhooks are precise timing patterns that I don't think I'd even trust Banks to throw with the zip to make them work, and if they aren't open what's your second read? I think the answer is that Archer trusts Coles more than Banks, so that's why you get a screen called and if the entire Colgate line beats their blocks, that's how the play goes. We got torched by a team that is much better than we are. Would have been nice to get some points though.

Ken711

billhoward
It's on to Providence. Brown has only a win over Georgetown so far, was blanked by Rhode Island 48-0 in the Newport Mansions Cup (I'm sure it has a name), and is being pounded by Princeton 35-3 today.

If Cornell loses to Brown, Archer should be fired at the end of the season.

Have you given up on the idea of summary execution? You're a softie.

billhoward

Ken711

billhoward
It's on to Providence. Brown has only a win over Georgetown so far, was blanked by Rhode Island 48-0 in the Newport Mansions Cup (I'm sure it has a name), and is being pounded by Princeton 35-3 today.

If Cornell loses to Brown, Archer should be fired at the end of the season.

Have you given up on the idea of summary execution? You're a softie.

Summary firing sounds about right though if they lose. Let's see the finally games remaining.

at Brown - They had better win
at Princeton - No chance
Penn - Good chance
Dartmouth - Doubtful
at Columbia - Winnable

Uh-oh, second quarter, and we haven't scored. Neither has Brown. Still. This is the Brown of old, not the one that clobbered Cornell most every year from the mid '90s to the mid '00s.

Now it's a shootout, Brown 10 Cornell 7 late in the second. 2 TD passes late put Cornell up 14-10 at the half. More like it.

Q3: Another Cornell TD, 21-10 in the third. Brown gets to the Cornell 5, Cornell's David Jones blocks the FGA and Cornell runs it all the way back to the, uh, Brown 25. (Hey, we blocked it.) End of 3rd, Cornell 21-10.

Q4: 7 seconds into 4th, Dalton Banks 59 yards to Lars Pederson but there's an offside against - phew - Brown. 28-10. Roll Tide. Cornell then Brown score in last 6 minutes. Brown tries for 2 points to make it 36-18 and with a 3-minute miracle of 2 TDs, 2 conversions and an FG, they'd upset Cornell.

Amazing: six games in, we're 3-3 with a 2-1 Ivy record. Toughest game of the year, give or take Colgate, is at Princeton next Saturday. Tigers are 6-0, held off Harvard on the road 29-21. A happy note from Princeton's game story for Cornell fans who travel:

Princeton PR
Princeton remains in a first-place tie with Dartmouth, a Saturday road winner at Columbia, and will take on Cornell next Saturday at 1 pm on Powers Field. Tickets are still available for that game, and you can watch it live on ESPN+.

Cornell          0   14   7  13  -- 34
Brown            0   10   0   6  -- 16

Cornell PR game story: [cornellbigred.com]

billhoward
Uh-oh, second quarter, and we haven't scored. Neither has Brown. Still.

Brown leads 3-0. Both teams are lousy.

Two TDs make it 14-10 CU at the half.

Al DeFlorio
Two TDs make it 14-10 CU at the half.

We’re certainly playing better. Now driving to start the 2nd half, at around the Brown 20. TD here would be big.

28-10, pulling away. Banks with 3 TD passes.

ESPN has a win probability doohickey:

34-10, now. I don't know how much of it is Brown, but we look mobile, organized, and confident.

scoop85

billhoward
Uh-oh, second quarter, and we haven't scored. Neither has Brown. Still.

Brown leads 3-0. Both teams areBrown is lousy.

There’s lousy, and then there’s lousy. We are less lousy.

Trotsky
ESPN has a win probability doohickey:

In medical terms, beware next week of flatlining.

Of the three Cornell losses, one came against Delaware, a 4-2 team nobody ever expected us to beat, and Colgate, a ranked team that hasn't given up a single touchdown since the first week of the season.

It's not as if our losses were against mediocre, cupcake teams. Our only Ivy loss (thus far) was against the team favored to win the Ivy League this season.

