It's a Nice Place to be

 

Harvard Stadium

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.

Off the Mat

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. 

Challenge Under the Lights

 

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 

Columbia Game Notes

Yale Game Notes 

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. 

Week 7 Picks

 

I went a perfect 6-0 straight up last week, but 3-3 against the spread. My season totals are now 32-9 SU and 21-20 AGS 

Princeton -3 at Cornell

I like the Tigers to take this one in what should be a good game. 

Harvard +1/2 at Dartmouth

The Big Green will have a stumble here. 

Brown +2 vs. Penn

The Quakers look lost and the Bears will find a way to win. 

Lafayette -4 at Bucknell

Leopards will bounce back.

Georgetown +5 vs. Lehigh

Hoyas will win. 

CCSU -11 1/2 vs. Wagner 

Wagner will have a tough time on the road. 

Goodwin Out for the Season

 

Lions fans are waking up to a cruel reality, (we're used to it), as standout first-year starting QB Chase Goodwin is out for the season with the knee he injured at the end of the 1st half of the Homecoming loss to Dartmouth. 

While backup QB Cole Freeman has shown much more talent than the typical number 2, this will make the rest of the season much more of a challenge for a Lions team that has already suffered tough season-ending injuries to a number of other players including DE Justin Townsend and RT Ryan Carr.

But we did see a good bit of fight in this team last Saturday, so it will be interesting to see how this crew performs down the stretch.