Turnaround

Columbia 34 Cornell 17


Why Columbia Won

In a game that featured everything from an 86-yard TD run to an interception off of a players' butt, the Lions defense shut down the Cornell scoring machine. They held the feared Big Red offense to just 150 passing yards and 244 total yards and sacked Jeff Mathews six times. The defensive line, led by Josh Martin, didn't just sack Mathews, they hurt him, knocking him out of the game midway through the 3rd quarter. The Columbia offense started off erratically, but eventually began doing everything right, scoring 27 unanswered points to erase a 17-7 late second quarter deficit.

Why Cornell Lost

Mathews and company never got in sync. When he wasn't being sacked, the NFL-bound Big Red QB was getting his passes knocked down by the Lions secondary men in tight coverage. And after playing well in the first half, the Cornell defense fell apart as the game wore on.


Key Turning Points

-They don't get much more obvious than this: Trailing 17-10 with 5:04 left in the 3rd quarter, Columbia started their second possession of the half backed up on their own 14. On the first and only play of the drive, RB Marcorus Garrett burst through the middle, then took it left down the east sideline for an 86-yard TD dash. That tied the game at 17 and from that point on, the Lions did nothing wrong.

-On Cornell's ensuing possession, Mathews was sacked by Martin and fumbled the ball away to Chad Washington at the Big Red 22. On Columbia's first play after that, TE Hamilton Garner made an incredible catch in the corner of the south end zone to give the Lions the lead and TD's on consecutive offensive plays separated by just one minute and 27 seconds.


Columbia Positives

-The pressure on Mathews was intense and started on the Big Red's very first possession which ended with a sack by senior Will Patterson. But the sack that really made the biggest difference was a vicious hit by Martin late in the second quarter. If you missed it, check out this highlights clip about 32 seconds into the video. Mathews kept playing for more than another quarter after that, but he was never quite the same.

-Garrett finished with 187 yards, which means he would have put in a 100+ yard game even without his spectacular 86 yard TD rush. Garrett now has 901 rushing yards on the season to lead the Ivies. He's also just the fourth Lion RB to break the 900 yard mark for a season.

-Columbia wide receivers have gone from dropping too many passes early in the season, to routinely making acrobatic catches over and over again. Freshman Chris Connors made an outstanding diving grab for the Lions final score of the game, but an impossible catch he made on a very short throw by Brackett on Columbia's opening drive was even more impressive. That play featured Connors twisting his body along the east sideline and somehow snaring the ball with one hand just before it hit the turf. The play went for 19 yards on a 3rd and 5 from the Cornell 35. Three plays later, it was Connors again making a nice grab in coverage for an eight yard TD and the first score of the game.

-The Columbia secondary made three picks, and held the Big Red well under the 50% completion rate threshold. They made seven pass breakups, including two very athletic ones by Mike Waller and Brian DeVeau.

-Brackett and the offense got better as the game went on, and this time the coaching staff stuck with them.


Columbia Negatives

-The Lion run defense was weak at times, making one wonder if the Big Red could have won the game had they put more running plays into the plan.

-Pass protection for Brackett wasn't great... again. He was sacked three times and threw a lot of other passes under duress.


Columbia MVP

There were a lot of heroes yesterday, Garrett, Connors, and Waller just to name three. But the one thing Columbia did yesterday that really no other Ivy team has done this year is shut down the Cornell offense. And the man who made that happen the most was Josh Martin, with three sacks and the hit Jeff Mathews is probably still feeling this morning.

Martin marked his last game at home with a dominating performance.

Mega Bowl

The Empire State Bowl Cup

Cornell Big Red vs. Columbia Lions 

Empire State Bowl III

November 10, 2012

Location: Robert K. Kraft Field at Wien Stadium

Kickoff Time: 12:30pm

Gametime Weather Forecast: 52 degrees and partly cloudy

The Spread: Cornell is favored by 10 points

Columbia Game Notes

Cornell Game Notes

HOW TO GET TO THE GAME

Here's my guide to getting to 2012 Columbia home games

**REMEMBER** The #1 subway train WILL be running tomorrow! 

TV/RADIO

You can get free audio and fee-based video on the SideLion Pass. Jerry Recco and Sal Licata have the call. 

