Quick Work

Columbia 24 Wagner 6

Why Columbia Won

Columbia's running attacked exploded out of the gate, netting the Lions a four-score lead midway through the 2nd quarter. The defense held just firmly enough throughout the day, notably with key 4th down stops and turnovers, to keep Wagner from ever seriously getting into the game

Why Wagner Lost 

The Seahawks took too long to slow down the Lion offense, and the offense only finished one drive with a score. Throw in two turnovers and some costly penalties, and Wagner never had a chance.

Key Turning Points

-Testing the Seahawk run defense was clearly at the top of the CU agenda, and on the very first possession of the game the Lions got right to it. 66 of the 75 yards on that initial Columbia TD drive were on the ground; capped off by a 22-yard TD run by RB Joey Giorgi.

-Early in the 2nd quarter with Columbia now up 21-0, Wagner went for it on a 4th and 1 from its 25 yard line, and DL's Josh Powell and Ben Corniello combined to stop RB Andre Hines in his tracks for the turnover on downs. The Lions cashed in on the great field position with a FG and a 24-0 lead. 

-With the score 24-6 to start the 3rd quarter, Wagner looked to get into the game for real and drive to the CU 46 before electing to go for it again on 4th and 3. This time, Seahawk QB Jake Cady misfired on a pass attempt and Wagner's best chance to make it a game was lost.

Columbia Positives

-The Columbia rushing attack was stellar again; putting up 228 yards, 5.6 yards per carry, and two TD's. 

-For the second week in a row, the Lions did not commit a turnover. 

-The CU defense racked up seven tackles for a loss, three of them from junior LB Jack Smiechowski.

Columbia Negatives

-The Lions clearly took their feet off the gas pedal after going up 24-0; but that will matter little if the team comes out fired up next week at Penn,

-QB Chase Goodwin was not as accurate in this game, but he still had a TD pass, not interceptions, and avoided the big mistakes.

Columbia MVP

-RB Joey Giorgi punished the Seahawks from the get-go, and finished with 111 yards rushing. Giorgi now has 406 rushing yards on the season, putting him on a 1,000-yard pace. 

Island Hopping

Columbia Lions (2-1) at Wagner Seahawks (3-3)

October 12, 2024 

Kickoff Time: 12 Noon

Hameline Field

Staten Island, New York

Game Time Weather Forecast: 70 degrees and sunny

The Line: Columbia is a 14 1/2 point favorite

TV/Radio: The game will be on NEC Front Row 

Columbia Game Notes

Wagner Game Notes

Leading Story Lines

-Columbia gets its second chance this season to build on the positive vibes of a big win at home with a win on the road against a non-conference opponent. If the Lions meet the challenge this time, the buzz around the team will be pretty strong going into the Ivy-only stretch of the schedule.

-Both teams are led by outstanding new QBs. Columbia sophomore Chase Goodwin goes up against Wagner grad transfer Jake Cady who comes to Staten Island from D-II Assumption. 

-This game was originally scheduled to be played last year, but relatively late in the process the Lions rescheduled it for 2024. That move reportedly angered the Wagner athletic department, but will that somehow transfer to more aggressive play on the field? It's probably a matter of opinion. 

3 Lions to Watch

-RB Joey Giorgi #25 is just five yards off a 1,000-rushing yards season pacewith 295 yards over the first three games. Until last week's game against Stonehill, Wagner had been struggling defending against the run, so expect Giorgi to test to see if that was an exception to the rule.

-DE Ayden Baker #14 get his first start in place of the injured Justin Townsend, who has been lost for the season with an ACL injury. It's a crushing loss, but Baker is an up-and-coming player who may be tested early and often by a Wagner QB who can run and throw. 

-LB Anthony Roussos #16 will be tasked with taking the lead in stopping Wagner's decent running attack. 

3 Seahawks to Watch 

-RB Ricky Spruill #36 has 422 yards on the season with three TDs on a 6.0 yards per carry average. Spruill will also likely want to improve on his eight-carry, 15-yard performance vs. the Lions at Wien Stadium in 2022. 

-LB Justin Reilly #45 is an experienced grad student who is regularly featured in the NEC weekly honors awards. Reilly will need to lead a strong counterattack to Columbia's varied running game. 

-WR Jaylen Bonelli #3 has a couple of 100-yard plus games early in the season, but has been quieter lately. Look for him to try to break out again this week. 

