Harvard beats Cornell 41-29

Team pages: Harvard · Cornell

Harvard4-041
Cornell2-229Final
Sat, Oct 10 · Schoellkopf Field, Ithaca, N.Y. · Crowd 5,418ESPN+

Harvard beat Cornell 41-29.

We had Harvard favored. It won.

Next: Harvard beat Holy Cross 30-7, Sat Oct 17

Next: Cornell beat Lehigh 48-38, Sat Oct 17

How it swung

The turning point: Smith 36-yd TD pass to Moe, Harvard goes ahead 14-10 (Q2, 8:32). Harvard went from 55% to 73% to win.

Before kickoff, our ratings gave Harvard a 53% chance, and the closing betting line (Harvard was a 7-point favorite) put it at 71%.

Harvard came back from 10 down, at one point just a 32% chance in the first quarter.

Cornell led by 10, was as high as 68% in the first quarter, and still lost.

41 unansweredHarvard · Q2 8:32
FinalHarvard 41-29 CornellHarvard wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q491% at halfHarvardCornellLowest 32%Won41-2912−12+18Scores
50%75%90%Q1Q2Q3Q491% at halfHarvardCornellLowest 32%Won41-2912Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q49% at halfCornellHarvardLowest 0%High 68%Lost29-4112+12−18Scores
50%10%25%Q1Q2Q3Q49% at halfCornellHarvardLowest 0%High 68%Lost29-4112Scores

The two plays that swung it

  1. 1Q1 3:54Bass-Sulpizio 2-yd TD run, Cornell leads 10-0Harvard 44% → 32% (−12)
  2. 2Q2 8:32Smith 36-yd TD pass to Moe, Harvard goes ahead 14-10Harvard 55% → 73% (+18)

The two plays that swung it

  1. 1Q1 3:54Bass-Sulpizio 2-yd TD run, Cornell leads 10-0Cornell 56% → 68% (+12)
  2. 2Q2 8:32Smith 36-yd TD pass to Moe, Harvard goes ahead 14-10Cornell 45% → 27% (−18)
Harvard’s chance to win after every play.
How to read this chartStarts from the pregame line (Harvard -7), at 64% for Harvard (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Outlined diamonds mark rare plays.

Every drive

Harvard scored on 7 of its 11 drives; Cornell on 5 of its 12.

Harvard’s drives are teal, Cornell’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

own goalgoal lineQ1Cornell: Field goal, from 75 yards out to 26Field goalHarvard: Interception, from 75 yards out to 75InterceptionCornell: Touchdown, from 76 yards out to 0TouchdownHarvard: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownQ2Cornell: Punt, from 75 yards out to 57PuntHarvard: Touchdown, from 85 yards out to 0TouchdownCornell: Missed field goal, from 76 yards out to 29Missed FGHarvard: Touchdown, from 71 yards out to 0TouchdownCornell: Interception, from 75 yards out to 64InterceptionHarvard: Punt, from 55 yards out to 63PuntCornell: End of half, from 70 yards out to 72End of halfQ3Harvard: Touchdown, from 70 yards out to 0TouchdownCornell: Fumble, from 75 yards out to 67FumbleHarvard: Field goal, from 33 yards out to 33Field goalCornell: Interception, from 75 yards out to 70InterceptionHarvard: Touchdown, from 30 yards out to 0TouchdownCornell: Punt, from 75 yards out to 69PuntHarvard: Field goal, from 86 yards out to 9Field goalQ4Cornell: Touchdown, from 75 yards out to 0TouchdownCornell: Touchdown, from 60 yards out to 0TouchdownHarvard: Punt, from 51 yards out to 47PuntCornell: Touchdown, from 73 yards out to 0TouchdownHarvard: End of game, from 51 yards out to 57End of game

From Cornell’s side

Cornell’s best moment: Bass-Sulpizio 2-yd TD run, Cornell leads 10-0 (Q1 3:54). It lifted Cornell’s win chance by 12 points.

Box score

Harvard 41, Cornell 29

Harvard covered −7 by 5. The total, 70, went over 41.5.

Harvard leaders

  • Passing Charlie Smith 23 of 27, 275 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
  • Rushing Xaviah Bascon 12 for 59 yds, 1 TD; Maddux Reid 7 for 21 yds
  • Receiving Nate Bailey 7 for 64 yds; Teigan Pelletier 4 for 54 yds, 1 TD

Cornell leaders

  • Passing Garrett Bass-Sulpizio 20 of 38, 158 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
  • Rushing Ean Pope 7 for 91 yds, 1 TD; Jordan Triplett 13 for 69 yds
  • Receiving Ja'von Broussard 4 for 46 yds, 1 TD; Brendan Lee 5 for 46 yds

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last three games

Harvard · 3-0

Rated 195th in our preseason ratings, 171st now, up 24 spots.

