ESPN College Football reporter Peter Thamel is reporting that the Ivy League has finally agreed to send its football champion to the FCS playoffs.
This is a LONG time coming, and some of the best news I've heard in sports in decades.
More details are yet to come, but Thamel reports that the Ivies WILL get an automatic bid to the playoffs.
Peace in the Middle East is next. (really).
By now you've heard the news that Head Coach Jon Poppe and his staff were named "Coaching Staff of the Year" at the Bushnell Cup ceremonies at the Rainbow Room Monday.
This is of course a well-deserved honor for a number of reasons. I thought the resiliency this staff instilled in the players was their best achievement. Now they will have to distinguish themselves as builders via their own recruits and staying power.
I was sorry that DB Hayden McDonald did not take the Bushnell home for Defensive Player of the Year. But considering the way the Lions played team defense all season, it was perhaps an uphill battle for any one player to get that much recognition. I would not be surprised to see McDonald in the NFL in the coming years, however.
Some tighter scheduling for me has made it a little harder for me to update my key moments in the 2024 season series lately, but I WILL resume that work soon. I'm also hoping to get some real interviews going again thanks to some improved access to this new regime.
For now, I'd like to thank the fans and readers of the blog who have been picking up the slack for me on documenting the players who have committed to the program as the incoming 2025 freshman class. I'll be doing my usual due diligence on each of them and posting that here over the coming weeks and months as well.
Moment #3: Next Man Up
Injuries are a big part of football at any level, but they were really a key aspect of Columbia's 2024 campaign. The team's ability to bounce back and adjust to those injuries may really be the number one reason why the Lions snagged a share of the Ivy title.
The team's injury-coping skills began in week one vs. Lafayette when starting QB Chase Goodwin went down with what turned out to be a deep knee bruise with the Lions ahead by only 17-12 and about seven minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
The next three and a half minutes would turn out to be perhaps the best test of what Columbia was made of in 2024.
Backup QB Cole Freeman wasn't able to get a 1st down on two pass plays immediately after Goodwin left the game. The Lions ended up punting the ball to the Leopards and they took over at their own 23.
First, it was the defense's turn to step things up.
Three straight running plays by Lafayette netted just eight yards, thanks to two solo tackles by 5th year senior DL and co-captain Patrick Passalacqua and one solo stop by sophomore LB Charlie Newton. Passalacqua's second tackle on the series held Leopards RB Nhajee Adams to just one yard on a 3rd and 2 from the Lafayette 31.
Then it was the offense's turn.
A short punt set the Lions up at their own 40, and on the first play of the possession, RB Malcolm Terry burst through a huge hole on the left side of the CU line for a 53 yard scamper to the Leopard seven. On the next play, Freeman placed the ball perfectly to a pretty well-covered WR Ethan Hebb for a TD that turned what looked like a disastrous turn in momentum into a sign of Columbia's strength, depth, and resilience that remained constant throughout the season.
Adding to that sentiment was yet another TD drive for the Lions on their next possession, that came on a 38-yard TD pass from Freeman to WR Bryson Canty to put the game away.
Columbia's unusual penchant for finding ways to lose games came to an end during the Al Bagnoli era, but it took until 2024 for the Lions to really replace that with a gut-check style of finding ways to win games without tricks or miracles. When Columbia got behind or in trouble in 2024, the Lions simply relied on their strengths to recover. In this case the strong defense combined with an offensive line that made things happen, did the job,
Senior S Hayden McDonald was named a finalist for the Bushnell Cup/Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year award, as many of us expected.
But senior WR Bryson Canty was not named a finalist for the Offensive Bushnell, which I believe was a snub. Canty made a material difference in a number of Columbia wins and played on a championship team while the other two finalists, Cornell QB Jameson Wang and Penn RB Malachi Hosley did not play for teams that even posted winning conference records.
We'll find out if McDonald becomes Columbia's first Bushnell winner in 41 years on December 16th.
Tomorrow we will learn the names of the three (up from two in the recent past) nominees each for the offensive and defensive Ivy Football players of the year award or Bushnell Cup.
I don't think it's a stretch to say senior WR Bryson Canty and senior S Hayden McDonald should be offensive and defensive finalists, respectively.
But when it comes to Columbia and Bushnell Cups, you never know. Two years ago, I thought LB Scott Valentas '23 was a very likely finalist for Defensive POY, but he was snubbed.
Columbia only has TWO Bushnell Cup winners in its history, QB John Witkowski in 1983 and RB Doug Jackson in 1975. SInce then, not even one Lion has been named as a finalist for the award.
Canty was a part of so many dynamic plays for the Lions this year, it would be hard to list them all. Working against him is the fact that he missed some playing time to injury early in the year, and the fact that QB changes and high winds in some games definitely deflated some of his stats.
McDonald was dominant at safety versus the pass, but also the run. He made key plays in every game, punctuated by an impressive interception in the end zone at a crucial moment in the win over Cornell.
