Penn 31 Columbia 7
Why Penn Won
After a slow start on both sides of the ball, the Quakers
suddenly remembered that Columbia cannot stop straight-ahead running on defense
and could not protect against the blitz on offense. The result was 276 yards rushing
for the Quaker offense to just 20 rushing yards for the Lions. And once the
blitz package was used, Columbia did not score again.
Why Columbia Lost
Columbia’s passing game could not sustain its opening
success and the running attack was weaker than it’s been all season, which is
saying something. Meanwhile, CU’s O-line committed a whopping 14 false
start/motion penalties in what has to be a modern Ivy record. On defense, the
Lions could not stop the simple runs up the middle even when everyone in
Franklin Field knew they were coming. Columbia allowed more than five yards per
carry on 54 Penn carries.
Key Turning Points
-With Columbia leading 7-0, Penn faced a 3rd and
3 at the CU 27 with about 5 minutes left in the 1st quarter. QB Alek
Torgerson’s pass sailed high over Spenser Kulcsar’s head, but CU CB Trevor Bell knocked Kulcsar down on the
play and even though the pass was clearly uncatchable, the refs are never going
to ignore that much contact. The pass interference call gave Penn a 1st
down at the Lion 12. On the next play the Quakers scored the tying TD.
-With about 3 minutes left in the half and Penn ahead 14-7, Ray Pesanello recovered a Torgerson
fumble at the Quaker 30. Columbia got as far as the Penn 19, but had to settle
for a FG attempt that sailed wide and Penn dodged a bullet.
-Still leading 14-7, Penn was forced to punt after a
three-and-out at their own 26. But Columbia roughed punter Hunter Kelly on the
punt and Penn retained possession. 12 plays later it was 21-7.
Columbia Positives
-QB Trevor McDonagh
was a clear upgrade and he showed decent poise.
The fact that he did not throw an interception was a big positive.
-It was good to see CU Tight Ends Garrett DeMuth and Zach Dansby make an impact as receivers.
Columbia Negatives
-The offensive line is a mess and a penalty machine. In addition
to the bevvy of false starts, (mostly committed by Billy Lawrence), Kendall
Pace was flagged for holding twice. The blitz totally flummoxed this group time
and again.
-Double-teaming Niko
Padilla equals destroying any chance of a CU run defense. This is a
screaming problem.
Columbia MVP
-McDonagh
Lessons Learned
This is the worst Penn team I’ve seen since 1991, and still
the Quakers were about to beat the Lions by four scores. Columbia keeps redefining
the meaning of “hit bottom.” 14 motion penalties 8 motion penalties, and 3 holds on the O-line are inexcusable. And
the lack of any kind of Lion rushing attack is just as bad. We were promised
the O-line would be better this year, but I don’t see a bit of it. After all
the machinations over the O-line that we’ve been through under Head Coach Pete Mangurian, it’s crazy that this is
still the weakest unit on the team by far. The closer Mangurian gets to
something, the more it stinks.
And to think, we could have saved ourselves from all of this
by doing what everyone knew had to be done last year and letting Mangurian go.
Columbia has now lost 16 straight, all by at least two scores.
33 comments:
I don't want to be down on the kid because he plays with a passion Nottingham did not have but McDonagh is pretty raw. He shows good poise and downfield vision but he's missing some intangibles to make him really effective.
I don't think there was an MVP in that game but definitely a step in the right direction for the receiving corps. As mentioned above however, unless they can establish a run, it will be a long day for the QB and receivers trying to get traction.
you can always tell employees of the university by the total vacancy which occupies the space where most other people have faces.
NO MORE EXCUSES!!! We all have to understand that this is NOT a facilities issue. This is NOT a location issue. This is NOT an administration issue (other than the fact that Diane is leaving). Look at the success that Boretti has had with the baseball team (and he practices in the gym 3 months out of the year). Look at the success of our Track/X-Country, Tennis and Soccer teams have experienced over the years. Kids want to Columbia! It is simply a matter of getting the "right" coach. We need a tactician, someone who can communicate to these kids (and parents/alums), but someone who can recruit as well. Can you imagine if we had someone like Reno at Yale? He’s a very good communicator and apparently a great recruiter. My point is if Duke, Northwestern, Yale, Princeton and Dartmouth can all turn it around, why can’t we? Then what is the issue you ask? The common thread is the football committee and weak ADs picking the WRONG coaches. Remember, Ted Gregory was in on the Tellier, Shoop, Wilson and PM decision (so we were told). Those guys just need to stay away from the process!
