The football team ended its 2009 campaign with a whimper, falling 34-0 to Penn, which claimed its 11th outright Ivy League championship, and seventh of coach Al Bagnoli’s 18-year tenure. The Quakers, ranked No. 24 in the Football Championship Subdivision, used its suffocating defense to hold the Red to just 110 yards of offense and four first downs. Sixty-four of those yards and three of those first downs came on the Red’s final drive when the Quakers’ starters were already in celebration mode. It was the first time the Red had been shut out since 2003.

Cornell ends its season at 2-8, 1-6 in the Ivy League, and on an eight-game losing streak. The Red’s last win was a 14-12 upset at Yale on Sept. 26.

Two underclassmen provided glimmers of hope for the future — rookie Ben Moody led the team with 31 rushing yards on six carries and sophomore Rashad Campbell returned a kickoff 82 yards and broke up a pass. Still, the game was marked by general futility on the part of the Red offense. Senior quarterback Ben Ganter ended his career with a 7-for-18 passing performance; he threw for 69 yards and lost 16 on the ground. Classmate Stephen Liuzza went 2-for-6 through the air for 11 yards and lost one yard on the ground in six rushing attempts.Bright spot: Senior Bryan Walters (18) ended his Cornell career by leading the Red with 105 all-purpose yards in Saturday’s 34-0 loss to the Quakers.

Penn quarterback Keiffer Garton drove the Quaker offense with 81 passing yards, two touchdown passes, 76 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Kyle Derham and Luke Nawrocki caught the touchdown passes for the Quakers and running back Lyle Marsh added another score on the ground.

As it had done all season, the Red won the turnover battle thanks to an interception by junior linebacker Brandon Lainhart. Cornell finished the 2009 season with a turnover margin of plus-20, but was still outscored, 268-171, on the season.