The toughest competition for Canty will be Harvard WR Cooper Barkate, who sparked a very good year for the Crimson offense.
McDonald's toughest competition for the award will be Dartmouth's DL Josiah Green.
Cornell QB Jameson Wang has a shot to be a finalist on the offensive side, while LB Mitchell Gonser from Harvard could be a defensive finalist as well.
But it's all very hard to predict.
Moment #2: Bang Bang!
If you decided to count all of the resilient moments in Columbia's 2024 season, you'd run out of fingers and toes pretty quickly. Indeed. resiliency was what stood out the most about this team both during games and from week to week.
Columbia's first resilient moment was as exciting as it was inspiring and trendsetting for the season. Leading 10-6 and with 12:46 left in the 1st half against week one opponent Lafayette, Lion QB Chase Goodwin was strip sacked and the Leopards took over at their own 49. Momentum was already moving in Lafayette's favor before the play, as the Leopards had executed a 75-yard drive for a TD to cut the CU lead to 10-6 before DL Ayden Baker blocked the extra point attempt.
Lafayette took just two plays to get a 1st down on the Lion 39, but on that 1st down play S Carter McFadden made an extremely acrobatic one-handed interception along the west sideline to give Columbia the ball back at their own 20.
BANG!
Then on the Lions first offensive play after the pick, Goodwin threw a pass going the other way down the west sideline that WR Bryson Canty snagged in another acrobatic play for a 29-yard gain.
BANG! BANG!
Seven plays later, Goodwin threw a perfect TD pass in the east corner of the south end zone to put CU up 17-6, but it was the interception and the first play of the drive that really set a tone for that game and the season as a whole. There would be other bounce back moments like this in several games, but perhaps none came so quickly and were the result of a team effort on defense and offense.
For the record, McFadden finished the season with three interceptions, 12 passes broken up, and was fourth on the team in tackles with 50. Perhaps more impressive than his stats is the fact that his early season play forced opposing offensive coordinators to rip up their game plans that determined he was the best CU defender to target through the air. By midseason, no one was primarily throwing McFadden's way anymore.
Canty missed a full game and most of about two others, but finished the year with 43 receptions, 790 yards, and nine TD receptions. We await the news on whether he will be named a finalist for the Offensive Player of the Year.
Braden Dougherty snagged Columbia's first TD of 2024
Columbia's shared championship season was defined by a number of crucial moments in almost all 10 games. Since this was such a positive and successful season, most of those moments were good ones for the Lions. But there were some bad ones that became educationally constructive as the season wore on and will perhaps be helpful in the years to come as well.
Moment #1: The Opening Drive
Only a very naive fan would watch his team's opening possession of the season and think it was a solid indication of the entire season to come.
But this year, it wouldn't have been naive.
Columbia lost the coin toss in its season opener vs. a highly-ranked Lafayette squad and thus received the opening kickoff. They began their first drive of the 2024 campaign at their 25.
And what a drive it was.
You might have guessed something special was in the air for the year when on the third play of the drive, RB Joey Giorgi did something you don't usually see on a 3rd and 1 play. Instead of just crashing into the middle of the line to get that one yard, Giorgi followed his blockers sideways along the left of the line before cutting up field for a thrilling 19-yard gain to the Lafayette 47. Giorgi, who made the decision to use his 5th year of eligibility to return to Columbia immediately provided dividends from that choice on that play.
Columbia's more aggressive offense didn't relax after that. On the next play, sophomore QB Chase Goodwin tossed a pass to an extremely wide open WR Edan Stagg for a 27-yard gain to the Leopard 20. Goodwin was making his first collegiate start after getting on the field for just a few plays as a freshman in 2023. The coaches' decision to make him the undisputed starter also paid dividends right away. Stagg, whose status with the team became uncertain late in the season, actually grabbed the ball at the 28 and made one of his many nice yards-after-the-catch moves to get to the red zone.
Then the drive got even more impressive and worthy of optimism.
On the ensuing 1st and 10 from the 20, Goodwin threw a perfectly timed and placed ball to sophomore TE Braden Dougherty who caught it at the five and pushed his way into the end zone for the TD. Dougherty was also making his first-ever collegiate start and provided hope that Columbia's long drought when it came to having a playmaking tight end pass receiver was coming to an end.
Yes, it was only one drive. But there's a long list positives it embodied that lasted for just about the entire season:
-Smart running and timing from Giorgi that resulted in 860 rushing yards and a stunning 5.7 yards per carry average.
-Dominating run blocking and pass protection by the offensive line. Lafayette was supposed to have just about the best defense Columbia would face all year, but it was the Lions who controlled the trenches. Despite some serious injury losses up front as the season progressed, the O-line produced a running attack that averaged 169 yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry. The pass blocking yielded 19 sacks for the season, which may seem just a little better than average on paper but it was obvious all year long that CU QB's had time to throw.
-Excellent and aggressive play calling from new Offensive Coordinator Seitu Smith that paid off most of the time throughout the year.