The student station broadcast is on WKCR at 89.9 on your FM dial.

Lead Stories

There are a lot of them today.

First, the Empire State Bowl matchup between Columbia and Cornell, (which the Columbia players named the "Mega Bowl" back in 2009), is almost always a close contest and played with a lot of emotion. Over the last 25 years, there is no other Ivy rivalry that has been as evenly matched. The last 25 games between these two teams have gone 13 for Cornell and 12 for Columbia.

Today is the historic 100th meeting between the two teams, making it the most prolific Ivy rivalry for both programs.

This is former Cornell Head Coach Pete Mangurian's first game against his old team since rejoining the Ivy ranks this season. While at Cornell. Mangurian was 2-1 against Columbia.

Both teams are looking to bounce back. Cornell was bowled over at home last week by Dartmouth, 44-28. Columbia suffered the worst intra-league loss in Ivy League history at Harvard, 69-0.

And any Cornell game is dominated by the attention on Big Red QB Jeff Mathews. He's a threat to break all-time records every time he hits the field and seems definitely NFL-bound. And yet, he's only a junior.

Columbia Keys to the Game

1) Disrupt Mathews

Mathews can be harassed into making mistakes, namely throwing an interception or two. The Lions probably don't have a chance today unless they get at least one INT. Putting pressure on  Mathews will help, but they'll also have to be intelligently aggressive in the secondary. 

2) Run All Over the Red

Cornell's defense is weak this season against the pass and the run. But establishing the Lion running game will be slightly more important so Columbia can dictate the pace of the game. This has to be a big day for Marcorus Garrett.


3) Burn The Red Corners

That said, Cornell is starting two freshmen corners. They need to be tested early and often. Columbia's prolific sideline passing attack that emerged against Yale two weeks ago should be employed and the receivers need to be looking to burn the corners on runs after the catch. 

Senior Moments

Every year before the Senior Day game, I try to write a little something about each and every graduating player about to take the field at Wien Stadium for the final time.

This year, the process will be even more bittersweet because of how some of the seniors lost their spots on the depth chart as a result of the coaching change. It's especially important to me to make sure that they are not forgotten. 

The saddest thing about this annual exercise is that I always have to make the point that these players deserved better. Yes, they will most likely succeed wonderfully in life and in all the things that matter more than football, but I still say it's a shame that the class of 2013 didn't see more wins... A LOT more wins. 

And I also want to make my annual apology to the few seniors I will name below that I don't know enough about to truly give them their full due. Even my obsessive following of the team leaves gaps here and there and the equally-obsessive secrecy about many of players instituted by the athletic department and coaching staffs does not help. I ask those players' forgiveness.

Matt Bocci

The DB from Atherton, CA hasn't had the playing time to really make a crack on the stat sheets. And his 2010 injury didn't help. But he stuck with the program in the most difficult hours and looked like he was always at home despite being 3,000 from his West Coast roots.

Ian Cummins 

The last existing link to what was once a very healthy pipeline from the super HS Saint Xavier in Cincinnati. Cummins has switched to DB from WR this season but to me, the most memorable moment in his career HAS to be the diving catch he made on the winning drive against Cornell in 2010. If he doesn't make that catch, the Lions lose that game. 

Brian DeVeau

The ultimate team player who switched from DB to WR back to DB again for the sake of the program. Has had an up and down season, but he keeps getting into the games which shows just how much the coaches still rely on him. My favorite DeVeau moment is the nifty run after the catch for a TD that he made as a WR in the 2010 Princeton game. It turned out to be one of the Columbia record-tying 5 TD passes thrown by Sean Brackett that day.

Nick Gerst

Speedy runner from the NJ powerhouse Bergen Catholic was a fan favorite from day one. The best moment in his Lion career has to be the nice TD run he made against Towson in week two of 2010. You can watch it right here: 

Greg Guttas

Strong-legged kicker/punter who was thrown directly into the fire as a freshman in 2009 when the veteran Lion kickers left the team. Had some good punts, but my favorite Guttas memory was the 2009 Princeton game when he hit a short FG near the end of the first half. It was such a memorable kick because in the previous two games, it really looked like Columbia might never make a decent kick again! The Lions went on to win that game 38-0. 