Perhaps we we are better team than we / anyone else thinks we are. I didn't say a great team, but not an assumed W like we were two years ago.

marty

George64
I watched the game on ESPN+ and it seemed that there were many commercial breaks. According to box scores, the SHU game ran for 3:10 and last week's Yale game ran 3:15. In contrast, the first two games on IDN last year, Colgate and Bucknell, ran for 2:41 and 2:36, respectively. Presumably, the many and lengthy commercials accounted for the extra 34 minutes per game. I hope that this trend doesn't continue into hockey season as annoying commercial timeouts affect the flow of the game and provide a break for less well conditioned teams, not to mention that fans will get home later.

This would suck for us old timers and hockey purists of any age. The only silver lining is that it would give the coaching staff more experience in dealing with the finesse needed in line matching, etc. when dealing with a game with more timeouts. It could make the staff more ready for playoff hockey.

This really belongs in hockey... Tonight at RPI there were 3 short time outs per period. The first came at about the 6 to 7 minute mark. The "shovel" time out was similar to last year at about the 10 to 11 minute mark followed by another at about the 15 minute mark. For the first and third timeout of the third period I timed the buzzer to ref whistle interval. It was about 45 seconds from the official clock buzzer sound until the ref blew the whistle to indicate the time out was over. Within about 15 seconds the teams were lined up for the puck drop. The midpoint time out lasted a bit longer.

I saw no red light at Houston Field House to indicate the stoppages.

Extension for the Coach!

billhoward
Brown gets to the Cornell 5, Cornell's David Jones blocks the FGA and Cornell runs it all the way back to the, uh, Brown 25. (Hey, we blocked it.)

we blocked it but we didn't run it back - the Brown holder fell on the ball at the 25.

Looking like the Keystone Cops today.

Al DeFlorio
Looking like the Keystone Cops today.

Did you expect them to win? Cornell is not on the same level as Princeton or Dartmouth. 35-0 Princeton already. This was expected to be a blow-out. As I posted above:

at Brown - They had better win
at Princeton - No chance
Penn - Good chance
Dartmouth - Doubtful
at Columbia - Winnable

42-0 Princeton in the 2nd Qt. Archer facing his normal late season meltdown leading this team.

Ken711

Did you expect them to win?

No. But I did expect more competence than this. Not so far from being on pace for a 100-0 loss.

Princeton throwing in last minute of half, up 42-0. Think we’ll be an underdog vs Penn

Ken711

Al DeFlorio
Looking like the Keystone Cops today.

Did you expect them to win?

What a stupid question.

I didn't expect them to have three interceptions, a long snap over the punter's head, two holding penalties and one blocking-in-the-back penalty in the first 23 minutes.

Thank God it was a dismal rainy day. Otherwise I'd have been there.

Glad I wasn't.

"So, wonder how we did."

(Looks at score.)

"Seems legit."

Note that Harvard, beaten by Cornell a month ago, played the other unbeaten, dominant Ivy team, Dartmouth, to a 24-17 score (not 66-0), putting up 50 yards more total offense.

Keystone Cops today, indeed.

Al DeFlorio
Note that Harvard, beaten by Cornell a month ago, played the other unbeaten, dominant Ivy team, Dartmouth, to a 24-17 score (not 66-0), putting up 50 yards more total offense.

Keystone Cops today, indeed.

That's because good coaches make adjustments to other teams as the season progresses. Cornell, under Archer, ALWAYS fades at the end of the season as other coaches have game planned how to beat Cornell.

On the bright side of the 66-0 loss to Princeton, 4200 fans did make it to the game, at least to the start, and the Nor'easter predicted was only light rainfall. Which made the ball slick and possibly kept the score down. Princeton was clearly dominant and is now fired up for the likely Ivy title game next Saturday, Dartmouth at Princeton, both teams 7-0.

Three points:
* The Cornell band was as dominant as the Princeton scramble band. Princeton's pre-game salate to the Big Red was in the form of an ag school joke. Quelle surprise
* In a game where Cornell had about a dozen possessions, Koby Kiefer only punted 3 times. Cornell's Dalton Banks was intercepted 4 times, was 0x4 on fourth down, but lost no fumbles.
* Princeton outrushed Cornell 358-139, including the game's last 7 yards, a TD run by Cole Smith (photo).

Look at the bright side, over the last 2 games with Princeton, we have split with them.

toddlose
Look at the bright side, over the last 2 games with Princeton, we have split with them.

