.jpg)
Beating Columbia is now easier than those phony courses at North Carolina
Dartmouth 27 Columbia 7
Why Dartmouth Won
Like every other team playing Columbia for the last 23 months, the Big Green totally controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Dartmouth defense held the Lions to 44 yards rushing, while RB Kyle Bramble had 126 yards on an efficient 23 carries. Despite not playing their best player in QB Dalyn Williams, Dartmouth still passed the ball well. Finally, the Big Green yielded only seven points despite three turnovers.
Why Columbia Lost
Columbia's offense simply cannot score, even though it did show a better ability to move the ball. Even on CU's one scoring drive, it had to overcome four penalties and it needed seven tortuous plays to go just 23 yards to the end zone. On defense, Columbia allowed Dartmouth to convert a healthy 11 of 18 3rd downs plays.
Key Turning Points
-Dartmouth made a big statement on its opening drive, moving 75 yards in 10 efficient plays. Backup QB Alex Park dispelled any concerns Green fans may have had by completing his first three passes and going 5-6 overall on the drive for 36 yards.
-After CU DB Trevor Bell picked off a Park pass on Dartmouth's second possession, the Lions were poised to tie things up when they started their ensuing possession at the Green 45. But Columbia gained all of two yards before having to punt and the offensive futility was evident.
-After Columbia finally scored to make it 17-7 late in the half, a good Dartmouth kickoff return gave the Big Green a short field and they scored a TD just before the break to dash the Lions burgeoning hopes and put the game away.
Columbia Positives
-The Lions moved the ball well offensively despite not being able to score. They even out-gained Dartmouth in passing yards, 282 to 268.
-Columbia's run defense was generally strong, but without Williams in at QB to keep run defenses honest, that may be a misleading achievement.
Columbia Negatives
-QB Trevor McDonagh put up some generally good numbers, but his two picks were inexcusable.
-The penalties were numerous and untimely. A week after committing a mind boggling eight false start penalties, the Lions committed five on Saturday and also had a costly personal foul to extend a Dartmouth drive. Columbia had 10 penalties overall for 68 yards.
-Columbia did get one sack on the day, but there was generally no pressure at all on Park. This has been the case all season long.
MVP
-Trevor Bell truly deserved the John Toner Homecoming MVP award this year. Too bad not one of the recipients of this nice newer tradition for CU football has ever enjoyed getting this award in a winning game.
Overall Lessons
-Dartmouth benched their best player as a precaution and the Big Green still came into Columbia's Homecoming and won by three scores.
We have been reduced to the kind of role junior colleges or D-III teams play against Ivy teams in preseason.
Any talk of progress from this coach or administration is an insult to everyone's patience and intelligence.
10 comments:
And if football isn't enough of a disaster, we just lost all Ivy forward Alex Rosenberg with a broken foot!
It wouldn't be the first time people in positions of authority allowed debacles to go on unabated. Unless there is accountability, then it will continue. The structure they have built for themselves within the Ivy league seems to leave those responsible to be untouchable.
I really wonder what the point is for BillC to fly out there and be present knowing full well the outcome of this game in advance. Maybe he really is all about the politics and has completely lost touch with the human basics of what it takes to be part of a credible football program. He's not part of anything except cronyism.
If Pete really is making 400K then the real crime is not having a system in place for him to return every dime. Give it to charity but take it out of his hands and send him and his non-talented coaching staff on their way.
Amen.
Campbell had gone from CU when I was there but his reputation endured as a great player and a physical conditioning marvel. After his failed tenure as coach he went into marketing and I'm sure he worked very hard. Somehow he then transitioned to Intuit in California and eventually was a confidant of Jobs etc.
Whatever Jobs may have thought of him or seen in him, Campbell is a great success story and I'm sure his hard-earned and expensive status as a CU insider is something he treasures. Unfortunately it doesn't necessarily mean he's a wonderful human being or even an especially smart guy.
For me, it's slightly disconcerting to see a tough guy whose pic had a place of honor on wall of the old "Japs" after-practice restaurant turn into an after dinner speaker and crony-monger to the detriment of today's players as well the disappointment of those who came before. But I can handle it.
Mitch S. 68CC
RPI has us over Cornell by 2 scores. We are rated virtually even in their system so I'm thinking home field is helping us.
Bottom line; we have to beat them. It won't redeem the season but it will show that there is some glimmer of hope or spark in the spirit of the team. It will show that there is at least the potential for them to wake up and refuse to lose. So the Cornell game really is more important than it may seem.
1-9 isn't much better than 0-10, but the win will tell us all a lot about where the team's head and heart are.
That's why Cornell is truly a "MUST" win.
Can those who attended give us an idea of how the teams psyche looked?
Did they play hard and with grit and determination or did the mail it in?
In your opinion, does Pete have them playing hard for them and they are just overmatched or do they look tuned out?
Thanks
Cornell has been competetive in every game thus far. Their D isnt that bad. Their O is better than CUs. They played Lehigh, Harvard and Bucknell close. Those teams would smash CU. I dont see CU beating Cornell at all.
Big - I think our performance against Dartmouth, Yale, and Harvard is a better indicator of our potential. Who cares if we play well against the other league doormat?
I have no tolerance for the perpetual excuses and defeatist mentality. Winners want to compete against the best. Probably why our opponents sit their best players when they play us. Maybe we should cancel all our games next year and just play Cornell 10 times.
I don't know what to think about Cornell. They have been pretty inconsistent, playing well at times, dismal at other spots. It is possible CU will catch them in a down stretch but something tells me the fight to be 1-9 will not be a cakewalk.
Reminds me of Norries' last game against Brown. It was euphoria on the sidelines to go 1-9.
I wish the Columbia Athletics Dept. would have as much as passion for firing Pete Mangurian as Jets fans who want GM John Idzik & Rex Ryan to go. If they did, Pete would no longer be the Coach. PERIOD. Instead, they're sitting on their hands & knees, and Pete spews lies and false statements about his team showing improvement. Sigh
Post a Comment