Friday, October 11, 2013

On Display


Relax men, McCroskey is in charge


Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs. Columbia Lions


NBC Sports Network Ivy League Game of the Week


Location: Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium 


Kickoff Time: 12:00pm


Gametime Weather Forecast: 65 degrees and partly cloudy


The Spread: Lehigh by 28




How to Get to the Game

Here is my complete guide to getting to, enjoying, and even eating at a Columbia home football game. 

(Note that the new free bus shuttle from the Upper East Side will be leaving earlier tomorrow: 10:30am)


TV/RADIO


The Columbia student station broadcast is on WKCR at 89.9 on your FM dial


Lead Stories

In the immortal words of the now-furloughed air traffic controller Steve McCroskey, "looks like we picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue." 

Lehigh is a damn good team, one that's already beaten powers like New Hampshire and they also beat Princeton at Princeton. 

And now their head coach is pushing them to "play angry" after last week's loss at Fordham. 

Yikes.

On the Columbia side, the bad news just keeps pouring in. Now, Wells Childress joins Seyi Adebayo and Brett Nottingham on the list of players who are out for the rest of the season. 

It looked like Head Coach Pete Mangurian was going to try to mix things up on offense this week by listing freshman QB Kelly Hilinski as the starter on the two-deep... but now he's walking that back and saying sophomore Trevor McDonagh will at least be the guy under center for the first few series. 

So far, nothing has worked to get the Lion offense going. The good news is that this Lehigh defense may be the worst unit CU has faced all season. The bad news is that it's still very good.

Finally, the elephant in the stadium tomorrow will be the intense fan dissatisfaction with a team that seems to be entirely without any direction right now.   



Columbia Keys to the Game 

1) Test the Lehigh Defense 

Maybe all this back-and-forth about the QB decision is a way to hide the fact that Pete and co. plan to run the ball 40+ times and test that sketchy Mountain Hawk run defense... nah! Who am I kidding? We'll be primarily passing down field again I'm sure. Too bad, because running and throwing more screens against these guys might actually work.


2) Get Rough with their Receivers

 Time to start jamming more receivers, make that any receivers, on the line of scrimmage. Lehigh throws the ball a lot in the middle of the field and it would be a shame if they were wide open and untouched on every play.



3) Do Something Tricky

Even though it didn't work, I liked the option pass the Lions tried at the end of the first half against Monmouth. This week would be a fun time to try a trick run or two like an end-around or a reverse. Something to show signs of life would be good. 



49 comments:

Anonymous said...

did you expect anything different? how can a team move "forward" if the HC can't even stick with a QB for more than a press conference. Things are really getting couriouser and couriouser...wow. just when I saw a glimmer of light at the end of the dark tunnel he snuffs it out again...

Anonymous said...

Here's my prediction for how the game will go tomorrow:

At the end of the first quarter, 28-0 Lehigh

At the half, 56-0 Lehigh

At the end of the 3rd quarter, a P.A. announcement declaring the cessation of the Columbia football program, effectively immediately.

20 minutes later, the two dozen fans still milling about the stadium, taking pictures for their scrap books will be ordered to leave by campus security. Two slightly slow-to-leave fans will then be beaten severaly.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous:
Very funny A---Hole!
Get a Ficken' life and leave the kids who are giving their all for old CU the f--k alone. You are what is wrong with this blog.
James McGroarty,M.D. CC64

Tod Howard Hawks, Columbia College, Class of 1966 said...

Dr. McGroarty:

Thank you for having the guts to lend legitimacy to your post by using your name and class.

Anonymity vitiates worth.

Tod Howard Hawks CC 66

Anonymous said...

Really disappointed in you Jake for publishing the comment above, where anonymous gives his prediction on tomorrow's game.our team deserves better and you know that. The comment was in poor taste and unfair to the players and their families. Very Very Classless

Anonymous said...

The #2 Post-er is indeed a JERK! Agreed, Jake please take down. It went over the line.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone get Pete a Govt. job?

Anonymous said...

Yeah Jake, take it down. And while you're at it, take down all the stories that show we lost 53-7 last week... I heard that hurt the players' feelings too.

Hey geniuses! They team SHOULD feel bad. We're getting our butts kicked every week and you guys can't take a joke. You know what I can't take? Busting my ass to get to games only to see us down five scores before halftime.