What's with the Nottingham bashing? How do you know he didn't play with passion? So he was passionate enough to be named Captain, but now he's just a scapegoat? Pete threw him under the bus in public! On one hand, Pete preaches "family" and "keeping all football matters in-house" (the "us against the world" mentality goes out the window when you have an 0-17 streak). On the other hand, Pete blabs to the press about such discourse. You can't have it both ways...
Nottingham is not a scapegoat. He was captain based on his potential to lead not on his accomplishments. He would not have fared any better against Penn. McDonagh wants to play and he wants to be there. He didn't quit when Nottingham showed up and based on reputation and potential took his starting job without even taking a snap.
I also don''t think Brett deserved the treatment he got publicly from Pete. This head coach is very bad at public relations and team management.
Also, I don't like Tony Reno's haircut so that disqualifies him from any adulation regardless of wins.
Alswingman - Awesome! I especially liked the Reno comment.
I still beg to differ on Brett - he was named Captain AFTER seeing his commitment to the team post injury last year, his efforts over the summer, and his pre-season work. There is where I disagree...
I would also add that McDonagh is indeed a team player and deserves a shot. best of luck to him!
Never, ever, saw a game where the number of penalties almost equaled the rushing yardage. This is historic! One thing that hasn't changed is that we don't compete for more than a quarter or two....
Agree that Nottingham likely would
not have performed any better than McDonagh, who could not step into many of his throws due to constant blitzes. Can we at least figure out a way to adjust to this because from now on we're gonna get a constant weekly dose of this, and, against stronger defensive teams it aint going to be pretty...
What about McElreavy, Naso,Garrett,Campbell, Navarro, Donelli? You think it's the coaching? You think Tony Reno could win at Columbia? Is he 500 yet at Yale ?
Ask any college football coach in America about Columbia. They will all say the same: "Columbia does not want to win".
i would simply state thate this head coach is bad at everything.
Where O where is Danny White?
#1 lion, u guys had the "right" coach, norries wilson. Last guy to field a competitive football team, good recruiter, good with parents and alumni. Shot that one to hell huh guys??
Brett has to be given a lot of credit for bouncing back from the painful injury. He worked hard to reclaim his starting position but you could see it in his body language and effort. Something was wrong, either a communication or personality conflict with the OC or everyone involved. It really went south during the Monmouth game. I actually agree with Pete's decision to sit him for Penn and then Brett just abandoned his teammates as a reaction to that. I doubt this is a reflection of Brett's character, probably a conflict beyond repair with the coaching staff.
No one wins in this situation.
Meanwhile, my efforts to get in touch with BillC are completely fruitless.
Norries was close but couldn't push it over the top. If the administration weren't interested in improvement it would have kept Norries. By hindsight Norries over the last three years would have been better than the current staff. But we were told that mediocrity was unacceptable, and that the sleeping Lion was about to roar back to life. Little did we know that Murphy had a crony who was out of work and looking for a gig. Was it Kraft, Murphy, Campbell, Gregory? Who knows. But half the kids I am told on good inside authority have lost all respect for the coaches and expect them to be gone. So they are sleepwalking out there. How else do you explain 14 false starts? They want this staff to,be fired, whether they admit it or not. Saturday can be the biggest debacle since the Battle of Gallipoli. I just hope nobody gets hurt. This is shameful. Murphy should be paid her severance and booted out now. And after Saturday a caretaker should coach the team for the rest of the season
One final question, and then I am shutting down until after Saturday: how could so,many people have been so,spectacularly wrong about this guy? We're there any red flags that we ignored? Did anybody do due diligence? Was any Columbia insider paid a finders fee for an executive search?
