New Uniforms Unveiled Tonight!

I just got this notification on my Facebook feed:

TONIGHT at 7 pm, the new Columbia Football uniforms will be displayed exclusively on the Columbia Athletics Instagram page, @gocolumbialions. Follow along and be among the first fans to check out the new look!!

Anybody want to make a few guesses on what we'll see?

Moment #66: Olinger’s Pick Six

Zach Olinger makes one of his 89 tackles

LB Zach Olinger burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2010 with several strong performances, especially a break out game vs. Yale at the Bowl.

He was slowed by injuries in 2011, but came on strong last year to lead the team in tackles and the defense in every emotional way as well.

One of his most important morale-building plays of 2012 came early in the 2^nd quarter of the week four game at Lehigh. With the Mountain Hawks leading 14-0 at that point, everything seemed to be going wrong for the Lions.

Starting a possession on his own four yard line, Lehigh QB Michael Colvin eventually faced a 3^rd and seven at the seven. Columbia got good pressure on Colvin on the play and he just let the ball loose on what looked like a blind throw into the middle of the field.

Bad idea.

Olinger was somehow  ready for the surprise gift, picked the ball off at the 14 and then trotted untouched into the end zone for a TD.

It was to be Columbia’s only defensive TD of 2012, and it gave the Lions some momentary hope with the score now 14-7 and almost three full quarters left to play.

Olinger finished the season with three INT’s, tying him with LB Mike Waller for the team lead and to go along with his team leading 89 tackles.

Keeping Olinger healthy and on his game is a crucial piece of the puzzle for Columbia in 2013.

Getting Closer

My Fordham game tickets are in hand! 


Two things just happening in the last few days have made it feel like we're speeding up the very long wait until the 2013 season finally starts:

1) Fordham Individual Game Tickets Now on Sale

Columbia starts the season on September 21 at Fordham's Jack Coffey Field.

Unlike Columbia's away Ivy opponents, Fordham is now selling all its individual game tickets for 2013. So I bought three and printed them out just now for the Lion season opener. Having those tickets in hand just makes it feel like the season is coming closer.

Speaking of having those tickets in hand, I STRONGLY recommend you buy your tickets for the Fordham game on line at this site. Fordham's small ticket booth gets overwhelmed on game day and you don't want to be stuck in the ticket line for a very long time like everyone else.

And speaking of the schedule, the Rams start their 2013 season an incredible 23 DAYS before Columbia with a home game against Rhode Island on Thursday night August 29th. The Lions will be in the midst of training camp that night, so I wonder: should Head Coach Pete Mangurian take the entire team to the URI-Fordham game as a group learning experience?  My vote would be yes!


2) Columbia Roster is Updated

The Columbia football roster is now updated to include the incoming freshmen and their new numbers.

Some of the little highlights for me:

-There are 89 confirmed members of the team for now.

-Incoming Stanford transfer Brett Nottingham gets the classic number for a QB, #12. Read into that anyway you like.

-Extremely promising true freshman QB Kelly Hilinski gets the recently-graduated Ryan Murphy's #4.

-Nobody took #'s 2 or 3.

-Freshman safety Nicolas Annabi takes Sean Brackett's old #10.

Moment #67: Garner Never Gives In

Hamilton Garner

2012 was a bit of a statistical step back for TE Hamilton Garner after he was one of the very few bright lights for Columbia in 2011.

He grabbed just about the same number of passes for just about the same number of yards, but he only caught one TD last fall as opposed to the six he had in 2011.

But Garner was no less talented, determined and “clutch” last season when it really counted. And a specific series during the week four game at Lehigh made that abundantly clear.

Trailing 7-0 with about seven minutes left in the 1^st quarter, the Lions faced a 3^rd and three at their own 45. QB Sean Brackett then hooked up with Garner on a pretty play for a 26 yard play to the Mountain Hawk 24.

But on the next play, Brackett was picked off by Bryan Andrews at the 19 and he took off with a head of steam for what looked like an eventual TD.

51 yards later, someone caught up with him to save the TD. It was Hamilton Garner.

Lehigh went on to score a TD a couple of plays later anyway, but anyone who doubted Garner’s desire, speed and stamina doesn’t anymore after watching that sequence.

Plays like that are the reason why Head Coach Pete Mangurian is expecting such big things from Garner in what will be his senior season this fall. 

And they're why Garner is one of just two Lions on the preseason College Football Performance Awards Watch List.

Moment #68: Spadola’s Star Shines

Ryan Spadola

Well before the 2012 season started, everyone knew Columbia’s week four game at Lehigh was going to be one of their toughest contests of the season.

That was because even though All America QB Chris Lumm had graduated, the Mountain Hawk defense was still top notch and super WR Ryan Spadola was in Bethlehem for one more season.

After Lehigh received the opening kickoff to start the game, they wasted little time getting Spadola into the mix.

He caught a short pass on the fourth play from scrimmage, but seven plays later he really showed what he could do.

On a 2^nd down and goal at the CU 17, (set up by a Lehigh penalty), Mountain Hawk QB Michael Colvin went right to Spadola for the opening score on a nifty play that included a great throw and a great catch.

7-0 Lehigh.

For the game, Spadola would not be a huge factor. He caught three more passes for a total of 17 more yards.

And Spadola finished what would be an illness-abbreviated season, (he got mono),  with 57 catches for 851 yards and four TD’s.

But he was signed by the Jets back in May, and I think he has a great shot at making the team this summer.