How about this for a "bright side", over the last 3 games with Princeton, Cornell has been outscored 150 to 36.

FIRE ARCHER!

Princeton fan on Facebook casts aspersions on the Big Red.

billhoward
Princeton fan on Facebook casts aspersions on the Big Red.

Hope he/she is not a Princeton grad with "Bi-week"

billhoward
Princeton fan on Facebook casts aspersions on the Big Red.

Cornell is pacing themselves to save their best for the final 3 games of the season.

scoop85

billhoward
Princeton fan on Facebook casts aspersions on the Big Red.

Hope he/she is not a Princeton grad with "Bi-week"

Sounds homophobic to me!

[cornellsun.com]

Ken711
[cornellsun.com]

Wait, the women’s lacrosse team uses the *visiting* men’s locker room at Lynah? That’s just a room
with some hooks on a wall, isn’t it? I sure hope the writer is mixing up that locker room with the old CU men’s or women’s locker rooms.

Ken711
[cornellsun.com]

Exhorting the powers that be to renew the Syracuse–Cornell football rivalry after a 66–0 drubbing at the hands of Princeton seems… quixotic.

Bravo to Mark Wolcott, the author of the Sun piece. His family is a major donor to Cornell athletics. If we want to be competitive in athletics, we need to make it a priority, invest the necessary resources, & hold those who work in athletics accountable for their results. It costs a lot to win, & even more to lose...

In all honesty why would we invest in a dying sport?

I'd prefer it if the Ivies all dropped football in unison.

all well and good, but I'd invest in hockey, lacrosse, wrestling - i.e. sports we can be/are nationally competitive at

More boys aged 14-17 are still playing football than any other sport. The Ivies will continue to play football. The question is are we satisfied with winning 25% of our games, or do we want to be competitive. I care more about hockey & lacrosse than football, but we should at least be competitive in all the higher profile sports.
We don’t need to worry about wrestling having sufficient resources.

Trotsky
In all honesty why would we invest in a dying sport?

I'd prefer it if the Ivies all dropped football in unison.

Because some of us still enjoy playing and/or watching?

Pro Choice.

Hey, football's fine if that's what you're into -- I've watched most of the Cornell games on ESPN+ this year. But I don't see any point in throwing any more resources at a behemoth which already warps and distends athletic budgets and gender balance. And attempting to gain Ivy football dominance is a bit like trying to win the Special Olympics. It makes the disabled participants feel empowered, and that's laudable, but it's part vanity project and part hot house flower competition.

CAS
More boys aged 14-17 are still playing football than any other sport. The Ivies will continue to play football. The question is are we satisfied with winning 25% of our games, or do we want to be competitive. I care more about hockey & lacrosse than football, but we should at least be competitive in all the higher profile sports.
We don’t need to worry about wrestling having sufficient resources.

Great points! Certainly, building an indoor practice facility with Ithaca's climate challenges would greatly benefit a lot of both men's and women's sports (i.e., football, lacrosse, baseball, softball, etc.).

Ken711

CAS
More boys aged 14-17 are still playing football than any other sport. The Ivies will continue to play football. The question is are we satisfied with winning 25% of our games, or do we want to be competitive. I care more about hockey & lacrosse than football, but we should at least be competitive in all the higher profile sports.
We don’t need to worry about wrestling having sufficient resources.

Great points! Certainly, building an indoor practice facility with Ithaca's climate challenges would greatly benefit a lot of both men's and women's sports (i.e., football, lacrosse, baseball, softball, etc.).

This seems like such a no-brainer that one wonders why it's not already the highest priority in the athletics budget.

Trotsky
Hey, football's fine if that's what you're into -- I've watched most of the Cornell games on ESPN+ this year. But I don't see any point in throwing any more resources at a behemoth which already warps and distends athletic budgets and gender balance. And attempting to gain Ivy football dominance is a bit like trying to win the Special Olympics. It makes the disabled participants feel empowered, and that's laudable, but it's part vanity project and part hot house flower competition.

