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MOUNT VERNON — Cornell’s football team gets handed its toughest test of the season Saturday when the Rams visit perennial power and nationally-ranked Central. The Iowa Conference matchup kicks off at 1 p.m. at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium in Pella.

The Rams (2-5 overall, 0-5 IIAC) meet a Central squad (8-0, 6-0) that has won 25 consecutive games in the regular season. The Dutch, ranked fifth in Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette Top 40, are in position to claim their third consecutive IIAC crown.

“This is another opportunity for us,” Cornell head coach Matt Dillon said. “We’re hanging in there. Our kids are resilient and we’ll fight back.”

Saturday marks the 17th meeting between the schools. Central owns a 15-1 edge in the series and has won the last 14 meetings, including a 34-7 victory on Cornell’s homecoming last year.

Cornell tries to regroup from last week’s 38-6 loss at Simpson, a game which didn’t get out of hand until the final quarter. The Rams took a 6-3 lead on a 10-yard touchdown run by Mike Thompson ( Eaton, Colo./Windsor) early in the second quarter. Cornell trailed 17-6 at halftime and remained in the game down 24-6 after three quarters.

The Rams were victims to long scoring plays – Simpson had touchdowns of 51, 55, 49 and 27 yards – and failed to convert on their own scoring chances. Cornell fumbled the ball away inside Simpson’s 25-yard line and turned the ball over on downs inside Simpson’s 10 on their first two possessions of the second half.

“We had two good opportunities to cut into their (24-6) lead,” Dillon said. “That’s the frustrating thing. We moved the ball, but we’re just not taking advantage of our opportunities. And we haven’t been able to stop the big play.”

The Dutch pulled out a 37-34 triple overtime thriller at Dubuque last weekend. It was Central’s fifth come-from-behind win and fifth victory decided by eight points or less this season. The Dutch were outgained in total yards, 494-363. It was the 14th straight time the Dutch won a game in which they were outgained in total yards.

“You look at the differences between us and Central, good teams make their own breaks,” Dillon said. “Whatever magic potion they have, it’s definitely working. Obviously they’re 8-0, nationally ranked and deservedly so. They find ways to win.”

100-yard back – Thompson rushed for a career-high 101 yards on 23 carries against Simpson. The sophomore fullback topped his previous high of 75 yards against Northwestern Sept. 2, 2006, which was Thompson’s first collegiate game.

Thompson’s scoring run extended Cornell’s streak to seven consecutive games with a rushing touchdown. He is the second Ram to rush for 100 yards in a game this season. Travion Hardman ( Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) netted 111 yards against Loras Sept. 15.

Dallas’ debut – Freshman quarterback Dallas Bush ( Plano, Texas/Plano East) made his first collegiate start last week. He completed 10-of-24 passes for 83 yards with two interceptions. Bush rushed three times for four yards.

“I thought Dallas managed the game well for his first time,” Dillon said. “He made some freshman mistakes, but obviously he’s the future for us at quarterback. He’s a tremendous talent.”

Gus going solo – Chris Gustafson ( Lakewood, Colo./Bear Creek) recorded a team-high 14 tackles last week, including six solo stops. The senior linebacker has 195 solo tackles in his career and is closing in on the school record of 202, held by John Crane (1998-2001). Gustafson is tied for second in the IIAC with 13.4 tackles per game.

Field goals – Simpson’s Bill Nelson booted a school-record 52-yard field goal against the Rams last week. Opponents have made 13-of-16 field goal attempts this season. Cornell is 1-for-2 in field goals with Adam Culberson ( Montevallo, Ala./School of Math and Science) accounting for a 27-yarder in the season opener Sept. 1 at Northwestern. The Rams have not attempted a field goal in the last five games.

Slow starts – The Rams were held scoreless in the first quarter last week for the sixth time in seven games this season. Cornell has been outscored 80-7 in the first quarter of games.

Turn out the lights – Last week’s 6 p.m. kickoff was Cornell’s first night game since falling 32-14 to Iowa Wesleyan Sept. 11, 2004 in Mount Pleasant. The Rams return to the regular-scheduled 1 p.m. starts for the final three games of the season.

Central air attack? – Central, which traditionally relies on a run-oriented offense, has turned more to the passing game this season due to the injury of running back Vance Schuring, a two-time IIAC Most Valuable Player who has played limited time. Quarterback Tim Connell has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for a league-best 1,911 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Ace (attitude, character, effort) awards – Defense: Joseph Barlow ( Sedalia, Colo./Douglas County); Offense: Morgan Campbell ( Harrison, Ark./Wentworth Millitary Academy); Scout Team Defense: Chad Owen (Bettendorf/Bettendorf); Scout Team Offense: Tyler Gauthier ( Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley).