Scouting Penn

Columbia fans will not miss this guy

OVERVIEW

What’s a bigger shock, the fact that Columbia has lost 15 in a row or Penn has lost 8 in row?

It’s hard to believe, but true. The Quakers have gone 0-4 to start this season after fading out with four straight losses to end 2013.

As bad as it is for Penn right now, the entire fan base is taking Saturday’s game completely for granted against the Lions. Maybe that’s warranted, but the Quakers have been blown out three games in a row and are having trouble holding on to the football with a -6 turnover ratio.

All of this is ruining Head Coach Al Bagnoli’s farewell season. And that begs the question of whether it was wise for Bagnoli to let everyone know this would be his final season so far in advance. This may have affected recruiting adversely and thrown too much uncertainty into the mix even though Ray Priore was immediately named the next head coach at the time of Bagnoli’s announcement.

Whatever the causes, this appears to be the worst Penn team since the pathetic 1991 squad that led to a house cleaning and Bagnoli’s hiring in the first place.

OFFENSE

New QB Alex Torgerson is talented, but like many young QB’s he’s throwing too many INT’s. His favorite target is RB-turned-WR Spencer Kulcsar who’s grabbing about six passes per game and 75 yards per game. But, and this is a leitmotif for this offense, he has no TD catches. Torgerson is also facing more pressure than Penn QB’s are used to. He’s been sacked 12 times, an average of three times per game.

RB Lyle Marsh is out for the season and the running game has suffered accordingly. Klyle Wilcox is the top rusher, but he’s only averaging nine carries per game because Penn has been so far behind in a number of games so far this year. Saturday could be the day he really breaks out and gets some serious carries. Freshman RB Tre Solomon from Brooklyn could also make a splash this weekend, as he’s been impressive in limited duty.

DEFENSE

Sporadic injuries have hurt this unit, but not as much as playing four very good offensive teams in a row. In other words, it’s hard to tell just how bad or good this Quaker D really is.

Junior linebacker Nolan Biegel has been a nice new impact player this season and he leads the team in tackles. But senior LB Dan Davis is still the leader of this team and he has three sacks so far this year. Feerooz Yacoobi is a major force at defensive end and Evan Jackson is the leader of the secondary.

Again, the defensive stats are ugly, but the names listed above serve as a cautionary note to anyone who thinks the Quakers are an easy mark.

SPECIAL TEAMS

A bright spot this year for Penn has been the emergence of junior PK Jimmy Gammill. He’s 8-9 on FG’s, and he’s hit a 48-yarder. Freshman Hunter Kelly has been a solid punter.

Kulcsar is doing the punt returning and is solid as well. Benjamin and Eric Fiore are splitting the kickoff returning duties and have been unspectacular in that job.

Penn’s kick coverage has been a mixed bag. They’ve been good on kickoffs, but rusty on punt returns. 

Time for Robin Harris to Step In

The Columbia football program needs to be put into receivership by the Ivy League.  This needs to happen immediately.

The reasons why this takeover is necessary are clear:

The team is completely out of control and without competent leadership at the coaching or the administrative level. With a lame duck A.D. and an unusually disinterested academic administration, the usual safeguards and first-line defenses against total breakdown are absent.

A pitiful situation on the field has now turned into a potentially dangerous situation for everyone who plays for or against Columbia in the coming weeks.

An undisciplined football team can lead to serious injuries on the field. This is a violent game as it is.

I have not been very impressed with the job Robin Harris has done so far as Ivy League Executive Director. But this is a chance for her to step it up and prove she is able to protect the players first and the brand as well.

Harris, of course, would need the Ivy presidents to approve such an action. So perhaps, just calling for a meeting or vote on it will spur Columbia President Lee Bollinger to finally do something.

But bottom line, the league needs to take over day-to-day control of the team, appoint an interim coach and full staff ASAP and remove outgoing Athletic Director Dianne Murphy from any contact with the team or the program.

If you think this is too drastic a move, you just haven’t been paying attention.

It didn’t take a prophet last year to predict the Columbia football would not be remotely competitive this season. But I did insist that would happen and it did.

And now it doesn’t take a prophet to predict that something very bad on or off the field is about to happen unless the football team gets new management immediately.

BREAKING: Nottingham off Roster

As of 10:53am Eastern Time, Brett Nottingham is no longer with the team.

Whether Pete Mangurian is fully responsible for this or not, it is another major embarrassment for the program and the buck has to stop with him.

I am now worried the entire program is in jeopardy of shutting down. The administration shows no interest in addressing a collapsing team. And an undisciplined team can be a very dangerous thing in an already violent sport like football.

If the CU administration continues to refuse to fix this situation and reduce the risks, the Ivy League needs to do it.

But here's some GOOD NEWS:

Former Columbia QB Sean Brackett '13, has just been signed by the Las Vegas Outlaws of the Arena Football League.

Nottingham Still on Roster

It doesn't mean he's still on the team, but as of 6:26am Eastern Time Wednesday, Brett Nottingham is still on the Columbia football roster on GoColumbiaLions.com

Nottingham on the Clock

QB Brett Nottingham has until today to decide whether his resignation from the team is final. 

Happy Tuesday everyone. 

Also, the status of Offensive Coordinator Jamie Elizondo is also a bit unsettled. After some heated exchanges during the Monmouth game, he did not return with the team to NYC on the team bus. 

UPDATE: Elizondo was at practice yesterday. He is still with the team.