I am conflicted about football. I still enjoy jumping n the bandwagon when a team I should like is playing well. But my reasons for trying to give up football is twofold 1) Your point about the Ivies being in lower division and therefore prohibited from ever being among the tops in the nation 2) CTE

Has football faced up to the issues around CTE and is there a path forward? I am not sure that banning certain kinds of practce and more strictly enforcing the rules is enough. Unlike hockey (which also has serious issues with CTE) eliminating head to head contact would require fundamental rule changes.

Swampy

Ken711

CAS
More boys aged 14-17 are still playing football than any other sport. The Ivies will continue to play football. The question is are we satisfied with winning 25% of our games, or do we want to be competitive. I care more about hockey & lacrosse than football, but we should at least be competitive in all the higher profile sports.
We don’t need to worry about wrestling having sufficient resources.

Great points! Certainly, building an indoor practice facility with Ithaca's climate challenges would greatly benefit a lot of both men's and women's sports (i.e., football, lacrosse, baseball, softball, etc.).

This seems like such a no-brainer that one wonders why it's not already the highest priority in the athletics budget.

I sure hope it becomes a top priority for athletic facilities.

Trotsky
Hey, football's fine if that's what you're into -- I've watched most of the Cornell games on ESPN+ this year. But I don't see any point in throwing any more resources at a behemoth which already warps and distends athletic budgets and gender balance. And attempting to gain Ivy football dominance is a bit like trying to win the Special Olympics. It makes the disabled participants feel empowered, and that's laudable, but it's part vanity project and part hot house flower competition.

+1

Penn at Cornell, football, 6 p.m. Yale at Cornell, hockey, 7 p.m. What's the over-under on hockey vs. football attendance?

I'm thinking: Tailgate, one-plus quarters of football, then hockey.

Cornell may be the only school where the roar from the rink after a goal could be heard on the football field.

Penn looks awful Cornell should win this game easily if they don't make more dumb calls like the goal line sweep call.

Hate the decision not take the FG. Must be confident. Don't know why though after giving up 60+ last week.

Penn no longer looks so awful.

Whoever called that sweep on 2nd and goal from the half-yard line should be fired. A 245-pound QB should be able to sneak a half-yard in three tries.

TimV
Hare the decision not take the FG. Must be confident. Don't know why though after giving up 60+ last week.

They should have taken the 3 points this early in the game. The play calling under David Archer's staff continue to be underwhelming. This is the weakest Penn teams I watched in the last 10 years. Cornell should be in control easily by now.

Al DeFlorio
Penn no longer looks so awful.

Whoever called that sweep on 2nd and goal from the half-yard line should be fired. A 245-pound QB should be able to sneak a half-yard in three tries.

David Archer call, and yes he should be fired when this season is over.

7-3 now. Penn is undersized and can't stop the Cornell offense.

2nd targeting call and player ejection. That's poor coaching by Cornell coaches.

10-7 Penn.

Now 17-7. Ugh.

Jeff Hopkins '82
Now 17-7. Ugh.

Now 20-7. Double ugh.

Ken711

Jeff Hopkins '82
Now 17-7. Ugh.

Now 20-7. Double ugh.

And final.

So much for any shot at a winning Ivy record.

Cornell with yet another loss under David Archer in a mistake filled game, The Cornell scoring machine offense scored 7 points in its last two games! Andy has to fire Archer at the end of this season.

The official attendance for Friday night's game was 1,066. It's hard to make an argument for continuing to fund the football program with such dismal fan support. Yes, there was a hockey game going on at the same time, but that's unlikely to have made a huge dent into the attendance at the football game.

dbilmes
The official attendance for Friday night's game was 1,066. It's hard to make an argument for continuing to fund the football program with such dismal fan support. Yes, there was a hockey game going on at the same time, but that's unlikely to have made a huge dent into the attendance at the football game.

Why show up when the you know there will be questionable play calling and another loss. First, why on earth wouldn't you try a QB sneak on a 1st and goal at the one, with a 6'3" 245 QB who had already made some nice runs in that drive, Then when faced 4th down, they leave points on the board instead of going for the field goal. Poor defensive coaching, leading to poor tackling techniques, leading to two targeting calls. It's unfathomable if David Archer isn't fired at the end of this season.

Let’s fix football, not abandon it. We need to invest in it (coaches, facilities, etc.). Playing Ivy football helps the Cornell brand. If Columbia can turn around their football program, we can too.

