... and another

Cole Matthiesen


6-4 220 pound TE Cole Mattiesen from the St. Albans High School in Washington, D.C. has committed to Columbia.

Matthiesen had offers from Cornell, Lehigh, and a few others.

Matthiesen will be only the second St. Albans grad to come to Columbia Football; the first since Bob Wisdom '76.

That brings our reported list of commitments to 18:

1. Caden Bell QB 6"0 185 lbs. Junipero Serra HS San Juan Capistrano, CA

2. Bryan Bell-Anderson DB 5"10 170 lbs. Dr. Phillips HS Orlando, FL 

3. Cameron Burt WR 6"4 200 lbs. Blue Valley North HS Overland Park, KS

4. McLeod Buckham-White DB 5"10 171 lbs. Lovett HS Atlanta, GA

5. Cameron Coleman LB 6"1 217 lbs. Rye Country Day School Rye, NY

6. Dominic Dodson DB 5"11 185 lbs. Central Catholic HS Pittsburgh, PA

7. Jack Ertz TE/WR 6"4 205 lbs. Grapevine HS Grapevine, TX

8. Alex Felkins K 6"4 170 lbs. Holland Hall HS Tulsa, OK 

9. Ryan Hamilton DB/RB 5"11 195 lbs. Coffman HS Dublin, OH 

10. Will Hamilton OL 6"2 270 lbs. North Gwinnett HS Suwanee, GA 

11. Cole Matthiesen TE 6"4 220 lbs. St. Albans HS Washington, D.C.

12. Tavehon McGarry LB/RB 6"0 220 lbs. Bishop Dwenger HS Fort Wayne, IN

13. Hugh McLean DL 6"0 270 lbs. Lake Braddock Secondary Burke, VA

14. Mitch Moyer DE 6"4, 255 lbs. Archmere Academy Claymont, DE

15. Luke Painton TE 6"7 225 lbs. Berks Catholic HS, Reading, PA  

16. Railan Peace DB 6"1 180 lbs.Sunny Hills HS Fullerton, CA

17. Alex Thompson WR 6"2 185 lbs Punahou School Honululu, HI

18. Scott Valentas DB 6"3, 198 lbs.  Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic HS Wichita, KS

Big WR

6-4 200 pound WR Cameron Burt has just committed to the Lions.

Burt comes from Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, KS, the same high school rising which is nearby but NOT the same high school that sophomore TE Jackson Heath attended.

Burt had preferred walk on offers at Nebraska and Kansas, please full offers from a number of other schools.

That brings our reported list of commitments to 17:

1. Caden Bell QB 6"0 185 lbs. Junipero Serra HS San Juan Capistrano, CA

2. Bryan Bell-Anderson DB 5"10 170 lbs. Dr. Phillips HS Orlando, FL 

3. Cameron Burt WR 6"4 200 lbs. Blue Valley North HS Overland Park, KS

4. McLeod Buckham-White DB 5"10 171 lbs. Lovett HS Atlanta, GA

5. Cameron Coleman LB 6"1 217 lbs. Rye Country Day School Rye, NY

6. Dominic Dodson DB 5"11 185 lbs. Central Catholic HS Pittsburgh, PA

7. Jack Ertz TE/WR 6"4 205 lbs. Grapevine HS Grapevine, TX

8. Alex Felkins K 6"4 170 lbs. Holland Hall HS Tulsa, OK 

9. Ryan Hamilton DB/RB 5"11 195 lbs. Coffman HS Dublin, OH 

10. Will Hamilton OL 6"2 270 lbs. North Gwinnett HS Suwanee, GA 

11. Tavehon McGarry LB/RB 6"0 220 lbs. Bishop Dwenger HS Fort Wayne, IN

12. Hugh McLean DL 6"0 270 lbs. Lake Braddock Secondary Burke, VA

13. Mitch Moyer DE 6"4, 255 lbs. Archmere Academy Claymont, DE

14. Luke Painton TE 6"7 225 lbs. Berks Catholic HS, Reading, PA  

15. Railan Peace DB 6"1 180 lbs.Sunny Hills HS Fullerton, CA

16. Alex Thompson WR 6"2 185 lbs Punahou School Honululu, HI

17. Scott Valentas DB 6"3, 198 lbs.  Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic HS Wichita, KS

New Lions

The pre-Christmas rush of commitments has begun, and Columbia has some new members of the incoming freshman class.

Alex Thompson and Coach Todd Gilchrist


First we have Alex Thompson a 6-2, 185 pound WR from the Punahou School in Honululu. Thompson will be the second Punahou grad to come to Columbia Football, after Ed Moore '98. Of course, the most famous Punahou grad to come to Columbia University was our 44th President Barack Obama.

Railan Peace

Second we have 6-1, 180 pound DB Railan Peace from Sunny Hills HS in Fullerton, CA. Peace had offers from Brown, San Diego, Air Force, and UC Davis.

Peace will be the second Sunny Hills grad to come to Columbia Football, after Steve Choe '05.

Hugh McLean

Last we have 6-0 270 pound DL Hugh McLean from Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, VA. McLean will be the first Lake Braddock grad to come to Columbia Football.