If any player feels bad because of the above jokes, they I would sure hope you feel a lot worse about losing by a combined score of a million to zero so far this season.

You guys defending the team's "feelings" should really be quiet until we get a win... just one win at least.

Anonymous said...

I'm willing to bet the people crying here about that poster's joke have done NO complaining about Mangurian and Murphy and the terrible job they're doing.

Anonymous said...

Those fans that should be beaten severely is right up there with those tweets that kids tweeted in HS that everybody was complaining about.that comment wasn't a joke , you're the joke anon. Who posted.by the way many of us bust our butts to get to the games also and spend a fortune getting there!

Anonymous said...

Some people say that Pete was using CU as a steppingstone back to the NFL. I think that's nonsense. CU football isn't a steppingstone to anywhere. I assume that Pete, who is 58, was looking forward to an easy transition to retirement. He could average around three wins per year in the four years of his initial contract, pick up the two-year extension and slide into early retirement at 62. Bill Campbell was able to survive six years with a .231 winning percentage. But that .231 is going to be really difficult for Pete to achieve before his initial contract expires after the 2015 season. He would have to come up with seven more wins in 2013, 2014 and 2015. This year looks like a bust with maybe, MAYBE, a victory over Cornell. Next year, I believe that Fordham and Monmouth are already locked into the schedule (with probably Lafayette as the third OOC) so 2014 looks pretty bleak. Maybe, MAYBE, Cornell will oblige again, which would leave Pete needing FIVE victories in 2015. He can pick up an easy three by dumping the Patriot League OOCs and bring in those stalwarts from the Pioneer League: Valparaiso, Stetson and Campbell. No, not Marist. Marist is too good. This would still leave Pete with the need to win TWO Ivy games in 2015. That's a tall order. He needs our support. Let's get behind him.

When you see the challenges faced by Pete in achieving a .231 winning percentage, it makes you understand that Ray Tellier really deserved his 15-year stint as Lions HC with his breathtaking .307 winning percentage.

Al's Wingman said...

Pete will be fired, hopefully before the season is over. There's no extension. I do fear Ed Argast will become interim HC. This would be worse for the program since Argast is responsible for the OL disaster - all of it.

It's no secret they need to develop some weapons and can't just rely on a big game from Marcorus. If there is no depth on the roster in the running game then we can kiss next season goodbye as well. The passing game has to stick with short routes, slants. There's no predicting how well a pocket will hold up so the play caller has to resist the urge to go for big gainers. This is a powerful urge, especially when you fall behind. GO WEEB EWBANK, control the clock. Get me Namath, Matt Snell and Don Maynard in their prime.

***Don't put the QB in situations he could fail*** Mangurian should have known this as any good coach should. Do you think practices against your own guys prepares these players for the animals at Fordham, etc? Does it surprise you Nottingham was injured trying to escape with his life?

No trickery. That's how you lose yards.

In other words step down Pete. I will take your job right now for free. You stink my friend. Take a powder.

Anonymous said...

Al's Wingman comments above are ridiculous and ignorant.

PM is not going to get fired. The program is a turn around project. No coach could walk into a program as weak CU's was two years ago and turn it around in less than three or four years. You have to bring better talent, teach them the game and let them play early. Experience is the best teacher. These young starters will be good in a couple of years. Surace at PU is a perfect example 1-9, 1-9, 5-5 and looking very good this year.

CU is not a team loaded with top talent that is be failed by bad coaching. That is a complete FANTASY.

Ed Argast is a great coach and his guys love him. His O-lines in 2009 and 2010 were very good. In fact, in 2009, Columbia finished second in the Ivy League in rushing offense, third total offense and third in points scored per game.

He also has an excellent coaching history. From his CU bio:

"Argast came to Columbia after serving as the offensive coordinator at Fordham. While at Fordham, in addition to coordinating the offense, Argast coached the offensive line and placekickers.

In 2007, the Argast-led Fordham offense finished second in the Patriot League in scoring offense, averaging 29.0 points per game, after averaging 12.0 points per game in 2006. The Fordham offense had six players earn All-Patriot League honors, including freshman running back Xavier Martin, who earned 2007 Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors.

