Sunday, November 15, 2015

Big Red Faces

Cornell 3 Columbia 0

Why Cornell Won

The Big Red defense did something to discourage Columbia from passing from the get go. And when the Lions did pass, Cornell saw to it that disastrous things often happened. 

Why Columbia Lost

The Lion offense was mistake prone, committing turnovers abs penalties at the most inopportune times. While the running game was strong, the passing game was mysteriously non-existent in a relatively decent weather game. 

Key Turning points 

-After a good 73 yard drive fueled mostly by good Cornell rollout runs, the Big Red hit a 35 yard FG to take a 3-0 lead on their first possession of the game. It was the longest FG of the season for Cornell. No one could have guessed that it would be the only score of the game. 

-With about nine minutes left in the game, the Lions finally mounted their best drive of the game using only running plays. With about four minutes left, it appeared Columbia took the lead with an Anders Hill scamper for a TD. But it was called back on a holding penalty and Columbia missed the subsequent FG attempt that would have tied it. Cornell was then able to run out the clock. 

Colimbia Positives

-RB Cameron Molina put up career numbers with 151 rushing yards. 

-The defense was outstanding, especially after each of Columbia's three turnovers. The Big Red never scored off those turnovers that each gave their offense great field position. Star RB Luke Hagy was held to just 60 yards on 24 carries. 

Columbia Negatives

-5 for 17 passing for 42 yards and two interceptions are not grown up statistics. 

-The mistake disease is getting out of control with the most untimely penalties and turnovers. 

Columbia MVP

Cameron Molina did all he could do to get the Lions a win. He just needed a little more help. 

11 comments:

I remain, very truly yours, Richard Szathmary said...

That there are no comments yet on this one indicates pretty darn well the sense of deflation we all must feel.

This one really, really hurts. An awful lot. It's an angry sort of scar, at least until next season.

alawicius said...

Incoming RB Tanner Thomás ended up with over 2000 yards rushing for the season. The wait for next year will be easier if we beat Brown.

oldlion said...

We play to the competition; up to good teams and down to bad teams. If I were to point to one huge problem on Saturday it was the total absence of any semblance of a passing game. Yet we still would have gotten the W if it weren't for the bonehead holding call on Hill's apparent TD. Nonetheless, let's not excuse the fact that none of our WRs got any separation, both QBs were ineffectual, and the pass protection from the OL was spotty..

Anonymous said...

I'm not inside the locker room to know what the team chemistry or morale is like but i would have to think by this point in the season they feel pretty strongly about the new direction and team identity. Even in some losses they played well so this game would have to be the low watermark for them to date. What kind of team are we going to be is what they should be asking themselves. I don't think they will quit on themselves.

Parent said...

Test

Chick said...

Jake, any chance against Brown this week? They're 4-5 and the lowest they've scored in any game is 14--in a loss--which would be an offensive explosion for us.

oldlion said...

The Cornell guys are really gloating on the blogs about what a great game they played against us. We need to get the W this Friday night to continue the process of validation and take the bad taste out of our mouths from that pathetic loss to a very weak Cornell team. Al sounded very bummed at his press conference after the game.

Coach said...

With our defense playing on this high level, there is absolutely no reason that we cannot beat Brown.

WOF said...

Allie, I love your enthusiasm but do you know what level of competition Thomas played this year? I want to agree with you but every year we bring in kids with great stats, alot depends on who they were playing against, though.

DOC said...

Brown is beatable based on the fact they are not playing well having lost 3 in a row, including a shellacking at Yale. Our Defense is capable of keeping us in this game. Cannot take stupid penalties or turn the ball over. We will devise an offensive scheme that features a heavy dose of Molina and a simple quick route passing game.

Anonymous said...

Brown is beatable because they gave a terrible QB who Coach Estes keeps going with. Brown's D is not bad at all but they get beleaguered being ont he field so much as a result of routine bad QB play. That is how G-town beat them (was it last season already or this year?) and the reason they are a middling type of program.