Coach Brinson:
I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we really appreciate you commenting here and much of what you have to say. We also wish you success in your current work.
But in fairness, I still don't believe Norries was the answer just because the dishonest and incompetent people in the A.D. replaced him with someone worse.
I do believe Norries and his staff did a number of things, especially recruiting, better than just about any CU staff in many decades. But we still didn't ever get a winning season even with a collection of the best players we've seen at CU in a long time.
And why, why, why did Norries stick with Vinny Marino? It was his undoing in many ways. Surely the other coaches on the staff saw what a liability he was.
Where I especially feel your pain is how Mangurian came in and trashed all the good things Norries did along with the bad.
Coach B- You can't be serious??? This is what things have come to?Pete Mangurrian is so bad that he makes Norries look good. By that measure, we should have kept Shoop too??? Come on... Norries was a bad coach, deal with it. Jake is right, Marino was horrible too. If you ever watched the game, Norries looked lost on the sidelines, always looking bewildered. In contrast, Coach Murphy was (is) a smooth operator, even when coming from behind. He did one thing that I will give him credit for, he sent out notes to the players families and alums after every win and loss. He was extremely candid about what worked and didn't work. However, he never changed his approach. Not to mention, "Parka-Gate"... what a fiasco! Those kids are still suffering from hypothermia and the Yale kids were snug as bugs.
OldLion- Ted Gregory IS an executive recruiter and he was part of the search committee for the past few coaches. What greater qualification do you need to be AD than those colossal failures.
By the way, just because Diane is leaving in June (or whenever), we can still hire a new AD before then. Yes, there will be an overlap, however, this individual will just be an "AD in WAITING". If we wait, we're screwed with the selection of a new coach; especially under Diane's watch. She's currently 0-3 (and the NHDC is 0-6... and that's being kind).
I think it is ludicrous that DM gives and gets 10 months notice. What corporation would ever allow that, unless the individual held a ton of shares? Long range decisions to be made by a lame duck with no fear of repercussion? Oh, wait! We've had that all along except for the duck part.
No, they need to get someone good ASAP, and after a transition period if needed, just pay her off.
Responding to #1 Lion, you are right about other teams being successful at CU, but it is still an admin issue. Because those successes are so few as to be categorized as random. It isn't just FB. In general, CU sucks at sports, period. We have stats to prove all this coming out our ears. And it isn't because we don't fund; it's because there isn't any expectation level, starting with Bollinger.
it isnt like CU hasnt had multiple coaches on the payroll at the same time either
It was a one person decision to hire PM- Dianne Murphy- no football committee, search committee, Bollinger or Campbell -
Just wanted to point out I am not sure of that number - 14 false start penalties. I think that is what the Penn announcers said but the boxscore just has totals - 16 for 100 something yards. It does not say what the penalties were. 14 seems high with everything else. There were a lot and it killed momentum.
Does not matter. Dartmouth by 40.
Jake thanks for the reply and appreciation of my posts. After a long long period of losing at any school change or success is slow moving. Norries made a competitive football program at columbia with very talented players. Yes we didn't get over the hump, no question, but to think your going to change a losing culture/history and consistently win in a 4 to 5 yr span expects a lot. One being an administration that cares and two having/retaining good players. Oh and also some luck too! Ramapo college in NJ once had football, with a losing streak rivaling columbia of old. A new coach turned it around in 4 years posting a 33-9 record. Fortunately I worked for him years after he left ramapo. Norries would have got it done over time.
Hey #1 lion, I take a little offense when you call a buddy of mine a bad coach. Parka gate wasn't on him. He was good with kids and parents, solid recruiter (olawale, brackett, kennedy, knowlin ring a bell?). Also one of the most loyal and fair guys i know. Wondering how you can say the only thing you give him credit for was......? Love to how you evaluate qualities of a good coach and bad coach?
Almost forgot. I was on the headset on GameDay buddy, norries was ANYTHING but lost or confused.
Oldlion. We didn't reach mediocrity when I was at columbia. We reached competitiveness which hadn't been around in awhile. If the fired norries for mediocrity what do you exactly have now?