As the offensive coordinator at Central Connecticut State in 2004 and 2005, Argast helped the Blue Devils set a new school record in scoring with 261 points in 2004 as well as leading the Northeast Conference (NEC) in total offense in 2004 with 361.7 yards/game. During a five-game winning streak that season, Central Connecticut set a school record by scoring 28 points or more in each of the five games.

In total, the Blue Devil offense posted 27 or more points in eight of the ten games in 2004 and produced the NEC's Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year. Several other Central Connecticut offensive records fell in 2004, including most touchdown passes in a year".

The man knows football and how to coach. If Wilson had fired Vinnie Marino and made Argast the OC in January 2010, Wilson would probably still be CU's head coach.

Mitch S.'68CC said...

An excellent analysis above on how the current staff can achieve >.200 win percentage. And then comes a message from the proud grandmother of Ed Argast?! This is really a unique blog.

Please note: the fact that one guy (i.e. Surace) goes 1-9 and then turns it around by no means indicates that every other guy or any other guy who goes 1-9 will also turn it around. Jesus Christ.

Anonymous said...

Are you seriously defending the man who has been responsible for the OL for FIVE years? He's allowed the OL to reach the point where it's actually DANGEROUS to put a QB behind it. What more abject a failure can there be than that? These appeals from the athletic department to "just let us fail a few more years and everything will be fine" are pathetic.

Al's Wingman said...

To Grandma Argast - YOU ARE HILARIOUS. The same argument used to defend the coaches is used here. You are blaming the players! Of course CU is low on depth. That has been a problem for some time. As many have pointed out time and time again, good coaches COACH. Good coaches prepare by understanding the opponent. This current staff has clearly not prepared at all or is woefully ineffectual at their craft.

But please.. continue to blame the players since that is all you got and all we can expect to hear in your own defense. Heaven forbid this coaching staff does the right thing and shoulders the blame. Own up to your abysmal failures, pack up your roller bag and head for laguardia.

A turnaround project? Really? Pete better get fired THIS YEAR because he flat out is in the wrong job. Playing angry is not a solution. We'd rather see playing smart and up to our ability because players are motivated - something we are not seeing once the rubber hits the road.

Mr. Argast needs to go back to central conn or someplace else that thinks he is useful.

oldlion said...

The comments on this blog have gone from critical to vicious. We aren't talking about professional athletes here. We are talking about young men who chose to come here because they wanted a great education and a chance to help turn around a perennial doormat. Why anybody thinks that the sorts of comments I have read this morning are useful to this program is beyond me. If you don't like the coach or the AD, then write letters to Bollinger and the Trustees, and sign your name to them. And I really wonder about the judgment that Jake is exhibiting in not deleting some of these screeds.

Anonymous said...

ALL of these negative comments about the progra/team simply go away if they fire Pete. there would be nothing else to complain about; except for the search committee and identifying new coaching options. The bottom line is FIRE Pete and move the proram forward! Enough of this negative rhetoric!

Anonymous said...

Old lion is wise.
The team is not that short on talent nor depth. Not by 40 ppg differential. It's about player development, building a competitive attitude, putting the right guys in at the right positions at the right times, adjusting your system to the talents you have, and creating mismatches by studying and knowing your opponents and creating then adjusting your game plan. At least 30pct, and prob higher, of the current roster had offers from the very schools that are thrashing us, and even stronger programs. A new head coach cannot come into an ivy school and impose a pipe dream system without evaluating the talent on hand and making extreme adjustments, at least if he wants the team to be competitive or have some early successes. These "moral victories" help the team stay up. You can morph into your system over years, if the talent that matches it is available. Please remember, these kids are more "elite" than any roster on any D1 program. They are stud athletes who got great grades, high sats, and are the last of the scholar athletes in America. Currently they are in a bad situation. Don't make it worse. You can trash the coaches, because they are getting paid a lot to be competitive, but don't belittle or underestimate the players. They are an amazing group of guys!

Anonymous said...

I agree with oldlion. All these kids came to CU to be part of the solution and to turn the program around. These boys are working hard and unfortunatly PMs approach is sucking the passion out of the kids. We need an enthusiastic coach who the players can rally around not one who paces the sideline with a glazed look on his face. He is not going to get the most out of this team and may run off some valuable upperclassman because of his approach to those he did not recruit. Its sad!

Chris said...