CAS
Let’s fix football, not abandon it. We need to invest in it (coaches, facilities, etc.). Playing Ivy football helps the Cornell brand. If Columbia can turn around their football program, we can too.

Just to play devil's advocate, do we really need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on football to help the Cornell brand? We had a record number of applicants for this year's freshman class, and with the exception of the recruited football players, it's unlikely that most of them applied to Cornell because of our football program. I meet with approximately 15 Cornell applicants every year as part of my volunteer work for the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network, and most of the kids I meet with have no idea of anything regarding Cornell athletics, with the exception of the rare few who are being recruited for a particular sport.

It was a record year for admissions at Cornell (51,000 applications, 61% yield). Many of Cornell’s applicants are probably attracted to attending an Ivy League school. The Ivies are an athletic conference. Not playing football weakens that connection. And is saving a few hundred thousand dollars in a budget of over $2 billion for the Ithaca campus material?

CAS
Let’s fix football, not abandon it. We need to invest in it (coaches, facilities, etc.). Playing Ivy football helps the Cornell brand. If Columbia can turn around their football program, we can too.

Couldn't agree more.

People forget how bad Brown and Penn were before hiring the right football coaches, and committing the appropriate resources to the sport.

I feel bad for the players. They're not working any less than the other Ivy teams, they're just winning less. Maybe a coaching change is in order. You can't say "fire the coach" in his second or third year if you're committed to rebuilding. If this is the year for change, then let's hope the new coach and much of the staff is in place in December.

Didn't Archer get another contract extension after last season?

Al DeFlorio
Didn't Archer get another contract extension after last season?

If he did, it could and should be bought out. It makes no sense to keep a coach who can't win just to fulfill a contract. Six years is more than enough time for his own recruits to establish a winning program, if Archer and his staff recruited, developed and coached those players properly.

billhoward
I feel bad for the players. They're not working any less than the other Ivy teams, they're just winning less. Maybe a coaching change is in order. You can't say "fire the coach" in his second or third year if you're committed to rebuilding. If this is the year for change, then let's hope the new coach and much of the staff is in place in December.

That's on AN, he should have a list of potential coaching replacements when he makes the change. This is year six under David Archer. It's just not working out and with a senior dominated team, the fall-off next season could potentially be worse.

Ken711

Al DeFlorio
Didn't Archer get another contract extension after last season?

If he did, it could and should be bought out. It makes no sense to keep a coach who can't win just to fulfill a contract. Six years is more than enough time for his own recruits to establish a winning program, if Archer and his staff recruited, developed and coached those players properly.

Neither Athletics nor the Sun reported on the length or end date of the extension.

Athletics
a contract extension with additional performance-based incentives to remain at his alma mater.

David Harding

Ken711

Al DeFlorio
Didn't Archer get another contract extension after last season?

If he did, it could and should be bought out. It makes no sense to keep a coach who can't win just to fulfill a contract. Six years is more than enough time for his own recruits to establish a winning program, if Archer and his staff recruited, developed and coached those players properly.

Neither Athletics nor the Sun reported on the length or end date of the extension.

Athletics
a contract extension with additional performance-based incentives to remain at his alma mater.

Well Archer surely never achieved any "performance-based" incentives based on his current record. If this is his second extension, with the first signed before the 2016 season, I'd assume it was a two-year extension. So, he probably has another year left. Buying out that final year shouldn't be an impediment to bringing in a new coach and improving this football program.

Al DeFlorio
Didn't Archer get another contract extension after last season?

David Archer '05 has been Cornell coach since fall 2013. So this is his sixth year. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Archer has signed two contract extensions. If I read the Sun story right, it reported in February 2018 that the second extension was signed "some time ago" as in after the 2017 season ended, perhaps. One was signed before the 2016 season (after three years). They could have a two-year (2016, 2017) and then a two- or one-year extension (2018 or 2018 & 2019).

If Cornell beats Columbia in the season finale, he is 4-6 and it's a tie for his best season ever, if you're a "glass is half full" person.

2-8  2013
1-9
1-9
4-6
3-7 
3-5 2018 YTD

Archer may be a singular talent, a Cornell alum, coming in as the then-youngest D1 head coach, but 15-45 (.250) after six years is probably enough time to judge him.

billhoward

Al DeFlorio
Didn't Archer get another contract extension after last season?

