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Barlow's interception preserves 23-16 victory over Loras on Senior Day

MOUNT VERNON - Junior safety Joe Barlow (Sedalia, Colo./Douglas County) led the charge. His Cornell College teammates were close behind in a mad dash to the victory bell located on the east end of Ash Park Stadium.

The Rams staved off a late Loras drive and celebrated a long-awaited football victory in the Iowa Conference, 23-16, on Senior Day Saturday afternoon.

Barlow intercepted a Loras fourth-down pass in the end zone - the Rams' fourth pick of the day - with 1 minute, 25 seconds remaining to preserve Cornell's first victory over an IIAC opponent in more than four years.

The Rams snapped a 34-game losing slide in IIAC play, dating back to a 25-21 homecoming win over Dubuque on Oct. 15, 2005. Cornell ended a 13-game skid at Ash Park Stadium, its last home win coming against Alma, 35-34, on Sept. 8, 2007.

It was a fitting end to the home careers for five Cornell seniors - Don Bladt (Shelby/AHST), Alex Macey (Oceanside, Calif./Vista), Brian King (West Des Moines/Valley), Zach Zasada (Sauk City, Wis./Sauk Prairie) and Andy Siar (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) - all starters experiencing their first conference win.  

Cornell (2-7 overall, 1-6 IIAC) concludes the season Saturday, Nov. 14 in a noon kickoff with rival Coe in Cedar Rapids.

Cornell freshman quarterback Andrew Burdick (Apollo Beach, Fla./Lennard) fired three touchdown passes, including first-half scoring strikes of 7 and 10 yards to junior Kyle Tierney (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson). The Rams reeled off 16 unanswered points to start the game, which included a 21-yard field goal by Andrew Johnson (St. Paul, Minn./Mounds Park Academy).

Tierney's second touchdown grab gave the Rams a 16-0 lead with 2:55 left in the first half. Loras got on the scoreboard on the ensuing extra point, blocking the kick and returning it for two points to make the score 16-2, which stood going into halftime. 

Junior Harry Herbert (Austin, Texas/Charleston) hauled in a 12-yard touchdown reception that put the Rams ahead 23-9 with 40 seconds left in the third quarter.

Loras (2-7, 2-5) sliced the margin to 23-16 early in the fourth quarter and was back in Ram territory in the closing stages with a chance to tie it. The Duhawks had first-and-10 at the Cornell 11, but the Rams defense stiffened when it mattered. With Loras facing a fourth-and-5 at the Cornell 6, Barlow came away with a game-sealing interception at the goal line. The Rams ran out the remaining 1:25 on the clock.

Burdick finished with 164 yards passing and also netted a game-high 49 yards on the ground. He set a school record for total offense in a season with 2,326 total yards. Chris Lovely held the old mark of 2,147 yards, set in 2003.

Freshman Harrison Williams (Des Moines/Southeast Polk) added 43 yards on 14 carries. Macey led the receiving corps with six catches for 79 yards. Tierney had four grabs for 43 yards while Thomas Connor (Deltona, Fla./Deltona) totaled 47 yards on two receptions.

Cornell sophomore linebacker Aaron Spickermann (Mechanicsville/North Cedar) recorded a career-high nine tackles, including three for losses. Brandon Tabor (Fort Pierce, Fla./Westwood) was in on eight stops, including two sacks. The Rams received interceptions from Barlow, King, Bladt and Myles Kelly (Belle Plaine/Belle Plaine).

The Rams finished the game with 300 total yards and 17 first downs, with 271 yards and 15 first downs coming in the first half.