Andrew Heinrich

This QB transfer from BU, (yes, BU!), had to have known he would probably never see the field with the varsity when he came to Columbia. But for love of the game he has stayed with the team. You gotta admire that.

Alec Kosminskas

Big tough Chicago-area O-lineman hasn't been allowed to really contribute this year. But he was a factor the previous two seasons and has a great future guaranteed. 

Devan Luster

One of many Boston-area players in this class, this LB is finally getting some playing time this year and had made some good tackles.

Dean Perfetti

When the kicking situation continued to suffer in 2009, Perfetti trotted on over from the soccer team to help the Lions on the gridiron. His successful FG kick in the Cornell game in Ithaca in 2009 was a key confidence booster in that thrilling 30-20 win.

Cameron Ross

Local, (Darien, CT), product who we really never got much of a chance to know at WR. Did grab one pass in his varsity career.

Robert Sigmon

Another WR who got a little lost in the shuffle over the years. But he's still here and that says loads about him.

Christopher Thomas

This DB didn't get much playing time over the years, but he did have one shining moment I'll never forget. In the 2011 Spring Game, he made a very nice play to pick off a  pass and return it for a pick six. It was actually the winning margin in the game.

Andrew Weiss

Nimble QB who finally got his chance to hit the field in the Dartmouth game last year and was the only bright spot in that contest for Columbia. Got passed over on the depth chart this year by the freshmen QB's.

Shad Sommers

Has saved his best for last, getting into the regular rotation along the defensive line. Another one of the Boston-area guys in the class, Sommers currently has a solid 15 tackles this season.

Will Patterson

A very rare South Carolina-to-Columbia product, this speedy DE broke onto the radar in the Cornell game in 2009 with a key sack. He was quiet in 2010 and 2011, but got back into the swing this year and currently has 27 tackles, eight for a loss and three sacks. Patterson's made a number of key tackles this season and one can only wonder what kept him off the field so much in his sophomore and junior years. 

Greg Lee

Big defensive tackle who is also saving his best for last. This year so far he has 26 tackles, including three and a half sacks. His best moment has to be the sack he made against Yale to end the game and seal the CU win two weeks ago.

Scott Ward

Two-time All Ivy awardee who most people say is the definitely the best O-lineman on the team. Hard worker who has battled through some injuries to stay on the field. 

Mike Waller

Quiet for his first two years, Waller burst into action last season and became one of the team leaders at LB. This year he has become a real star and played key roles in both Columbia wins so far in 2012. Mike really exemplifies everything we want in a Lion. I guess my best memory of Mike has to be the fumble he forced to give Columbia their miraculous chance to beat Yale two weeks ago. And they did win it thanks to him! 

Ryan Murphy

Extremely fast LB who is one of the best pass rushing specialists in Columbia history. He absolutely made the big comeback win over Brown last season possible with some big sacks on back to back Bear possessions. That's something no one should forget about Ryan. 

Josh Martin

Super-talented DE/LB who has made a great impact on the CU defense since his sophomore year. Who could forget how he dominated the line of scrimmage on down after down in the 2010 back to back wins over Towson and Princeton? He's been a bit quieter on the stat sheet this year than a lot of us expected, but he's still a force. 

Sean Brackett

On a late October day in 2009, Jerry Recco gave me a call to say that freshman Sean Brackett was going to get the start in the Yale game that Saturday. 

It was exciting news, and things got even more exciting when he took the field and his passing and quick running skills became evident right off the bat.

Columbia lost that game in crushing fashion, but Brackett ended up winning two of his four starts that freshman year. In 2010, he made a real assault on the record books early in the season and led an emotional win over Cornell in week 9 with an injured shoulder. 

His final two seasons have been more erratic, probably mostly because of injuries and the change in offensive strategies. But he's still a talented player that opposing teams fear. His best game this year was a brilliant performance against Yale that secured a win against his very first foe at last. 

Hopefully tomorrow, he'll reprise his winning performance against Cornell that was so thrilling in 2010. 

Are They Really Gone????

