This is the post to send your comments on the game, before, during and after.
A couple of quick updates/thoughts:
1) The just-released preview of the 2014 season, something a decent organization would have released weeks ago, basically has this message from Head Coach Pete Mangurian: "Wait 'till next year."
Columbia is officially the only sports team in the world that says, "wait 'till next year," before the first game of the season is played.
You can't make this stuff up.
2) Former Lion QB Kelly Hilinski, playing this year at JUCO Riverside City College, has been given a scholarship offer to Maryland.
44 comments:
I think the preview is excellent, detailed, candid, and encouraging. You got it all wrong., Jake. Only one hour to kick-off, time to start getting it right.
alawicius, time to stop embarrassing yourself with contrived ways of softening the outrageous mismatch of Fordham vs Columbia football.
Well, the game was certainly a disappointment with the blah offense as usual the chief culprit. Things headed downhill as soon as we lost M's original choice for OC with no end in sight as long as the guy we have now hangs around. Of course it's ultimately on M.
How is Pete going to spin this as a positive sign and give us hope for the remainder of the year?
My personal take:
They looked better than last year.
QB was more mobile and actually dumped off the ball instead of getting sacked. Also, he survived.
D line wasn't bad, just exhausted in 2H because O sucked.
Our D backs still do not know how to pass-defend. They follow the receiver down the field and never look back for the ball. Stupid. This is totally on the coaches.
Our receivers cannot catch. I gave up on counting drops in Q2. Not that QB was perfect, but he deserved more completions.
O line wasn't very effective for running game, but gave QB better protection than last year.
If not for Ram 2nd team coming in the last few minutes, the defeat would have been worse than last year. As it was, we got a gift TD in the last 30 seconds.
I think we may have a shot at a couple of Ws given what I saw today.
Curious who was M's original choice at OC?
Several real problems. The Front seven on defense wasn't too bad, but the DBs are poorly coached. They still do not know how to try to make a play on the ball. They either face guard or try to run with the receiver without turning when the receiver turns. I learned this stuff in HS. The Fordham DBs played tight and always played the ball. The problem with the offense is that the receivers are sub par. I counted six drops of catchable balls, with 3 by #13 alone. They either aren't fast enough to get separation, or can't run crisp patterns, or just cannot catch. The failure to play 85, Chris Connors, is inexplicable. He has excellent hands. Also, on the play calling, several times on first down we got good yardage and created second and short, ideal passing downs. But we kept on telegraphing the run and would lose yards on second down running plays. Nottingham actually kept his poise and seemed to be shaking off the cobwebs. However, he needs a pass catching TE like Hunton on the field, since the two TEs in front of him are slow, can't catch, and can't seal the edge as blockers on running plays. One more point: the much maligned Kendall Pace was our best OL today.
Tony, he was a young coach who got an NFL offer after he signed with us. Anybody remember his name?
PS, we were playing a 3 4 most of the game. Except for Padilla we just don't have the strength and size at the point of attack to play with only 3 down linemen. Padilla was doubled and tripled all day. One bright note is that 58 was playing OLB. When the coaches turned him loose he did a nice job pressuring the Fordham QB and sacked him a few times. Maybe he will turn into another Josh Martin.
Always a nice touch when you score a gimme in the last minute of a blowout. The stats were worse than the 49-7 score.
Next week is one of two chances CU has to win -- but very very slim chance against undefeated Albany playing its fourth game. The other chance of course is Cornell. More will be known about that one as the season develops.
Nelligan, the most valuable receiver, was missed today. Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus, and Gale Sayers were also missed.
Beyond that let's not say anything negative because it's a small world after all and everything is beautiful in its own way.
Mitch S. 68CC
Ben McDaniel.
OC is a problem area but it goes beyond that. I'll base this not just on today's action but the Pete regime in general. The offensive strategy stinks. On one hand there is something to be said for a strong pocket passer like Nottingham but without a set of key receivers it's for naught. I would still like to see a dual threat QB to pick up yards. Seems like one thing cancels out the other with this program. Having a handful of B and C team guys occasionally making catches and a running game built for short yardage is not going to work.
Ben McDaniels is currently the wide receiver coach at Rutgers, where, ironically, Norries Wilson is the running backs coach. McDaniels previous job for which he left Columbia was offensive assistant at Tampa Bay. He is the younger brother of former Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels (now OC for the Patriots). Mangurian spoke very highly of him when he hired him, but he left before really getting started.
If you read Jake's pre-season analysis, he was 100% spot on - in every aspect of the game.
Why are we executing so many short passes? Because our O-Line is terrible (see running game - what running game???). Schroer is our best RB. That kid just runs hard and has very good hands. Our D-Line, as mentioned above, is small and weak and getting tossed all over the field!
