Almost 86'd

Columbia 34 Marist 24


Why Columbia Won

In his first full game as a starter, QB Josh Bean kept the Lion offense moving all day and turnover free. The defense gave up several huge passing plays, but regrouped in the final minutes to stop Marist to seal the game.

Why Marist Lost

The Red Foxes had a significant weapon in WR Juston Christian, who finished the game with seven catches for 274 yards and three TDs. But other than that, Marist didn't have much else. The defense simply could not get Columbia off the field, and the running game never got going.

Key Turning Points

-With just about 14 minutes left in the 1st half and the Lions leading 7-0, it appeared Marist WR Ethan Carpenter had fumbled at the Red Fox 39 and the ruling on the field was that LB Michael Murphy had recovered it. But the ruling was overturned by video review. On the very next play, QB Jacob Hallenback found Christian open for a 61-yard TD and the Marist was now in the game.

-With 6:40 left in the half and the Red Foxes now up 14-10, Will Allen set the Lions up nicely with a 36-yard kickoff return to start the CU drive at the Lion 43. Bean then led the Lions on a 10-play drive that included a 4th down conversion. On 3rd and 7 from the Marist 12, Bean executed his best play of the day when he avoided an unblocked Red Fox rusher and scrambled to his right to find a wide open Lynnard Rose just in front of the end zone. That gave the Lions a 17-14 halftime lead.

-With Columbia now trailing 21-17 and 11:55 left in the 3rd quarter, the Lions began a drive at their own 22. Bean then led Columbia on a 13-play drive that included three third down conversions, and ended with Ty Lenhart's one yard TD sprint run to the right of the north end zone. On the drive, Bean was 6-7 for 63 yards and he also ran for four yards.

-After stopping Marist with a Daniel DeLorenzi sack that forced a three-and-out, Columbia took over at the Red Fox 39 thanks to a shanked Marist punt. On a 3rd and 9 from the Marist 24, Bean found a completely uncovered TE Casey Mariucci for a TD and a 31-21 lead with 48 seconds left in the 3rd.

Columbia Positives

-Bean proved why he won the starting job in training camp. Most of his throws were on the money, he scrambled well, and he made good decisions. Coming off the concussion protocol, this was a very impressive first full start for a sophomore starter.

-The Lion running game did not put up eye-popping numbers, but both Dante Miller and Lynnard Rose made a number of key plays when it mattered. They played a big role in Columbia's 42:30 time of possession.

-Columbia racked up four sacks, with DeLorenzi leading the way with 1.5.

-The Lions continue to show improvement in pass protection from the previous two seasons. Bean was only sacked once for a one yard loss.

-Columbia did not commit a turnover.


Columbia Negatives

-The Lions had just about no answers for Christian, who burned the struggling Columbia secondary all day. The Lion propensity to give up big plays that hampered their defense in 2015 and 2016, seems to have returned with a vengeance.

-Columbia got decent run results, but the run blocking is spotty. Lion RB's are forced to grind out too many yards with few openings.

Columbia MVP

It's a pretty easy choice to go with QB Josh Bean. That's even though senior WR Kyle Castner had a career day with eight receptions for 112 yards.

The Lion QB was 26-38 for 262 yards and two TDs. If Bean he can play like this the rest of the season, the Lions have a fighting chance to finish over .500.