David Archer '05 has been Cornell coach since fall 2013. So this is his sixth year. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Archer has signed two contract extensions. If I read the Sun story right, it reported in February 2018 that the second extension was signed "some time ago" as in after the 2017 season ended, perhaps. One was signed before the 2016 season (after three years). They could have a two-year (2016, 2017) and then a two- or one-year extension (2018 or 2018 & 2019).

If Cornell beats Columbia in the season finale, he is 4-6 and it's a tie for his best season ever, if you're a "glass is half full" person.

2-8  2013
1-9
1-9
4-6
3-7 
3-5 2018 YTD

Archer may be a singular talent, a Cornell alum, coming in as the then-youngest D1 head coach, but 15-45 (.250) after six years is probably enough time to judge him.

A potential "tie" for the best record he's achieved at 4-6 in 6 years, says all you need to know. Time for Cornell to fire Archer.

Close game of two 7-0 teams, 9-7 Dartmouth of the way, then a late Princeton score to stay perfect on the season. Princeton has yet to play Yale (away) and Penn (home).

Dartmouth is likely to win out, against Cornell and Brown.

Note that Princeton coach Bob Surace (P '90) arrived the same year Kent Austin did at Cornell (2010) and went 1-9, 1-9 and 5-5 in the Austin years. By the time Archer arrived, Surace put up an 8-2 year in 2013, also in 2016, suffered 5-5 records 2014, 2015 and 2017, and will at worst be 9-1 this year. Took him four years to be a contender.

Image below: the Dartmouth athletics landing page after the game -- Dartmouth soccer (over Cornell) leads, football buried. The only thing Princeton hid on its page was how the score got from 7-7 to 9-7 Dartmouth in the second quarter: "Both teams traded touchdown drives to open the game, but both defenses settled right afterwards and started throwing haymakers the rest of the afternoon. Dartmouth had a second-quarter sack to open a 9-7 lead that stuck on the scoreboard far longer than most likely expected, but the Tiger defense never allowed that advantage to grow."

Ken711

billhoward

Al DeFlorio
Didn't Archer get another contract extension after last season?

David Archer '05 has been Cornell coach since fall 2013. So this is his sixth year. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Archer has signed two contract extensions. If I read the Sun story right, it reported in February 2018 that the second extension was signed "some time ago" as in after the 2017 season ended, perhaps. One was signed before the 2016 season (after three years). They could have a two-year (2016, 2017) and then a two- or one-year extension (2018 or 2018 & 2019).

If Cornell beats Columbia in the season finale, he is 4-6 and it's a tie for his best season ever, if you're a "glass is half full" person.

2-8  2013
1-9
1-9
4-6
3-7 
3-5 2018 YTD

Archer may be a singular talent, a Cornell alum, coming in as the then-youngest D1 head coach, but 15-45 (.250) after six years is probably enough time to judge him.

A potential "tie" for the best record he's achieved at 4-6 in 6 years, says all you need to know. Time for Cornell to fire Archer.

you know they'll notice it's just you typing this a dozen times right

Look-The team is giving their best effort out there but if you look at the history of Cornell football since the formalization of the Ivy League the program has been at best mediocre with the exception of the Marinaro and Maxie Baughan years. Was kind of sad being at the game yesterday and watching the 1988 team being honored for their Ivy co-championship. 1990 was the last co-championship-30 years! I have wondered whether given the structure of the Ivy League whether Cornell can excel in football.

rss77
Look-The team is giving their best effort out there but if you look at the history of Cornell football since the formalization of the Ivy League the program has been at best mediocre with the exception of the Marinaro and Maxie Baughan years. Was kind of sad being at the game yesterday and watching the 1988 team being honored for their Ivy co-championship. 1990 was the last co-championship-30 years! I have wondered whether given the structure of the Ivy League whether Cornell can excel in football.

Jim Hofher's years as head coach as you point out were excellent. Also, in 1999 and 2000 Pete Mangurian had back to back 5-2 Ivy League Conference finishes. It is possible with the right coach and coaching staff and of course institutional support.