What I found interesting (sad really) is that when we were down 35-0, then 42-0, our (midget) DBs were giving themselves chest bumps after breaking up the Fordham QBs passes. Please note that these were all passes that were under thrown (see online replays and commentary from announcers). The point is, if you are getting embarressed like this, just humbly back to the huddle and get ready for the next play!
Comparing apples to oranges. 60 scholarships to 0 scholarships. They were in their 4th game to our first. Fordham is the best team we will see all year and their ranking is for a reason. They have dropped 50 points on everyone this year except Villanova I believe. Adjustments will be made and there were some positives in the bloodshed.
Old lion is right about #76. He completely shut down Fordham's All-American DE/LB #90 and the sack leader on their team #95 M. Crook who Jake mentioned as "player to watch". As per usual, the majority of the rushing yards came on the left side and the line gave up 0 sacks. Nottingham was rusty but that was to be expected considering he hasn't played against external competition in 2 years. I say that because he was injured so early last year and his action goes back to Stanford. #32 played well and several freshman got in and contributed. We have to correct the mistakes.
I guess you can out me down as someone not all that impressed by Fordham. Nebrich was sacked four times, I believe. (Twice because of safety blitzes, against which the Rams O seems particularly vulnerable. And Nebrich was often hit hard while throwing.
I give him credit for hanging in there but really, too, against a meaner defense than ours he may not fare so well. It was but Fordham's 4th game, so can anyone really expect him to last for 12 games? I kind of doubt it.
On the other hand, while Columbia hs obvious weaknesses, we may still be good enough to win few games. If only because most of our opponents are not at all, let's face it, as talented as Fordham.
I love the excuses that come up.
we dont have our original offensive coordinator
fordham has scholarships
the earth was tilted in the wrong direction
we didnt shut any all-american down, an olympic sprinter wouldnt have gotten to our qb given how fast we were getting rid of the ball.
650 yards to 100 and change. that plus the score, is there really anything else that has to be said.
oh wait, we are rebuilding...AGAIN
Seeunt, I beg to differ. Look at the stats on Fordham's All -American DE...no tackles no sacks. Stats on their sack leader...no sacks one tackle. That's the definition of handling your position as a LT.
If our DBs had been properly coached to play the ball we could have had a few picks. The Fordham QB has excellent WRs but some of his balls were crippled ducks. The OL actually pass blocked pretty well, espcially Pace, and we ran behind him a few times. The problem on offense was almost entirely on the WRs, who are either slow, or cannot run patterns, or don't know where the sideline is, or who just cannot catch. 32 is our best RB. On the DL, if you are going to play a three four, you can't flank Padilla with a pair of 230 pound DEs. One final note, the Fordham coach is a creep. He had his first unit in with less than 10 minutes and a 35 point lead and was still running a hurry up. When it went to 42, he was still throwing the ball and running a hurry up,with leas than five minutes. And when we scored a meaningless TD and he got the ball back he tried to take another shot at the end zone with less than 30 seconds left.
What is the status of Nelligan and Connors? Without go to receivers the only guy that seems viable for the passing game is Flannery and that;s not enough. You need targets. There are so few opportunities for big plays and they have to make them count.
The pass protection was much better this opening game but the rushing attack is raw and the passing game speaks for itself.
we ran 50 plays of which 64% were passing, so a DE and DT are likely not going to be involved on many, if any.
how many times did we have to loft the ball like a crescent moon on passing plays? we know Nottingham has a good arm and those balls are not what he typically throws, but if i have a bad oline then i throw it up and try to let the receiver run under it.
look we were 2-14 on 3rd down efficiency, in line with last year, we had 165 yards of total offense, in line with last year, and let up 600 yards of offense, in line with last year.
fordham had the ball only 10 minutes more than us but produced almost 6 times as much offensive yardage.
we really manhandled them.
wake me up when we get new coaches and a new offense.
I feel bad for the defense as they are going to be out there a lot this year.
Guys anytime a team with scholarships and 3 or 4 games under their belt plays a team on their first game the odds are incredibly against you. Fordham had 3 weeks to work kinks out. Essentially a quarter of their season
Boo hoo. We COULD have won. We SHOULD have won. Hey, maybe we DID win. And there sure were some good signs. They only scored 49, not 94. They only ran 90 plays to our 50, It could have been worse.
I HATE football jargon. "Picks." "The edge." "The third level." But here's a real insider's view for you. Teams hate to play Columbia. They have everything to lose and nothing to gain. They just want to get it over with, and who can blame them? They want to phone it in and a lot of times they loaf as much as they can. Can you imagine trying to get your team up to play Columbia? But hey, there were some good signs.