The fact that Columbia sent out an email last night stating that the weather is supposed to be nice and tickets are still available doesn't bode well for fan support on our national TV appearance. Oy!

I think this one will be closer than people expect. I'm far from a betting man, but Jake I would gladly take Lions +28 if I was!

Roar!
Chris - CC'93

WOF said...

"I came to Columbia to be a part of the solution and turn it around."

If you were to use just 35 players as the average incoming freshman class and multiply that times 51 years since 1961, there are roughly 1785 of us that have at least once in our lives made the exact same statement.

I have just about thrown in the towel on Mangurian but the coach is not anywhere near the biggest problem...

Anonymous said...

Trying the 47 field goal... stupid, stupid, stupid! This is not the NFL!

Anonymous said...

Much better effort bad calls few missed to.

Anonymous said...

What happened to the nickel D?

Anonymous said...

What happened to our seasoned receivers we had coming into this year? We had a couple of guys last year that looked a lot like 80 Kurfis that had his way today.

These young inexperienced receivers cost us first downs and big plays with poor routes and no separation and missed assignments.

Anonymous said...

Lehigh by 28!! The refs tried their hardest.
Holding on CU defensive lineman on a running play? WTF? Aslo, replay showed their QB fumbled the f--king ball.
Announcers on NBCsports seems nice to us and had good CU videos. Coaches gave Lehigh 7 points on passing on third down deep in our zone against the wind. I saw some attitude on the "D". Mangurian is calling Jake for the plays now.

Anonymous said...

Agree with above. Probably should have been a 10pt loss with better calls . We should have recovered the fumbled punt and not lost the ko. Woulda, coulda shoulda. Team looked more competitive. D stepped up. If we continue to improve at this magnitude, we will be competitive and should win a few games??

Anonymous said...

Also, they need to stick with frosh qb.

oldlion said...

We showed a loot of improvement today, despite being victimized by two absolutely terrible calls. The run defense for the most part was stout, despite missing Childress (out for the year). Pass defense was better with just a few lapses in which we weren't playing the ball. Garrett was a beast, especially when we had an H back on the field. Unfortunately our WRs had trouble holding onto the ball. A few rookie mistakes by Hilinski, such as failing to run for a first down when he had an open field and throwing a bad ball. Bad mistake in not securing a short kick off and giving Lehigh a short field. But all in all this was our best effort of the year, and I don't think that Lehigh was taking the afternoon off. In fact, they were still trying to score until there was around a minute left. Hopefully we will get Connors back next week. We are better withNelligan in the slot when Connors is on the field. As far as the detractors who claim the players don't care for the coach, that wasn't the impression I got from a few players' parents this afternoon.

Anonymous said...

I saw improvement so that is all I can ask for the team. To be better then the week before.

Anonymous said...

Why is Hamilton Gardner not getting many balls to him ?

oldlion said...

Garner doesn't appear to be getting separation. Too many square outs. He made one incredible grab, however,.

Anonymous said...

NBC play by guy called every weakness CU has before half time.
Obvious to football mind. Soft LB play,
soft DB play. 7 yard pass completion available on every play.
GP

Anonymous said...

Here is a message for the anon 56to0 halftime predictor and "A l's wingman"( or is it Al's Butt boy"); why don't both of you take a break or even crash and burn!

Anonymous said...

1. Is it just me or is Garner getting a ridiculous jump on snaps for pass plays? He us either a split second too early and getting away with it or has great timing. Check it out if anyone watches a replay of the game.

2. Bonehead move to pass at the end of the third quarter. The incompletion made Delaney kick from the back of the end zone into the wind and gave Lehigh great field position.

3. Liked the run D. Hurt played well, especially for a converted O lineman. D overall played well but scheme having LB's drop so deep was dumb.

On to Ivy play!

Anonymous said...

I was at the game and that O-Line is a disaster! It is so ugly that it is embarrassing! If that left side of the line is the best that we have, then we are in trouble for years to come!

Al's Wingman said...

>"Al's wingman" why don't...you take a break

You're right, there is cause for celebration by keeping an opponent under 30 points.

Anonymous said...

The announcers praised the play of CU OL all day. The video supports their opinion.

Anonymous said...

Not to be the devil's advocate, but lehigh threw 2 picks near the end zone so the score could have been a lot worse.
I still don't know why we even pass given garret had 150 yards rushing, oh the system...forgot.
Lehigh is way over ranked based upon today.

