Moment #84: DiNovo’s Big Play

After Carlton Koonce’s 92-yard run gave Fordham a 7-3 lead, the Rams came right back on their next possession and marched 70 yards for another TD thanks mostly to a series of runs by Koonce.

With Fordham now solidly in the lead at 14-3, the Lions offense woke up with one of its most spectacular plays of 2012.

A roughing the passer penalty set Columbia up with a 1^st and 10 at their own 40. On that play, QB Sean Brackett rolled out a little to his right and found WR Louis DiNovo outside the numbers on a little short pass.

But thanks to some speedy running by DiNovo and great blocking up field by his fellow receivers, the short pass turned into a thrilling 60-yard TD pass to put the Lions right back in the game at 14-10.

DiNovo finished 2012 with 11 catches for 156 and that one TD. He seemed to get lost in the shuffle of the other up-and-coming WR’s like Chris Connors and Isaiah Gross before Gross’ week 3 injury.

I wasn’t sure where to put DiNovo on my own projected depth chart, but Head Coach Pete Mangurian did say he has a chance to beat out the younger receivers for playing time if he puts in a big effort.

I still think the top four WR’s coming back in 2013 are Conor Nelligan, Gross, Chris Connors and Jake Wanamaker.

Breaking in for playing time against those four is going to be tough enough, but then throw in guys like Ryan Flannery, Scooter Hollis and Andrew Dobitsch and DiNovo has a real fight on his hands.

But competition is a good thing and when you realize guys as good as DiNovo are going to start 2013 on the bench, you have to feel good about Columbia’s unusually stacked receiving corps.