Homecoming Test

 

Caden Bell is fighting for his starting spot

Pennsylvania Quakers vs. Columbia Lions 

October 14, 2023

Kickoff Time: 1:30pm 

Robert K. Kraft Field at Wien Stadium

Game Time Weather Forecast: 54 degrees and cloudy, with rain expected before the game ends

The Line: Columbia is favored by 1 point

TV/Radio: The game will be broadcast on SNY and ESPN+,  Lance Medow will be doing play-by-play and Shawn Fitzgerald '80 is the color commentator.

Columbia Game Notes 

Penn Game Notes

Leading Story Lines

-With both the Lions and Quakers coming into this game with one Ivy loss already, the contest is essentially an elimination game in the Ivy title race. No team with two losses has won even a share of the championship since 1982. 

-Columbia's QB situation is under the microscope as QB Caden Bell has yet to recapture much of his effectiveness from last season. Don't be surprised if Joe Green replaces him at some point in the game if the dry spell continues.

-On paper at least, this looks like an excellent test of Penn's potent offense vs. Columbia's stingy defense. Will the expected rain be the final arbiter?

3 Lions to Watch

-DE Justin Townsend #36 will be pressed with the task of putting some pressure on Penn QB Aidan Sayin, who has enjoyed good protection most of the year so far. If Sayin is not pressured, the Quakers will roll on offense, period. 

-WR Titus Evans #85 figures to get more targets as the more veteran Lion receivers will draw more coverage. This could be a breakout game for the freshman. 

-RB Joey Giorgi #25 left last week's game early and is likely to be very eager to make up for it against Penn's strong rush defense. 

3 Quakers to Watch

-DT Micah Morris #98 had a monster game vs. the Lions in Philadelphia last year, and he will be looking to make Bell or Green's day a bad one. 

-WR Joshua Casilli also had a monster day against CU last season, but he hasn't made as big an impact in any game so far this year. 

-DB Julian Talley #7 has the tough job of filling in for the injured All Ivy DB Jayden Key. Talley is five inches shorter than Key, and he will be a noticeable new target in the secondary. 

Week 5 Picks

 

I went 4-1 straight up last week and 3-2 against the spread. My season totals are 20-13 SU and 16-16-1 AGS

Brown +7 vs. Princeton

I don't think the Tigers have enough offense to keep up with the Bears in Providence. Brown to win. 

Dartmouth -7 1/2 at Colgate

The Big Green will bounce back big. 

Sacred Heart +21 1/2 at Yale

The Elis will cruise here, but take their feet off the gas pedal at some point and allow SHU to cover. 

Bucknell +10 1/2 at Cornell

Cornell will win, but not cover. 

Harvard -11 1/2 vs. Howard

Easy win at home for the Crimson. 

Marist +4 1/2 vs. San Diego

The Red Foxes will win this one.

Georgetown -1 at Lehigh

The Hoyas have really turned a corner, and I think they will keep some consistency to beat the Mountain Hawks on the road. 

Ivy Power Rankings

 

1) Harvard

I didn't see anything in Friday night's win over Cornell that led me to believe the Crimson still aren't the top Ivy team. Did you?

2) Yale

The Elis didn't just beat a good Dartmouth team on the road, the offense looked good against a great Big Green defense. 

3) Dartmouth

The Big Green hurt themselves with mistakes, but still look like a top team. 

4) Penn

The Quaker defense was surprisingly porous at times in a squeaker win over Georgetown, but a win is a win.

5) Brown

The Bears lost to URI, but took a very good FCS team to the wire.

6) Princeton

The Princeton offense is just not consistent enough.

7) Columbia 

With a passing attack, the Lions could do some real damage. 

8) Cornell

The Big Red are good fighters, but they don't have the weapons. 

Is it the Rain?

Many of us who are concerned and puzzled by the dropoff in QB Caden Bell's passing efficiency are starting to think it may mostly have to do with the terrible weather Columbia has faced in three of its four games. Remember that Bell played his HS ball and hails from the fair weather climes of Southern California. 

Bell's five starts last season, each of which were better than any of his performances this year so far, were all in dry and usually sunny weather (it was overcast at homecoming vs. Dartmouth, but never rained or got very windy). 

It seems crazy, but would it make sense to bench Bell in favor of Joe Green during poor weather games? Green is from the rainy Pacific Northwest after all. 

This becomes a "right now" issue in many ways, because as of now there's a 50% chance of rain for this Saturday's Homecoming game vs. Penn. I think Columbia can win that game, but probably not without a more potent passing game. 

Look, one of the luxuries of the college football roster is that you can put more players on it than NFL teams. That's especially true at home. The Lions should be ready to use that luxury and not let added talent rot on the bench. 

I don't pretend to know what shuttling QB's in and out of games could do to continuity on the team. but right now Columbia needs to shake the passing game up, period. 

Sloppy Second Win

 Columbia 16 Marist 0

Why Columbia Won

The Lion defense held the Red Foxes to just 34 rushing yards, picked up four turnovers, and blanked Marist despite the Red Foxes starting three possessions on the CU side of the 50. The offense used a dominating running attack in the 1st half to give Columbia the points it needed. 

Why Marist Lost

The Red Foxes went 0-4 on 4th down conversion attempts, could not get a running game going, and turned the ball over too often to pose a real threat. 

Key Turning Points

-With the game still scoreless and 10:35 left in the 1st quarter, a 26-yard Carter McFadden punt return set the Lions up nicely at the Marist 35 to start their second possession of the game. Columbia then began a 10-play drive of all running plays that ended with a TD by Ty'son Edwards on 4th and 1 at the 1. That would turn out to be the winning score. 

-Columbia began the 2nd quarter with a fumble that set Marist up with the ball at the CU 49. But a 12-yard sack by Quentin Autry basically ended the drive and the 6-0 Lion lead was safe. 

-Less than three minutes later, a Joey Giorgi fumble set Marist up with a 1st down at the Columbia 37. But on 4th and 2 from the Lion 29, Red Fox RB Amin Woods was held to just a one yard gain by DE James Knox, and another major Marist threat was over. 

-With 2:18 left in the half and CU leading 9-0, the Lions started their last possession of the 2nd quarter at the 50 after another solid McFadden punt return and a Marist penalty. The drive ended with a strong 22-yard TD run by Edwards and the Lions had finished the scoring for the day. 

Columbia Positives

-The defense, especially against the run, was strong and the pass rush was vigorous at least through the 1st half. 

-Columbia's 1st half running game was mostly unstoppable. 

-The secondary was excellent when it was actually in coverage. A number of ball were knocked down, and CB Aaron Brebnor showed great concentration on the two deflected balls he picked off. 

Columbia Negatives

-The CU passing game is just not working, as QB Caden Bell continues to struggle. 

-Yes it was a very rainy day but the Lions fumbled the ball way too much, twice in clutch situations. 

-The team definitely lost some energy in the 2nd half, but the defense was tough enough in the red zone to preserve the shutout.

Columbia MVP

It feels weird giving the MVP nod to an offensive player in a game so dominated by the Lion defense. But RB Ty'Son Edwards had his best game as a Lion with 103 yards on the ground and those two TD's.