Why Columbia Won
The Lions came out running on all cylinders in all three facets of the game and jumped out to a 26-0 lead in short order. The defense never let up and the offense kept grinding down the clock even after it stopped being able to score.
Why Wagner Lost
The Seahawks made every kind of mistake you can make in a football game while also being completely inept offensively.
Key Turning Points
-Columbia's opening drive looked like it was going to stall on a 3rd and 10 at the Wagner 42. But QB Skyler Mornhinweg found WR Cameron Dunn on a pretty 16-yard pass play to re-energize the eventual TD-scoring drive.
-On the next play from scrimmage, a fumbled snap was scooped up by LB Max Keefe for a two yard TD and the Lions had 14 points in 16 seconds.
Columbia Positives
-The Lions defense was dominant. Wagner was only able to get one real drive going all game.
-Mornhiweg did not light up the start sheet but he was incredibly effective in the first half on 3rd down. His 32-yard dash for a TD in the 2nd quarter was a great exclamation point.
Columbia Negatives
-Only one: the Lions still are having trouble containing running QBs.
Columbia MVP
-The entire team defense deserves tremendous recognition, but Mornhinweg was there time and again with the big plays Columbia needed to cash in.
21 comments:
What happened to the Wagner program? One of the coaches was on this blog last season but I do not expect him to chime in. I am just going to guess, complete collapse due to a head coaching malfunction
I think it isn't so much what happened to Wagner as what has happened to us. In his post game press conference --a must watch-- Al said that we had been very close to winning and that both Georgetown and Princeton were winnable but for a few forced plays. Think about that- we could have won the Princeton game, for example, without several forced errors and one questionable call. So,with basically the old players plus a really good three transfers we have a reasonable chance every time we step on the field. Al is a great coach.
Wagner has a tradition of being a tough, successful program. I have no idea what is causing their current slump. A first year coach is not the reason; as we all know, he's playing the previous guy's team. So I can only guess it's just a general let-down which happens to everyone at times.
Wagner has devastating injuries on the O-line and a number of guys who were playing were clearly playing hurt as well. The coaches also noted last week that Wagner's D-line was talented, but undisciplined and that really showed as they bit hard on at least three fakes, none bigger than the Mornhinweg TD.
Good: we won. Conclusively. But with a somewhat shaky eecond half.
Shameful: Wagner picked up four personal fouls and one pretty-rare layer ejection (no. 8!) in the first hallf. One more personal foul from these student athlete thugs in their great usual vein of tradition vs. Columbia men's basketball and I might even have ceased clapping whenever an injured Wagner player got up and left the field under his own power. (And these were just the noticed-by-the-officials personal fouls, Columbia players' post-game testimony might note several others.)
Possibly even more shameful: there were more Wagner players on the field than there were Wagner fans in the visitors' stands. I counted. And yet two schools share the same city. Does not bode well for a home-and-home series, where if even the hundreds of loyalists who show up at every CU football away game might overwhelm ( least whelm, and "whelm" is indeed a word) the Wagner campus. Which, by the way, spectacularly overlooks the Verrazano Bridge and NY harbor.
Interesting and hopeful: I ran into the family of next year recruit Max Mullaney, from Colts Neck, NJ, at the game. Max is slated s a linebacker in next year's incoming class, and he seems quite enthusiastic about the opportunity and high on Al Bagnoli. . (Hi again, Mullaneys.) Looked for you to introduce you, Jake, but I probably waited until loo late in the game.
Basically, it was a great win.And to see the often maligned (justly, I think, for "cleverness" and mere snottiness approaching the most boring sort of calculation, as if 50 Sean Penns are wearing rugby shirts) CU Marching Band lose its cool last night and publicly celebrate, and I mean REALLY, REALLY, REALLY celebrate (to borrow from the Spice Girls) a tremendous, uplifting win. This season is already fun, will probably only get noticeably better.
It did not seem last night, if this was indeed at least part of the intention, that playing a night game helped hype attendance. Lots of emoty seats on the home side (I've already dismissed Wagner's fan support). Probbly less people there than at the Georgetown game.