-Dougherty's ability to hold on to the ball after being hit just as he caught the ball or just after he grabbed it.
-Stagg being wide open in the space in between the numbers and the sideline is something we saw almost all the Columbia receivers able to accomplish all year.
-While Dougherty did not finish the season with massive receiving stats, (he finished with 13 receptions), he made a significant percentage of those catches count, including a crucial catch and run vs. Penn that will be described in an upcoming installment of this series.
-K Hugo Merry kicked a successful PAT en route to a 100% perfect 24-24 season on PAT's and now Merry has hit 36 straight successful PATs.
While most folks will understandably chalk up Columbia's co-championship season to the amazing performance of its defense -- and they have a strong point -- it shouldn't be forgotten that the Lions made a loud statement about their 2024 transformation before their defense even took the field for the first time.
Head Coach Jon Poppe will surely be named Ivy League Coach of the Year, but I'd like to make sure we're all on the same page in pushing for Poppe to be named NATIONAL coach of the year, (at least for FCS football).
Here are some of the key talking points in promoting his candidacy:
1) Took a team picked for last in the Ivies to a tie for the championship
2) Inspired, by word-of-mouth only, several key Columbia players to commit to a 5th year after he was named head coach in December 2023.
3) Established and developed amazing depth at the QB position after Columbia's two starters from 2023 graduated. All three Columbia starting QB's this season won at least one key Ivy game and looked confident in their roles, even if suddenly thrust into them.
4) That said, Poppe and his staff made the quick and difficult decision to make the change at the starting QB position after the Harvard loss to a true freshman.
5) Overcame an unusually long list of key injuries to starters, including two QB's, CU's All American candidate at DE, and multiple starters on the offensive line.
6) Instilled a remarkable level of resiliency both during games when bad things happened and in the weeks following Lion losses.
7) Provided excellent communication with the fan base, with weekly emails that were truly educational about football and forthcoming. With the exception of the need to surprise Brown with the move to insert freshman QB Caleb Sanchez as the starter in week 9, even the weekly game notes and two-deeps were honest and trustworthy.
I'm sure there are more items to list here, so feel free to add to them.
NOTE: None of this is in any way an insult to Al Bagnoli, Mark Fabish, Joe D'Orazio, or any of the coaches who have come to this program since 2015 and played a role in making this season happen. Because I have a job and a life, I just can't police the immature comments on this blog as much as I'd like. But I do know that gratitude is the key to happiness in life and I'm publicly acknowledging Bagnoli, Fabish, etc. now and always.
The real Class of 1925 Cup is a lot bigger
Columbia 17 Cornell 9
Why Columbia Won
The Lions defense kept the high-powered Big Red offense out of the end zone the entire game. On offense the Columbia running attack, led by a career-best performance by RB Joey Giorgi blended well with a few gutsy passing plays to give Columbia enough points to secure a win in tough windy conditions and clinch a share of the Ivy title for the Lion program for the first time since 1961.
Why Cornell Lost
The Big Red offense struggled more with the Lion defense than the wind, and QB Jameson Wang was inconsistent as a passer at key moments. Meanwhile, the Cornell defense had no answer for Giorgi and rarely even pressured Columbia's QB's all day.
Key Turning Points
-With no score in the game and 9:46 left in the 1st quarter, the Big Red began their second possession at their own 27 and the wind at their backs. Aided by an absolutely awful roughing the "passer" penalty when Wang was decked after an option toss, Cornell got as far as a 1st and 10 at the Lion 14 when Columbia's defense began to step it up. The Big Red ended up being forced to attempt a 30-year FG that sailed wide right.
-With the game still scoreless and 10:43 left in the 1st half, Columbia took over after a Big Red punt at the Lion 36 and with the wind at their backs this time. A run-heavy drive looked stalled when the Lions faced a 3rd and 8 at the Cornell 27, but on that play starting QB Caleb Sanchez moved left and then threw back right to find RB Griffin Johnson at the 1 yard line. On the next play, Sanchez took it in himself and the Lions had the crucial first score of the game.
-On the ensuing possession, the Big Red executed a beautiful fake punt for a 40 yard gain to the Columbia 31. Two plays later, a Wang run set Cornell up with a 1st and 10 at the Columbia 17. But once again, the Lion defense stiffened. The next three plays resulted in a Wang run for no gain, a Wang pass broken up by CB Carter McCray, and another Wang pass broken up by LB Anthony Roussos. The Big Red ended up having to attempt a FG again, but this time it was good to cut the Lion lead to 7-3 at the half.
-The 3rd quarter began with a long drive by each team that resulted in no points. But after Cornell turned the ball over on downs at the Lion 24, Columbia had just 1:19 left in the 3rd quarter to work with before losing the wind advantage at the start of the 4th quarter. On 1st and 10, Sanchez uncorked a deep pass that hit WR Ethan Hebb in stride for a 73 yard gain to 3 yard line. Two plays later Giorgi easily strode into the end zone for a 14-3 Lion lead.