That brings our reported list of commitments to 16:

1. Caden Bell QB 6"0 185 lbs. Junipero Serra HS San Juan Capistrano, CA

2. Bryan Bell-Anderson DB 5"10 170 lbs. Dr. Phillips HS Orlando, FL 

3. McLeod Buckham-White DB 5"10 171 lbs. Lovett HS Atlanta, GA

4. Cameron Coleman LB 6"1 217 lbs. Rye Country Day School Rye, NY

5. Dominic Dodson DB 5"11 185 lbs. Central Catholic HS Pittsburgh, PA

6. Jack Ertz TE/WR 6"4 205 lbs. Grapevine HS Grapevine, TX

7. Alex Felkins K 6"4 170 lbs. Holland Hall HS Tulsa, OK 

8. Ryan Hamilton DB/RB 5"11 195 lbs. Coffman HS Dublin, OH 

9. Will Hamilton OL 6"2 270 lbs. North Gwinnett HS Suwanee, GA 

10. Tavehon McGarry LB/RB 6"0 220 lbs. Bishop Dwenger HS Fort Wayne, IN

11. Hugh McLean DL 6"0 270 lbs. Lake Braddock Secondary Burke, VA
12. Mitch Moyer DE 6"4, 255 lbs. Archmere Academy Claymont, DE

13. Luke Painton TE 6"7 225 lbs. Berks Catholic HS, Reading, PA  

14. Railan Peace DB 6"1 180 lbs.Sunny Hills HS Fullerton, CA

15. Alex Thompson WR 6"2 185 lbs Punahou School Honululu, HI
16. Scott Valentas DB 6"3, 198 lbs.  Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic HS Wichita, KS

Award Season

Columbia's just completed 6-4 2018 campaign was laden with so many injury-forced changes that the year was really more like three or four seasons in one.

That's what makes choosing some of my personally chosen awards for 2018 so hard.

But I'll take a stab at it with the disclaimer that this was a unusual year on so many levels.

This blog post will serve as a list of nominees. The blog post announcing my choices for winners will come next


Freshman of the Year

The All Ivy voters, (that is the Ivy coaches), voted freshman Mike Roussos as the 1st Team All Ivy Return Specialist mainly on his heroics in the final game vs. Cornell.

But was he really the freshman who contributed the most to the 2018 Lions?

Two running backs made major impacts in alternating halves of the season.

During the first five and a half games, freshman Dante Miller burst onto the scene as a dangerous runner with breakaway speed. His 83-yard TD run in the opening win at Central Connecticut will be long-remembered.

But after Miller was injured, fellow freshman Ryan Young lept up from 5th on the RB depth chart to make a major difference in the wins over Yale, Brown, and Cornell. His game-winning TD against the Elis, dragging a defender on his back for the last eight yards was a major highlight of the year.

Then there was the "frying pan to the fire" season endured by freshman QB Ty Lenhart. Lenhart was forced to start the final three games of the season despite starting the year fourth on the QB depth chart. He clearly had some problems with his accuracy at times, throwing five interceptions compared to just one TD pass. But he also had some brilliant moments in the wins over Brown and Cornell. The 75-yard TD drive he led in the 4th quarter against the Big Red was his finest moment, and more than any team could really expect of a freshman QB who didn't even throw the ball that much in high school.

Special Teams Player of the Year

Obviously, Roussos gets another nomination here for his return work.

Sophomore first-time starter Drew Schmid was brilliant all year in the punting duties. He even earned MVP honors from me after the victory over Yale.

And K Chris Alleyne simply had a dream season; winning 1st Team All Ivy honors, hitting his first seven FG attempts on the year, booting a team record 51-yard FG in the win over the Elis, nailing five other FG attempts of 40+ yards, and going a perfect 24-24 on PATs.

In any other year, each of the above three nominees would be slam dunk choices to win this award.

Defensive Player of the Year

Two Lions, senior DB Ryan Gilbert and junior DL Daniel DeLorenzi, made the All Ivy 1st Team. That makes both of them clear nominees.

But you also have to add senior LB Sean White, who anchored this year's version of the most consistently strong unit of the Columbia program since Head Coach Al Bagnoli took over.

And even though he missed three games to injury, where would this defense be without senior DB Landon Baty?

Offensive Player of the Year

This is tougher to decide because the massive number of injuries for Columbia came more on the offensive side.

Almost every one of Columbia's six wins came with a different offensive MVP.

Backup QB Dillon Davis was the offensive savior in the win over CCSU, as he came in for the injured Josh Bean and got the Lions a key score to save the win.

WR Ronald Smith was the MVP in the win over Georgetown the following week.

Bean was the offensive star in the win over Marist two weeks later.

RB Ryan Young was the big offensive savior in the win over Yale.

WR/QB Kyle Castner was the man in the win over Brown.

And the Cornell game was kind of a toss-up between Castner and Young for best offensive weapon.

But I'd narrow down the nominees here to Castner, Young, Smith and C Parker Coogan, who was an unsung hero in the middle of that O-line.