We were competitive today.

Anonymous said...

The picks were the result of good defense.

Anonymous said...

We let up 440 yards on defense and they were 50% on third down...how is that good defense?
We also, again, were 29% on third down conversions.
I donknow if they are passing out the sweet leaf or what, but that isn't good defense and our offense is a disaster with the coaches calling some horrible plays and not putting the players in a position to succeed.
I feel like I am living living in a different reality.

Mitch S.'68CC said...

There was definite improvement today. Stats were still terrible but at least the score was respectable. And given the right support, no reason why this qb cannot have a really bright future.

Now let's be realistic. At present no one gets up for playing Columbia, especially in a non-league game. They wanted to get it done and get out of there. The truth hurts.

Next week will be a more significant test. Will CU again make a game of it? That could be meaningful.

Anonymous said...

I saw our QB who played hard every snap and played like he thought we could win. He has a nice mechanics and a very strong arm. A few questionable play calls and he held ball too long at times. But having been at the game AND watched it again I was surprised how NOTopen our receivers were. Why is that?

we have a running back that is as good as there is in the Ivy's and an unpredictable o-line. Defensively we our backs and safeties let many wr's 3-5 yards open on many throws. Our we not as athletic or are we out of position? Can this be coached into them or is it a speed issue only?

One other thing I heard from the announcers on the broadcast is something I felt at the game. But for a few spectacularly bad plays-special teams etc- this FELT like this was a very competitive game.

Covered the spread by 11 and got a little better. I see a win or 2 in our future this year and think we need to invest in coaching up the best players or best athletes to go e ourselves the best chance to win IVY games.

Go lions

Anonymous said...

our qb's were 6 for 14 and 3 for 7 for a whopping 71 yards. i am not sure how we can assess them given they barely threw the ball. Recall Lehigh was giving up almost 500 yards a game coming in and we managed 223 on the day.
you guys all act like there was no talent on this team prior to mangurian's recruits. that is just totally wrong.
btw, his recruits at cornell once he left went 2 and , 4 and 6, and 1 and 9...so dont think he is recruiting great talent.
he has proven to be poor in the games at calling plays and his recruiting track record isnt splendid. Norries didnt leave the cupboard empty.
Penn is going to be tough and after watching Dartmouth whose QB and Rb are going to kill us, this is going to be a long haul.
if we are lucky we can try to keep up with yale and perhhaps cornell that is about it.

Anonymous said...

The announcers were SYMPATHETIC to our O-Line and DBS because they were so young and inexperienced. Do not misconstrue sympathy for praise!

Anonymous said...

Another sad loss and poor coaching. You all think it is some sort of moral victory because Leigh was held to under 30 points. The game was never close! I was there! In fact, I fear for Leigh's practice next week because they made so many mistakes!

Our defensive line played well in the trenches. Why do our LBs play so far back like DBs? And our DBS are like our O-Line... Disappointing!!!

oldlion said...

To you nay sayers: there was obvious improvement. Lehigh was coached to "play angry". One bonehead call to pass before the quarter ran out caused a lousy punt into the wind. Otherwise Delaney would have flipped field position. Two lousy back breaking calls against us. Next week Garner will be called for off sides because Bags saw the film and will alert the refs, so that has to be fixed. Good mechanics by Hilinski, but no separation by WRs, who also dropped a few catchable balls. DBs play loose because they are trying not to be burned long; to that extent it worked. Note that Lehigh threw 50 times. That is because on balance we played the run well. Nice game by front four. LBs are small, and have to compensate by playing back against blocks by huge OLs on Lehigh. Their RG looked like he went about 350. Garrett ran especially well when the H back sealed the corner for him. And yes, Kendall Pace is going to be a dominant OL for us. As far as the team quitting on the coach, that is pure nonsense. If we had Nottingham on the field along with Connors, who may be back next week, we would have had 250 yards in the air. But Imdid see more poise from our QBs today. One big mistake by Hilinski was not running for a first down when he had a wide open field but instead threw a poorly thrown ball backwards. He will learn.

Anonymous said...

O line lacks quickness. By that I mean the ability to move quickly for 1-5 yds.
Can't be coached. Must be timed before recruiting process starts.
GP