Just to play devil's advocate, do we really need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on football to help the Cornell brand? We had a record number of applicants for this year's freshman class, and with the exception of the recruited football players, it's unlikely that most of them applied to Cornell because of our football program. I meet with approximately 15 Cornell applicants every year as part of my volunteer work for the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network, and most of the kids I meet with have no idea of anything regarding Cornell athletics, with the exception of the rare few who are being recruited for a particular sport.

I think this is the case for the majority of people you're going to have applying to a school like Cornell, even if you take out the international applicants. I can tell you that it certainly wasn't a consideration when I applied. In fact, until I went to my first hockey game (February of my freshman year at the invitation of some people in my dorm), I had never been to a sporting event on campus. However, I had already been watching NHL hockey for about 4 years up to that point so it was very natural for me to keep going to games.

Perhaps a little help for next year:
[www.chicagotribune.com]

Promising start interrupted by the weekly snap over the quarterback's head. Followed up by calling an eight-yard pass play on 3rd and 16.

Note how on 3rd and 10 Dartmouth threw to a receiver 15 yards downfield.

Good second quarter to come back from down 21-0 to close to 21-17 but the third quarter was terrible. Mostly on the players, who are blowing the blocking on screens very badly. Also a fumble inside our own 10 when the center snapped the ball directly into a running PicKell, who was in motion crossing in front of Banks and not looking for the ball.

35-17 Dartmouth 5 minutes into the 4th. Considering how Princeton ravaged us and never said thank you, this is decent.

billhoward
35-17 Dartmouth 5 minutes into the 4th. Considering how Princeton ravaged us and never said thank you, this is decent.

Late TD on a very good drive from Banks - some option runs, a couple of long passes (including a 30-yard one-handed sideline grab from Pedersen) and then a short slip-screen to Pedersen for the TD.

Final 35-24.

I'll go watch them next week at Columbia unless the weather is trash.

From the Cornell Sun article:

As the interview drew to a close, The Sun brought up how the Ivy League is the only Football Championship Subdivision Division I conference in which there is no postseason play and whose champion must decline its automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. The feeling among Ivy league head coaches like Cornell’s David Archer ’05 is that the annual push from the coaches to permit the champion to accept the bid is “dead on arrival” when it reaches the presidents’ desks.

Pollack said that she has never been presented with the proposition, but she was worried that it would mean Cornell would have to play against No.1 ranked Alabama. (A hypothetical change would have the Ivy champion competing with the FCS’ best, the likes of North Dakota State. Alabama, who competes in the Southeastern Conference, is the current No. 1 ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.)

“I watch our Cornell team, and I think they’re great fun to watch, but then I think of Alabama and I’m worried what playing them will mean for our players’ mental health,” she quipped.

Cop at Lynah
From the Cornell Sun article:

As the interview drew to a close, The Sun brought up how the Ivy League is the only Football Championship Subdivision Division I conference in which there is no postseason play and whose champion must decline its automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. The feeling among Ivy league head coaches like Cornell’s David Archer ’05 is that the annual push from the coaches to permit the champion to accept the bid is “dead on arrival” when it reaches the presidents’ desks.

Pollack said that she has never been presented with the proposition, but she was worried that it would mean Cornell would have to play against No.1 ranked Alabama. (A hypothetical change would have the Ivy champion competing with the FCS’ best, the likes of North Dakota State. Alabama, who competes in the Southeastern Conference, is the current No. 1 ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.)

“I watch our Cornell team, and I think they’re great fun to watch, but then I think of Alabama and I’m worried what playing them will mean for our players’ mental health,” she quipped.

If that quote doesn’t tell you how little the administration knows and cares about Cornell football, nothing will.

Cornell is #1 in strength of schedule among FCS schools.

scoop85

Cop at Lynah
From the Cornell Sun article:

As the interview drew to a close, The Sun brought up how the Ivy League is the only Football Championship Subdivision Division I conference in which there is no postseason play and whose champion must decline its automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. The feeling among Ivy league head coaches like Cornell’s David Archer ’05 is that the annual push from the coaches to permit the champion to accept the bid is “dead on arrival” when it reaches the presidents’ desks.

Pollack said that she has never been presented with the proposition, but she was worried that it would mean Cornell would have to play against No.1 ranked Alabama. (A hypothetical change would have the Ivy champion competing with the FCS’ best, the likes of North Dakota State. Alabama, who competes in the Southeastern Conference, is the current No. 1 ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.)

