MOUNT VERNON, Iowa -- The Ripon College football team battled back from a 35-point halftime deficit but ultimately fell to Cornell College, 42-28, Saturday afternoon at Van Metre Field at Ash Park. With the loss, the Red Hawks move to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in Midwest Conference play.
Ripon struggled to find its footing offensively in the opening half, entering halftime trailing 35-0. The Red Hawks were held scoreless through the first two quarters while Cornell built its advantage.
The Red Hawks came out of halftime with a completely different energy, scoring three touchdowns in the third quarter.
Junior quarterback Brady Immel (Winneconne, Wis., Winneconne HS) got Ripon on the board just 1:43 into the second half, breaking loose for a 66-yard touchdown run. Immel found the end zone again less than five minutes later, scoring on a 14-yard run to cut the deficit to 35-14.
After Cornell answered with a touchdown, Ripon continued to chip away. The Red Hawks put together a 14-play, 62-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes, capped by an 18-yard touchdown run from sophomore Jackson Bender (Elroy, Wis., Royall HS) as time expired in the third quarter.
Ripon carried that momentum into the fourth quarter. With 7:01 remaining, Immel connected with sophomore Zeke Clark (North Henderson, Ill., United HS) on a 69-yard touchdown pass, bringing the Red Hawks within two touchdowns at 42-28.
The Red Hawks' defense then forced a turnover on downs on Cornell's next possession, giving Ripon another opportunity to continue its comeback. However, the Red Hawks were unable to find the end zone again before time expired.
Immel led Ripon's offensive attack, rushing 11 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns while completing 9-of-16 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Bender added 63 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
Clark led the receiving effort with six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, including the 69-yard scoring reception in the fourth quarter.
As a team, Ripon finished with 371 yards of total offense, including 219 rushing yards. The Red Hawks recorded 18 first downs and averaged 6.0 yards per play.
Defensively, junior Salim Sesma (Coolidge, Ariz., Coolidge HS) led the Red Hawks with 10 total tackles, while senior Zane Vetter (Mayville, Wis., Mayville HS) added eight. Sophomore Craige Johnson (Evans, Ga., Greenbrier HS) finished with six tackles and two pass breakups, and sophomore Tavaris Funderburg (Oregon, Wis., Oregon HS) recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
Ripon returns home next Saturday, Oct 10, when it hosts Lake Forest College at 1pm for Homecoming at Hopp Stadium.