Team MVP

Based on everything written above, I think this award comes down to DeLorenzi, Castner, Alleyne, and Young.

Good luck everyone!

BREAKING: Perry Takes Brown Job, Bushnell Winners Named

Brown has just named former Bears QB and current Bryant University Head Coach James Perry as its new head coach.

Perry is a keen offensive mind and truly the creator of the Princeton offense that has continued to steamroll defenses even after he left as the Tiger offensive coordinator following the 2016 season.

You may recall Perry was one of the people on my wish list to be Columbia's head coach before Al Bagnoli miraculously became available.

Brown has problems that go beyond coaching, but I would not be surprised if the Bears become competitive in a short time.

Lovett, Swann Bushnell Winners

Princeton QB John Lovett won the Bushnell Cup for Ivy offensive player of the year and Dartmouth DB Eric Swann won the defensive Bushnell.

Thankfully for the rest of the league, Lovett is graduating. Swann has another year to terrorize opposing passers and receivers.

Monday Headlines and Thoughts

Estes Out


The Providence Journal is reporting the Brown Head Coach Phil Estes is leaving the program.

This is not a complete shocker, but Estes still is the most successful coach in Brown history by far.  I often wanted Columbia to hire him away from Brown to see if he could work some magic here.

I hope someone out there gives Estes another chance... in fact, he would make a great assistant/consultant for our Head Coach Al Bagnoli right now.

Bagnoli Watch

In four years as Columbia's head coach, Bagnoli is now 19-21. He's reached 19 wins 33 games faster than Ray Tellier. He will not likely be voted Ivy coach of the year as he was in 2017, but considering the injuries that devastated this team he truly deserves it. It's hard to believe any other Ivy team this year could go 6-4 without its top three QB's, top three RB's. top LB, and top all-around player, (in Columbia's case that was WR Josh Wainwright).


Top 10

Longtime readers of this blog know I keep a running list, at least in my head, of the best Columbia games of each decade. With one season left before we finish the super-eventful 2010-2019 decade in Lions history, Saturday's win over Cornell may have cracked the top 3. I still put the win over Penn last year as #1 and the victory at Princeton also last year at #2.

Here's hoping 2019 will bring us lots more contenders for the top 10.


Next Year

For those of you wondering about next year, the Lions begin it on September 21 at St. Francis. The other non-conference games will both be at home, versus Georgetown in week two and CCSU in week four.

Magic Mike

Columbia 24 Cornell 21


Why Columbia Won

Columbia's backup, freshman kick returner Mike Roussos scored on a highly improbable 87-yard squib kickoff return for a TD with 45 seconds left to stun the Big Red. Roussos also had a 91-yard punt return for a TD earlier in the contest as the Lion special teams once again made the biggest difference in the game.


Why Cornell Lost

The Big Red couldn't cash in on enough scoring opportunities, despite out-gaining Columbia by 225 total yards. Cornell also had a disastrous day on special teams allowing two long TD returns and failing on two field goal attempts, the second from about extra point distance.

Key Turning Points

-With Columbia leading 10-0 and 13:57 left in the 2nd quarter, Lion RB Ryan Young pounded out a 33-yard run for an apparent 1st and goal at the Big Red 5 yard line. But the play was called back on a questionable illegal formation penalty and three plays later, QB Ty Lenhart threw the first of his two interceptions to give Cornell the ball back at the Columbia 49. The Lion offense wouldn't get back into a groove until the 4th quarter.

-With Columbia leading 10-7, Lenhart threw his second pick of the game to set the Big Red up again at the Lion 49. Four plays later, RB Harold Coles sprinted 31 yards untouched into the end zone for the first Cornell lead of the game at 14-10.

-On the ensuing Columbia possession, the Lions faced a 3rd and 14 at their 21 when Lenhart threw a pass to WR Kaleb Pitts, who was triple covered. But Pitts somehow came up with the ball for an improbable 25 yard gain. Lenhart would complete two more passes to convert two more 3rd and long plays during the drive before WR/QB Kyle Castner gave Columbia the lead back with a two yard TD run with 6:46 left in the game.

-Facing a 1st and 10 at the Big Red 22 with 2:50 to go, Cornell QB Dalton Banks completed his best play of the game by finding WR Owen Peters open in the middle of the field for a 48-yard completion. It took seven more plays for the Big Red to score, but Banks did grind it into the Lion end zone for a 21-17 lead with 58 seconds to go.

-On the ensuing kickoff, Cornell opted to go with a squib kick, even though kicker Zach Mays had previously booted the ball out of that same end zone for a harmless touchback earlier in the game. Roussos picked the kick up off the ground and somehow wove his way through traffic directly in the middle of the field for a miraculous TD.

Columbia Positives

-Once again, the Lion special teams stepped up to make the difference. In addition to the two incredible Roussos returns, kicker Chris Alleyne had another perfect day with a field goal and three PATs, and punter Drew Schmid had a number of excellent boots, averaging over 41-yards for the day and putting two kicks inside the 20. It was also Alleyne who made a huge tackle to stop Cornell's final kickoff return which otherwise may have ended with the Big Red in field goal range.