-With the score now 14-6, a bad snap by the Columbia offense led to a Big Red fumble recovery at the Lion 36 and what looked like a massive swing in momentum. Once again, the Columbia defense stepped up and McDonald snagged an interception when Wang threw into double coverage in the end zone and returned it to the Lion 15. Columbia then drove the ball 78 yards to set up a Hugo Merry 25-year FG that essentially iced the game.
Columbia Positives
-Despite all the injuries to the offensive line, the Lion running game and pass protection was dominant, providing all the tools Columbia needed to amass more than 400 yards of offense in rough weather conditions.
-The defense held a Cornell offense that came into the game averaging 33 points per contest to just 9 points and, in some ways, the Big Red were lucky to get that.
-In just his second start, the freshman QB Sanchez showed incredible poise and good decision making. It's hard to really gauge his arm abilities based on the two windy condition games in which he's started, but his head is razor sharp.
Columbia Negatives
-The Lions struggled with their snaps all day, and things got worse when they were forced to go to their 3rd string option at center. They were lucky only one turnover resulted from the problem.
-Columbia continues to frequently bring in a running QB when they get into the red zone, breaking up the good momentum sustained by the regular offensive skill players.
Columbia MVP
-RB Joey Giorgi had career highs in rushing yards with 165 and carries with 29. He also scored the final TD of the Lion season. It was a great way to close out the 5th year senior's Columbia career.
Cornell Big Red (4-5) at Columbia Lions (6-3)
November 23, 2024
Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium at the Baker Field Athletics Complex
New York, New York
Kickoff Time: 12 Noon
Game Time Weather Forecast: 46 degrees, partly sunny, and windy
The Line: Columbia is favored by 6 1/2 points
TV/Radio: SNY and ESPN+
Leading Story Lines
-Columbia is facing an extremely rare chance to grab a share of the Ivy title. A win over Cornell and a loss by Harvard vs. Yale would clinch a tite for championship for the Lions for the first time since 1961.
-Cornell has a chance to clinch its first winning conference record since 2005.
-Freshman Columbia QB Caleb Sanchez will be getting his second start after looking solid in his starting debut last week.
3 Lions to Watch
-WR Bryson Canty #2 is wrapping up his extraordinary, if injury-shortened, career with a chance to grab the Bushnell Cup for offensive player of the year depending on his performance in the season finale.
-LB Jack Smiechowski #15 had a monster game at Brown last week where two of his hits were reviewed for targeting, but waved off. The refs will clearly be watching Smiechowski closely, but he will still likely play a major role in stopping Cornell QB Jameson Wang during his frequent scrambles and runs.
-RB Joey Giorgi #25 may play a bigger role than usual in his final game, especially if the winds at Spuyten Duyvil are blowing hard enough to impede the passing game.
3 Big Red to Watch
-WR Sam Musungu #3 is a breakout sophomore star for Cornell this year and often does much of his damage with yards after the catch.
-LB Luke Banbury #25 is a bright spot for the Big Red defense.
-TE Ryder Kurtz #86 has been an excellent receiving security blanket for Wang for much of the season and could also play a bigger role if the wind significantly shortens the passing game for both teams.
I went 4-2 straight up last week and a woeful 1-5 against the spread. My season totals are now 41-16 SU (.719) and 24-33 AGS (.421)
Brown +14 at Dartmouth
I still like the Big Green to win, but something is missing with this team lately.
Penn -6 at Princeton
The Quakers can salvage some pride with a strong win here.
Yale +4 1/2 at Harvard
This feels like it will be one of the better H-Y matchups. I think Harvard wins by a FG.
Lafayette +9 at Lehigh
The Leopards fell off a cliff this season. Lehigh will win, but I sense a closer game.
Holy Cross -17 at Georgetown
The Hoyas have also fallen off a cliff.
Wagner +3 1/2 vs. LIU
Taking one last shot with the Seahawks to win.
1) Harvard
The Crimson dodged a bullet at Penn and now it's all about The Game. A win vs. Yale and Harvard owns the Ivy title all by itself.
2) Dartmouth
The Big Green's setback at Cornell was a but of a surprise, but look for a strong finish against Brown at home.
3) Columbia
The Lions have bounced back every time they've looked down for the count. Now they have an actual chance to tie for the Ivy title.
4) Yale
The Elis are looking stronger every week.
5) Cornell
The Big Red became truly relevant this year and have one more game in the Jameson Wang era to make a bigger mark.
6) Penn
The Quakers could have salvaged much of their season with a win over Harvard last week. As it is, this was a very disappointing year for a team many thought could win it all.
7) Brown
The Bears used to put it together every few years for a title run under former Head Coach Phil Estes. It hasn't happened yet under James Perry.
8) Princeton
This has been a year that Bob Surace and company will try hard to forget. Don't expect any miracles for Princeton at Penn Saturday.
