By JOHN ROBERTS
Observer-Dispatch

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ITHACA, N.Y. — What has been a fierce college football rivalry through the years has recently turned merely into Colgate revelry.

The Red Raiders have had the best of their series with Cornell of late, and Saturday at Schoellkopf Field was no different, as they defeated the Big Red 23-16 in the 83rd meeting between the teams.

It was the fifth win in a row for Colgate over Cornell, but this game was not decided until late, and the joy of victory was tempered by the fact that Colgate lost starting quarterback Tom McCune to injury.

The sophomore McCune, last week's Patriot League co-Offensive Player of the Week, went down with an injury to his right throwing hand, which team sources indicate is a possible fracture. McCune played the Red Raiders' first series and did not return. His status is uncertain for the remainder of the season.

Junior Josh Kirklin replaced McCune and struggled to get the offense going. Kirklin returned to Colgate from Texas A&M just before the start of camp. He was in the Raiders' program in 1997, and transferred to Texas A&M and had to sit out in 1998.

Kirklin ran the Aggies' scout team last season before returning to the Red Raiders this year. He was immediately eligible because he had returned to his original school.

Meanwhile, the Colgate (5-1) defense shut down Cornell (2-3) and its prolific junior passer, Ricky Rahne, who entered the game averaging almost 290 yards through the air. The first quarter ended in a scoreless tie.

Senior defensive end Alex Houston led the Raiders' defense with two sacks.

“We just looked to playing hard football,” Houston said. “We knew we had to keep us in the game with Tommy injured. We knew we had to have a big pass rush. We just pinned our ears back. We knew they put it up a lot.”

Colgate senior running back Randall Joseph, the Patriot League preseason Player of the Year, had only eight carries for 29 yards in the first half.

Colgate freshman kick returner J.B. Gerard fumbled the ensuing kickoff after Peter Iverson's 40-yard field goal, and Cornell's Jarad Madea recovered at the Raiders' 21-yard line. The Colgate defense pushed Cornell back to the 25, but Iverson nailed a 42-yarder for a six-point margin.

Kirklin and Colgate responded, though. Kirklin, a 6-foot, 190-pounder from Friendswood, Tex., ran for 16 yards on one play and later took a fake field goal on fourth-and-four from the Cornell 16 down to the 2-yard line, before finishing the drive himself with a three-yard TD run with 15 seconds left in the half.

Colgate coach Dick Biddle may have to rely on Kirklin for the rest of the season if McCune can't return. He said he's confident in Kirklin's abilities. “Knock on wood. .I'm glad he's here now,” Biddle said. “Tom McCune was having a great year and I feel bad he's hurt.

“Josh can do some things running the ball, like (former All-Patriot League quarterback) Ryan Vena. We've got to let him go and do what he can do.”

Kirklin also had to leave the game after being hit while completing an eight-yard throw to Joe Parker in the third quarter. Gerard took over for three plays before Kirklin returned.

A beautiful 18-yard TD toss from Kirklin to Parker was nullified by a holding penalty and Russ Abrams missed a subsequent 33-yard field goal attempt with five minutes left in the third.

Cornell then drove 57 yards on 11 plays, setting up a 40-yarder from Iverson for a 9-7 lead with 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Iverson's third field goal of the game tied a Cornell record.

The kickoff was returned by Nate Thomas, whose nice run plus a Big Red facemask penalty started Colgate on the Cornell 45-yard line. Two plays later, Joseph broke loose for a 32-yard run to the Cornell 6, and Kirklin rumbled in on the next play for a TD. Kirklin hit Parker for a two-point conversion, and the Raiders held a 15-9 edge with 13:26 to go.

Joseph (15 carries, 138 yards) put the game away with a 60-yard touchdown gallop with 2:25 left to play, and Kirklin again hit Parker for the conversion. Joseph's run was the longest of the season for Colgate.