-Columbia got three sacks against a Cornell O-line that was one of the best in the league.

Columbia Negatives

-Lenhart has a lot of raw talent, and he was brilliant in Columbia's 75-yard scoring drive in the 4th quarter, but Cornell could have easily added to the two interceptions it snagged in the game.

-Columbia's pass defense was stellar all game long, until that 48-yard completion with 2:50 left. It was a rough time to finally give Banks an open man deep down the middle of the field.

-Lion play calling was a bit mystifying at times. While not spectacular, Columbia was having consistent success running the ball right up the middle. That made the occasional plays where Lion RB's were sent on sweeps and sideways runs seem strange when they consistently failed. Also, Lenhart's passes were almost all to the more dangerous middle of the field when he had a successful screen to Castner early in the game.

Columbia MVP

Obviously, this goes to Mike Roussos, who pulled off what was the most miraculous Lion win I've seen in all my 30-plus years of following this team every week. Yes, Columbia has come back from bigger deficits and against better teams. But the odds against this win with 58 seconds to go were massive. Just for context in our new sports analytics world, Cornell was 95% likely to win the game according to the ESPN/538.com meter after the Big Red scored its final TD. So returning a squib kickoff to win was likely the most improbable Lion victory scenario in team history.

Last Test

The Lions hoist the Empire State Bowl trophy in 2012


Cornell Big Red (3-6) at Columbia Lions (5-4)

November 17, 2018

Kickoff Time: 1:00pm

Robert Kraft Field at Wien Stadium

Game Time Weather Forecast: 46 degrees and partly sunny

The Line: Columbia is favored by 5 points

TV/Radio: The game will be broadcast live on the SNY Network, ESPN+, with an audio feed available on GoColumbiaLions.com.

Columbia Game Notes

Cornell Game Notes


Leading Story Lines

1) Columbia and Cornell meet in the season finale for the first time since 1904, thanks to a reshuffling of the Ivy schedule that began this year. This is the 106th meeting between the teams, who began their rivalry in the 1880s and have played each other every year since 1920. Ending the season against the Big Red adds a bit more drama to the Empire State Bowl, as the game was officially named in 2010.

2) Columbia is going for its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1961-62. Achieving a 6-4 record with a win today would be a strong team statement after losing its top three QB's, best WR, best LB, and many more to injuries this season. Cornell is looking to leap the Lions in the Ivy standings with its third Ivy win of the season.

3) This is the final game for some remarkable players. For Columbia, DB and two-time captain Landon Baty will be in the spotlight. For the Big Red, talented QB Dalton Banks will go under center for the last time.

Week 10 Picks

I went 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread last week to bring my current totals to 48-14 SU and 34-27-1 ATS)





CCSU +1 vs. Duquesne

CCSU will win.


Marist +12 vs. San Diego

I'd pick Marist to win if the weather were colder, but I just think they'll cover in 45 degree and sunny conditions.


Harvard -4 1/2 vs. Yale

The Crimson are poised to win by about a TD.


Holy Cross -9 1/2 at Georgetown

The Crusaders finish strong


Penn +27 1/2 at Princeton

The Tigers will win, but not but 25-plus.


Dartmouth -34 1/2 vs. Brown

The Big Green will make a final week statement.

Crucial Finale

Yeah, this weekend's game is in NYC, but this program from the game at Cornell in 1965 is just too cool not to share


A big part of me doesn't want to write this post.

There's something about having to remind or inform fans about why a particular game or moment is potentially so important that feels like it's jinxing the process.

But the fact that Columbia needs to win Saturday to clinch a winning record Saturday is just too important to leave alone.

Let's start by putting this in perspective for program history.

The Lions have enjoyed just four winning seasons over the past 47 years. That's not a typo. It's just four: 1971, 1994, 1996, and 2017. By math alone, clinching a fifth winning season this coming weekend is almost a once-in-decade occurrence. You don't have to be a longtime Columbia fan to appreciate the enormity of that.

But a win on Saturday against Cornell would also clinch CU's first two consecutive winning seasons since 1961-62... 56 years ago.

Now let's look at what going 6-4 will mean for this group of players and coaches in particular.

Remember, we're talking about a team that's be so decimated by injury it's been forced to start four different QB's, play six different QB's, lost its 1st Team All Ivy wide receiver, lost it's 2nd best WR for a few games, is down to its fourth string running back, lost its top linebacker, lost its top cornerback, and played a significant amount of time without several other starters.

This is a team that even when healthy, was playing with a first time starter at QB, and without its top CB and DL lost to graduation.

This is a team that has already come from behind in three games to win.

Beating Cornell would not only achieve that historic winning season, but it would be a victory over a team that's generally played well most of the season. The Big Red can boast wins over Harvard and Brown, with very competitive losses to Dartmouth and Yale.

This game already got some extra meaning added to it when the league changed the schedule for this season to make the Columbia-Cornell in state Ivy contest the season finale from now on. The fact is, the Columbia-Cornell game over the past 30 years or so has been the most likely contest in the Ivies to be decided by one score or less. Granted, neither team has been very good over that period, (Cornell does have two shared Ivy titles since 1988), but the games have been exciting and have achieved rivalry status.