Three straight wins — but still hunting a ranked opponent.

W 20-17 vs Colgate #155 of 668

won by 3 as a 4.5-point favorite

Harvard won 20-17 vs Colgate. Chance to win started at 69%, low 6%, high better than 99%.

W 14-10 @ Brown #229 of 668

won by 4 as a 13.5-point favorite

Harvard won 14-10 at Brown. Chance to win started at 77%, low 73%, high 97%.

W 31-7 @ New Hampshire #225 of 668

won by 24 as a 14.5-point favorite

Harvard won 31-7 at New Hampshire. Chance to win started at 81%, low 67%, high better than 99%.

Last three games

Cornell · 2-1

Rated 241st in our preseason ratings, 221st now, up 20 spots.

2-1 in its last three, including a 13-point win over Yale as a 14-point underdog.

W 35-14 @ Georgetown #253 of 668

won by 21 as an 8.5-point favorite

Cornell won 35-14 at Georgetown. Chance to win started at 73%, low 63%, high better than 99%.

W 38-25 vs Yale #208 of 668

won by 13 as a 14-point underdog

Cornell won 38-25 vs Yale. Chance to win started at 22%, low 17%, high better than 99%.

L 7-20 @ Colgate #167 of 668

lost by 13 as a 12.5-point underdog

Cornell lost 7-20 at Colgate. Chance to win started at 15%, low under 1%, high 16%.

Week by week

Cornell

Wk 3: L 7-20 at Colgate▼13ColgateWk 4: W 38-25 vs Yale▲13YaleWk 5: W 35-14 at Georgetown▲21Georgetown
  • Wk 3Lat Colgate7-20
  • Wk 4Wvs Yale38-25
  • Wk 5Wat Georgetown35-14

Harvard

Wk 3: W 31-7 at New Hampshire▲24New HampshireWk 4: W 14-10 at Brown▲4BrownWk 5: W 20-17 vs Colgate▲3Colgate
  • Wk 3Wat New Hampshire31-7
  • Wk 4Wat Brown14-10
  • Wk 5Wvs Colgate20-17

Power rating by week

Harvard is rated 2.6 points ahead as of week 5. Our power rating by week; higher is better.

-6-9-12Wk 0Wk 3Wk 5CornellHarvard

The series

Harvard leads the series 46-21-1

68 meetings since 1890 · Harvard has won the last 6

Cornell wonHarvard won1890: Harvard by 771892: Harvard by 61893: Harvard by 341894: Harvard by 101895: Harvard by 251896: Harvard by 91897: Harvard by 191909: Harvard by 181910: Harvard by 221913: Harvard by 171915: Cornell by 101916: Harvard by 231938: Cornell by 201941: Cornell by 71948: Cornell by 341949: Cornell by 191950: Cornell by 211951: Cornell by 361954: Harvard by 11955: Cornell by 131956: Harvard by 251957: Cornell by 141958: Cornell by 71959: Cornell by 41960: Cornell by 121961: Harvard by 141962: Cornell by 21963: Harvard by 71964: Harvard by 161965: tie1966: Harvard by 211967: Harvard by 21968: Harvard by 101969: Cornell by 171970: Harvard by 31971: Cornell by 51972: Harvard by 181973: Harvard by 61974: Harvard by 121975: Harvard by 211976: Cornell by 61977: Harvard by 101978: Cornell by 51979: Cornell by 271980: Harvard by 81981: Harvard by 172003: Harvard by 272004: Harvard by 102005: Cornell by 142006: Harvard by 102007: Harvard by 172008: Harvard by 212009: Harvard by 182010: Harvard by 142011: Harvard by 102012: Harvard by 322013: Harvard by 102014: Harvard by 172015: Harvard by 372016: Harvard by 162017: Cornell by 32018: Cornell by 42019: Harvard by 132021: Harvard by 142022: Harvard by 72023: Harvard by 182024: Harvard by 182025: Harvard by 2418902025
  • 2025Harvard 34-10
  • 2024Harvard 38-20
  • 2023Harvard 41-23
  • 2022Harvard 35-28
  • 2021Harvard 24-10

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

Our model and the betting line don’t fully agree on Cornell’s chances here.

50-50Model · 47%Line · 29%HarvardCornell

Harvard favored by 7 · Total 41.5

How games like this usually go

Harvard by 7, and it went to form

50%90%Q1Q2Q3Q450%90%Q1Q2Q3Q4

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 377 games since 2025 with a favorite of 3.5 to 7.5 points.

The market

The books’ cut: 5.4%, the margin built into the odds

Where next

Conference standings

Place in the conference, then conference record.