Columbia 19 Dartmouth 0
Why Columbia Won
The Lion defense played not only its best game of its season, but the best game of the Bagnoli era as it shut down the multi-faceted Big Green offense all night. Meanwhile, the offense was efficient enough, avoided turning over the ball, and came through in clutch moments.
Why Dartmouth Lost
Dartmouth''s offense looked off-kilter most of the night, with the usually deadly accurate QB Derek Kyler throwing a number of errant passes and the powerful running QB Nick Howard stuffed on run after run. Dartmouth also committed some crucial penalties to keep CU drives alive.
Key Turning Points
-With the score 0-0 and 3:42 left in the 1st quarter, it looked like a Columbia drive would stall with a 4th and 4 at the Big Green 37. But the Lions went for it, and QB Joe Green scrambled for five yards and a 1st down. Columbia's drive did eventually stall at the Dartmouth 15, but PK Alex Felkins hit a 33-yard FG and the Lions had a 3-0 lead.
-With the score still 3-0 and 10:07 left in the half, Columbia faced a 3rd and goal at the 1 and decided to let wildcat QB Gabriel Hollingsworth run the ball. Even though Dartmouth's excellent LB Jalen Mackie hit Hollingsworth squarely behind the line of scrimmage, Hollingsworth dragged him into the endzone and the Lions led 10-0.
-Now leading 13-0 and getting the ball for the first time in the 2nd half, the Lions began a drive at their own 40 after a 22-yard Dartmouth punt. Columbia then went on a nine-play drive that ended with a 25-yard, high arcing TD pass from Green to Mike Roussos for the score that would put the game out of reach.
Columbia Positives
-The Lions defense played its best game in years, holding a potent offense on the road to just 262 total yards, a 25% 3rd down conversion rate, and 0 for 3 on 4th downs.
-While the defensive line provided a solid pass rush, much of Dartmouth's woes were mostly the result of incredible coverage by the Lion secondary. Kyler's receivers just never seemed to be very open all night.
-Columbia's offense was far from lethal, but both RB's Dante Miller and Ryan Young had key runs on scoring drives. Green had two dangerous passes early but overcame that later on and was safe and efficient most of the night, with some clutch runs for 1st downs thrown in the mix. His TD pass to Roussos showed an excellent touch.
-The CU O-line also kept Green protected almost all night, keeping Dartmouth's defense from harassing him with any regularity.
-It was a very strong night for the Lion special teams, with a number of clutch punts by Drew Schmid and Felkins was a perfect 2-2 on FG's, including a 41-yarder.
Columbia Negatives
-The Lions offense didn't exactly have a consistent night, but that's nitpicking in a game dominated by its defense.
Columbia MVP
No single player really stood out consistently for the Lions, but the Columbia secondary was the most impressive unit overall. And since that unit is led by S Ben Mathiasmeier, who also had a key interception, I give him the nod. Mathiasmeier was flagged for a questionable targeting call late in the game, which will hopefully be overturned when the league officials look at the tape in the coming days.
Final Word
By going into Hanover and shutting out a scary 5-0 Dartmouth team, Columbia has registered its most impressive win of Head Coach Al Bagnoli's tenure at CU. The question now is will this Lions team take this momentum and make a serious run at the Ivy title.
23 comments:
These boys play with heart. Proud to be a lion!
Amazing win!
My wife was wondering why I was screaming at 7:45 in the morning on a Saturday (Green TD pass to Roussos for TD).... Truly amazed and thrilled for our team
Woke up Sat morning here in the Black Forest to this amazing score. Way to go!
Aufwiedersehen Hanover, hallo New Haven!
6 PBUs!!! Fantastic play by DBs; Hollingsworth carrying Mackie into the end zone—play of the game.
Dartmouth Coach said it all:
We were beaten in every aspect of the game," Buddy Teevens, the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach at Dartmouth, said in the postgame press conference. "They outplayed us from the opening kickoff right on through. We didn't have an answer. I think we were outcoached and outperformed. We made too many mistakes in all facets — offense, defense and special teams. We were penalized more than we have been traditionally. I give them credit; they came in, they played hard and they won. They beat us."
Food point on ridiculous targeting call. unfortunately, if it is not overturned, I think Mathesmeirer will have to sit out first half of Yale game.
Where is my comment?