Cornell always does a pretty good job of turning out big numbers of their fans on visitor side thanks to a marching band parade they do in Midtown Manhattan the evening after the game ends. So, the game usually has more of a throwback feel to way things used to on Ivy football Saturdays.

On the Columbia side, this is a chance to honor a bunch of seniors who truly bridged the journey from a Lion team that lost 24 in a row to one that is on the verge of back-to-back winning seasons.

This is a big one in Lion Land.

Off the Mat

Columbia 42 Brown 20


Why Columbia Won

The Lions shook off three big-play Brown TDs in the first half and used a dominant 2nd half to pull away from the host Bears. Senior WR Kyle Castner had a career day playing several snaps as a wildcat QB in addition to his receiving duties. The Columbia defense registered a team record 10 sacks.

Why Brown Lost

The Bears had just six 1st downs on offense, and allowed 515 yards on defense. Other than three big plays for scores in the 1st half, Brown had no answers on either side of the ball.

Key Turning Points

-After Brown scored on a long pass to take a 14-0 lead with 1:37 left in the 1st quarter, Columbia came right back with a Ty Lenhart to Ronald Smith pass that went for 48 yards and set the Lions up at the Bear 27.  Six plays later, Castner found TE Rory Schlageter with a two yard TD pass and the Lions were finally in the game.

-Leading 20-14 at the start of the 2nd half, Brown got the ball first in the 3rd quarter, got one 1st down, but then had to punt after an Ogonna Oraedu sack pinned them back at their own 26. The ensuing punt went just 27 yards to the CU 47, and five plays later the Lions scored on a Castner two-yard run to take the lead for good.

Columbia Positives

-Castner had shown a good ability to excel at the wildcat role on a few given plays this year, but he was even better doing the double duty throughout this game.

-The freshman QB Lenhart had a fantastic game in his second start, completing 28 of 42 passes for 298 yards and only throwing one near interception. Lenhart could well be developing into a high quality passer.

-The Lion pass rush was stifling in the 2nd half, led by DL Daniel DeLorenzi's 2.5 sacks. DeLorenzi now holds the CU record for sacks in a single season with one more game to play.

-WR Ronald Smith finally looked 100% healthy for the first time since perhaps week two. His 112 yards receiving on nine catches made Columbia's offense much harder to defend.

-While only averaging 3.6 yards a carry, RB Ryan Young still had a standout game and showed a great ability to shed tacklers.

Columbia Negatives

-The big plays allowed in the 1st half clearly had Head Coach Al Bagnoli infuriated, as it looked like the Lions were repeating all the same mistakes they made against Harvard.

Columbia MVP

-Kyle Castner is the easy choice here as his performance yesterday was one of the great individual efforts in Columbia history.

Last Rhode

Columbia Lions (4-4) at Brown Bears (1-7)

November 10, 2018

Kickoff Time: 12:00pm

Brown Stadium

Game Time Weather Forecast: 48 degrees, 30% chance of rain

The Spread: Columbia is favored by 10 points

TV/Radio: The game is on ESPN+ and free audio on the Columbia website.

The Game Last Year: Columbia 24 Brown 6

Columbia Game Notes

Brown Game Notes

Leading Story Lines

1) This is Brown's last realistic chance to win a league game and you have to expect the Bears to put their best effort forward. This is also their final home game and senior day.

2) Columbia still has a chance to post a winning season despite the unusual amount of injuries that have plagued the team. But it's hard to know just where the Lions' strengths and weaknesses truly are with all the backups starting. One problem that is clear is pass defense, which has to have Brown's generally effective passing offense feeling hopeful.

3) Dissent is growing among the Brown faithful as the Bears have now posted five disappointing seasons in a row. If Brown loses today, look for serious calls for Head Coach Phil Estes to step down.

Week 9 Picks

(I went 3-1 straight up and 1-3 against the spread. My season totals now are 43-13 straight up and 30-25-1 ATS)


CCSU -6 at St. Francis

CCSU is due for a road win.


Georgetown -9 vs. Bucknell

The Hoyas are pretty good at home.


Princeton -14 1/2 at Yale

The Tigers will get back to pounding opponents this weekend.


Harvard -3 1/2 at Penn

The Crimson are finishing strong, but this will still be a close game.


Dartmouth -20 1/2 at Cornell

The Big Green are still laser focused.


Marist +14 at Drake

The Red Foxes continue to improve.

Ivy Power Rankings

1) Princeton

The Tigers gutted out a tough defensive battle and won the game of the year. Do they win the game if it were played in Hanover? Maybe not. But "maybe" doesn't count.

2) Dartmouth

The Big Green proved they are one of the best teams in recent Ivy history, but they just didn't have enough to beat Princeton

3) Harvard

The Crimson have now played three impressive games in a row and seem to have found a solid QB. But the chasm between them and Princeton and Dartmouth is wide,

4) Yale

The Elis might have found a new QB, but beating Brown does not tell us much.

5) Penn

Penn keeps finding a way to win games they should win.

6) Columbia

The Lions will creep back up to the middle of the pack after they get to play Brown and Cornell.

