Interview (
Jeff Mathews) I
Interview (Kent Austin) I
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NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Record-breaking sophomore quarterback
Jeff Mathews was awarded the Asa. S. Bushnell Cup signifying his selection as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year this morning. The honor was announced in New York City as part of the festivities surrounding the NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Mathews was more than worthy of becoming Cornell's fourth Bushnell Cup winner after putting together arguably the finest quarterbacking season in the history of Ivy League football. Just a sophomore, Mathews emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the entire country en route to earning first-team All-Ivy accolades. Mathews set Cornell and Ivy League records for passing yardage in a game (548 yards at Penn) and season (3,412 yards), while also setting Big Red records for touchdown passes (25), total offense (3,274 yards), completion percentage (.679) and passing efficiency (162.60). The first sophomore captain in Cornell football history, he ranked third nationally in passing yards per game and pass efficiency, fourth in total offense and 10th in points responsible for.
A two-time Ivy League and national player of the week, Mathews posted two of the top three passing games in conference history and two of the top four passing totals in the FCS this season and ended the year with three 400-yard games and two 500-yard passing games, both Ivy records. Against the top three pass defenses in the Ivy League (Dartmouth, Penn and Brown), Mathews completed 70 percent of his passes and averaged 405.7 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. His 341.2 yards per game was more than 100 yards per game higher than any other passer in the Ivy League. He became the first Cornell quarterback to earn first-team honors since Ryan Kuhn in 2005.
A unanimous choice as the 2010 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, Mathews emerged as the team's starter by halftime of his first collegiate game. A week later in the home and Ivy opener against Yale, Mathews became the first Big Red freshman to earn a varsity start. He joined tailbacks Derrick Harmon (1981) and John McNiff (1989) as Cornellians earning the conference's top honor for a rookie after a record-breaking freshman campaign. Mathews established the school record for passing yards by a first-year player against Yale (248 yards) and ended his season with a record 1,723 yards and seven touchdowns. Mathews stood second among true freshman quarterbacks in passing in the Football Championship Subdivision and threw all seven touchdowns with only four interceptions while averaging 193.4 yards per game in Ivy contests. He was a two-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week.
Cornell's three previous Bushnell Cup Award winners are Ed Marinaro, who was a two-time winner (1970, 71), Derrick Harmon (1983) and Chad Levitt (1996).
Dartmouth running back Nick Schwieger, the 2010 Bushnell Cup winner, was the other offensive finalist. Harvard defensive end Josue Ortiz took home the Defensive Player of the Year in a tight vote over Erik Rask of Penn.
Each of the finalists and their respective head coaches were present for the awards' presentation. Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris unveiled the winners' Heisman style at the event in front of a packed crowd of media representatives, NFF Board members and notable Ivy League football alumni and dignitaries. George Pyne, a NFF Board Member since 2008, emceed the Bushnell Cup presentation for the second-straight year. Pyne played offensive tackle at Brown, captaining the 1988 football team and earning All-Ivy League and All-New England honors.
Mathews will join nine other returning offensive starters, including his three All-Ivy receivers, when the record-breaking offense gets back to work in the fall. The Big Red enters the 2012 season with a school record eight straight games of scoring at least 24 points.