Two key seniors, injured earlier this year, may NOT be saying goodbye tomorrow.  Seyi Adebayo and Steven Grassa should be eligible for 5th year status if they so choose. They are both such talented players that I hope they do come back in 2013.  

Week 9 Picks

The beat goes on this very rough season for yours truly when it comes to prognostications. 

I was a sad 1-2 against the spread and 1-2 straight up, to bring my 2012 records to 15-19-2 and 20-16 respectively.

Now to week 9...

Princeton -11 at Yale

I like the Tiger defense's chances against the one-dimensional Yale offense. Plus, Princeton really wants to put an end to this two-game losing streak.

Penn +19 vs. Harvard

Penn is not really that great a team this year, but they have heart and find a way. The Quakers will make this one close for awhile before faltering.

Dartmouth -3 over Brown

The Big Green are at home and getting into a groove. 

Scouting the Red

Jeff Mathews is coming to an NFL stadium near you


Overview

Boy, did I want to be able to write a post today about how Cornell really isn't a one-dimensional team.

I wanted to say the Big Red were about something other than just QB Jeff Mathews and his wide receivers. 

But, the truth is: they're not.

Cornell is about the Mathews passing attack first, last and always.

And what an awesome passing attack it is.

Offense

The last time a lot of Columbia fans saw Jeff Mathews was the game at Wien Stadium in 2010 when he was a freshman starter with a lot of potential. 

My how he has grown! 

Mathews stormed out of the gates to win the Bushnell Cup last season as a sophomore, and in 2012 he's averaging 373 passing yards per game. That's a full 100 yards more per contest that his nearest competitor in the Ivies.

Even though he missed one full game, he still has more total passing attempts by far, than anyone else in the league. 

I could go on, but his brilliance is even better exemplified by the stats of his wide receivers.

All three of the top three WR's in yardage per game are from Cornell. #1 Luke Tasker already has 1,044 yards on the season and averages 130 yards per game. #2 Grant Gellatly has 787 yards on the season and 98 per game. #3 Kurt Ondash has 657 yards and averages 82 yards per contest. 

One small non-QB/WR ray of sunshine has been the pass protection from the offensive line. Despite all of the passing attempts, the Big Red have allowed just 20 sacks on the season. It's not stellar, but it's an impressive stat considering Cornell has passed the ball 395 times. So they only allow one sack per 20 passing attempts. To put that in context, Columbia is allowing one sack for every NINE passing attempts.

Cornell's running game has been worse than it was even last year, which is saying something. The Big Red is rushing for just 55 yards per game and just 2.3 yards per carry. Freshman Luke Hagy is getting most of the carries and he's doing a decent job with 335 yards, three TD's and a 3.9 yards per carry average. But the run blocking just isn't there for him even though opposing defenses line up in a passing set on almost every play. 

Hagy is actually, if not surprisingly, more dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield with 33 catches, 368 receiving yards, and two TD's. 

The Big Red don't use their tight ends as real receiving targets, because who needs them with all these WR's and a good receiving RB?

Defense

While the Cornell offense is good with the pass and bad with the run, the Big Red defense is an equal opportunity offender. 

Cornell is dead last in the Ivies in rush defense and pass defense. They've given up just as many points per game as Columbia, and that's even after the Lions put in that 69-0 loss last week. They've also allowed almost 400 yards more this season than the seventh place defense, Yale. 

The rush defense is the worst part of it all. The Big Red allow a whopping 5.1 yards per carry, almost a full yard more per carry than the 7th ranked rush defense, Yale. They've allowed 16 rushing TD's. Last week, Dartmouth's Dominic Pierre completely ripped them apart in Ithaca. 

The pass defense is almost as bad. Cornell allows 280 passing yards per game, have picked off just one pass per game, and allowed 16 TD passes. 

The Big Red do have some talented linebackers, namely sophomore Taylor Betros and junior Brett Bueler. But a team without real standouts on the DL and the secondary is a team in trouble. 

Special Teams

Kicker John Wells is struggling this year, going just 5 for 12 on FG kicks but he did make one 42-yarder. Punter Sam Wood is averaging just 38 yards per boot. 

For years, Cornell was a fierce kick return team. But not so much this year.

Cornell has covered punts okay, but the kickoff return coverage is weaker than most Ivy teams.