7) Cornell

The Big Red laid a real egg at home vs. Penn.


8) Brown

The Bears last shot to win an Ivy game is this weekend vs. Columbia.

Crimson Fried

Harvard 52 Columbia 18


Why Harvard Won

The Crimson attacked the Columbia secondary with a series of bold strikes down the field that led to early touchdowns. The Harvard defense gave up chunks of yards most of the day, but generally kept the Lions out of the end zone and off the scoreboard.


Why Columbia Lost

The Lion defense was unprepared for the Crimson passing game, and could not overcome a series of turnovers in key moments. In his first career start, freshman QB Ty Lenhart was able to move the offense, but couldn't convert enough scoring opportunities.


Key Turning Points

-On the first play from scrimmage from their own eight yard line, Crimson QB Tom Stewart hit WR Jack Cook in stride for a stunning 92-yard TD.

-With the score 21-12 Harvard late in the 2nd half, Columbia had two opportunities to make the score closer before the half. But Lenhart was intercepted to end both Lion possessions and Harvard added another late TD off the second pick to seal the win.

Columbia Positives

-The Lions ran the ball relatively well and Lenhart also got into a groove passing the ball at times. WR Emerson Kabus was the best skill player on the day with five receptions for 103 yards.

-Mike Roussos did an excellent job on several returns.

Columbia Negatives

-The turnovers killed what could have been a competitive game and ultimately doomed the Lions even more than the three long passes that burned the secondary.

-That said, the secondary is starting to look like a serious liability. Injuries are certainly contributing to that, but it can't all be blamed on injuries.

Columbia MVP

-Kabus stood out and showed he can be a good weapon as a "run after the catch" receiver.

Crimson Ride

Columbia Lions (4-3) at Harvard Crimson (3-4)

November 3, 2018

Kickoff Time: 12:00pm

Harvard Stadium

Game Time Weather Forecast: 63 degrees, windy, 30% chance of rain

The Line: Harvard is favored by 10 points

TV/Radio: You can watch live on ESPN+ and hear the audio for free on GoColumbiaLions.com

The Game Last Year: Harvard 21 Columbia 14

Columbia Game Notes

Harvard Game Notes


Leading Story Lines


1) Harvard seems much improved after playing the two best teams in the Ivies close on back-to-back weekends. The Crimson seem poised for a win, especially now that their QB situation finally seems settled with Tom Stewart at the helm. Columbia is still a walking orthopedic and neurology ward with more injuries to deal with week after week. But at least the team is on an emotional high after surprising Yale at home last Saturday. 


2) Columbia Head Coach Al Bagnoli has defeated every other Ivy team since switching over to Columbia in 2015... except Harvard. Similarly, the current Lion seniors have defeated every other Ivy team but Harvard in their careers. Columbia hasn't beaten the Crimson since 2003 and hasn't defeated Harvard at Harvard Stadium since 1995.

3) Columbia freshman Ty Lenhart will get the start at QB after an impressive three quarters two weeks ago against Dartmouth before he went down with a concussion. Lenhart is known as a good runner, but he went 12-14 passing against the Big Green and completed an impressive long bomb to WR Kaleb Pitts before going down. On defense, the Lions will be tasked with shutting down explosive RB Aaron Shampklin and the running of the QB Stewart. 

Week 8 Picks

(I went 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread last week putting my totals to 40-12 SU and 29-22-1 ATS)


Cornell +1 1/2 vs. Penn

The game comes down to home field advantage. I think the Big Red will win ugly.


Marist -11 1/2 vs. Valparaiso

Marist is turning it around.


Dartmouth +7 at Princeton

I think the Tigers will win it by 4.


Brown +24 at Yale

The muck at the Bowl will keep the score down and the Elis will win by 20, but not 24.

Ivy Power Rankings

1) Princeton

The Tigers reclaim the top spot with a simply stunning 66-0 win in terrible conditions over Cornell. The fact that this weekend's game of the century is also at Princeton Stadium speaks well for Old Nassau.

2) Dartmouth

Should Big Green fans be concerned that Dartmouth's last two wins weren't as impressive as their first five? I don't think it's any reason for panic, but it does make one wonder if Princeton is peaking while the Big Green is coming a little closer back to earth.

3) Penn

Picking the #3 team in the Ivies right now feels like a fool's errand. But let's go with Penn simply because of their record and the fact that the Quakers aren't so completely gutted by injuries.

4)   Harvard

The Crimson have put together two good games in a row, considering the competition.


5) Yale

The Elis offense wasn't all that bad last week without Rawlings. And they will bounce back big against Brown Saturday.


6) Columbia

It's a team game and the Lions are playing like a team that can overcome anything. They certainly don't win every game, but they seem to fight harder with a lot less. If Columbia can somehow beat Harvard Saturday, they can make a claim to the #3 spot.


7) Cornell

The Big Red was badly exposed on Saturday at Princeton. A loss to Penn this weekend will erase a lot of what Cornell accomplished in its win over Harvard.


8) Brown

The Bears still show no real signs of life.