Big fan of Ferraro and his ever changing defense... Don't forget the O line coach too! Great gang tackling by the defense....Strike to Roussos! More please.... How about Young ( Assuming that he isn't hurt too badly) AND Miller in the backfield together! Two back sets are creative too..
I posted last night, but I can't help myself. I have to post again.
I'll be 78 this May, which is to say, I suffered through the ignominious 44-game losing streak through the 80s (I still hold the University Board of Trustees responisible for condoning, in effect, that athletic travesty).
Last night, our Lions manhandled a nationally ranked team, shut them out, no less, on their own field, embarrassed the hell out of them, and showed a national TV audience how good our Columbia Football Team can be.
I myself was, on occasion, ridiculed for my positive predictions of how good Columbia could be. Well, last night, a lot--I mean A LOT--of Dartmouth grads, as well as others, lost a lot of money by betting on the Big Green!
This, I dare say, is just the beginning of Columbia Football greatness. Watch this burgeoning greatness unfold and enjoy the hell out of it.
TOD HOWARD HAWKS
The targeting call against Mathiasmeier needs to be vacated. It was a bad call, and he should not have to sit out the first half of the Dartmouth game. This is a continuation of the subpar officiating that we have seen all season.
Correction-first half of Yale game.
ONE FINAL NOTE;Let’s recognize the importance of Joe Green. If you looked at the stats you would think that the Dartmouth QB outplayed Joe, but that’s the fallacy of relying on stats. Joe was clearly the better QB, and so long as his protection hold up he will continue to get better and better. He did not have a full receiving corps and there were a few drops, but he was as cool and composed as a 5th year senior despite the fact that he is in his first year as a starter and hadn’t played full games since high school. He makes good throws, he protects the ball, he doesn’t make mistakes, and he can even scramble (and slide to avoid unnecessary hits) when necessary.
Agree- Green's composure is amazing given his lack of game experience. Its all about knowing when to throw it away, when to tuck it and head up field, and when to place a ball where your receiver can make a play. So far so good....On an unrelated note, thought that the call on the Dartmouth QB, who in the grasp of a sack, made a questionable toss to no one in particular, and the rule was "incomplete pass." Huh ??!!
I agree completely with DOC !!
We have had a number of inscrutable calls made against us this year. I counted two in the Princeton game, one of which was a back breaker (the phantom pass interference call in the 4th quarter); two in the Penn game (including the mugging of our DB #9 which should have been offensive PI); and two in the Dartmouth game (targeting and the fumble/non-fumble). Because we have been down so long, I sometimes wonder if there is a subconscious officiating bias to make more bad calls against us because we have lacked the clout that goes with other programs).
But for an off the wall "official review" negating an OT score, Harvard beat Princeton yesterday. That same crew officiated the Columbia game. It's too much to say that we -- a visting team -- lost because of them. But a Harvard fan could say that.
Leonlion
Indeed a masterful performance by the Defense. One for the ages. Magnificent coaching and execution.
Princeton plays Dartmouth on a Friday night in Hanover. Highly unlikely that Dartmouth loses two of those Friday night games on ESPNU. Chances are the League Champion will have one loss. (60 years ago, the Lions were 6-1 in League play, having lost to Princeton.)
The Lions control their destiny. That fate resides in the Offense.
22 point, 23 points and 19 points over the last three weeks. Two of those touchdowns were monster runs averaging 70 yards per. It is tough to make a living on those.
Yes, it was three weeks ago, but the margin of victory in New Britain was a safety!
The Defense cannot be expected to do it all.
One blown call, (think Penn), one lapse in judgement, (think the punt hitting the gunner at CCSU), one fumble, (think Penn) and the results could be disastrous. Tipped balls can get intercepted, quarterbacks can fumble when they get hit from the blindside, punters shank one occasionally, and key players can get injured. These things can and will happen. The margin of error has to be expanded. There has to be less pressure put on the “D”.
2-15 on third down, as the “O” was on Friday night, is almost always a recipe for an “L”. (Yes, they were 2-2 on fourth down, but those situations are born from desperation.)
First down efficiency must improve. Granted, offenses take longer to jell, but if not this week, when? As maligned as they are, both Cornell and Brown just scored over 40. It is not the Lion Offense that strikes fear in our opponents.