Saturday's season finale will also of course be the career finales for the large contingent of Columbia seniors who, for the record have:
1) Overcome COVID cancellations of either their senior years of high school or, for the 5th year seniors, their first year at Columbia
2) Worked under three different head coaches
3) The pain and comedown of a 3-7 2023 season after two straight winning seasons
4) A ton of injuries, including many that will leave some of them off the field Saturday
4) Unrest on campus and three different university presidents
Of course there are some amazing standout seniors who will be on the field on offense Saturday to think about, especially starters RB Joey Giorgi, who came back for a 5th year, WR Bryson Canty, OL John Iannuzzi (both Iannuzzi and Canty are sought after post-grad transfers), WR Marcus Libman, and OL Pat Colicchio.
But as they go up against Cornell's potent offense, the senior defensive starters and key contributors will be facing maybe the biggest challenge of their careers in their last game. Despite a slew of injuries, many of those seniors will be on the field Saturday led by Co-Captain DL Pat Passalacqua, LB Anthony Roussos (both he and Passalacqua are 5th years), DL Ben Corniello, DL James Knox, and DB's Aaron Brebnor, Hayden McDonald, and Carter McFadden. Another 5th year standout, LB CJ Brown won't be starting but will hopefully see the field in a limited capacity as he has most of the season. I'm sure all of these guys feel a special responsibility for this game.
Cornell is virtually tied for first in the Ivies for most points per game at 33 and is a close second in total yards. In recent weeks, the Big Red has turned it up a notch with 49, 49, and 39 points in their last three games.
Rain has stayed out of the forecast so far, but expect wind to be a factor, which may or may not help the Lion defense; it's just that unpredictable.
There are a lot of other seniors who will be fully sidelined due to injury, and I'm glad they'll be of course participating in Columbia's great tradition of introducing all the seniors on the field with their families before the game (don't miss that if you do go to the game).
Columbia 21 Brown 12
Why Columbia Won
The Lions ran the ball with authority and had a potent if inconsistent passing attack to complement it. Freshman QB Caleb Sanchez had a strong first start, with three TD passes and no interceptions. Meanwhile the CU defense was stellar, never giving Brown easy paths to score.
Why Brown Lost
Brown's usually potent offense sputtered all day, and the defense was lucky to only give up 21 points considering Columbia's overall production. Several failed 4th down conversion attempts in their own territory were no help to the Bears either.
Key Turning Points
-With the game surprisingly scoreless and just 2:00 left in the 1st half, Columbia began a drive at its own 27. On the third play of the drive, Sanchez hit WR Bryson Canty for a 55-yard TD that featured two Canty stiff arms of Bear defenders and 7-0 lead.
-With the score 7-3 Lions and about six minutes left in the 3rd, the Lions went for a fake punt on 4th and eight from their own 34. DE Joshua Powell took the long snap and stormed 28 yards to the Brown 38. Two plays later, Sanchez hit WR Jordan Kelly with a 12-yard TD pass that Kelly did well to corral and give CU a 14-3 lead.
-Brown started the 4th quarter in the middle of a drive that began at the Bear 20 and got as far as the Columbia 45 when Brown decided to go for it on 4th and 1. But LB Charlie Newton stopped Bear RB Matt Childs for a two-yard loss and the Lions took over at their 47. Three plays later Sanchez found Canty again, this time for a 52-yard TD and 21-3 CU advantage.
Columbia Positives
-The Lion defense was excellent, giving the offense time to finally figure it out and start scoring. Columbia came into the game against a high-scoring Brown team giving up an Ivy League low 17-points per game and still managed to lower that average by the day's end.
-Sanchez showed a lot of poise and never seemed to panic or make the worst errors.
-Canty had a dominant game, falling just shy of 200 receiving yards and jiving well with a third CU QB this season.
-WR Ethan Hebb's slide down to forego a TD in order to make sure the Lions just ran out the clock was a classy and smart play. It reminded me of the MANY times on this blog and its predecessor that all of us openly whined about Columbia's opponents running up the score, (especially Yale). It's nice to not be in that position anymore and even nicer that no one can whine that way about us given the same opportunity,
Columbia Negatives
-The Lions are still having some red zone TD-scoring problems, which cost them a number of opportunities to put this game away much earlier.
-Columbia's return game was a bit of an adventure with a CU player who didn't get out of the way of a bouncing punt that led to a Brown score, and an almost disastrously bad kickoff return late in the game.
Columbia MVP
-Bryson Canty showed his mastery several times in the game and made the difference when it counted.
HISTORY ALERT
-For only the second time in 63 years, Columbia goes into the final weekend of the season with a chance to get a share of the Ivy title, (a share was already clinched in 1961 going into the last game vs.Rutgers, but the Lions had a chance to win the title outright had Harvard lost to Yale that day. The Crimson won, 27-0). If the Lions beat Cornell this coming Saturday, and Yale defeats Harvard in The Game, the Lions will be co-champions for the first time since 1961.
-Columbia has already clinched its fifth winning season in the last seven seasons. Before this run, the Lions only had three winning seasons in the previous 46 years.