Hearts of Lions

Columbia 17 Yale 10


Why Columbia Won

In a wind and rain swept game that hindered both of thr injury-depleted teams, the Lion special teams made the difference. K Chris Alleyne's 51-yard field goal, a blocked punt, and especially P Drew Schmid's incredible punts with and against the wind were the key elements in the CU victory.

Why Yale Lost

The Elis easily out-gained Columbia on offense, 428 yards to 160, but Yale consistently sputtered when it mattered most. Two turnovers and a missed field goal sealed the Eli's fate.

Key Turning Points

-With 5:02 left in the 1st quarter, Lion starting QB Ryan Suitt fumbled the ball on a scramble and it was recovered by Yale at the CU 49. But an Eli holding penalty downfield nullified the turnover and gave Columbia a 1st down at the Yale 44. Less than two minutes later Alleyne hit his 51-yard FG, the longest placement kick FG in Columbia history.

-With about 1:30 left in the 1st quarter and the Lions still ahead 3-0, Suitt was sacked and he fumbled the ball at behind the Columbia 40. With at least two Yale defenders very close the ball, OL Joseph Scowden came seemingly out of nowhere, lept in between the two defenders, and recovered the fumble that looked like an easy scoop-and-score for the Elis.

-With 6:09 left in the half and the score still 3-0, Yale's offense finally came to life with a 44 yard run by RB Alan Lamar on a left sweep. Five plays later, Lamar took it into the end zone from the 2 and the Bulldogs had suddenly grabbed the momentum.

-With 2:04 left in the half, Schmid pinned Yale at its own 4 with another perfect punt. But the Elis passing game got going with QB Jimmy Check completing 50 yards worth of passed and RB Zane Dudek getting clutch yards along the way. But after getting a 1st and goal at the CU 3 with eight seconds to go, Check's pass into the end zone fell incomplete and the Bulldogs had to settle for a 20-yard Alex Galland FG and a 10-3 halftime lead.

-With about 6:50 left in the 3rd quarter and Yale still ahead 10-3, LB Carson Powell blocked Galland's punt and the Lions took over on the Eli 30. What followed was Suitt's only truly effective passing series of the game, as he hit TE Casey Mariucci for a 15-yard 1st down pass on 3rd and 10 from the 30 and then threw a strike to Mariucci again two plays later for a 16-yard TD that tied the game.

-With about 1:30 left in the 3rd quarter and the score still 10-10, the DT Alex Robin stopped Lamar for a just a two-yard gain on a 3rd and 3 from the Yale 20. The ensuing Galland punt traveled just 23 yards, and the Lions took over on the Bulldog 45. But with Suitt now injured, the Lions began the drive with 5th string QB Matt Dame at the helm. Five plays later and the Lions facing a 3rd and 5 from the Yale 30, RB Ryan Young burst through the middle and scored even with an Eli DB hanging on his back for the final five yards. That gave Columbia the 17-10 lead with 14:12 left to go in the game.

Columbia Positives

-The special teams play was simply perfect. In addition to Alleyne's record-breaking FG, all of his kickoffs went for touchbacks, the Lion coverage teams never allowed any returns, and Schmid punted 11 times for a 44.7 average even though half of those punts were against a stiff wind.

-The Lion defense was dominating at times, but mostly stiffened up when Yale got into scoring range. DE Daniel DeLorenzi shook off an early 4th quarter injury and came back into the game to make a key late sack. DB Landon Baty returned from missing the three previous games to snag an interception and make a tackle for a 10-yard loss.

-It's hard to measure a team's heart, but with all the injuries already plaguing the team the Columbia spirits seemed high all day. When Dame was forced into the game by Suitt's injury, the team rallied around him quickly.

Columbia Negatives

-The injuries and the weather combined to mostly stifle the Lion offense against a Yale defense that has otherwise struggled all year.

-The Columbia defense allowed too many Eli receivers to get open in the middle of the field.

Columbia MVP

-This was more of a true team effort victory than I've ever seen at any level of football. A big standout among that crowd was RB Ryan Young, who's impressive TD and 91 yards on 19 carries would make him an easy choice.

But the game was ultimately put in Columbia's corner because the Elis consistently faced poor field position all day. That was primarily because of Drew Schmid, who is the rare punter to earn MVP honors.

War of the Wounded

Yale Elis (4-2) vs. Columbia Lions (3-3) 

October 27, 2018

Kickoff Time: 1:00pm

Robert Kraft Field at Wien Stadium

Game Time Weather Forecast: 50 degrees, rain, windy

The Line: Yale is favored by 6 points

TV/Radio: You can watch live on ESPN+ and on tape delay on the SNY Network. 

The Game Last Year: Yale 23 Columbia 6 

Columbia Game Notes

Yale Game Notes


Leading Story Lines

1) Both teams come into the game severely wounded.Columbia is starting 4th string QB Ryan Suitt and Yale is going with sophomore QB Jimmy Check.The Lions are also without their starting RB, top overall WR, starting MLB, both starting CB's, and a few starting OL's. Yale lost 2017 Ivy Rookie of the yeat RB Zane Dudek weeks ago. But Columbia will get S Landon Baty back.