Still, t'was an enthusiastic crowd. And for good reason. Plus, even though they were only serving one type of beer last night (last year there were 3 different ones, for which I still thank Dianne Murphy), it was in fact called, as a pourer told me, "Lion's Head Pilsner." That and the new Roar-ee cub stuffed critter the Lions Store is vending tell me that we're suddenly paying great attention to marketing considerations at games. Which is kind of nice coming from such a sorta stuffy venue aa Alma Mater.
Re the shaky second half: I don't think the defense was shaky in the second half. However, I think that the offense seemed tight. One aspect of our game which needs work is the deep ball. Mornhinweg is a very good player, but he may not have the recovers needed to run a go pattern down the sideline. For that reason he rarely takes shots down the field. And Molina getting shaken up and having to sit down didn't help.
I am gratified we won and hope it leads to more success this season and beyond. I am disappointed to hear about the thuggery.
As far as their tradition, I have trouble believing Wagner was never this bad. They were 7-4 last season. They beat Bryant, who had an excellent season last year, for the finale. Wagner has also won their conference championship a few times so I don't believe Hameline's recruiting or efforts to bequeath the program in good standing is the issue. I suspect the chubby kid in charge is the problem. Injuries are always going to be around. Lack of discipline is on the staff to correct.
Great news! (whatever the relative strength of Wagner this year). As the fan base growth efforts continue, does anyone on here know why Columbia can't imitate Princeton's "5th Quarter" when kids are allowed to run around on the field after the game for 15-20 minutes? My kids would immediately say yes to attending games in NJ, from NYC, but balk at heading up to Baker. My love of Ivy football began in the 70's when I, too, could wait till the final whistle and then hit the field... If PU can manage the liability, security, and field usage, we can draw families and kids, too.
Al consider me "chimed in" and it has nothing to do with a head coaching malfunction.
Rich I take offense at your remark of thugs. I don't coach thugs I coach college football players as I have for 20+ years. I can say I stay in touch with almost all my position players and they are all VERY successful upon graduation from every institution I have coached at.
Again al....can we check your body weight? Not sure you are a picture of adonis.
Superb preparation by the Columbia coaching staff. Looks like they have been coaching this team for years.
Why doesn't Columbia market the Campbell Sports Center. Such a great facility but why is it locked up on game day. It is a great recruiting showcase, but not marketed on game-day. There should also be a big picture spread in the football program each home game about the Center, as the major colleges often show off their facilities. Should be hundreds high school kids and parents and coaches walking through the facility on game-day, not just 5 or 6 Columbia recruits.
Re Campbell Center: if the team is using it on game days it is hard to see how it can be opened up to recruits. I am told however, that, the big obstacle in recruiting is actually getting kids to visit us. Once they visit, I am told that they are just floored by the facility. We still face a lot of underhanded competition in recruiting-- we are in Harlem, kids have to take subways to practice, etc. Once we get them here on a visit they usually love the place.
The team does not use it on game days-it is a way to show that Columbia is serious about football.
Al and Pete Pilling both answer emails, and they do so promptly; so if anybody has suggestions along those lines it might not be a bad idea to email them.
Box score has attendance at 3,211. Which is awful, and far fewer than the 5,175 at Georgetown.
I attend nearly every game, and I can tell you it felt more like a high school game than ever before, what with the lights and sparse attendance. The night start time seemed to keep away the many families who usually attend (my kids were among the few there) along with most of the older alumni. The center seats where alumni usually sit were instead filled with students, though it was no more students than usual.
The night games also called some friction with the neighbors, not due to the game itself -- hey, it's a football stadium -- but the extremely loud speakers, which seemed to either be turned up or carried sound better on the night air. The stadium announcements were LOUD.
Fun atmosphere, yes, but stick to the day games. And stop playing teams who do not bring their own bands - just kills the mood to have silence all game long.
Truthfully, I and several others near me questioned the ejection and the "targeting" call. From where we sat, it just looked like a good, solid hit, concern for Molina notwithstanding.
As for the rest, we all welcomed them and the yardage they provided.
I was watching on my iPad I second the targeting call. However, it nearly brought tears to my eyes to see a CU team line up to take a knee at the end of the game. I'll be at HC next week and hope to meet many of you face to face for the first time.
Agree with Inwood Tiger. Columbia football should be 12:30 on Saturdays.
How many personal fouls and ejections does it take to earn the label of Thug Tony. No doubt Wagner grads lead admirable lives doing what ever it is Wagner grads do.
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