It also would be myopic, at some point, not to think back to New Haven in 2017. Next Saturday cannot be “2.0”. (Remember, it took overtime for Dartmouth to beat Yale, in Hanover, and it was Homecoming.)
In the meantime, there is much reason to revel.
Some of the criticism of the offense misses the point. When you have a great defense you play to shorten the game. I think that the offensive game plan was brilliant and was executed to perfection. Our RB duo ran for almost 120 yards and burned a lot of the clock. Green played great- and were it not for a few drops his numbers would have been better. Play great defense, and if you have a good tuning game burn clock in the 4th quarter.
Correction-meant good running game
I love your comments Old Lion BUT......Todd Blackledge said it best the other day.... Offense/defense.... " You need a balance between them"... You can'thave one better than the other... Here our problem on offense is that we are too conservative....Very predictable.... Too many runs on first down, not enough vertical passes, little or no trickery.......Old fashioned control the ball/ clock works well when you have superior talent and you out recruit people... but.......It's a newer day in college football...Utilize your talent, as in Joe Green!
Remember the way the Giants beat the Bills in the ‘91 SB. If the other team has an explosive offense and you can establish the run, shorten the game and keep the other offense off the field.
What a win! That was absolute domination, and a sight to behold!
I'd said that we'd need good special teams play to beat Dartmouth, and sure enough, Alex Felkins and Drew Schmid played great. The defense played the best I've seen them play, and they made Landon Baty proud! (By the way, Landon, you were an awesome player for us, so your plaudits carry quite a bit of weight, at least to this alum.) I have to say that I really appreciate the ferocity and the tenacity of the defense. Nobody gives up on plays, and everybody makes the most of their opportunities. It's beautiful to see such teamwork, especially in terms of the tackling, and let's acknowledge that the secondary played great again.
As for the offense, the playcalling is still a bit too conservative, though when we did open it up, good things happened, and here I'm thinking of the Roussos touchdown catch on what I believe was first down. As others have mentioned, when the defense plays at this kind of a level, the offense doesn't have to be perfect. In that sense, the concerns about the offense -- at least in the case of this one game -- shouldn't be foremost in our minds. And Jake made this very point (about nitpicking) in one of his posts.
I'll be the first to admit that the conservative ground-and-pound game can make up for a lot of deficiencies in the passing game. To take the example of the Giants against the Bills in 1991, Hostetler wasn't exactly setting the world on fire with his passing. You always want to play to your strengths, and there have been many teams over the years that got a lot of mileage out of the ground game because they knew they couldn't compete in the air. But I think that's where some of the objections are coming from when we analyze the Columbia offense, since, after all, our quarterback is stellar. We do have two great running backs, but we also have a fantastic passing quarterback who has major deep-threat capabilities with his arm, AND we have a number of very talented receivers. It's true that there have been a fair number of dropped (very catchable) balls through the first six games, but I think if we make a concerted effort to share the wealth on offense, the receiving corps will get that taken care of.
In other words, we should recognize that we're actually spoiled for choice. We have a great running game, and I understand the desire to rely on the run in order to burn clock, especially against a team like Dartmouth. But what I would say is that going forward, we should look to establish the passing game early and often, and we should be willing to take "calculated risks," as Coach Bagnoli would say. Teams go conservative when their quarterbacks can't throw deep or have a tendency to get intercepted, but I have absolutely none of those kinds of concerns about Green. If we can beat teams on the ground or in the air, and we can clamp down on defense (and play great on special teams), I think you all know where we'll end up, and it's not somewhere we've been since 1961.
The reality is that we have to be judicious with how we use our running backs. It's great to use the Miller-Young tandem, but I guess all I'm saying is that we should look to use all our weapons (and again, this isn't really a critique of anything from the Dartmouth game). Let's hope we stay healthy (so that our hand isn't forced on offense or defense), and let's take care of business against Yale. In the meantime, here's to hoping that the team ahead of us in the standings loses, ideally as much as possible. :)
Re the passing game—the Yale DBs have had a long history of mugging our WRs (remember how Wainwright was mugged in New Haven a few years ago. My solution is to try to get the big TEs on the field in two and three TE sets. We know that Painton has has some drops, but at his size he can be a potent weapon, and we have several other TEs who can catch (and hopefully block, where Painton is very, very good).
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