Tony- You really shouldn't take offense to someone calling your friend a "bad coach", his abysmal record speaks volumes. Note, this is not my subjective opinion, rather, facts. Norries was 17-43 overall, and 10-32 in-league. In his last 3 seasons in-league, he went 3-4, 2-5, and 1-6. Forgive me, I am not a coach, but please explain to he how that shows “progress” and getting the program going “in the right direction”? Clearly, you know more than I so please enlighten me… Furthermore, Marino was a disaster (and abusive to the players – Jake has it on record as well, just ask him offline). Norries’ loyalty was his demise as he kept Marino on Staff. Ultimately, that is his responsibility as well.
Regarding game-day management, I would only ask that Norries take an Orienteering class. Even with a compass and a map they couldn’t find the end zone. Who do I consider good coaches? Teevens, Murphy, and Estes. The best of the bunch, in my opinion, would be Estes because he does so much with so little (and doesn't complain).
Parka-Gate was Norries' fault and then everyone tried to cover it up (no pun intended - again, ask Jake offline).
As far as recruiting, agreed, he was a good recruiter. I guess the question is, what did he do with all that talent? Hint, see record…
The point is that Norries had to go. Unfortunately, we got someone who was (is) ten times worse. That does not mean that we should have kept Norries, rather, it is an indictment against those who select these coaches.
I only wish Coach Wilson continued success at Rutgers and I hope that someday he gets back to coaching in the Ivy League… Columbia could always use a win.
Gentlemen, I believe we have now crossed the Rubicon. Our current coaching situation is so bad we have put that aside and begun arguing about the previous coach.
What was the conclusion to parka-gate? My understanding is the athletic dept did not have winter gear for the team. The rain ponchos was as good as it would get. If there was winter gear for players and wilson forbid the team from wearing it during a blizzard then he should be derided for it. Otherwise, it's just something they did not budget for. How often do you need serious winter gear that this becomes an issue?
Wilson wasn't perfect and he may have lasted longer if he kept his cool and did not let his emotions lead his thinking.
You CU guys are hilarious. If I'm correct, Norries had you somewhat relevant if you can call it that. Looking at the records over the yrs the guy didnt do that bad considering it is CU! You went from him to PM. great job! Imagine if he had the facilities and resources PM now has. I must bring up being a black coach in the Ivys could have only helped your chances with recruiting getting more minority kids that went to other Ivys.
#1 lion according to your definition of a bad coach here's a few other guys for your list. Bill Belechick at Cleveland had 4 out of 5 losing seasons (bad coach right?). Nick Saban at Miami was 15-17 (oh god he is a bad coach). Pete Carroll was 6-10 with the Jets (terrible coach I guess). And no disrespect to Jake I believe all of what I see and NONE of what I hear from "SOURCES".
No one can dispute the success of winning super bowls but I do wonder if the Patriots would have been anything without Tom Brady. They didn't even know what they had until the guy they invested in (Drew Bledsoe) was injured.
Then, it took Oakland Raiders karma to get it going. The tuck rule was what won the game for them to even get into their first SB win.
I read Pete Carroll's book and he credits success in the NFL and college to the ability to recruit the players you want for your system. With the Jets the right GM was not in place for him to succeed. At USC and Seattle he was given the keys to the kingdom, including whatever bankroll he needed (literally). Sometimes I think Carroll is just winging it. I still can't imagine what would possess him to pay a guy like Charlie Whitehurst and in fact, all of his QB free agents have been really subpar. Don't credit him with Russel Wilson. He was a third round flyer.
Can't argue with Saban as a college head coach but he too, clearly did not have the right GM support in the NFL. He can't just win with any team put in front of him. He needs his own type of guys.
Coach, you conveniently neglected to answer my questions. That's fine if you choose not to address how a team in steady decline over Norries' last three years was showing "improvement". It must be that new math... Or the fact that he recruited such great talent, yet could not coach a winning team. Let's just move on....
And it's also convenient how you avoided your definition of a bad coach when I gave examples of guys fitting the criteria. Must be that new Websters dictionary your using...:)
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