2) The weather will be a major factor with rain and very high winds likely throughout the contest. 

3) Yale still entertains hopes of winning the Ivy title, Columbia is looking to renew a push for a winning season.

Ivy Power Rankings

1) Dartmouth

The Big Green have been the most consistent team all year.


2) Princeton

The Tigers haven't been as dominant lately. Perhaps that will change this week.


3) Yale

The chasm between the Elis and Princeton-Dartmouth is wider than ever with the loss of QB Kurt Rawlings. That said, Yale stayed in control against Penn even after Rawlings went down last week.

4) Cornell

Nice rebound for the Big Red last week.


5) Harvard

Harvard played well enough against Princeton to make a big jump on the list.

6) Penn

The Quakers just aren't looking strong enough on offense to threaten the big guys.


7) Columbia

The injury problems are piling up even MORE.

8) Brown

The Bears are still at rock bottom.

Week 7 Picks

I went 5-1 straight up and 3-2-1 against the spread last week, putting me at 35-11 straight up and 25-20-1 ATS for the year so far


Colgate -27 1/2 vs. Georgetown

Colgate feels like the only truly good team in the Patriot League. I'd love to factor in a very low scoring game for inclement weather, but I think poor elements make the superior team even more likely to romp.


Wagner +10 at CCSU

I think CCSU will win, but they seem too tentative to win my more than two scores.


Brown +14 1/2 vs. Penn

Penn will win by 10 or 11.


Princeton -19 vs. Cornell

The Tigers will be eager to go all out again after two subdued wins in a row.


Morehead State -4 1/2 vs. Marist

Marist is starting to run out of gas after a midseason surge.


Harvard +18 at Dartmouth

Dartmouth will finally get over that Harvard hump, but not by 18 points.

Salt in the Wounds

Dartmouth 28 Columbia 12


Why Dartmouth Won

The Big Green didn't consistently move the ball, but on their scoring drives the Dartmouth offensive line totally commanded the field. The Big Green defense wasn't as dominant as it had been in previous weeks, but it was good enough to stop the Lions on a number of possessions, especially ones where Columbia began in great field position.


Why Columbia Lost

The already badly injured Lion squad lost its first and second strong QB's, its top running back, and more during the course of the game. But even during moments of relative health, Columbia could not stop the Big Green on a couple of key drives.


Key Turning Points

-The Lions put together a brilliant opening drive with a mix of runs, passes, and trick plays that ended in an apparent TD pass from QB Josh Bean to TE Rory Schlageter. But the score nullified on an illegal substitution penalty and Columbia had to settle for a Chris Alleyne field goal.

-With one minute left in the half, Dartmouth ahead 7-6, and backup freshman QB Ty Lenhart in for the re-injured Bean, Lenhart marched the Lions all the way down to the Big Green 19 yard line. But on the next play, he forced a pass that Dartmouth's Ryan Roegge intercepted at the four yard line and preserved the Big Green lead into halftime and essentially for the rest of the day.


Columbia Positives

-When they were at relative full strength, the Lions held their own against what could be the best team in the Ivies right now. The defense did especially well through most of the game on 3rd down plays.

-Lenhart showed he had more abilities than just running the ball into the end zone from inside the 5. Putting the interception aside, he made some good completions.


Columbia Negatives

-RB Dante Miller was lost for the season with a knee injury. Bean and Lenhart's status are questionable after they were hit badly.

-Columbia's ability to stop the Dartmouth offense suddenly disappeared at key moments in the game. It's possible the Big Green was just not running at 100% the full game.


Columbia MVP

-WR Kaleb Pitts stepped into the role of top receiver with so many of the starters out of the game.

Homecoming Heavy Lift

Dartmouth Big Green (5-0) vs. Columbia Lions (3-2) 


October 20, 2018

Kickoff Time: 1:30pm

Robert Kraft Field at Wien Stadium

Game Time Weather Forecast: 62 degrees and mostly cloudy

The Line: Dartmouth is favored by 18 points


TV/Radio: You can watch live on ESPN+ and on the SNY Network !

The Game Last Year: Columbia 22 Dartmouth 17

Columbia Game Notes

Dartmouth Game Notes


Leading Story Lines


1) Dartmouth comes into the game looking as strong as we've seen them since perhaps the Big Green's undefeated 1996 season. The defense has been flawless and the offense seems to improve each week. And perhaps the biggest factor is that Dartmouth running QB Jared Gerbino is on a roll. All in all, the Big Green looks like the perfect team to take on Columbia right now.

2) The Columbia injury train keeps getting more crowded. WR Ronald Smith and CB Will Allen are now out along with other key players on both sides of the ball. This could be a big opportunity for some younger players to emerge.

3) Al Bagnoli does seem to have Dartmouth's number. He dominated the Big Green during his Penn days, and Columbia is 2-1 against Dartmouth in the Bagnoli era. The one loss came in 2015 when the heavy underdog Lions almost pulled out a shocking win against the eventual co-champion Big Green in Hanover. But even engineering a close game this time seems like a stretch given Dartmouth's strengths and Columbia's current injuries.