And you know what else? Yes, all the other coaches are big meanies who pick on us when we're 40 points behind. Murphy is a meanie. Estes is a meanie. And the Fordham guy is a meanie. Boo hoo.
One solution might be to not get blown out every week -- then there's no need to worry about whether their second team is in the game. Maybe someday!
I support the players because I don't want them to have the same deeply f****d up experience I had, which almost wrecked my whole time at CU. High hopes by naive kids, then total disappointment. I look forward to being positive when there's something to be authentically positive about. Meanwhile 49-7 speaks for itself.
Mitch S. 68CC
Hey Tony - Harvard trounced Holy Cross last Friday. HC is a scholarship team with several All-Americans that played three games (2-1) before Harvard.
There is no excuse for our performance against Fordham. Bottom line: winners compete. We are not playing competitive football.
Not to beat the dead horse, but everyone knew what the outcome was going to be; we just wanted to see if CU had any improvements. I think we did, as I stated above. But pass defense and receiving do not appear to have improved. Against weaker teams than FU we could still pull off a couple of W's if we get lucky, and are overlooked.
Big Dawg has nailed it. Our DBs don't know proper technique, which is on the coaches. The receivers we puton the field are either too slow, or can't run patterns, or simply cannot catch. And why Connors is not playing when he is our only reliable and healthy receiver is literally beyond me. Likewise why we aren't playing a TE who can catch.
It is sad that QB survival is now the benchmark for O-line excellence at CU. Nottingham and Mangurian both praised the play of the o-line as much improved. We only had three first down conversions and a total of 165 yards total offense. I must be missing something. Survival football is not competitive football.
A lot of excuses have been posted to explain the loss and lopsided score, but winners find a way to compete. For example, Harvard trounced Holy Cross on Friday night. HC is a scholarship team with several all-Americans and had played three games (2-1). If we don’t start to competing, it is going to be a long season.
I am dumfounded that the usual suspects continue to try to spin a positive out of any of this.
49-7 to a team that lost by 50 already this season. Then the "scholatship school" excuse even though other Ivies beat or gave scholarship schools a real game.
Don't be mad at us Tony, alawicius, et al, wake up and smell the coffee and recognize that our admin just doesn't care.
Old Lion: Connors has a bad leg and is just not 100%. Horrific injury at Cornell last year.
Removing any negative comments now that everyone knows who I am.
Alswingman, I'm still watching you.
Looking for 5 wins.
Pat
Jake, I understand that Connors played in the scrimmage and caught two touchdown passes.
Hey WOF, anytime a 63 scholarship school with 3 or 4 games under their belt plays a non-Scholly team who is playing their first game the odds are incredibly against you is all I am saying. It's not an excuse it's a fact. The most improvement by a team shows between game 1 and 2. The offense and defense gel. The speed of the game slows down. Operation penalties are reduced etc.
Bob holy cross has not even come close to the 63 limit. They have been down the last 2 years. I am not making excuses for CU at all just saying 7 out of 10 times on paper those games are hard to win. Also of note I didn't attend the game so I can't gauge CU playing competitively.
I hear you Tony but after thirty years of reruns some of us get cynical.
our admin may not even know that we had a game this past weekend. Im tired of that
Thanks for all of your feedback but this comes down to two simple words...
SEARCH COMMITTEE
Haha WOF I feel you. Have been at schools like that before. Sometimes it doesn't make a coaches job easier, keep that in mind.
Haha WOF I feel you. Have been at schools like that before. Sometimes it doesn't make a coaches job easier, keep that in mind.
The coach not showing much respect or regard for former players and fans doesn't make his job any easier, either.
He knew it was going to be a challenge when he got here and he chose to bunker in and ignore people, his decision...
Yes it is the head coaches decision. Being a north jersey I can remember a certain giants coach that used to give the media a run for their money.
Tony, so the point is when the coach decides to go about this on his own and turn his back on former players and fans, he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt because the team has a history of losing.
His decision, he made this bed, etc.
And comparing PM to Coughlin, Parcells or anyone else of that level, it certainly looks a bit ridiculous at this point. Did they turn their backs on former players, too? I didn't realize that
Missed my point with the Parcells analogy. There is nothing anywhere that the head coach has to give alumni, media, former players etc any information whatsoever. Any info shared is a gift. However on the flipside, the HC needs donors, must garner support etc. So unless your winning regularly don't destroy any support you may need. If you are winning regularly and by that I mean undefeated seasons every year, then you can probably tell those guys to screw lol.
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