-Jon Poppe has become the first Columbia Head Coach to post a winning season in his first year in the job since Lou Little did it in 1930... 94 years ago.
-Columbia has won the last four games at Brown Stadium, and thus haven't lost to the Bears in Providence in 10 years.
Columbia Lions (5-3) vs. Brown Bears (3-5)
November 16, 2024
Kickoff Time: 12:00pm
Providence, Rhode Island
Game Time Weather Forecast: 61 degrees and sunny
The Line: Columbia is favored by 5 points
TV/Radio: ESPN+
Leading Story Lines
-The Lions and Bears are trying to finish strong after being in the thick of the Ivy championship race earlier this season.
-Brown this year is yet another offensive powerhouse, and will be taking on one of the Ivy League's best defenses.
-Columbia may be shuffling its QB situation before or during this game.
3 Lions to Watch
-QB Cole Freeman #4 may or may not start or complete this game. The Lions may go with freshman QB Caleb Sanchez #8 at some point.
-S Hayden McDonald #3 is Columbia's top ball hawking DB going up against a Brown QB that has thrown 11 interceptions already this year.
-WR Bryson Canty #2 is one of the the Ivy League's most dynamic receivers who will be going up against a Brown pass defense that's already allowed 18 TD passes.
3 Bears to Watch
-DB Tim Malo #9 has been thrust into the lead defender role for Brown since the injury to NFL prospect Isaiah Reed.
-WR Mark Mahoney #88 is the top receiver in Brown's pass happy offense.
-QB Jake Wilcox #3 is of course in focus because he is the starting QB, but watch him closely and decide whether some of the hype about him as a possible NFL prospect is justified.
I went 3-1 straight up last week and 1-3 against the spread. My season totals are 37-14 SU and 23-28 AGS
Dartmouth -10 at Cornell
This can be a tricky one, as Cornell has been a sticky opponent for the Big Green over the years. But I think the Dartmouth defense will rise to the occasion even as Jameson Wang plays his final home game.
Harvard -6 at Penn
The Crimson has momentum, and so do the Quakers. But Harvard should cover.
Yale -16 1/2 vs. Princeton
The Tigers just don't look good.
Georgetown +2 1/2 at Fordham
Patriot League games have been impossible this year. Taking the points blindly here.
Wagner +15 1/2 at Duquesne
I like the Seahawks to make this a game.
Lafayette -21 1/2 vs. Stonehill
Stonehill seems like a Washington Generals like operation.
Cooper Barkate
1) Harvard
The Crimson offense has been good all year, now the defense seems to be stepping up too. Bad news for the rest of the league.
2) Dartmouth
It just feels like the Big Green have dropped down a bit over the last few weeks. A strong defensive performance vs. Cornell could shake things up a bit.
3) Columbia
The Lions are still battling despite the injuries (and every team has injuries of course). How Columbia finishes up the season in two tough but winnable games will be crucial.
4) Yale
The Elis are playing their best football of the season, and must be kicking themselves over their earlier close losses to Dartmouth and Columbia.
5) Penn
Like the Elis, the Quakers woke up too late this season.
6) Brown
The Bears just don't seem to be able to put a defense together.
7) Cornell
The Big Red is fighting a terrible war on defensive football. Luckily, it's fun to watch their offense every week.
8) Princeton
The Tigers will be a fascinating rebuilding project over the next year or so. I still think Princeton has the strongest overall package to present to recruits and non-athletes alike.
Harvard 26 Columbia 6
Why Harvard Won
The Crimson played their best defensive game of the year, especially when the Lions got into Harvard territory. The offense played mistake-free football and eventually wore down Columbia's defense.
Why Columbia Lost
The Lions couldn't finish drive after drive, thanks to turnovers and inconsistency. The defense played as well as any team has against the Crimson all year, but finally wilted without the support it needed from the offense.
Key Turning Points
-After Harvard scored a FG thanks to a punt return that set them up at the Lion 12, Columbia responded with an impressive drive that spanned 53-yards and brought CU a 1st and 10 at the Crimson 20. But on that play QB Cole Freeman forced a pass into double coverage in the end zone that was intercepted. Harvard then responded with an 80-yard TD drive and a 10-0 lead.
-With the score still 10-0 Harvard and about 10 minutes left in the half, Freeman apparently completed a 44-yard bomb to WR Ethan Hebb to the Crimson 10 yard line. Replay video seemed to confirm Hebb made the grab, but the referees stuck with their incomplete pass ruling. Five plays later, Freeman threw his second interception of the game.
Columbia Positives
-Columbia's linebackers put on a show, especially Jack Smiechowski and Charlie Newton who had 14 and 10 tackles, respectively.
-WR Marcus Libman had five catches for 109 yards.
-Freshman QB Caleb Sanchez hit the field for the first time and looked impressive in CU's one scoring drive.
Columbia Negatives
-The Lions almost never put pressure on Harvard QB Jaden Craig, which was a shame because every time he was forced to move in the pocket his passes were woefully off the mark.
