Top Games of the Decade #10

Sean Brackett

As we prepare for the resumption of Columbia and Ivy League Football, there are a number of jobs I left undone during the COVID-19 lockdown that I will try to make up for now.

I want to start with something I should have begun working on the moment the 2019 season ended: a Top 10 ranking of the best Columbia games of the decade of the 2010's.

As you will see, most of the choices will be pretty obvious but I do want to share the key criteria I've used to compile my list.

The enduring importance of the game is the most important factor, followed by the quality/excitement of the game, and finally any outstanding individual effort. 

Let's start with Game #10 which checks the two latter boxes, especially the one on individual effort: 

Brackett Carries a Comeback

Columbia 20 Cornell 17 (Nov. 13, 2010, 1st Official Empire State Bowl)

QB Sean Brackett led other Lion wins in his career where his overall stats were better and the final score was more impressive. But this game was really his finest hour as a Lion because of how he personally seemed to will the win to fruition despite playing with a significant foot injury. 

Sometimes, it takes a few years to realize how meaningful a win like this game was. But not this time. As I wrote just a day after the contest, Brackett's individual effort and the nature of CU's comeback was immediately obvious to everyone.

Columbia came into the game a big favorite, with a 19-point edge on the betting sites that I had not ever seen for the Lions. But Cornell took control of the game early and Columbia looked like it had no chance to win well into the 3rd quarter. At the start of the final quarter, it was 17-3 Big Red. 

Brackett not only brought the Lions back into this game, but he did it mostly as a runner despite the foot injury. He also capped off the win with a TD-scoring leap over the goal line that seemed like the only right way for the game to end, (although there was added excitement just following the score after Cornell fumbled away the ensuing kickoff and truly icing the victory for the Light Blue). 

He finished with 151 yards rushing and a rushing TD. Passing, he went 19 for 41 for 204 yards and a passing TD. Those aren't bad stats at all, but you can't put a guy's heart in the stats. 

It's hard to believe Brackett was only a sophomore that season, and probably even harder for anyone who saw that game to believe that the promise Brackett showed up to that point didn't turn into more wins after that game. Most of that was due to factors Brackett had no control over, but this was a day when it seemed like he could control a lot of things on his own.

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention two other Lions who made that win happen. One was the great LB Alex Gross, who finished with 14 tackles and three pass breakups. DE Ryan Murphy had two sacks and harrassed Cornell's QB Jeff Mathews all day. Kicker Luke Eddy had a perfect FG & PAT day, and punter Greg Guttas punted the Lions out of trouble several times.

Oh, and the weather was perfect too!   

But time after time, it was Brackett taking off on runs to keep drives alive that won that game for Columbia. It's the kind of determination that should help him as he embarks on his new job as head coach for Waltham HS in Massachusetts this fall, even as he continues playing in the Arena Football League.