Why Dartmouth Won
The Big Green defense was too much for the Lions, yielding just 167 total yards to the Columbia offense. Dartmouth's offense was also stymied most of the day, but put up just enough firepower in the 1st half to win.
Why Columbia Lost
The Lions just didn't seem to have enough offensive weapons to answer a Big Green defense that stacked the box most of the game. Columbia could not capitalize on a number of good field position opportunities provided by the Lion defense.
Key Turning Points
-Trailing 7-0 with just under four minutes left in the 1st quarter, RB Cameron Molina slipped on a wet spot on the open field to fall just shy of converting a 3rd and three at the Dartmouth 16. On the resulting 4th and one from the 14, the Lions went for the FG instead of going for it. That made it 7-3 and left a crucial four points on the table.
-Still leading 7-3 with just over three minutes left in the half, Dartmouth had its one short burst of the kind of offense it's displayed the entire year. Starting a possession from the Big Green 41, QB Dalyn Williams needed just three passes to get a TD. The last two went to superstar WR Victor Williams for a total of 46 yards.
-Trailing 13-9 with just over 14 minutes to play, Columbia began a possession at its 39 yard line. On the resulting 3rd and 11 and after a time out, all the Lion offense could do was attempt a short pass to FB Mark Cieslak. The pass fell incomplete.
Columbia Positives
-The Lion defense played its best game of the year. Columbia had six sacks and almost completely shut down the Dartmouth running game.
-Save for a desperation pass at the end of the game that was intercepted, the Lions did not commit a turnover.
-For once, it was the other team that got flustered and frustrated as the Dartmouth offense committed numerous personal foul penalties out of sheer anger. Columbia was clearly the better coached team on the day, a major positive coming off the Homecoming embarrassment the previous week.
Columbia Negatives
-It was painfully obvious throughout the game that the Lions just do not have enough offensive weapons to beat the top teams.
-A missed extra point played a role in reducing Columbia's options at the end of the game. It forced the Lions to need a TD rather than looking at needing a FG to tie.
Columbia MVP
-This was truly a team defensive effort, and I have to give the award to the whole unit.
10 comments:
Jake, I generally agree with your analysis. However,smoke credit should go to the offense for avoiding turnovers, as you indicate, and for doing a pretty good job of protecting Skyler. I think Molina would have scored had he not slipped. And we had a good game plan to shorten the game with short passes and a running game which in Molina's hands kept Dartmouth off balance. One note which needs to be mentioned: Dartmouth's second touchdown was the result of a trick play in which we weren't set and Williams was hiding out by the sideline, leaving him totally undefended. But as has been said before, what we really need is the second coming of Austin Knowlin and Andrew Kennedy. On a final note, I was really proud of our guys and the staff.
Pardon the spell check typo. Should read "some credit".
It was very encouraging. Indicated just how well coached and prepared Columbia is at tis point. Let's leave it at that because we still have a few decent opportunities for more wins. Twice, we've stymied supposedly high-powered offenses.
Cant figure this team out. How in the world do you get whooped by Penn, and then have a D performance like this? Bags has the team competetive, and shows how horrible of a staff Mango n crew were. Ivy teams dont look forward to playing CU anymore
Didn't see the game, listen to the broadcast or track it via stats but from what I have seen and heard from this team this year convinces me they DO have offensive capability. Plenty of it in fact. They just didn't get it done when they had an opportunity to win this game with the D putting them in within striking distance. The O has shown ability this season for sure but they have not found the comfort zone to do make progress every series. I don't have an answer why that is.
Didn't norries staff recruit knowlin and kennedy?
We can beat Yale. They have seven injured starters from what I read. Dartmouth crushed them 31-3. We need 17 points from our offense and no mistakes that cede easy points. And let the D do the rest. We need to think actual victory.
You'll never hear anyone here deny that Norries was a great recruiter.
If Al had the team that Norries put on the field in 2010 or thereabouts, with Knowlin, Kennedy, MA or later Brackett, Alex, etc. he might have won the league.
I think this team answered Jake's original question : after a blowout loss on Homecoming would they throw in the towel with a resounding "NO." Great effort all around even though the results on Offense were
disappointing. We seem reluctant to throw the ball downfield so we've become predictable. Protection for Morninweg adequate, arm strength there, but as Old Lion points out no separation from receivers. We're close to upsetting some Ivy league foe ...Yale?
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