-Harvard's defense hasn't had a very strong season, but they looked like the Crimson of old for most of this game. Columbia's mistakes helped make that happen.
Columbia MVP
While there were so many defenders who had standout games against Harvard, Jack Smiechowski stood out the most.
Harvard Square
Columbia Lions (5-2) at Harvard Crimson (6-1)
November 9, 2024
Kickoff Time: 12 noon
Allston, Massachusetts
Game Time Weather Forecast: 49 degrees and sunny
The Line: Harvard is favored by 9 1/2 points
TV/Radio: ESPN+
Leading Story Lines
-For the second time in three weeks, but only the fifth time in 63 YEARS, Columbia is playing a game after the midseason Mark where a win gives the the chance to control their own destiny to grab at least a tie for the Ivy crown. Let that sink in,
-Harvard is coming off perhaps the most impressive win of the season with its win over previously unbeaten Dartmouth in Hanover. Now the Crimson must prove they truly are the best with a win against the only other team that even has a realistic chance to snag the title from them.
-Columbia Head Coach Jon Poppe and Offensive Coordinator Seitu Smith are former assistant coaches at Harvard, with Smith also being a former star player for the Crimson. During the off-season, a large degree of bad blood among the Harvard assistant coaches came to light before HU settled on hiring Princeton assistant Andrew Aurich to replace the legendary Tim Murphy at the helm. Neither Poppe nor Smith were still on the Harvard staff last season, but they surely were keyed into the drama in Cambridge all along.
3 Lions to Watch
-WR Marcus Libman #3 while still in a much reduced role than he was in 2022, Libman seems to be the man CU goes to for key scores.When Columbia gets into the end zone, look for him.
-LB Anthony Roussos #16 will be directing the CU defense as usual, but he'll be tasked with dealing with Harvard's multi-QB attack.
-CB Carter McCray #22 the freshman CB is having a breakout season and will get his toughest test against the Crimson's talented receivers.
3 Crimson to Watch
-QB Chuck DePrima is a dangerous option QB who comes in when Harvard wants to mix things up, especially in the red zone.
-DL Jacob Psyk #94 is a sack master and can disrupt passing and running games often.
-WR Cooper Barkate #18 is one of the top 3 receivers in the Ivies, and maybe the best.
I went a dismal 2-4 straight up last week and 1-5 against the spread. My season totals are now 34-13 SU and 22-25 AGS
Dartmouth -10 at Princeton (Game is Friday night!)
Princeton looks very lost, and the Big Green needs this win.
Cornell +3 vs. Penn
This seems like an easy pick. Take that for what it's worth.
Brown +16 at Yale
The Bears will barely (no pun intended) cover this spread.
Colgate +3 1/2 vs. Lafayette
The Patriot League makes less and less sense to me every year, so just take the points.
1) Harvard
The Crimson's win over Dartmouth in Hanover was impressive. But consistency hasn't been Harvard's strong suit.
2) Dartmouth
The Big Green was bound to suffer an end to their luck, but now they have what seems like an easy schedule down the stretch.
3) Columbia
The Lions have a strong defense and an offense that's still functioning without its top QB. Now it has it's heaviest lift of the year at Harvard Stadium.
4) Cornell
The Big Red offense is exciting and consistent. If only they had a defense.
5) Yale
The Elis have a lot of weapons and have had a lot of bad luck. Don't be surprised if they run the table from here.
6) Penn
Nice win for the Quakers in Providence last week, but this doesn't seem like it's going to spark a strong run down the stretch.
7) Brown
The Bears blew a chance to contend with a lousy performance against Penn. Perry's team will have to start from scratch next year.
8) Princeton
It will never be easy to accept seeing a Bob Surace-recruited team not be competitive for two years in a row.
The Lions are bruised and battered, and they have a brutal road game at Harvard ahead of them this week.
But it's week 8 and this team is tied for 1st place in the Ivies, and all it needs to do is win out to guarantee at least a tie for its first Ivy title in 63 years.
This is a great place to be right now, and whether it ends this weekend or in two weeks, etc... it's still a great testament to these young men.
Harvard is a good team, but not as good as some of the Harvard teams we've seen in the past. They have a very lethal wide receiver and their best passing QB in a long time, but is there any secondary in the Ivies you'd rather have to take up that challenge?
Harvard has a decent home field advantage, but it will NOT be Family Weekend on campus this weekend like it usually is when Columbia takes the Crimson on at Harvard Stadium, (which always boosts the crowd).
I do wish we had a healthy Chase Goodwin at QB, but Cole Freeman is a fighter and all you can do is fight right now.
Columbia's only been in this place twice before in my lifetime, (I'm 53). In 1996, the Lions controlled their own destiny going into Dartmouth in week 8... and they lost 40-0. In 2017, they controlled their own destiny in week 8 going into a home contest against Harvard, and lost a sloppy game by a TD.
So here we are again. This Harvard team is a much tougher opponent than the 2017 Crimson, but certainly nowhere near as good as the 1996 Big Green. We can't ask for much more than that.