“I watch our Cornell team, and I think they’re great fun to watch, but then I think of Alabama and I’m worried what playing them will mean for our players’ mental health,” she quipped.

If that quote doesn’t tell you how little the administration knows and cares about Cornell football, nothing will.

"Mental health of playing Alabama?"

How about Cornell first hires a new football coach that can actually win more than 1/3rd of its games (head coach David Archer overall record .254 in 6 years). Then we can worry about post-season play, lol. Cornell last had a winning record in 2005, and an Ivy Championship in 1990!

Ken711

scoop85

Cop at Lynah
From the Cornell Sun article:

As the interview drew to a close, The Sun brought up how the Ivy League is the only Football Championship Subdivision Division I conference in which there is no postseason play and whose champion must decline its automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. The feeling among Ivy league head coaches like Cornell’s David Archer ’05 is that the annual push from the coaches to permit the champion to accept the bid is “dead on arrival” when it reaches the presidents’ desks.

Pollack said that she has never been presented with the proposition, but she was worried that it would mean Cornell would have to play against No.1 ranked Alabama. (A hypothetical change would have the Ivy champion competing with the FCS’ best, the likes of North Dakota State. Alabama, who competes in the Southeastern Conference, is the current No. 1 ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.)

“I watch our Cornell team, and I think they’re great fun to watch, but then I think of Alabama and I’m worried what playing them will mean for our players’ mental health,” she quipped.

If that quote doesn’t tell you how little the administration knows and cares about Cornell football, nothing will.

"Mental health of playing Alabama?"

How about Cornell first hires a new football coach that can actually win more than 1/3rd of its games (head coach David Archer overall record .254 in 6 years). Then we can worry about post-season play, lol. Cornell last had a winning record in 2005, and a share of an Ivy Championship in 1990!

FYP

Swampy

Ken711

scoop85

Cop at Lynah
From the Cornell Sun article:

As the interview drew to a close, The Sun brought up how the Ivy League is the only Football Championship Subdivision Division I conference in which there is no postseason play and whose champion must decline its automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. The feeling among Ivy league head coaches like Cornell’s David Archer ’05 is that the annual push from the coaches to permit the champion to accept the bid is “dead on arrival” when it reaches the presidents’ desks.

Pollack said that she has never been presented with the proposition, but she was worried that it would mean Cornell would have to play against No.1 ranked Alabama. (A hypothetical change would have the Ivy champion competing with the FCS’ best, the likes of North Dakota State. Alabama, who competes in the Southeastern Conference, is the current No. 1 ranked team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.)

“I watch our Cornell team, and I think they’re great fun to watch, but then I think of Alabama and I’m worried what playing them will mean for our players’ mental health,” she quipped.

If that quote doesn’t tell you how little the administration knows and cares about Cornell football, nothing will.

"Mental health of playing Alabama?"

How about Cornell first hires a new football coach that can actually win more than 1/3rd of its games (head coach David Archer overall record .254 in 6 years). Then we can worry about post-season play, lol. Cornell last had a winning record in 2005, and a share of an Ivy Championship in 1990!

FYP

That's true. Cornell has NEVER won the Ivy Championship outright, only shared it in 1971, 1988 and 1990.

In the words of Jim Mora - Playoffs! Don’t talk about playoffs! You kidding me?

Cornell is a a 5-pt underdog at Columbia this Saturday. If Cornell loses, we would have the same record in Dave Archer’s 6th yr as we had in his 1st - 3-7 overall & 2-5 in the Ivies, for a 7th place Ivy finish.

CAS
Cornell is a a 5-pt underdog at Columbia this Saturday. If Cornell loses, we would have the same record in Dave Archer’s 6th yr as we had in his 1st - 3-7 overall & 2-5 in the Ivies, for a 7th place Ivy finish.

Well, you can't fault Archer's consistency!

Scersk '97

CAS
Cornell is a a 5-pt underdog at Columbia this Saturday. If Cornell loses, we would have the same record in Dave Archer’s 6th yr as we had in his 1st - 3-7 overall & 2-5 in the Ivies, for a 7th place Ivy finish.

Well, you can't fault Archer's consistency!