Week 4 Picks

 

I went 4-3 straight up and 3-4 against the spread. My season totals are now 14-7 SU and 10-11 AGS

Dartmouth -4 1/2 at Yale 

I like this smaller point spread and the way Dartmouth is playing. This will be the best defense the Elis have seen all year and that doesn't bode well for them. 

Harvard -11 at Cornell (Game is Friday night!) 

No, I'm not putting too much stock in Cornell's win over Yale... at least for Cornell. 

Brown +8 1/2 at Rhode Island

I like the volatile Bears to take this one. 

Penn -14 1/2 vs. Bucknell

Penn is going to play angry.

Princeton + 23 1/2 at Mercer

I can't remember the last time Princeton was a 23.5-point underdog. Neither can you. The Tigers will probably make a game of this, but still lose. 

Georgetown +12 at Lafayette

The Hoyas are better than advertised.

Ivy Power Rankings

 

1) Dartmouth

The Big Green's win over Penn was a bit more impressive than the 20-17 final score indicates. 

2) Columbia

With a healthy Chase Goodwin at QB, the Lions are a top team

3) Penn 

The Quakers held their own for the most part in a tough road game against the best team in the league. They're not done yet. 

4) Harvard

The Crimson only have a flukely loss at Brown to be ashamed of. Not bad.

5) Brown

This is a team with defensive problems.

6) Cornell 

The loss to Albany adds to the narrative that the Big Red just have Yale's number, but no one else's.

7) Yale

If you can have a bad win, Yale had it against CCSU Saturday. They don't seem to have the tools to beat Dartmouth this weekend.

8) Princeton

The Tigers have a tentative offense and some injuries really harming the defense.

Chasing the Numbers

 

Just a quick post in the hour or so before the Ivy League weekly player honors are handed out. 

Readers of this blog and my 2005-2011 iteration of it here know that my favorite stat to measure QB play is 3rd down passing. It's usually the best way to gauge how good a QB is, especially when it really counts. Unlike "clutch hitting" stats in baseball, the stat is more telling and relies less on situations the QB cannot in any way control.

So how good was Chase Goodwin Saturday on 3rd down?

He was 8-11 for 125 yards, seven 1st downs, a TD, no interceptions, and one taken sack. 

That's absolutely stellar.

Have a nice day.

Good Win for Goodwin

Columbia 34 Princeton 17

Why Columbia Won

The Lion offense moved the ball well all day, and finally started to convert that movement into TDs in the 2nd half. The defense overcame a slow start and snagged three turnovers to keep the Tigers out of a rhythm. 

Why Princeton Lost

The Tiger defense had no consistent answer for Chase Goodwin, Joey Giorgi and the entire Columbia O-line. On offense, Princeton was inconsistent in the passing game and missed some prime scoring opportunities.

Key Turning Points

-With Columbia already trailing 7-0, the Lions turned the ball over on downs at the Tiger 40 with 6:44 left in the 1st quarter. But on 4th and 2 from the PU 48, QB Blaine Hipa's pass was tipped into the air and then intercepted by S Hayden McDonald to give the Lions the ball back at their own 49. Five plays later, PK Hugo Merry nailed a 39-yard FG to dodge a bullet and get some points besides. 

-Now trailing 10-6, Columbia got the ball to open the 2nd half and again ended up turning the ball over on downs at the Princeton 49. But once again, the TIgers turned the ball right back over with a fumble three plays later that set the Lions up at their own 47. Columbia responded with a 12-play TD drive that included four 3rd down conversions, including a TD on 3rd and 7 from the PU 8 that featured Goodwin scrambling to extend the play and find WR Marcus Libman all alone on the end zone. 

-After Princeton scored a TD in the first minute of the 4th quarter to narrow the Columbia lead to 20-17, the Lions began a crucial possession at their 15. On the first play of the drive, Giorgi went around the left side for a 34-yard run to get Columbia out of the hole and rolling again. Eight plays later, the Lions faced a 4th and 5 at the Tiger 14 and once again opted to go for it. This time, Goodwin rolled left and kept it for a brilliant TD run that essentially iced the game for CU.

Columbia Positives

-The Lion offense produced 479 yards with an amazing symmetry of 269 yards rushing and 280 yards passing (and 20 return yards). That included six yards per carry on the ground, no turnovers, and just two penalties. 