This has been a tough 13 months for these players, on and off this campus. I think their achievement has been impressive. I hope they are enjoying this and of course it would be amazing if they win.
But this is a great place for them to be already.
Columbia 13 Yale 10
Why Columbia Won
The Lions defense came up big against Yale's potent attack, limiting the Elis to 10 points and making them work hard for every 1st down. The offense used a mix of starters and key replacements to limit its mistakes and eventually put it all together in the 4th quarter for a dramatic win.
Why Yale Lost
The Eli offense had trouble getting any consistency, while the defense didn't get off the field on some key 3rd down plays and finally was unable to stop CU on the 96-yard drive for the winning score.
Key Turning Points
-Columbia's promising first possession of the game ended with no points when a brilliant punch of the ball forced QB Cole Freeman to fumble it away at the Yale 11. That set the tone for much of the night for the Lion offense, as Columbia often was able to gain consistent yardage, but could not get much in the way of points.
-With Yale leading 7-3 and 8:17 left in the 3rd quarter, the Elis were in the middle of a 53-yard drive with a 1st down at the Columbia 25. But the next three plays netted no yards and the resulting Yale FG try from 42 yards out sailed wide right.
-The Lions began the 4th quarter down 10-3, and they put together a 50-yard drive to set up a 43-yard FG attempt going in the same direction that Yale had missed from just a few minutes earlier. But PK Hugo Merry made his kick perfectly, and the Lions were back in striking distance now down 10-6.
-The CU defense forced a three-and-out on Yale's ensuing possession, but a brilliant 58-yard punt by Eli P Shamus Florio pinned the Lions at their own 4 with 8:29 to go. Columbia responded with a number of running plays and one pass to get them all the way to the Yale 44. The key play was strong burst up-the-middle run by RB Griffin Johnson for 17 yards and 1st down on 3rd and 7. Then on the very next play, Freeman connected with WR Bryson Canty for a well-executed 44-yard TD bomb to grab the lead and the eventual win.
Columbia Positives
-Yale came into the game scoring 32 points per game, but stellar linebacker and secondary play held the Elis in check. Other than the missed FG, there weren't really any serious scoring threats that CU was lucky to avoid. The Elis never snapped the ball inside the red zone, and were an unspectacular 6 0f 14 on 3rd down conversions.
-Canty clearly outdueled Yale's David Pantelis in a game some thought was featuring the two best WR's in the Ivies.
-Freeman threw the ball and ran better than his earlier start against Georgetown, and never even came close to throwing an interception. Just as importantly, he was clearly in charge on the field and the team responded well to him.
-In addition to Freeman, the Lions got stellar performances from backups thrust into the game. Johnson had a number of key runs, LB Charlie Newton was on fire late in the game, and the O-line allowed just one sack.
-Merry bounced back from his recent slump to nail two crucial field goals with no misses.
Columbia Negatives
-The Lions are still having a big of trouble scoring touchdowns in the red zone, and came away with just three points from their two visits there last night.
Columbia MVP
-Cole Freeman got a lot of help of course, but his performance overall was above and beyond what most Lion fans could hope for.
Yale Bulldogs (4-2) vs. Columbia Lions (4-2)
November 1, 2024
Kickoff Time: 7:00pm
Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium
New York, NY
Game Time Weather Forecast: 68 degrees and clear
The Line: Yale is favored by 2 points
TV/Radio: The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU
Leading Story Lines
-Columbia comes into this game with a wounded lineup and some wounder pride after losing on Homecoming last week to Dartmouth and also seeing its standout starting QB Chase Goodwin knocked out for the rest of the season.
-Yale may be climbing an insurmountable ladder to the Ivy title after starting the season 0-2 in the conference. But the Elis' usual formula of finishing strong seems to be in place with a vengeance now.
-The matchup is looking like a team coming off a major gut punch and another with a big chip on its shoulder.
3 Lions to Watch
-QB Cole Freeman #4 will be thrust into the starting job and will likely be harassed regularly by Yale defense that would love to force him to throw about 40 times or more.
-LT Nick Winzer #75 is also under the gun after the season-ending injury to starter Ryan Carr. Winzer will have a big target on his uniform all day for the Eli pass rushers.
-CB Carter McCray #22 is playing well as a freshman starter, but expect Yale to try to test him with their top receivers as much as possible.
3 Bulldogs to Watch
-WR David Pantelis #10 is locked in a battle with Columbia's Bryson Canty for the title of best WR in the Ivies. He will be all over the field tonight; it's just up to the Lions to deny him the ball as much as possible.
-S Abu Kamara #4 is having a breakout sophomore season and will be a factor in stopping the Columbia passing and running games.
-RB Josh Pitsenberger #7 is having a strong comeback season after being a bit sidelined last year. After the Lions had a fit of poor run tackling at times vs. Dartmouth last week, Pitsenberger will either be the beneficiary of that trend continuing or the victim of it being rectified.