-Goodwin returned after missing last week due to injury and resumed his accurate passing, effective running, and coolness under pressure. 

-Columbia's receivers made numerous plays and showed their overall depth at the position. After senior Bryson Canty left the game early, his replacement sophomore Titus Evans kept getting open and made key catch after key catch. Junior Edan Stagg made some big catches as well, including an essential run after a catch for a 1st down in CU's second FG drive of the game. 

-PK Merry continues to be perfect on FG tries, and nailed two longer range kicks with a tricky breeze blowing at Wien Stadium. He's also perfect on PATs. 

Columbia Negatives

-It's not clear how serious the injuries are that took Canty and DL Justin Townsend out of the game. With a final non-conference game at Wagner next week, don't be surprised if both of them sit that contest out.

-One could quibble with how the defense played against the Tiger running game overall, but strip out the opening Princeton drive and things look a lot differently. 

Columbia MVP

-Again, it is tempting to give this award to the offensive line as a unit. It would also be non-controversial to award it to Giorgi who had an impressive 157 yard rushing performance on 18 carries. But the true difference maker was QB Chase Goodwin, who directed the offense through a number of high pressure drives and showed plenty of athleticism to go along with that emotional leadership. Goodwin is looking like the best signal-caller Columbia has had for a long time. 

Reveal Party

 

Princeton Tigers (1-1) vs. Columbia Lions (1-1)

October 5, 2024

Kickoff Time: 12 noon

Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium

New York, New York

Game Time Weather Forecast: 72 degrees and sunny

The Line: Columbia is a 3 1/2 point underdog

TV/Radio: The game will be on ESPN+

Columbia Game Notes

Princeton Game Notes 

Leading Story Lines

-The Lions haven't beaten Princeton since 2017 and have lost 11 of the last 12 meetings, nipping almost every season's hopes in the bud In the process.

-Both teams are trying to prove their real identity after inconsistent performances from week-to-week so far.  

-Both teams get their starting QB's back after playing without them last week.

3 Lions to Watch

-QB Chase Goodwin #15. Will he be as accurate as he was in week 1? Will he be as mobile as he still recovers from a deep knee bruise?

-CB Carter McFadden #23. He has a huge target on his back as opposing QB's have targeted him obsessively in both Lion games so far. 

-RT Noah Jordan #77. He will need to protect Goodwin and seal off lanes for the running backs against the usually stingly Tiger defense. 

3 Tigers to Watch

-WR A.J. Barber #86. He's one of two sons of former NY Giant Tiki Barber now playing Ivy football. He's also a good target as a receiver and a lethal kick returner. 

-DL Colin Taylor #95. He'll be the one hardest to block as Princeton looks to harass Goodwin all day.

-LB Marco Scarano #2. Will play a big role in the Tiger hopes to stop the CU run. 

Week 3 Picks

 

I had a decent week straight up last week, going 4-2. But it was brutal against the spread where I went 1-5. My season totals so far are 10-4 SU and 7-7 AGS

Penn +5 at Dartmouth

Going for the split decision here. Dartmouth to win, but only by a field goal or less

Bryant +14 at Brown

The Bears will win, but Bryant will make it a game

Yale -11 1/2 vs. CCSU

Elis set to bounce back

New Hampshire +3 at Harvard

Wildcats to win

Albany +1/2 at Cornell

Big Red comes back to earth

Lafayette -19 at Fordham

Leopards are angry, Rams are wounded

Stonehill -3 vs. Wagner

Wagner is punchless

 

Ivy Power Rankings

 

1) Penn

The Quakers are 1-1, but they've consistently played well on both sides of the ball. 

2) Dartmouth

Merrimack is a tricky team, and the Big Green squeaked by. So, no major downgrade here. 

3) Brown 

The Bears pulled off a stunning comeback win over Harvard and look the best they have under James Perry.

4) Yale 

Elis take a defensive lapse in Ithaca, but seem poised to bounce back.

5) Cornell

The Big Red pulled off the big win over Yale, but we've seen this movie before.

6) Princeton

The Tigers are still an X factor.

7) Columbia 

The Lions stumble at Georgetown, but get starting QB back this week.

8) Harvard 

Okay, I'll say it: The Crimson never would have lost that game last week if Tim Murphy were still coaching.